Recaps

Kōki weighed whether to approach Tsunade or Orochimaru, then spent a month on Anbu missions as the war between Konoha and Sunagakure slowed into a standoff. When Aizen returned with intelligence and a Kekkei Genkai user’s corpse, Kōki agreed to establish an organization to gather resources more efficiently.

• Kōki considered seeking out Tsunade or approaching Orochimaru, but decided to focus on studying Tobirama Senju’s records for the time being.
• Kōki joined the Ino-Shika-Cho team on Anbu missions that repeatedly disrupted Sunagakure’s plans and intensified fighting on both fronts.
• Heavy losses forced Konoha and Sunagakure to slow their offensives and recover their strength, giving Kōki time to handle personal affairs.
• Aizen returned with scrolls containing his findings and the corpse of a Kekkei Genkai user for research.
• Kōki told Aizen he could create two more special Shadow Clones, and agreed with Aizen’s proposal to establish an organization and recruit ordinary ninja as outer members.

Kōki entrusted Aizen with building their organization while he improved his Special Shadow Clone Technique and used it to possess Kawasaki Ya, a corpse with Dark Release. After explaining the new technique’s improvements, Kōki discovered it let a clone use a corpse’s Taijutsu and chakra-producing cells more effectively.

• Kōki decided to establish an organization and left its planning and management to Aizen, who intended to support Kōki’s growth from outside Konoha.
• Kōki asked about the corpse Aizen had brought back, and Aizen identified Kawasaki Ya as a wielder of Dark Release, one of the Kekkei Genkai Hiruko absorbed in the original movie.
• Kōki used his improved Special Shadow Clone Technique to possess Kawasaki Ya’s corpse with dark chakra.
• Aizen asked what had changed in the technique, and Kōki explained that he had refined it by studying the Second Hokage’s research notes and combining Yin Release, spiritual energy, and Yang Release Chakra.
• Kōki explained that the old technique weakened a possessed corpse’s Taijutsu and its ability to produce bursts of Chakra, while the new version corrected those flaws.

Kōki explained why his special Shadow Clone Technique needed to support chakra-burst techniques and the Eight Gates as a contingency against powerful enemies. The Dark Release clone then reported that his endurance and control over his kekkei genkai had improved, reassuring Kōki that his modifications were working.

• Kōki told Aizen that the Great Nations possessed secret chakra-burst techniques, and argued that the clones’ inability to use them or the Eight Gates revealed flaws in their control of the human body.
• Aizen pledged to help Kōki reach the Six Paths level, and the Dark Release clone joined him in expressing support.
• The Dark Release clone reported that he was dissipating less rapidly and estimated that Yin Release Chakra Sealing Jutsu could let him remain active for at least a year.
• The Dark Release clone confirmed that his kekkei genkai worked without flaws and that he might control its power more precisely, easing Kōki’s concerns about the technique’s modifications.

Kōki tested his Dark Release clone’s chakra-draining barrier and learned that Dark Release had a limit on how much chakra it could absorb. He proposed using sealing jutsu to store excess chakra, leaving the clone and Aizen intrigued by the idea.

• Kōki had the Dark Release clone demonstrate its barrier, which steadily drained chakra and consumed his Rasengan.
• The clone explained that its Dark Release Barrier could cover a large area, weaken enemy ninjutsu, and transfer drained chakra to the user.
• The clone reasoned that Dark Release had an absorption limit, citing Hiruko’s failure to absorb Naruto Uzumaki’s Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
• Kōki considered using Uchiha clan members to advance his plans, then returned his attention to the discussion.
• Kōki proposed sealing excess absorbed chakra inside their bodies like a tailed beast, and the Dark Release clone and Aizen saw promise in the idea.

Kōki and the Dark Release clone discussed how sealing jutsu could improve the clone’s combat capacity, but the clone explained why the Yin Seal would not help. Kōki planned to seek sealing jutsu from Kushina and assigned his clones to look for intact Uchiha corpses if an opportunity arose; the Dark Release clone chose the name Jörmungandr.

• Kōki gave the Dark Release clone a scroll containing the Yin Seal as a temporary solution to Dark Release’s chakra limits.
• The Dark Release clone explained that absorbed chakra could not remain in his body long and that the Yin Seal would not increase his combat-time capacity.
• Kōki took back the Yin Seal scroll and said he would try to trade with Kushina for suitable sealing jutsu.
• Kōki told Aizen and the Dark Release clone to seek intact Uchiha corpses only if a safe opportunity arose.
• Kōki asked the Dark Release clone to choose a name, and the clone answered, “Jörmungandr.”

