Recaps

Akatsuki finalized a plan to lure Itachi and Ryōta apart and ambush them, while Lin Ze investigated the Land of Demons ahead of schedule. Lin Ze concluded that Obito had drawn him away from the coming attacks on the two Uchiha.

• Black Zetsu explained how Madara's Wood Clones would lure Itachi and Ryōta to separate locations, and Akatsuki agreed to attack once the targets split up.
• Deva Path Pain assigned himself, Konan, Black Zetsu, Genbu, and Hiruko to attack Ryōta, while Shinnō, Sasori, White Tiger, and Kisame would attack Itachi with Madara joining them.
• White Tiger and Genbu secretly signaled each other that the plan was proceeding smoothly and that the targets had taken the bait.
• Lin Ze arrived in the Land of Demons three days early and found White Zetsu observers underground but no signs of Akatsuki members.
• Lin Ze determined that Obito had lured him to the Land of Demons to leave Itachi and Ryōta vulnerable to attack.

Lin Ze visited the Shrine Maiden in the Land of Demons, learned that Moryo’s seal remained stable but was slowly weakening, and heard of a mysterious figure with abyssal chakra. At the valley meeting, Obito tried to recruit Lin Ze to the Eye of the Moon Plan, but Lin Ze rejected the dream of Infinite Tsukuyomi again.

• Lin Ze went to the Palace and asked the Shrine Maiden about Moryo, learning that its seal was stable but its power was growing.
• The Shrine Maiden warned Lin Ze that several mysterious people had appeared near the Land of Demons, including one with cold, twisted chakra.
• Lin Ze waited in a border valley while Obito watched from hiding, confirmed Lin Ze was there in person, and sent Black Zetsu a message to act.
• Obito confronted Lin Ze and described the Eye of the Moon Plan, promising that Rei Uesugi could return in its dream world.
• Lin Ze rejected the plan, saying he preferred reality to a dream created by someone else.

Lin Ze rejected Obito’s offer to revive Rei Uesugi in exchange for abandoning Itachi, Ryōta, and Crescent Moon, then used Living Corpse Reincarnation to send his soul toward the Land of Water. Itachi and Ryōta split up to draw out Black Zetsu and Nagato, while Black Zetsu prepared to ambush Ryōta, unaware that Lin Ze’s original body was sealed in Ryōta’s scroll.

• Obito offered to use Rinne Rebirth to revive Rei Uesugi if Lin Ze stopped protecting Itachi, Ryōta, and Crescent Moon, but Lin Ze refused.
• Lin Ze used Reverse Summoning Technique to return to Peach Paradise, then used Living Corpse Reincarnation to send his soul toward the Land of Water.
• Qingtian carried Lin Ze’s abandoned clone away after Lin Ze ordered him to keep it safe and prepare for his summons.
• Itachi and Ryōta reviewed intelligence about the Akatsuki’s locations and split up, with Lin Ze’s original body sealed inside Ryōta’s scroll as part of their trap.
• Black Zetsu learned that Ryōta was heading for an abandoned mine and ordered Nagato, Konan, Genbu, and Hiruko to prepare for the ambush.

Ryōta Uchiha entered the mine and was surrounded by Pain’s forces, while Pain revealed that Lin Ze had been lured away and Itachi was also being targeted. At the southern coast, Itachi arrived to face Sasori, Shinnō, White Tiger, and Kisame, who had agreed not to risk their lives unnecessarily.

• Deva Path Pain, Konan, Genbu, Hiruko, and the other Paths gathered outside the mine as Ryōta approached.
• Obito’s shadow clone confronted Ryōta inside the mine, then Pain’s forces and the clone surrounded him.
• Pain told Ryōta that Lin Ze was in the Land of Demons and that five people were hunting Itachi, then demanded Ryōta surrender his Sharingan.
• Pain’s forces attacked Ryōta after he identified Nagato as the one controlling Pain and mocked their plan.
• White Tiger and Kisame agreed to avoid recklessly risking their lives while waiting for Itachi at the southern coast.
• Itachi arrived at the shoal and found Sasori, Shinnō, White Tiger, and Kisame positioned around him.

