Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Yahiko sends Nagato on a commission to Konoha Star. Nagato is deeply reluctant because a past encounter there left him terrified, but agrees after Yahiko reassures him and suggests he visit Aunt Fusō. Konan worries about his safety; Yahiko trusts Nagato to protect himself.
• Guang warns Danzo that Akatsuki’s leader has gone to Konoha Star, raising the possibility that Akatsuki and Konoha might join forces against the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
• Danzo initially dismisses potential allies in the south, then decides to send the Ōtsutsuki army against Black Zetsu and George. He intends to subjugate them and exploit their supposed feces-producing abilities to defeat Kagami Uchiha through his own scatological specialty.
• Once Guang leaves, Danzo secretly warns Black Zetsu about the coming attack, then blocks him again to conceal the contact.
• Black Zetsu receives the warning and decides to seek out George, expecting him to help resist the new invaders.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato remains wary and haunted by his earlier experience in Konoha Star, but yields to Yahiko’s encouragement. Yahiko is supportive and confident in Nagato’s abilities, while Konan voices concern.
• Danzo presents himself as a calculating leader, but his plan is driven by absurd reasoning and a hidden intention to weaken the Ōtsutsuki Clan by sending its forces into danger.
• Guang is anxious at first, then becomes enthusiastic about Danzo’s bizarre strategy and praises him.
• Danzo and Black Zetsu maintain a covert, uneasy connection: Danzo gives him useful intelligence while pretending to oppose him. Black Zetsu, in turn, turns to George for cooperation.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and double-dealing: Danzo publicly orders an attack while secretly warning its targets.
• Absurdity and dark comedy: The chapter’s central military strategy revolves around feces, treated with exaggerated seriousness.
• Trust and loyalty: Yahiko’s faith in Nagato contrasts with Konan’s understandable worry.
• Opportunism amid shifting alliances: The prospect of cooperation between Akatsuki and Konoha prompts Danzo to seek a different alliance—and a hidden way to undermine his own side.

Plot points and events

• Black Zetsu asks to meet George, who suspects a trap and prepares an absurdly explosive welcome using zombies, little zombie bombers, and enormous manure-stirring sticks. Black Zetsu’s guards destroy the grenades, but the little zombies then explode on impact, coating everyone in foul debris.
• Black Zetsu warns that the Ōtsutsuki Clan is coming in force to wipe them out and proposes an alliance. George initially resists, but agrees after negotiating a share of Black Zetsu’s two-hundred-year-old underwear.
• Black Zetsu offers George a further reward after the war: information about a sock that has gone unwashed for a thousand years. George eagerly accepts, and the two declare a joint campaign—the “Feces World War.”
• Meanwhile, Asura has dug up a thousand-year-old sock buried with him, hoping to sell it. Hagoromo tells him to rebury it outside because its smell is overwhelming.

Character developments and interactions

• George remains shrewd and greedy, but his strategic caution is easily overridden by the prospect of rare, ancient foul-smelling garments. He turns a serious threat into a bargain with Black Zetsu.
• Black Zetsu shifts from taunting George to seeking cooperation against a common enemy. He uses the promise of valuable “treasures” to secure George’s help.
• Hagoromo and Asura have a comic domestic exchange: Asura treats the sock as valuable merchandise, while Hagoromo is horrified by its stench and practical consequences.
• George and Black Zetsu’s hostile rivalry briefly gives way to a transactional partnership, while their guards and zombies confront one another in slapstick fashion.

Significant themes

• Grotesque comedy and parody: Battles, weapons, and diplomatic negotiations revolve around bodily waste and filthy clothing.
• Self-interest and uneasy alliances: George and Black Zetsu unite not through trust, but because of a shared threat—and an exchange of coveted items.
• Comic contrast: The looming danger of the Ōtsutsuki is undercut by the characters’ fixation on increasingly absurd “treasures.”

Plot points

• Nagato returns home to Konoha, shares a tearful meal with Fusō, and spends a day resting before reluctantly traveling to Kirigakure.
• Nervous about what may happen there, he steels himself and approaches the village gates.
• A guard explains Kirigakure’s rules for visitors from Konoha: Nagato must leave within twenty-four hours unless accompanied by a Kirigakure shinobi. Nagato is delighted by the deadline and even asks to be escorted out that night.
• The guard repeatedly checks that Nagato has come alone, citing the risk of diplomatic trouble if anyone goes missing. Nagato is eventually allowed in.
• Exploring Kirigakure, Nagato encounters an unexpectedly flamboyant street culture: expensive temporary tattoos, tough-sounding slogans, rebellious fashion, and a promotional event for a bar featuring the Mizukage and Ringo Ameyuri.
• A local explains this look as a celebration of individuality and rebellion. Nagato remains baffled, assuming it must be a local custom.
• Distracted by the tattooed crowds, Nagato bumps into a boy, who snaps at him and delivers another cryptic tough-guy saying. Nagato ends the chapter bewildered by Kirigakure.

