Chapter Summaries

Aokiji and Tsunade exchanged keepsakes and flirted during a private meeting in the Forest of Death. Their intimacy was interrupted when Orochimaru recognized them, leaving all three stunned and embarrassed.

• Tsunade examined Aokiji and learned about the markings on his hand and his Sage Art training.
• Tsunade gave Aokiji her grandfather's lucky necklace, and Aokiji reluctantly accepted it before placing the Ocean Star around her neck.
• Aokiji massaged Tsunade's shoulders, and their teasing turned into an intimate moment by a stream.
• Tsunade stopped Aokiji from kissing her after learning he had not washed his hands, and she went to find water.
• Orochimaru spotted a couple kissing near a stream in the Forest of Death, greeted them, and walked away before recognizing them as Tsunade and Aokiji.

Aokiji and Tsunade revealed their relationship to Orochimaru while searching the Red Plains for a Red Four-Leaf Clover, where they triggered a puppet mechanism and uncovered signs of a hidden secret. Two weeks later, Uchiha Madara infiltrated Iwagakure to release the Five-Tails from its Jinchuriki.

• Aokiji kissed Tsunade in front of Orochimaru, confirmed they were together, and asked him to keep their relationship secret.
• Orochimaru led Aokiji and Tsunade to the Red Plains, where the three used Shadow Clones to trigger land mines and searched for the Red Four-Leaf Clover.
• Aokiji found the clover beneath a stone Buddha, and lifting it activated a seemingly endless horde of puppets.
• Aokiji returned the Buddha to its place, stopping the puppet mechanism, and suggested Sarutobi knew the Red Plains' secret.
• Aokiji and Tsunade awkwardly left Jiraiya after Orochimaru hinted at their relationship, leaving Jiraiya standing alone at an intersection.
• Two weeks later, Uchiha Madara infiltrated Iwagakure and prepared to free the Five-Tails from its Jinchuriki.

Uchiha Madara infiltrated Iwagakure and attacked the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, overpowering him and forcing the Five-Tails out. He ordered the beast to trample the village, setting his plan to sow hatred in motion.

• Uchiha Madara used the Tsuchikage's absence to enter Iwagakure and headed for the Five-Tails Jinchuriki's prison.
• Madara subdued the guards and confronted the elderly Five-Tails Jinchuriki, who attacked him with Boil Release and a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation.
• Madara revealed his Sharingan, defeated the Jinchuriki, and bound him with a sealing technique and chains.
• Madara used his Dojutsu Power to control the Five-Tails and draw it out of its host.
• Madara ordered the Five-Tails to trample everything in Iwagakure.

Uchiha Madara used his Dojutsu Power to unleash the Five-Tails on Iwagakure, where Akainu eventually subdued and sealed it. After learning that the attack involved the Sharingan, Ōnoki blamed Konoha and threatened war unless it provided an explanation.

• A Five-Tails appeared in central Iwagakure, and its rampage sent villagers fleeing as Iwagakure ninja tried to contain it.
• Uchiha Madara commanded the Five-Tails from a nearby cliff, and the beast broke through earthen walls and devastated the village.
• An Iwagakure ninja diverted the Five-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball away from the village, and Akainu arrived and attacked the beast with Lava Release.
• Akainu defeated the injured Five-Tails, which sealing ninja then sealed inside a jar.
• Ōnoki returned to the ruined village, learned the attack involved the Sharingan, and demanded that Konoha provide an explanation or face a declaration of war.

Elder Itachi agreed to sacrifice himself to prevent Iwagakure from using the Sharingan incident to push Konoha toward war, and asked the Uchiha Clan Leader to keep the truth from Aokiji. Meanwhile, Aokiji and Kakuzu’s group argued over how to divide their latest haul.

• Elder Itachi explained that Iwagakure had chosen him as a target to drive a wedge between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, and feared the incident could spark the Second Ninja World War.
• Elder Itachi said his death would buy time for Aokiji to grow stronger and asked the Uchiha Clan Leader not to reveal the truth to him.
• Uchiha Madara planned to use Elder Itachi’s death to provoke Aokiji later, after killing Tsunade.
• Aokiji decided to retire after his group’s lucrative crime and told them to divide the money according to their usual seventy-thirty split.
• A short accomplice challenged the split, and Kakuzu defended it by arguing that he and Aokiji had enabled the others to earn more than bounty hunting.

