Chapter Summaries

Shinji’s group reached a village, where a talent scout approached Tamamo Hotaru and offered her a lead role. She refused because her identity made public fame dangerous, then rejoined the group and ended the chapter furious after Shinji teased her about the movie.

• Shinji led the group to a village, while Tobi secretly tossed something away along the road.
• Tamamo Hotaru remembered that Shinji had rejected her request to join the Jashin Cult, and that Sasuke had proved far stronger than she expected.
• Ueoka Kichizo approached Tamamo Hotaru and offered her the female lead in Summer at Chrysanthemum Terrace for Kameow Film and Entertainment Company.
• Tamamo Hotaru declined the offer because she feared Kumogakure would find and capture her if she became famous.
• Tamamo Hotaru told Shinji and the others about the talent scout, but Shinji mocked the film title and suggested making a glamour video of her.
• Tamamo Hotaru sent Bright Moon after Shinji, but Bright Moon went happily to him instead, leaving her even angrier.

Shinji brought Tamamo Hotaru to the Land of the Docks as bait while investigating the gruesome deaths of famous actresses, and she signed with a film company. At a film set, Shinji recognized the blonde extra Moqian, a Special Grade Cursed Spirit he had encountered before, and decided to watch her in secret.

• Ueoka Kichizo offered to sign Tamamo Hotaru and Shinji negotiated with him, claiming to be her manager and using her as bait to investigate the actresses’ deaths.
• Shinji’s group arrived in the Land of the Docks, where Tamamo Hotaru signed a contract with Ueoka Kichizo’s company and Shinji’s companions began gathering information.
• Shinji learned that another actress had been gruesomely killed just before their arrival, despite companies suppressing the news.
• Shinji watched Kazahana Koyuki finish filming a scene and reject the director’s advances, after which the director and assistant director turned their attention to the blonde maid extra.
• Shinji recognized the blonde extra as Moqian, the Special Grade Cursed Spirit from the Red Mansion, and decided to observe her without alerting her.

Director Feng Ku tried to exploit Moqian by promising her a bigger role, but she beat and terrified him with her supernatural tanuki form. After he woke up and resumed the same predatory routine, Moqian revealed her twisted head again and made him faint.

• Director Feng Ku invited Moqian to his room under the pretext of discussing her script, then offered to expand her role when he learned she had only a few squeaking lines and had already been killed off.
• Moqian punched Director Feng Ku twice and explained that she had entered the entertainment industry out of curiosity, but found it as exploitative as the Red Mansion.
• Moqian rotated her head to reveal a bizarre tanuki face, frightening Director Feng Ku into passing out.
• After Director Feng Ku awoke, Moqian pretended she had cared for him while he was drunk, and he resumed questioning her about her role.
• Moqian twisted her head around again to reveal her talking tanuki face, and Director Feng Ku fainted once more.

Shinji investigated Moqian after she frightened director Feng Ku, but the director’s collapse and the assistant director’s escape halted the film production. Kameow Film and Entertainment revived the project with a new script and Tamamo Hotaru as a co-lead, giving Shinji a chance to use the production to draw out the killer.

• Moqian left Feng Ku alive after frightening him, and Shinji secretly followed her to learn where she was staying.
• Feng Ku was hospitalized after repeating that he had seen a monster with a tanuki face, while the assistant director fled with the production funds.
• Ueoka Kichizo announced that Kameow Film and Entertainment would take over the halted production and replace its script.
• Ueoka introduced Tamamo Hotaru as a new lead alongside Kazahana Koyuki, who agreed to cooperate despite her company using her to promote Hotaru.
• Shinji viewed the revived production as a way to draw out the killer, and Tamamo Hotaru’s objections failed to keep her from the leading role.

While filming continued, Tamamo Hotaru’s sudden fame drew the attention of a killer who used a cursed bronze mirror to incapacitate women. Bright Moon stopped him from harming Tamamo Hotaru, and Akagi Shinji captured him and discovered the mirror’s power.

• Akagi Shinji arranged a bizarre new script for Kazahana Koyuki and Tamamo Hotaru, then helped rumors make Tamamo Hotaru famous to draw out the target.
• A gaunt intruder sneaked into Tamamo Hotaru’s room and used a bronze mirror to make her collapse into a dream.
• Bright Moon rammed the intruder aside, forcing him to flee without harming Tamamo Hotaru.
• Akagi Shinji used Cursed Speech to immobilize the fleeing man, bound him with blood threads, and took the mirror.
• Akagi Shinji learned that the Magic Mirror trapped women in beautiful dreams while draining its holder’s vital essence, and decided to keep it.

