Chapter Summaries

• Key events: In Konoha Year 62, Sasuke, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and the gravely ill Itachi travel to Ryūchi Cave. Their goals are to obtain medicine for Itachi and pursue Kabuto’s senjutsu training. During a camp, Sasuke and Orochimaru discuss Sasuke’s White Cursed Seal: after absorbing its first three states, Sasuke has reached a plateau. State Four will be much harder to awaken and absorb, but completing that process could bring him to Hashirama Senju’s ordinary level of power.
• Revelation about Hashirama: Orochimaru explains that the three sacred lands teach acquired senjutsu, while Hashirama’s is an innate ability that training awakened. He calls it Sunlight Senjutsu: like the God Tree, Hashirama absorbs natural energy originating from sunlight and transforms it into chakra. Orochimaru frames this as a more fundamental form than Six Paths senjutsu, which depends on the Ten-Tails and is therefore constrained by it. Hashirama’s forehead markings are a symbolic “Sunlight Totem.”
• Training and future potential: Sasuke can begin preparing for Sunlight Senjutsu before absorbing State Four. Orochimaru instructs him to imagine himself as a tree, taking in natural energy as sunlight and producing senjutsu chakra through “photosynthesis.” Sasuke tries but finds the exercise extremely difficult; Orochimaru says even Hashirama needed years, though guidance may shorten the process. He hints that Sasuke could surpass Hashirama: Sasuke’s eyes and his potential connection to the God Tree’s flower give him advantages Hashirama lacked.
• Character developments and interactions: Sasuke moves from uncertainty about the source of Hashirama’s power to understanding its nature and beginning his own training. Orochimaru acts as mentor and reveals both the theory and a path forward, ending with an encouraging, enigmatic promise about Sasuke’s greater potential. Itachi’s worsening illness underscores the urgency of the journey, while Kabuto is independently motivated by his desire to master senjutsu.

Key events

• Orochimaru escorts Sasuke, Kabuto, and the ailing Itachi to the wilderness near the ruined village where Jugo’s clan once lived. A barrier hides the route to Ryūchi Cave, and Orochimaru marks the approach with a Flying Thunder God kunai.
• Before leaving, Orochimaru gives Sasuke a gift for the White Snake Sage, hoping it will ease their request for the rare Sage Medicine. He also promises to cure Itachi’s illness, improve his body with Hashirama cells, and eventually help him obtain Shisui’s body and eyes.
• Sasuke, Kabuto, and Itachi enter the mist. Sasuke warns that the White Snake Sage will be watching them and that the trials may be severe. Kabuto, determined not to hold Sasuke and Orochimaru back, goes ahead to seek senjutsu.
• At a fork in the path, Meiki directs Kabuto toward the trials. When Sasuke explains that he wants the Sage Medicine rather than senjutsu, she offers him a seemingly lethal pill as a mocking substitute.
• Sasuke refuses to be intimidated and insists he wants the genuine medicine—produced only once every hundred years and said to cure any human ailment. Meiki reveals her monstrous nature and orders him to leave with Itachi. Sasuke prepares to force his way forward.

Character developments and interactions

• Orochimaru acts as a sponsor and strategist, entrusting Sasuke with a gift and laying out a long-term plan for Itachi’s recovery and power.
• Sasuke remains controlled and purposeful, prioritizing the medicine for Itachi; when diplomacy fails, he is ready to use force.
• Kabuto shows determination to become stronger and prove himself, separating from Sasuke and Itachi to face the trials alone.
• Itachi, frail but resolute, accepts the future obligations that come with greater strength.
• Meiki begins with a polite welcome but quickly turns openly hostile, making clear that Ryūchi Cave will not grant the medicine easily.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Itachi recognizes that greater strength brings greater duties.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Sasuke and Orochimaru pursue a demanding plan to save and strengthen Itachi, while Kabuto seeks to stop being a burden.
• Trust versus hostility: The group approaches the sages seeking aid, but Meiki’s contempt turns the encounter into a confrontation.

Plot points

• Sasuke, carrying his gravely ill brother Itachi, confronts the Snake Princess in Ryūchi Cave to obtain the White Snake Sage’s medicine.
• The Princess attacks with Sage-powered saliva that petrifies its target. Sasuke survives her attacks using a clone and an unexpected body-shedding technique, then notices a differently colored spot at the nape of her neck—the snake’s “Seven Inches” weak point. He grabs it, incapacitating her.
• The Princess reveals that the White Snake Sage expected Sasuke’s arrival. To earn an audience, he must follow the right-hand path, defeat the snakes guarding it, and ensure that none of Ryūchi Cave’s descendants die.
• Sasuke knocks the Princess unconscious and carries Itachi onward. Three hundred giant snakes attack, apparently under someone’s control. Unable to kill them, Sasuke uses Susanoo with a blunt sword to push through without taking their lives.
• Beyond the defeated snakes, Sasuke encounters four colossal creatures identified as the fourth-generation Snake Kings. He recognizes the blue one as Aoda.

Character developments and interactions

• Sasuke shows tactical ingenuity against the Princess, carefully studies her abilities, and adapts his fighting style to meet the cave’s nonlethal condition. His determination is driven by his desire to save Itachi.
• Itachi feels guilty for burdening Sasuke, but Sasuke reassures him and insists on carrying him—a reversal of the care Itachi gave Sasuke as a child.
• The Snake Princess is powerful and initially hostile, but after Sasuke subdues her, she explains the rules and directs him onward.
• Sasuke’s reunion with Aoda hints at a personal history and sets up the next challenge.

