Chapter Summaries

Shinichi confronted Rasa with Gaara’s suffering, then beat Shukaku into promising not to frighten the boy. He repaired Gaara’s seal and left Rasa to make amends as Gaara woke up.

• Shinichi showed Rasa the torment Gaara endured in the mental world, prompting Rasa to admit his failures and vow to make amends.
• Shinichi warned Rasa not to harm Gaara again and promised to repair the incomplete seal.
• Shinichi used his Mangekyō Sharingan to immobilize Shukaku and beat him until he agreed to behave and stop frightening Gaara.
• Shinichi reinforced Gaara’s seal, making it complete and far more effective.
• Shinichi woke Gaara and told him he could sleep without worrying about Shukaku bothering him.

Shinichi secured Gaara’s future in Sunagakure and gained a powerful new talent trait before receiving Jiraiya’s message that they had found Tsunade. He arrived beside Jiraiya and Naruto, where Naruto complained that their money had run out and Shinichi demanded an explanation.

• Shinichi told Rasa to treat Gaara better and gave Yashamaru a Flying Thunder God kunai to summon him if Gaara was in danger.
• Shinichi left Sunagakure and extracted Gaara’s biological information, gaining the purple trait deep love of the sand and mastery of Sand Release.
• Jiraiya’s summoned toad delivered a message saying that Jiraiya and Naruto had found Tsunade and needed Shinichi to come quickly.
• Shinichi dismissed Tenja and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear beside Jiraiya and Naruto as they ate ramen.
• Naruto hugged Shinichi and sobbed that he had suffered, and Jiraiya explained that they had spent all their money and could not afford food.

Shinichi learned that Jiraiya had spent their money lending it to Tsunade for gambling, then confronted her outside a casino. Tsunade attacked him after he teased her about her age, but Shinichi stopped her punch effortlessly, leaving the others stunned.

• Shinichi accused Jiraiya of wasting their money, and Naruto explained that Jiraiya had lent it to Tsunade for gambling.
• Shinichi, Jiraiya, and Naruto waited outside a casino for Tsunade, who soon emerged after losing her stake and demanded more money from Jiraiya.
• Tsunade recognized Shinichi, then ignored him and tried to leave with Shizune when Jiraiya refused to lend her money.
• Shinichi teased Tsunade about her age, prompting her to punch him with her monstrous strength.
• Shinichi caught Tsunade's fist and held it in place, shocking Jiraiya and Shizune while Naruto proudly trusted in Shinichi's strength.

Shinichi used Naruto’s resolve and a staged threat to force Tsunade to confront her hemophobia and painful past. Tsunade overcame her fear long enough to seize the bloodstained kunai, while Jiraiya and Shizune remained unconscious.

• Tsunade attacked Shinichi, but he matched her Heavenly Foot of Pain and sent her crashing into a wall.
• Shinichi drew blood from Jiraiya and used the bloodied kunai to trigger Tsunade’s hemophobia, then knocked Jiraiya and Shizune unconscious with his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Shinichi prompted Naruto to declare his Ninja Way and affirm that he would keep moving forward despite painful memories.
• When Shinichi threatened Tsunade with the kunai, Naruto stepped in front of her and grabbed its blade, cutting his hand.
• Shinichi challenged Tsunade to overcome her fear and protect Naruto, and she seized the kunai as her terror gave way to resolve.

Shinichi and Naruto helped Tsunade overcome her fear of blood by staging a fight, and Naruto’s resemblance to her younger brother Nawaki stirred her emotions. When Naruto called her “Big Sister,” Tsunade broke down in tears and released years of grief.

• Shinichi and Naruto staged a fight that awakened Tsunade’s fighting spirit and helped her overcome her fear of blood.
• Tsunade healed Naruto’s wounded hand with the Mystical Palm Technique and showed him affection.
• Shinichi told Naruto to stop calling Tsunade “Granny Tsunade” and suggested he call her “Big Sister.”
• Naruto repeatedly called Tsunade “Big Sister,” and Tsunade embraced him and wept as she mourned her failure to protect her younger brother.

Shinichi persuaded Tsunade to return to Konoha by promising to help her become Hokage and letting her remain close to Naruto. The deal ended with Tsunade asking what Shinichi knew about the deaths of her brother and lover.

