Chapter Summaries

Aoki Tsuki tested his new Thunder God summoning technique, but it drained his vitality and left him dangerously weak. He returned to Amegakure to recover, where Yurika helped him regain some strength and praised him as a quiet protector of the village.

• Aoki Tsuki warned Hidan to kill only on missions, then sent him alone to fight for the Land of Grass.
• Aoki Tsuki summoned Takemikazuchi, whose lightning power overwhelmed his vessel and drained his vitality.
• Aoki Tsuki used Lightning Burial to cut a destructive path through the landscape before his vessel collapsed.
• Aoki Tsuki returned to Amegakure and asked Konan to help him recover; she summoned Yurika.
• Yurika let Aoki Tsuki drink her blood, and she described him as a kind, gentle protector like Lord Pain.

After recovering from his summoning technique, Aoki Tsuki suggested Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags to help Konan develop a finishing move. He then began planning to test a mind-link technique on Karin as a way to improve his control over spiritual energy.

• Aoki Tsuki flirted with Yurika and proposed taking care of her and Karin, but Konan sent Yurika away and warned him to obey the village's rules.
• Aoki Tsuki told Konan about the Second Hokage's Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, and Konan decided it could become a powerful remote attack.
• Aoki Tsuki returned home, where Eiko wrongly blamed Kikuno Momo for his weakened condition and reacted with surprise when he asked about adopting Karin.
• After more than two months, Aoki Tsuki recovered fully while nourishing his body with Natural Energy, but decided not to try summoning the Thunder God again yet.
• Aoki Tsuki chose to imitate the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Transmission Technique and planned to use Karin as his test subject.

Aoki Tsuki trained Karin and Ajisai as Genin and used them to test his Mind Reading Technique, discovering that Karin’s sensory talent let her perceive his presence while Ajisai could barely respond. He then trained his spiritual sensitivity by listening to rain, successfully communicated with Ajisai through the technique, and began working toward contactless mental communication.

• Aoki Tsuki qualified Karin and Ajisai as Genin, issued them Amegakure Forehead Protectors, and hired them to help with his mental-technique training.
• Aoki Tsuki entered Karin’s mind but found her already formed spiritual world and learned that her Mind's Eye of the Kagura let her sense him.
• Aoki Tsuki entered Ajisai’s mind and called to her, but her faint response showed that his first attempt at the Mind Reading Technique was still unreliable.
• Aoki Tsuki trained his spiritual sensitivity by listening to raindrops until he could perceive their ripples, then successfully communicated with Ajisai through the Mind Reading Technique.
• Aoki Tsuki began developing contactless mental communication by adapting his spiritual energy into a network that could link him to others.

Aoki Tsuki developed Telepathy and tested it with Karin and Ajisai, then began teaching them a mental-energy technique. He later urged Konan to move against the Five Great Nations, but she said the plan required ten powerful people, leaving him to consider pushing events forward himself.

• Aoki Tsuki established a mental connection with Karin, learned she could receive his messages, and then captured her reply.
• After a half month of research, Aoki Tsuki combined Barrier Ninjutsu: Boundless Mind Domain with the Listening to Rain Mind Technique and successfully communicated with Ajisai and both students at once.
• Aoki Tsuki treated Karin and Ajisai to a meal at the Silver Fish Pavilion, then taught them a technique for condensing mental energy so they could develop Telepathy.
• Aoki Tsuki returned to the Akatsuki and urged Konan to begin overthrowing the Five Great Nations while the villages were recovering from war.
• Konan explained that the plan required ten powerful people to perform a jutsu formula together, and Aoki Tsuki decided he would have to push events along himself.

Aoki Tsuki visited Hidan in Kusagakure and continued planning to turn conflicts among smaller nations into a market for Akatsuki. After returning to the Jashin Cult, he found that Kikuno Momo had transformed it into a thriving organization and research operation.