Aokiji and Kakuzu argued with their kidnapping crew over the spoils, then decided to eliminate the members by using the gathering to lure in someone who would do it for them. Aokiji also planned to develop the second stage of Sage Art with his new money.

• Aokiji rejected Yoshimitsu's demand for half the spoils, and Kakuzu stored their share with a Summoned Beast.
• Xiaofu persuaded Yoshimitsu to back down, but later Yoshimitsu privately revealed his plan to recruit the others and kill Lord Ye and Ding Xiu.
• Aokiji told Kakuzu that he planned to wipe out the organization at the gathering by leaking its location and letting someone else attack them.
• Aokiji explained why he considered Kakuzu a companion and a good person, but Kakuzu warned him not to pry into his past.
• Aokiji resolved to use the money to develop the second stage of Sage Art.

Aokiji paid Penguin Mani to advance his Sage Art training, then discovered he could have developed the second stage himself. After reaching it and testing his increased power, Aokiji secured Penguin Mani’s promise to help develop three Ninjutsu and began with a long-range Ice Release technique.

• Aokiji gave Penguin Mani five billion and asked him to begin the second stage of Sage Art training.
• Penguin Mani explained that Aokiji could have developed the second stage on his own, so Aokiji forced him to promise powerful Ninjutsu as compensation.
• Penguin Mani said repeated use of Sage Art could lead to a third stage and strange physical changes, and Aokiji agreed to try the second stage.
• Aokiji entered the second stage, found half his face and his arm had turned black, and tested his increased strength with Ice Release.
• Aokiji asked Penguin Mani to develop three Ninjutsu and described the first as a powerful long-range Ice Release attack called Ice Release: Aurora Goddess's Forgiveness.

Aokiji planned to develop offensive, defensive, and controllable Ice Release techniques, but Penguin Mani redirected his oversized ice-giant idea into training to improve Chakra control. After Aokiji created an Ice Dragon and practiced using wind to keep a bill aloft, Penguin Mani began teaching him to manipulate his Kusanagi Sword with Chakra.

• Aokiji told Penguin Mani he wanted to develop a powerful defensive Ice Release technique and a controllable one like Susanoo.
• Penguin Mani warned that an ice giant would consume too much Chakra and suggested Aokiji practice controlling ice creatures to improve his Chakra control.
• Aokiji created a large Ice Dragon modeled after the Crystal Release dragon technique.
• Penguin Mani had Aokiji use wind-natured Chakra to keep a bill from falling, helping him practice control.
• Penguin Mani moved to the next exercise and offered to teach Aokiji simple Chakra-based control of his Kusanagi Sword.

Shinji learned that information about the Phantom Troupe had been found, while Aokiji encountered Tsunade and Orochimaru during their secret mission. Tsunade invited him to join them despite the mission’s secrecy.

• Shinji smashed vases in anger and ordered his guards to execute Princess’s chihuahua and the servant who had let it wander in.
• Shinji recalled how the Phantom Troupe had humiliated him with a chihuahua during his kidnapping.
• A servant reported that they had found information about the Phantom Troupe, and Shinji vowed to take revenge.
• Aokiji met Tsunade and Orochimaru, who were disguised and traveling with a group of people.
• After a ninja warned that they were on a secret mission, Tsunade told Aokiji it was fine for him to come along.

Aokiji joined Tsunade’s operation against the Phantom Troupe, then attended a banquet with Kakuzu where the troupe tried to ambush them over a dispute about their shares. Xiaofu’s attack struck Aokiji’s Shadow Clone, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Tsunade convinced two Konoha Ninja to let Aokiji join the capture operation and briefed him on the plan to arrest the Phantom Troupe.
• Aokiji agreed to take part in the operation, scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow, while Tsunade urged him to return to the village more often.
• Aokiji and Kakuzu attended a private banquet with eight Phantom Troupe members, where Yoshimitsu demanded a fifty-fifty split instead of the agreed thirty-seventy arrangement.
• Yoshimitsu smashed his cup as a signal, and the Phantom Troupe members and their allies surrounded Aokiji and Kakuzu.
• Xiaofu lunged at Aokiji with a beak attack, but the body he pierced vanished into white smoke as a Shadow Clone.