• Shinichi warned Tsunade that Naruto could not leave Konoha and said he would stop her from taking him away.
• Shinichi offered to help Tsunade become Hokage and promised to reshape Konoha's leadership.
• Tsunade refused at first, but Shinichi threatened to choose another Hokage and abandon Konoha to its fate.
• Tsunade agreed to return to Konoha and claim the Hokage's seat, and Shinichi promised food, lodging, and access to Naruto.
• Shinichi said he would seek justice for the deaths of Senju Nawaki and Dan Katō, prompting Tsunade to demand to know what he knew.

Shinichi brought Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune back to Konoha with Kamui, where they saw how comfortably he lived. Jiraiya asked to take Naruto as his student, and Shinichi and Tsunade warned him not to corrupt the boy.

• Shinichi convinced Tsunade to focus on becoming a good Hokage, and Jiraiya apologized for misunderstanding his intentions.
• Shinichi used Kamui to take Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune to Konoha, where they reunited with Karin and Haku.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune watched Shinichi lounge while his younger companions handled chores, and Shinichi explained he avoided missions because he did not need the money.
• Jiraiya formally asked to train Naruto, and Shinichi agreed only if Jiraiya taught him to train without filling his head with strange ideas.
• Tsunade and Shinichi threatened Jiraiya with punishment if he corrupted Naruto, while Jiraiya protested that they distrusted him.

Shinichi settled Tsunade and Shizune into the Hatake Clan home, then gained Tsunade’s medical and chakra-control talents by extracting her biological information. The next morning, Jiraiya tried to teach Naruto, but Naruto’s already advanced training left Jiraiya dumbfounded and questioning how much Shinichi had taught him.

• Tsunade and Shizune moved into the Hatake Clan home because Tsunade’s own house was unlivable.
• Shinichi extracted Tsunade’s biological information and gained the Battlefield Monster-Strength Twin-Tails trait and mastery of medical ninjutsu.
• Jiraiya came to teach Naruto the Rasengan, only to discover Naruto had already learned it from Shinichi six months earlier.
• Naruto summoned over a hundred shadow clones for taijutsu training, and Jiraiya learned that Shinichi had trained Naruto in chakra control, taijutsu, and the Eight Gates Released Formation.
• Naruto told Jiraiya that Shinichi planned to teach him the Rasen Shuriken, leaving Jiraiya stunned by Naruto’s advanced training.

Shinichi demonstrated senjutsu and the Rasen Shuriken to explain Naruto’s new training, then showed Sasuke advanced Chidori techniques and Kirin. Naruto demanded more lessons, but Shinichi told him to focus on the Rasengan and ask Jiraiya for help.

• Jiraiya confronted Shinichi about teaching Naruto the Rasen Shuriken, so Shinichi led everyone to the training ground for a demonstration.
• Shinichi used Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation to form a fortress, then destroyed it with the Rasen Shuriken and urged Naruto to improve his chakra control.
• Naruto vowed to master the Rasen Shuriken and challenged Sasuke with a provocative look.
• Shinichi demonstrated several advanced Chidori techniques and Kirin for Sasuke, then gave him the Kusanagi Sword and told him to train hard.
• Naruto complained that Shinichi had taught Sasuke more techniques, but Shinichi told him to master the Rasengan and ask Jiraiya to teach him the Big Ball Rasengan.

Shinichi arranged for Naruto and Sasuke to sign Summoning Contracts, with Naruto joining Mount Myōboku and Sasuke joining the Hellhound Clan. Tsunade then told Shinichi that the Third Hokage wanted to meet him, and Shinichi reluctantly set off to find out why.

• Shinichi urged Jiraiya to teach Naruto the Summoning Technique, and Jiraiya agreed after considering the danger of Naruto losing control of the tailed beast's power.
• Shinichi summoned Tenja and arranged for Sasuke to sign a contract with the Hellhound Clan.
• Sasuke and Tenja bonded over their admiration and loyalty to Shinichi, while Shinichi grew embarrassed by their praise.
• Naruto and Sasuke signed their Summoning Contracts, and Jiraiya and Shinichi's Shadow Clone took responsibility for supervising their training.
• Tsunade told Shinichi that the Third Hokage had requested a meeting, and Shinichi reluctantly went to see what he wanted.