• Aoki Tsuki and Konan discussed Akatsuki’s plan to provoke conflicts among smaller nations and profit by hiring out its members.
• Konan realized Aoki Tsuki had used a new mental technique to invade her privacy, then questioned his students and confirmed her suspicion.
• In Kusagakure, Hidan survived an assassination attempt and killed his attacker with his ritual technique.
• Aoki Tsuki contacted Hidan, urged him to keep fighting, and planned for Akatsuki operatives to provoke further conflict between Iwagakure and the smaller nations.
• After searching nearby countries for the Mountain Graveyard, Aoki Tsuki returned to the Jashin Cult and discovered Kikuno Momo had expanded its research, Explosive Tag business, and member training.
• Kikuno Momo explained her changes to Aoki Tsuki, who praised her work and realized she had built the cult into a unified force.

Aoki Tsuki tested Kikuno Momo's loyalty, then toured the reorganized Jashin Cult research institute and discussed its work on Natural Energy. Reflecting on his own Sage Mode, he conceived a technique to use Senjutsu Chakra to activate his body.

• Aoki Tsuki questioned Kikuno Momo about the Jashin Cult's development and then demanded her help treating his insomnia; when his body failed him, he used the Body Activation Technique to continue.
• Kikuno Momo revealed that she had used Genjutsu to hypnotize herself and endure Aoki Tsuki's advances, hoping to ease his suspicion and secure his trust.
• Aoki Tsuki inspected the Ninjutsu Research Institute, where Hino reported that experiments with Natural Energy had caused harmful mutations and suggested using technique formulas and Sealing Jutsu.
• Aoki Tsuki reviewed the different Sage Mode traditions and considered how to develop a unique strength for his own mode.
• Aoki Tsuki connected the Body Activation Technique with Lightning Release Chakra Mode and decided to explore using Senjutsu Chakra to activate his body.

Aoki Tsuki planned to develop Senjutsu Chakra-based cellular enhancement and decided to trade mental techniques with Orochimaru for research on Jūgo’s cells. As Tsuki and Kikuno Momo independently focused on Uchiha Itachi, Itachi and Kisame completed another mission and discussed the rise in work and tensions among smaller countries.

• Aoki Tsuki planned to refine Sage Mode by directing Senjutsu Chakra into cells and concluded that he needed Orochimaru’s research on Jūgo’s cellular abilities.
• Aoki Tsuki decided to offer Orochimaru the Single-Point Gazing Method and Listening to Rain Mind Technique in exchange for cellular research, and planned to prove their value against Itachi.
• Aoki Tsuki announced he was going into seclusion, while Kikuno Momo investigated the mysterious person involved in the Uchiha Clan Massacre and suspected a connection to the Akatsuki.
• Kikuno Momo and Aoki Tsuki independently set their sights on Uchiha Itachi for their own purposes.
• Kisame drained an enemy’s Chakra with Samehada, then he and Itachi discussed the growing number of missions and escalating friction between smaller countries.

Aoki Tsuki returned to lead Amegakure against Iwagakure’s invasion, organizing loans, mercenaries, and a strategy of attrition. During the first battle, his summons and lightning techniques held back the enemy, but his final wide-area attack killed Iwagakure and Amegakure Ninja alike, leaving the battlefield silent.

• Iwagakure invaded the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, prompting Aoki Tsuki to leave Kikuno Momo and take command of Amegakure’s forces.
• Aoki Tsuki told his commanders to borrow money, recruit mercenaries, and fight Iwagakure before withdrawing to wage a war of attrition.
• Iwagakure’s vanguard attacked Amegakure on a rainy morning and pushed its outmatched Ninja toward collapse.
• Aoki Tsuki summoned two enormous salamanders, whose poison and attacks killed Iwagakure Ninja and helped restrain the advance.
• Aoki Tsuki used Water Body Flicker and Lightning Fang to kill an Iwagakure Ninja, then faced a gathering force of Earth Release users.
• Aoki Tsuki unleashed Divine Right: Angel’s Kiss, killing many Iwagakure Ninja and several Amegakure Ninja before the battlefield fell silent.

