Chapter Summaries

Mei Terumi continued fighting cursed spirits across the Land of Water despite her exhaustion, taking only a brief rest while Kirigakure Anbu operative Cha guarded her. After Cha reported several urgent developments, Mei prepared to move on to her next assignment.

• Mei Terumi defeated the White Bone Child cursed spirit with her Lava Release and collected the bone spike it left behind.
• After nearly collapsing, Mei Terumi rested beneath a tree while Cha stood guard and let her sleep for ten minutes.
• Mei Terumi woke refreshed and thanked Cha before asking for the latest intelligence.
• Cha reported that Orochimaru was suspected of attacking Hozuki Mangetsu near Xiaxi, and that a village which had aided cursed spirits had been exposed and detained.
• Cha told Mei Terumi that three more villages had been destroyed and that three rogue ninja were killing cursed spirits while five Kirigakure ninja had gone missing.

Mei Terumi ordered a decisive response to the crisis in the Land of Water, while Shinji sought higher-paying S-rank missions at Kirigakure’s temporary mission center. After Kirigakure ninja insulted him and provoked a fight, Shinji attacked them, and Mei Terumi had to decide whether to punish him or protect Kirigakure’s standing with the rogue ninja it needed.

• Mei Terumi ordered Cha to intensify the search for Orochimaru, share intelligence with Konoha, and treat anyone who betrayed humanity as an enemy.
• Shinji dismissed lower-ranked missions as poor-paying and asked for better rewards for the two S-rank missions.
• Kirigakure ninja mocked Shinji, and he stabbed one of the men before fighting off the others who attacked him.
• Mei Terumi stopped the disturbance, ordered the injured Kirigakure ninja taken for treatment, and invited Shinji to talk.
• Mei Terumi apologized for her subordinates’ behavior, but Shinji defended his actions and rejected her criticism.
• Mei Terumi weighed holding Shinji responsible against letting the matter go to reassure the rogue ninja.

Shinji negotiated with Mei Terumi for compensation in Cursed Objects in exchange for completing S-rank missions for Kirigakure. They agreed on two objects and money per mission, and Shinji left after hinting that Mei might someday need a god’s help.

• Mei Terumi decided to end the dispute with Shinji rather than escalate it, but warned him against pushing his luck.
• Shinji demanded compensation and threatened that Kirigakure would gain a persistent enemy if it mistreated him.
• Shinji asked to be paid with Kirigakure’s Cursed Objects instead of money or the Seven Ninja Swords.
• Mei Terumi and Shinji negotiated a deal of two Cursed Objects and some money for each S-rank mission he completed, with no choice over which objects he received.
• Before leaving, Shinji asked about Mei Terumi’s religious beliefs and told her she might one day need a god’s help.

Mei Terumi investigated the killings blamed on Akagi's group and decided to test her suspicions by watching them take an S-rank mission. Shinji and his companions reached Mist Mountain, where he suspected a special grade cursed spirit was responsible for the disappearances.

• Mei Terumi heard that a group had been killed and rejected speculation that Akagi's group was responsible, though she could not rule out hidden members.
• Mei Terumi decided to investigate Akagi's group during their next S-rank mission and reviewed the intelligence on two missions.
• Hidan asked when the Jashin Cult would be rebuilt, and Shinji told him they needed ten members before it could officially return.
• Shinji, Hidan, and Tobi arrived at Mist Mountain, where Kirigakure's previous investigation teams had disappeared or returned insane before dying.
• Shinji suspected that a special grade cursed spirit haunted Mist Mountain and reasoned that they needed to defeat it before it grew stronger.

Shinji, Hidan, and Tobi entered the mist-covered mountain, where the mist separated them and concealed dangerous Mist People. Mei Terumi was also attacked by a mist-made figure, while Shinji discovered a way to move through the mist and left to test it.

• Shinji warned Hidan and Tobi to stay alert, then struck them after they ignored him as the group headed into the mountain.
• Mei Terumi followed them into the thick mist, lost both Water Clones, and fought off a mist hand that tried to strangle her.
• Shinji used the [Greedy Eyeball] and realized Cursed Spirit signatures filled the mist, then noticed Hidan and Tobi had disappeared.
• Shinji buried Little Black beneath his feet, gave it an order, and left after discovering that his plan worked.
• Hidan realized the Shinji he had followed was an illusion and set off alone with his Bloody Triple-Bladed Scythe.
• Tobi saw through the deception after his Sharingan failed to pierce the mist, while countless Mist People surrounded him.

