Recaps

Hiruko defeated Kakuzu’s mask creatures and nearly finished him before Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki intervened, deciding he had proven his strength. Hiruko accepted Akatsuki’s recognition and asked to meet its leader, Pain.

• Kakuzu and his mask creatures attacked Hiruko, who evaded their assaults with Swift Release.
• Hiruko used Storm Release to destroy another mask creature, leaving Kakuzu with only three hearts.
• Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki stopped Hiruko from finishing Kakuzu and said he had proven his strength.
• Hiruko mocked Kakuzu’s claim that he had fought the First Hokage, while Kisame nearly laughed.
• Hiruko asked to meet Akatsuki’s leader, and Itachi agreed, confident Pain would not disappoint him.

Hiruko joined the Akatsuki as Santai and was paired with Kakuzu. Two years later, Rikuto fought a powerful group of reanimated shinobi on a mist-shrouded island.

• Kisame, Kakuzu, and Black Zetsu told Hiruko about Pain's Rinnegan and its reputation.
• Hiruko met Pain and the Akatsuki, declined to challenge Pain, and accepted the name Santai.
• Pain assigned Kakuzu as Hiruko's partner, and Hiruko warned Kakuzu not to hold him back.
• Two years passed while the great shinobi villages recovered and avoided major conflicts.
• On a remote island, Rikuto dodged Ōnoki's Dust Release and the Third Raikage's Hell Stab before evading another Dust Release attack.

Rikuto fought the resurrected Gold and Silver Brothers, Second Kazekage Shamon, Second Tsuchikage Mu, and the Fourth Raikage’s lightning attack on the island. After overpowering several opponents, he faced a sudden Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite.

• Mu’s Dust Release struck Rikuto’s towering figure, turning nearly half of it to ash.
• The Gold and Silver Brothers attacked with Tailed Beast Bombs, but Rikuto’s Extreme: Daytime Tiger met their blasts, and he then battered both brothers into the island’s barrier.
• Second Kazekage Shamon fired Iron Sand needles and unleashed Iron Sand World Method, but Rikuto dodged the barrage and struck him with a powerful elbow.
• Mu appeared in midair to attack with Dust Release, but Rikuto rushed in and punched him away.
• The Fourth Raikage launched Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite at Rikuto in a sudden, lethal strike.

Rikuto defeated the Third Raikage in a taijutsu spar and reflected on how he had perfected the Eight Gates Released and mastered Yin-Yang Release during two years of training. His new eyes were nearly complete, and the story shifted to the rebuilt Uzumaki island.

• Rikuto overpowered the Third Raikage while using the Seventh Gate, then ended the spar and closed the gate without suffering harm.
• Rikuto explained that he had permanently opened the Sixth Gate and could now activate and close even the Eighth Gate without losing his lifespan, thanks to his training and medical techniques.
• Mu and the Third Raikage praised Rikuto's strength, and Rikuto ordered the revived fighters to return to the Root base.
• Rikuto created a black rod with Yin-Yang Release and sensed that his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Byakugan were close to forming new eyes.
• The story moved to the beautifully restored Land of Whirlpools, where a luxurious courtyard stood on the island that had once been the Uzumaki Clan's home.

Rikuto reunited with Tsunade at her underground laboratory, where she was developing advanced prosthetic limbs and artificial organs, and agreed to her wish to have his child. After spending the night together, Tsunade asked about his eyes, and Rikuto said they would develop soon and hinted that consuming the other half of the Nine-Tails could accelerate them.

• Rikuto found Tsunade working with her Wood Clones on artificial organs and prosthetic limbs for injured Konoha Ninja.
• Rikuto urged Tsunade to stop working for the evening, and she told him she wanted to have a child with him.
• Rikuto agreed to Tsunade's wish, and they spent the night together.
• Tsunade asked whether Rikuto's eyes had finished developing, and he said they would soon.
• Rikuto said he could speed up his eyes' development by undoing the Reaper Death Seal and devouring the other half of the Nine-Tails.