Kōki and Jörmungandr discussed how to overcome the Dark Release clone’s weak body and strengthen him enough to pursue his ambitions. Jörmungandr proposed adapting the Body Revival Technique and opening the Eight Gates, leaving Kōki concerned about the risks but facing the clone’s resolve to proceed.

• Jörmungandr named himself after the world-devouring serpent and revealed that his current strength was limited by his body’s poor foundation.
• Jörmungandr pointed out that the Second Hokage’s research notes contained Body Revival Techniques that could strengthen his body.
• Kōki reread the notes and warned that the technique consumed much chakra, caused damage, and might not let Jörmungandr reach Kage Level.
• Jörmungandr cited Shinnō’s Body Revival Jutsu as proof that the technique could be developed to withstand the Eight Gates without harming the body.
• Kōki cautioned that their version might not work like Shinnō’s and could destroy Jörmungandr’s body, but Jörmungandr argued that Medical Ninjutsu could balance bodily damage and healing.

Jörmungandr tested the Body Revival Technique and combined it with the Eight Gates, greatly increasing his strength but learning that the technique cost him half a year of lifespan each time. He and Kōki left the lifespan problem for future research while Jörmungandr looked forward to testing his new power in battle.

• Kōki agreed to let Jörmungandr try the Body Revival Technique, with Aizen and Kōki ready to intervene if anything went wrong.
• Jörmungandr endured intense pain as the technique strengthened his body, using chakra he had absorbed from Kōki when his own ran low.
• Jörmungandr opened the first six of the Eight Gates, then used Medical Ninjutsu to repair the damage and stabilize his body.
• Jörmungandr told Kōki that the combined technique consumed half a year of his lifespan each time he used it.
• Kōki said they would need more research to address the cost, while Jörmungandr said he wanted to test his new power against an opponent.

After retrieving Aizen's memories of Genjutsu, Kōki sent Aizen and Jörmungandr from Konoha on a mission to kill Iwahato, an Iwagakure missing-nin. They found Iwahato in Falling Rock Gorge, where he suspected Iwagakure had finally decided to eliminate him.

• Kōki absorbed Aizen's memories, created a new Special Shadow Clone, and sent Aizen and Jörmungandr out of Konoha.
• Aizen and Jörmungandr accepted a black-market mission to kill Iwahato, an Iwagakure missing-nin, so Jörmungandr could test his new moves against a strong opponent.
• Aizen reasoned that Iwagakure might intervene if they fought Iwahato inside the Land of Earth, so he urged Jörmungandr to finish the mission quickly.
• Aizen and Jörmungandr reached Falling Rock Gorge and encountered Iwahato, who asked what they wanted.
• Iwahato suspected Iwagakure had sent them, recalling how he had exposed a corrupt higher-up, been framed, and fled after attacking the man and his colleagues.

Iwahato mistook Aizen and Jörmungandr for bounty hunters and killed Aizen with an earthen spike. Jörmungandr awakened his enhanced body and opened the sixth of the Eight Gates, then struck back at Iwahato.

• Iwahato suspected Aizen and Jörmungandr were bounty hunters and confirmed Aizen’s account of his defection from Iwagakure.
• Iwahato pierced Aizen with an earthen spike, killing him, then taunted Jörmungandr and charged at him.
• Jörmungandr casually responded to Iwahato and activated the Body Revival Technique, transforming his physique before opening the Eight Gates up to the sixth gate.
• Iwahato tried to stab Jörmungandr with a kunai, but Jörmungandr seized his wrist and endured Iwahato’s knee strike without flinching.
• Jörmungandr clenched his fist and punched Iwahato in the abdomen.

Jörmungandr and Iwahato fought in the canyon as Iwahato used Earth Release techniques and Jörmungandr countered with overwhelming Taijutsu. After Jörmungandr’s Morning Peacock destroyed Iwahato’s rock projectiles and he withstood a Rock Fist, he struck Iwahato down with a punch to the face.

• Iwahato explained that Earth Release: Earth Spear hardened his body, and both he and Jörmungandr acknowledged each other as worthy opponents.
• Iwahato attacked with Earth Flow Spears and Rock Gun, but Jörmungandr smashed the spears and used Morning Peacock to destroy the rocks.
• Iwahato opened a fissure with Tearing Earth Turning Palm, then struck Jörmungandr with Rock Fist after appearing at his flank.
• Jörmungandr emerged with only a few scrapes, startling Iwahato, and moved beside him while Iwahato was distracted.
• Jörmungandr punched Iwahato in the face, knocking him flat and shattering the ground beneath him.