Shinji saw through an enemy disguised as Hidan and killed it before continuing through the fog. At the mountaintop, a giant shell kept converting fog into Gray Mist imbued with Cursed Energy as the enemy vowed to kill the humans.

• Shinji and an impostor posing as Hidan reunited in the fog and agreed to search for Tobi.
• The impostor worried logically about Tobi, prompting Shinji to suspect that it was not the real Hidan.
• Shinji checked that the mark on his neck did not react, then cut off the impostor's head and destroyed it with Black Flash.
• The enemy dissolved into fog, cursed Shinji, and threatened to kill him, while Shinji chose one of the routes ahead.
• At the mountaintop, a giant shell breathed in fog and expelled Gray Mist imbued with Cursed Energy as the enemy raged.

Shinji and Tobi reunited after using the Mark to identify each other and destroyed numerous copies, frustrating the enemy hiding on the mountaintop. Hidan continued attacking anything he encountered and fought Mei Terumi, who knocked him away with powerful Water Release techniques.

• Tobi and Hidan had each encountered fake companions earlier; Tobi killed his impostors, while Hidan killed Fake Shinji after being tricked into revealing his immortality.
• Shinji killed several fake Tobi and Hidan figures before he and the real Tobi confirmed each other's identities with a brief exchange.
• The enemy on the mountaintop grew furious that Shinji and Tobi recognized each other, then shifted attention to Hidan and Mei Terumi.
• Hidan attacked Mei Terumi without letting her speak, and she fought back with her Water Whip and Water Release techniques.
• Mei Terumi blasted Hidan away with a Water Formation Pillar and a Water Dragon Bullet, then went to check if he was dead so she could hit him again.

Mei Terumi and Hidan fought after she intervened in his battle, but the Cursed Spirit sent Gray Mist Clowns disguised as them to keep the fight going. Shinji and Tobi arrived to clear the fakes, and Hidan finally used the mark’s sensory ability to recognize his companions, pretending he had remembered it all along.

• Mei Terumi stopped Hidan from attacking her after they recognized their connection through Akagi, but the Cursed Spirit sent disguised Gray Mist Clowns to restart their fight.
• Mei Terumi used Water Dragon Bullet Technique to destroy many of the impostors, though one dragon also broke Hidan’s ribs.
• Mei Terumi prepared to retreat as the fakes kept appearing, but Shinji used Blood Manipulation: Supernova to clear them away.
• Hidan doubted whether Shinji and Tobi were real and threatened to attack them unless they proved their identities.
• Shinji reminded Hidan about the mark’s sensory ability, and Hidan used it before awkwardly claiming he had remembered it earlier.

Shinji used Little Black to find Hidan and Mei Terumi, then faced a self-proclaimed Heavenly God who attacked them with mist. Shinji’s Cursed Speech dispersed the attacks and the enormous face, leaving Tobi reconsidering his plans.

• Little Black sensed Hidan and Mei Terumi and guided Shinji to them.
• A mysterious man emerged from the Mirage Shell and stirred the mountain mist into an enormous face that called itself the Heavenly God.
• Hidan challenged the Heavenly God, while Shinji, Tobi, and Mei Terumi refused to bow.
• The Heavenly God attacked with a giant mist arm, but Shinji immobilized it with Cursed Speech.
• Shinji used Cursed Speech to disperse the mist arrows and dissolve the enormous face.
• Tobi watched Shinji’s display and began reconsidering his plan to avoid damaging their relationship.

After Shinji dispelled a manifestation of the Cursed Spirit, Mei Terumi confronted him over the Kubikiribōchō and tried to recruit him into Kirigakure, while he attempted to recruit her into the Jashin Cult. The enemy then thickened and lowered the mist around them, leaving Shinji and the others struggling to breathe.

• The Cursed Spirit roared in anger and used its Mirage Shell to spread more mist across the mountain.
• Shinji explained to Hidan that they had only defeated a manifestation of the mist, not the real enemy.
• Mei Terumi questioned Shinji about the Kubikiribōchō, and he admitted it was his trophy from killing the Demon of the Mist.
• Mei Terumi warned Shinji that Kirigakure would seek to recover the sword and offered him a place among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen if he joined the village.
• Shinji rejected Mei Terumi's offer and invited her to join the Jashin Cult, claiming it was dedicated to eliminating Cursed Spirits.
• Tobi noticed the mist thickening and sinking around them, and Shinji began to suffocate as it filled the mountain.

