Chapter Summaries

Orochimaru forced Tsunade to confront an illusion of Nawaki and Dan Katō, and she overcame her fear of blood to destroy their Impure World Reincarnation bodies. The chapter ended with Tsunade comforting Shizune as Kenichi Amamiya lamented losing a chance to claim a bounty.

• Orochimaru made Nawaki stab Tsunade and then forced her to choose whether Nawaki or Dan Katō would die first.
• Tsunade realized she had never escaped the pain of losing her lover and younger brother, then chose to let them rest by attacking them with all her strength.
• Nawaki and Dan Katō lunged at Tsunade, but she struck them and shattered their Impure World Reincarnation bodies.
• Dan Katō told Tsunade she was still beautiful, and Nawaki told her he had missed her before they dissipated.
• Kenichi Amamiya complained that Tsunade had destroyed Chiriku's head and ruined his chance to collect a bounty, while Tsunade comforted Shizune.

Kenichi Amamiya discussed crop improvement with Orochimaru, then spent more than a year researching crops and Chakra-powered explosives while completing his own laboratory. The laboratory’s reward gave him blueprints for detecting uranium ore and extracting Uranium-235, leaving him excited about the possibility of making an atomic bomb.

• Kenichi Amamiya asked Orochimaru why he had helped Tsunade, and Orochimaru said she had not acted intentionally and he would not take his anger out on the innocent.
• Orochimaru asked Kenichi Amamiya about improving crops, and Kenichi explained his plans for modifying crop genes and using Shadow Clones for repetitive research.
• Kenichi Amamiya returned to the Lab Base, bought the meteorites he needed, and spent more than a year researching crops and fusing Chakra with Thermobaric Explosive.
• Kenichi Amamiya completed his laboratory and received blueprints for a uranium ore detection device and a Uranium-235 extraction device.
• Kenichi Amamiya realized the blueprints could lead to an atomic bomb and wondered why the reward made him even more excited.

Kenichi Amamiya harvested his experimental crops and found that Sample 23 might have increased rice yield, though he needed another trial to confirm it. At an Akatsuki meeting, Nagato announced that Konoha and Iwagakure had gone to war and assigned Kenichi to Iwagakure.

• Kenichi Amamiya kept the laboratory workers confined in its basement and left two Shadow Clones behind before rushing to his farmland.
• Kenichi Amamiya and his Shadow Clones harvested the crops, finding that Sample 23 had a slight yield increase while most other samples failed.
• Kenichi Amamiya decided to repeat the Sample 23 experiment because the increase might have been caused by differences in the soil or other factors.
• Kenichi Amamiya felt his ring warm and joined Nagato's meeting, where he saw Sasori, his teacher, Kakuzu, and several unfamiliar members.
• Nagato announced that Konoha and Iwagakure were at war and directed Kenichi Amamiya to Iwagakure.

Kenichi Amamiya accepted a meeting with the Tsuchikage’s student, Deidara, hoping to negotiate a profitable deal and learn more about Ōnoki. While traveling through the Land of Fire toward the Land of Rain, he encountered Kakashi, Itachi Uchiha, and Shisui Uchiha, and Shisui noticed him.

• Nagato told Kenichi Amamiya that the Tsuchikage wanted to hire him to help deal with Konoha and that one of Ōnoki’s students wanted to meet him.
• Kenichi Amamiya agreed to meet the student, recognized him as Deidara, and considered using the meeting to negotiate a higher fee.
• Kenichi Amamiya told Nagato that his research needed another half a year, and Nagato accepted the delay.
• Kenichi Amamiya instructed his Shadow Clones to continue researching with Sample No. 23 and to watch the lab, then left for the Land of Rain with Sasori assigned to accompany him.
• Kenichi Amamiya disguised himself and crossed the Land of Fire, avoiding Konoha squads until he spotted Kakashi, Itachi Uchiha, and Shisui Uchiha, who looked toward him.

Kenichi Amamiya met Sasori in the Land of Rain and learned about Sasori’s flying Unit-01, then introduced him to drones. He checked his research tasks and considered developing a Katyusha-style rocket launcher and investigating the Sharingan.

• Kenichi Amamiya reflected on Shisui’s Kotoamatsukami before continuing to the Land of Rain.
• Kenichi Amamiya met Sasori and saw that Sasori had turned his left forearm into a mechanical device linked to his flying Unit-01.
• Kenichi Amamiya explained drones to Sasori, who became interested in building a drone swarm.
• Kenichi Amamiya checked his research Cheat System and saw new tasks to develop an eight-kilometer solid-fuel rocket and achieve a breakthrough in Sharingan research.
• Kenichi Amamiya considered the rocket task’s connection to the Katyusha Rocket Launcher and wondered whether Mangekyo research would fulfill the Sharingan task.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori traveled into the Land of Earth to negotiate with the Tsuchikage and discuss improving Sasori’s drones. Near Iwagakure, they spotted a blond child, disguised themselves, and were surrounded by four ninjas, leaving the question of whether the Byakugan could see through Kenichi’s mask unresolved.