Rikuto persuaded Tsunade to return to Konoha and serve as Fifth Hokage for three to five years, while he remained content to be her partner. Two years later, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten graduated from the Ninja Academy as Team Three.

• Rikuto told Tsunade to prepare to return to Konoha and take over as Fifth Hokage, explaining that he wanted to remove Orochimaru, Fourth Kazekage Rasa, and the other nuisances.
• Tsunade agreed to serve as Hokage for three to five years, and Rikuto revealed he had no intention of becoming Hokage himself.
• Tsunade realized Rikuto had tricked her into taking the position and pounced on him, insisting he make up for hurting her feelings.
• Two years later, a young Chunin teacher announced the graduating students’ three-person teams at the Ninja Academy.
• Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten were assigned to Team Three, and Tenten welcomed her teammates.
• Neji recognized Tenten’s formidable Ninjutsu and Puppet Technique, which had advanced under Rikuto’s guidance.

Might Guy took charge of Team Three, formed by Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee, and brought them to Training Ground Three for introductions. The team members shared their ambitions, including Tenten’s dream of becoming the greatest puppet master and Neji’s goal of taking revenge on Kumogakure for his father’s death.

• The students reacted noisily to the team assignments, envying Rock Lee for being placed with Tenten and Neji.
• Might Guy arrived as Team Three’s Jonin instructor, surprising the three Genin, who already knew him and respected his strength.
• Might Guy took Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee to Training Ground Three and asked them to introduce themselves.
• Tenten said she wanted to earn Rikuto’s recognition and become the greatest puppet master in the Shinobi World.
• Neji declared that he wanted to surpass the Hyuga Clan’s ancestors and take revenge on Kumogakure for his father’s death.
• Rock Lee said he wanted to prove that he could become a great ninja without using Ninjutsu or Genjutsu.

Rikuto returned to Konoha, gave Rock Lee and Neji training talismans and Tenten a special Artificial Devil Fruit, then took Anko to the Uzumaki Clan’s Mask Storage Temple. He removed a Shinigami Mask and vanished with her, leaving their purpose unclear.

• Rikuto congratulated Tenten, Rock Lee, and Neji on their team assignments and gave Rock Lee and Neji reusable Medical and Gravity Talismans.
• Might Guy revealed that he had forced open the Seventh Gate and challenged Rikuto, but Rikuto declined to spar.
• Rikuto gave Tenten an Artificial Devil Fruit enhanced with Magnet Release, then left after refusing Might Guy’s challenge.
• Rikuto met Anko after she returned from an A-rank mission and led her to the Uzumaki Clan’s Mask Storage Temple.
• Rikuto took a Shinigami Mask from the temple wall and disappeared with Anko.

Rikuto used Impure World Reincarnation to revive Minato Namikaze and extracted the Nine-Tails half sealed inside him, devouring its Chakra and soul. At the same time, Naruto collapsed at the Ninja Academy after Tailed Beast Chakra leaked from his abdomen, and Sakura offered to examine him.

• Rikuto brought Anko and the sacrifices to an isolated island and used the Reaper Death Seal: Release to retrieve the Nine-Tails half from the Shinigami.
• Rikuto used Impure World Reincarnation to revive Minato Namikaze in a White Zetsu clone.
• Rikuto pulled the Nine-Tails from Minato and devoured its Chakra and soul with Yin-Yang Release.
• Naruto collapsed during combat practice at the Ninja Academy as Tailed Beast Chakra leaked from his abdomen.
• A masked Anbu prepared to take Naruto to Konoha Hospital, but Sakura offered to examine him as a medical-nin.

Rikuto absorbed the Nine-Tails Chakra and underwent a transformation, awakening the Six Tomoe Rinne Tenseigan and gaining powers that surpassed human limits. After revealing his new form to Anko, Aburame Ryoma, and the others, he returned to his usual appearance, though his immense Senjutsu Chakra remained.