The Mirage Shell’s concentrated mist suffocated Mei Terumi, but Shinji, Hidan, and Tobi were unaffected. After Tobi took the unconscious Mei away, Shinji activated his Cursed Speech Maximum Technique and flew through the mist toward the Cursed Spirit hiding inside the Mirage Shell.

• The Cursed Spirit concentrated its mist around the mountain, causing Mei Terumi to collapse while Shinji, Hidan, and Tobi remained unharmed.
• Shinji found Hidan and Mei Terumi, then had Tobi take Mei to the foot of the mountain and keep her alive.
• Hidan insisted on staying to fight the Cursed Spirit, and he and Shinji wagered that the loser would call the winner big brother for a month.
• Shinji activated Cursed Speech: Maximum Technique: Fate Is Mine, used “Fly” on himself, and rose above the mist.
• Shinji spotted the Mirage Shell, flew toward the fleeing Cursed Spirit, and drew the Kubikiribōchō to strike it with Cloak-Breaking Strike.

Shinji captured a seaweed-headed Cursed Spirit and forced it to reveal information about Dagon and other Special Grade Cursed Spirits. Before it could explain their plan, a Red Moon struck and destroyed its head.

• Shinji cut the seaweed-headed Cursed Spirit in half and questioned it about Dagon and a supposed plan.
• Shinji drained the creature's Cursed Energy with the Snakeskin Sword until it agreed to talk.
• The seaweed-headed Cursed Spirit revealed that Dagon had recruited it to lure powerful humans and that at least two other Special Grade Cursed Spirits existed.
• The creature described Dagon as an ocean-born Special Grade Cursed Spirit and said his strength overwhelmed its own.
• A Red Moon flew in and shattered the seaweed-headed Cursed Spirit's head before it could explain the plan.

Shinji discovered that the Mirage Mist's true body was the giant shell, then petrified and destroyed it after Hidan was exposed to its black mist. He collected a valuable cursed object from the remains.

• Shinji realized the Mirage Mist was still alive and identified the enormous Mirage Shell as its real body.
• Hidan tried to pry open the shell, inhaled its black mist, and began to sway as it afflicted him with negative emotions.
• Shinji pulled Hidan away and dismissed the Mirage Mist's threat, then inserted the Snakeskin Sword into the shell.
• Shinji activated Golden Serpent Frenzy, petrifying the Mirage Shell before destroying it with Black Flash.
• Shinji received 10,000 Cursed Soul Points for exorcising the Mirage Mist and found the Wealth-Generating Mist Shell among the debris.

Shinji recruited Mei Terumi into his organization in exchange for information about a looming threat in the Land of Water. After learning that powerful cursed spirits were secretly working together, Mei Terumi realized their plan might target Kirigakure.

• Shinji returned from the mountain dragging Hidan and told Tobi that their enemy was dead and Hidan would recover in a few days.
• Tobi warned Shinji that Mei Terumi was pretending to be unconscious, and Shinji announced they would leave the Land of Water because it might soon be in danger.
• Mei Terumi stopped Shinji and offered cursed objects for his information, but he insisted she join his organization instead.
• Mei Terumi signed the Organization Contract Scroll, and Shinji explained that powerful cursed spirits in the Land of Water had joined forces and used their recent opponent as a decoy.
• Mei Terumi heard Shinji's warning and realized the cursed spirits might be preparing to strike Kirigakure.

Shinji warned Mei Terumi that special grade cursed spirits were preparing to attack Kirigakure and judged the village poorly equipped to resist them. Mei asked him to help Kirigakure, and he agreed to wait for her response plan before deciding whether to stay.

• Shinji deduced that the cursed spirits intended to destroy Kirigakure and rule the Land of Water, while Mei Terumi recognized the danger.
• Mei asked Shinji to return with her and explain the intelligence to the Elder Council, but he refused to get involved directly.
• Shinji challenged Mei to name Kirigakure's hidden strength, and she could not identify any reliable jinchūriki or other major assets.
• Mei offered to hire Shinji, then appealed to the Jashin Cult's purpose of eliminating cursed spirits; Shinji said he would consider helping after Kirigakure proposed a plan.
• Mei agreed to send the intelligence to the village and said she would seek the Elder Council's permission for Shinji to use the Kubikiribōchō.

