Chapter Summaries

“Prelude to the Crossing” — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Otsutsuki Yume’s attack destabilizes the purple vortex passage and causes violent spatial tremors throughout it.
• Shion, who is maintaining the passage, is injured by the backlash and nearly loses control. Miroku helps stabilize the vortex while Sasuke and Kurama Yakumo contain the Natural Fire outside.
• Masayo enters the passage but is unable to reach the intended destination. The out-of-control Dragon Vein carries him away through time and space to an unknown location.
• The vortex disappears before Masayo can return, leaving everyone to assume that he has been transported to another time.
• Miroku explains that Masayo can only be recovered if they identify the chakra coordinates of his new location. She and Shion could then use the Dragon Vein to retrieve him.
• Jiraiya realizes that Katsuyu’s Senjutsu Chakra may help locate Masayo, since Masayo studied Shikkotsu Forest Senjutsu under Tsunade. Sakura is summoned to assist.
• The group recounts the events that caused the crisis: Mukade kidnapped Taruho, activated the Dragon Vein, and dragged Naruto, Sasuke, and the others into the past. After defeating him, they returned and attempted to connect the Dragon Veins of two worlds, unknowingly triggering the present disaster.
• Jiraiya orders Naruto to return to Konoha because the Akatsuki are actively hunting jinchūriki. Sasuke chooses to remain in the Land of Demons to help recover Masayo, while Kurama Yakumo also stays behind.
• The chapter ends with Miroku questioning the Evil God’s motives. Although the Evil God can travel between the Pure Land and the living world whenever she wishes, she has chosen to attack specifically on December 22, 2012, according to the Miko Calendar.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Masayo demonstrates determination by continuing to struggle through the unstable vortex, but ultimately loses control of his destination and is separated from the others.
• Shion is physically and emotionally affected by Masayo’s disappearance. She worries about him and seeks reassurance from Miroku, revealing how deeply she cares for him.
• Miroku takes responsibility for stabilizing the Dragon Vein and feels helpless when she cannot immediately recover Masayo. Her later suspicions show her growing concern about the larger prophecy and the Evil God’s hidden agenda.
• Naruto reacts protectively and urgently, demanding an explanation from Shion and Miroku. He wants to remain and help Sasuke, but Jiraiya forces him to return to Konoha.
• Sasuke remains cautious after the crisis but ultimately commits himself to helping retrieve Masayo. His decision to stay contrasts with Naruto’s forced departure.
• Jiraiya acts as the practical leader, prioritizing Masayo’s rescue, contacting Tsunade, and ensuring Naruto returns to Konoha.
• Kurama Yakumo challenges Naruto and Sasuke over their delayed arrival, blaming their actions for contributing to the catastrophe. She later stays behind to assist.
• Taruho defends Shion and Miroku, explaining that they would never intentionally harm Masayo and clarifying what happened during the battle with Mukade.

Significant Themes

• The danger of manipulating time and space: The Dragon Vein’s power allows travel between worlds and eras, but its instability creates uncontrollable consequences.
• Separation and rescue: Masayo’s disappearance shifts the group’s goal from defeating an enemy to locating and recovering a lost ally.
• Responsibility and sacrifice: Characters accept personal risks and remain behind to help, while others must return to protect their wider community.
• Uncertainty surrounding prophecy: Miroku’s doubts suggest that the Evil God’s planned attack may be governed by a deeper purpose rather than simple destruction.
• Trust and cooperation: The crisis forces characters from different backgrounds to work together, combining their abilities and knowledge to save Masayo.

Important Character Interactions

• Miroku and Shion work together to keep the vortex open despite the dangerous chakra fluctuations.
• Jiraiya, Naruto, and the others confront Miroku and Shion after Masayo vanishes, initially demanding an explanation.
• Jiraiya proposes using Katsuyu and Sakura’s assistance to locate Masayo’s chakra coordinates.
• Kurama Yakumo confronts Naruto and Sasuke about their role in worsening the situation.
• Naruto tries to stay with Sasuke, but Jiraiya insists that he return to Konoha.
• Miroku’s questions about the Evil God’s timetable prompt Sasuke to ask for more information about the prophecy, setting up the next stage of the conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ten days earlier, Pain and Konan attacked Kumogakure to capture Killer B, the Eight-Tails jinchūriki. Deva Path Pain defeated the Raikage and used Super Shinra Tensei, destroying much of the village and killing over sixty percent of its population.
• Killer B was captured after White Zetsu located and helped defeat him. Kumogakure survived largely because of its underground shelters, but its military and civilian population suffered immense losses.
• The Five Kage Summit called by Tsunade collapsed as the villages turned against one another. Iwagakure invaded the weakened Land of Lightning, while Kirigakure and Iwagakure attacked the Land of Hot Water and breached the Land of Fire’s borders.
• These invasions marked the beginning of an alternate Fourth Shinobi World War, secretly manipulated by Black Tobi. The other villages remain unaware of his involvement.
• In the present, Tsunade receives word that Masayo is trapped in the Dragon Vein’s time-space. Unable to send Sakura because of the many wounded soldiers, she orders Shizune to take Katsuyu and a sealing scroll containing a Shadow Clone to the Land of Wind.
• Akatsuki begins extracting the Eight-Tails’ chakra and confirms that only the Nine-Tails remains. Itachi and Kisame are pursuing Naruto, who is in the Land of Wind with Jiraiya, Kurama Yakumo, and Sasuke.
• Jiraiya and Naruto learn that the war has begun and that Kumogakure has fallen. Jiraiya sends Naruto back with Shizune, believing he will be safer near Yakumo and Sasuke than in Konoha, while Jiraiya returns to the village.

Character Developments

• Pain becomes even more convinced that the world must experience suffering before it can understand peace. Kumogakure’s destruction reinforces his belief that powerful nations exploit weaker ones.
• Tsunade is physically and emotionally exhausted. Her attempt to unite the Five Great Villages has failed, and she feels overwhelmed by the simultaneous war, Akatsuki threat, and Masayo’s disappearance. Nevertheless, she continues organizing aid and rescue efforts.
• Shizune takes on an active mission, carrying Tsunade’s chakra and Katsuyu to assist Masayo.
• Jiraiya reacts with shock to the sudden outbreak of war but makes a pragmatic decision to prioritize Naruto’s safety and return to Konoha.
• Naruto remains optimistic and confident in his newly acquired Sage training, though he is confused by the sudden change in plans.
• Itachi remains calm and observant, while privately taking interest in Sasuke’s return to Konoha and the possibility that events are approaching a decisive conclusion.
• Gaara distinguishes himself from the other leaders by refusing to join the conflict and remaining loyal to the alliance, despite his confusion over the war’s outbreak.

Significant Themes

• Pain as a path to peace: Pain uses Kumogakure’s destruction to argue that only shared suffering can make nations understand peace.
• The cycle of war and political betrayal: The villages quickly abandon cooperation and attack one another, showing how fragile alliances are when power and survival are at stake.
• Manipulation from the shadows: Black Tobi secretly engineers the conflict, emphasizing how wars can be driven by hidden actors while nations misunderstand the true cause.
• The burden of leadership: Tsunade and the other Kage must make impossible decisions while their people suffer and their alliances collapse.
• Hope amid catastrophe: Despite the war, characters continue rescuing allies, protecting Naruto, and seeking solutions for Masayo’s entrapment.

Important Character Interactions

• Pain confronts and defeats the Raikage, declaring that Kumogakure must “understand pain.”
• Tsunade entrusts Shizune with the mission to rescue Masayo and gives her the sealing scroll containing a Shadow Clone.
• Akatsuki members discuss the capture of the Eight-Tails, the pursuit of Naruto, the Dragon Vein, the Land of Demons, and the prophecy of the world’s destruction.
• Jiraiya privately informs Shizune about the war and decides that Naruto should return with her rather than accompany him to Konoha.
• Jiraiya reassures Naruto while redirecting him toward safety, and Naruto responds with confidence in his Sage Mode abilities.
• Itachi and Kisame continue their pursuit of Naruto, while Itachi reflects on Sasuke’s return and the approaching climax of their intertwined destinies.

Chapter Summary: “Murderer and Arsonist Ye Feiyu”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo descends near a gigantic chakra-filled tree and realizes it is the God Tree from the Naruto world.
• He recalls that the Dragon Vein transported him roughly a thousand years into the past, to a time before shinobi existed and when Kaguya Ōtsutsuki and Ōtsutsuki Isshiki may both have been present.
• Recognizing that he is too weak to confront either Ōtsutsuki directly, Masayo decides to hide and considers trying to ally himself with Kaguya against Isshiki.
• He leaves the God Tree and enters a nearby farming village in the Land of Ancestors, Matsushita Village.
• Using the alias Ye Feiyu, Masayo presents himself as a traveling scholar.
• He secretly uses genjutsu on the village chief, Matsushita Honichikuro, to gather information about the world’s fragmented countries, primitive agricultural society, lack of paper currency, and reliance on gold.
• Masayo accepts temporary hospitality in the chief’s home and meets the chief’s wife, Keiko, and daughter, Ami.
• He reveals that his true purpose in the village is to investigate the God Tree.
• The village chief warns him that the tree is evil and urges him not to approach it.