Akatsuki launched a coordinated ambush against Itachi, who answered with his enormous Perfect Susanoo. At the northern mining pit, Ryōta summoned the White Snake Sage and Tagitsuhime to face Pain’s forces, while Deva Path Pain targeted him with Banshō Ten’in.

• Sasori, Shinnō, Kisame, and White Tiger attacked Itachi from four directions, but Itachi formed his Perfect Susanoo and challenged them.
• At the northern mining pit, Ryōta assessed Pain’s assembled forces and summoned the White Snake Sage and Tagitsuhime to support him.
• Ryōta sent a communication scroll toward the Land of Demons and warned the Akatsuki that he had requested Lin Ze’s reinforcements.
• Deva Path Pain ordered Genbu, Hiruko, and Konan to fight the two summoned women and declared that he would handle Ryota Uchiha himself.
• Deva Path Pain rose into the air and used Banshō Ten’in on Ryōta.

Ryōta and the White Snake Sage fought the Six Paths of Pain and their allies, while Ryōta’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan clashed with the Rinnegan. The battle remained unresolved, and Genbu and the White Snake Sage continued their staged fight with Genbu pretending to struggle.

• Pain used Banshō Ten'in against Ryōta, who escaped with Divine Crossing and discovered that its range was limited.
• Ryōta defended himself from the Six Paths of Pain with Susanoo and wind techniques as the White Snake Sage attacked Genbu and Hiruko, and Tagitsuhime fought Konan.
• Ryōta summoned his Perfect Susanoo and attacked Pain, but Chibaku Tensei and the Six Paths’ coordinated assault checked his advance.
• Ryōta and the Six Paths of Pain reached a stalemate as Ryōta used his ocular techniques to evade fatal attacks and both sides tried to wear each other down.
• The White Snake Sage overwhelmed Genbu with sage arts, while the two quietly maintained the appearance of a genuine fight; she blasted him into a mountain peak.

Black Zetsu abandoned his suspicions about Genbu and ambushed Ryōta, but Ryōta escaped and trapped him long enough to reveal more of his abilities. Black Zetsu and Deva Path Pain then joined forces against Ryōta, who faced mounting pressure as he waited for Lin Ze.

• Genbu crashed into the mountain where Nagato's real body was hiding, while the White Snake Sage and Tagitsuhime kept the other battles occupied.
• Black Zetsu noticed that Genbu and Hiruko seemed to be holding back, but decided to stop investigating and personally kill Ryōta before Lin Ze arrived.
• Black Zetsu attacked Ryōta from the shadows with All-Killing Ash Bones, but Ryōta escaped using Divine Crossing and trapped him in Thousand-Blade Wind Prison.
• Black Zetsu split into twelve clones, forced open the wind-blade cage, and escaped into the shadows after revealing his Shadow Clone Swarm Assault.
• Black Zetsu and Deva Path Pain agreed to attack Ryōta together, with Pain insisting that he would deliver the final blow.

Ryōta fought Deva Path Pain and Black Zetsu as their coordinated attacks pushed his ocular powers to the limit. While Pain’s Chibaku Tensei formed overhead, Hiruko tried to steal Ryōta’s eyes but was knocked away, leaving Ryōta trapped beneath the enormous rock sphere.

• Deva Path Pain and Black Zetsu coordinated attacks that damaged Susanoo and forced Ryōta to spend his ocular power on defense and recovery.
• Pain used Chibaku Tensei to form a massive gravitational core that locked onto Ryōta and restricted Divine Crossing.
• Hiruko seized the opening to attack Ryōta from behind and tried to steal his eyes.
• Ryōta used Divine Crossing to evade Hiruko’s claw, then struck him with Susanoo and sent him crashing into a cliff.
• Ryōta remained trapped beneath Chibaku Tensei’s enormous expanding ball of rock.

Ryōta and the White Snake Sage countered Nagato’s Chibaku Tensei, and Ryōta summoned Aoda, Manda, and Garaga to help Tagitsuhime overwhelm Konan. The battle continued with Konan trapped between the snakes and Tagitsuhime.

