Recaps

Zou Hyuga uncovered the Box of Ultimate Bliss’s history and watched Tobirama Senju’s reanimated soul depart. Meanwhile, Oto Uchiha defeated Tobirama and captured Kimimaro as Orochimaru escaped, leaving Orochimaru worried about his subordinate.

• Zou Hyuga learned that the Box of Ultimate Bliss was created by the Sage of Six Paths to imprison Gō, a monster born of the God Tree and the land, and sealed the box away.
• Zou Hyuga found Tobirama Senju bound in a sealing formation as his Impure World Reincarnation was released, then watched his soul ascend and disappear.
• Orochimaru fled from Oto Uchiha and resolved to use his connection with Danzo to activate sleeper agents against the Uchiha.
• Oto Uchiha caught Kimimaro and restrained him with Susanoo, while Kimimaro felt relieved that Orochimaru was likely safe.

Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha secured Kimimaro and sealed the Box of Ultimate Bliss after defeating Orochimaru and Gō. They left Kusagakure’s leader with a false account of what happened and prepared to depart before Pain’s forces could surround them.

• Oto Uchiha brought an unconscious Kimimaro to Zou Hyuga, who treated him and learned he was Orochimaru’s intended reincarnation vessel.
• Kimimaro woke and defended Orochimaru, but Zou Hyuga mocked his loyalty before the group continued toward the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• Zou Hyuga knocked Kimimaro unconscious, left Bell Cat to guard him, and had Oto Uchiha seal the box while leaving a gap.
• Oto Uchiha warned Zou Hyuga that her strength had started declining, prompting him to consider accelerating his research on Hashirama and White Zetsu cells.
• The Grass Ninja leader found Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha, and Zou gave him a fabricated account of Orochimaru and Gō’s defeat.
• Zou Hyuga declined the Grass Ninja leader’s invitation to Kusagakure and decided to leave before Pain’s forces could encircle them.

Pain investigated the destruction of Kusagakure and learned that Konoha had sealed the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Back in Konoha, the Third Hokage and the Elder Advisors considered the Akatsuki threat and canceled this year’s Chunin Ninja Exams.

• Pain questioned Orochimaru about the Box of Ultimate Bliss and learned that Konoha Jonin had dealt with it.
• Zou Hyuga and Oto reported to the Third Hokage that Kusagakure had opened the Box of Ultimate Bliss and that Orochimaru had been involved.
• Zou Hyuga told the Third Hokage that Orochimaru’s chakra was chaotic and that he was probably continuing his experiments.
• Mitokado Homura and the Third Hokage worried that the Akatsuki might be cooperating with other Shinobi Villages, while Utatane Koharu raised concerns about Zou Hyuga and Oto’s strength.
• The Third Hokage and the Elder Advisors agreed to cancel this year’s Chunin Ninja Exams and judge Chunin promotions by mission performance.

Zou Hyuga studied Kimimaro’s cursed seal while considering its potential for his chakra network plan. Meanwhile, Orochimaru learned that Kimimaro had vanished from Konoha and went to help the Akatsuki train Hiruko.

• Zou Hyuga visited the cabin in the Forest of Death and examined Kimimaro’s cursed seal with his Byakugan.
• Zou Hyuga considered how cursed seal technology might help his chakra network plan, then wondered whether his own black markings had a similar origin.
• Orochimaru completed an experiment that greatly increased a subject’s strength, then received Danzo’s reply, which offered him an elder advisor position but said nothing about Kimimaro.
• Orochimaru read a spy’s report that Kimimaro had not been seen in Konoha and suspected Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha had hidden him.
• Orochimaru reflected on his vulnerability to Oto Uchiha’s genjutsu and the risks of controlling the resurrected Hokage, then left to help the Akatsuki train Hiruko.

Kakashi infiltrated Kirigakure with his squad to investigate the Fourth Mizukage, while Mei Terumi and Ao dealt with the village’s unrest. A battle erupted near the Mizukage Building, and Mei and Ao gathered forces to respond as Yagura remained absent.