Aizen revealed that he had survived Iwahato’s ambush and watched Jörmungandr defeat him, then the two fled Falling Rock Gorge before Iwagakure reinforcements arrived. As an Iwagakure squad pursued them, Aizen judged that Jörmungandr’s strength could challenge most shinobi and that only exceptional abilities could defeat him.

• Aizen revealed himself after Jörmungandr killed Iwahato, and Iwahato died after recognizing the man he thought he had killed.
• Jörmungandr stored Iwahato’s corpse in a scroll, released the Body Revival Technique, and left Falling Rock Gorge with Aizen.
• A twenty-man Iwagakure squad reached the gorge, learned of the battle, and pursued Aizen and Jörmungandr while two shinobi stayed behind to investigate.
• Jörmungandr asked Aizen where he could find stronger opponents, saying Iwahato had not challenged him.
• Aizen explained that ordinary Jonin were no match for Jörmungandr and that only Kage Level experts or exceptional techniques could threaten him.

Jörmungandr eagerly accepted Aizen’s offer to fight the pursuing Iwagakure shinobi while Aizen watched from the sidelines. After Jörmungandr’s aura revealed his strength, the Iwagakure captain ordered an earth-style attack to restrain and overwhelm him.

• Aizen told Jörmungandr that an Iwagakure unit was approaching and warned him to keep them from interrupting Aizen.
• Jörmungandr promised to protect Aizen, warmed up theatrically, and ignored the Iwagakure unit when it arrived.
• An Iwagakure shinobi threw three kunai at Jörmungandr, who powered up and blew them away with his aura.
• The Iwagakure captain judged that Jörmungandr specialized in taijutsu and ordered his eighteen shinobi to use coordinated earth-style techniques.
• The Iwagakure unit attacked Jörmungandr with a swamp, earthen spears, and falling rocks.

Jörmungandr withstood Iwagakure’s attacks, prompting Ōkura Suke and his unit to launch a coordinated Earth Release assault. After their stone dragon blasted and slammed him into the ground, the Iwagakure ninja waited uncertainly to see if he had survived.

• Iwagakure ninja argued over whether their attacks had defeated Jörmungandr, and Ōkura Suke reminded them that he had killed Iwahato.
• Jörmungandr emerged from the rubble with only scratches, mocked Iwagakure’s strength, and angered the unit.
• Ōkura Suke raised Jörmungandr into the air with Earth Release: Moving Earth Core while his unit formed a combination attack.
• The Iwagakure unit summoned a giant stone dragon, which Jörmungandr held at bay until it fired Earth Release: Rock Dragon Breath at him.
• The Iwagakure ninja drove the stone dragon into the ground with Jörmungandr, then wondered whether the attack had killed him.

Ōkura Suke and his Iwagakure unit believed their combined Earth Release attack had killed Jörmungandr, but Jörmungandr used his apparent injuries to lure them into a trap. After swiftly defeating the charging shinobi and healing himself, he left Ōkura Suke facing the reality of their defeat.

• Ōkura Suke rallied his unit and warned them not to celebrate before accounting for Aizen, the second enemy.
• An Iwagakure shinobi spotted Jörmungandr standing alive in the crater, badly bloodied after their combined attack.
• Ōkura Suke led his depleted unit in a Taijutsu charge against Jörmungandr, hoping to finish him before confronting Aizen.
• Jörmungandr vanished at high speed, defeated more than a dozen Iwagakure shinobi, and reappeared before Ōkura Suke.
• Jörmungandr explained that his wounds were bait, then activated his cells and healed himself.
• Ōkura Suke lamented Iwagakure's defeat and warned Jörmungandr that the village would not let it go.

Butō arrived with Iwagakure reinforcements and saved Ōkura Suke from Jörmungandr, then challenged him to a one-on-one fight. Jörmungandr agreed to leave the others alone until Butō fell, and the two prepared to battle.

• Jörmungandr was about to finish Ōkura Suke when Butō struck him with a massive rock fist and rescued the Iwagakure captain.
• Butō appeared with more than a hundred Iwagakure ninja, including Takayuki, who explained that Ōnoki had sent them as reinforcements.
• Takayuki reminded Ōkura Suke that Butō had long sought powerful opponents, and Butō admitted he had come to fight Jörmungandr.
• Jörmungandr emerged unharmed, and Ōkura Suke warned Butō about his unmatched Taijutsu and rapid recovery.
• Butō ordered his subordinates to stay out of the fight and keep watch over Jörmungandr's companion.
• Jörmungandr accepted Butō's challenge and promised not to attack the other Iwagakure ninja until Butō fell.