Character Developments

• Masayo becomes more cautious after realizing the God Tree’s presence means the situation is far more dangerous than expected. His confidence gives way to strategic concealment and long-term planning.
• He demonstrates his willingness to manipulate others through genjutsu, using the village chief as an unwitting source of information.
• Masayo adopts the identity of Ye Feiyu to conceal his real name and origins.
• Ami is immediately attracted to Masayo because of his unusual appearance, clothing, and refined manner.
• Village Chief Matsushita appears hospitable but deeply distrustful of the God Tree, regarding it as a dangerous supernatural object.

Significant Themes

• Survival through caution: Masayo recognizes that knowledge and preparation are more valuable than reckless strength.
• Manipulation and deception: He fabricates a scholarly identity and uses genjutsu to obtain information without the villagers realizing they have been influenced.
• The danger of forbidden power: The God Tree represents immense chakra and an unknown threat, reinforcing Masayo’s fear of becoming involved too early.
• Cultural displacement: Masayo finds himself in a primitive society far removed from the world he knew, forcing him to adapt socially and economically.
• Knowledge versus power: Although Masayo lacks the strength to challenge the Ōtsutsuki, his awareness of future events gives him a potential strategic advantage.

Character Interactions

• Masayo reflects on the God Tree and the possible conflict between Kaguya and Isshiki, revealing his uncertainty about the altered timeline.
• He politely converses with Village Chief Matsushita, defining a “scholar” in terms the old man can understand and earning his respect.
• The chief introduces Masayo to Keiko and Ami. Ami becomes shy and flustered under Masayo’s attention, while Masayo casually compliments her.
• Masayo tells the family he has come to study the God Tree, prompting the chief to reveal his fear and warn him that the tree is evil.

Chapter Summary: “God Tree”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo spends the night at the Matsumoto family home in Matsushita Village, enjoying a simple meal and experiencing the comfort of familiar village life.
• He jokes warmly with Matsumoto Keiko, her husband—the village chief—and their daughter Ami, building a friendly rapport with the family.
• Masayo offers the family a gold bar as payment for lodging, food, and assistance with his investigation into the God Tree. The enormous wealth briefly creates emotional distance, but he explains that he wants the money to benefit the entire village.
• The village chief reveals that Matsushita Village is preparing to relocate because the God Tree has caused declining crop yields and severe desertification. He fears the barren soil will soon spread to the village.
• The daimyo has forbidden anyone from cutting down the God Tree, declaring it a divine gift. The villagers resent the daimyo’s decision, viewing the tree as a destructive scourge.
• Ami recounts that Tobi once attempted to burn the God Tree but encountered a mysterious white-eyed, silver-haired woman guarding it. Tobi later brought several children to the site, confirming that only one woman was present.
• Masayo realizes the woman is Kaguya Otsutsuki, before she consumed the God Tree’s fruit. He decides to investigate and confront or test her the following day.

Character Developments

• Masayo appears increasingly comfortable and affectionate around the Matsumoto family, but his impulsive display of wealth reminds him that he does not fully understand ordinary people’s relationship with money.
• He becomes more serious and determined when he learns the God Tree is damaging the land. His concern expands beyond the village to the larger forces responsible for planting the tree.
• The Matsumoto village chief is established as hardworking, honest, and deeply attached to his homeland. Though poor, he refuses to accept wealth he feels he has not earned.
• Keiko is warm and practical, helping explain the value of Masayo’s gold and softening the tension caused by his offer.
• Ami grows emotionally attached to Masayo and reacts strongly to his sudden display of wealth. She also shows courage and outspoken anger toward the daimyo, while providing the crucial information about the woman guarding the tree.
• Tobi, though absent, is characterized as troublesome but brave enough to investigate and attempt to destroy the God Tree.

Significant Themes

• Rural hardship and environmental destruction: The God Tree depletes the soil, reduces harvests, and threatens to turn the surrounding land barren.
• Conflict between ordinary people and authority: The daimyo’s reverence for the tree contrasts with the villagers’ firsthand experience of its destructive effects.
• Wealth and social distance: Masayo’s gold exposes the vast economic gap between him and the villagers, despite their growing personal closeness.
• Family, hospitality, and community: The Matsumoto family’s warmth and the village’s shared struggles create a strong sense of belonging and mutual responsibility.
• Hidden manipulation and larger conspiracies: Masayo suspects that the people who planted the God Tree are the true masterminds behind the unfolding crisis.

Character Interactions

• Masayo bonds with the Matsumoto family through teasing, compliments, and shared conversation during dinner.
• His praise of Keiko, the village chief, and Ami creates a playful, affectionate atmosphere, especially embarrassing Ami.
• The gold bar temporarily unsettles the family, but the chief’s refusal and Masayo’s explanation restore some emotional balance.
• The village chief and Ami express their frustration with the daimyo, while Keiko attempts to restrain Ami’s harsh language.
• Ami’s account of Tobi’s encounter gives Masayo the evidence he needs to identify the silver-haired woman as Kaguya and sets up his next move.

Chapter Summary:

Kaguya Otsutsuki

Key Plot Points and Events

• Village Chief Matsumoto refuses Masayo’s offered gold. The next morning, Masayo leaves for the Land of the God Tree.
• Masayo demonstrates astonishing speed, reinforcing Matsumoto’s belief that he is an extraordinary person.
• Before approaching the God Tree, Masayo hides in the forest to refine Senjutsu Chakra and enters Sage Mode. He prepares numerous countermeasures, including over one hundred billion Explosive Tags, in case he must fight Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
• Masayo hopes his knowledge from his previous life is accurate: Kaguya and Isshiki are enemies within the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
• At the God Tree, Masayo encounters Kaguya Otsutsuki. She immediately detects his chakra, activates her Byakugan, and treats him as a suspicious intruder.
• Masayo introduces himself as “Ye Feiyu” and claims that he has come to help her. Kaguya initially dismisses him as a mere human who somehow acquired chakra.
• Masayo reveals that he knows about Kaguya, the Ōtsutsuki Clan, and Isshiki. He presses Kaguya to confirm whether Isshiki is present.
• Kaguya explains that Isshiki is currently in Takamagahara and will arrive in approximately one year with a Ten-Tails sapling. Masayo correctly identifies Isshiki’s plan: sacrificing Kaguya’s body to the Ten-Tails.
• Masayo warns Kaguya that relying on reincarnation and abandoning her original body could weaken her. He also claims that even evolved Ōtsutsuki Gods, including Ōtsutsuki Yume, were defeated by an entity known as Manjusaka.
• Shocked and frightened by this revelation, Kaguya begins to take Masayo more seriously.
• The two reach a temporary understanding because they share the goal of killing Isshiki. Masayo then fights Kaguya to demonstrate his strength.
• Masayo plans to spend the coming year preparing for Isshiki’s arrival and hopes that Shion and his allies will locate him through the Dragon Vein so he can eventually leave.

Character Developments

Masayo/Ye Feiyu

Masayo is shown as cautious, highly prepared, confident, and manipulative. He uses his future knowledge to control the conversation and gain Kaguya’s cooperation. Although he presents himself as harmless, he is prepared for a major battle and intends to recruit Kaguya as an ally.

Kaguya Otsutsuki

Kaguya begins as distrustful, arrogant, and contemptuous of humans, whom she regards as “monkeys.” However, Masayo’s knowledge of her situation and his warning about the Ōtsutsuki Gods unsettle her. She gradually becomes willing to cooperate, though she remains wary.

• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki:
  Isshiki does not appear directly, but his impending arrival drives the chapter’s conflict. He is established as Kaguya’s enemy and as someone planning to sacrifice her to the Ten-Tails.

Village Chief Matsumoto

His brief reaction emphasizes Masayo’s superhuman nature and the impression he leaves on ordinary people.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Masayo’s foreknowledge allows him to intimidate Kaguya and shape events before Isshiki arrives.
• Temporary alliances: Masayo and Kaguya distrust one another, but their shared enemy creates the possibility of cooperation.
• Pride and hierarchy: Kaguya’s contempt for humans reflects the Ōtsutsuki belief in their superiority, while Masayo challenges that hierarchy by proving that a human with chakra can threaten them.
• The danger of pursuing evolution without foundations: Masayo argues that abandoning one’s original body and essence may produce apparent evolution but also creates vulnerability.
• Preparation against overwhelming power: Masayo’s Sage Mode, weapons, explosives, and planned countermeasures emphasize his determination to confront enemies far stronger than ordinary humans.

Important Character Interactions

• Masayo reassures the suspicious Kaguya by raising his hands and presenting himself as nonthreatening.
• Kaguya repeatedly questions Masayo’s identity and motives, while Masayo counters by demanding information about Isshiki.
• Masayo uses his knowledge of Kaguya’s future fate to unsettle her and convince her that cooperation is necessary.
• Kaguya shifts from dismissing Masayo as a “monkey” to recognizing him as a potentially useful and dangerous ally.
• Their relationship remains tense: they agree on eliminating Isshiki, but neither fully trusts the other.