Shinji learned how Yusuke Katagiri used the [Magic Mirror] to prey on women and discovered that the mirror drained its holder's vital energy. He stored it in his [Shadow Pocket] and returned to Tamamo Hotaru, who remained asleep and dreaming.

• Yusuke Katagiri confessed that he had murdered an old man for his possessions, including the [Magic Mirror], then used it to manipulate women and eventually kill them.
• Yusuke Katagiri revealed that he had come seeking a rumored princess among the female entertainers, but his obsession ended when he met Shinji.
• Yusuke Katagiri died after exhausting his lifespan, and Shinji placed the [Magic Mirror] in his [Shadow Pocket], where its energy drain stopped.
• Shinji carried Yusuke Katagiri's corpse to Tamamo Hotaru's room, where Bright Moon guarded her sleeping owner.
• Tamamo Hotaru talked in her sleep, calling Shinji a big bastard and ordering him to call himself her lowly servant.

Shinji woke Tamamo Hotaru from the Magic Mirror’s dream and forced her to agree to obey him. After declaring the mission complete, Shinji sent Hidan and Tobi to turn in the body and told Tamamo Hotaru to keep filming while she watched someone for a dangerous next step.

• Shinji used Cursed Speech to wake Tamamo Hotaru from her dream of dominating him.
• Tamamo Hotaru realized she had called Shinji her little slave and nervously confessed what she had dreamed after he threatened her.
• The next morning, Tamamo Hotaru eagerly served Shinji and refused Hidan and Tobi’s requests for water.
• Shinji told Hidan and Tobi to turn in the body and return, while ordering Tamamo Hotaru to stay and continue filming.
• Shinji said he needed Tamamo Hotaru to watch someone because their business was unfinished and the task would be dangerous.

Tamamo Hotaru tried to investigate Moqian for Shinji, but Moqian mistook her attention for romantic interest and began pursuing her. After Hotaru fled Moqian’s invitation home, Shinji told her to keep the relationship going and ask about Moqian’s companions, promising to void their unequal agreements if she succeeded.

• Tamamo Hotaru stayed close to Moqian during filming and questioned her about her life and preferences while investigating her for Shinji.
• Moqian assumed Tamamo Hotaru was pursuing her, offered her a chance to court her, and arranged a dinner date after Kazahana Koyuki overheard them and spread rumors.
• Moqian picked Tamamo Hotaru up with roses, took her to dinner and shopping, then invited her to see her new bed; Tamamo Hotaru fled instead.
• Tamamo Hotaru returned to Shinji and recounted the day's events, and Shinji laughed before asking her to keep up the relationship and find out whether Moqian had companions.
• Shinji promised to void Tamamo Hotaru's unequal agreements if she succeeded, and she eagerly agreed to win Moqian over.

Moqian and Tamamo Hotaru bonded during filming as they discussed their lack of friends and the debts that had drawn them into acting. After learning Shinji might be interested in her, Moqian eagerly arranged to meet him, while Tamamo misunderstood her intentions and Shinji prepared for a confrontation.

• Moqian comforted Tamamo Hotaru during a break, and they shared that neither had friends or wanted their current acting life.
• Moqian considered freeing Tamamo from her debt, while Kazehana Koyuki watched their easy rapport with envy.
• After filming, Moqian asked Tamamo to arrange a meeting with her creditor, and Tamamo warned that he seemed interested in Moqian.
• Tamamo told Shinji that Moqian wanted to meet him and believed she could deal with him.
• Shinji agreed to meet Moqian at abandoned factory buildings in the East District at seven the next night, unaware of her real intentions.

Moqian lured Shinji to an abandoned factory for a rematch, where their battle escalated as each revealed new techniques. Moqian evaded Shinji’s teleport-like strike, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Moqian dressed up, went alone to the abandoned factory, and pretended to be frightened when she entered.
• Shinji revealed himself, and Moqian recognized him as the human who had sealed her before and transformed into her strongest nine-tailed form.
• Moqian attacked with a giant sand arm, but Shinji countered it with Blood Manipulation that clumped the sand.
• Moqian unleashed the Nine-Jade Curse, while Shinji used Flowing Scarlet Scales to make her think he was preparing to withstand it.
• Shinji vanished behind Moqian and swung with Cloak-Breaking Strike, but Moqian anticipated the attack and escaped in a flash of golden light.