The Third Hokage offered Shinichi a paid, flexible teaching position at the Ninja Academy as an olive branch, admitting he could not defeat him. Shinichi accepted but remained determined to continue his plan, then went to Orochimaru before heading to Amegakure for the final piece of the puzzle.

• Shinichi kicked down the Third Hokage's office door and mocked him during their meeting.
• The Third Hokage offered Shinichi a nominal Ninja Academy teaching position and said he wanted to stop fighting.
• Shinichi accepted the offer but secretly vowed not to show mercy or abandon his plan.
• Shinichi used Kamui to appear in Orochimaru's hideout and told him the Third Hokage had conceded.
• Shinichi announced he was going to Amegakure to obtain the final piece of the puzzle, and Orochimaru urged him to follow his heart.

Shinichi infiltrated Amegakure and confronted Nagato and Konan, who initially treated him as an enemy. He tried to convince them that the masked man manipulating them was Obito Uchiha, leaving Konan thinking over her long-held suspicions while Nagato remained hostile.

• Shinichi used the Flying Thunder God Technique and Kamui to reach Nagato's secret chamber in Amegakure.
• Nagato mistook Shinichi for Madara Uchiha, but Konan recognized him as Hatake Shinichi and attacked with the Dance of the Shikigami.
• Konan distracted Shinichi while Nagato summoned the Six Paths of Pain to confront him.
• Shinichi said he had come to help and accused Nagato of being deceived by Obito, not Madara Uchiha.
• Shinichi admitted releasing the Bounty Exchange intelligence and claimed the masked man was Obito Uchiha.
• Konan questioned whether Shinichi could be trusted, but his words reminded her that she had long suspected Obito's identity and motives.

Shinichi rejected Nagato’s plan for peace and revealed that Madara Uchiha had manipulated him by implanting the Rinnegan so Nagato would resurrect him. Nagato refused to believe him and attacked, but his abilities failed against Shinichi’s Kamui as the fight continued.

• Konan asked Shinichi why he had come, and he said he wanted to work with them to build a peaceful Shinobi World, not join the Akatsuki.
• Nagato explained his plan to enforce peace through fear and declared himself a god, while Shinichi called his beliefs delusions of grandeur.
• Shinichi told Nagato that Madara Uchiha had implanted the Rinnegan and intended to use Nagato to resurrect him, but Nagato rejected the claim and turned on Konan for listening.
• Nagato ordered the Six Paths of Pain to attack Shinichi, but Shinra Tensei and Banshō Ten'in had no effect against Kamui.
• Nagato used the Six Paths’ abilities and secretly positioned the Preta Path to exploit Kamui’s time limit, while Shinichi recognized the tactic and prepared to counter it.

Shinichi opened the Gate of Death and overwhelmed Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain with taijutsu. The chapter ended as Shinichi unleashed Night Guy and kicked apart Nagato’s Planetary Devastation.

• Shinichi evaded Preta Path’s chakra absorption and warned Nagato to surrender, but Nagato launched another attack.
• Shinichi opened the Eighth Gate, leaving Nagato and Konan stunned by his deadly power.
• Shinichi destroyed Preta Path, Naraka Path, and the other Paths of Pain with rapid punches and kicks.
• Shinichi waited for Deva Path to prepare Planetary Devastation, while Nagato pushed his body beyond its limits to attack.
• Shinichi unleashed Night Guy and kicked apart the Planetary Devastation sphere.

Hatake Shinichi defeated Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain and cured Nagato’s belief that he was a god. He revealed that he had come to talk rather than kill Nagato and Konan, and they agreed to hear him out.

• Shinichi destroyed Nagato’s Planetary Devastation with a kick, sealed Deva Path Pain, and deactivated the Eight Gates without suffering any harm.
• Nagato admitted defeat, recognized his weakness, and accepted that he was an ordinary person rather than a god.
• Shinichi told Nagato and Konan that he had never intended to kill them and wanted to discuss their peace plan.
• Nagato and Konan realized Nagato had started the fight himself, and Shinichi asked to have a proper conversation.