Iwagakure broke Amegakure’s morale and pushed into the Land of Rain, while Akatsuki mercenaries slowed its advance. After Ōnoki ordered the campaign intensified, Aoki Tsuki recruited Hidan for a decapitation strike against Iwagakure’s commanders, and the assault began before their planned time.

• Iwagakure’s rock-bullet barrage devastated Amegakure’s forces, and Aoki Tsuki ordered a strategic retreat as Iwagakure pursued them.
• Sasori of the Red Sands and Kakuzu attacked Iwagakure forces, while Itachi and Kisame learned that Azure Dragon commanded Amegakure’s frontline.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to cripple Amegakure and other surrounding small nations, and the village declared Akatsuki a terrorist organization.
• Aoki Tsuki decided to strike Iwagakure’s frontline commanders and recruited Hidan to draw their fire.
• Aoki Tsuki entered Iwagakure’s camp with Hidan, but Hidan triggered an explosion before the planned five-minute wait, setting off the alarm.

Aoki Tsuki and Hidan destroyed an Iwagakure camp and killed its commander, Matsumoto Iwa, before returning to the Land of Rain. Iwagakure retaliated by sending Taiseki’s assault squad into Amegakure, but the guards surrounded and defeated them.

• Hidan used his blood ritual to kill Iwagakure ninja until Matsumoto Iwa destroyed the sacrificial circle and recognized him as Kusagakure’s immortal fighter.
• Aoki Tsuki’s partner unleashed Greedy Wolf, wiping out Hidan and most of the camp, while Aoki Tsuki killed Matsumoto Iwa with Vajra Dharma Lotus.
• Zetsu investigated the battlefield, and Itachi and Kisame arrived, identified the Greedy Wolf attack, and left after assessing Iwagakure’s losses.
• Hidan was sent to clear Iwagakure squads in the Land of Rain while Aoki Tsuki returned to oversee Amegakure’s defenses.
• Taiseki led an Iwagakure assault squad into Amegakure, but the guards surrounded their hideout and attacked with explosives, poison, oil, and fire.
• Taiseki fought through his injuries and flames before poison gas brought him down, earning the Amegakure guards’ respect.

Aoki Tsuki investigated Amegakure’s worsening losses and persuaded Konan and Pain to allow ceasefire negotiations with Iwagakure. After publicizing Iwagakure’s civilian massacres and sending a ceasefire notice, he traveled to Iwagakure as Amegakure’s envoy, where negotiations were set to begin.

• Aoki Tsuki agreed to report the frontline’s losses after Amegakure’s officers urged him to seek a way to end the war.
• Aoki Tsuki surveyed the war zone, gathered casualty and economic figures, and gave his report to Konan.
• Konan returned from meeting Pain and told Aoki Tsuki that Pain had agreed to negotiate, though he demanded Iwagakure withdraw without compensation.
• Aoki Tsuki publicized accounts of Iwagakure’s massacres and promoted Akatsuki as an international mercenary group.
• Ōnoki accepted a ceasefire proposal but required Amegakure’s representative to negotiate in Iwagakure, so Aoki Tsuki traveled there with two clerks.

Aoki Tsuki negotiated a preliminary ceasefire with Iwagakure, securing the withdrawal of its forces from the Land of Rain. The agreement was signed and the village celebrated peace, while Pain and Konan watched over it, aware that the peace was only temporary.

• Aoki Tsuki rejected Iwagakure's surrender terms and negotiated a ceasefire that required Iwagakure to withdraw, while Amegakure agreed to neutrality, stop hiring Akatsuki outside wartime, and investigate accusations against Iwagakure.
• Ōnoki accepted the preliminary agreement but hinted to Iwagakure's leaders that he had other plans.
• Iwagakure withdrew its squads from the Land of Rain, and Aoki Tsuki returned with the agreement for Konan to review.
• Amegakure and Iwagakure formally signed a ceasefire, and villagers praised Aoki Tsuki as a hero for helping end the war.
• Pain and Konan watched the recovering village from a tower as Pain reflected on the value of peace.

