As the only one so far to return from Shinsenkyo, Yamada Asaemon Jikka is questioned at the Ohashi Inn by the shogunate about the quest, but he glosses over the events and neglects to mention the head of a giant monster which was dredged up from the sea by an anchor. Yamada Asaemon Shugen is selected to go to the island to determine what happened to the other Yamada Asaemon and the officials reveal that they will also be sending Iwagakure shinobi. Meanwhile, in the Tensen's castle on the island, Sagiri wants to find Gabimaru and Mei-san, but Yuzuriha wants to leave. Gabimaru's group encounters Chobei who attacks Gabimaru and although the fight is brutal, Chobei's body continually regenerates after Gabimaru's attacks, leading Mei to surmise that something is wrong with Gabimaru's tao. In a desperate final move to stop Chobei, Gabimaru ignites his body in an attempt to incinerate them both, explaining he has nothing to lose while Chobei still cares about his brother. Realizing that Gabimaru is right, Chobei enters a berserker rage, forcing his body into another frightening transformation to defeat Gabimaru.

Following his monstrous transformation, Chobei loses sight of who and where he is, and launches a berserk assault towards Gabimaru, who tries to defend himself with his fire ninjutsu. Touma realizes that Chobei has always fought for him and attempts to bring him back to the conscious world, but he is wounded by Chobei in the attempt. The child Mei sees that Gabimaru cannot win and creates a sinkhole swallowing up Chobei and ending the conflict, while also transforming her into her woman form. Sagiri's group exits the Tensen castle, wondering if the island was created by human or divine hands, when they meet the other group returning with an unconscious Gabimaru. The surviving eight expeditioners exchange news of their dramatic adventures after only three days on the island. Gabimaru slowly regains consciousness, but he is still confused, so Sagiri uses her tao to help him recover and together, the group takes shelter in a cave. Meanwhile, Chobei survives and is threatened by a group of mindless Soshin. He easily destroys them all, but he is then confronted by Rien who asks if he was the one who killed Mu Dan.

Gabimaru realizes that just using Tao is not enough to defeat the Tensen and he challenges Gantetsusai, Tōma, Shion, and Nurugai to help him gain control of Tao. During the training session, he discovers that with proper focus and concentration, he can use a person's own Tao against them. Elsewhere, Rien realizes that Chobei has blended Tao with the Waitanhua flower to gain his enhanced recuperative powers. Rien tests Chobei's abilities by pushing him to use his powers to the limit and is destroyed. However, Rein reappears and Chobei realizes that he had only fought a clone, and Rein easily renders him unconscious. When he awakes, Chobei sees Rien in female form and she explains that to complete her research, she intends to study him through Bōchū Jutsu. He agrees only if she tells him everything she knows about the island. Meanwhile, Fuchi tells Sagiri and Yuzuriha about her own origins as well as that of the island and the connection between the Tensen, Doshi, Shoshin and the Hoko.

A follow-up expedition is sent to the island comprising four Yamada Asaemons: the experienced Shugen, the young unranked Kiyomaru, the powerful female instructor Isuzu and Jikku. In addition, four Iwagakure ninjas and 50 ninja subordinates to serve them board the ship. However, each group has their own agenda: Shugen and the Yamada Asaemons to kill the criminals and the Iwagakure to execute the death sentence on Gabimaru. The expedition lands, and they are met on the shore by a group of Shoshin. Shugen offers to fight them all and defeats them bare-handed using his Tao, but he falls to pieces after seeing the dismembered body of Eizen. While he mourns, a Doshi directs a group of Monshin monsters to attack the interlopers. Together the Asaemons and ninjas cut them to pieces while Shugen alone defeats and tortures the Doshi for information. Meanwhile, the survivors now led by Shion are expecting the arrival of a second expedition, but are unsure of their motives. They resolve to find a way off the island together.