• The White Snake Sage defeated Genbu and returned to help Ryōta as Nagato’s Chibaku Tensei threatened to seal them.
• The White Snake Sage released her summoning to escape the sphere, but its gravity injured her before she returned to Ryūchi Cave.
• Ryōta summoned the White Snake Sage again, then called Aoda, Manda, and Garaga to the battlefield.
• Ryōta ordered the three snakes to help Tagitsuhime defeat Konan.
• Tagitsuhime blocked Konan’s escape while Aoda attacked with water, Manda struck with his tail, and Garaga unleashed poisonous mist.

Black Zetsu used Yomotsu Hirasaka to strike at Ryōta while Pain and the White Snake Sage kept him under pressure. Ryōta survived the attacks, but Black Zetsu continued pursuing him as the battle remained unresolved.

• Black Zetsu realized the Akatsuki had underestimated Ryūchi Cave’s involvement, and Pain sent three Paths to support Konan against the summoned snakes.
• The White Snake Sage used Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation to delay the Paths, while Pain unleashed Super Shinra Tensei and blasted Ryōta and the Sage into a mountainside.
• Black Zetsu opened a Yomotsu Hirasaka rift and attacked Ryōta with All-Killing Ash Bones, disrupting Divine Crossing and grazing his right ear.
• Ryōta used Time-Reversal Trace to heal himself, but Pain immobilized him with Banshō Ten'in and Black Zetsu appeared behind him for another strike.
• Ryōta unleashed Thousand-Blade Wind Prison: Burst, forcing Black Zetsu to withdraw his bone spike, though Black Zetsu appeared satisfied with the result.

Ryōta used a large-scale Time-Reversal Trace to escape Pain’s gravitational trap, but Black Zetsu and Uchiha Hikari combined Kotoamatsukami with Yachihoko to make him forget the technique. Black Zetsu killed Ryōta with All-Killing Ash Bones, leaving Lin Ze’s plan in jeopardy.

• Ryōta reversed the surrounding space to disrupt the gravitational field and escaped with Divine Crossing, exhausting most of his ocular power.
• Black Zetsu ordered Nagato to keep Ryōta suppressed while secretly preparing his final trump card.
• Ryōta resisted Pain’s attacks and chose not to unseal the scroll containing Lin Ze’s soul, waiting to see Black Zetsu’s remaining abilities.
• Pain trapped Ryōta’s weakened Susanoo with Banshō Ten'in and Chibaku Tensei as Black Zetsu revealed Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyō and used Kotoamatsukami.
• Uchiha Hikari marked Ryōta with Yachihoko, allowing Black Zetsu’s Kotoamatsukami to make him forget Time-Reversal Trace.
• Black Zetsu pierced Ryōta’s heart with All-Killing Ash Bones, and Ryōta died after apologizing to Lin Ze.

Black Zetsu killed Ryōta and stole his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, but the White Snake Sage released Lin Ze’s true body from a scroll. Lin Ze confronted Black Zetsu, unleashed his full power, and sent Qingtian and Mountain Lord to fight Uchiha Hikari.

• Uchiha Hikari appeared under Black Zetsu’s control, pierced Ryōta with an All-Killing Ash Bone, and prevented him from using Time-Reversal Trace.
• Black Zetsu removed Ryōta’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and ordered Hikari to cover his retreat with her Perfect Susanoo.
• The White Snake Sage opened Ryōta’s Sealing Scroll, releasing Lin Ze’s true body, and Lin Ze’s soul clone entered it.
• Lin Ze saw Ryōta’s body disintegrate beyond revival and confronted Black Zetsu, who sent twelve shadow clones fleeing in different directions.
• Lin Ze activated Partial Beastification, Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and the Seventh Gate, then summoned Qingtian and Mountain Lord to attack Hikari’s Susanoo.

Lin Ze revealed his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan while chasing Black Zetsu, exposing himself as the long-sought Crescent Moon and disrupting Black Zetsu’s escapes with God Pursuit. After pursuing him across the Land of Water, Lin Ze cornered him on a distant coast.