Character development and interactions

• Nagato shifts from anxious dread to relief when he learns his visit is strictly time-limited. He stays wary of Kirigakure but is increasingly overwhelmed by its culture, revealing his out-of-touch perspective.
• Fusō is shown tearful during Nagato’s homecoming, emphasizing the emotional warmth of their reunion.
• The gate guard is stern and cautious, treating Nagato’s visit as a potential diplomatic risk, while remaining dutifully polite.
• The boy embodies Kirigakure’s swaggering youth culture and responds to Nagato’s accidental collision with theatrical bravado.

Themes and tone

• The chapter contrasts Nagato’s cautious expectations of Kirigakure with the village’s bizarre, highly commercialized subculture.
• It humorously explores cultural difference, local identity, and Nagato’s confusion as he tries to interpret everything as “customs.”
• Diplomatic caution runs alongside the comedy, with the visitor restrictions and missing-person concerns underscoring the fragile relationship between villages.

Key plot points and events

• Nagato arrives at a restaurant to meet a potential client, Mei Terumi, but grows increasingly anxious that the name might conceal someone from his troubling past.
• Mei enters looking far younger than expected and sporting a lip piercing, tattoos, and a tough streetwise manner. Nagato nervously asks whether she is really a woman and requests proof; her increasingly literal answers nearly lead her to reveal more than he wants to see.
• Once the awkward exchange ends, Mei explains that an online boyfriend stood her up, cut off contact, and swindled her out of 5,000 taels. She wants Nagato to locate him so she can confront him herself—not have Nagato attack him.
• Nagato forwards the man’s contact information to Akatsuki’s technical specialists, who will trace his IP address. Mei agrees to pay for the help.
• Nagato asks about Kirigakure’s tattoos and tough fashion. Mei explains that this “hardcore street culture” became popular under the Fourth Mizukage, leaving Nagato to conclude that the Mizukage must have encouraged it.

Character developments

• Nagato begins the meeting nervous and suspicious, but relaxes once he confirms Mei’s identity and hears that the job is straightforward. He remains bewildered by Kirigakure’s fashion and Mei’s odd speech.
• Mei Terumi comes across as confident, blunt, and theatrical, mixing a tough exterior with a practical request. Despite her anger at being scammed, she wants to handle the confrontation herself.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Mei’s youthful looks, tattoos, and intimidating persona contrast with the ordinary problem she brings.
• Miscommunication and comedy: Nagato’s anxious assumptions collide with Mei’s provocative jokes and cryptic rhyming expressions.
• Personal responsibility: Mei seeks help finding the scammer but insists on confronting him herself.

Character interactions

• Nagato’s nervous questioning and Mei’s teasing create the chapter’s main comic tension; she repeatedly needles him for staring or doubting her.
• Once they move to business, the two reach a simple agreement: Nagato’s organization will locate the scammer, and Mei will deal with him.
• Their final discussion of Kirigakure’s culture highlights Nagato’s outsider perspective and Mei’s pride in its unconventional style.

Key plot points and events

• Nagato tells Mei Terumi that Sasori needs at least a day to trace her target’s IP address; Sasori is also seeking help from Orochimaru.
• While they wait, Mei takes Nagato around Kirigakure. Nagato is unsettled by the village’s eccentric residents and suspects his Uncle Dave is largely responsible for its condition.
• Mei tries to persuade Nagato to get a tattoo. He refuses repeatedly, even when she threatens to stop hiring Akatsuki. He agrees to answer a question instead.
• Mei asks whether Nagato leads Akatsuki. Nagato says Yahiko is the leader, then Mei finds Yahiko’s contact information on the organization’s website and calls him.
• Meanwhile, Yahiko is anxiously waiting for Akatsuki’s first client. When Mei’s call comes in, he mistakes her greeting—“Hey, Grandson”—for an insult from a prank caller. He threatens to blacklist the caller, then realizes it really is his grandfather, Jijibo.
• Yahiko rushes to call back and apologize, but Mei answers. Hearing Yahiko immediately call her “Grandpa,” she wonders whether she has dialed the wrong number. Nagato recognizes the voice and anticipates trouble.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato remains reserved and stubborn, refusing Mei’s tattoo idea despite her pressure. He also insists that Yahiko, not himself, is Akatsuki’s leader.
• Mei Terumi is energetic, teasing, and persistent. She shifts from trying to take Nagato to a tattoo shop to contacting Yahiko out of curiosity.
• Yahiko is eager for business but quick-tempered when he thinks a caller is mocking him. His anger turns to panic once he realizes he nearly blacklisted his own grandfather.
• The chapter’s comedy comes from the mismatch between Mei’s harmless call, Yahiko’s mistaken interpretation, and Nagato’s dread at recognizing the situation.

Significant themes

• Miscommunication and mistaken identity: Yahiko mistakes his grandfather’s greeting for an insult, while Mei mistakes Yahiko’s apology for evidence she may have called the wrong person.
• Leadership and responsibility: Nagato deliberately credits Yahiko as Akatsuki’s leader.
• Clashing temperaments: Nagato’s steady refusal contrasts with Mei’s forceful enthusiasm and Yahiko’s impulsiveness.