• Sasori asked Kenichi Amamiya how to arm his drones, and Kenichi considered white phosphorus as a possible weapon.
• Kenichi and Sasori entered the Land of Earth covertly to meet the Tsuchikage and discussed visiting the Sky Ninja Village to acquire its flight technology.
• Sasori described Unit-01’s limited flight height and endurance, and Kenichi planned to seek better technology after the negotiations.
• After several days of travel, Sasori spotted a blond child near Iwagakure, and Kenichi put on Akatsuki robes and a mask.
• Kenichi wondered whether the Byakugan could see through masks as he and Sasori emerged and were surrounded by four ninjas.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori arrived in Iwagakure for talks with Ōnoki, while joking about Akatsuki’s nail-polish rule. After meeting Ōnoki, Kenichi noticed a young Deidara running toward them.

• Kenichi Amamiya identified himself and Sasori to Iwagakure’s Anbu as Akatsuki members invited by Tsuchikage-sama.
• The lead Anbu verified their arrival with Ōnoki and told them the Tsuchikage would meet them.
• Kenichi Amamiya teased Sasori about his nail polish and tried to persuade him that it showed the leader’s trust and care.
• Ōnoki flew to meet Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori, and Kenichi wondered whether Ōnoki’s blood could help him create Clones with Dust Release.
• Kenichi Amamiya recognized the young Deidara as the boy ran toward them.

Kenichi Amamiya negotiated with Ōnoki over hiring him to use his improved Thermobaric Bomb, while Deidara watched eagerly. Ōnoki chose the Land of Grass battlefield instead of Konoha, wary that bombing Konoha could provoke a dangerous retaliation.

• Ōnoki introduced his student Deidara to Kenichi Amamiya and explained that Deidara lived outside the village because he wanted independence.
• Ōnoki sent Deidara away with the Anbu and offered Kenichi Amamiya four billion ryo for a strike on the battlefield.
• Kenichi Amamiya demanded another billion, claiming he had improved his ninjutsu, and Ōnoki asked to see proof of its power.
• Ōnoki proposed Konoha as the target, but Kenichi Amamiya reminded him how Kumogakure had reacted after being bombed.
• Ōnoki changed the target to the Land of Grass battlefield to avoid provoking Konoha into a devastating counterattack.

Kenichi Amamiya and Ōnoki agreed to cooperate so Iwagakure could pressure Konoha during negotiations, but Ōnoki remained wary of him. Kenichi met Deidara and considered using him to obtain one of Ōnoki’s hairs, while Deidara later hinted to his teacher that he had developed a powerful ninjutsu.

• Kenichi Amamiya and Ōnoki discussed their interests and agreed that the Heavenly Demon would make a move to pressure Konoha before negotiations.
• Kenichi tried to shake Ōnoki’s hand to collect a sample, but Ōnoki declined and Kenichi considered other ways to obtain his DNA.
• Ōnoki introduced Deidara to Kenichi, and Deidara eagerly expressed his admiration for the Sweet Heavenly Demon.
• Ōnoki prevented Deidara from spending more time with Kenichi, so Kenichi and Sasori left.
• Deidara complained that Ōnoki had cut their meeting short, then told his teacher that he had developed a powerful ninjutsu.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori flew toward the Land of Grass, where Konoha and Iwagakure were at war, while Kenichi accepted that attacking Konoha would sever his ties to the village. Konoha’s forces spotted their hot air balloon and prepared an attack under Shikaku Nara’s command.

• Sasori asked Kenichi whether he had come from Konoha, and Kenichi confirmed he was a Rogue Ninja without qualms about fighting Konoha.
• Kenichi explained that Pain had sent them to Iwagakure partly to keep Akatsuki from being associated with Konoha and to make his attack a token of allegiance.
• Kenichi spotted arrows flying toward the balloon and activated his Sharingan after realizing the shinobi below had detected them.
• A reconnaissance ninja reported an unidentified object in the sky to Shikaku Nara, who recognized that Akatsuki had arrived.
• Shikaku ordered thirty Wind and Fire Release ninjas and five Lightning Release ninjas to attack the balloon and bring down Heavenly Demon.

Shikaku Nara organized Konoha’s ninjas to intercept Heavenly Demon with coordinated Fire, Wind, and Lightning Release attacks. Kenichi Amamiya countered from his hot-air balloon, and Shikaku realized Konoha had mistaken Heavenly Demon’s metal bombs for ninjutsu.

