Recaps

Kakuzu tried to steal Kurenai Yuhi’s heart, but her genjutsu let her evade his attack as Raijin and the others continued to overwhelm him. Granny Chiyo tortured Hidan with threads until they cut through his body and bones, while he kept cursing her.

• Kakuzu dodged Raijin and Asuma Sarutobi’s combined attack and redirected his assault toward Kurenai Yuhi.
• Asuma Sarutobi moved to protect Kurenai Yuhi, who used genjutsu to evade Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear sneak attack.
• Raijin and Azure Bird: Thunderclap pressed Kakuzu while Granny Chiyo joined the assault with her puppets.
• Granny Chiyo attacked Hidan with threads that slowly cut into his flesh as he cursed her.
• Granny Chiyo pulled the threads until they cut through Hidan’s body and bones, but no blood came from his severed sections.

Granny Chiyo subdued Hidan and ensured he could not recover, while the Allied Shinobi Forces killed Kakuzu. Hozuki Castle fell, leaving Hidan sealed away and Kakuzu dead.

• Granny Chiyo threatened to scatter Hidan's body parts in barren places, then had his severed head placed in a special container.
• Hidan offered to reveal Gaara's location, but Granny Chiyo told him he was no longer useful and left him to die.
• The Allied Shinobi Forces destroyed Kakuzu's remaining heart, and he died as Earth Grudge Fear departed his body.
• Hidan called for Kakuzu to help reassemble him, but received no answer and realized Kakuzu was dead.
• Granny Chiyo had Hidan's head sealed in a special box and ordered a Sunagakure shinobi to bury it in a barren place.
• Hozuki Castle fell.

After the Immortal Duo's defeat, the village leaders discussed who would control Hozuki Castle, and Asuma Sarutobi proposed that Hidden Jun Village manage it while other villages stationed intelligence officers there. Granny Chiyo saw through the maneuvering and began to offer a fairer arrangement.

• The leaders gathered to discuss Hozuki Castle's ownership, while Granny Chiyo said Sunagakure had no interest in the island and reminded Master of Open Stratagems to honor his promise to help search for Gaara.
• Asuma Sarutobi proposed that Hidden Jun Village manage the island, and the village representatives agreed.
• Asuma Sarutobi then proposed allowing every ninja village to station intelligence officers on the island as a base for investigating Amegakure.
• Master of Open Stratagems silently considered the risks of letting other villages into Hidden Jun Village's base, while the other leaders supported Asuma's proposal.
• Granny Chiyo quieted the discussion and announced that she had a fairer arrangement in mind.

Master of Open Stratagems considered Granny Chiyo’s proposal to station intelligence officers on the island and postponed a decision until he could consult Hidden Jun Village’s Village Chief. Before leaving with Granny Chiyo, he learned that Old Mr. Yu could no longer be revived and explained the problem to her.

• Granny Chiyo argued that other villages could station intelligence officers on the island during hostilities, then withdraw once matters were settled.
• Master of Open Stratagems privately weighed claiming the island for Hidden Jun Village and told Granny Chiyo he would ask the Village Chief before deciding.
• A subordinate told Master of Open Stratagems that the online community was demanding a player’s revival, prompting Granny Chiyo to suspect he was avoiding his promise.
• Master of Open Stratagems recounted Old Mr. Yu’s benevolent deeds, and Granny Chiyo asked why he could not be revived.
• Master of Open Stratagems said a summoning master learned what happened through a summoning companion and suspected Old Mr. Yu could no longer be revived for a special reason.

The Master of Open Stratagems told Granny Chiyo he would stay on the island until he learned whether Old Mr. Yu could revive, while she prepared to leave and search for Gaara. News from the official forums confirmed Old Mr. Yu had died in the real world, leaving the Master of Open Stratagems to investigate and Granny Chiyo grieving.

• The Master of Open Stratagems said he could not leave until he knew whether Old Mr. Yu was safe, and Granny Chiyo agreed to depart while he waited for news.
• Granny Chiyo asked the Master of Open Stratagems to meet her near Amegakure and hear his ideas for finding Gaara.
• The Master of Open Stratagems' aide reported that an obituary had confirmed Old Mr. Yu's death and told him to check the official forums.
• Granny Chiyo misunderstood the official forums as a kind of Anbu platform and waited while the Master of Open Stratagems went temporarily offline to read them.
• The forum discussions revealed that Old Mr. Yu had died from a sudden severe illness while playing Hidden Jun Ninja, prompting rival games to attack Hidden Jun Ninja's management.