Key plot points and events

• Mei Terumi calls Yahiko, leader of the Akatsuki, to complain that Nagato refuses to follow her request to get a tattoo.
• Yahiko scolds Nagato, insisting that the Akatsuki must complete its first commission properly and satisfy the client. Nagato protests that a tattoo was never part of their agreement, but Yahiko makes him comply.
• Mei leads Nagato to a tattoo shop run by Kushimaru Kuriarare, one of Kirigakure’s Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Nagato is stunned to discover that the famed swordsman works as a tattoo artist and has an unnerving skull-like face with a vertical eye on his forehead.
• Mei asks Kushimaru to give Nagato a flower tattoo on his arm. Nagato is left nervous and overwhelmed by the strange situation.

Character developments and interactions

• Mei uses her client status and Yahiko’s authority to get her way. She is confident, playful, and clearly enjoys teasing Nagato.
• Nagato is embarrassed by Yahiko’s chaotic phone call, frustrated at being pressured, and increasingly unsettled by Kirigakure’s unexpected customs.
• Yahiko shows his commitment to the Akatsuki’s reputation, though his dramatic arguments and abrupt apology to his grandfather make him seem comically impulsive.
• Kushimaru warmly teases Mei about Nagato being her future husband and boasts about his past. Mei counters by reciting the well-known story of his dance-off and romance, which has become part of Kirigakure’s popular culture.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal choice: Nagato objects to the tattoo, but the Akatsuki’s obligation to its client overrides his wishes.
• Comedic culture shock: Nagato’s serious expectations collide with Kirigakure’s eccentric blend of elite ninja, tattoo shops, and local legends.
• Reputation and community: Yahiko stresses that the Akatsuki must honor its first contract, while Kushimaru’s old exploits live on in village tradition.

Plot points and events

• Nagato is brought by Mei Terumi to Kushimaru Kuriarare for a tattoo. He is terrified and hopes the ordeal can somehow be undone.
• Mei chooses a rose design for him, while Kushimaru prepares to tattoo him with his oversized, well-used Long Needle. Nagato panics when he sees it and demands that it be disinfected; Kushimaru misunderstands his concern, but eventually buys disinfectant and cleans the needle.
• After a painful afternoon, Kushimaru finishes a red-and-black rose sleeve covering Nagato’s arm. Nagato thinks it looks terrible, though Mei and Kushimaru consider it a masterpiece.
• Kushimaru photographs Nagato posing with a cigarette and his tattoo, praising his newfound “social gangster” look. He then offers the tattoo for free, leaving Nagato stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato begins frightened and resistant, but submits to the tattooing. By the end, he is numb with dismay and goes along with the photo, cigarette and compliments without much protest.
• Mei Terumi is enthusiastic throughout: she chooses the design, admires the result and encourages Nagato to look more confident. Her playful excitement contrasts with his misery.
• Kushimaru Kuriarare is boastful about his tattooing, casual about his unconventional tools, and delighted by his work. He treats the tattoo as both art and a promotional photo opportunity.
• Their interactions drive the comedy: Nagato’s anxious objections meet Mei’s cheerfulness and Kushimaru’s oblivious confidence.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses comic contrast between Nagato’s dread and the others’ enthusiasm.
• It plays with identity and appearance: Mei and Kushimaru see the tattoo as making Nagato look tougher, while he sees it as an unwanted disaster.
• It also satirizes peer pressure and reluctant self-presentation, as Nagato is pushed into a style and pose that do not reflect how he feels.

Plot and events

• After receiving a full-sleeve tattoo, Nagato recoils when tattoo artist Kushimaru Kuriarare suggests tattooing his other arm. Mei Terumi backs the idea, but Nagato threatens to kill himself if it happens.
• Kushimaru instead invites Nagato and Mei to Fuguki Bar, where Mei’s Aunt Yuko is dancing. Nagato is anxious about the bar and its rowdy atmosphere.
• Kushimaru spots bar owner Suikazan Fuguki—the “watermelon” he clearly dislikes—and approaches him. Fuguki challenges him to cross the dance floor and face him in a dance-off.
• As the crowd gathers, Yuko stays relaxed, trusting Kushimaru’s reputation. Mei pressures Nagato to show courage and hands him liquor; Nagato drinks it, quickly turning red.
• Kushimaru enters the dance floor and begins his signature Kuriarare Dance. The crowd praises it as legendary, recalling his past victories over huge numbers of challengers and even a rival clan leader.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato remains overwhelmed and reluctant, first by the tattoo and then by the dance-off. He tries to distance himself from Kirigakure’s expectations by reminding Mei that he is from Konoha.
• Mei is enthusiastic about the tattoo, bar, and spectacle, and teases Nagato for his lack of confidence. She calls him her “little husband-to-be.”
• Kushimaru is flamboyant and confident, treating both his tattooing and dancing as familiar specialties. His hostility toward Fuguki suggests a longstanding rivalry.
• Yuko is amused and unruffled, declining to interfere and expressing faith in Kushimaru’s ability.
• Fuguki turns the encounter into a public challenge, while the crowd eagerly anticipates the contest.