Shinichi used One's Own Life Reincarnation to restore Nagato's health, making Nagato and Konan believe he had risked his life to save him. After thanking Shinichi, they rushed to care for him when he collapsed, while he secretly laughed at his own acting.

• Nagato's condition worsened after his battle, and Konan asked Shinichi whether he could save him.
• Shinichi teased Konan by proposing a date if he restored Nagato, and Konan agreed for Nagato's sake.
• Shinichi used One's Own Life Reincarnation and told Nagato and Konan that the technique traded one life for another, though he claimed its cost to him was small.
• Nagato regained his health and vitality, and he and Konan thanked Shinichi for saving him.
• Shinichi pretended to collapse from the strain, and Nagato and Konan hurried to look after him as he secretly enjoyed his performance.

Shinichi won Nagato and Konan over by revealing Madara and Obito’s plan and proposing a controlled war to unite the shinobi villages. After they agreed to work with him, he arranged for them to hide, took custody of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Yahiko’s body, and promised to resurrect Yahiko.

• Shinichi secretly obtained Nagato’s biological information and gained the golden talent trait Let the World Know Pain, granting him the Rinnegan.
• After two days of pretending to recover, Shinichi told Nagato and Konan that Obito and Madara had manipulated them and explained their plan to revive the Ten-Tails and trigger the Fourth Shinobi World War.
• Nagato offered Shinichi his Rinnegan, but Shinichi refused and urged him to keep them for the coming war.
• Shinichi convinced Nagato and Konan that a shared enemy could unite the Five Great Shinobi Villages and create a lasting period of peace.
• Shinichi told Nagato and Konan to give him the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and Yahiko’s body, then hide from Obito until they were needed.
• Shinichi promised to resurrect Yahiko so Nagato and Konan could reunite with him and Jiraiya.

Shinichi brought Naruto to Orochimaru’s laboratory to begin their plan, then entered Naruto’s seal to speak with Kurama and start undoing it. Minato Namikaze appeared to stop him, and the two moved to a private space to catch up.

• Shinichi asked Orochimaru to create a convincing counterfeit of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and said their plan could begin.
• Shinichi took Naruto from the Hatake Clan’s training ground to Orochimaru’s laboratory, where Naruto met Orochimaru.
• Shinichi put Naruto to sleep and entered the seal, where Kurama panicked when Shinichi began removing the sealing formula.
• Minato Namikaze stopped Shinichi from undoing the seal and moved them to a vast, empty space.
• Shinichi and Minato greeted each other, and Minato asked how Naruto and Kakashi were doing.

Shinichi drew Minato’s chakra remnant out of Naruto and learned how to undo the Reaper Death Seal so he could resurrect Minato and Kushina. He freed the sealed souls at the Uzumaki Clan’s Mask Storage Hall, and the Shinigami failed to claim his life before Shinichi drove it back to the Underworld.

• Shinichi reassured Minato that Naruto was doing well and told him he planned to resurrect him and Kushina.
• Minato objected to being brought back and warned Shinichi that his soul was sealed inside the Shinigami by the Reaper Death Seal.
• Shinichi coaxed the method of undoing the seal from Minato, learning it involved the Uzumaki Clan’s Mask Storage Hall and the Shinigami Mask.
• Shinichi used Kamui to take Orochimaru to the Mask Storage Hall, found the Shinigami Mask, and performed the Reaper Death Seal to release the trapped souls.
• The Shinigami tried to claim Shinichi’s life, but his power protected him and then blasted the Shinigami back into the Underworld.

Shinichi drove away the Reaper, then used Impure World Reincarnation to bring Minato and Kushina back temporarily. He prepared to revive them fully, while Minato and Kushina remained unaware of what he planned to do next.

• Orochimaru marveled that Shinichi had driven off the Reaper, and Shinichi promised to let him study a vial of his blood.
• Shinichi summoned two sealed White Zetsu and used Impure World Reincarnation to restore Minato and Kushina temporarily.
• Minato and Kushina joyfully reunited before Kushina fussed over Shinichi as she had when he was younger.
• Orochimaru explained that Minato and Kushina had only been temporarily revived, and Minato grew concerned about Shinichi's next jutsu.
• Orochimaru reassured Minato that Shinichi's abilities were beyond his understanding as Shinichi prepared to bring the couple back to life fully.