Recaps

Senju Chen learned that Obito was burning settlements in the Land of Rain to draw out Nagato and seize his Rinnegan. After explaining Obito’s goal and warning that none of them could defeat him directly, Chen proposed using Nagato as bait.

• Senju Chen ordered White Zetsu to keep production going and ignore Obito and Black Zetsu, who had discovered traces of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Three days later, Senju Chen received Hatake Sakumo’s report that six settlements in the Land of Rain had been burned, with the Akatsuki’s symbol left at each site.
• Senju Chen showed Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan the casualties, prompting Yahiko to demand that they return and stop the attacks.
• Senju Chen explained that Obito wanted Nagato’s Rinnegan to control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and was massacring civilians to lure him out.
• Senju Chen warned that Obito’s Space-Time Ninjutsu made him too dangerous to confront directly, then said they would give Obito Nagato.

Senju Chen explained that Nagato’s Rinnegan could be used by anyone and that their enemy was trying to force Nagato to surrender them. He proposed using a Yahiko-shaped puppet controlled by Nagato as bait, but his call to research Nagato’s eyes alarmed the others.

• Senju Chen showed Nagato a detailed drawing of his Rinnegan and explained that the enemy regarded him as a vessel for the eyes’ power.
• Senju Chen warned that the enemy was provoking Nagato by attacking villages and could steal his eyes if Nagato refused to cooperate.
• Senju Chen suggested making the enemy believe Yahiko had returned as Nagato’s puppet, so they could lure the enemy without risking Yahiko’s life.
• Nagato agreed to control a puppet made to look like Yahiko, and Senju Chen said the plan required research on Nagato’s eyes.
• Yahiko asked whether Senju Chen meant cutting Nagato’s eyes apart, leaving Senju Chen speechless.

Senju Chen proposed recording the Rinnegan’s chakra waveform to reproduce its access to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, rather than trying to replicate the eyes themselves. Sasori began building a shielded collection array, while Orochimaru ended by questioning why the Rinnegan had appeared in Nagato.

• Senju Chen, Orochimaru, and Sasori discussed why the Rinnegan could not be replicated as an ordinary ocular jutsu or organ.
• Orochimaru explained that the Rinnegan acted as an access privilege, and Sasori said his artificial eyes could not reproduce its authentication.
• Senju Chen proposed recording the Rinnegan’s layered chakra waveform so White Zetsu puppet cores could imitate the sequence recognized by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Senju Chen requested a shielded, six-layer collection array, and Sasori agreed to build it in three days.
• Orochimaru asked Senju Chen why the Rinnegan had grown in Nagato.

Senju Chen explained that he wanted to study Nagato’s eyes both to protect against whoever might try to reclaim them and to learn how they controlled the taboo being behind his research. Nagato agreed to cooperate, hoping the research would protect the Land of Rain and Akatsuki from threats, and Senju Chen was struck by the change in Nagato’s outlook.

• Senju Chen recalled telling Orochimaru that Nagato’s eyes seemed deliberately placed in his possession, but he could not explain that he knew Madara Uchiha had transplanted them.
• Senju Chen asked Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko to sit down and assured them the study would involve blood draws and injections, but would not harm Nagato or his eyes.
• Nagato asked whether Senju Chen wanted to study his eyes for the plan or for another reason, and Senju Chen admitted he wanted to understand their control over the taboo being and copy some of their functions.
• Konan asked whether the research would hurt Nagato, and Senju Chen said it might cause mental fatigue but would otherwise be harmless.
• Nagato agreed to the research, telling Yahiko that he would rather seek a way to protect Akatsuki and the Land of Rain than wait for someone to take his eyes or use them to threaten people.
• Senju Chen saw a new sense of purpose in Nagato and reflected that people feared suffering most when no one could see or shoulder it.

Senju Chen and Sasori tested whether Nagato could summon a small piece of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path through the Soul Conversion Device. Nagato summoned a black rod, but the puppet he controlled began melting, leaving the experiment's outcome uncertain.

• Senju Chen explained the summoning procedure and warned Nagato not to exhaust his mental energy.
• Nagato activated the technique, and the sensing crystals recorded a signal that Senju Chen felt travel toward the Land of Fire.
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path answered, and Nagato summoned a black rod inside the array.
• Nagato's puppet began melting before Sasori could finish reporting the recorded waveform, and Nagato's head dissolved as he asked Senju Chen what was happening.

Senju Chen discovered that Nagato’s Rinnegan could summon White Zetsu back to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, making Nagato the hidden weakness in Chen’s puppet system. Chen chose to tell Nagato the truth, leaving the consequences of that revelation unresolved.