Significant themes

• Reputation and spectacle: Kushimaru’s legendary dance turns a bar confrontation into a celebrated public event.
• Social pressure and courage: Mei and the crowd expect Nagato to respond boldly, though he resists being drawn into their local customs.
• Comedy through contrast: Nagato’s discomfort contrasts with the others’ excitement and Kushimaru’s confidence.

Key plot points and events

• Suikazan Fuguki’s men repeatedly challenge the veteran dancer Kushimaru Kuriarare, but Kushimaru easily outdances them and taunts Fuguki.
• Fuguki rallies Kirigakure’s younger ravers by promising to pay the tab of anyone who can beat Kushimaru.
• Nagato, drinking with Mei Terumi and Yuko, suddenly snaps out of his drunken stupor and heads for the dance floor. He reveals a red rose tattoo on his arm and uses a powerful technique to send the crowd surrounding Kushimaru flying.
• Nagato joins Kushimaru against the eager challengers. Remembering someone he has seen at the bar, he launches into an extraordinary dance routine, combining acrobatics, combat moves, and his tattooed arm’s rose-like motions.
• The crowd declares Nagato a legendary “Mentality Grandmaster.” He spots Mei, vanishes with the Body Flicker Technique, and reappears to ask her to lend him her “Flower Leg Tattoo.”

Character developments

• Nagato shifts abruptly from tipsy observer to confident, theatrical powerhouse. His cold appearance, Golden Rinnegan, and dazzling dance-fighting display reveal a strikingly formidable side.
• Mei Terumi moves from teasing and indifference to shock and fascination; Nagato’s brief glance leaves a deep impression on her.
• Kushimaru Kuriarare proves that age has not dulled his skill or competitive spirit, though he welcomes Nagato as a partner.
• Suikazan Fuguki tries to rally his followers but watches them fail to match Kushimaru’s ability.

Significant themes

• Performance and power: Dancing doubles as combat, and Nagato’s movement becomes a display of supernatural strength.
• Age and youthful rivalry: Kushimaru insists that winning still makes one king, while younger challengers try to prove themselves.
• Transformation and attraction: Alcohol and music seem to awaken a hidden side of Nagato, captivating Mei.
• Comic exaggeration: The scene treats a bar dance-off with the language and spectacle of a legendary battle.

Character interactions

• Fuguki and Kushimaru trade insults as Fuguki’s followers challenge the veteran.
• Yuko teases Mei about Nagato’s drinking and warns her that a man’s dancing skills matter.
• Mei calls after Nagato as he approaches the dance floor, but he brushes her off with a strikingly cool remark.
• Kushimaru warns Nagato that he may not be able to protect him; Nagato calmly joins the fight anyway.
• After his performance, Nagato approaches Mei with the unexpected request for her “Flower Leg Tattoo.”

Key plot points and events

• Nagato startles Mei Terumi by suddenly appearing and asking to borrow her Flower Leg Tattoo. He then lifts her in a bridal carry and dances with her, using her as part of a routine that traces a striking rose in the air.
• The crowd is astonished, and Suikazan Fuguki—excited by Nagato’s skill—leaves the DJ booth to face him in a dance-off. The spectators record the contest as it grows more intense.
• Fuguki’s distinctive Watermelon Dance, which uses fast, elaborate movements of his long orange hair, initially matches Nagato’s performance. Mei asks Nagato to put her down, and he does, continuing the contest alone.
• Kushimaru and Yuko worry that Nagato may be unable to reproduce his earlier Xingyi Dance and could lose to Fuguki’s refined technique.
• Nagato answers with a move that seems to slow his movements while leaving vivid afterimages. Kushimaru identifies it as a counter to Fuguki’s speed-based dance style. Fuguki loses control of his movements and collapses.
• Nagato also collapses, but Kushimaru checks him and reveals that he has merely fallen asleep from drinking too much. Nagato is declared the winner, and the crowd celebrates him as a new “Dance-Off God.”

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato shows creativity, confidence, and impressive adaptability, shifting from a partner dance with Mei to a direct contest with Fuguki. His victory establishes him as a remarkable dancer, though his drinking leaves him unconscious afterward.
• Mei Terumi is embarrassed by being carried and swung around, but cooperates with Nagato. She later steps aside, warns him about Fuguki, and catches him when he collapses.
• Suikazan Fuguki is an enthusiastic and formidable competitor, proud of his own dance style. He pushes Nagato into a difficult contest but is ultimately overwhelmed by Nagato’s counter.
• Kushimaru Kuriarare moves from nostalgic resignation to excited admiration, offering a detailed analysis of both dancers. He is also proud that he gave Nagato his Flower Arm Tattoo.
• Yuko shares Kushimaru’s assessment, praises Nagato, and lightly teases her husband for boasting.

Significant themes

• Generational change: Kushimaru accepts that younger dancers are surpassing the older generation.
• Adaptation and counterplay: Nagato’s victory comes from answering Fuguki’s speed with a contrasting technique that turns apparent slowness into an advantage.
• Performance and spectacle: The chapter treats dance as a competitive art capable of astonishing both participants and spectators.

