Chapter Summaries

Shimura Danzō continued to distrust Longjian Senju and devised a plan to test whether he should bear the Rinnegan, even considering Kushina as a replacement. He suggested arranging an incident to promote Longjian to Chunin and keep him from taking the Chunin Ninja Exams.

• Shimura Danzō repeatedly failed to approach Longjian Senju or persuade Konoha's leaders to place a cursed seal on him.
• Longjian Senju grew up at the Ninja Academy with an independent personality, while Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade, and Dan Katō protected him and trusted their bonds with him.
• Shimura Danzō decided that Longjian's unpredictable nature made him a risky Rinnegan bearer and considered Kushina as a possible replacement.
• Shimura Danzō suggested arranging an incident that would give Longjian a legitimate reason to become a Chunin in Konoha.

At the Ninja Academy, Longjian Senju sparred with Obito Uchiha while Rin Nohara practiced medical ninjutsu on him, and Shisui Uchiha asked whether Longjian could leave the village for the Chunin Ninja Exams. Shisui’s suspicions about Longjian’s hidden eyes and the adults’ expectations of him left him uneasy.

• Longjian Senju caught Obito Uchiha’s sneak attack, threw him to the ground, and sent him to buy expensive water.
• Rin Nohara healed Obito’s scraped arm with medical ninjutsu while Shizune watched, and Rin warned Obito not to injure himself for practice.
• Longjian Senju and Shisui Uchiha watched Obito and Rin together before Shisui asked whether Longjian had received orders for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Shisui Uchiha questioned whether Longjian could leave Konoha and reflected on the adults’ unusual expectations of him and Longjian.

Shisui Uchiha’s suspicions about the adults’ secrets eased when Longjian Senju joked him into laughing about staying a Konoha Genin, though his questions remained unresolved. The squads trained together as their leaders considered increasing the intensity, while Kushina asked about Longjian’s eyes and Dan Katō gave her a vague answer.

• Longjian Senju used the Rinnegan to notice Shisui Uchiha’s unease, then joked that remaining a Konoha Genin offered an excuse for any defeat or victory.
• Shisui Uchiha laughed with Longjian Senju, and Kakashi Hatake hid in their tree while escaping Might Guy’s daily challenge.
• Longjian Senju and Shisui Uchiha sent Might Guy in the wrong direction, then Kakashi Hatake joined them and explained that Guy had started challenging him after Kakashi encouraged him to join training.
• Obito Uchiha returned with water, and Longjian Senju teased him while Rin laughed.
• Kushina and Dan Katō agreed that the children could handle harder training, with Shizune needing more time and Guy ready for added pressure.
• Kushina asked about Longjian Senju’s eyes, and Dan Katō said he had an eye problem and suggested Lady Mito might know more.

Kushina wondered whether Konoha planned to use Longjian Senju as a weapon to start a war, then asked Minato Namikaze what he thought of war. Minato said he preferred peace but would fight if Konoha needed him, and revealed a scar he called the price of goodwill.

• Kushina speculated that Longjian Senju might be a secret weapon intended to help Konoha defeat its rivals, but decided to ask Mito Uzumaki before acting on her suspicions.
• An ANBU member summoned Dan Katō to the Hokage, and Dan left Minato Namikaze and Kushina to watch the children.
• Kushina asked Minato what he thought about war, and he said he wanted peace but would fight at the front if Konoha needed a war.
• Minato showed Kushina a scar near his neck and told her it was the price of goodwill.

Minato told Kushina how villagers he had rescued once tried to kill him, then explained that he saw war as both a weapon and a means of defense and believed Konoha should strike first. Meanwhile, Hiruzen admitted he had accidentally entered Longjian Senju in the chunin exams and began consulting Dan Katō on how to handle it.

• Minato recounted how villagers drugged him and planned to kill him after he rescued them, until Captain Sakumo found him and ANBU dealt with those responsible.
• Minato told Kushina he viewed war as a blade and believed Konoha should seize the initiative, while trusting the Hokage and vowing to protect his teammates.
• Kushina said Minato's explanation had helped her understand war, and they watched the students, hoping they would survive.
• Hiruzen told Dan Katō that he had mistakenly put Longjian Senju on the chunin exam list, after Dan had already prepared Longjian and their travel plans.
• Dan warned that Longjian was excited to go and might refuse to stay, so Hiruzen began explaining a plan and asked Dan for his advice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō arranged a staged attack to make Longjian’s rescue of the team grounds for promoting him to Chunin, and Dan Katō agreed to lead it. Longjian learned of Dan’s doubts by watching him with the Rinnegan, while Black Zetsu, Yin, and Leaf Dragon prepared a meal in a cave.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed staging an attack with Root members disguised as Jashin Cult Followers so Longjian could be promoted after saving the team.
• Shimura Danzō persuaded Dan Katō to lead the operation, and they set a date and began preparations.
• Dan Katō visited the Memorial Stone, apologized to Teacher Yilong, and worried about deceiving Longjian and bringing the children back safely.
• Longjian Senju used his Rinnegan to watch Dan Katō and read his private words at the Memorial Stone.
• Black Zetsu spoke with Yin while Leaf Dragon roasted fish in their cave.