Chapter Summary: “Masayo and Kaguya”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo and Kaguya begin sparring beneath the God Tree. Although Kaguya possesses overwhelming power and the Byakugan, Masayo quickly recognizes that she lacks combat experience and tactical knowledge.
• Kaguya attacks with Rabbit Hair Needles, but Masayo avoids the assault using his unique Wind Clone, causing her to strike only a decoy.
• Masayo uses Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique to pull Kaguya underground. She is caught off guard because she fails to notice the threat directly beneath her.
• He explains that chakra techniques require strategy and attempts to encourage her to learn more combat skills. Kaguya rejects the idea, revealing that she dislikes fighting, getting dirty, and using techniques that involve burrowing underground.
• During the rematch, Kaguya unleashes the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. Masayo avoids its immense power by using a Shadow Clone, then appears behind her and places his sword against her neck, demonstrating the importance of deception and technique.
• Kaguya grows increasingly frustrated and attacks repeatedly with her vacuum strikes and Rabbit Hair Needles. Masayo uses aerial movement, Wind Body Flicker, chakra wings, and evasive tactics to exhaust her.
• His two enormous Great Fireball Techniques are revealed to be feints rather than serious attacks. Kaguya easily destroys them but continues wasting energy chasing Masayo.
• When Kaguya calls Masayo an “annoying fly,” he teases her by saying she must be what attracts flies. Enraged, she uses her deadly All-Killing Ash Bones technique.
• Masayo barely blocks the attack with his Light-Concealing Sword enhanced by Wind Attribute Senjutsu Chakra. He quickly apologizes and calls her “Sister Kaguya,” which catches her attention and causes her to stop.
• They discover that both claim to be nineteen. When Masayo doubts Kaguya’s age and laughs, she becomes offended and blasts him away with another Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack. The chapter ends with Masayo apologizing.

Character Developments

• Masayo is established as highly knowledgeable, technically skilled, and tactically superior. Rather than matching Kaguya’s power directly, he relies on clones, deception, terrain, mobility, and feints.
• He also reveals a playful, teasing personality. He finds Kaguya’s innocence and anger amusing, though he recognizes the danger of provoking her.
• Kaguya is shown to possess extraordinary raw power but very little practical combat experience. She uses devastating techniques instinctively and aggressively, yet lacks tactical awareness and quickly becomes exhausted when forced to chase an evasive opponent.
• Kaguya’s personality is portrayed as innocent, childish, easily embarrassed, and strongly averse to dirt and discomfort. Despite her immense abilities, she reacts emotionally when teased and has difficulty controlling her temper.
• Kaguya begins to view Masayo less as a mere opponent and more as someone with whom she can interact personally, particularly after he calls her “Sister.”

Significant Themes

• Skill versus power: The chapter emphasizes that enormous chakra reserves and destructive abilities are not enough without strategy, timing, and combat experience.
• Deception and adaptability: Masayo’s Wind Clone, Shadow Clone, feints, and evasive movement allow him to compete with Kaguya’s superior strength.
• Innocence beneath overwhelming power: Kaguya may be one of the most powerful beings present, but her sheltered personality makes her inexperienced and emotionally vulnerable.
• Playful rivalry and emerging familiarity: Their battle gradually becomes a teasing, almost sibling-like exchange rather than a purely serious confrontation.
• The danger of provocation: Masayo’s jokes repeatedly irritate Kaguya, and the chapter demonstrates that her anger can immediately escalate into lethal attacks.

Character Interactions

• Masayo repeatedly instructs and critiques Kaguya, treating the fight as a lesson in technique.
• Kaguya resists his attempts to educate her and complains about his dirtying her clothes, creating a humorous contrast between her divine status and her childish concerns.
• Masayo teases Kaguya about being an “annoying fly” and later questions her claim of being nineteen.
• His apology and use of “Sister Kaguya” briefly defuse her rage, suggesting the beginning of a more affectionate relationship.
• Their interaction combines combat, humor, irritation, and mutual curiosity, with Masayo acting like a mischievous teacher or teasing younger companion while Kaguya responds with sulking anger and overwhelming force.

Chapter Summary: “Kaguya’s Perspective”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kaguya and Masayo finish a fierce sparring match. Kaguya successfully lands a powerful blow, breaking Masayo’s arm and dispelling his Sage Mode. He nearly dies before reentering Sage Mode and healing himself.
• Masayo jokingly questions Kaguya about her past, her rebellion against her clan, and whether she will remain in the area. Kaguya refuses to answer, becoming visibly irritated when he nearly calls her “Sister Kaguya.”
• Masayo tells Kaguya that he plans to train and asks her about Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s abilities. She explains his techniques, including Sukunahikona, Daikokuten, space transportation, and especially the Kāma, which allows an Ōtsutsuki to store his consciousness and revive through another vessel.
• Masayo reveals that he has already developed a method to counter the Kāma, but recognizes that Isshiki’s other abilities will require serious preparation.
• Masayo and Kaguya travel to Matsushita Village, where the villagers recognize him as the scholar Ye Feiyu and speculate about Kaguya’s identity and appearance.
• At Village Chief Matsumoto’s home, they meet Tobi. Tobi is terrified of Kaguya and begs Masayo for forgiveness, recognizing his overwhelming power.
• Tobi explains that a man named Jigen has come to the village to pray for its safety before the villagers leave. The village is scheduled to depart in two days, likely because of worsening conditions in the Land of Wind.
• Masayo and Kaguya prepare to leave after asking Tobi to send their regards to Matsumoto and Ami, but Masayo calls Tobi back, setting up an unfinished conversation.

Character Developments

• Masayo: Despite suffering severe injuries, he remains confident and humorous. He becomes more serious when discussing Isshiki, recognizing the need for strategic training rather than relying solely on raw power. He also shows concern for the villagers and Mirai’s future relationship with Kaguya.
• Kaguya: She displays a rare moment of satisfaction after defeating Masayo, revealing a subtle playful side beneath her usually emotionless exterior. Her curiosity about ordinary humans begins to emerge, although she continues to view them dismissively as “monkeys.” She also demonstrates trust in Masayo by revealing important Ōtsutsuki information.
• Tobi: Initially aggressive, Tobi immediately becomes submissive and fearful in Masayo’s presence. His willingness to adapt to the situation shows practical survival instincts.
• Jigen: Though he does not appear directly, his arrival at the village introduces a potentially important connection to Isshiki and the wider Ōtsutsuki conflict.

Significant Themes

• Power and vulnerability: Kaguya’s victory over Masayo shows that even his immense abilities have limits, while his recovery demonstrates the extreme powers available to both characters.
• Trust and cooperation: Kaguya’s disclosure of Isshiki’s abilities suggests growing cooperation between her and Masayo despite their clashing personalities.
• Immortality and identity: The Kāma raises the idea of survival beyond physical death through replication and possession of new vessels.
• Humanity versus alienation: Kaguya’s detached view of humans contrasts with Masayo’s sympathy for the villagers, emphasizing her distance from ordinary society.
• Preparation against overwhelming threats: Masayo recognizes that defeating Isshiki will require knowledge, training, and specialized countermeasures.

Character Interactions

• Masayo and Kaguya maintain a teasing but increasingly trusting relationship. He jokes about her age and past, while she responds with irritation but also subtle amusement.
• Their sparring reflects both rivalry and mutual respect, with Kaguya testing Masayo’s limits and Masayo seeking to learn from her.
• Masayo acts as a bridge between Kaguya and humanity, encouraging her to observe village life despite her contemptuous attitude.
• Tobi’s fearful interaction with Kaguya and Masayo highlights their intimidating reputations and the vast difference between their power and that of ordinary villagers.

Chapter Summary: The Slug Back Then

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo stops Tobi because he is concerned about the safety of the Matsumoto villagers during Tobi’s journey through bandit-infested territory.
• He creates a Shadow Clone to train Tobi for one night, teaching him techniques to defend himself and warning him never to use them to harm innocent people.
• Tobi, awed by Masayo’s strength and reputation, eagerly accepts the training despite Masayo refusing to formally become his master.
• Masayo and Kaguya return to the God Tree. He photographs Kaguya beneath the stars, surprising her with the unfamiliar camera.
• Masayo discovers that Kaguya lives in an extremely poor, dilapidated hut and survives mainly on fruit.
• He gives her cream cookies and catches fish, then prepares a meal for them. Kaguya enjoys the food so much that she eats all the cookies and begins hiccupping.
• Masayo provides Kaguya with a tent, allowing her to sleep more comfortably.
• The next morning, Masayo and Kaguya begin training.
• Masayo remembers the Summoning Technique and successfully summons Katsuyu—but this version of Katsuyu is only a small, timid, ordinary slug who has not yet learned Senjutsu.
• Katsuyu is confused and frightened by Masayo, while Masayo realizes that she comes from an earlier stage of her development.
• After demonstrating Sage Mode, Masayo promises to explain his identity and teach Katsuyu Senjutsu.

Character Developments

• Masayo continues acting as a protector and mentor. He is stern with Tobi but gives him a chance to improve, showing responsibility toward the villagers. With Kaguya, he is compassionate, playful, and attentive to her needs.
• Tobi becomes deeply respectful of Masayo and sees him as an almost incomprehensibly powerful figure. His willingness to train suggests a potential change from bandit-like behavior toward protecting others.
• Kaguya begins opening up to Masayo. Though still quiet and socially inexperienced, she responds with curiosity to his modern belongings, enjoys the food he gives her, and appears relieved that she is no longer alone.
• Katsuyu is portrayed as young, timid, and insecure, contrasting sharply with the powerful and composed Katsuyu familiar from later events. Her summoning introduces the possibility of her future growth through Masayo’s guidance.