Jörmungandr fought Iwagakure’s Butō in a taijutsu duel and won the contest through his extraordinary strength and recovery. Butō admitted defeat in taijutsu, then prepared to challenge Jörmungandr with ninjutsu.

• Butō offered to spare Jörmungandr and his companions if he won, while Jörmungandr arrogantly promised to spare the Iwagakure ninja if he lost.
• Butō cleared the battlefield, and he and Jörmungandr launched into a rapid exchange of punches and kicks as the watching ninja struggled to follow.
• Butō realized Jörmungandr’s recovery and durability outweighed his superior technique, then forced them apart with a sudden burst of strength.
• Jörmungandr claimed sheer strength had overcome Butō’s skill, and Butō acknowledged his loss in taijutsu.
• Butō began running and prepared to use Release Techniques against Jörmungandr, whom he believed to be a taijutsu-only fighter.

Butō used Earth Release techniques and battlefield tactics to keep Jörmungandr at a distance, then trapped him in quicksand and attacked with a giant rock fist. Butō believed Jörmungandr had been killed, though the chapter left his fate unconfirmed.

• Butō avoided Jörmungandr's taijutsu by moving on a raised rock and repeatedly using Earth Release to slow his pursuit.
• Jörmungandr caught up despite Butō's attacks, and Iwagakure shinobi watched anxiously as the chase crossed the battlefield.
• Butō used Earth Release: Antlion to sink Jörmungandr into quicksand, then used Moving Earth Core to trap him in a deep pit.
• Butō summoned a rock giant and struck Jörmungandr with its full-force punch.
• Butō looked at the rubble and declared that Jörmungandr could not have survived the blow.

Jörmungandr survived Butō’s Earth Release attack by healing his severe injuries with Medical Ninjutsu, then forced Butō to reveal his final trump card. Butō began forming an unstable Dust Release technique, leaving Jörmungandr facing a threat his body could not withstand.

• Jörmungandr appeared unharmed and told Butō that he had healed himself after taking the Earth Release attack.
• Jörmungandr warned Butō to reveal another move or risk dying, while Butō recalled his earlier defeat by Ōnoki.
• Butō’s Iwagakure subordinates argued over whether to intervene, and Butō ordered them to flee before he used an unmastered technique.
• Butō formed an unstable Dust Release crystal, and Jörmungandr recognized that he had to act before the technique stabilized.

Butō tried to use Dust Release to kill Jörmungandr and Aizen, but Jörmungandr prohibited the technique and revealed that he had never shown his full strength. Butō’s defeat and Jörmungandr’s blunt criticism left him questioning himself as his confidence collapsed.

• Butō formed Dust Release and aimed it at Jörmungandr and Aizen, intending to kill them both.
• An unexplained effect disrupted Butō’s Dust Release, and he accused Aizen of interfering.
• Jörmungandr admitted that he had prohibited Butō’s Dust Release, surprising Butō, who had believed him to be a taijutsu ninja.
• Jörmungandr told Butō that he had misunderstood his opponent and was too weak to force him to reveal his trump cards.
• Butō recalled his history of success and Ōnoki’s confidence in him, then sank into self-doubt after being outmatched by a younger, stronger ninja.

Ōnoki arrived after Jörmungandr defeated Butō and invited Aizen and Jörmungandr to join Iwagakure. They refused, and Ōnoki left with Butō before asking them to hand over the village’s missing-nin, Iwahato.

• Ōnoki used Dust Release to save Butō from Jörmungandr’s fatal attack and reassured his defeated student.
• Aizen and Jörmungandr revealed themselves after hiding from Ōnoki with Aizen’s Genjutsu.
• Ōnoki praised Aizen and Jörmungandr and invited them to join Iwagakure, but Aizen declined on their behalf.
• Ōnoki chose not to fight them, collected Butō, and thanked Aizen for allowing him to take the injured ninja.
• Ōnoki asked Aizen and Jörmungandr to hand over Iwahato, Iwagakure’s missing-nin.

Aizen and Jörmungandr handed Iwahato’s corpse to Ōnoki in exchange for forty million ryō, while Aizen caught Ōnoki’s attempt to tamper with the payment. They arranged to receive future Iwagakure missions through marked postings on the black market, then left the Land of Earth.