Aokiji and the Konoha squad helped capture the Phantom Troupe, but all the members died before they could be interrogated, and the Guardian Ninja discovered the group had been manipulated. After reuniting with Kakuzu, Aokiji asked to spar and showed how much he had improved over the past six months.

• The Guardian Ninja ambushed the Phantom Troupe, and Yoshimitsu led the members in a fire attack before they fled in several directions.
• Aokiji froze Yoshimitsu's Water Dragon into an Ice Dragon, then joined the others in defeating Yoshimitsu and Xiaofu.
• The capture squads found all their targets dead, and memory probes revealed that the Phantom Troupe had been used by someone else.
• Tsunade offered Aokiji a loan for his travels, and he accepted after she threatened to leave him to beg on the street.
• Aokiji met Kakuzu at an inn, shared what he had learned, and paid him to spar in a barren area.
• Aokiji activated his Sharingan and two-stage Sage Art, blocked Kakuzu's attack, and retreated when Kakuzu revealed his Earth Grudge Fear tendrils.

Aokiji sparred with Kakuzu and learned firsthand how powerful Kakuzu’s Earth Spear and hidden tendrils were. After Kakuzu brought out the monsters stored in his body, Aokiji tried to end the paid training, but Kakuzu insisted on continuing.

• Aokiji used fire and ice techniques against Kakuzu, while Kakuzu countered with Earth Spear, fire, and underground tendrils.
• Kakuzu disarmed Aokiji, struck him with a tendril-propelled fist, and nearly hit him with a crushing kick.
• Aokiji dodged Kakuzu’s attacks and launched a Fire Release: Dragon Fire Song Technique followed by an Ice Dragon, but Kakuzu shattered the dragon with Earth Spear.
• Aokiji praised Kakuzu’s Earth Spear, hoping to lay the groundwork for buying the technique, while Kakuzu privately recognized how much Aokiji had grown.
• Kakuzu stripped off his clothes and released the monsters stored in his back, prompting Aokiji to ask to stop the training.
• Kakuzu refused to end the spar because he had taken Aokiji’s money and intended to see it through.

Aokiji paid Kakuzu to teach him Earth Release: Earth Spear and discussed developing ninjutsu combinations to strengthen his Ice Release. After returning to Konoha to visit Elder Itachi, he learned that the elder had died.

• Aokiji fled Kakuzu’s composite Water Tornado, then persuaded him to stop their spar by reminding him about the training fee.
• Aokiji paid Kakuzu to teach him Earth Release: Earth Spear and explained that he wanted to adapt it for Ice Release.
• Aokiji planned to study combinations of Water Release, Wind Release, and Ice Release to improve his techniques.
• Aokiji and Kakuzu planned to bring the Land of Bears under their control to support their legitimate business.
• Aokiji returned to Konoha to visit Elder Itachi, but a Uchiha clansman told him that the elder had died.

Aokiji learned that Elder Itachi had died and discovered the painful reasons behind the old man's final choice. He took possession of Elder Itachi's belongings and resumed training, where Tsunade surprised him with an offer to play with her breasts.

• Aokiji questioned the Uchiha clan head about Elder Itachi's death and was directed to search the old man's room.
• Aokiji read Elder Itachi's letter, learning that the elder had been tormented by guilt and PTSD after killing the ancestors of someone who had come seeking revenge.
• Aokiji grieved through the day, but did not awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan and resolved that he needed power to protect what mattered to him.
• Aokiji found a stone left by Uchiha Madara and an incomplete S-rank Ice Release Ninjutsu among Elder Itachi's belongings.
• Aokiji practiced Chakra nature transformation on a lake, where Tsunade arrived and offered to let him play with her breasts.

Aokiji accepted Tsunade’s comfort after Elder Itachi’s death, then gave her an Earth Release technique suited to her fighting style. He and Tsunade drew closer, and Aokiji ended by asking Orochimaru to keep watch while they spent time together.

• Tsunade offered to comfort Aokiji physically, but he patted her head instead and changed the subject to a Ninjutsu scroll.
• Aokiji gave Tsunade the Earth Spear technique, which she was delighted to learn because it could strengthen her Monstrous Strength.
• Tsunade offered Aokiji a reward, and he eventually embraced her and told her that being with her eased his sorrow.
• Aokiji asked Tsunade to spend proper time with him and said he had a way to avoid being seen.
• Aokiji asked Orochimaru to stand watch, leaving Orochimaru depressed by the request.