Significant Themes

• Mentorship and moral responsibility: Masayo teaches Tobi only on the condition that his power be used to protect, not oppress.
• Compassion and companionship: Masayo’s care for Kaguya reveals her poverty and isolation while beginning to give her comfort and human connection.
• Growth and transformation: Tobi, Kaguya, and Katsuyu are all at early stages of development, with Masayo positioned to influence their futures.
• Contrast between power and innocence: Kaguya possesses immense potential but lives simply and knows little of ordinary comforts; Katsuyu has great future significance but currently appears weak and frightened.
• Humor and domestic intimacy: The camera, cookies, hiccups, grilled fish, and tent create lighter moments that strengthen the bond between Masayo and Kaguya.

Character Interactions

• Masayo and Tobi interact as reluctant teacher and eager student, with Masayo emphasizing discipline and ethics.
• Masayo and Kaguya grow closer through shared food, shelter, and conversation, while Masayo treats her with warmth and gentle teasing.
• Kaguya’s curiosity about Masayo’s possessions highlights her sheltered life and growing trust in him.
• Masayo’s encounter with Katsuyu shifts him into a new mentor role, as he prepares to explain Sage Mode and teach her Senjutsu.

Chapter Summary: “Shikkotsu Forest of That Time”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo explains his origins to Katsuyu but keeps his true name hidden because of Kaguya. He privately trusts Katsuyu more than Kaguya and intends to tell her the truth later.
• Katsuyu realizes that Masayo is her future summoner and that the Dragon Vein brought him to this era. Masayo confirms their connection but is surprised by how readily she believes him.
• Katsuyu reveals that she has been bullied since birth by various creatures, especially bears, toads, snakes, wolves, and other beasts. The other Katsuyu were killed, leaving her as the sole survivor.
• Outraged, Masayo follows Katsuyu to her home, where giant creatures from Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and elsewhere have invaded and taken over the area.
• Masayo confronts the beasts, placing Katsuyu in Kaguya’s care before attacking. He uses Senjutsu Chakra and the technique Toyoshigeshin.
• Toyoshigeshin reconstructs the landscape into the familiar Shikkotsu Forest, a terrifying forest of enormous white bones. The invading creatures are crushed, with their blood staining part of the forest like a red rose.
• After restoring Shikkotsu Forest, Masayo learns that the attackers were interested in a mysterious natural dream realm located in the area.
• Recognizing that this may be the basis of the future “Realm of True Self,” Masayo begins planning his next objective: learning Yin–Yang Release from Kaguya.
• Kaguya agrees to teach him Yin–Yang Release in exchange for Masayo teaching her how to fight. Masayo hopes this will allow him to reach the ultimate Sage Mode state known as the Great Deity.
• With Yin–Yang Release, his Eight Gates, and information about Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and the puppet Ōtsutsuki Yume, Masayo believes he can prepare to defeat his future enemies.

Character Developments

• Masayo: Shows strong protectiveness toward Katsuyu and a willingness to punish those who exploit the weak. His mastery of Toyoshigeshin allows him to recreate Shikkotsu Forest, marking a major increase in his power. He also becomes more strategically focused, planning to combine Yin–Yang Release with his existing abilities.
• Katsuyu: Reveals her vulnerable past and her deep loneliness. Although weak and cautious, she quickly develops trust in Masayo after he defends her. Her knowledge of the forest’s dream realm becomes important to Masayo’s plans.
• Kaguya: Continues observing Masayo’s strength and becomes more cooperative after witnessing his overwhelming power. Her concern about Ōtsutsuki Isshiki motivates her to agree to teach him Yin–Yang Release.
• The invading beasts: Represent the brutal hierarchy of the natural world, where stronger creatures prey on weaker ones. Their defeat restores Katsuyu’s home and establishes Masayo’s dominance over the region.

Significant Themes

• Protection of the weak: Masayo rejects the abuse Katsuyu has endured and intervenes directly against those who prey on her.
• The law of survival: Masayo acknowledges that nature follows “survival of the fittest,” but he also demonstrates that strength can be used to protect rather than merely dominate.
• Trust and loyalty: Katsuyu’s immediate trust in Masayo contrasts with his guarded relationship with Kaguya. His willingness to defend Katsuyu strengthens their bond.
• Transformation and creation: Toyoshigeshin turns destruction into creation, reconstructing the battlefield into the Shikkotsu Forest.
• Preparation for future conflict: Masayo’s pursuit of Yin–Yang Release reflects his continuing effort to gain enough power and knowledge to confront Isshiki, Yume, and other Ōtsutsuki threats.
• Origins of legendary places: The chapter explains how the Shikkotsu Forest of the future came into existence and hints at the origins of its deeper spiritual and dream-related powers.

Character Interactions

• Masayo and Katsuyu develop a close, trusting relationship as he comforts and protects her.
• Masayo places Katsuyu in Kaguya’s hands before beginning his attack, briefly forcing Kaguya into a protective role.
• Kaguya watches Masayo’s display of power and reassesses him, while Masayo asks her directly to teach him Yin–Yang Release.
• Their agreement creates a mutual exchange: Kaguya will provide the knowledge Masayo needs, while Masayo will train her in combat.

Chapter Summary: The Shrine Maiden of That Time

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Shikkotsu Forest, Masayo continues training with Kaguya while Little Katsuyu works to refine Senjutsu Chakra.
• Kaguya teaches Masayo the fundamentals of Yin–Yang Release and explains the nature of Shinjutsu—techniques that require no hand signs and operate beyond ordinary ninjutsu.
• After a week of training, Masayo successfully creates Chakra Black Rods. He spars with Kaguya, who has rapidly improved from fighting recklessly to exchanging hundreds of moves with him.
• Masayo defeats Kaguya by anticipating her habitual sneak attack and using the Substitution Technique. He replaces himself with a large log, leaving Kaguya pinned and embarrassed. She angrily frees herself with a burst of chakra.
• Katsuyu announces that she has successfully learned to produce Senjutsu Chakra. Masayo praises her, and she promises to become strong enough to help him.
• Elsewhere, the shrine maiden Tachibana Chiko experiences a vision of Kaguya ruling the land in the future and establishing a unified nation called the Land of Night.
• Concerned that Kaguya’s rise could cause war and mass suffering, Chiko decides to leave with her attendant Mai to meet Kaguya and understand her intentions rather than immediately oppose her.
• Three months pass. Katsuyu grows to over a meter tall, while Kaguya’s combat abilities improve dramatically. She can now fight Masayo evenly for hundreds of exchanges, though neither she nor Masayo has yet consumed the Chakra Fruit.
• Masayo combines Sage Arts with genuine Yin–Yang Release and begins working on the “Realm of True Self,” a mental or dream realm intended to complete his Sage Mode and prepare him for his future battle with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
• Because his Yin–Yang Release remains incomplete, Masayo asks Kaguya to lend him chakra so he can use Yin Release to shape the realm. Kaguya agrees without hesitation.

Character Developments

• Masayo: Becomes more proficient in Yin–Yang Release and Shinjutsu while continuing to strengthen his Sage Mode. His training reflects his determination to eliminate every weakness before confronting Isshiki.
• Kaguya: Develops from an inexperienced fighter who relied blindly on overwhelming power into a capable combatant able to fight Masayo on nearly equal terms. She also grows more expressive, showing irritation and playfulness during their sparring.
• Katsuyu: Successfully masters Senjutsu Chakra and grows physically larger. Her confidence and determination increase as she seeks to support Masayo and Kaguya.
• Tachibana Chiko: Receives a prophetic vision of Kaguya’s future rule. Rather than reacting with hostility, she chooses investigation and diplomacy, showing compassion and caution.
• Mai: Demonstrates concern for ordinary people and fear of the destruction that political upheaval might bring. She loyally follows Chiko on the journey.

Significant Themes

• Power versus experience: Kaguya and future Ōtsutsuki possess immense power but initially lack practical combat skill. Training and experience allow Kaguya to use her strength more effectively.
• Mutual growth and cooperation: Masayo and Kaguya teach one another, combining Masayo’s battle experience with Kaguya’s overwhelming abilities.
• Preparation for future conflict: Masayo’s creation of the Realm of True Self emphasizes the need for complete mastery before facing Isshiki.
• The nature of higher techniques: Yin–Yang Release and Shinjutsu are presented as powers that create or alter reality without the conventional limits of ninjutsu.
• Prophecy and moral uncertainty: Chiko’s vision suggests Kaguya may eventually reshape the world, but the meaning and consequences of that future remain unclear. The chapter questions whether a unified nation would bring peace or destruction.
• Compassion amid political change: Chiko and Mai focus on the human cost of war, contrasting with the grand-scale ambitions and power of the Ōtsutsuki.

Character Interactions

• Masayo trains Kaguya in combat, repeatedly outmaneuvering her while teasing her for attempting surprise attacks.
• Kaguya responds to Masayo’s teasing with childish frustration, revealing a more lively personality beneath her usual aloofness.
• Masayo encourages Katsuyu after her Senjutsu breakthrough, strengthening their mentor-like bond.
• Chiko and Mai discuss the implications of Kaguya’s future rule, with Chiko choosing to seek understanding rather than immediately fight.
• Masayo relies on Kaguya’s chakra for his advanced Sage Mode experiment, demonstrating their growing trust and interdependence.