• Senju Chen and Orochimaru observed that the dissolved White Zetsu Puppet’s slime kept moving southwest toward the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Senju Chen concluded that Nagato’s eyes had issued a command that caused the puppet to willingly return to its parent body.
• Sasori suggested killing Nagato or taking his eyes to eliminate the threat, but Senju Chen decided to tell Nagato what had happened.
• Senju Chen carried the summoned black rod to Nagato in the soul deep-dive laboratory and explained that the puppet had returned rather than broken.
• Senju Chen told Nagato that his eyes could call back every White Zetsu-derived creation in the base, making Nagato the nemesis of more than thirty thousand puppets.

Senju Chen and Nagato continued experiments to learn the Rinnegan’s abilities and determine whether they could recall the White Zetsu Puppets. The tests suggested that only summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path triggered a recall, though Sasori warned that Nagato had not tested the effects of destroying the mountain.

• Senju Chen explained that the Rinnegan could forcibly recall every White Zetsu Puppet and said the experiments needed to continue to protect the base.
• Nagato agreed to cooperate and sensed that the black rod transmitted energy through a connection to his Rinnegan.
• Over the next dozen experiments, Nagato tested the Rinnegan’s abilities while Senju Chen and Sasori monitored the risks and recorded their effects.
• Nagato’s sealing formula briefly disabled the laboratory’s formations, so Senju Chen cut the power and ejected him from the converter.
• After the thirteenth experiment, Sasori concluded that only summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had triggered a White Zetsu recall, but noted that Nagato had not tested blowing up the mountain.

Yahiko returned to Amegakure and addressed the people gathered outside Hanzo’s former residence, promising that Akatsuki would govern differently and work to rebuild the Land of Rain. The chapter ended with him promising a grieving boy that Akatsuki would remember his dead sister and rebuild her village.

• Yahiko emerged at Hanzo’s former residence as the crowd celebrated his return, while Konan watched through a White Zetsu Puppet.
• Yahiko said his comrades had saved him and confirmed that Hanzo was dead, but warned that Hanzo’s death would not solve the Land of Rain’s suffering.
• Yahiko promised that Akatsuki would manage Amegakure’s resources, take a census, distribute farmland, and let people remain even if they did not join.
• A boy told Yahiko that his sister Ari had died when Obito burned their village, Shimoyodo.
• Yahiko promised to find Shimoyodo’s survivors, rebuild the village, and erect memorials for the dead, then told the boy he would not die again.

Nagato, disguised as Yahiko, used a speech to announce the Akatsuki leader’s return and draw out the enemy while the Akatsuki prepared to protect the Land of Rain. After Kakuzu and Hatake Sakumo reported the masked enemy’s latest attacks, Nagato and his allies planned a grand show to counter him.

• Nagato, disguised as Yahiko, gave a speech that moved the crowd and spread word that Yahiko had returned to the Akatsuki headquarters.
• Nagato and Konan identified two suspicious observers from the crowd but chose not to confront them because they did not know whether they were enemies.
• Kakuzu and Hatake Sakumo returned and reported that the masked enemy had appeared at several settlements, leaving Akatsuki symbols behind but causing no civilian casualties this time.
• Nagato explained that the fake Yahiko was bait intended to make the enemy believe Nagato was nearby and expose himself while trying to steal the Rinnegan.
• Kakuzu warned that the enemy might use people across the Land of Rain as hostages, and Nagato revealed that Senju Chen had planned a grand show to stop him.

Nagato, posing as Yahiko, waited with Konan for the masked man who wanted his Rinnegan. When Obito appeared, Yahiko’s Rinnegan and Black Rod stunned him, and the confrontation turned violent.

• Obito learned that Yahiko had resurfaced and wondered whether Nagato had died using Rinne Rebirth.
• Nagato and Konan prepared at Hanzō’s former residence, expecting the masked man to seek the Rinnegan.
• Obito appeared at the long table and froze when he saw Yahiko’s face bearing the Rinnegan.
• Konan attacked with paper while Nagato used Shinra Tensei, but Obito let both attacks pass through him.
• Nagato produced a Black Rod, and Obito realized that Yahiko had connected to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Obito confronted Nagato and Konan, claiming to be Madara Uchiha and offering them power in exchange for joining his plan for peace. Nagato rejected him, and Obito ended by asking who had brought him back to life.