• Sakura Haruno was allowed to examine Naruto while the Anbu sent word to the Third Hokage.
• Rikuto absorbed the Nine-Tails Chakra and broke through his limits, awakening the Six Tomoe Rinne Tenseigan.
• Rikuto manifested golden Sage robes, a staff, and eighteen Truth-Seeking Orbs as Anko, Aburame Ryoma, and the others recoiled from his aura.
• Rikuto explained that he had created his powers himself and gained an immortal body that could only be defeated by sealing.
• Rikuto landed and dismissed his transformed appearance, leaving his powerful Senjutsu Chakra intact.

Rikuto learned that Kurenai Yuhi had encountered Kumogakure forces and opened a space-time portal to reach her. In the Land of Hot Water, Kurenai faced the Fourth Raikage and his squad, who sought the secret behind her Kekkei Genkai, and she used a strange red Chakra to turn one Jonin against A.

• Rikuto confirmed that Root had moved its base and arranged a banquet where Danzo would meet the Third Hokage and the two elders in three days.
• Rikuto sensed that Kurenai Yuhi was in trouble, then opened a spatial portal and took Anko with him toward her location.
• In the Land of Hot Water, Kurenai encountered the Fourth Raikage, A, and several Kumogakure ninjas after they had stolen a Secret Technique from Yugakure.
• A and his squad revealed that they wanted the method that had granted Kurenai a Kekkei Genkai and threatened to capture her.
• Kurenai challenged the Kumogakure ninjas, then used her red Chakra to make one Jonin draw his blade and attack A.

Kurenai Yuhi used Genjutsu and deceptive clones to trap the Kumogakure ninja and attack them, frustrating the Fourth Raikage’s efforts to locate her. The chapter ended as she unleashed Dust Release against the Raikage’s retreating comrades.

• The Fourth Raikage broke Kurenai Yuhi’s Genjutsu on Nai and warned his ninja not to meet her gaze.
• Kurenai escaped the encirclement and attacked the Raikage’s group with a Great Fireball, which a Jonin blocked with an Earth-Style Wall.
• Kurenai surrounded the Kumogakure ninja with deceptive clones that Hakui could not distinguish from her real body.
• The clones attacked with kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags, prompting the Raikage’s group to shelter inside an Earth Prison Dome.
• The Fourth Raikage burst out and attacked the clones, but Kurenai appeared to unleash Dust Release on his comrades.

Kurenai Yuhi used Dust Release, combined ninjutsu, and a Big Ball Rasengan against the Fourth Raikage, but his speed let him evade her attacks and strike back. The chapter ended with the Raikage thrusting through Kurenai, suggesting he had hit an illusion or clone.

• Kurenai Yuhi's Dust Release killed two Kumogakure Jonin and severed another's arm, enraging the Fourth Raikage.
• The Fourth Raikage activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and destroyed Kurenai Yuhi's Shadow Clones while searching for her real body.
• Kurenai Yuhi and a Shadow Clone combined Wind Release: Great Breakthrough with Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique, engulfing the Fourth Raikage in flames.
• Kurenai Yuhi predicted the Fourth Raikage's approach with her Red Eye and met his Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop with a Big Ball Rasengan.
• The Fourth Raikage charged Kurenai Yuhi again, but his thrust passed straight through her.

Kurenai Yuhi evaded the Fourth Raikage’s attack with the Flying Thunder God Technique and prepared to face him again. A mysterious portal appeared between them, and the Raikage was sent flying through it.

• The surviving sensory ninja warned the Fourth Raikage that Kurenai Yuhi was behind him.
• Kurenai Yuhi escaped the Raikage’s strike using a Flying Thunder God Tag Formation inscribed by Rikuto.
• The Fourth Raikage recognized the Flying Thunder God Technique and charged at Kurenai Yuhi again.
• A pitch-black portal opened between them, and the Raikage was sent flying as he struck forward.