Chapter Summary: “Heart and Reality”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After creating the Realm of True Self, Masayo enters it to confront his Heart Demon, leaving his Light-Concealing Sword with Katsuyu outside.
• The Heart Demon appears as an identical version of Masayo, possessing the same abilities and complete knowledge of his thoughts and techniques.
• Both acknowledge that the Heart Demon seeks to dominate and absorb Masayo, while Masayo intends to defeat and consume the Heart Demon through Yin–Yang Release.
• Rejecting persuasion, Masayo and his Heart Demon begin a fierce battle, reasoning that their mutual understanding makes reconciliation impossible.
• Their initial taijutsu exchange ends evenly, with both suffering injuries.
• Masayo opens the Sixth Gate of View. The Heart Demon imitates him, demonstrating that they share the same physical capabilities and combat instincts.
• Masayo uses Senjutsu: Toyoshigeshin to transform the Realm’s environment into a scorching, volcanic landscape. Although the Heart Demon believes this benefits them equally, Masayo uses the altered terrain to create a deceptive clone.
• The clone distracts the Heart Demon, allowing Masayo to strike with a Chakra-Enhanced Morning Peacock and injure him.
• Masayo follows with a Spiraling Ring, but the Heart Demon recovers through Shikkotsu Forest’s Senjutsu Chakra and counters with an identical technique.
• Their simultaneous Spirit Transformation Shocks collide, after which both launch Great Spiraling Rings. The techniques explode in enormous mushroom clouds while the two continue exchanging high-speed blows.
• Outside, Katsuyu recognizes the Great Spiraling Ring as the first danger signal Masayo established before entering. Kaguya prepares to intervene if the remaining signals occur.

Character Developments

• Masayo: Reveals his exhaustion and acknowledges that he does not want to die, but remains determined to survive and surpass his former self. He demonstrates strategic growth by using the environment and a clone to overcome an opponent who knows all his standard tactics.
• Heart Demon Masayo: Is established as more than an enemy; he represents Masayo’s repressed resentment, hatred, dissatisfaction, and desire for dominance. He mirrors Masayo’s abilities and reasoning, making him a nearly equal opponent.
• Kaguya: Shows increasing concern for Masayo despite claiming not to understand her emotional attachment to him. She carefully follows his instructions and remains ready to enter the Realm.
• Katsuyu: Remains confused by Masayo’s decision to fight himself but faithfully protects his sword and monitors the battle signals.

Significant Themes

• Self-conflict and acceptance: Masayo cannot resolve his inner darkness through simple understanding because the Heart Demon has its own will and seeks control.
• Survival versus exhaustion: Masayo admits that life is painful and tiring, yet he still chooses to fight for the right to continue living.
• Growth through struggle: Defeating the Heart Demon symbolizes surpassing the person Masayo was before entering the Realm.
• Similarity as an obstacle: Because Masayo and his Heart Demon possess identical knowledge and strength, neither can rely on surprise or emotional persuasion alone.
• Hidden emotions: The battle externalizes Masayo’s inner dissatisfaction and unresolved feelings, turning psychological conflict into physical combat.

Character Interactions

• Masayo and the Heart Demon exchange blunt, hostile dialogue before fighting, each openly declaring the intention to absorb the other.
• Their combat reflects their complete mutual understanding: every technique is anticipated, copied, or countered.
• Katsuyu questions why Masayo would fight himself, while Kaguya suggests that battle is the only solution because persuasion cannot work.
• Kaguya’s growing worry contrasts with her denial of any personal attachment to Masayo, adding emotional tension outside the battle.

Chapter Summary: “A Bitter Battle with His Heart Demon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo prepares to fight his heart demon, realizing that because the demon is identical to him, ordinary advantages will not work. He seals his own memories to hide his trump cards from both himself and his opponent.
• Before entering the Realm of True Self, Katsuyu tells him to fight at full strength and promises that she, Kaguya, and the others will help restore his memories when necessary.
• Both Masayo and his heart demon immediately use Senjutsu: Fire Dance Whirlwind, producing a massive collision. The technique also serves as a signal to Katsuyu and Kaguya, who stand ready to break the memory seal.
• Inside the realm, the two battle with Chakra Black Rods, taijutsu, ninjutsu, and strategic calculations. Since they possess the same knowledge and abilities, neither can easily gain an advantage.
• The heart demon mocks Masayo for relying on the support of Kaguya and Katsuyu and exposes his secret feelings, doubts, and hidden techniques.
• It reveals that Masayo secretly learned the Flying Thunder God Technique from Minato’s notes after Tsunade became Hokage. Masayo kept this ability hidden from everyone, including Kurama Yakumo, treating it as a trump card.
• The heart demon uses a marked Chakra Black Rod to teleport beside Masayo and attack with a Spiraling Ring. Masayo counters with his Life Barrier, a technique based on Toyoshigeshin that involves dispersing and reassembling his own body.
• The heart demon recognizes that the Life Barrier was developed through Masayo’s research into Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s abilities. Although powerful, the technique causes Masayo extreme physical pain.
• Masayo and his heart demon then create matching Taiji Rasengan, combining Yin and Yang chakra. Their attacks collide, producing an enormous burst of light and leaving the battle unresolved.

Character Developments

• Masayo demonstrates extraordinary caution, self-discipline, and ruthlessness. He is willing to seal his memories, endure severe pain, and even destroy and reconstruct his body to gain an advantage.
• His reliance on hidden trump cards reveals that, despite trusting his allies, he fundamentally believes he must remain self-reliant and in control.
• Heart Demon Masayo functions as the embodiment of Masayo’s darker thoughts: his suspicion, emotional restraint, pride, and fear of depending on others. It knows every secret Masayo has kept from those around him.
• Katsuyu and Kaguya act as external supporters, prepared to intervene if Masayo needs his memories restored, showing their commitment to helping him overcome himself.

Significant Themes

• Self-confrontation: The battle is both physical and psychological, forcing Masayo to confront the parts of himself he tries to conceal.
• Trust versus self-reliance: Masayo accepts help from others but still keeps secrets and backup plans, suggesting that complete trust remains difficult for him.
• The cost of power: His strongest techniques require immense pain, sacrifice, and bodily destruction, emphasizing that victory comes at a serious personal cost.
• Control and vulnerability: Masayo’s desire to control every situation clashes with the heart demon’s accusation that he ultimately trusts only himself.
• Identity and hidden potential: Because both combatants possess the same abilities and memories, victory depends on strategy, resolve, and the willingness to use methods the other may hesitate to employ.

Character Interactions

• Katsuyu encourages Masayo and coordinates with Kaguya to restore his sealed memories when needed.
• The heart demon taunts Masayo by invoking the women who support or care for him—Kurama Yakumo, Kazahana Koyuki, and Shion—and questions his emotional isolation.
• The heart demon exposes Masayo’s secret Flying Thunder God training and criticizes his habit of concealing abilities even from trusted allies.
• Masayo and the heart demon mirror one another throughout the fight, using identical techniques and countering each other with equal knowledge.
• The chapter ends with their matching Taiji Rasengan colliding, leaving the outcome of their internal battle uncertain.

Chapter Summary: Yin-Yang Dual Separation Technique

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kaguya and Katsuyu hear the Taiji Rasengan erupt inside the Realm of True Self. Recognizing it as the “final Taiji Rasengan,” Katsuyu urges Kaguya to break the external seal.
• Inside the realm, Masayo and his Heart Demon suffer a sudden influx of memories, nearly causing them to lose control of the technique.
• Masayo activates the Yin-Yang Dual Separation Technique, using Yin and Yang chakra to restrain and seal his Heart Demon inside a chakra sphere.
• Rather than permanently separating the Heart Demon, Masayo uses a black chakra rod to pierce him and gradually absorb him, allowing the two selves to merge.
• The Heart Demon accepts defeat but mocks Masayo for being ruthless and compares his methods to those of the Evil God Manjusaka.
• Their discussion reveals that Manjusaka from the Limited Tsukuyomi World intends to devour her counterpart in the present world, become complete, and destroy humanity.
• Masayo and his Heart Demon reason that Manjusaka may be connected to the prophecy involving December 21, 2012, and conclude that someone close to them—or at least someone matching the clues—may be the present-world Manjusaka.
• The Heart Demon finally dissipates and merges fully with Masayo, leaving Masayo feeling a powerful sense of completion.

Character Developments

• Masayo demonstrates both technical ingenuity and emotional ruthlessness by using a sealing technique he learned from Shion to defeat his own inner darkness.
• He acknowledges that he has hidden his memories and pursued an indirect path to achieve victory, showing how deeply he has planned and sacrificed parts of himself.
• Masayo’s concern about Manjusaka reveals his survival-oriented mindset, but he also insists that he differs from her because he still possesses principles and does not harm others without purpose.
• Heart Demon Masayo serves as Masayo’s most honest mirror. He understands Masayo’s motives, secrets, and darker impulses better than anyone else and accepts that his defeat was inevitable.
• Their merger gives Masayo emotional and psychological completeness, while also implying that he has integrated the ruthless and hidden aspects of his personality.