• Kakashi led his squad into Kirigakure in civilian clothes to investigate Yagura and found the village desolate and wary.
• Kakashi reviewed the village during the day, then left the inn at night to continue scouting.
• Mei Terumi and Ao discussed the village’s internal strife and Yagura’s prolonged absence while handling administrative affairs.
• Ao used his Byakugan to spot several elite-level outside ninja fighting near the Mizukage Building.
• Mei Terumi and Ao gathered their forces and headed toward the Mizukage Building.

Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato confronted Obito near the Mizukage Building and confirmed their suspicion that the Akatsuki had infiltrated Kirigakure. As the fight escalated and threatened to expose them, Obito’s Susanoo repelled the ANBU Squad, leaving them facing a powerful enemy and the prospect of discovery.

• Kakashi recognized the masked man as proof that the Akatsuki had secretly taken control of Kirigakure, and Obito warned that the ANBU would be treated as criminals.
• Kakashi ordered Yamato and Guy to retreat, but Obito attacked them with Fire Release and chakra-absorbing wooden spikes.
• Guy struck at Obito while Kakashi and Yamato coordinated attacks, but Obito dodged with Intangibility and Kamui before Susanoo blocked their Chidori and Wood Release.
• Guy’s kick cracked Obito’s Susanoo, but Obito strengthened it into an armored form that broke free of Yamato’s vines and drove the ANBU Squad back.

Obito attacked Team Kakashi in Kirigakure, but Shisui’s arrival forced him to withdraw. Shisui confirmed that the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, was under Akatsuki control, and Kakashi’s team decided to remain in Kirigakure to investigate.

• Obito pursued Kakashi, Yamato, and Guy with Kamui, injuring Kakashi before Shisui appeared and drove him away.
• Mei and Ao investigated the Wood Release traces, while Ao suspected that Yagura’s strange behavior meant he was being controlled.
• Yagura arrived at the scene, blamed the attack on Konoha and other enemy villages, and dismissed Mei’s concerns about Kirigakure’s failing administration.
• Shisui confirmed to Kakashi, Yamato, and Guy that Akatsuki controlled Yagura, and Kakashi chose to send the intelligence to Konoha while staying in Kirigakure.
• Oto received intelligence about Kirigakure from a ninja crow and headed to share it with Zou.

Zou Hyuga investigated the God Tree’s lingering influence and prepared to travel to Kirigakure after hearing Oto Uchiha’s report about Yagura. Before leaving, he visited Karin and Vortex Shizuko at the base, where Kisame returned and Zou examined the unusual chakra that had made him nearly Kage Level.

• Zou Hyuga studied the earth veins, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, and the changing mark on his palm, suspecting a connection to the God Tree and the force behind black markings.
• Oto Uchiha told Zou Hyuga that Shisui had brought back intelligence from Kirigakure, and Zou decided to go there himself while leaving the village in her hands.
• Zou Hyuga left a Shadow Clone in the village and visited the base near Daimyō Castle, where he checked on Karin and Vortex Shizuko and trained the children while waiting for Kisame.
• Kisame returned with supplies, and Zou Hyuga examined his chakra, finding enormous reserves mixed with natural energy from an old experiment that had brought Kisame close to Kage Level.

Zou Hyuga brought Kisame into Akatsuki’s plan to return several Kirigakure missing-nin to their homeland and help the organization retain control of the village. Obito outlined a route and a plan to send Hozuki Mangetsu into Kirigakure first.

• Zou Hyuga told Kisame he could return to Kirigakure and hinted that he might become Mizukage, while promising to arrange care for the children at the Leyline Base.
• Zou Hyuga and Kisame met Obito, Juzo Biwa, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Zabuza Momochi near the Land of Fire’s coast.
• Hozuki Mangetsu asked Kisame about locating ninja blades, and Kisame provoked him by asking for one of his own before Zou Hyuga stopped their confrontation.
• Obito drew the operation’s route in the sand and decided the group would travel through the Land of Bears and take a ferry to the Land of Water.
• Obito’s first step was to send Hozuki Mangetsu, whose record was clean and whose clan had standing in Kirigakure, back to the village ahead of the others.