• Ōnoki explained that Iwagakure would pay Aizen and Jörmungandr directly for completing the bounty mission and offered them five million ryō extra.
• Ōnoki revealed the money in two briefcases, but Aizen noticed his Light-Weight Rock Technique and prompted him to undo it before exchanging the corpse scroll.
• Aizen accepted Ōnoki’s offer of future missions, provided they could choose suitable assignments that would not hinder the main body’s growth.
• Aizen asked Ōnoki to post missions on the black market with a sun symbol, and Ōnoki agreed to the arrangement.
• After Ōnoki assured them they would not be disturbed, Aizen and Jörmungandr left.

Ōnoki took Butō back to Iwagakure after deciding against attacking Aizen’s group, and resolved to investigate their secret organization. Elsewhere, Kōki and the Ino-Shika-Cho team headed to destroy a Sunagakure outpost as Konoha sent 1,500 clan ninja to reinforce the renewed front.

• Ōnoki considered killing Aizen and the others with Dust Release but abandoned the plan because of Aizen’s Genjutsu and the risks of failure.
• Ōnoki took Butō back to Iwagakure and decided to secretly gather information about Aizen’s organization.
• Kōki traveled with Nara Yūsuke, Akimichi Tsuyoshi, and Yamanaka Kenji toward a Sunagakure outpost they had been ordered to destroy.
• Nara Yūsuke explained that Sunagakure had restarted its offensive with its renowned puppet corps, prompting Konoha to send 1,500 clan ninja to the front.
• Akimichi Tsuyoshi voiced sadness over his clan’s losses, and Yamanaka Kenji and Nara Yūsuke encouraged him to help end the war sooner.

Kōki and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio reached a Sunagakure camp and confirmed it held a hundred ordinary shinobi rather than disguised puppets. Kōki launched a devastating Water Release attack, and the chapter ended as his Great Waterfall Technique crashed toward the defenders.

• Kōki reassured Akimichi Tsuyoshi that the war between Konoha and Sunagakure would likely end within six or seven months, while Nara Yūsuke recognized that Kōki was concealing the likelihood of further wars.
• Kōki, Nara Yūsuke, Akimichi Tsuyoshi, and Yamanaka Kenji reached the camp and checked the area for traps.
• Yamanaka Kenji used a bird to confirm that the camp held a hundred real Sunagakure shinobi, mostly Chunin and Genin, and no ambush.
• Nara Yūsuke ordered Kōki and the others to attack, assigning the trio to engage the two Jonin leaders and Kōki to handle the rank-and-file troops.
• Kōki used Water Release: Heavenly Weeping to send water senbon into the camp, killing some Sunagakure shinobi, then unleashed Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique against the survivors.

Kōki defeated the Sunagakure camp and joined the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who were struggling to finish their opponents. After he saved them from a suicide explosion, Nara Yūsuke recognized that they had repeated a dangerous mistake and led the squad away, wary of a larger Sunagakure trap.

• Kōki wiped out the Sunagakure ninjas at the camp with a powerful Water Release and headed toward the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
• Nara Yūsuke, Yamanaka Kenji, and Akimichi Tsuyoshi intensified their attacks against two Sunagakure ninjas, who taunted them about meeting in the Pure Land.
• Nara Yūsuke suspected Sunagakure had a plot waiting for the squad and told Yamanaka Kenji to examine one opponent’s brain.
• Kōki pulled Yamanaka Kenji away just before the two Sunagakure ninjas exploded, saving him and the others from the blast.
• Nara Yūsuke realized the trio had nearly fallen for the same suicide tactic twice, and Kōki reassured him that they were comrades.
• Nara Yūsuke decided the squad should leave the area because Sunagakure might have another trap waiting for them.

Kōki and his comrades were ambushed by more than a hundred Sunagakure ninja, leaving them heavily outnumbered. Nara Yūsuke and the others prepared to sacrifice themselves so Kōki could escape, but Kōki refused and stood with them as the enemy leader declared they would all die.

• Yamanaka Kenji, Akimichi Tsuyoshi, Kōki, and Nara Yūsuke dodged explosive-tag kunai and found themselves surrounded by over a hundred Sunagakure ninja.
• Akimichi Tsuyoshi questioned Yamanaka Kenji’s failed sensory detection, while Nara Yūsuke defended him and suspected Sunagakure had a way to block sensory techniques.
• Nara Yūsuke decided that he and the others would help Kōki escape, and Yamanaka Kenji and Akimichi Tsuyoshi prepared their secret techniques and medicine for the fight.
• Kōki stopped Akimichi Tsuyoshi from taking the Three-Colored Secret Medicine and said he would protect his comrades rather than abandon them.
• The Sunagakure leader announced that the surrounded Konoha ninja would not leave alive.