• Nagato and Konan stopped attacking Obito after their attempts failed, following Senju Chen's instructions.
• Obito introduced himself as Madara Uchiha and argued that the Shinobi World needed to be remade to achieve peace.
• Konan accused Obito of killing more than seven hundred people in six villages, and Obito claimed they were remnants of Hanzō's forces.
• Nagato challenged Obito's justification for killing civilians and refused his offer of power and control.
• Obito suspected Senju Chen was involved and asked who had brought Nagato back to life.

Nagato and Konan used Senju Chen’s plan to mislead Obito while investigating his claims about Shimoyodo. Obito believed Yahiko was wavering toward an alliance, while Yahiko vowed to kill him himself.

• Nagato told Obito he rejected his offer because he could not accept it, and Obito left after promising to return.
• Nagato and Konan discussed whether Obito was truly Madara Uchiha and decided to investigate the forged list of enemies.
• After returning from the soul deep-dive pod, Yahiko grew furious over the deaths in Shimoyodo and vowed to kill Obito.
• Senju Chen explained that Obito was likely watching them and told the group to continue their usual work while keeping up the appearance of uncertainty.
• Black Zetsu reported Yahiko and Konan’s conversation to Obito, who concluded Yahiko was considering an alliance and wondered why the Rinnegan was on his face.

Obito and Black Zetsu concluded that Nagato was controlling Yahiko’s corpse as a puppet to preserve the Akatsuki’s stability, so Obito decided to postpone taking the Rinnegan and win Nagato over. Doubting Nagato was behind the Demonic Statue’s activity, Obito returned to Kirigakure to investigate who was pulling the strings behind Kirisame Ryo and the Twins Organization.

• Black Zetsu told Obito that Yahiko’s body was covered in black rods, did not breathe, and was being controlled through the Rinnegan.
• Obito concluded that Nagato had turned Yahiko’s corpse into a puppet to keep the Akatsuki’s leader alive and prevent the Land of Rain from collapsing into conflict.
• Obito decided not to take Nagato’s eyes yet, planning to offer him peace and power so he would eventually help collect the tailed beasts.
• Black Zetsu raised the possibility that someone other than Nagato was using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, prompting Obito to reconsider who was behind its activity.
• Obito ordered Black Zetsu to return with him to Kirigakure and investigate the people behind Kirisame Ryo and the Twins Organization.

After Hanzo of the Salamander died and Akatsuki took control of the Land of Rain, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure each made plans to influence the new regime. The chapter ended as Konoha's senior officials debated how to keep the Land of Rain from falling under another nation's control.

• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to open caravan routes into the Land of Rain and use its agents to infiltrate Akatsuki.
• Chiyo urged Rasa to contact Akatsuki directly and offer supplies and support rather than try to suppress it.
• A learned that a silver-haired fighter resembling the dead Hatake Sakumo had defeated Hanzo of the Salamander and suspected Konoha was behind Akatsuki.
• A ordered Kumogakure to monitor Akatsuki and stir unrest in the Land of Rain to distract Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure.
• Konoha's senior officials argued over the Land of Rain, with one insisting it must never fall into another nation's hands.

Konoha assigned Senju Chen to negotiate with the Akatsuki organization in the Land of Rain, unaware that he was already its leader. Meanwhile, Senju Chen arranged for Kirigakure to send Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara to the Land of Rain as well.

• Konoha's leaders debated whether to recognize the Akatsuki organization's control of the Land of Rain, and Senju Chen bluntly suggested replacing its leader if necessary.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi chose Senju Chen to represent Konoha in negotiations because he believed Chen had ties to the Akatsuki organization, and Chen agreed to go.
• Senju Chen sent Kakuzu a message telling the Akatsuki to prepare a banquet for Konoha's envoy, and Hatake Sakumo explained that Chen meant himself.
• In Kirigakure, Senju Chen told Rin Nohara to summon Mei Terumi and ordered Mei and Rin to lead a team to the Land of Rain.

Senju Chen sent Rin Nohara with Mei Terumi’s diplomatic delegation to the Land of Rain, hoping Obito Uchiha would discover that Rin was alive. Meanwhile, Obito investigated Kirisame Ryo’s spotless past and noticed Kirigakure’s delegation had arrived, though he had not identified Rin.