Significant themes

• Brotherly devotion and reciprocity: Sasuke’s mission and his choice to carry Itachi reflect their bond and a reversal of their childhood roles.
• Restraint and responsibility: Sasuke must defeat Ryūchi Cave’s guardians without killing them, so strength alone is not enough.
• Adaptability and observation: Sasuke succeeds by identifying his opponent’s limitations and weakness rather than relying solely on force.

Plot and key events

• Sasuke, carrying Itachi, confronts Ryūchi Cave’s four remaining Snake Kings: Aoda, Garaga, White Scale, and Black Charcoal. Manda, formerly the fifth, is dead.
• Garaga attacks first. Sasuke sharpens Susanoo’s sword and wounds him, but Aoda intervenes before Sasuke can strike Garaga’s weak point.
• Garaga bites down on Susanoo and begins breaking its skeletal frame. Sasuke regenerates it, grabs Garaga’s fangs, and slams his head into a mountain wall, knocking him out.
• Aoda restrains Sasuke while White Scale attacks by breaking into a mass of snakes and swallowing Susanoo. Aoda escapes by shedding his skin.
• Sasuke’s lightning-powered Cursed Wings emerge from White Scale’s body, and he takes flight with Itachi. White Scale is surprised that Sasuke escaped so quickly.
• Aoda urges Black Charcoal to pursue. The hesitant serpent forms wings from his feathers and catches up at remarkable speed. Sasuke’s Susanoo sword breaks against Black Charcoal, whose feathers are extraordinarily tough.
• Aoda reveals that Black Charcoal descends from the legendary Feathered Serpent God, though his gentle nature has kept him from leading the Snake Kings.

Character developments and interactions

• Sasuke remains composed and confident, recognizing the Snake Kings’ strengths while adapting to their attacks. He taunts Garaga for underestimating humans and refuses Itachi’s offer to be put down.
• Aoda is agile, disciplined, and duty-bound. Though he says he dislikes Sasuke, he protects Garaga and coordinates the group rather than letting personal feelings interfere.
• Garaga is hot-tempered and deeply distrustful of humans. His aggression leaves him open to Sasuke’s counterattack.
• White Scale is boastful and relies on swallowing opponents, but Sasuke escapes before the serpent can digest him.
• Black Charcoal is powerful but timid. Encouraged by Aoda, he overcomes his hesitation and reveals impressive speed and defense.
• Sasuke speaks to Aoda as if they have met before, hinting at a connection or memory Aoda does not share.

Significant themes

• Underestimation and adaptation: Sasuke warns Garaga not to underestimate humans, while he himself must adjust to each Snake King’s distinct abilities.
• Duty over personal feeling: Aoda acts according to the group’s orders despite his dislike of Sasuke and his concern for Garaga.
• Hidden strength: Black Charcoal’s mildness conceals a rare and formidable heritage, suggesting that appearance and temperament can obscure true potential.

Plot points and events

• Sasuke’s Susanoo blade breaks against the Black Charcoal Serpent, and he realizes the creature is reluctant to fight rather than simply weak.
• Pressured by Aoda, the serpent attacks with a barrage of burning feathers. Sasuke uses Itachi’s Yata Mirror to deflect them, then knocks the serpent out with a powerful strike. Aoda accepts the defeat, allowing Sasuke and Itachi to continue.
• At Ryūchi Cave’s Temple, Sasuke is confronted by the Gold-Ring and Silver-Ring Snake Kings. He counters their Sage Arts with his own Fire and Water techniques, then restrains them with wood dragons that absorb their sage power. The kings escape by shedding their skins.
• The White Snake Sage intervenes, declares Sasuke has proved himself, and invites him inside. Sasuke passes the three second-generation Snake Kings and enters the hall, where he respectfully greets the Sage.

Character developments and interactions

• Sasuke remains composed and tactically observant. He recognizes the Black Charcoal Serpent’s reluctance to kill, adapts by borrowing Itachi’s sacred weapon, and defeats the Snake Kings without losing his calm.
• The Black Charcoal Serpent is powerful but fearful and unwilling to harm others. Aoda reassures and directs it, showing his protective authority; afterward, he declines to pursue Sasuke.
• The Gold-Ring and Silver-Ring Snake Kings begin hostile but retreat once the White Snake Sage calls off the fight.
• Sasuke’s restrained, respectful greeting to the White Snake Sage contrasts with his blunt command to the Snake Kings.

Significant themes

• Power tempered by restraint: The Black Charcoal Serpent’s strength is complicated by its fear of killing, while Sasuke uses force efficiently rather than recklessly.
• Adaptability and resourcefulness: Sasuke responds to unfamiliar abilities and powerful opponents by changing tactics and using available tools.
• Respect earned through trials: Sasuke’s combat performance wins him entry to the Sage, but he approaches her with measured respect rather than arrogance.