Black Zetsu planned to infiltrate Konoha and approach the Nine-Tails, while worrying about the risks to Yin and whether Leaf Dragon would remain loyal. As they traveled toward Konoha, he warned Yin to escape at the first sign of danger, and secretly reassured himself that Leaf Dragon's cursed seal could keep him under control.

• Black Zetsu reviewed his progress capturing tailed-beast chakra and decided the Nine-Tails in Konoha was his next target.
• Black Zetsu considered Konoha's barrier and scientific advances, identifying Orochimaru as a threat he might need to eliminate.
• Yin ate grilled fish with Leaf Dragon and playfully used Black Zetsu's knee to dispose of fish bones.
• Black Zetsu asked Yin whether he had mastered the concealment technique and ordered him to teleport back to the Jashin Cult if danger arose.
• Black Zetsu worried Leaf Dragon might lose control in Konoha, then sensed the cursed seal on his heart and confirmed he could still control him.

Black Zetsu prepared to infiltrate Konoha to steal the Nine-Tails, while Yin and Leaf Dragon continued earning points toward Yin’s plan to capture the Naruto world. The chapter ended with Dan Katō briefing Longjian Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Shizune on a dangerous B-rank mission.

• Black Zetsu accepted that he had to enter Konoha to obtain the Nine-Tails, despite worrying that the Evil God might disrupt his plans again.
• Yin and Leaf Dragon continued earning points from Black Zetsu while Yin planned to buy the Mustard Seed World and take control of the Naruto world.
• Yin and Leaf Dragon rested by a fire with Black Zetsu after discussing their plans.
• Dan Katō gathered Longjian Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Shizune at the training grounds and announced they were leaving Konoha for a B-rank mission.
• Shizui Uchiha welcomed the chance to prove the squad’s strength, while Shizune worried she might hold the others back and Longjian Senju remained calm.

Shimura Danzō and Dan Katō prepared a mission that would let them test Longjian and control the Rinnegan, while Watanabe Ichiro’s disguises coordinated a counterplan. As Dan Katō’s team set out in the rain, the operation began with several sides poised to interfere.

• Shimura Danzō reviewed the preparations for testing Longjian and grew uneasy before deciding to visit the operation site himself.
• Black Zetsu hid Yin in a cave, gave him a teleportation scroll, and left after warning him to stay put.
• Watanabe Ichiro’s Black Zetsu disguise departed to infiltrate Konoha, while Yin stayed behind and considered how to act during the coming chaos.
• Watanabe Ichiro’s disguises discussed the Root ambush, Orochimaru’s experiments, and plans to protect Longjian and possibly capture Orochimaru.
• Dan Katō gathered three children at their meeting point and ordered the operation to begin.

Black Zetsu and Leaf Dragon infiltrated Konoha, where they discovered Senju Toka, Mito Uzumaki, and Kushina Uzumaki preparing an experiment to channel the Nine-Tails’ chakra through a sealing formula. Unable to break through the barriers or seize Kurama, Black Zetsu left with Leaf Dragon to pursue another destination.

• Leaf Dragon opened a temporary gap in Konoha’s barrier, and he and Black Zetsu slipped inside.
• Black Zetsu studied Konoha’s patrols and layout before making his way toward a destination.
• Senju Toka coaxed Kurama into lending his tail for an experiment while Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki watched.
• Senju Toka and the others prepared to channel Kurama’s chakra into Leaf Dragon’s sealing formula, hoping ordinary people could use it.
• Black Zetsu watched the experiment from beyond its protective barriers, judged that he and Leaf Dragon could not seize Kurama, and headed for another destination.

Shimura Danzō wrestled with guilt over testing Longjian and betraying Hiruzen’s trust as he hurried toward the Konoha Laboratory. Black Zetsu tried to ensnare him with Leaf Dragon’s voice and appearance, but Danzō ignored the trap and continued on, leaving Black Zetsu to turn his attention to Orochimaru.

