Chapter Summaries

Isshiki enlarged the Ten-Tails’ true body on the moon and planned to take Shuo’s light. As the Ten-Tails began to emerge, Shuo, Kaguya, and the Fragments prepared to face it, with Kaguya choosing to protect Shuo.

• Isshiki failed to extinguish the golden light pulsing inside his chest and focused on growing the Ten-Tails’ true body.
• Shuo woke to find the moon swollen and cracking, and Kaguya warned that the Ten-Tails would emerge within three days.
• The Fragments admitted they were afraid but gathered in front of Shuo to shield him.
• Shuo declared he would fight to protect the Fragments, and Kaguya stepped in front of him to protect him in turn.
• Shuo and Kaguya shared candies as the enormous, pale Ten-Tails began crawling out of the moon.

After the Ten-Tails emerged from the shattered moon and attacked Konoha, Shuo and the Fragments fought back together. Shuo poured all his light into the Fragments and used it to bring the Ten-Tails down, but collapsed afterward as the monster stirred again.

• The Ten-Tails fell from the broken moon into Konoha and demanded Shuo’s light.
• Shuo blocked two attacks from the Ten-Tails, while the Fragments refused to flee and stood between them.
• Hand Princess Big told Shuo that the Fragments would block for him, and they formed a wall in front of him.
• Shuo gave the Fragments all his light, drew their power into himself, and blasted the Ten-Tails until it fell motionless.
• The Fragments tried to revive the unconscious Shuo with candy, while a pale-gold eye opened on the Ten-Tails and an inky-black shadow writhed inside it.

Shuo woke after nearly dying, then joined forces with the fragments to destroy the Ten-Tails. He collapsed from exhaustion, unaware that a black remnant had awakened with a golden eye and was watching him.

• Kaguya slapped Shuo awake, and he confirmed to the tearful fragments that he was still alive.
• Shuo ate a chestnut candy, shared one with Hand Princess Big, and learned that his own light was gone.
• As the Ten-Tails' black substance crept closer, Shuo asked the fragments to share their light with him, and they filled his palm with golden light.
• Shuo fired a pillar of light into the Ten-Tails, causing its body to explode into black fragments.
• Shuo collapsed, then reassured Hand Princess Big that he was only tired, while an intact black fragment opened a golden eye and watched him.

After three days of recovery, Shuo woke with Isshiki possessing his body, but fought him off and regained control. Shuo revealed that Isshiki had split himself in two, with one half still inside him and the other among the Ten-Tails fragments.

• Sai watched over Shuo as the Fragments waited for him to wake, and he noticed the light in Shuo's palm growing.
• Isshiki awakened in Shuo's body, revealed that he had left part of his soul inside Shuo, and attacked the Fragments.
• Shuo's light flared inside him, forcing Isshiki to release Hand Princess Big as their consciousnesses fought for control.
• Shuo regained control of his body and told the Fragments that Isshiki was still alive inside him.
• Shuo explained that Isshiki had split himself in two, with the other half remaining among the Ten-Tails fragments.

Shuo confronted the Isshiki living inside him and learned that the two were linked by the light within them. He accepted Isshiki as one of the Fragments for now, while Isshiki’s other body watched from afar and planned to merge with him when Shuo died.

• Shuo argued with the black light inside his chest, which claimed his body and asked to taste his candy.
• Isshiki admitted that he had intended to devour Shuo, but said their lights had made them even, then revealed his name.
• Shuo learned that the other Isshiki was the same being and that they would merge when Shuo died.
• Hand Princess Big asked whether Isshiki counted as one of them, and Shuo accepted him into the group for now.
• The other Isshiki watched from the ruins, sensed Shuo eating candy through Shuo’s light, and walked into the darkness.

On the fifth day of sharing Shuo’s body, Isshiki grew comfortable with Shuo and the Fragments, bonding with them over candy. Far away, Isshiki’s other half drew closer, still intent on reuniting with him.

• Isshiki repeatedly asked Shuo for candy, and the two joked and shared a piece.
• The Fragments gathered around the black light in Shuo’s chest, which greeted them and delighted Hand Princess Big.
• Isshiki told Shuo that his other half was waiting outside to merge with him, but he wanted to stay inside for now because it was comfortable and the candy was sweet.
• Isshiki’s other half watched from the shadows, called off their advance, and walked deeper into the darkness with the shadows following.
• Shuo and the Fragments fell asleep as the shadows quietly moved closer, while Isshiki’s other half watched Shuo and whispered that their reunion was near.

Shuo learned that Isshiki's other half was approaching to merge with him, which would make Isshiki complete and kill Shuo. After the two halves recognized that both were real and questioned who would remain after merging, Isshiki left to think about it.

• Shuo learned that Isshiki would reach Konoha's ruins within a day and that merging would cause him to be devoured.
• Shuo and Kaguya went to meet Isshiki's other half before he could destroy the village.
• Shuo's inner voice told Isshiki that it did not want to return, partly because it liked the candy.
• Isshiki surrounded Shuo and the Fragments but did not attack, and Shuo confirmed he had shared his light with them and with Isshiki.
• Shuo asked which half was real and who would remain after they merged, then walked away with Kaguya and the Fragments.
• Isshiki dispersed the shadows and left after saying he would return when he had figured out the answer.

After seven days without Isshiki’s return, Shuo helped the black presence inside him emerge as Little Black, who discovered that candy gave him light. Far away, the other half of Isshiki watched them and chose to wait until he could decide which of them was the real Isshiki.

• Shuo told the voice inside him that Isshiki might still be trying to determine which of them was real.
• Hand Princess Big invited the black presence to come out, and he formed a small figure who called himself Isshiki but said Shuo called him Little Black.
• Little Black asked whether he could have light, and Shuo gave him a chestnut candy to try.
• Little Black absorbed the candy and began to glow faintly, then smiled as the fragments gathered around him.
• The other half of Isshiki watched from the ruins, said he wanted candy too, and withdrew into the darkness to wait while he sought the real Isshiki.