Plot points and events

• Sasuke and Itachi meet the White Snake Sage to seek medicine for Itachi’s terminal illness. A gift from Orochimaru earns the Sage’s interest.
• The Sage recognizes that Itachi learned basic senjutsu from Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest and initially threatens to turn them away because of her rivalry with Katsuyu.
• Sasuke appeals to the Sage’s pride, prompting her to offer Itachi a cure and Ryūchi Cave training in exchange for becoming her disciple.
• Itachi refuses, unwilling to betray his debt to Katsuyu—even if doing so means dying. The Sage reveals that this was a test of character and approves of his loyalty.
• The Sage asks Sasuke for the “poison” Tagorihime gave him earlier. It is actually a Sage Medicine Embryo; Sasuke had kept it because he suspected the supposed poison might be something valuable.
• The White Snake Sage infuses the embryo with her senjutsu, activating it into medicine. Itachi swallows it and is immediately restored, with his former vigor and chakra returning.
• Itachi promises to repay the Sage, who asks only that he not interfere with her. Sasuke kneels in gratitude, impressing the Sage and prompting her to consider giving him a special treasure.

Character developments and interactions

• Itachi demonstrates unwavering gratitude and integrity by refusing to abandon Katsuyu, even for a cure. After being saved, he offers the White Snake Sage a sincere vow of repayment.
• Sasuke shows devotion to his brother and resourcefulness: he keeps the mysterious pellet rather than destroying it, and uses careful persuasion to secure another chance. His final kneeling shows humility and gratitude.
• The White Snake Sage shifts from hostile suspicion to approval. She tests Itachi’s loyalty, rewards his character, and becomes favorably curious about Sasuke.
• Sasuke and Itachi act in concert: Sasuke advocates for Itachi, while Itachi’s refusal reflects the values Sasuke fears the bargain would compromise.
• The White Snake Sage and Itachi move from antagonistic negotiation to a relationship based on mutual respect and acknowledged obligation.

Significant themes

• Gratitude and loyalty: Itachi values his debt to Katsuyu above his own survival.
• Character over power or affiliation: The Sage ultimately judges Itachi by his integrity, not by his connection to a rival.
• Caution and judgment: Sasuke’s decision to preserve the apparent poison proves unexpectedly crucial.
• Goodwill and respect: Sasuke’s gratitude and humility leave a strong impression, suggesting that sincere respect can create future bonds.

Key plot points and events

• Kabuto’s sagehood trial pits him against the Cobra King, the strongest of Ryūchi Cave’s Third-Generation Snake Kings and Manda’s father. Unlike Kabuto’s previous-life trial, this is a far more dangerous opponent.
• The Cobra King attacks with overwhelming strength and wind and stone techniques. Kabuto survives through agility, traps, and tactical improvisation, though he is injured and his attacks barely harm the giant snake.
• Realizing that a direct fight would be fatal, Kabuto uses his precise chakra control to develop a personal form of Wood Release. A small wooden dragon clamps the Cobra King’s jaws shut, while flowering growths release poison into his nostrils.
• The poison incapacitates the Cobra King. Kabuto wins and proceeds toward the temple revealed beyond the mist.
• Sasuke watches the trial on the White Snake Sage’s Crystal Ball and is relieved by Kabuto’s victory. Itachi reflects on Kabuto’s potential, and the Sage remarks on the danger posed by all the Snake Kings.

Character developments and interactions

• Kabuto demonstrates that his strength lies not in overpowering enemies but in observation, medical skill, precision, and planning. Under pressure, he turns his limited Wood Release into an inventive fighting style of his own.
• The Cobra King is physically formidable and initially dismissive of Kabuto, but his confidence is disrupted by Kabuto’s traps and psychological tactics. He ultimately underestimates his opponent’s ability to exploit his vulnerabilities.
• Sasuke moves from concern to admiration, recognizing that he had underestimated Kabuto.
• Itachi sees Kabuto’s determination to transform himself for someone precious as a source of growth beyond his previous-life abilities.

Significant themes

• Strategy over brute force: Kabuto wins by identifying weaknesses and combining techniques rather than matching the Cobra King’s strength.
• Adaptation and self-discovery: Kabuto uses his precise chakra control to make Wood Release uniquely his own.
• Underdog resilience: Though badly outmatched, Kabuto’s composure and resourcefulness let him turn a desperate situation around.
• Growth through devotion: Itachi suggests that Kabuto’s motivation to change for someone he cares about may push him to surpass his former limits.

Key events

• After passing Ryūchi Cave’s Trial, Kabuto receives Sage Power directly from the White Snake Sage. The transformation gives him a snake-like eye, horns, scales, and intense, violent impulses.
• The Sage explains that Ryūchi Cave’s Senjutsu emphasizes physical energy, which causes both bodily changes and aggression. Rather than suppressing his fury, Kabuto is urged to master it and turn it into a weapon.
• Impressed by Kabuto’s potential, the White Snake Sage sends him with Tagorihime to train at Dragon Transformation Sage Mountain. Tagorihime petrifies him and carries him away.
• The Sage reveals that learning the petrification technique would require Kabuto to become her goddaughter Shinji’s mate. Sasuke and Itachi leave the Temple, while the other snake sages question the White Snake Sage’s unusual generosity.
• The White Snake Sage transforms into her human form and admires a pink Rejuvenation Pill made by Orochimaru—an achievement she had long failed to accomplish herself.
• The chapter shifts to Mount Myōboku, where Jiraiya arrives for the latest prophecy. The Great Toad Sage does not recognize him.

Character developments and interactions

• Kabuto begins adapting to Sage Power’s aggression and accepts the White Snake Sage’s advice to harness, rather than deny, his violent emotions. His playful, provocative exchange with Tagorihime suggests he is embracing his new, more feral state.
• The White Snake Sage shows unusual favor toward Sasuke and Kabuto. She believes Sasuke may surpass Indra and even the Six Paths, and respects Kabuto’s ability enough to make an exception to her usual practice of granting power without instruction.
• Sasuke recognizes that Kabuto’s abilities could make him a formidable threat, recalling their past battle and the technique Kabuto lacked then. His awareness of the brothers’ former life informs his concern.
• Itachi witnesses Kabuto’s transformation and teachings; he also reacts subtly when the Sage discusses mating.
• Tagorihime becomes Kabuto’s trainer, mixing teasing affection with intimidating force.