As the Akatsuki traveled toward the Land of Water, Kirigakure’s Mei Terumi learned that Hozuki Mangetsu had returned and might be planning a coup. She and Ao followed an invitation to meet outside the village, where they confronted Kakashi’s team and suspected them of attacking the Mizukage Building.

• The Akatsuki crossed the sea toward the Land of Water while Juzo Biwa and Hozuki Mangetsu watched Zou Hyuga and wondered how he had commanded Kisame.
• Ao told Mei Terumi that Mangetsu had returned to Kirigakure and gathered ninja he knew, leading Mei to suspect he was plotting against the Fourth Mizukage.
• Mei told Ao to investigate Mangetsu’s followers and connections to missing-nin, then received an invitation to meet outside the village.
• Mei and Ao went to the forest with their ANBU guards, where Ao sensed Shisui Uchiha and realized escape was impossible.
• Mei and Ao met Kakashi’s team in a clearing, and Mei asked Kakashi whether they had attacked the Mizukage Building.

Kakashi met with Mei Terumi and Ao to propose an alliance against the Akatsuki and the Masked Man controlling the Fourth Mizukage, while Zou Hyuga returned to the Akatsuki’s gathering near the Mizukage Building. The chapter ended with Zou approaching Zabuza and the other Kirigakure missing-nin as they discussed their plans.

• Kakashi told Mei Terumi that the Masked Man had caused the Nine-Tails’ Rampage, killed Shukaku, and taken control of the Fourth Mizukage.
• Shisui joined Kakashi and explained that the Masked Man used the Mangekyō Sharingan to control a jinchūriki.
• Kakashi proposed that Konoha and Kirigakure cooperate to dispel the genjutsu on the Fourth Mizukage, and Mei Terumi agreed to seek the elders’ approval.
• Ao asked Mei Terumi whether she truly intended to work with Konoha, and she said they needed to force the Fourth Mizukage to appear.
• Kakashi told Yamato that the team would remain in place, while Shisui noticed his natural energy becoming more active.
• Zou Hyuga sensed Shisui and Team Kakashi nearby, then approached Zabuza and the other Kirigakure missing-nin as they discussed their plans.

Obito weighed which Kirigakure missing-nin to install as a pawn while Hozuki Mangetsu gathered support for a move against the Fourth Mizukage. As Hozuki Mangetsu's force approached the Mizukage Building, Mei Terumi sought Utakata's help, and the operation began.

• Zou Hyuga joked that Zabuza could take turns governing as Acting Mizukage, while Obito considered Kisame and Hozuki Mangetsu as candidates for his plan.
• Hozuki Mangetsu, Zabuza, and Kisame gathered nearly a hundred Mist Ninja to support the coming operation.
• Several days later, Hozuki Mangetsu led his force openly toward the Mizukage Building as villagers and ninja watched.
• Mei Terumi recalled how she and the ANBU had captured Utakata with help from Yamato and Shisui Uchiha, then asked Utakata to help Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi explained the village's crisis to Utakata, and Ao announced that Hozuki Mangetsu's operation had begun.

Hozuki Mangetsu led Mist Ninja to the Mizukage Building, where they exposed the Fourth Mizukage’s apparent chakra control and clashed with his forces. Mei Terumi and Ao confirmed Yagura was being controlled, leaving them ready to act to free him and uncover the mastermind.

• Hozuki Mangetsu demanded to see Yagura, then blasted open the Mizukage Building entrance and sparked a battle between Mist Ninja.
• Kisame, Zabuza, and their allies entered the building and confronted Yagura, then claimed they had discovered he was being controlled.
• Yagura ordered the rebels eliminated and used the Water Mirror Technique to create copies that attacked them.
• Zou Hyuga fought off his Water Mirror Clone while concealing himself inside the building and avoiding a confrontation with Konoha ninja.
• Ao confirmed to Mei Terumi that Yagura was being controlled by chakra, and Mei prepared to pursue their plan to free him and expose the mastermind.