• Lin Ze activated the Five Cycles True Dragon Sage Art and sent shadow clones after Black Zetsu while he pursued the strongest life force.
• Deva Path Pain tried to retreat with Konan, but the White Snake Sage blocked him, and the battlefield divided into five separate fights.
• Lin Ze caught up to Black Zetsu as he escaped through Yomotsu Hirasaka, and Black Zetsu recognized Lin Ze’s eyes as Crescent Moon’s.
• Black Zetsu used Yin Release: Shadow Substitute and repeatedly opened Yomotsu Hirasaka rifts, but Lin Ze’s God Pursuit destabilized them and continued the chase.
• Black Zetsu emerged on a coast two hundred li north of the battlefield, where Lin Ze crashed down behind him and faced him again.

Lin Ze defeated Black Zetsu after countering his spatial assassination and All-Killing Ash Bones with temporal abilities. He destroyed Black Zetsu’s life core, recovered Ryōta’s Eternal Eyes, and incinerated the remains with Bolo Breath.

• Black Zetsu tried to bargain with Lin Ze, then attacked with Shadow Swamp and twelve Shadow Clones, but Lin Ze dispersed them and found his real body.
• Black Zetsu used Yomotsu Hirasaka to send an All-Killing Ash Bone toward Lin Ze, whose temporal barrier delayed it before it grazed his shoulder.
• Lin Ze used Divine Healing: Rewind to restore his wound and return to peak condition, leaving Black Zetsu shocked that his final attack had failed.
• Lin Ze pierced Black Zetsu’s chest, removed his life core, and burned it away with Dragon Flame.
• Lin Ze retrieved Ryōta’s Eternal Eyes from Black Zetsu’s disintegrating body and incinerated the remains with Bolo Breath.

Lin Ze destroyed the coastline to ensure Black Zetsu was dead, then headed for the southern mining pit to avenge Ryōta. Meanwhile, his Genbu clone infiltrated Nagato’s mountain hideout, stole one of his Rinnegan, and confronted him about the Akatsuki’s goals.

• Lin Ze transformed into an azure dragon and obliterated the coast with lightning and flames, leaving fishermen, villagers, and Iwagakure ANBU terrified.
• Lin Ze concluded that Black Zetsu’s true body had died, then vanished toward the southern mining pit to face Nagato and Uchiha Hikari and avenge Ryōta.
• Genbu revealed that he had feigned severe injuries to reach Nagato’s hidden mountain lair, then activated Sage Mode and tracked Nagato’s real body.
• Genbu ambushed Nagato and gouged out his right Rinnegan, breaking his control over the Six Paths.
• Nagato accused Genbu of betraying the Akatsuki to obtain the Rinnegan, and Genbu said its members pursued their own desires rather than genuine peace.

Nagato and Konan escaped Genbu’s assault, but Hiruko intercepted them as they fled, coveting Nagato’s remaining Rinnegan. The chapter ended with the injured pair facing another threat.

• Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and used his Paths and summoned beasts to cover his retreat from Genbu and the White Snake Sage.
• Konan carried Nagato out of the cavern while Deva Path Pain stayed behind to hold Genbu off.
• Konan flew toward the Land of Rain with Nagato, who continued controlling the distant Six Paths of Pain despite his injuries.
• Hiruko emerged from the forest beneath them and revealed that he wanted Nagato’s remaining Rinnegan.

Nagato and Konan escaped after Nagato defeated Hiruko, while Lin Ze and his allies subdued Uchiha Hikari and drove off Nagato’s forces. The chapter ended with Lin Ze taking Hikari and the captured Pain bodies back, while Hiruko survived to be used for research.

• Nagato repelled Hiruko with Shinra Tensei, then pulled him close with Banshō Ten'in and struck him unconscious before leaving with Konan.
• Lin Ze returned to the Mine Pit and helped Qingtian and Mountain Lord defeat Uchiha Hikari, capturing her with the Four Symbols Seal.
• Lin Ze learned that the White Snake Sage and Tagitsuhime had defeated the Five Paths of Pain, but Nagato and Konan had escaped using Space-Time Ninjutsu.
• Genbu reported that Deva Path Pain had delayed him and that he had found Hiruko gravely wounded, then treated him to keep him alive.
• Lin Ze decided to take Uchiha Hikari back to Dragon Release Village and keep her under watch while they sought a way to undo Kotoamatsukami.