Significant themes

• Balance and acceptance: Senjutsu traditions cultivate different strengths—calmness, adaptation, or physical power—and the chapter rejects the idea that one approach is universally best.
• Turning flaws into strengths: Kabuto is encouraged to make fury his weapon instead of trying to imitate perfect calm.
• Transformation and rejuvenation: Physical change, aging, and the Rejuvenation Pill link bodily transformation to the chapter’s broader focus on power and possibility.

Plot points and events

• The Great Toad Sage delivers a prophecy: in 29 years and four months, the supreme god Mu will awaken and threaten the world with annihilation.
• Two Ninja Guardian Gods—one in white and purple, the other in a dark-gold cloak—will lead ten Celestial Ninja against God. A Celestial Ninja is a shinobi who has gained and mastered the Power of Heaven.
• The prophecy does not guarantee victory or defeat: it exists because the future remains open to change. The Sage warns that several allies will die regardless of the outcome.
• Jiraiya learns that Sasuke Uchiha is the Child of Prophecy and suspects he may be one of the future guardian deities. The Sage assigns Jiraiya a pivotal future choice that could raise the chance of victory by ten percent.
• Half a month later, Orochimaru, Karin, and Yamato track Kashyapa Senju—also called Kāye, son of the First Hokage—to a small village in the Land of Rivers. Kāye possesses powerful sensory abilities, allowing him to evade Root for years.
• Because Kāye will sense anyone entering the village, Orochimaru uses the Nine-Tails’ golden chakra cloak to reach him at the moment Karin detects him. Kāye flees, but Orochimaru intercepts him and greets him as an old acquaintance.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiraiya takes the prophecy seriously and accepts that his future decision will carry great responsibility, though its details are unknown.
• The Great Toad Sage clarifies that prophecy is meant to guide action, not declare an inevitable result.
• Fukasaku and Shima are surprised that Sasuke truly relates to the prophecy, having previously suspected he had deceived Jiraiya.
• Orochimaru demonstrates confidence and planning, using Karin’s sensing in coordination with the Nine-Tails’ chakra cloak to overcome Kāye’s defenses.
• Karin questions whether Kāye can be found and learns that his sensory skill rivals—and may exceed—hers.
• Yamato recognizes Orochimaru’s transformation, while Kāye reacts immediately to the chakra signal and tries to escape.

Significant themes

• Free will and responsibility: The prophecy offers a possible future, but people’s choices can change its outcome.
• Sacrifice and uncertainty: Even a successful effort will come at a heavy cost.
• Preparation and cooperation: Facing a world-ending threat will require powerful allies, strategic choices, and coordination.

Plot and events

• Orochimaru confronts the elderly Kāye, who recognizes the immense and unusual chakra within him but cannot sense his soul. Orochimaru reveals that he has come for Kagami Uchiha’s eyes.
• Suspecting Orochimaru killed Danzo to learn the eyes’ location, Kāye attacks with Adamantine Sealing Chains, Wood Release, and a golden Susanoo wielding the sun-powered Great Sun Mist Sword.
• Orochimaru breaks free using the Hundred-Release Seal and counters with the Nine-Tails’ chakra. He catches Kāye’s sword and threatens to fire a Tailed Beast Bomb at the village.
• To protect the villagers, Kāye dismisses his Susanoo and offers his life and the eyes. Orochimaru clarifies that he did not intend to take them by force, then explains that he understands why Kāye left Konoha.
• The chapter recounts Kāye’s past: pressured by expectations that he would become Hokage, he joined Danzo’s Root to escape public scrutiny. Later, Kagami asked him to dissuade Danzo from pursuing forbidden techniques. Though Danzo initially moderated his behavior, he eventually tried to assassinate Kagami.
• Kagami, mortally wounded, entrusted his eyes to Kāye and urged him not to hate or seek revenge against Danzo. Unable to confront Danzo or return to a life of leadership, Kāye took the eyes and abandoned Konoha. The chapter ends by noting that, without Orochimaru’s intervention, Kāye would have died in obscurity with the eyes.

Character developments and interactions

• Kāye shifts from fierce resistance to surrender when Orochimaru’s threat endangers civilians. His history reveals that his apparent withdrawal was rooted in fear of expectations, grief over Kagami, and a crisis of faith in his own path.
• Orochimaru proves more perceptive than Kāye expects: he recognizes Kāye’s motives and seeks the eyes without resorting to violence. Their encounter moves from accusation and combat toward understanding.
• Kagami is presented as Kāye’s close friend and moral counterweight to Danzo. Even while dying, he asks Kāye to preserve his eyes and avoid hatred or revenge.
• Danzo is portrayed as a friend and mentor figure whose ideals gradually warped into ambition and extremism, driving both Kagami’s death and Kāye’s exile.

Significant themes

• The burden of expectations and escape: Kāye joins Root to avoid the role others expect him to fulfill.
• Light and darkness: Kāye believes neither Konoha’s public life nor Root’s shadows can accommodate him, though this sense of belonging is itself part of his despair.
• Friendship, betrayal, and restraint: Kagami’s trust in Kāye—and his plea against vengeance—complicates Kāye’s feelings toward Danzo.
• Protecting the innocent: Kāye’s willingness to surrender his life and eyes shows that, despite his withdrawal, his sense of responsibility remains.