Rat-Headed Man and Sickly Ghost continued their disease-spreading operation after learning Mirage Mist had been killed. In Kirigakure, Mei Terumi failed to persuade the Elder Council to take Shinji’s warning seriously.

• Rat-Headed Man learned Mirage Mist had been killed and complained that the Cursed Spirit had failed to support their operation.
• Sickly Ghost said he was close to constructing his own domain after infecting and killing a few hundred more people.
• Rat-Headed Man considered eating Sickly Ghost, but remembered how the pathogens had once left him gravely ill and backed down.
• Rat-Headed Man sent his rats to feed on the corpses and carry Sickly Ghost’s pathogens to their next victims.
• Mei Terumi presented Shinji’s intelligence to Kirigakure’s Elder Council, but the elders questioned its source and dismissed the threat of the Cursed Spirits.

Mei Terumi took Genji’s quiet encouragement as permission to act decisively for Kirigakure, while Shinji spent his Cursed Soul Points on draws and discovered new tools for capturing and fusing with Cursed Spirits. The chapter ended with Shinji overhearing Hidan pretending to remain an idiot to avoid calling him “Big Brother.”

• Mei Terumi accepted Genji’s counsel to verify the intelligence, then put on the Mizukage’s hat and set out to act on her own authority.
• Genji decided to handle the dirty business behind Mei Terumi’s actions and hoped he had placed his trust in the right person.
• Shinji spent his accumulated Cursed Soul Points on draws, receiving mission difficulty scrolls, a Cursed Spirit Master Ball, and a Blank Cursed Spirit Fusion Card.
• Shinji went to check on Hidan and overheard Hidan telling Tobi that he was faking his dazed state to avoid admitting he had lost a bet.

Shinji forced Hidan to fulfill their bet, then used a quest scroll to complete the Jashin Cult quest and strengthen himself. The cult’s new mark gave Shinji a striking Cult Uniform, while the wider crisis in the Land of Water remained unresolved.

• Hidan pretended to be an idiot to avoid calling Shinji big brother, but Shinji saw through him and beat him after Hidan finally fulfilled the bet.
• Shinji received Mei Terumi’s reply that she had found clues and was gathering forces, though he doubted the other great nations would unite against the outside threat.
• Shinji used a Quest Difficulty Reduction Scroll on the quest to make Hidan the Jashin Cult’s leader, then claimed completion after the organization contracts were signed.
• Shinji received 100 Bond Points and 20,000 Cursed Soul Points, bringing his Bond Points with Hidan to 1,000.
• Shinji activated the Jashin Cult mark and changed into a dark red and black Cult Uniform decorated with a red spider lily.

Shinji used the Domain Construction Scroll to guarantee a domain for Blood Manipulation, gaining new techniques and confidence. Afterward, he found Tobi admiring the New Jashin Cult’s uniform while Hidan hid inside, embarrassed.

• Shinji spent 25,000 Cursed Soul Points to raise Blood Manipulation’s domain-construction success rate to 100%.
• Shinji used the Domain Construction Scroll and spent over an hour gaining a domain and several new techniques.
• Shinji reflected that his domain made Blood Manipulation far more formidable and looked forward to fighting stronger enemies.
• Shinji left to find food and found Tobi posing in the New Jashin Cult uniform.
• Tobi told Shinji that Hidan had gone inside to try on the uniform, and Hidan angrily threatened to hack Tobi to death.

Shinji watched Tobi and Hidan bicker, then converted Hidan’s Bloody Triple-Bladed Scythe into a powerful cursed tool. A new urgent letter from Mei Terumi revealed that cursed-spirit attacks across the Land of Water had intensified, leaving Kirigakure caught between protecting its people and preparing for an attack.

• Tobi covered Hidan’s mouth when he threatened the other diners, then accidentally broke more of his bones and carried him off to bury him.
• Hidan clawed his way out of the grave that night and tried to attack Tobi, who spent the rest of the night fleeing from him.
• Shinji used a Cursed Tool Conversion Card on Hidan’s Bloody Triple-Bladed Scythe, granting it abilities that increased strength after kills and multiplied damage against a marked target.
• A messenger delivered Shinji an urgent letter from Mei Terumi asking him to help Kirigakure confront the cursed spirits.
• Mei Terumi reported that attacks across the Land of Water had increased, forcing Kirigakure to choose between rescuing civilians and concentrating its forces against a possible assault.