Lin Ze mourned Ryōta’s death but considered using the Ryūmyaku to travel through time and save him. At the Coastal Cliff, Itachi and the three Snake Princesses defeated Sasori and Shinnō after Kisame and White Tiger fled.

• Lin Ze found only Ryōta’s ashes and resolved to investigate the Ryūmyaku at the Rōran Ruins for a way to save him.
• Itachi summoned Ichikishimahime, Tashihime, and Hagoromo-hime to join his battle against Sasori, Shinnō, Kisame, and White Tiger.
• The three Snake Princesses attacked Sasori and Shinnō with senjutsu while Kisame and White Tiger secretly prepared to withdraw.
• Kisame and White Tiger used their attacks to obscure their retreat, and Itachi let them escape while blocking Sasori and Shinnō’s path.
• Itachi’s Divine Punishment froze Sasori and Shinnō, allowing his Totsuka Blade and the Snake Princesses’ attacks to kill them.

After Ryōta died, Itachi and Lin Ze prepared to hunt Obito while Kabuto studied the Rinnegan. Lin Ze sensed that Ryōta’s Time-Reversal Trace might fuse with his own time-based ocular techniques, and considered whether the abilities could stack.

• Obito found traces of Sasori and Shinnō’s deaths at the coastal battlefield and rushed north, fearing Black Zetsu and Nagato were in danger.
• Itachi learned that Ryōta could not be resurrected through ordinary means and vowed to kill Obito for orchestrating the Uchiha Clan Massacre.
• Lin Ze ordered the White Snake Sage to use Ryūchi Cave’s Snake Network to search for Obito, while Itachi returned to Dragon Release Village.
• Kabuto continued studying the Rinnegan, and Lin Ze said he would take Nagato’s remaining eye and expected his own eyes to evolve into the Rinnegan in about ten years.
• Lin Ze examined Ryōta’s Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and realized that its Time-Reversal Trace might stack or fuse with his own time-based ocular techniques.

Lin Ze postponed fusing Ryōta’s Eternal Eyes until his own eyes evolved into the Rinnegan, then prepared to leave his body and take on Lightning Release: Kirin. After the battle in the Land of Water, Obito searched for Nagato and Black Zetsu, while Nagato recovered with Konan and Black Zetsu’s clone awakened in the Land of Snow, realizing his original body had died.

• Lin Ze sealed away Ryōta’s Eternal Eyes until his own eyes evolved into the Rinnegan, then entered a life-support apparatus and prepared to use Lightning Release: Kirin.
• Obito found the northern battlefield devastated and empty, recognized traces of Lin Ze’s presence, and worried that the Akatsuki had a spy.
• Obito disappeared from Amegakure to find Nagato and Black Zetsu and confirm their condition.
• Konan treated Nagato’s wounds in a cave, and Nagato said losing one Rinnegan had allowed his Uzumaki vitality to repair his body.
• Nagato sensed someone approaching and prepared to respond.
• Black Zetsu’s clone awakened in the Land of Snow, discovered that his original body had died, and found his memories ended when he had left the clone behind.

Obito, Nagato, Konan, and Black Zetsu regrouped in the Land of Rain and compared accounts of their disastrous operation against Lin Ze and Dragon Release Village. They blamed Genbu for betraying them, then agreed to suspend the Eye of the Moon Plan while they recovered, gathered intelligence, and recruited new members.

• Black Zetsu's surviving clone headed for the Land of Rain after discovering that his original body had died and Uchiha Hikari had disappeared.
• Obito, Nagato, Konan, and Black Zetsu met at an underground base and recounted their losses, including the destruction of the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato's lost eye, and the deaths of Sasori and Shinnō.
• White Tiger and Kisame arrived and claimed they had escaped the southern battlefield after fighting Uchiha Itachi and three Snake Princesses from Ryūchi Cave.
• Nagato, Obito, Konan, and Black Zetsu concluded that Genbu was the likely spy, while Hiruko had escaped badly injured.
• Black Zetsu warned that Lin Ze knew too much about their plans and urged the group to rethink its strategy.
• Obito ordered the members to split up, gather intelligence, and recruit powerful people while putting the Eye of the Moon Plan on hold.