Key plot points and events

• Seven days before the Seventh Battle, Sasuke trains with Itachi at Ryūchi Cave. Itachi has fully mastered Shikkotsu Forest senjutsu, while Sasuke has grown adept at using Earth Grudge Fear through Susanoo.
• Itachi demonstrates a new Sage Art, Mirror Image Clone, which creates a clone equal to its original but ends the user’s Sage Mode when it vanishes. He and the clone use their Susanoo’s Yata Mirrors to repeatedly bounce Sasuke between them in the Twin Mirror Rebound Technique.
• The White Snake Sage watches the sparring through a Crystal Ball. Her attempt to become eight years old with Orochimaru’s Rejuvenation Pill instead made her eighteen, a change she finds inconvenient.
• In the Land of Rivers, Orochimaru retrieves Kagami’s eyes from the elderly Kāye. Kāye gives them up despite a final impulse to destroy them, then learns that Tsunade has become the Fifth Hokage.
• Accepting his failures and unwilling to continue evading his past, Kāye sets himself alight and dies. A seed from his ashes is carried away; in Konoha, a sunflower sprouts and turns toward Hokage Rock.
• Orochimaru reunites with Karin and Yamato and says they should bring Sasuke and the others back, as the Five Kage Summit approaches.

Character developments and interactions

• Itachi shows how much stronger he has become through full senjutsu mastery, while still sharing warm, competitive banter with Sasuke.
• Sasuke recognizes the high risk of Itachi’s new clone technique and displays improved control and confidence in battle.
• Kāye finally takes responsibility for his choices, though his self-assessment remains harsh. His brief exchange with Orochimaru about Tsunade brings him visible pride and emotion.
• Orochimaru handles Kāye’s final confession without judgment, focusing instead on the value of the eyes he preserved. He then turns his attention to bringing Sasuke’s group back.
• The White Snake Sage offers a comic counterpoint to the serious training and death scenes, commenting on both her new body and the brothers’ unusual sparring.

Significant themes

• Growth through training and sacrifice: Itachi’s new power comes with a serious cost, and the brothers’ sparring reflects their shared progress.
• Regret, duty, and redemption: Kāye recognizes a lifetime of avoidance and makes one final contribution before choosing death.
• Legacy and renewal: The eyes, the passing seed, and the emerging sunflower suggest that the past can still produce something that grows toward the future.

• The White Snake Sage’s gifts: As Sasuke, Itachi, and Kabuto prepare to leave Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage gives Sasuke its full Summoning Contract. She assures him that Manda’s death does not offend her, explaining that she had already addressed the matter with the Cobra King. Sasuke accepts the contract, gaining the status of a “sage-bound guest”—a close ally whom the Sage may also summon through Reverse Summoning.
• The Feathered Serpent God’s legacy: The Sage presents Sasuke with a painting that contains the divinity of Black Feather, an ancient serpent who once rivaled her and later became revered as the Feathered Serpent God. Black Feather’s egg eventually produced Black Charcoal, who may inherit that divinity and become a second Feathered Serpent God. The painting’s power can be awakened only through 100,000 sincere full prostrations.
• Sasuke declines the devotion: Sasuke refuses to perform the prostrations, admitting that he cannot sincerely worship the Feathered Serpent God. The Sage says someone else could do them, provided that person has no stronger bond to another god. Orochimaru and Kabuto are disqualified: Orochimaru is connected to the Shinigami, while Kabuto is already the White Snake Sage’s “son-in-law.” Kabuto is startled by the revelation, and Tagitsuhime laughs at his reaction.
• Departure and new development: Sasuke accepts the painting and leaves with Itachi and Kabuto. Outside the cave, Orochimaru notices their transformed appearance and offers to restore Kabuto’s right-eye sight. A white snake emerges from his sleeve, revealing Kagami’s Mangekyō Sharingan, and Orochimaru activates Amaterasu Ōmikami.
  Character developments and interactions: Sasuke shows gratitude and honesty, but refuses a spiritual commitment he cannot genuinely make. The White Snake Sage demonstrates both generosity and authority, while her teasing announcement about Kabuto’s status adds a comic note. Kabuto is surprised to learn of his supposed bond with the Sage, and Orochimaru’s use of Kagami’s eye signals a potentially important next step for him. The chapter explores the weight of loyalty and spiritual devotion, the inheritance of divine power, and the difference between outward ritual and sincere belief.

Plot points and events

• Orochimaru uses Amaterasu-Ōmikami to restore Kabuto’s sight after Izanagi blinds him. The ability restores sealed eye power but requires both eyes and cannot be used continuously.
• Back on Blue Moon Island, Kabuto receives Ke’s other eye, while Itachi receives Hashirama cells to help him withstand a later transplant.
• Itachi, Kabuto, and Sasuke witness the ritual transfer of Shisui’s body. Shisui’s spirit appears, gives Itachi permission to carry on with his eyes, and returns to the Pure Land.
• Kabuto transplants Shisui’s eyes into Itachi. Itachi must rest while they fuse, and the chapter explains that a donor’s death is necessary for the recipient to inherit the sealed power and awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
• With the Five Kage Summit approaching and Obito potentially about to declare war, Orochimaru plans to split Sasuke’s Seventh Battle into two parts: against the Five Kage and against Obito. The order depends on whether Obito finds Killer B.