Significant Themes

• Self-confrontation and integration: Masayo must defeat and absorb the darker version of himself rather than simply destroy or reject him.
• The cost of power: His victory depends on secrecy, self-denial, and ruthless decisions, raising questions about how different he truly is from the enemies he condemns.
• Survival versus morality: Masayo prioritizes survival against overwhelming threats but struggles to preserve his principles while doing so.
• Trust and isolation: The Heart Demon repeats the belief that “the only one you can trust is yourself,” emphasizing Masayo’s inability to reveal his deepest knowledge to others.
• Parallel selves and fate: The existence of alternate worlds and counterpart versions of characters blurs the boundaries between identity, destiny, and personal responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Kaguya and Katsuyu cooperate outside the realm, with Katsuyu recognizing the significance of Masayo’s technique and Kaguya acting to break the seal.
• Masayo and Heart Demon Masayo engage in a tense but intimate final conversation. The Heart Demon criticizes Masayo’s ruthlessness, while Masayo defends himself by claiming to retain moral principles.
• Their exchange becomes an investigation into Manjusaka’s identity and motives, with both versions of Masayo combining their knowledge to reach the same conclusion.
• The final merger transforms their adversarial relationship into a unified self, completing Masayo’s internal struggle.

Chapter Summary: The Final Sage Mode

Key Plot Points and Events

• After more than an hour inside the Realm of True Self, Masayo finally emerges from his dangerous training. Kaguya and Katsuyu are relieved to see him alive.
• Kaguya confirms through her Byakugan that Masayo’s chakra has increased significantly, though his identity and chakra signature remain unchanged.
• Masayo has successfully advanced his Sage Mode and prepares to pursue the ultimate Shikkotsu Forest technique, Senjutsu: Great Deity.
• Kaguya decides to remain behind and learn Senjutsu from Katsuyu while Masayo continues his own training. Masayo and Katsuyu humorously react with disbelief because Kaguya has always disliked humans and their techniques.
• Kaguya successfully learns to enter ordinary Sage Mode after repeated failures, but abandons the more advanced Great Deity form because of its extreme difficulty.
• Masayo spends three months meditating without moving, maintaining a precise balance between natural, spiritual, and physical energy. Katsuyu’s clone monitors him in case his Senjutsu Chakra becomes unstable.
• At the end of the chapter, Masayo’s hair turns white, a chakra membrane surrounds him, and electricity crackles around his body—signs that he has finally mastered Senjutsu: Great Deity.

Character Developments

• Masayo demonstrates exceptional endurance, discipline, and willingness to endanger himself for greater power. His prolonged meditation reveals his patience and meticulous nature.
• Kaguya begins the chapter anxious about Masayo’s survival but gradually becomes more cooperative and less isolated. She learns ordinary Sage Mode and starts to soften emotionally, becoming more comfortable around Masayo and Katsuyu.
• Katsuyu remains supportive and cautious, serving as both Masayo’s protector and Kaguya’s teacher. Her concern for Masayo highlights their close relationship.
• Kaguya’s training and time with the others help reduce her previous arrogance and emotional distance.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance and self-discipline: Masayo’s success comes through months of stillness, concentration, and precise chakra control.
• The danger of power: Great Deity requires maintaining a fragile balance; even a distracting thought could cause catastrophic failure.
• Trust and companionship: Kaguya and Katsuyu’s fear for Masayo shows how deeply they care about him.
• Personal change: Kaguya’s willingness to learn from Katsuyu and socialize with the others marks a gradual movement away from her isolation and superiority.
• Preparation for future conflict: With Isshiki’s arrival roughly six months away, the characters are strengthening themselves for an approaching threat.

Character Interactions

• Kaguya and Katsuyu anxiously await Masayo’s return and confirm that he has survived.
• Masayo, Kaguya, and Katsuyu exchange exaggerated jokes about Kaguya’s sleeping habits, temper, appetite, and dislike of humans, creating a rare moment of comic intimacy.
• Kaguya asks Katsuyu to teach her Senjutsu, surprising both Katsuyu and Masayo.
• Katsuyu supervises Masayo’s meditation while Kaguya observes his unwavering dedication.
• Kaguya and Katsuyu celebrate when Masayo finally achieves the Great Deity form.
  The author’s note following the chapter is unrelated to the story and consists of the author responding angrily to online criticism while thanking supportive readers.

Chapter Summary: “Sage Art: Great Deity!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After three months of intensive training, Masayo successfully takes the first step toward mastering the Great Deity state, a powerful form of Sage Art that transforms his body through natural energy.
• Unlike his former Sage Mode, the Great Deity state allows him to fly naturally, greatly enhances his Senjutsu Chakra, and removes the usual limits of duration and energy consumption. It also complements his mastery of Body Activation and the Eight Gates.
• Katsuyu’s small clone celebrates Masayo’s breakthrough, while Kaguya becomes curious—and somewhat jealous—about his silver hair and unique abilities. Masayo explains that the technique is too difficult for her to learn easily.
• During Masayo’s three-month training, Katsuyu continues evolving and uses Sage Art: Feng Zhantingzun to spread chakra mist throughout Shikkotsu Forest, restoring much of its former, eerie appearance. However, she still cannot create food through Yin–Yang Release.
• Half a month later, Katsuyu detects two human intruders entering Shikkotsu Forest. Their clothing resembles Masayo’s purple haori, leading him to suspect that one of them may be Tachibana Chiko, the shrine maiden ancestor of Shion.
• Masayo, Kaguya, and Katsuyu travel to confront the visitors. Masayo orders Katsuyu to destroy them if they pose a threat.
• The visitors are revealed to be Tachibana Chiko and her maid, Mai, who have spent over six months reaching Shikkotsu Forest. They claim to come peacefully and only wish to speak.
• Chiko and Mai are immediately frightened by the grotesque forest and Katsuyu’s massive form. When Chiko asks whether they brought salt—apparently preparing for a spiritual purification ritual—Masayo responds with lethal hostility.
• Masayo releases overwhelming killing intent, threatening to fuse their corpses into the forest. Mai collapses in terror, while Chiko barely maintains her composure.
• At Katsuyu’s request, Masayo withdraws his killing intent. The encounter leaves Chiko and Mai shaken and reinforces the reputation of Shion’s lineage, particularly Miroku, as exceptionally powerful shrine maidens.

Character Developments

• Masayo: Achieves a major advancement by entering the Great Deity state. His confidence and power increase, but he remains cautious about mastering the technique fully. He also displays a ruthless protective instinct when he believes Katsuyu or Kaguya may be threatened.
• Kaguya: Remains unable to learn Great Deity and feels disappointed by the gap between herself and Masayo. She also develops an unexpected possessive or jealous reaction toward Tachibana Chiko, especially when Chiko appears connected to Masayo. She is pleased when Masayo intimidates Chiko in defense of Katsuyu.
• Katsuyu: Continues developing toward the form Masayo remembers and gains greater control over Shikkotsu Forest. She acts as the group’s sensor and mediator, stopping Masayo from going too far against the visitors.
• Tachibana Chiko: Shows courage and determination despite her fear of Shikkotsu Forest. She is willing to enter a dangerous territory to fulfill her responsibilities as a shrine maiden, though the confrontation reveals that she is not yet comparable to the strongest shrine maidens of her bloodline.
• Mai: Serves as the more openly frightened and cautious member of the pair. Masayo’s killing intent overwhelms her, causing her to collapse.

Significant Themes

• Power and transcendence: Masayo’s Great Deity state represents a major evolution beyond ordinary Sage Mode and establishes a new level of supernatural strength.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Kaguya’s reaction to Chiko suggests growing emotional attachment to Masayo, even though she refuses to recognize it as affection.
• Legacy and lineage: Chiko’s arrival connects the current events to Shion’s ancestry and the ancient tradition of shrine maidens who protected the world before Chakra became widespread.
• Fear versus duty: Chiko and Mai are terrified by Shikkotsu Forest, but Chiko’s sense of responsibility compels her to remain. Her resolve contrasts with Mai’s panic.
• Protection and intimidation: Masayo’s power is shown not only through his new Sage Art but also through his killing intent. He instinctively protects those close to him, though his methods are extreme.

Important Character Interactions

• Masayo and Katsuyu share a supportive relationship, with Katsuyu enthusiastically celebrating his achievement and later calming his aggression.
• Masayo and Kaguya interact with increasing emotional tension. Kaguya envies his abilities and reacts possessively when Chiko appears connected to him.
• Masayo confronts Chiko and Mai harshly, treating them as potential enemies until Katsuyu confirms that they came seeking Kaguya rather than intending harm.
• Katsuyu acts as the peacekeeper between Masayo’s hostility and the frightened shrine maidens, preventing the encounter from becoming deadly.

Chapter Summary: The Priestess’s Purpose

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tachibana Chiko and Mai are welcomed into the hidden paradise of Shikkotsu Forest by Masayo and Katsuyu after Chiko explains why they came.
• Despite the earlier display of killing intent, Masayo behaves courteously, creating a striking contrast that leaves the visitors uneasy.
• Mai reveals that Chiko is a priestess with the power of prophecy and that she has foreseen Lady Kaguya unifying the entire world.
• Chiko expects Masayo to recognize this future as dangerous, but he considers world unification potentially beneficial because it could reduce division, war, and disorder.
• Chiko argues that unification would cause countless deaths and destroy families. Masayo challenges her narrow interpretation of a priestess’s duty, insisting that a priestess should view the world with greater breadth and avoid intervening in every contradiction or conflict.
• Kaguya asks whether unifying the world is truly right. Masayo answers that it is, though maintaining control over a unified world would be far more difficult than conquering it.
• Masayo offers to teach Chiko how to use chakra once she genuinely understands what it means to be a priestess.
• Kaguya demonstrates chakra by unleashing a powerful version of the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack, creating a massive crater and terrifying Chiko and Mai.
• Chiko initially mistakes the technique for magic, prompting Masayo to scold her and clarify that it is chakra.
• Masayo instructs Chiko to remain in Shikkotsu Forest, reflect on her duty, and decide whether she truly wishes to learn. If she reaches the correct understanding, he promises to train her.
• Mai agrees not to interfere, recognizing that Chiko’s spiritual and intellectual growth must be her own responsibility.