Plot points and events

• Nagato wakes up at Mei Terumi’s home with no memory of the previous night. Mei teases him about his drunken performance and directs him to the news on his phone.
• He discovers videos and headlines celebrating his dancing at the Watermelon Mountain Bar. The Fourth Mizukage reportedly admits he cannot outdance Nagato, who is crowned the Shinobi World’s “number-one dancer” and dubbed the “Grandmaster.”
• Nagato is horrified to learn the story has spread beyond Kirigakure and that Mei appears in the footage as his “Grandmistress.” His friends’ congratulatory messages pile up, complete with their embarrassing nicknames.
• Mei asks who Konan is. Nagato explains she is an Akatsuki friend; Mei says she had focused on Nagato when viewing the organization’s official website.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato’s confusion turns to dread and humiliation as he learns how widely his dance performance has gone viral. He worries that his reputation has been ruined by another ridiculous title.
• Mei is cheerful and openly amused by Nagato’s embarrassment. She reads his messages aloud and treats their shared celebrity as fun, even adopting the title “Grandmistress.”
• Their teasing, familiar exchange becomes lightly flirtatious when Mei says she had “only had eyes” for Nagato on the website. Nagato, meanwhile, insists that nothing improper could have happened, given Mei’s young age.

Significant themes

• Public image and unwanted fame: A single embarrassing incident can become a defining reputation when amplified by viral news.
• Comedy through titles and social bonds: Nagato’s circle communicates through absurd nicknames, turning congratulations into fresh humiliation.
• Affection and attention: Mei’s teasing shows her interest in Nagato, while his distress contrasts with her delight in their newfound notoriety.

Plot points and events

• Nagato calls Sasori to ask whether the Akatsuki has found the person Mei Terumi is pursuing. Sasori confirms that the target’s IP address is in Konoha and promises to send the location.
• Sasori asks when Nagato will bring his “Grandmistress” back to meet the organization. Nagato, embarrassed, ends the call when he hears Yahiko approaching.
• Yahiko mistakenly believes Nagato is secretly delighted by his new “Grandmaster” title. He laments that he has never taken a hired mission or made a name for himself.
• Yahiko explains to Sasori that friends sometimes claim to dislike things they actually enjoy. Sasori relates this to Kakashi’s behavior toward Obito and Guy, and Yahiko adds that Kakuzu complains of being broke despite Konan carrying an enormous supply of valuable Explosive Tags. Sasori comes away admiring Yahiko as a mentor.
• Back in Kirigakure, Nagato tells Mei that the Akatsuki has located her online romance scammer in Konoha. Eager to leave, he agrees to go with her.
• Nagato becomes self-conscious about his sleeve tattoo and invents an organizational rule requiring him to hide it. Mei accepts the explanation, though she is secretly amused by something on her phone.
• Nagato tells Mei not to call herself an “old broad.” She responds warmly, links arms with him, and says that he must protect his client. Nagato reluctantly agrees, and they set off.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato is increasingly embarrassed by his reputation, Sasori’s teasing, and the tattoo he associates with his time in Kirigakure. His wish to escape the village makes him more receptive to Yahiko’s Wi-Fi ideal, though he still dismisses it as nonsense.
• Yahiko is boastful but perceptive about his friends, presenting himself as an expert on their hidden feelings. His dramatic envy of Nagato’s fame gives way to mentoring Sasori.
• Sasori is playful with Nagato but earnest and impressionable with Yahiko, whom he quickly adopts as a role model.
• Mei is affectionate and amused by Nagato’s awkwardness. Their banter shifts into physical closeness as she frames their journey as a client-protection mission.

Significant themes

• Saying one thing and meaning another: Yahiko’s lesson about concealed feelings is played for comedy and foreshadows the growing warmth between Nagato and Mei.
• Embarrassment and self-image: Nagato’s efforts to hide his tattoo and evade his new title contrast with others’ teasing interpretations of him.
• Found-family mentorship: Yahiko and Sasori’s exchange shows how the Akatsuki’s members learn from and admire one another.
• Romance and obligation: Mei’s “client protection” excuse allows her to stay close to Nagato while he remains oblivious or uncertain.

Key events

• Mei Terumi reads an online discussion about whether she and Nagato are a couple. Fans identify their matching flower tattoos and argue over the pair, which secretly delights her.
• At Mei’s doorway, Nagato freezes, calling the outside world “hell.” He decides he must disguise himself and pulls a black stocking from his pocket.
• Mei mistakenly assumes the stocking belongs to another woman—possibly Konan—and realizes she has fallen for Nagato despite knowing him for less than a day. Nagato explains that Akatsuki members are issued new stockings to wear over their heads on missions.
• Reassured that the stocking is unused, Mei asks which lip stud would suit her. Nagato says she looks best without one, making her blush with happiness.
• Nagato puts on the stocking, which distorts his face comically. Mei laughs and offers to get him one of her own.