Character developments and interactions

• Kabuto regains his sight, accepts further eye transplants, and gains a clearer understanding of Mangekyō mechanics. He remains committed to serving Orochimaru.
• Itachi receives Shisui’s eyes and resolves to live on while eventually atoning for his past. His farewell with Shisui is tender and solemn.
• Shisui is shown to have remained spiritually present until the transfer, then peacefully departs.
• Orochimaru guides the eye procedures and explains the hidden rules behind Eternal Mangekyō. He also considers Kabuto a potential future recipient of Ke’s eyes if Obito cannot be recruited.
• Sasuke ends his training early to honor Shisui and is eager to persuade Obito to join their side.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and sacrifice: Shisui’s eyes and wishes become part of Itachi’s future.
• The cost of power: Mangekyō abilities involve blindness, death, and difficult choices.
• Redemption and legacy: Itachi hopes to atone and follow a new path, carrying Shisui’s legacy forward.
• War and divided priorities: The characters must prepare for both Sasuke’s battle and a looming conflict between Obito and the Five Great Nations.

Key plot points

• Nearly a month after receiving their mission, Suigetsu and Jugo are still stuck in Akatsuki’s hideout, waiting for Obito to take them into his space-time dimension. Suigetsu befriends Tobi by indulging his fascination with bodily sensations, even persuading him to open his body so Suigetsu can “wear” him.
• Obito arrives with news that the White Zetsu have found Killer B. He sends Suigetsu and Jugo into separate locations in the dimension, claiming they will not be able to reach Nagato before he leaves for the battlefield.
• Once inside, the pair find the Eight-Tails’ discarded tail. Using Nagato’s blood, special masks infused with the Shinigami’s power, and Orochimaru’s technique, Death Release: Soul-Reaping Chains, they summon Nagato to them.
• Nagato is near death after almost a month without food or water. He instinctively devours the Eight-Tails’ tail. The tailed-beast chakra restores his body, and his Preta Path absorbs the chakra cloak.
• Revived but unable to walk, Nagato recognizes Suigetsu and Jugo as Obito’s followers and prepares to attack. Suigetsu quickly claims that Sasuke sent them to rescue him.

Character developments and interactions

• Suigetsu uses humor and shameless flattery to win Tobi’s trust, but his friendliness is also a calculated effort to survive and gain an advantage. He remains quick-thinking under pressure, improvising a plea to Nagato when their rescue is threatened.
• Jugo is quieter and more serious than Suigetsu, but he stays committed to the mission and works with him to summon Nagato.
• Tobi enjoys Suigetsu’s company, despite realizing Suigetsu may have been manipulating him. He is reluctant to see Suigetsu killed.
• Obito remains pragmatic and secretive: he uses the pair to reach the battlefield, then plans to kill them because they know too much.
• Nagato demonstrates extraordinary resilience, surviving through sheer will and Uzumaki vitality. His recovery is dramatic, but his first response to the rescuers is suspicion and hostility.

Significant themes

• Survival and desperation: Suigetsu’s social maneuvering and Nagato’s animalistic hunger show how far characters will go to stay alive.
• Betrayal and divided loyalties: Obito intends to dispose of the very men he has sent into the dimension, while Suigetsu and Jugo’s allegiance to Sasuke becomes crucial to Nagato’s rescue.
• Rebirth through power: Nagato’s near-total physical collapse is reversed when he consumes the Eight-Tails’ chakra, though he remains physically impaired.

Key plot points

• Nagato realizes that Sasuke’s former allies, Suigetsu and Jugo, have returned to save him. He explains that Sasuke’s actions—and learning the truth about Obito and the Infinite Tsukuyomi—have helped him face how thoroughly Madara and Obito manipulated him.
• Nagato asks what is happening with Akatsuki. Jugo says Obito is preparing to capture the Eight-Tails and explains that he and Suigetsu also came back to retrieve Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes, which Sasuke needs.
• Nagato agrees to help. Using the Asura Path’s mechanical drones, he searches the dimension and finds a hidden entrance to Obito’s eye-storage area. He flies there, telling Suigetsu and Jugo to keep their cover intact.
• On a deserted island, Kisame confronts Killer B. Obito releases Suigetsu and Jugo to assist Kisame, then seals the island inside a Uchiha Flame Formation, intending to force the fighters into a deadly battle while keeping the Eight-Tails alive.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato moves from suspicion to commitment. He recognizes his role in corrupting Yahiko’s peace movement and regards Sasuke as the person who helped him recover his ideals. He now wants to help Sasuke in return.
• Suigetsu and Jugo explain their loyalty to Sasuke and their mission to Nagato. Jugo is impressed by Nagato’s mechanical abilities, judging him exceptionally powerful.
• Obito continues manipulating events from the sidelines: he deploys Suigetsu and Jugo as support for Kisame but avoids fighting himself because he needs the Eight-Tails alive.
• Killer B meets Kisame’s threat with his usual confident, improvised rap, while Kisame remains cold and intent on capturing him.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and moral reckoning: Nagato confronts how others shaped his choices and acknowledges the harm he caused.
• Redemption through action: Sasuke’s concrete efforts, rather than words alone, help Nagato change.
• Loyalty and repayment: Nagato chooses to aid Sasuke, while Suigetsu and Jugo risk returning to Obito’s side to fulfill their mission.
• Control and coercion: Obito’s sealed battlefield turns the island into a trap, forcing the fighters into the confrontation he wants.