• Shimura Danzō recalled Hiruzen Sarutobi’s trust and questioned whether his plan to test Longjian betrayed their friendship.
• Black Zetsu approached the Konoha Laboratory, remembering the vanished Rinnegan and his past injuries there.
• Black Zetsu used Leaf Dragon’s voice and body to try to catch Shimura Danzō in a mind-control technique.
• Shimura Danzō closed his eyes, told the voice to stay out of his way, and walked on without looking at Leaf Dragon.
• Black Zetsu abandoned the attempt to pursue Danzō and decided to try to take Orochimaru or destroy the laboratory.

Black Zetsu watched Orochimaru test an immortality potion in his Konoha laboratory, only for the experiment to kill him in a grotesque eruption of wooden spikes. The failure eased Black Zetsu’s fears about human limits, while Leaf Dragon remained unmoved by Orochimaru’s death.

• Black Zetsu entered Orochimaru’s laboratory with Leaf Dragon and saw Orochimaru celebrate what he believed was an immortality potion.
• Black Zetsu dismissed Orochimaru’s claim but paused his plan to kill him and watched as Orochimaru drank the potion.
• Orochimaru collapsed as his body changed, and wooden spikes burst through him, killing him within seconds.
• Black Zetsu concluded that Orochimaru’s experiment had failed and felt relieved that humans still had limits.
• Black Zetsu saw that Leaf Dragon showed no emotion despite being spattered with Orochimaru’s blood.

Black Zetsu mistook Orochimaru’s apparent death for a failed immortality experiment and fled the Konoha Laboratory when its researchers attacked him. Orochimaru revived as an undead being, confirmed that his human evolution experiment had succeeded, and declared the age of immortality had begun.

• Black Zetsu examined Orochimaru’s transformed body and concluded that Orochimaru had become an undead creature.
• The laboratory researchers blamed Black Zetsu for Orochimaru’s apparent death and attacked him with experimental weapons.
• Black Zetsu ordered Leaf Dragon to fight, then retreated from the laboratory as the researchers pursued him.
• Black Zetsu saw an enormous Wooden Statue rise through the rain and recognized it as a sign that the other Black Zetsu was nearby.
• The researchers prepared to divide Orochimaru’s remains for study, but Orochimaru revived and healed his wounds.
• Orochimaru realized he had become immortal and announced that his human evolution experiment had succeeded.

Orochimaru prepared his laboratory for Black Zetsu’s attack, while Hiruzen Sarutobi put Konoha on war footing and mobilized its forces. As the village evacuated and organized its defenses, Hatake Sakumo left Chidori Cloud in charge of logistics and shelters before heading to battle.

• Orochimaru ordered his teams to alert the Hokage, support the fight, strengthen Konoha’s barrier, and continue recording his physical data and researching immortality.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi spotted a giant Wooden Statue outside Konoha, realized Black Zetsu was attacking, and ordered Sakumo to mobilize the village before rushing to assess the threat.
• Hatake Sakumo activated ANBU and Root, organized civilian evacuations, and contacted the clan heads to enlist their support.
• At the Logistics Department, Hatake Sakumo told Chidori Cloud that he had arranged for Kakashi and entrusted her with logistics and the shelters before leaving for the front.
• Chidori Cloud promised to stay safe, kissed Hatake Sakumo goodbye, and directed her staff to protect fighters and civilians.

Hatake Sakumo rushed to the battlefield after becoming a Guardian and discovered that Longjian Senju and Shizune were gravely wounded. As Black Zetsu threatened Shisui Uchiha to recover the Rinnegan, Leaf Dragon suddenly appeared and rescued Shisui.

• Hatake Sakumo felt injuries shared through the Guardian ability and found Longjian Senju and Shizune badly wounded beneath a tree.
• Longjian Senju told Hatake Sakumo to send a Shadow Clone with the children to Konoha and hurry to support the front line.
• Hatake Sakumo reached the battlefield and saw Black Zetsu holding Shisui Uchiha in the Wooden Statue's hand while demanding the Rinnegan.
• Leaf Dragon emerged from hiding, freed Shisui Uchiha from the Wooden Statue, and landed beside the Konoha group.

Black Zetsu possessed Leaf Dragon and returned to Konoha carrying the unconscious Shisui Uchiha, fooling most of the villagers. Hatake Sakumo noticed the impostor’s strange behavior and prepared to act while Shisui briefly recognized Black Zetsu before being knocked unconscious.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade believed the returning figure was Leaf Dragon, while Minato Namikaze recognized his face from a photograph at Sakumo’s house.
• Hatake Sakumo noticed that the figure’s position and behavior contradicted Leaf Dragon’s habits, suspected he was still under enemy control, and concealed his presence.
• Black Zetsu possessed Leaf Dragon and carried the injured Shisui Uchiha, while Shisui awakened his three-tomoe eyes and recognized Black Zetsu beneath the robe.
• Shisui grew wary and tried to struggle, but Leaf Dragon pinched his neck and knocked him unconscious.
• Black Zetsu rejoiced that he had reached Shisui before the other Black Zetsu could kill him.