• Shikaku Nara assigned the Fire Release, Wind Release, Lightning Release, Hyūga observation, and sealing teams to defend against Heavenly Demon.
• Hyuga Hanaki tracked the hot-air balloon while Shikaku directed fire dragons boosted by wind and concealed lightning toward it.
• Kenichi Amamiya recognized Konoha’s trap, then used Sage Art Chakra to unleash water that broke through the incoming fire dragons.
• A metal block plunged toward Konoha, and Shikaku ordered the Sealing Squad to set up a barrier along its path.
• Shikaku realized Konoha had mistaken Heavenly Demon’s metal attacks for ninjutsu because they had not seen his method clearly at Kumogakure.

Kenichi Amamiya’s Chakra-infused Thermobaric Bomb devastated the Konoha battlefield, and he and Sasori examined the blast from a distance before leaving. On their way to collect payment from Ōnoki, Kenichi discussed Sasori’s drone research and the possibility of controlling living people with Puppet Strings.

• Shikaku Nara ordered the shinobi to attack the falling Thermobaric Bomb with Lightning and Fire Release, but it breached the Sealing Barrier and exploded before they could stop it.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori were carried away from the blast in their hot air balloon as a huge mushroom cloud rose behind them.
• Kenichi Amamiya examined the blast zone from above and concluded that Wind Style Chakra widened the shockwave while reducing its lethality around the outer edge.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori left the battlefield, destroyed their hot air balloon, and parachuted down to search for a marked stone.
• Sasori explained that he was testing air resistance with a drone shell, then said he had failed to control unwilling people with Puppet Strings.

Kenichi Amamiya met Ōnoki at the Land of Grass–Land of Earth border to collect payment for his mission and negotiate a deal protecting Iwagakure from his bombs. He and Ōnoki settled on an annual payment of two hundred and forty-five million ryō for Kenichi Amamiya to refrain from attacking Iwagakure.

• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori reached the border, where Ōnoki descended to welcome them and inspect Kenichi Amamiya’s flight.
• Ōnoki confirmed that Iwagakure would pay the mission fee of five hundred million ryō, despite claiming that the Land of Earth was poor.
• Ōnoki asked Kenichi Amamiya not to accept missions targeting Iwagakure, and Kenichi Amamiya recognized that the Tsuchikage feared his bombs.
• Ōnoki offered two hundred million ryō a year for Kenichi Amamiya’s restraint, while Kenichi Amamiya demanded three hundred million and a share for Akatsuki.
• After bargaining through the afternoon, Kenichi Amamiya and Ōnoki agreed on two hundred and forty-five million ryō per year.

Kenichi Amamiya considered unifying the Shinobi World as a way to bring lasting peace and fund technological development while traveling with Sasori through the Land of Fire. After he used a genjutsu to frighten young Itachi, Shisui realized the masked stranger had a Sharingan and might be an Uchiha.

• Kenichi Amamiya decided that unifying nations and merging ninja villages could prevent wars and encourage resistance to the Otsutsuki Clan.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori encountered Shisui Uchiha, who blocked their path to protect Itachi.
• Kenichi Amamiya warned Shisui not to attack, and Shisui stepped aside to keep Itachi safe.
• Kenichi Amamiya showed Itachi a terrifying genjutsu in which Itachi killed his parents and Shisui, then left with Sasori.
• Shisui released Itachi from the genjutsu, comforted him, and suspected Kenichi Amamiya was an Uchiha because he could activate and deactivate his Sharingan.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori traveled through the Land of Fire, where a BBQ meal led them to overhear a Konoha squad discussing a mission targeting a woman from Sky Ninja Village. They defeated and questioned the squad, learned where the woman was staying, and headed to the oddly named Netorare Hot Spring.

• Kenichi Amamiya discussed the Will of Fire with Sasori and put aside an unfinished idea for a later time.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori ate BBQ in town while disguised, and Kenichi overheard Konoha shinobi say they were pursuing a woman from Sky Ninja Village after her threat of revenge.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori followed the four Konoha shinobi to a house, where Sasori's puppets defeated them.
• Kenichi Amamiya used Sharingan Genjutsu to question three Chunin and learned that their target was at the Hot Spring Inn on the same street.
• Sasori turned the shinobi into Human Puppets, and Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori went to the establishment, discovering its name was Netorare Hot Spring.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori searched for the Sky Ninja Village’s secret weapon after reaching Breaking Sky Town and uncovering the location of its ruins. They found an underground entrance, while Amaru and the remaining Sky Ninjas prepared to use the Big Guy Teacher against Konoha.

• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori visited a red-light district, where they learned that the woman called Saiki Sasuke had quit and fled, apparently fearing Konoha’s attention.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori traveled to Breaking Sky Town, where an old man mistook them for Konoha ninjas and directed them to the Sky Ninja Village’s Old Site.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori searched the forest and dug underground until they uncovered stone ruins and a hidden entrance beneath a wooden plank.
• Kenichi Amamiya tossed a fireball into the hole, then jumped into the ruins and activated Sage Mode to inspect them.
• Amaru refused a Sky Ninja’s suggestion to kill the intruders, saying the Big Guy Teacher inside her was hungry as the Sky Ninjas vowed to destroy Konoha.

Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori discovered Sky Ninja Village shinobi guarding a strange embryo and fought Amaru, whose powers seemed connected to Zero-Tails. Kenichi defeated Amaru and used his Sharingan to question her, leaving the embryo and the village’s secrets in their hands.

• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori explored underground ruins, heard something approaching, and encountered Sky Ninja Village shinobi carrying a writhing egg-like object.
• The woman leading the group accused them of being Konoha ninja and attacked, while Kenichi watched Sasori fight and recorded his observations.
• The woman displayed extraordinary strength and repulsive-force-like abilities, driving Sasori’s puppets back and naming her daughter Amal as the reason for her hatred.
• Kenichi Amamiya struck the woman and the surrounding shinobi with Lightning Release, leaving Amaru mortally wounded beside the embryo containing Zero-Tails.
• Amaru tried to reach the embryo, but Kenichi Amamiya lifted her, healed her with chakra, and used his Sharingan to make her reveal what she knew.

Kenichi Amamiya learned that Amaru had been manipulated into joining Sky Ninja Village and guarded Zero-Tails, which he took for study as he investigated the base and its flying technology. Meanwhile, Jiraiya was caught by Orochimaru over his new books but escaped with a Shadow Clone, leaving Orochimaru furious.

• Kenichi Amamiya learned that Shinnō had recruited Amaru by telling her Konoha ninja killed her daughter, and that she had used Zero-Tails' Dark Chakra at the cost of her lifespan.
• Kenichi Amamiya picked up the newborn Zero-Tails, found it unable to absorb his Chakra, and discussed exploring the base with Sasori.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori split up to investigate, and Kenichi Amamiya learned the base was still being built as a weapon against Konoha.
• Kenichi Amamiya found a Chakra-powered Flying Device and wondered whether the structure beneath him could serve as a flying Lab Base.
• Jiraiya encountered Orochimaru in the Land of Rice Fields, where Orochimaru confronted him about his three new books.
• Jiraiya distracted Orochimaru with a Shadow Clone and escaped, prompting Orochimaru to summon Manda.

Kenichi Amamiya learned that the Ancor Vantian Sky Fortress needed Zero-Tails' Dark Chakra to fly and tested whether Nine-Tails Chakra could power it instead. Zero-Tails reacted fearfully to the Chakra, and Sasori showed an unsettling interest in it as the group continued investigating the fortress.

• Kenichi Amamiya questioned the fortress architect, who explained that Zero-Tails had to grow stronger by absorbing darkness before it could power Ancor Vantian.
• Sasori raised concerns about the fortress's fragility and the possibility that escaped ninja would expose it, while Kenichi Amamiya argued they were unlikely to abandon their last hope of revenge.
• Kenichi Amamiya gave the architect a Sealing Scroll containing Nine-Tails Chakra and helped him release it for testing.
• Zero-Tails' egg trembled and squirmed away from the Nine-Tails Chakra, leading Kenichi Amamiya to conclude that the creature was too weak to absorb his Chakra.
• Sasori stared at the Nine-Tails Chakra, and Kenichi Amamiya warned him that he could not use it, leaving Sasori looking at him strangely.

Kenichi Amamiya learned that Nine-Tails Chakra was too powerful to fuel the Sky Base and ordered research into adapting it, while he and Sasori planned the base and prepared for Shinnō’s return. After discovering Shinnō was practicing medicine in Konoha, Kenichi headed there to capture him and encountered a group of Konoha ninja on the way.

• An architect told Kenichi Amamiya that the Sky Base could not convert Nine-Tails Chakra safely, so Kenichi asked him to research a modification.
• Kenichi Amamiya recognized Shinnō’s name and decided to kill him, then asked Sasori to agree to Orochimaru joining the Sky Base’s research efforts.
• Kenichi Amamiya and Sasori divided their duties, with Sasori staying at the base while Kenichi went to hunt for Shinnō.
• Kenichi Amamiya learned that Shinnō was practicing medicine in Konoha and set out to take him away.
• Kenichi Amamiya spotted twelve Konoha ninja resting in the woods, and Hyuga Hanaki sensed someone nearby but saw no one.