Key plot points and events

• Suigetsu and Jugo join Kisame in the attack on Killer B. Kisame takes command, while Suigetsu equips them with the Seven Ninja Swords: he uses Shibuki and Nuibari, and gives Jugo Kabutowari.
• Killer B activates his Eight-Tails Chakra Cloak and charges the group at tremendous speed. He dodges Kisame’s Samehada and knocks Kisame aside, then attacks Suigetsu with a Lariat.
• Suigetsu survives by liquefying his body and uses the resulting water to bind B. Jugo follows up with Kabutowari, shattering the bone armor of B’s partial transformation and striking his neck.
• B begins forming a point-blank Tailed Beast Bomb aimed at Jugo. Suigetsu intervenes, hitting B and diverting the blast into the sky.
• Kisame attacks from behind with Samehada, draining much of B’s chakra and forcing him from State Two to State One. B responds by summoning his tentacles and beginning a full transformation.

Character developments and interactions

• Kisame asserts authority over his two reluctant allies and presses the assault, exploiting the opening Suigetsu and Jugo create.
• Suigetsu and Jugo demonstrate strong teamwork, coordinating their abilities smoothly. Suigetsu’s quick thinking and willingness to protect Jugo prove crucial.
• Killer B remains playful and raps throughout the fight, but his confidence gives way to anger as the three attackers gain the upper hand.
• Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, recognizes the danger and urges B to take the threat seriously, though B initially brushes off his warnings.

Significant themes

• Teamwork under pressure: Suigetsu’s binding, Jugo’s strike, and Kisame’s chakra-draining attack combine to challenge a powerful opponent.
• Adaptability and complementary abilities: Suigetsu’s fluid body, Jugo’s strength, and Kisame’s Samehada each counter different aspects of B’s defenses.
• Humor amid danger: B’s constant rhyming contrasts with the life-or-death battle and Gyuki’s increasingly urgent warnings.

Plot points and events

• Killer B transforms into the Eight-Tails and fires a Tailed Beast Bomb inside the Uchiha Flame Formation. Kisame counters with his chakra-absorbing Great Shark Bullet, which grows large enough to contest the bomb but cannot absorb it indefinitely.
• B detonates a second bomb behind the first, intensifying the blast. Kisame shields the others with a Super Water Formation Wall.
• B then attacks with Tailed Beast Eight Scrolls: Slash, a spinning assault of sweeping cuts. Obito observes that concentrated slashes might threaten the barrier.
• Kisame creates a vast sphere of water with Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave, using it defensively to hold back B’s attack.
• While the fight remains a struggle between B’s offense and Kisame’s defense, Nagato reaches a hidden chamber in the space-time dimension. He neutralizes its sealing technique, opens it, finds a cabinet labeled “Fugaku,” and takes the Sharingan stored there. He leaves the next step to Suigetsu and Jugo.

Character developments and interactions

• Kisame proves a formidable and composed combatant, protecting Suigetsu and Jugo against attacks powerful enough to overwhelm them. His allies and even B are surprised by his strength.
• Suigetsu and Jugo are reduced to observers, relying on Kisame’s protection; Jugo compares Kisame favorably to Sasuke.
• Killer B demonstrates the Eight-Tails’ destructive power and adapts by switching from chakra-based attacks to physical slashes.
• Nagato shows patience and tactical skill, overcoming the chamber’s seal without damaging its contents and securing Fugaku’s Sharingan.
• Obito watches the battle and evaluates whether B’s attack could break the barrier.

Significant themes

• Power and limits: Kisame’s technique can absorb immense chakra, but even it has a capacity; raw force remains dangerous.
• Protection and teamwork: Kisame takes responsibility for defending his companions while they cannot contribute.
• Parallel fronts and hidden agendas: The public battle distracts from Nagato’s covert mission, which advances independently.
• Preparation and caution: The hidden chamber’s elaborate seal and Nagato’s careful approach underscore the risks surrounding the Sharingan collection.

Plot points and events

• Sasuke waits on Blue Moon Island for news from Suigetsu and Jugo, whose success will determine the next stage of his plans. Worried for their safety, he considers going to help, but Orochimaru urges him to trust the teammates he selected.
• On the offshore battlefield, Kisame unleashes a thousand summoned sharks to keep the Eight-Tails occupied.
• Suigetsu uses steel wires attached to Nuibari to snare the Eight-Tails, but its immense strength breaks the weapon free. He then attacks with Shibuki’s explosive technique, which causes only minor injuries.
• As the Eight-Tails prepares a Tailed Beast Bomb to kill Suigetsu, Jugo launches himself at it, using his Cursed Seal to intercept the attack. The blast leaves him barely alive.
• Jugo’s apparent sacrifice triggers Suigetsu’s Mangekyō Sharingan. At the same moment, Izumi’s paired eye, held by Jugo, awakens into the same unusual four-leaf-clover pattern. Obito watches, intrigued by this unexpected development.

Character developments and interactions

• Sasuke shows deep concern for Suigetsu and Jugo, revealing how strongly he feels about those from his past despite his usual composure. Orochimaru reassures him and encourages him to trust his judgment.
• Suigetsu proves resourceful in battle, setting a wire trap and pressing on after it fails. His resolve to avenge his brother, Mangetsu, helps him face the Eight-Tails—but Jugo’s sacrifice exposes how much he has come to care for his teammate.
• Jugo shifts from following Suigetsu’s lead to protecting him, deliberately taking the same kind of sacrificial action Suigetsu once performed in a dream.
• Kisame recognizes Suigetsu’s cleverness, while Obito sees Suigetsu’s grief—and the resulting eye awakening—as a valuable, unforeseen outcome.