Hidan joined Kakuzu on missions while Iwagakure’s actions disrupted the Akatsuki’s plans, and Aoki Tsuki struggled to rebuild Amegakure and keep it solvent. The chapter ended with Kikuno Momo preparing information about a likely Sunagakure customer for Aoki Tsuki.

• Kakuzu tested Hidan’s immortality, then took him hunting for commissions while Iwagakure was at war with neighboring nations.
• Iwagakure leaked Amegakure’s ceasefire agreement, prompting other small nations to offer neutrality and stop hiring the Akatsuki; Aoki Tsuki recognized Ōnoki’s move as a threat to the organization.
• Tobi discussed the failed mercenary plan with Pain and Konan, while Pain dismissed Konan’s suspicion that Tobi had leaked information.
• Aoki Tsuki used Akatsuki funds and supplies to resettle people in the northern Land of Rain and establish orphanages, then returned to Amegakure and learned the village faced overdue war loans and creditor pressure.
• Kikuno Momo reviewed prospective Explosive Tag customers with Izumi and decided to send Aoki Tsuki information about a Land of Wind buyer she believed was connected to Sunagakure.

Aoki Tsuki negotiated with Amegakure’s creditors, securing a three-year delay on repayments while keeping supplies flowing. After the merchants agreed to new contracts, he pressured Arai Ryū to provide the village with another low-interest loan.

• Konan asked Aoki Tsuki how he planned to deal with Amegakure’s debts, and he invited her to attend a meeting with the creditors.
• At the meeting, Aoki Tsuki used his knowledge of the merchants’ connections to weaken their demands for immediate repayment.
• Aoki Tsuki proposed paying the debts and interest in installments beginning three years later, while requiring creditors to continue supplying Amegakure.
• The merchants agreed, signed new contracts, and promised to send grain and other supplies.
• Aoki Tsuki told Arai Ryū to support Amegakure and pressured him to arrange another low-interest loan.

Aoki Tsuki sought to open a mission market in the Land of Wind by using a trade deal to pass information about Akatsuki’s services to Sunagakure. Yura delivered the information to Rasa, who recognized Akatsuki and recalled the village’s failed attempt to capture Sasori.

• Aoki Tsuki identified Sunagakure’s lack of funding and powerful ninja as an opportunity for Akatsuki, then arranged to use a merchant as an intermediary.
• In Chichiri, Aoki Tsuki sold Explosive Tags to Ryōto’s Gold Dust Chamber of Commerce and described the Jashin Cult’s role in arranging missions for rogue ninja.
• Aoki Tsuki explained that Akatsuki handled difficult missions while other rogue ninja took less demanding work, and used Kirigakure’s outsourcing as an example.
• After returning to Sunagakure, Yura reported the information to Rasa, who dismissed Kirigakure’s reliance on rogue ninja as a sign of weakness.
• Rasa recognized Akatsuki’s name and remembered that Fuki, Baki, and others had failed to capture Sasori.

Rasa arranged for Sunagakure to secretly outsource missions through the Jashin Cult, and Aoki Tsuki secured the Land of Wind as a market for Akatsuki. As Akatsuki members began working there, Orochimaru and Kabuto noticed the pattern and decided to meet Tsuki.

• Rasa ordered Baki to investigate Kirigakure's high-difficulty missions and sent agents to gather intelligence on Akatsuki and the Jashin Cult.
• Rasa sent Fuki to negotiate a covert partnership with Aoki Tsuki, who offered Sunagakure mission placement through Jashin Cult bases in exchange for a share of the fees.
• Aoki Tsuki returned to the Land of Rain and told Konan that Akatsuki had secured the Land of Wind's gray-area missions.
• Akatsuki members began carrying out missions in the Land of Wind, drawing the attention of other organizations.
• Kabuto told Orochimaru that Akatsuki's increased activity resembled its operations in the Land of Water, and Orochimaru identified Tsuki as Akatsuki's diplomat.
• Orochimaru instructed Kabuto to arrange a meeting with Tsuki.