Shimura Danzō hurried to the ambush site, tormented by guilt over betraying Longjian, while Dan Katō’s staged attack was meant to help Longjian earn a promotion. The plan collapsed when Black Zetsu appeared, attacked everyone with Wood Release, and summoned a colossal wooden golem.

• Shimura Danzō rushed toward the spot where Root planned to ambush Longjian, regretting that he had repeated an old mistake.
• Dan Katō led Longjian Senju, Shisui Uchiha, and Shizune into the forest, where Root members disguised as Jashin Cult followers attacked them as planned.
• Dan Katō and the disguised Root members staged a fight so Longjian could display his Rinnegan and earn promotion to chunin, but four Root ninja used real attacks against him.
• As Longjian tore away the sealing cloth over his eyes, Black Zetsu appeared and sent wooden spikes bursting through the ground.
• Dan Katō rescued Shizune and Shisui, while Longjian used Shinra Tensei to repel the trees and rejoined them.
• Black Zetsu summoned a massive Wood Golem, leaving the Root ninja wondering whether they could fight it.

Shimura Danzō abandoned his plan to capture Longjian Senju and tried to protect Longjian from Black Zetsu’s attack, while True Black Zetsu used Leaf Dragon to escape Konoha. They left just before the barrier rose to its highest level and headed toward the distant battle.

• Shimura Danzō realized Black Zetsu was targeting the Rinnegan and ordered his Root ninja to cover Longjian Senju’s retreat.
• Shimura Danzō threw an explosive kunai at Black Zetsu, then fled when the attack failed, leaving his subordinates behind.
• True Black Zetsu decided to approach the battlefield with Leaf Dragon and examined Leaf Dragon’s face as a possible asset against Konoha.
• True Black Zetsu briefly possessed Leaf Dragon, then ordered him to leave Konoha as ninja gathered and the barrier was adjusted.
• Leaf Dragon crossed beyond the barrier just before it rose to its highest level, and True Black Zetsu urged him onward toward the battle.

Minato Namikaze, Dan Katō, and their allies struggled to hold off [Black Zetsu] while trying to protect Longjian Senju and the children. After Longjian and Shizune were impaled, Minato rescued them, and Longjian prepared to guide Hatake Sakumo to their location.

• Dan Katō protected Shizune, Longjian Senju, and the other children as Wood Release cut off their escape, then Shimura Danzō and Minato Namikaze arrived exhausted.
• Minato Namikaze explained that [Black Zetsu] had destroyed nearly all his Flying Thunder God Kunai and that Konoha's barrier prevented him from teleporting into the village.
• As [Black Zetsu] launched another attack, Longjian Senju used his Rinnegan to divide the group into [Guardian] and [Non-Guardian] camps and support them in battle.
• Wooden spikes impaled Shizune and Longjian Senju, and [Black Zetsu] tried to seize Longjian's Rinnegan.
• Minato Namikaze used his last Flying Thunder God Kunai to rescue Shizune and Longjian, then treated Longjian's wound away from the battlefield.
• Longjian Senju urged Minato Namikaze to return to the fight and said he would designate Hatake Sakumo as a [Guardian] and guide him to their location.

Leaf Dragon arrived on the battlefield and rescued Shisui, then offered to take him and the Rinnegan child back to Konoha. As Hatake Sakumo moved to stop him, Leaf Dragon greeted him with a smile, leaving his true intentions uncertain.

• Black Zetsu threatened to torture the captured Konoha fighters unless they surrendered the Rinnegan, and Dan Katō fell while protecting Shisui Uchiha.
• Black Zetsu ordered the Wooden Statue to crush Shisui, but Leaf Dragon appeared amid a flash of lightning and rescued him.
• Leaf Dragon identified himself as Konoha's Root operative, while the genuine Black Zetsu realized that the battlefield enemy had noticed him.
• Leaf Dragon asked Hiruzen Sarutobi for the Rinnegan child's location, and Hiruzen, overcome by guilt, pointed toward Longjian.
• Hatake Sakumo tried to stop Leaf Dragon, but Leaf Dragon stayed still and then smiled at him, saying, "Sakumo, long time no see."