Character developments and interactions

• Mei moves from playful pleasure at the public’s speculation to jealousy and anxiety, then relief and renewed confidence. She recognizes her feelings for Nagato and is deeply affected by his compliment.
• Nagato remains earnest and oblivious to Mei’s romantic worries. He treats the stocking as a practical disguise, though he is embarrassed by how ridiculous it makes him look.
• Their banter brings them closer: Mei teases him about the stocking, while Nagato gives her an honest opinion about her appearance. The chapter ends with her offering him a better-fitting disguise.

Significant themes

• Romantic misunderstanding: Mei’s assumptions about the stocking briefly create a crisis in her mind.
• Public image and disguise: Online fans interpret the pair’s tattoos as evidence of a romance, while Nagato’s absurd disguise is meant to conceal his identity.
• Awkward attraction and comedy: Mei’s sudden infatuation contrasts with Nagato’s literal-minded explanations and the slapstick effect of the stocking.

Plot and events

• Nagato realizes he spent the night at Mei Terumi’s house after getting drunk. He asks why she lives alone; Mei explains that in Kirigakure, children over ten are expected to leave home and earn a living in the village’s youth subculture.
• Mei gives Nagato a new pair of black stockings to replace the cheap ones on his head. The replacement is too small, leaving his face comically distorted. Mei finds the result hilarious, while Nagato accepts the humiliation and uses chakra to navigate because he can barely see.
• The pair head toward Kirigakure’s entrance through streets full of smoking, fashionably dressed youths. At the entrance, they find a large crowd gathered for the annual dance competition between the Kaguya and Yuki clans.
• Nagato impulsively cheers for the Kaguya clan, then denies having any connection to them. Worried that someone might recognize him, he grabs Mei and rushes away.
• As they leave, they hear the competition begin with deafening music. Nagato is horrified by the spectacle and vows never to return.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato remains socially awkward and easily flustered, but treats indignity as a consequence of joining Yahiko’s Akatsuki. His sudden enthusiasm for the Kaguya clan hints at a personal bias, though he refuses to explain it. He is also increasingly wary of being recognized.
• Mei Terumi is confident, teasing, and accustomed to Kirigakure’s unusual social customs. She looks after Nagato in practical ways—taking him home and providing replacement stockings—while laughing at his discomfort.
• Their relationship is playful and familiar: Mei provokes Nagato, and he responds with embarrassment and hurried attempts to escape awkward situations.

Significant themes

• Comedy through humiliation: Nagato’s stockings, impaired vision, and discomfort make him the target of recurring physical comedy.
• Culture shock and social belonging: Nagato struggles to make sense of Kirigakure’s youth culture, which Mei treats as ordinary.
• Dignity and commitment: Nagato frames his willingness to endure embarrassment as part of the sacrifices he accepted by joining Akatsuki.
• Satire and absurdity: Kirigakure is portrayed as a bizarre, disorderly place, with clan competition tied to businesses and youth recruitment.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving Kirigakure, Nagato removes the stockings he had worn as a disguise and relaxes. Mei Terumi is flustered because he had held her hand; Nagato lets go, unaware of her feelings.
• They set off for Konoha in a car Nagato has summoned from a scroll. Mei says she wants a car of her own, but Nagato dismisses her as a kid. She insists she is a “trendy girl,” producing certificates that supposedly qualify her for trendy-girl jobs and performances.
• Mei’s certificates block Nagato’s view while he is driving. They narrowly avoid a collision when a tree appears in the road; Nagato uses his golden Rinnegan to blast it away and resumes driving.
• Madara calls Nagato and orders him to attend a bar gathering that night, challenging him to prove the reputation he has earned as a “Grandmaster.” Nagato reluctantly agrees. Mei asks who called, and Nagato awkwardly describes Madara as an old gentleman he respects.

Character developments

• Nagato remains practical and exasperated, treating Mei’s handholding and youthful boasts casually. He demonstrates quick reflexes and powerful abilities when the car is endangered, but is uneasy about Madara’s invitation.
• Mei Terumi shows a crush on Nagato, becoming visibly embarrassed after he holds her hand. She is also proud of her unconventional “trendy girl” identity and eager to prove her maturity and qualifications.
• Madara is revealed to be competitive and intent on testing Nagato’s barroom reputation.

Significant themes

• Comedy and absurdity: Kirigakure’s certificates, Mei’s self-appointed status, and the sudden roadside danger create a deliberately ridiculous tone.
• Youth and maturity: Mei resents being treated like a child, while Nagato sees her as one despite her claims of independence.
• Reputation and rivalry: Madara’s challenge shows how Nagato’s growing fame has sparked a contest of pride.

Character interactions

• Nagato’s casual handholding leaves Mei flustered, though he does not recognize her romantic excitement.
• Mei and Nagato bicker over her age and “trendy girl” status, with her certificates distracting him at the wheel.
• Madara uses his authority and competitive pride to compel Nagato to attend the bar gathering; Nagato complies reluctantly.