• Senju Chen told Rin Nohara she would accompany Mei Terumi to the Land of Rain as his external adviser, secretly hoping Obito would see that she was alive and well.
• Obito Uchiha arrived in the Land of Water and questioned Black Zetsu about Kirisame Ryo, the Twins Organization, and the White Zetsu-like bodies from Kirigakure’s coup.
• A week later, Mei Terumi and the disguised Rin Nohara arrived in the Land of Rain, where Kakuzu received the delegation.
• Obito investigated Kirisame Ryo’s old records but found only evidence of an unremarkable past, which made him suspect the records concealed something.
• Black Zetsu told Obito that Kirigakure’s delegation was led by two women, one of whom was disguised, leaving Rin’s identity unknown to him.

Senju Chen persuaded Jiraiya to accompany him and Anko and Yamato on a diplomatic mission to the Land of Rain, where the Akatsuki now held power. Jiraiya realized Chen might be hinting at threats beyond diplomacy, but resolved to protect Tsunade’s brother.

• Senju Chen convinced Jiraiya to join the delegation by appealing to his interest in gathering material in the Land of Rain.
• Senju Chen, Jiraiya, Anko, and Yamato set out from Konoha, and Senju Chen explained that they would negotiate with the Akatsuki.
• Jiraiya recognized the Akatsuki leader as Yahiko, one of the Rain children he had once taught.
• Senju Chen asked Jiraiya whether peaceful ideals could survive interference from other countries, making Jiraiya suspect the mission had hidden dangers.
• At an inn, Jiraiya worried about Senju Chen’s true purpose and resolved to keep him safe.

Senju Chen questioned Jiraiya about Senjutsu and learned that Jiraiya could take him to Mount Myōboku after their mission. The Konoha delegation reached the Land of Rain and received permission from Akatsuki’s leader to enter, bringing Senju Chen closer to meeting the people involved in his plans.

• Senju Chen distracted Jiraiya from describing his novel by asking about Senjutsu and learned about sage lands, natural energy, and the risks of Sage Mode training.
• Jiraiya offered to take Senju Chen to meet the Great Toad Sage after the mission, and Senju Chen claimed he was only at elite jonin level.
• Jiraiya led the delegation to the Land of Rain border, where an Amegakure guard contacted his superiors for permission to admit them.
• The guard received approval from Akatsuki’s leader and escorted the Konoha delegation into the Land of Rain.

Senju Chen, Jiraiya, Anko, and Yamato arrived in the Land of Rain to find Akatsuki had arranged an extravagant welcome for the Konoha delegation. As Kakuzu led them along the red carpet, members of other countries’ delegations watched, and Chen noticed Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara among them.

• Senju Chen and the others traveled through the rain toward Hanzo of the Salamander’s former residence, where Nagato and the others had prepared a reception.
• More than three hundred Akatsuki members lined a red carpet and shouted a synchronized welcome, startling Jiraiya, Anko, and Yamato.
• Kakuzu formally greeted Jiraiya and Senju Chen and led the Konoha delegation toward a welcoming banquet.
• As the group walked the carpet, Senju Chen spotted Iwagakure and Sunagakure delegates watching from an alley, along with Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara at a tea stall.
• Yamato noted that the other countries had received far smaller welcomes, while the Konoha delegation had been given a red carpet and hundreds of greeters.

The Konoha delegation met Akatsuki leader "Yahiko," whose face was familiar to Jiraiya but whose eyes were Nagato’s Rinnegan. As Jiraiya struggled to understand the reunion, Iwagakure’s representative grew angry over his delegation’s poor lodging and went to confront Akatsuki.

• Kakuzu welcomed Jiraiya and Senju Chen to the residence and quietly asked Senju Chen to reimburse him for the show.
• Jiraiya saw Akatsuki leader "Yahiko" and recognized Nagato’s Rinnegan in Yahiko’s face.
• "Yahiko" welcomed Jiraiya and Senju Chen, then arranged comfortable guest quarters for the Konoha delegation.
• Jiraiya privately concluded that Nagato might have given his eyes to Yahiko before dying, but he remained unable to ask him about it.
• Tsuchiishi learned that Konoha had received Hanzō’s luxurious private residence while Iwagakure had cramped, shabby rooms.
• Tsuchiishi left the Iwagakure quarters to demand an explanation from Akatsuki.

Kakuzu explained Akatsuki’s lodging fees to an angry Iwagakure representative while other delegations interpreted Konoha’s special welcome as evidence of its influence in the Land of Rain. The chapter ended with Senju Chen, Anko, and Yamato heading to the banquet with a visibly troubled Jiraiya.