Character Developments

• Tachibana Chiko: Begins confident in her interpretation of priestly duty and convinced that Kaguya’s future unification is morally wrong. Masayo’s arguments and Kaguya’s display of chakra destabilize her assumptions, leaving her questioning whether her previous actions and beliefs were misguided. She accepts the need for personal reflection and commits to understanding her duty before learning chakra.
• Masayo: Acts as both host and stern mentor. He respects the responsibility associated with priesthood but is disappointed by Chiko’s limited worldview. Although he does not initially admire her character, he decides to guide her because he hopes she may eventually become a worthy priestess like Miroku or Shion.
• Kaguya: Remains largely uninterested in Chiko and Mai but becomes curious about whether world unification is morally correct. Her chakra demonstration reinforces her immense power and highlights the gap between her abilities and the priestesses’ current understanding.
• Mai: Serves as Chiko’s supportive companion and intermediary. She introduces Chiko’s prophecy, worries about her emotional reaction, and ultimately agrees to step back so Chiko can undergo the training independently.
• Katsuyu: Remains mostly in the background, functioning as Masayo’s companion and protector.

Significant Themes

• The meaning of a priestess’s duty: The chapter contrasts a narrow, inherited interpretation of duty with Masayo’s broader view that priestesses must understand the complexity of the world before acting.
• Unity versus the cost of peace: World unification may reduce long-term conflict, but it can also require immense violence and sacrifice. The chapter refuses to present the issue as simply good or evil.
• Inherited prejudice and historical perspective: Masayo contrasts Chiko’s negative view of the formerly unified Land of Night with Miroku’s more balanced judgment, suggesting that history and tradition can distort moral understanding.
• Growth through self-questioning: Chiko’s path forward requires her to reconsider her assumptions rather than immediately gaining power.
• Power and responsibility: Chakra is presented not merely as a weapon, but as something that should be learned only after the user understands the responsibility attached to it.

Important Character Interactions

• Masayo and Chiko: Their debate forms the chapter’s central conflict. Masayo respects Chiko’s devotion but criticizes her lack of perspective, challenging her to become a more thoughtful priestess.
• Chiko and Kaguya: Chiko views Kaguya’s predicted unification with fear, while Kaguya unexpectedly seeks Masayo’s judgment on whether that goal is right.
• Masayo and Kaguya: Their exchange shows Masayo’s influence over Kaguya’s political ideals, while also revealing that Kaguya is capable of questioning those ideals.
• Chiko and Mai: Mai supports Chiko but is asked to stop intervening, allowing Chiko to confront her doubts independently.
• Kaguya and the visitors: Kaguya’s chakra demonstration overwhelms Chiko and Mai, turning the abstract discussion about power into a direct and frightening experience.

Chapter Summary: Infinite Tsukuyomi

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tachibana Chiko and Mai arrive at Shikkotsu Forest, joining Masayo, Kaguya, Katsuyu, and the others in their secluded preparations.
• Chiko remains troubled by Masayo’s advice about understanding “the breadth of a shrine maiden’s heart.” Masayo refuses to explain the answer directly, believing she must discover it herself rather than accept someone else’s interpretation.
• After three days, Chiko leaves with Mai, embarrassed by her lack of progress, but intends to return once she finds her answer.
• Five months pass as Masayo prepares for Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s imminent arrival. He masters the Great Deity more fully and opens the seventh of the Eight Gates, though the Eighth Gate remains beyond his reach. His progress is accelerated through the use of Shadow Clones.
• Masayo and Kaguya reach a temporary cultivation bottleneck and move beneath the God Tree to begin their planned strategy against Isshiki.
• Masayo insists that Kaguya consume the God Tree Fruit rather than himself, arguing that she needs its power more and that the fruit would add less to his already-developed abilities.
• Kaguya eats the fruit and transforms, gaining horns, a third eye containing the Nine-Tomoe Rinne Sharingan, and the familiar moon-patterned robes.
• Though worried that her transformed appearance makes her monstrous, Kaguya is reassured when Masayo tells her that she is still herself despite having gained another eye.
• To prevent Isshiki from using Kāma to possess someone and escape, Kaguya casts Infinite Tsukuyomi. Masayo and Katsuyu protect themselves with Yin–Yang Release barriers.
• The technique projects the Rinne Sharingan onto the moon, placing humanity into dreams and allowing the God Tree to bind them. Kaguya deliberately prevents it from absorbing their chakra, but anyone who refuses to awaken may still become White Zetsu.
• The chapter ends as Kaguya declares, “Illuminate the world, Infinite Tsukuyomi!”

Character Developments

• Masayo: Becomes increasingly powerful and strategically cautious, mastering the Great Deity and opening the Seventh Gate. He demonstrates selflessness by giving Kaguya the God Tree Fruit and shows a strong preference for allowing people to find their own answers rather than controlling them.
• Kaguya: Develops emotionally during her long time with Masayo. She becomes more attached to him and increasingly concerned with his opinion, especially after transforming into a more monstrous form. Her willingness to sacrifice or share power reveals her growing affection and loyalty.
• Tachibana Chiko: Remains confused about her identity and responsibilities as a shrine maiden. Her departure marks the beginning of an independent search for understanding rather than continued reliance on Masayo.
• Katsuyu: Continues to serve as Masayo’s trusted confidante and strategic partner, helping prepare for Isshiki and safeguard the plan.

Significant Themes

• Self-discovery versus imposed answers: Masayo believes genuine understanding must come from personal reflection, not from accepting another person’s explanation.
• Trust and secrecy: Kaguya is troubled by Masayo’s secret conversations and planning with Katsuyu, revealing tension between his strategic caution and her desire for emotional closeness.
• Selflessness and sacrifice: Masayo gives Kaguya the God Tree Fruit because he believes she needs it more, while Kaguya likewise wishes to reserve the best things for him.
• Identity beyond appearance: Kaguya fears that her transformation has made her ugly or monstrous, but Masayo reassures her that her physical changes do not alter who she is.
• Control and protection: Infinite Tsukuyomi is used not as a weapon to harvest chakra, but as a defensive measure designed to prevent Isshiki from exploiting Kāma and escaping.

Character Interactions

• Masayo advises Chiko not to let others dictate her understanding of a shrine maiden’s heart.
• Kaguya questions Masayo’s decision to let her eat the God Tree Fruit, revealing both her confusion and her desire to prioritize him.
• Masayo reassures Kaguya after her transformation, strengthening their emotional bond.
• Kaguya, Masayo, and Katsuyu cooperate closely to execute the Infinite Tsukuyomi strategy, though Kaguya still feels excluded by Masayo’s private trust in Katsuyu.

Chapter Summary: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki

Key Plot Points and Events

• Matsumoto Village has relocated. Tobi mourns after Ami rejects him again, despite the training and chakra-extraction techniques he learned from Masayo through Shadow Clones.
• Masayo explains that he chose to teach Tobi because Tobi is more perceptive and independent-minded than Ami. Tobi interprets the favor as a major act of kindness and feels devastated by his continued romantic failure.
• The blood-red full moon suddenly illuminates the world. The Infinite Tsukuyomi takes effect, placing humanity under Kaguya’s control. Those caught in it enter dream worlds based on their desires and are wrapped in the God Tree; many will eventually become White Zetsu.
• After the Infinite Tsukuyomi concludes, Kaguya descends and reports its success to Masayo. Masayo is satisfied that Isshiki will have little opportunity to recover and hints that he has prepared a “grand container” as a trap or gift for him.
• Masayo and Kaguya plan to use the following month to prepare for Isshiki’s arrival. Masayo asks Kaguya to demonstrate the power she gained by eating the God Tree’s fruit.
• The two train and spar. Masayo enters his Great Deity state and opens the Seventh Gate of Wonder, using his enhanced physical power and Daytime Tiger attacks. He believes this level of strength, combined with Kaguya’s abilities, gives them a strong chance against Isshiki.
• One month later, Isshiki arrives beneath the God Tree. He immediately recognizes the Infinite Tsukuyomi and realizes that Kaguya betrayed the Ōtsutsuki Clan by consuming the fruit.
• Isshiki notices Kaguya approaching with Masayo and views Masayo as the support responsible for her confidence. Anticipating danger, he secretly implants part of his consciousness into the God Tree as a backup plan before traveling through a dark-red vortex.
• Kaguya and Masayo arrive at a grassy field to confront him. Though Kaguya is nervous and excited, both prepare for the decisive battle. Isshiki emerges from the vortex, beginning the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Tobi: His gratitude toward Masayo deepens, but his repeated rejection by Ami exposes his emotional immaturity and insecurity. He remains capable of independent judgment, which is why Masayo considered him more suitable for instruction than Ami.
• Masayo: He takes an increasingly strategic role, having prepared a countermeasure against Isshiki and coordinating closely with Kaguya. He remains confident, playful, and secretive, especially regarding the “container” he has prepared and the deeper truth about the Evil God.
• Kaguya: After eating the God Tree’s fruit, Kaguya has reached the Six Paths level and is now willing to stand against Isshiki. Although she is excited for revenge and freedom, she is visibly anxious about facing her former associate. She also wants answers from Masayo about his knowledge and motives.
• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki: He is portrayed as cautious and calculating rather than blindly aggressive. He quickly assesses Kaguya’s betrayal, recognizes Masayo as a threat, and creates a hidden backup plan before engaging them.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and revenge: Kaguya’s betrayal of the Ōtsutsuki Clan and her coming battle with Isshiki drive the chapter’s central conflict.
• Preparation versus overconfidence: Masayo and Kaguya spend a month training and planning, while Isshiki responds by creating his own contingency through the God Tree.
• Power and transformation: The Infinite Tsukuyomi, God Tree fruit, Kaguya’s enhanced strength, and Masayo’s Eight Gates all demonstrate the extreme escalation of power.
• Trust and withheld knowledge: Kaguya wants Masayo to explain what he knows, particularly about the Evil God, but he postpones the discussion until after they fight Isshiki together.
• Dreams versus reality: The Infinite Tsukuyomi gives people idealized dream worlds while secretly turning them into tools of the God Tree, emphasizing the danger of false happiness and control.