Shinji survived Moqian’s devastating Nine-Jade Curse by swapping places with her, then tracked her down and beheaded her after weakening her with Cursed Speech. Tamamo Hotaru arrived as Moqian turned into an Octopus Tail Section, leaving her uncertain about what had happened.

• Moqian unleashed the Nine-Jade Curse, destroying the abandoned factory and much of the surrounding area, while Shinji used Boogie Woogie to swap places with her and was caught in the blast.
• Shinji revived with Reverse Cursed Technique, located the badly injured Moqian with the Greedy Eyeball, and attacked her from a distance.
• Shinji stopped Moqian with Cursed Speech and beheaded her with the Snakeskin Sword despite Tamamo Hotaru's plea.
• Tamamo Hotaru realized Moqian was likely a powerful cursed spirit and felt conflicted about her death, then watched Moqian turn into an Octopus Tail Section.

Shinji failed to find Moqian after the battle and left the Meteorite Crater with Tamamo Hotaru. Kazahana Koyuki found a cursed black egg, which began hatching in her room, while Tamamo Hotaru later told Koyuki she was withdrawing from the film.

• Shinji searched the Meteorite Crater with the [Greedy Eyeball] but found no trace of Moqian, then left with Tamamo Hotaru.
• Kazahana Koyuki entered the crater, dug up a black egg covered in Cursed Script, and took it home despite her fear.
• Kazahana Koyuki hid the egg beneath her covers, and it cracked open and thrust out a hand after she left the room.
• The Land of the Docks reeled from the explosion as film crews halted, and Shinji decided Tamamo Hotaru's work was done and stopped funding the production.
• Kazahana Koyuki visited Tamamo Hotaru, who announced she was giving up the leading role and withdrawing from the production.

Tamamo Hotaru accepted Kazahana Koyuki’s invitation to dinner, unaware that Moqian would be waiting there. Moqian threatened her during the meal, then promised to let her leave once they finished eating.

• Kazahana Koyuki asked Tamamo Hotaru to share a farewell dinner, and Tamamo agreed despite her doubts.
• Tamamo told Shinji about the invitation, and he warned her to be careful.
• Tamamo arrived at Kazahana Koyuki’s home and discovered that Moqian had joined them as a surprise guest.
• Moqian threatened Tamamo after she dropped a shrimp on her clothes, then said she would let Tamamo leave after the meal because Tamamo had once pleaded for her.

Moqian confronted Tamamo Hotaru after discovering she had been connected to Shinji, but she let her leave after asking why she had tried to protect her. Tamamo Hotaru walked away, leaving Moqian feeling unexpectedly empty while Kazahana Koyuki remained focused on their agreement to reclaim the Land of Snow.

• Moqian revealed that she had escaped from the egg Kazahana Koyuki brought back and had agreed to help her reclaim the Land of Snow in exchange for luring Tamamo Hotaru out.
• Moqian choked Tamamo Hotaru with a sand tail, then threw her against a wall and ordered her to eat.
• Moqian asked why Tamamo Hotaru had come and stopped Shinji from killing her, and Tamamo Hotaru admitted she would have stayed away if she had known Moqian was a cursed spirit.
• Tamamo Hotaru apologized and left after Moqian angrily denied wanting to be her friend.
• Moqian felt empty after Tamamo Hotaru disappeared and blamed Shinji, while Kazahana Koyuki told her she was not afraid of her.

Shinji confronted Moqian and learned that she had been framed at the Red Mansion and wanted no part in harming humans or joining the organization. He left her with a warning, while Tamamo Hotaru kept their encounter secret and remained troubled by her guilt.

• Shinji provoked Moqian into confronting him, then asked why she had let Tamamo Hotaru go.
• Moqian said someone had turned her subordinates into monsters to lure her into a fight and recruit her, and that her would-be rescuer had later sealed her away.
• Shinji realized Moqian had been wronged and had not shown a pattern of attacking humans, so he left after warning her not to hurt people or join the organization.
• Moqian claimed to Kazahana Koyuki that Shinji had fled in fear, but Kazahana Koyuki doubted her story.
• Tamamo Hotaru returned to her room without telling Shinji what had happened, because Moqian had spared her and she still felt guilty.

Shinji tested Sasuke’s rapid progress in combat, then explained how his position-swapping technique worked and encouraged Sasuke to develop a similar ability. Sasuke demonstrated that he had mastered the Amaterasu in his left Mangekyō Sharingan, while his right eye still needed training.