Significant themes

• Trust and loyalty: Sasuke must trust his teammates from a distance, while Suigetsu and Jugo demonstrate loyalty through their willingness to risk their lives for each other.
• Grief and connection: Suigetsu’s loss of Jugo evokes the pain he associates with losing Mangetsu and triggers a profound transformation.
• Sacrifice and unexpected consequences: Jugo’s desperate intervention saves Suigetsu from the immediate blast but nearly costs him his life, while the emotional shock awakens the paired Mangekyō Sharingan.

Key plot points and events

• Jugo is left near death after losing half his body. Suigetsu prepares to summon Orochimaru, despite the risk of derailing their mission, but Kisame orders him to stop.
• Kisame uses Samehada to transfer the Eight-Tails’ stolen chakra into Jugo, rapidly regenerating his body. He says he saved Jugo only because they are temporarily allies and expects the newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan to prove useful.
• Killer B refuses the Eight-Tails’ advice to attack while the others are vulnerable, choosing not to kill enemies who are helping one another.
• Kisame explains that Mangekyō abilities can be discovered through introspection. Jugo realizes his power just as B begins charging another Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Jugo uses his dōjutsu, Vasavatti, to make an extremely unlikely misfortune occur: the bomb explodes prematurely in the Eight-Tails’ mouth, injuring it and knocking it down.
• Jugo explains that Vasavatti lasts one minute, cannot cause the same misfortune twice within that minute, and exacts a severe physical toll. With forty seconds remaining, he leaves the opening to his allies.

Character developments and interactions

• Suigetsu shows how deeply he cares for Jugo, choosing to risk Orochimaru’s involvement rather than let him die. His Mangekyō awakens, though its ability remains unknown.
• Jugo survives through Kisame’s intervention and discovers a powerful but costly ability. He thanks Kisame, then uses Vasavatti to turn the fight’s momentum.
• Kisame acts pragmatically and decisively, saving Jugo while making clear that the sacrifice of Samehada’s chakra creates an expectation of repayment.
• Killer B demonstrates compassion and honor by refusing to exploit his opponents’ helplessness. He continues to face the consequences of that choice without regret.
• The Eight-Tails scolds B but remains affectionate toward him, highlighting their close bond.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Suigetsu risks the mission for Jugo, while Kisame spends valuable chakra to keep a temporary ally alive.
• Honor amid conflict: B’s refusal to attack reflects his moral code, even when it puts him in danger.
• Power and cost: Jugo’s Mangekyō ability can force near-impossible outcomes, but its use causes intense pain and is sharply limited.
• Cooperation under pressure: The characters’ shifting alliances and mutual assistance reshape the battle’s balance.

Key plot points and events

• Killer B fires a Tailed Beast Bomb. Kisame evades it with a Water Shark Bullet, leaving Suigetsu exposed—but Suigetsu survives when the blast opens an underground water vein and he merges with the surge.
• Kisame exploits the Eight-Tails’ impaired vision, draining a huge amount of chakra with Samehada. Once the blade reaches its absorption limit, he uses its enlarged form to slash and wound the beast.
• Suigetsu discovers his transplanted right Sharingan grants Bishamonten, a power that brings extraordinary good fortune. Its effect helps turn the fight: he controls the underground water and smashes the Eight-Tails into the Uchiha Flame Formation, burning its back.
• As Killer B prepares a point-blank Tailed Beast Bomb, Suigetsu uses a compressed Super Water Gun to force it down the Eight-Tails’ throat. It detonates inside, ending the transformation and knocking Killer B unconscious.
• With the barrier lowered, Obito moves to capture B. Suigetsu attacks him with Shibuki, but the blade passes through Obito. Obito turns to seize Suigetsu as the chapter ends.

Character developments

• Suigetsu reveals an unexpected new ability in his right eye and becomes crucial to defeating the Eight-Tails. Despite his playful bravado, he takes the risk of confronting Obito after the battle.
• Kisame adapts quickly and shows how effectively he can use Samehada, but the prolonged fight leaves him exhausted.
• Killer B fights fiercely but is ultimately defeated and captured—or about to be captured—after his own attack is turned against him.
• Obito recognizes that the strange “misfortune” affecting B may actually come from Suigetsu’s newly awakened good-fortune dōjutsu.
• Jugo remains weakened but protects Kisame from intervening, saying he does not want to kill the man who saved his life.

Significant themes

• Luck and reversal: Misfortune and good fortune shape the battle, with Suigetsu’s Bishamonten turning a desperate situation around.
• Improvisation and teamwork: Kisame, Suigetsu, and Jugo each contribute through quick adaptation, though their loyalties and motives remain complicated.
• Power’s risks: Suigetsu’s new eye proves invaluable, while Killer B’s immense power becomes a vulnerability when his own Tailed Beast Bomb is forced back at him.

Character interactions

• Kisame abandons Suigetsu to evade the first blast, prompting Suigetsu’s comic complaint, but the two later coordinate effectively against the Eight-Tails.
• B and the Eight-Tails share pain and recognize that their luck—and performance—has turned against them.
• Jugo restrains Kisame so Suigetsu can challenge Obito.
• Suigetsu’s attack fails against Obito’s intangibility, leaving him in immediate danger.