Plot points and events

• Nagato and Mei Terumi arrive in Konoha. Mei has never visited before and has mostly learned about the village online—where she has encountered a hugely popular complaint about someone called the “Black-Faced Buckle Ghost.” Nagato is embarrassed when she brings it up.
• Two Uchiha guards recognize Nagato and tease him about arriving with Mei, assuming they are a couple. Nagato denies it, while Mei pretends not to hear and is secretly pleased.
• Mei is captivated by Konoha’s lively streets and asks to stay longer. Nagato says he must leave after her commission is done because the Akatsuki needs him, though he privately does not want to go.
• Nagato’s mother, Fusō, invites him home for lunch. Since Mei claims she has no money and is a “kid away from home,” Nagato reluctantly invites her along. Fusō readily agrees to set another place.
• Before they enter, Nagato warns Mei not to repeat her dramatic catchphrases or reveal her leg tattoo. Mei, influenced by Kirigakure romance dramas, worries that she will seem insufficiently “hardcore” unless she shows off her tattoos and certificate. Nagato scolds her for watching the shows.

Character development

• Mei Terumi is curious and excited by Konoha, and her playful, crafty side emerges as she maneuvers her way into joining Nagato for lunch. She also reveals how strongly she imitates the exaggerated “hardcore girl” image from her favorite dramas.
• Nagato is embarrassed by the online reputation attached to the “Black-Faced Buckle Ghost,” exasperated by his friends’ teasing, and increasingly flustered by Mei’s antics. His claim that the Akatsuki needs him masks his reluctance to leave her.
• Fusō is warm and welcoming, casually making room for Nagato’s unexpected guest.

Character interactions

• The Uchiha guards tease Nagato about Mei, while Mei quietly enjoys their assumption.
• Nagato tries to manage Mei’s behavior and make practical arrangements for her, but she uses her circumstances to secure an invitation home.
• Nagato and Mei clash humorously over whether meeting his mother requires performing a “hardcore” persona, revealing the gap between Mei’s drama-influenced expectations and Nagato’s embarrassment.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses comedy to contrast romantic-drama fantasy with everyday reality, especially through Mei’s mistaken ideas about meeting a parent.
• Public perception and gossip recur through the viral online post and the guards’ assumptions about Nagato and Mei.
• Beneath the teasing, Nagato’s reluctant departure and Mei’s wish to stay hint at growing attachment.

Plot points and events

• Nagato brings Mei Terumi home from Kirigakure, describing her as a mission assignment who came with him to Konoha.
• His mother, Fusō, hears only what she wants to hear and assumes Mei is Nagato’s girlfriend. She ushers Mei inside, briefly leaving Nagato outside.
• Fusō seats Mei at the table, serves her food, and questions her about her home and hobbies. She also insists Nagato sit beside Mei.
• When Mei says she likes dancing, Fusō enthusiastically invites her to join the Square Dance Troupe that afternoon.
• Nagato objects, apparently worried about what Mei might say or do there, but Fusō dismisses his opinion: “Your opinion doesn’t count.”

Character developments and interactions

• Fusō is delighted to believe Nagato has finally found a romantic partner. Her matchmaking enthusiasm overwhelms her attention to her son, and she immediately treats Mei like a future daughter-in-law.
• Nagato is bewildered and increasingly exasperated as his mother misreads the situation, rearranges the meal, and makes plans for Mei without consulting him.
• Mei Terumi is shy and embarrassed by Fusō’s assumptions, but she plays along. She even changes her answer about her hobby when Nagato’s intense stare warns her not to reveal more.
• Fusō’s warmth toward Mei contrasts with her casual disregard for Nagato’s protests, while Mei’s nervous cooperation leaves Nagato feeling powerless.

Significant themes

• Comedic misunderstanding: Fusō transforms Nagato’s practical explanation into evidence of a romance.
• Family matchmaking and generational pressure: Fusō has worried about Nagato’s lack of romantic prospects and seizes on Mei as a solution.
• Control versus agency: Nagato’s objections carry no weight in his mother’s plans, while Mei is swept along by Fusō’s affectionate enthusiasm.

Key events

• Nagato leaves breakfast with Mei Terumi to investigate a mission, while his mother Fusō worries more about Mei than her own son. Nagato feels like an outsider in his own home.
• Their lead takes them to the nearly empty Four-Tails Zoo. A monkey at the entrance scans their tickets, and monkeys soon begin attacking: one throws a banana peel at Nagato, while another steals Mei’s phone.
• Nagato tells Mei not to rush after the phone, but to follow the monkey and see where it leads. Mei misunderstands his hint and attacks the cave with her Lava Release.
• Four-Tails, Son Goku, emerges from the cave. Nagato restrains him with Banshō Ten’in, and the pair realize that Son Goku—not an ordinary thief—is the target of the mission.
• At the Uchiha Police Station, Fugaku explains that Son Goku’s zoo failed because its monkeys attacked visitors. After losing money to an online romance scam, Son Goku had his monkeys steal phones so he could run romance scams himself. Fugaku says the monkeys will now be arrested.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato is exasperated by his mother’s favoritism toward Mei and by the absurdity of the mission, but stays observant and practical during the chase. He works out that the stolen phone is leading them toward their destination.
• Mei Terumi is cheerful and curious at the zoo, then becomes furious when her phone is stolen. She trusts Nagato’s direction, though she comically misreads his attempt at caution as an instruction to attack everyone inside.
• Fusō shows strong affection and concern for Mei, inadvertently making Nagato feel neglected.
• Son Goku is revealed as a disgruntled zoo owner turned scammer. Nagato captures him, and Mei is surprised to learn the culprit is the Four-Tails.
• Fugaku provides the explanation and confirms that the police can now act against Son Goku and the monkeys.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses comedy and role reversal: a legendary tailed beast runs a failing zoo and becomes a phone thief, while Nagato feels like the overlooked one at home.
• It also pokes fun at online scams and weak enforcement, showing Son Goku turning his own experience as a scam victim into a criminal scheme.
• Miscommunication drives much of the humor, especially between Nagato and Mei during the pursuit.