Mei Terumi and the Mist Ninja confronted the genjutsu-controlled Fourth Mizukage as the battle outside the Mizukage Building escalated. Kisame entered Sage Mode and prepared a powerful Water Release technique, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Mei Terumi led ANBU toward the Mizukage Building while the Konoha Squad withdrew from Kirigakure's internal conflict.
• Hozuki Mangetsu, Kisame, and Zabuza fought Karatachi Yagura and his Water Mirror Clones while Kisame followed orders to make the battle look convincing.
• Mei Terumi arrived with reinforcements and told the Mist Ninja that the Fourth Mizukage was under genjutsu.
• Karatachi Yagura transformed and formed a Tailed Beast Bomb as Mei Terumi attacked him with acid and Hozuki Mangetsu launched a chakra blast.
• The Tailed Beast Bomb and Hozuki Mangetsu's blast collided, and Kisame entered Sage Mode before using Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave.

Obito watched the battle in Kirigakure before being ambushed by Kakashi, Utakata, and their allies. He escaped the rooftop fight, but after passing Zou Hyuga in a passageway, he vanished, leaving Ao to investigate the unfamiliar figure.

• Obito watched Mei Terumi and the others fight the Fourth Mizukage, whom he secretly controlled as part of his plan to keep Kirigakure under Akatsuki's influence.
• Kakashi and the Kirigakure ninja ambushed Obito, and Utakata's explosive bubbles and water-based attacks forced him to dodge while Kakashi struck with Chidori.
• Obito tried to sow distrust between Ao and the Konoha squad by mentioning Ao's bounty, but Kakashi warned Ao not to fall for the ploy.
• Obito used vines to escape the rooftop, and Ao led the Mist Ninja in pursuit while Shisui pointed out Obito's location to Kakashi.
• Obito passed Zou Hyuga in a passageway and vanished; Ao arrived and activated his Sharingan to examine the unfamiliar figure.

Zou Hyuga reclaimed Ao’s Byakugan, then joined Obito in a standoff against the Konoha Squad and Kirigakure ninja. He fought Kakashi and the others, revealed his chakra-absorbing ability, and left after rescuing villagers became Might Guy’s priority.

• Zou Hyuga took Ao’s Byakugan and escaped the Mist Ninja’s attack by reaching a rooftop.
• Zou Hyuga and Obito faced the Konoha Squad and Kirigakure ninja, and Zou Hyuga refused to attack Obito.
• The Mist Ninja and Konoha Squad joined forces and charged the two Akatsuki members.
• Might Guy struck Zou Hyuga into a house, where Zou Hyuga found Kirigakure residents hiding.
• Zou Hyuga blocked Kakashi’s Chidori, absorbed much of his chakra, and threw him out of the house.
• Zou Hyuga escaped as Might Guy rescued the villagers, and Kakashi warned Yamato and Guy that their enemy could absorb chakra and had exceptional sensory abilities.

Kakashi and Ao regrouped after the Masked Man escaped, while Shisui failed to capture Zou Hyuga in Kirigakure. Mei Terumi, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Kisame subdued the Fourth Mizukage, who awoke free of the Masked Man’s genjutsu and learned that the Hokage had already discussed the enemy.

• Ao told Kakashi that the Masked Man had escaped using Space-Time Ninjutsu, and Kakashi described the enemy’s formidable abilities.
• Zou Hyuga encountered Shisui in an alley and escaped when his lightning clone exploded, leaving Shisui unable to capture his real body.
• Mei Terumi, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Kisame fought the berserk Fourth Mizukage in the water prison, and Mangetsu struck him down while Kisame called for him to be released.
• The Fourth Mizukage awoke and credited the missing-nin with freeing him from the Masked Man’s genjutsu.
• The Fourth Mizukage urged the village to warn the other ninja villages about the Masked Man’s Mangekyō Sharingan, and Mei Terumi replied that the Hokage had already held a meeting about him.