Little Black told Shuo that Isshiki watched them from afar and wanted to come closer. Shuo brought Isshiki into the gathering with the fragments, where candy and Little Black’s welcome helped him join them.

• Little Black spent three days among the fragments and learned that they were happy because Shuo gave them candy and light.
• Little Black told Shuo that his other half, Isshiki, watched them every day and wanted to come over because he had been alone too long.
• Shuo, Kaguya, Little Black, and the fragments approached Isshiki, who revealed himself without his former killing intent.
• Shuo gave Isshiki candy, and Isshiki tasted it and said it was sweet.
• Little Black invited Isshiki to have candy, and Isshiki stepped into the gathering of fragments.

Isshiki bonded with Little Black and the fragments after Shuo gave them his light because they wanted candy. The true Ten-Tails emerged from the destroyed moon, attacked Isshiki, and killed Hand Princess Big, prompting Shuo to order an attack.

• Hand Princess Big and the other fragments gathered around Isshiki, who admitted that the candy was sweet and considered staying with them.
• Little Black explained that Shuo had given Isshiki and the fragments his light, and Shuo said he shared it because they wanted candy.
• The moon exploded, revealing the enormous true Ten-Tails, which Kaguya identified as the source of the new threat.
• The Ten-Tails accused Isshiki of abandoning his mission for candy and fired a black beam at him.
• Hand Princess Big blocked the beam and was killed, so Shuo ordered everyone to attack the Ten-Tails.

The Fragments sacrificed themselves to trap the Ten-Tails in a net of light, and Shuo used their gathered power to destroy it. Shuo collapsed without breathing, while Isshiki believed he would wake because the light still lived in their chests.

• Hand Princess Small and Hand Princess Three attacked the Ten-Tails and were killed, while Hand Princess Four scattered into points of light that damaged its eyes.
• Hand Princess Five joined the points of light into a net that trapped the Ten-Tails, as the smaller Fragments gave themselves to strengthen it.
• Shuo entered the net, absorbed the Fragments' light, and poured it into the Ten-Tails' core, causing the creature to disintegrate into ash.
• Kaguya caught Shuo as he collapsed, and all the Fragments vanished without a trace.
• Isshiki told Little Black that Shuo would wake because the light remained alive in their chests.

Shuo remained unconscious for three days while Kaguya, Isshiki, and Little Black watched over him, and starlike lights inside him revealed that the beings lost in the battle had survived. The true Kaguya Ōtsutsuki said Shuo had become the core of the light and that everything should be over once he woke, leaving everyone waiting beside him.

• Little Black and Isshiki told Kaguya that Shuo's shared light pulsed with his heartbeat and could not be severed.
• Sai brought candy from Miyoko, and Kaguya tried to feed Shuo while Little Black and Isshiki tasted the sweets for him.
• Kaguya noticed the moon had returned to normal and saw white points of light drifting inside Shuo, which Little Black said contained the beings who had survived.
• The true Kaguya Ōtsutsuki arrived, recognized Shuo as the core of the light, and told the others that everything should be over once he woke.
• The true Kaguya Ōtsutsuki left after asking them to tell Shuo that the candy was good, and Kaguya, Isshiki, and Little Black continued watching over him.

Shuo woke after seven days and learned that the lights inside him had become inseparable from his chakra, while Isshiki and Little Black chose not to merge. With the conflict over and Kaguya's original body declaring the enemy had gone home, Shuo led the group away from the ruins, unaware that the brightest light still held an unspoken hope.

• Little Black noticed Shuo stir, and Shuo woke to find tiny lights moving across his palm.
• Shuo learned that the lights had slept inside him for seven days, and Isshiki and Little Black said they had decided not to merge.
• Kaguya's original body explained that the lights inside Shuo and the golden light inside her could no longer be separated from their chakra.
• Kaguya's original body said the fighting was over because the other figure had gone home, and Shuo watched a golden speck disappear over the horizon.
• Shuo stood and led Sai, Isshiki, Little Black, and the Kaguya Fragments across the ruins as the lights followed him.

As Konoha neared the end of its reconstruction, Shuo shared a quiet day with Isshiki, Little Black, and the white fragments as they decided to stay with him. Kaguya left to find her original self, while Isshiki accepted that his shadows would wait for him to die and followed Shuo back to the rebuilt village.

• Hand Princess Big bought fifty orange chestnut candies from Miyoko for Shuo and the other white fragments.
• Isshiki told Shuo that the shadows no longer recognized him and would wait for him to die, while Little Black and Isshiki decided to stay with Shuo.
• Kaguya told Shuo she was leaving to find her original self, and Shuo gave her a candy for the road.
• Shuo asked Sai whether Isshiki and Little Black would stay, and Sai said they were not leaving for now.
• Isshiki approached the shadows, which came to his side and knelt, then followed him back toward Shuo and the rebuilt Konoha.

Konoha recovered from the war, and Shuo lived peacefully with the fragments, Isshiki, and Little Black. Three years later, Shuo returned to Miyoko’s shop and decided to stay, setting off through the village with the fragments following him.

• Konoha finished rebuilding, and its residents grew accustomed to the fragments living among them.
• Miyoko handed out chestnut candies to the fragments, who gathered around her and eagerly shared them.
• Shuo welcomed Little Black and Isshiki inside him, where they joined the white specks of light.
• Three years later, Shuo returned to Miyoko’s shop, and she gave him the 175 candies she had saved for him.
• Shuo decided not to leave again and walked through Konoha with the fragments following him.