• Shinji ended Sasuke’s taijutsu practice after repeatedly outclassing him and asked to see the results of his recent training.
• Sasuke used his Chidori Blade and Chidori Senbon to lure Shinji into the air, but Shinji swapped their positions and hit Sasuke with his own lightning senbon.
• After Sasuke recovered, Shinji revealed that his position-swapping technique was called Boogie Woogie and said Sasuke could master a similar ability after fully developing his eyes.
• Shinji asked Sasuke to demonstrate his Mangekyō Sharingan, and Sasuke burned a large rock with Amaterasu from his left eye.

Shinji weighed a bounty station request to steal a special grade cursed spirit’s corpse from Kumogakure, then continued toward the Land of Claws to hunt monsters. As several groups began tracking his party for the bounty on them, Tobi welcomed the growing hostility.

• After Sasuke rested, Shinji decided that Sasuke needed to keep advancing along the Sharingan’s path to become stronger.
• Hidan and Tobi brought Shinji intelligence that Kumogakure had captured an almost intact special grade cursed spirit’s corpse, along with the [Boar God Order] and [Chinese-Style Comb] as payment.
• Shinji recycled both cursed objects, raising his cursed soul points to 147,600, and postponed deciding whether to steal the corpse from Kumogakure.
• Shinji and his party set out for the Land of Claws to investigate reports of powerful monsters, hoping to find cursed spirits and earn more points.
• The Kameow Film and Entertainment Company found that Tamamo Hotaru and Fuji Kazehana had disappeared, forcing the filming of "Heroines Take the Shinobi World by Storm" to end.
• Several groups began tracking Hidan and Tobi to claim the bounty on Shinji and his party, while Tobi hoped the pursuit would turn Shinji against the world.

Shinji's group was ambushed by the Scum Brothers, who captured Sasuke and tried to use him as a hostage. Shinji rescued Sasuke, but Qian Chou and Qian Chun counterattacked, leaving Hidan with a scythe embedded in his neck.

• Sasuke pulled his sword from a corpse while Tobi, Hidan, and Shinji argued over the enemies they had encountered.
• Qian Chou used his speed to seize Sasuke, and Qian Chun dropped into the group to split them apart.
• Qian Chou threatened Sasuke with his scythe, but Shinji swapped places with him and struck at Qian Chou with a Black Flash.
• Qian Chou escaped Shinji's attack using Swift Release, while Hidan charged Qian Chun and found that Steel Release let him catch the scythe with his bare hands.
• Qian Chou stabbed Hidan in the neck with his short-handled scythe as the brothers celebrated.

Shinji, Sasuke, and Hidan defeated the Qian brothers after Sasuke used Amaterasu to burn Qian Chun alive and Shinji helped Hidan kill Qian Chou. Sasuke celebrated his progress, and the group had Tobi collect the bodies before moving on.

• Qian Chun showed off his Steel Release by letting Hidan's scythe strike him without injury, while Shinji proposed teaming up with Sasuke.
• Shinji used [Boogie Woogie] to swap Qian Chun with himself, leaving Sasuke in position to use Amaterasu on Qian Chun.
• Qian Chou charged at Sasuke, but Shinji swapped Hidan with Sasuke's planted Kusanagi Sword, allowing Hidan to stab and restrain Qian Chou.
• Hidan snapped Qian Chou's arms, and Shinji beheaded him as Qian Chun died from Amaterasu.
• Sasuke shut his eye after using Amaterasu and felt thrilled by his progress, while Hidan complained that Shinji had used him as a shield.
• Shinji told Tobi to collect the brothers' bodies for their rare Kekkei Genkai, then praised Sasuke.

Mr. Enemy recruited Shanhu but arrived too late to recruit the destroyed Darkness Cursed Spirit. Shinji traded the Crystal Heart to the Underground Bounty Station for a deal involving a Special Grade Cursed Spirit’s remains, leaving the station to negotiate over its eyes.

• Mr. Enemy, Mahito, and Saibote recruited Shanhu, then found that the Darkness Cursed Spirit had already been destroyed at Black Mountain.
• Shinji exchanged the Stinkbug Brothers’ corpses for cursed objects, sold them for Cursed Soul Points, and offered the Crystal Heart to the Underground Bounty Station in return for a Special Grade Cursed Spirit’s head.
• Shinji planned to use the Crystal Heart’s hidden side effects to trap Kakuzu or another buyer, while the Bounty Station tested the item and confirmed its Crystal Release ability.
• The Bounty Station decided to keep the Crystal Heart and sent a beautiful woman to negotiate with Shinji several days later.
• Shinji feigned impatience and agreed to a compromise, asking for the Special Grade Cursed Spirit’s eyes, ears, nose, and tongue while intending to take only its eyes.