Chapter Summaries

Kurama Yakumo refused Sasori’s offer to become his disciple, saying she would rather learn from Senju Chen, while Sasori completed a puppet capable of activating all Eight Gates. After the puppet survived Might Guy’s Eight Gates test but was destroyed by Night Guy, Sasori accepted the experiment as a success and vowed to keep pursuing Yakumo as a student.

• Kurama Yakumo declined Sasori’s offer because she already had Kurenai Yuhi as her teacher and said she would rather become Senju Chen’s disciple.
• Sasori finished a redesigned Eight Gates puppet, and Might Guy opened the first seven gates without damaging it.
• Might Guy opened the Eighth Gate and used Night Guy, destroying the puppet but surviving inside the Soul Conversion Device.
• Senju Chen praised the experiment as a success, and Sasori planned further tests to measure how long the puppet could withstand each gate.
• Sasori declared that he would not give up on Kurama Yakumo, and Senju Chen warned that Orochimaru might also want her as a disciple.

Senju Chen trained Nagato and accepted Kurama Yakumo as his first formal disciple, while Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan prepared to grow strong enough to stand beside him. A week later, Might Guy and Zabuza Momochi began a test fight at the base, with Zabuza shrouding the training ground in mist.

• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan discussed the base’s strength and resolved to become strong enough to stand beside Senju Chen.
• Senju Chen gave Nagato six enhanced White Zetsu Puppets and explained that he needed allies to help build a new world.
• Kurama Yakumo asked Senju Chen to teach her, and he accepted her as his first formal disciple while encouraging her to study under his teacher and Sasori as well.
• A week later, Zabuza Momochi returned to the base and volunteered to test Might Guy’s upgraded Eight Gates Released Formation puppet in a sparring match.
• Zabuza Momochi opened the fight with the Hidden Mist Technique, concealing the training ground.

Might Guy used his silver-white puppet to fight Zabuza in a mist-filled training ground, opening six of the Eight Gates and overwhelming Zabuza’s White Zetsu body. Zabuza surrendered, while Nagato judged that Guy’s puppet had become too fast for human consciousness to follow.

• Zabuza used the Hidden Mist Technique and Silent Killing Technique to injure Guy’s puppet and disable its right arm.
• Guy repaired the puppet’s arm and opened the first three gates, then sent Zabuza’s puppet crashing into the arena wall.
• Zabuza’s puppet recovered with the Mayfly Technique and attacked with Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet, but Guy opened the fourth and fifth gates and shattered its body.
• Guy opened the sixth gate and repeatedly struck Zabuza’s puppet faster than Zabuza could react, forcing it to disperse and reform again and again.
• Nagato explained that Guy’s puppet’s speed exceeded the limits of human nerves, and Zabuza stopped the fight and surrendered.

Senju Chen and Sasori refined the Eight Gates puppet after it defeated Zabuza, while Obito discovered that someone had turned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path into a corpse-fed tree producing cocoons. Obito confronted a White Zetsu at the cavern, which greeted him as a guest.

• Zabuza surrendered after the Sixth Gate puppet defeated him, and Chen ordered Sasori to program automatic limits for each gate.
• Orochimaru and Chen discussed how the puppet could reproduce most of Might Guy’s combat value, while Guy praised Zabuza and spectators crowded around to ask about the new puppets.
• Black Zetsu told Obito that the mysterious Twins could recover from being smashed, burrow underground, and change their appearances, prompting Obito to investigate.
• Obito and Black Zetsu found the Demonic Statue transformed into a towering, leafless tree covered in cocoons, with White Zetsu workers feeding corpses into its roots.
• Black Zetsu realized the outermost cocoons had been growing for at least three years, and Obito seized a White Zetsu, who smiled and welcomed him.

Obito and Black Zetsu discovered that someone had been using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, but they could not retrieve it without Nagato and his Rinnegan. At Senju Chen's base, the White Zetsu reported the visitors and asked about workplace injury compensation, while Senju Chen wondered what Black Zetsu had done.

• Obito crushed a White Zetsu and demanded to know who had built the tunnels and tracks, but the White Zetsu refused to reveal the base's location because of its confidentiality agreement.
• Black Zetsu blamed Senju Chen for using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and Obito realized he could not summon it without Nagato's Rinnegan.
• Obito and Black Zetsu decided to return to the Land of Rain to search for Nagato, threatening to tear the country apart if they could not find him.
• A White Zetsu recorded Obito and Black Zetsu as visitors who refused to register and left without paying the fee.
• The foreman White Zetsu showed Senju Chen its visitor log and reported that Obito had crushed Number Seven, who had asked whether the incident counted as a workplace injury.
• Senju Chen approved Number Seven's request, then asked what Black Zetsu had done.

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.