Plot points and events

• Nagato visits the Uchiha Police Station, where Fugaku’s officers are arresting monkeys connected to the recent case. Fugaku says the captives will be jailed alongside the toads already in custody.
• Fugaku explains that Son Goku’s zoo will be sold and its proceeds returned to the victims.
• Outside the station, Mei Terumi is devastated to learn that her online romantic interest was actually Son Goku, the tailed beast Four-Tails. Nagato waives his fee for completing her commission, but Mei insists on paying.
• Kagami, out on bail for a hospital follow-up, teases Nagato about his supposed romantic path and recalls his own youthful courtship. Nagato escapes the awkward conversation with Mei.
• Mei plans to stay in Konoha to go square dancing with Nagato’s mother. Nagato gives her his father’s hotel discount card, explaining that Konoha hotels charge visitors from other villages exorbitant prices.
• At a toy shop, Mei admires a stuffed bear and expects it to have a flower-arm-tattoo design. The shopkeeper explains that the bear and tattoo sticker are inexpensive, outdated stock, leaving Mei surprised.

Character developments and interactions

• Nagato is considerate toward Mei, waiving his fee when she is upset, and helps her navigate Konoha’s costly hotels. He is also repeatedly embarrassed by Fugaku’s teasing and Kagami’s unsolicited romantic advice.
• Mei Terumi moves from heartbreak over her online relationship to a more playful mood, accepting an invitation to spend time with Nagato’s mother and enthusiastically shopping. Her expectations about prices and fashion reveal how different life in Konoha is from Kirigakure.
• Fugaku treats Nagato with exaggerated respect and jokes about his reputation and family, while handling the arrests and restitution.
• Kagami offers Nagato earnest but misguided encouragement about love, using Nagato’s situation to feel better about his own past.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses absurd comedy and misunderstandings, especially in the contrast between serious arrests and the characters’ casual banter.
• Romantic disappointment and awkward courtship recur through Mei’s heartbreak, Kagami’s memories, and his teasing of Nagato.
• Cultural and economic differences between villages appear in Konoha’s hotel price-gouging and Mei’s surprise at local prices and out-of-fashion merchandise.

Summary

• Nagato takes Mei Terumi home after an outing. Fusō initially shuts him out, then welcomes Mei warmly when she sees the teddy bear and tattoos she bought. Mistaking the tattoos for Nagato’s gift, Fusō angrily drags him inside and demands an explanation.
• Once Mei explains, Fusō becomes fascinated by her flower tattoo and praises her as trendy, despite having once warned Nagato against people with tattoos. She sends Nagato to wash fruit, and he reluctantly obeys.
• Hoping to win his mother’s approval, Nagato proudly reveals that he has a flower tattoo on his arm too. Instead, Fusō kicks him out. Nagato seeks refuge at his father Ise’s workplace, where Ise matter-of-factly offers him a mattress and instant noodles, suggesting this sort of domestic upheaval is familiar.
• At square-dance practice, Fusō introduces Mei to the older women as her daughter-in-law. They warmly welcome the nervous Mei. Watching them, Kaguya decides she wants a daughter-in-law too: she tells Hagoromo so, then calls Asura to say she wants a great-grandson.

Character developments and interactions

• Mei is shy around Fusō and the dance group but is warmly accepted; she explains her interests honestly.
• Nagato is baffled by his mother’s sudden double standard and tries to imitate Mei to gain approval, only to be displaced from the home.
• Fusō is affectionate and enthusiastic toward Mei, while treating Nagato teasingly and inconsistently. Her introduction of Mei as her daughter-in-law suggests she already sees her as part of the family.
• Ise calmly shelters Nagato, implying he is used to Fusō’s moods.
• Kaguya is inspired by the family gathering to demand descendants from her sons, leaving Hagoromo and Asura confused.

Themes

The chapter plays comic contrasts between parental favoritism and generational expectations, as well as double standards around tattoos. Its warm family scenes emphasize belonging and acceptance, while Kaguya’s abrupt desire for a daughter-in-law and great-grandson turns family legacy into a running joke.