• Tsuchiishi confronted Kakuzu over Iwagakure’s cramped room, but Kakuzu said better accommodations cost extra and that Konoha’s free east-courtyard lodging was ordered by Akatsuki’s leader.
• A Sunagakure captain learned that Jiraiya led Konoha’s delegation and told Lord Kazekage that Konoha’s influence in the Land of Rain was greater than expected.
• A Kumogakure captain sent Lord Raikage an exaggerated report claiming Akatsuki had a close relationship with Konoha and recommending a reassessment of strategy.
• Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara discussed how Senju Chen’s welcome had made the other villages think the Land of Rain was aligned with Konoha.
• Senju Chen, Anko, and Yamato invited Jiraiya to the banquet, noticing that his usual smile was gone.

At the banquet, “Yahiko” publicly credited Jiraiya and declared Konoha the Akatsuki’s most important ally, prompting other nations to suspect Konoha secretly controlled the Land of Rain. Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara recognized Senju Chen’s deception, while the other delegations planned to report their conclusions to their villages.

• “Yahiko” welcomed the delegations and described the Land of Rain’s suffering through the wars.
• “Yahiko” thanked Jiraiya in public and claimed Konoha’s teachings had shaped the Akatsuki.
• “Yahiko” declared Konoha the Akatsuki’s most important ally, alarming Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kumogakure.
• Tsuchiishi sent a messenger to report the apparent Konoha-Akatsuki connection to Iwagakure.
• The Sunagakure and Kumogakure representatives concluded Konoha had secretly built influence over the Land of Rain.
• Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara realized Senju Chen had engineered the misunderstanding and believed Konoha would accept the resulting political advantage.

Yahiko presented the Land of Rain’s neutrality and tax-free trade plan, while the other nations mistook Senju Chen’s improvised scheme for Konoha’s decades-long strategy. The chapter ended with Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara laughing at the delegations’ awe, knowing the truth about Chen’s role.

• Yahiko thanked Konoha and Jiraiya for their past support, leaving Jiraiya bewildered as Senju Chen decided to let the misunderstanding continue.
• Yahiko declared that the Land of Rain would remain neutral and open trade routes to every nation.
• Yahiko promised ten years of tax-free trade and armed escorts for merchant caravans, prompting strong interest from the Kumogakure and Sunagakure captains.
• The Sunagakure captain interpreted the trade policy as part of Konoha’s twenty-year plan, and Tsuchiishi sent that assessment to Iwagakure’s leadership.
• The Kumogakure captain urged Lord Raikage to reassess the Land of Rain, while Mei Terumi and Rin Nohara laughed over the delegations’ mistaken belief in Konoha’s master strategy.

After learning that Jiraiya’s disciples controlled the Land of Rain, the other great villages reconsidered their plans and recognized Konoha’s growing influence. Senju Chen returned to his quarters with Anko, suspecting Jiraiya had gone to question Nagato about the Rinnegan.

• Ōnoki suspected Konoha had engineered Hanzō’s death and ordered Iwagakure to investigate Konoha’s influence while canceling an operation against a Rain Country caravan.
• Rasa decided Sunagakure should preserve its alliance with Konoha, strengthen trade, and withdraw planned support for rebels in the Land of Rain.
• Raikage A ordered an investigation into Konoha’s movements in the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost and moved Kumogakure’s planned secret base elsewhere.
• Senju Chen returned from the banquet with Anko and Yamato, and Anko happily hurried ahead after he promised to take her shopping the next day.
• Senju Chen guessed that Jiraiya had gone to find Nagato and the others to learn why Yahiko had suddenly appeared with the Rinnegan.

Jiraiya met with the Akatsuki’s supposed leader, “Yahiko,” and heard how the group had overthrown Hanzo of the Salamander and taken power in the Land of Rain. He learned that “Yahiko” was actually Nagato controlling a puppet, while the real Yahiko recovered from his injuries, and left reassured that all three students were alive; Senju Chen then reflected on how the nations would respond.

• Jiraiya apologized for leaving his students in the Land of Rain, and “Yahiko” and Konan recounted how the Akatsuki had grown and defeated Hanzo of the Salamander.
• Yahiko explained that the Land of Rain needed an ally and that the Akatsuki had chosen Konoha, while Konan reaffirmed their commitment to peace.
• Jiraiya asked about Nagato, and Nagato revealed himself by changing the puppet’s face from “Yahiko” to his own.
• Konan explained that the real Yahiko had been badly injured and was recovering, and Jiraiya rejoiced that all three students were alive.
• Jiraiya left after asking to see Yahiko when he recovered, then told Senju Chen that the conversation had gone well.
• Senju Chen watched the rain and considered how the nations of the Shinobi World would react to the situation in the Land of Rain.