After Old Mr. Yu’s death sparked widespread condemnation of the Hidden Jun Ninja team, his granddaughter posted an obituary explaining his illness and the team’s efforts to help him. Her account left netizens with evidence that the team had supported the family and that Yu’s final in-game choice had been his own.

• People flooded the official forum with accusations against the Hidden Jun Ninja team and some reported the game to authorities.
• Old Mr. Yu’s granddaughter posted an obituary announcing his death after his chronic illness recurred.
• She shared his diary and photos, saying the game had improved his outlook and brought him happiness before he died.
• She revealed that the team had alerted the family, arranged emergency care, and handled compensation and other final arrangements.
• She said the Yu Family supported Old Mr. Yu’s in-game choice and would oppose anyone attacking the team in their name.

After online accusations that Hidden Jun Ninja had invaded Old Mr. Yu’s privacy, the game team issued an official announcement explaining its actions and introducing new measures. The announcement also promised a commemorative NPC and a chance for Jingnan to take his grandfather’s place in the game.

• Jingnan’s obituary letter asked the Hidden Jun Ninja team to let him try the game, prompting fans to support his request.
• Some netizens accused the game team of spying on Old Mr. Yu and questioned whether his medical emergency had been staged.
• The Hidden Jun Ninja team announced that it had detected Old Mr. Yu’s health abnormalities during screening and monitored him after contacting him, with relevant records and penalties reviewed by authorities.
• The game team said it would create an NPC named Old Yu Next Door and let Jingnan fill the spot left vacant by his grandfather.
• The game team announced a new health system, stricter health screening, oversight authorities in the game, and stronger moderation of the official forums.

Ye Chen reflected on how he had used Hidden Jun Ninja’s crisis to secure official support for a health system that could improve players’ physical fitness, while drawing the attention of authorities interested in training elite personnel. At the hot spring, Ye Chen sensed something unusual that vanished, and Jiraiya wondered whether an uninvited guest had arrived.

• Hidden Jun Ninja’s announcement quieted the forum, and the authorities began strict reviews of online games.
• Ye Chen recalled arranging official cooperation and creating a health system that could improve players’ real-world fitness.
• Ye Chen explained that the agreement brought regulatory oversight and reserved closed-beta slots for a secretive department seeking to develop elite personnel.
• At the hot spring, Ye Chen sensed something unusual but could not detect its source.
• Jiraiya sat up and asked Ye Chen whether they had an uninvited guest.

Ye Chen realized an attacker had trapped him in a sophisticated Genjutsu and identified the caster as Obito Uchiha, also known as Tobi. He tracked the caster through the illusion and attacked, but the chapter ended before revealing whether his Kunai hit.

• Ye Chen entered a desert illusion after leaving Jiraiya at the hot spring and found that he could not reach or warn him.
• Ye Chen deduced that an Akatsuki member was using Genjutsu and named Obito Uchiha, or Tobi, as the likely attacker.
• The caster attacked Ye Chen with a spatial distortion, but it only destroyed Ye Chen's Shadow Clone.
• Ye Chen sensed the caster shifting position, pursued him through the distorted illusion, and threw several Kunai wrapped in talismans.
• Ye Chen threw another Kunai toward an apparently empty spot, with the result still unknown.

Ye Chen used the Flying Thunder God Technique to identify and ambush Obito Uchiha, then attacked him with a rapid series of Lightning Blade strikes. Obito survived by activating Kamui’s intangibility, leaving Ye Chen’s assault unresolved.

• Ye Chen baited the genjutsu caster into attacking by scattering kunai and taunting him about his teacher.
• Ye Chen used the kunai as anchor points to perform the Flying Thunder God Technique and appear behind his charging opponent.
• Ye Chen recognized the spiral-masked opponent as Obito Uchiha and struck him with Lightning Release: Lightning Blade.
• Obito used Kamui’s intangibility to evade Ye Chen’s rapid palm strikes, while Ye Chen continued attacking through the swirling sand.

Ye Chen realized Obito Uchiha had used a diversion to abduct Jiraiya and rushed to the Akatsuki base to save him. He reached the metal cage where Jiraiya was fighting the Six Paths of Pain, but Konan blocked his way.

• Ye Chen returned to the bathhouse and found Obito Uchiha gone, then discovered Jiraiya had vanished from the hot spring.
• Ye Chen sensed a battle inside Amegakure's tallest building and rushed to the Akatsuki base.
• Ye Chen broke through the rank-and-file Akatsuki members and reached a metal cage, where he fought off Konan's explosive-tag attack.
• Konan emerged from the shadows and told Ye Chen he would have to get past her to reach the Six Paths of Pain fighting Jiraiya.
• Ye Chen warned Konan that attacking him would carry a price.