Aokiji teased Orochimaru about finding a partner before he and Orochimaru caught Jiraiya peeping at a women's bathhouse and getting beaten by the girls. Jiraiya then asked Aokiji if he was all right, and Orochimaru recognized that Aokiji's reassuring smile concealed pain.

• Aokiji suggested introducing Orochimaru to girls from the Uchiha Clan, but Orochimaru refused and Aokiji joked about him having children.
• Aokiji and Orochimaru saw Jiraiya get caught peeping at a women's bathhouse, and the girls beat him while Aokiji and Orochimaru watched.
• Aokiji scolded Jiraiya for peeping, and Orochimaru agreed that Jiraiya's behavior explained why he was still single.
• Jiraiya defended his pursuit of Tsunade, while Orochimaru privately recalled that Tsunade was waiting for her lover in the Forest of Death and had asked him to stand watch.
• Jiraiya asked Aokiji if he was all right, and Aokiji said he was fine as Orochimaru sensed that he was hiding his pain.

Aokiji repaid Orochimaru for helping him meet Tsunade by teaching him the Rasengan, a powerful single-target ninjutsu. After Aokiji explained how it worked, Orochimaru proposed a three-direction method, and they began testing the idea.

• Aokiji visited Orochimaru at the Third Training Ground to repay him for keeping watch during Aokiji's meeting with Tsunade.
• Aokiji demonstrated the Rasengan and offered to teach it to Orochimaru.
• Aokiji explained the Rasengan's principles but admitted he did not know why its final step used two spiral directions.
• Orochimaru suggested refining the Chakra in three directions, comparing the idea to gears, and Aokiji agreed to try it with another Shadow Clone.

Aokiji kept experimenting with Orochimaru’s idea for improving the Rasengan and injured his hand when the chakra ball exploded. Tsunade treated him and supported his determination to get stronger, while Orochimaru found himself ignored as the two flirted.

• Aokiji failed twice while testing Orochimaru’s proposed technique, but persisted because he believed each attempt was improving.
• Tsunade arrived at the Third Training Ground, and Orochimaru told her that Aokiji had been teaching him the Rasengan.
• Tsunade realized Orochimaru thought Aokiji had invented the Rasengan, but she let the misunderstanding stand to spare her boyfriend’s dignity.
• Aokiji’s chakra ball exploded and injured his hand, so Tsunade rushed over to check on him and scolded him for taking risks.
• Aokiji explained that he wanted to become stronger to protect Tsunade, and she accepted his reasoning before healing his hand with the Mystical Palm Technique.
• Aokiji and Tsunade flirted together while Orochimaru stood nearby, wondering whether they had forgotten he was there.

Aokiji developed a new tornado-shaped Rasengan, named Dragon Tornado, and planned to combine it with Wind Release and Ice Release. Inspired by his plans, Tsunade decided to develop a technique combining Earth Release: Earth Spear with her Monster Strength, which Aokiji named Earth Release: Armament Haki.

• Aokiji used two Shadow Clones to create a tornado-shaped Rasengan while Orochimaru and Tsunade watched.
• Aokiji tested the technique, which swept across the ground with powerful winds and left a crater-like crack.
• Aokiji and Orochimaru named the new ninjutsu Dragon Tornado after Orochimaru rejected the suggestion to name it after himself.
• Aokiji said he planned to develop a combination ninjutsu using Wind Release and Ice Release.
• Tsunade decided to combine Earth Release: Earth Spear with her Monster Strength, and Aokiji suggested calling the technique Earth Release: Armament Haki.

At the Training Ground, Orochimaru demonstrated his newly learned Rasengan to Sarutobi Hiruzen during a sparring match. Sarutobi Hiruzen praised the technique and came away convinced that Orochimaru had talent comparable to the First Hokage.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen outmaneuvered Orochimaru with Earth Release: Earth Flow River, but Orochimaru escaped using Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
• Orochimaru used Shadow Clones to create an opening and formed a Rasengan with one clone’s help.
• Orochimaru trapped Sarutobi Hiruzen with snakes and struck him with the Rasengan, creating a large crater before discovering his teacher had evaded the attack.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen identified the Rasengan as a powerful A-rank technique with the potential to reach S-rank if it gained Chakra Nature Transformation.
• Orochimaru modestly credited Aokiji, while Sarutobi Hiruzen praised his talent and compared his potential to the First Hokage.