Important Character Interactions

• Tobi’s emotional distress is met with comfort from his companions, while the moon’s transformation abruptly interrupts the scene.
• Masayo, Kaguya, and Katsuyu share amusement over Isshiki’s expected misfortune, showing their growing camaraderie and shared hostility toward him.
• Masayo trains with Kaguya and encourages her to trust in their combined strength. Kaguya’s excitement and nervousness reveal both her personal investment in the battle and her growing reliance on Masayo.
• Masayo deliberately postpones answering Kaguya’s questions, indicating that their relationship is still built partly on secrecy and that the battle must establish mutual trust first.
• Isshiki observes Kaguya and Masayo from a distance, immediately identifying their alliance as a threat and preparing to counter it before confronting them directly.

Chapter Summary: “Amenominaka”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki arrives and confronts Kaguya, insisting that she is an inferior servant who has no right to consume the Chakra Fruit. He reveals his unusual golden, mutated Byakugan-like eyes and demonstrates the techniques Sukunahikona and Daikokuten.
• Masayo immediately attacks Isshiki with Wind Body Flicker and Chakra Enhanced Strength. Kaguya follows with an ambush using Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack, but Isshiki shrinks and stores the attack through Sukunahikona and Daikokuten.
• Isshiki redirects Kaguya’s own attack at Masayo, blasting him into the ground and creating a massive crater. He then attacks Kaguya with enormous black cubes.
• Kaguya uses techniques and combat knowledge learned from Masayo to defend herself, redirecting one of Isshiki’s cubes with a Chakra Black Rod. Isshiki mocks her and dismisses her abilities.
• When Isshiki insults Masayo as a “native monkey,” Kaguya angrily retaliates with Rabbit Hair Needle, though Isshiki neutralizes the attack by shrinking and storing the needles.
• Masayo launches a surprise assault using the Seventh Gate, Daytime Tiger, and Leaf Hurricane. His combined attack breaks Isshiki’s summoned cube, catches him off guard, and sends him crashing into the crater.
• A smoke signal from the forest confirms that Katsuyu’s preparations are complete. Masayo and Kaguya then execute their plan.
• Kaguya activates Amenominaka, transporting everyone into a powerful Gravity Space. Isshiki is pinned to the ground under immense gravitational pressure, while Masayo and Kaguya remain mobile enough to approach him.
• The chapter ends with the pair having successfully trapped Isshiki, though they acknowledge that killing him will be difficult because of his superior spatial teleportation abilities.

Character Developments

• Kaguya becomes significantly more confident and composed in battle. She no longer behaves like an inexperienced fighter and successfully applies techniques and defensive methods learned from Masayo.
• Her loyalty to Masayo is emphasized when she immediately objects to Isshiki calling him a “monkey” and attacks in anger.
• Masayo demonstrates his role as Kaguya’s combat partner and strategist. He uses feints, surprise attacks, taijutsu, the Seventh Gate, and gravity training to exploit Isshiki’s weaknesses.
• Masayo also shows patience and planning, waiting for Katsuyu’s signal before initiating the final stage of their trap.
• Isshiki is introduced as arrogant, cruel, and dismissive of both Kaguya and Earth’s inhabitants. Although immensely powerful, he becomes increasingly frustrated when Kaguya and Masayo resist and coordinate against him.

Significant Themes

• Rebellion against hierarchy: Isshiki’s belief that Kaguya is merely a servant contrasts with Kaguya’s growing independence and power after consuming the Chakra Fruit.
• Teamwork versus individual superiority: Isshiki relies on overwhelming abilities and confidence, while Kaguya and Masayo combine their powers, timing, and tactical planning to challenge him.
• Growth through instruction and experience: Kaguya’s improved combat ability reflects what she has learned from Masayo, especially her calmness, tactical awareness, and use of physical techniques.
• Arrogance as a weakness: Isshiki repeatedly underestimates his opponents, allowing their feints and coordinated attacks to catch him off guard.
• Power and adaptation: Isshiki’s ability to shrink and store attacks makes conventional techniques ineffective, forcing Kaguya and Masayo to adapt through misdirection and environmental control.

Character Interactions

• Isshiki repeatedly humiliates and belittles Kaguya, while she remains mostly calm and refuses to be intimidated.
• Kaguya and Masayo fight in close coordination: Kaguya occupies Isshiki in taijutsu while Masayo attacks from unexpected angles.
• Kaguya’s defense against Isshiki’s cube demonstrates her ability to use Masayo’s teachings independently.
• Masayo protects and encourages Kaguya, while Kaguya responds with trust and immediate cooperation.
• Their final use of Amenominaka reflects their established teamwork: Masayo understands the gravity environment, while Kaguya provides the dimensional technique needed to trap Isshiki.

Chapter Summary: “Isshiki’s Demise”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Masayo uses Wind Body Flicker to catch Ōtsutsuki Isshiki off guard and shatters his horn with a chakra-enhanced hand blade, triggering his Horn-Breaking Maniac trait.
• Isshiki attempts to escape through the Gravity Space by creating black cubes with Daikokuten, but Masayo pursues him and unleashes a full-powered Daytime Tiger.
• Isshiki narrowly avoids the attack by recalling his cubes and escaping through a dimensional passage. Kaguya uses Amenominaka to transport herself and Masayo to the Primordial Space, protecting them from the resulting explosion.
• Returning to the battlefield, they find Isshiki trapped in Katsuyu’s adhesive mucus. Katsuyu attacks with her Senjutsu technique, Life Blade, targeting Isshiki’s vulnerable right eye.
• Isshiki assumes he can neutralize the blade with Sukunahikona, but the technique fails due to his lack of information about their abilities. Katsuyu’s blade pierces and destroys his mutated Byakugan, then passes through his skull.
• Following Masayo’s command, Kaguya fires All-Killing Ash Bones, causing Isshiki’s body to decay and turn to ash.
• As Isshiki fades, he refuses to accept his death, insisting that an Ōtsutsuki should be eternal and indestructible.

Character Developments

• Masayo demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, strategic planning, and a willingness to exploit Isshiki’s ignorance. He coordinates the entire assault and keeps additional backup plans in reserve.
• Kaguya acts in close cooperation with Masayo, transporting them between dimensions and delivering the finishing attack. Her reaction to Isshiki’s horn being broken also reveals her instinctive fear of suffering the same injury.
• Katsuyu proves herself to be a decisive combatant rather than merely a support figure. Despite the pain of using the Life Series Senjutsu, she successfully destroys Isshiki’s eye and remains concerned about Masayo’s wellbeing.
• Isshiki shifts from confident contempt to panic and desperation. His overconfidence in Sukunahikona and his dismissal of Katsuyu lead directly to his defeat.

Significant Themes

• Information as a weapon: Isshiki loses because he does not understand Masayo and Katsuyu’s abilities, while Masayo’s side has carefully prepared for his techniques.
• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Isshiki assumes Katsuyu will repeat a previous tactic and believes Sukunahikona can shrink any attack, causing him to lower his guard.
• Teamwork and coordinated strategy: Masayo, Kaguya, and Katsuyu combine physical power, dimensional manipulation, entrapment, and surprise attacks to defeat a much stronger enemy.
• The fallibility of supposedly immortal beings: Isshiki’s belief in Ōtsutsuki invincibility collapses as his body is destroyed and he confronts the possibility of death.
• Hidden pain beneath power: Katsuyu’s gentle demeanor contrasts with the extreme pain caused by her technique, emphasizing the sacrifices behind their victory.

Character Interactions

• Masayo directly attacks Isshiki and later commands Kaguya to finish him.
• Kaguya follows Masayo’s instructions and uses Amenominaka to protect them from Isshiki’s escape and the Daytime Tiger’s explosion.
• Katsuyu works according to Masayo’s plan, successfully ambushing Isshiki and destroying his eye.
• Masayo praises Katsuyu afterward, while she expresses concern that he may continue using the painful Life Series Senjutsu.
• Isshiki angrily questions why Sukunahikona failed, but Masayo deliberately withholds the explanation and leaves him to die.