After Kirigakure’s crisis, Karatachi Yagura agreed to investigate Akatsuki and proposed an alliance with Konoha in exchange for the return of Kirigakure’s ninja blades. As Mei Terumi helped him assess the village’s troubles, Yagura planned to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and pursue the traitor Juzo Biwa.

• Karatachi Yagura received Kakashi and the Konoha Squad, agreed to investigate Akatsuki, and asked Konoha to form an alliance and return Kirigakure’s ninja blades.
• Kakashi said only the Hokage could approve an alliance, and Karatachi Yagura handed him a letter for Konoha before the squad departed.
• Mei Terumi and Ao briefed Karatachi Yagura on reconstruction and the village’s administrative troubles, and he considered Mei’s command of affairs.
• Karatachi Yagura proposed sending Hozuki Mangetsu and Kisame to Konoha, reassembling the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and hunting Juzo Biwa.
• Mei Terumi accepted the plans but reflected that Karatachi Yagura should take responsibility for the Blood Mist Policy and the rebellions of the kekkei genkai families.

Zou Hyuga and Akatsuki continued manipulating Kirigakure while Kisame prepared to earn the Fourth Mizukage’s trust. Later, Shisui uncovered Zou’s identity, and Zou warned him that Akatsuki was too powerful to attack yet.

• Hozuki Mangetsu, Kisame, and Zabuza met Obito and Zou Hyuga underground and reported that the Fourth Mizukage trusted them and planned to rebuild the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
• Kisame told Obito that he would travel to Konoha to sign an alliance treaty and retrieve Samehada, while Zou admitted he had taken Ao’s Byakugan and joked about using it to cheat at gambling.
• Zou concluded that Akatsuki still had Kirigakure under surveillance, then left the village after completing his mission.
• Several days later, Shisui found Zou in the Land of Fire and identified him as an Akatsuki spy from the spare forehead protector he had left behind.
• Zou told Shisui that he had joined Akatsuki to study white Zetsu cells and find a way to prevent Mangekyo Sharingan blindness, then warned him to flee if he encountered Pain or Hiruko.
• Zou told Shisui that Akatsuki’s leader was not the Masked Man, that he had lost to the leader, and that attacking Akatsuki was not yet feasible.

Kakashi returned to Konoha after the Kirigakure mission, while Zou and Oto negotiated the Samehada issue and observed Danzo’s apparent enhancement. At his Leyline Base, Zou’s experiment on chakra replenishment succeeded with Haku but failed with ordinary kekkei genkai orphans, leaving him searching for a way to help them develop ninja abilities.

• Kakashi reported to the Third that Kirigakure’s Mizukage had escaped the Masked Man’s control, sought an alliance, and lost Ao’s Byakugan to Akatsuki.
• Zou met Oto at the Uchiha Training Ground and explained the alliance proposal and Kirigakure’s demand for Samehada; they agreed not to surrender it without compensation.
• The Third hinted that Oto should return Samehada, but Zou and Oto avoided the request, then noticed Danzo appeared younger and suspected he had received Hashirama cells.
• Zou returned to the Leyline Base and tested long-distance chakra replenishment through the chakra network on Haku, with successful results.
• Zou repeated the experiment on several kekkei genkai orphans with poor ninja aptitude, but it failed, prompting him to consider how kekkei genkai families had developed.

Zou Hyuga tested his chakra network and trained Haku before asking Vortex Shizuko about Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu and the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Back in the village, he learned Kisame Hoshigaki had arrived as Kirigakure’s envoy, leaving the Third Hokage worried that a dispute over Samehada could threaten an alliance.

• Zou Hyuga concluded that only chunin-level ninja could barely use his chakra network and decided to strengthen the base’s defenses.
• Zou Hyuga sparred with Haku for several days to make him less hesitant in combat.
• Zou Hyuga asked Vortex Shizuko whether the Dead Demon Consuming Seal could be undone, and she suggested searching for Uzumaki shrines.
• Vortex Shizuko said the shrine in Uzushio Village might hold relevant knowledge but had likely been looted after the village’s destruction.
• Zou Hyuga returned to the village and learned that Kisame Hoshigaki had arrived as Kirigakure’s envoy.
• The Third Hokage worried that Kirigakure’s demand for Samehada would create conflict with Zou Hyuga, Oto Uchiha, and their clans, potentially jeopardizing the alliance.