Aoki Tsuki met with Orochimaru after receiving an invitation, while Obito ordered Zetsu to monitor Orochimaru’s dealings with Sunagakure. Back in Amegakure, Tsuki tested his mental-power technique and reassured Konan that he would support her leadership.

• Aoki Tsuki waited three days before visiting Orochimaru, where Kabuto greeted him and led him to the laboratory.
• Aoki Tsuki discussed Akatsuki’s expansion in the Land of Wind with Orochimaru, who invited him to join a future operation involving Sunagakure.
• Zetsu reported the meeting to Obito, who suspected Orochimaru was preparing to make a move and ordered surveillance of his dealings with Sunagakure.
• Aoki Tsuki tried to control the cells in his right hand with Senjutsu Chakra and reflected on his growing mental power and Transparent Domain.
• Konan confronted Aoki Tsuki for spying on her, and he explained his Listening to Rain Mind Technique before flirting with her.
• Aoki Tsuki told Konan he would stand behind her and follow her direction, easing her concerns without earning her complete trust.

Konan asked Aoki Tsuki how Amegakure could earn more income, and he proposed processing fish into food for sale. Meanwhile, Danzo pursued intelligence on Akatsuki, Itachi uncovered a link between Uchiha explosive tags and the Jashin Cult, and Deidara joined the Akatsuki, where Aoki Tsuki captivated him with stories about the universe.

• Aoki Tsuki advised Konan to build Amegakure’s economy by selling packaged fish balls and using fish scraps to develop pet food.
• Kikuno Momo rejected Root’s offer to cooperate against Madara, while Danzo learned that Itachi had joined the Akatsuki and ordered his agents to keep contacting her.
• Itachi traced Uchiha-made explosive tags to the Jashin Cult, then learned that Orochimaru and Sunagakure were plotting against Konoha with possible involvement from Azure Dragon.
• Pain introduced Deidara as the Akatsuki’s newest member and assigned him to partner with Sasori.
• Aoki Tsuki told Deidara and the others that the universe began with an explosion and that ancient god-level beings had brought ninjas to their world.

At an Akatsuki gathering, Aoki Tsuki won over Deidara and urged the members to accept a plan for peace through overwhelming destruction, while Itachi grew suspicious of him. The meeting ended with Akatsuki poised for its next stage, and Aoki Tsuki waited for Orochimaru while anticipating Itachi's attempt to kill him.

• Aoki Tsuki explained stellar explosions to Deidara, who felt inspired and more at home in Akatsuki.
• The members discussed Hidan, their hobbies, Orochimaru, and Akatsuki's plan to profit from wars between nations.
• Pain described Akatsuki's goal of overturning the existing order, and Aoki Tsuki passionately supported him.
• Aoki Tsuki proposed a great war that would eliminate most ninja and bring peace through destruction, alarming Itachi and prompting Pain and Konan to recognize his effort to prepare the group for the plan's next stage.
• The gathering ended in a tense mood, and Aoki Tsuki returned to the village to wait for Orochimaru and prepare for Itachi's expected attack.

Aoki Tsuki met Itachi in the Gobi Desert and fought him while Orochimaru and others watched from hiding. Aoki Tsuki broke free of Itachi’s Tsukuyomi, but the battle continued as both revealed powerful techniques.

• Aoki Tsuki encountered Itachi in the Gobi Desert, where Itachi confronted him over suspected collusion with Orochimaru.
• Itachi trapped Aoki Tsuki in Tsukuyomi, but Aoki Tsuki used his spiritual power and Yin Release to shatter the illusion and wound Itachi.
• Aoki Tsuki entered Sage Mode and attacked, while Black and White Zetsu and Obito watched from nearby.
• Itachi manifested Susanoo and used the Totsuka Blade, but Aoki Tsuki’s Thousand-Armed Kannon overwhelmed his defenses with Buddha’s Divine Palm.
• Itachi attacked with Amaterasu, and Aoki Tsuki blocked the flames with his hair before cutting off the burning section.
• Aoki Tsuki unleashed an air bullet across the desert, and Itachi countered with Uchiha Flame Formation.