Black Zetsu persuaded Obito to continue the Eye of the Moon Plan while secretly planning to survive by hiding until Lin Ze died. Meanwhile, White Tiger and Kisame discussed whether the Akatsuki was still worth serving, and the chapter ended with Kisame questioning his faith in the plan.

• Black Zetsu told Obito to keep Nagato as the Rinnegan's vessel and proposed using Impure World Reincarnation to bring back Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju if needed.
• Obito agreed to avoid confronting Lin Ze and to keep gathering intelligence while Black Zetsu handled Nagato and the resurrection plan.
• After Obito left, Black Zetsu resolved to let Obito and Nagato fight Lin Ze while he stayed hidden and waited for another chance to rescue Kaguya.
• White Tiger and Kisame met in an abandoned mine, where Kisame questioned whether the Akatsuki was worth remaining in after its devastating losses.
• White Tiger asked whether Kisame still believed Madara and Nagato could fulfill the Eye of the Moon Plan, and Kisame fell silent.

White Tiger urged Kisame to remain with the weakened Akatsuki and hinted that Lin Ze might value Kisame’s talent more than Samehada. At the underground laboratory, Lin Ze learned that Black Zetsu had survived and prepared to continue his research while Uchiha Hikari remained sealed in life support.

• White Tiger told Kisame that he could stay in the Akatsuki, observe, and choose again later, while suggesting Lin Ze valued the person wielding Samehada more than the blade.
• Kisame left with White Tiger and reflected on his place in a world where Uchiha Itachi and Lin Ze had grown so powerful.
• Lin Ze placed the sleeping Uchiha Hikari in a sealed life-support device, deciding he would have to wait ten years for Shisui’s eyes to recover enough to undo Kotoamatsukami.
• Chinchilla delivered White Tiger’s scroll, and Lin Ze and Kabuto learned that Black Zetsu had survived their efforts.
• Lin Ze accepted that Black Zetsu had likely used a survival technique, paid Chinchilla for the message, and watched him disappear in a puff of smoke.

After learning that Black Zetsu had survived, Lin Ze warned Kabuto and continued the experiments; five days later, news of Lin Ze’s destructive battle spread through the Shinobi World. Tsunade prepared to establish diplomatic relations with the Dragon Release Village, while Ōnoki and Roshi received reports of the Susanoo sightings.

• Lin Ze told Kabuto to stay within the Dragon Release Village, protect those close to him, and research the Rinnegan cautiously while Lin Ze handled Black Zetsu.
• Five days later, reports of Lin Ze’s immense Azure Dragon form and the devastation in the Land of Water reached the major Ninja Villages.
• Tsunade ordered Jiraiya to lead a delegation to establish relations with the Dragon Release Village, accompanied by Lin Ze’s former ANBU teammates and carrying part of Konoha’s Scroll of Seals.
• Tsunade also asked Jiraiya to privately find out whether Lin Ze would help Konoha in a crisis.
• In Iwagakure, Ōnoki and Roshi received intelligence about Lin Ze’s battle and reports of two Susanoo in the north and an orange Susanoo in the south, believed to be Uchiha Itachi.

Ōnoki and Rasa reacted to Lin Ze’s return by strengthening their villages and seeking ties with Dragon Release Village. Mei Terumi ordered Kirigakure to surrender the surviving ninja responsible for destroying Lin Ze’s village, leaving Ao uneasy about the decision.

• Ōnoki ordered Roshi and Han to stay close to Iwagakure, increased ninja training, accelerated Chakra Cannon research, and sent a respectful delegation to Dragon Release Village.
• Ōnoki told Roshi he was preparing to protect Iwagakure and preserve its legacy as the old balance of power broke down.
• Rasa decided Lin Ze’s return could benefit Sunagakure because it had established diplomatic ties with Dragon Release Village early, and he ordered a delegation so he could meet Lin Ze himself.
• Mei Terumi reviewed records showing Kirigakure ANBU had destroyed Lin Ze’s village of Uzumaki survivors and ordered Ao to capture the surviving participants and send them to Dragon Release Village.
• Ao questioned whether Kirigakure should hand over its own ninja for an operation conducted more than ten years earlier.