Fugaku weighed Kirigakure’s alliance demands while Itachi trained and then encountered Kisame confronting Zou Hyuga in Konoha. Oto arrived with the Military Police Force and surrounded Kisame, leaving the standoff unresolved.

• Fugaku learned that Kisame’s terms for returning Samehada had angered him, and he waited to see how Oto would handle Kirigakure’s request for an alliance.
• Itachi returned from a mission, trained through his frustration at his stalled progress, and then went to visit Sasuke at the Ninja Academy.
• Itachi saw Kisame confront Zou Hyuga on the Shopping Street, where the two traded threats over a past encounter and Samehada.
• ANBU monitored the confrontation and sent word to the Hokage, while Itachi suspected Zou and Oto had staged the encounter.
• Oto arrived with the Military Police Force and ordered them to surround Kisame.

Kisame confronted Oto Uchiha over Samehada, but their staged clash drew a crowd and threatened to expose Kirigakure’s alliance condition. The Third Hokage worried about the political fallout, while Danzo chose not to intervene and waited for events to weaken Hiruzen Sarutobi.

• Kisame demanded that Oto Uchiha return Samehada, and she challenged his nerve as the Military Police Force prepared to defend her.
• Kisame attacked Oto Uchiha, who blocked him and drove him back; Kisame recognized her strength and continued following the plan arranged with Zou Hyuga.
• Oto Uchiha and Kisame continued their confrontation as villagers gathered, while Oto warned that Kisame would not get Samehada.
• An ANBU member informed the Third Hokage of the street confrontation, and the Third feared villagers would learn that Samehada’s return was a condition of Kirigakure’s alliance.
• Danzo learned of the clash and decided against intervening, hoping Hiruzen Sarutobi would abandon his plans and take action against the Uchiha.

Oto Uchiha and Zou Hyuga manipulated a confrontation over Samehada to turn the villagers and ninja clans against the Third Hokage. After the Third forced Oto to surrender the blade, Zou said they only needed to wait for the Akatsuki’s next move.

• Tsunade questioned Jiraiya’s trust in Oto and Zou, then Jiraiya received intelligence that Hiruko had been seen in the Land of Hot Water capturing ninja with kekkei genkai.
• Oto Uchiha bested Kisame in their clash, but an ANBU arrived with orders that led her to surrender Samehada to him.
• Villagers and Jiraiya and Tsunade watched Oto leave without Samehada and resented the Third Hokage for forcing her to give up her spoils.
• Oto returned to Military Police Headquarters and reflected that she and Zou had intended the incident to weaken confidence in the Third Hokage.
• Zou Hyuga arrived and told Oto to wait, saying the Akatsuki had sent word about its next move.

Ōnoki used a supposed pursuit of the Akatsuki to gain control over Kusagakure, while Kakuzu and Hidan escaped after clashing with the Rock Ninja. News of Iwagakure’s occupation reached Konoha, where Danzo accused Iwagakure of colluding with the Akatsuki.

• Ōnoki led the Rock Ninja Assault Force across Kusagakure’s border, using the Akatsuki as a pretext to pursue Kakuzu and Hidan.
• Kakuzu and Hidan fled into Kusagakure, where Kakuzu killed a Grass Ninja guard and escaped into the village.
• The Rock Ninja fought Kakuzu and Hidan inside Kusagakure, then found letters linking a Kusagakure Elder to the Akatsuki.
• Ōnoki left elite Rock Ninja squads behind to help sympathetic jonin overthrow the Kusagakure Leader and install a friendly faction.
• Konan confronted Ōnoki over his manipulation of the Akatsuki and Kusagakure, then disappeared after delivering Nagato’s message.
• After news of Iwagakure’s actions reached Konoha, Danzo told Hiruzen that he believed Iwagakure was colluding with the Akatsuki.