Recaps

Sasuke used powerful Water Release techniques and coordinated with Sakura and Naruto to pressure Kakashi during their bell test. The chapter ended with Sasuke’s Rasengan colliding with Kakashi’s as both were pushed backward.

• Sasuke created a massive whirlpool and used Sakura’s strike to expose Kakashi, then trapped him in a Water Prison Technique.
• Kakashi escaped Sasuke’s trap, and the two launched matching Water Dragon Bullet Techniques while Sakura and Naruto attacked from the sides.
• Sasuke controlled his water dragon to keep Kakashi surrounded and crashed it down after ordering Sakura and Naruto to retreat.
• Kakashi followed Sakura out of the encirclement, but Sasuke sent Naruto after him and closed in for a coordinated attack.
• Kakashi used Chidori to drive Sakura and Naruto back, but Sasuke crossed the lightning with Lightning Armor and struck at him with a Rasengan.
• Kakashi formed his own Rasengan, and the two techniques collided, pushing them both backward.

Sasuke pressured Kakashi with new Rasengan techniques, but Kakashi escaped into the forest by using Water Formation Wall to pass through a wall of fire. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura regrouped and prepared to pursue Kakashi, with Naruto summoning a vast number of shadow clones.

• Sasuke created Fire- and Water-nature Rasengan attacks, forcing Kakashi to retreat toward the forest.
• Sasuke launched Ice Release: Rasengan Ice Howl and Fire Release: Rasengan Flame Burst to block Kakashi’s routes.
• Kakashi soaked himself with Water Formation Wall and charged through the wall of fire as Naruto and Sakura closed in.
• Sasuke explained that Kakashi entered the forest to limit Team 7’s coordination, and he refused Naruto’s suggestion to exploit Kakashi’s unfinished book.
• Sasuke told Naruto to use Shadow Clones to search the forest, and Naruto performed the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura tracked Kakashi through the forest, where Sasuke led the attack and trapped Kakashi in close combat. Sasuke then unveiled his S-rank Water Release: Nine Dragon Maze Formation, leaving Kakashi surrounded by circling water dragons.

• Naruto sent a swarm of Shadow Clones into the forest while Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura followed to find Kakashi.
• Kakashi fled deeper into the woods, but Sasuke located him and attacked with streams of water arrows.
• Sasuke used a Shadow Clone to distract Kakashi, then closed in and fought him at close range.
• Naruto and Sakura joined Sasuke, and the three pressed Kakashi with coordinated attacks.
• Sasuke asked Naruto and Sakura to hold Kakashi off, completed a series of hand seals, and summoned nine water dragons with his Nine Dragon Maze Formation.
• Naruto and Sakura retreated as the dragons separated them from Kakashi, while Sasuke stood atop one dragon to watch the fight from above.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura defeated Kakashi in the bell assessment, after which Sasuke received intelligence from Itachi about Akatsuki's movements. The chapter ended with Sasuke preparing to pass the warning to the Hokage.

• Sasuke trapped Kakashi in the Nine Dragon Maze Formation and sent Naruto and Sakura to attack while they pursued the bells.
• Kakashi used Lightning Cutter to break through the water dragons, but Naruto and Sakura took the bells after he exhausted himself.
• Tsunade congratulated Team 7 and told them she would arrange missions for the next day.
• Kakashi left the group near Ichiraku Ramen, and Sasuke suspected Jiraiya had gone to speak with him about Naruto.
• A Crow delivered Itachi's summoning formula and intelligence to Sasuke, who sent a scroll back to Itachi.
• Sasuke learned that Deidara and Sasori were targeting One-Tail and Hidan and Kakuzu were targeting Two-Tails, and Itachi urged him to inform the Hokage.

Sasuke gave Tsunade Itachi’s intelligence on Akatsuki and told her that Itachi planned to return to Konoha after they dealt with Orochimaru. Tsunade agreed to consider Itachi’s return, while Sasuke left after accepting a possible gold-escort mission for Team 7.

• Sasuke reviewed Itachi’s intelligence, sent a message by crow, and went to the Hokage Tower to give Tsunade the report.
• Tsunade ordered the Anbu to leave, and Sasuke handed over Itachi’s detailed intelligence on Akatsuki.
• Sasuke told Tsunade he knew the truth about the Uchiha Clan’s destruction and that Itachi would return so they could rebuild the clan.
• Sasuke said he and Itachi planned to kill Orochimaru, and Tsunade told him she would consider the matter of Itachi returning to Konoha.
• Shizune asked Sasuke about escorting gold the next day, and Tsunade later asked Shizune what she thought of Second Pillar.

Tsunade promoted Sasuke to Jonin and prepared a low-ranked mission for Team 7, but an urgent plea from Sunagakure revealed that Gaara had been captured by Akatsuki. She reassigned Team 7 to support Sunagakure, and they prepared to depart.

• Tsunade decided to promote Sasuke to Jonin and asked Kakashi to teach Naruto chakra nature transformation.
• Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto met Kakashi on their way to the Hokage Tower for Team 7's first mission since reuniting.
• Tsunade assigned Team 7 a C-rank escort mission, and Naruto protested the low rank.
• A Cipher Corps ninja delivered Sunagakure's urgent plea for help, and Tsunade announced that Akatsuki had captured Kazekage Gaara.
• Tsunade reassigned Team 7 to support Sunagakure, and Kakashi ordered them to assemble at the main gate in one hour.

Sasuke’s team traveled to Sunagakure to help rescue Gaara, using Sasuke’s giant eagle to reach the village quickly. They arrived to find the entrance blocked and guarded, and Temari identified herself to the Sand Ninja.

• Tsunade sent Kakashi’s team to Sunagakure and told them to meet Temari on the road.
• Sasuke summoned Eagle Fly, who carried the team toward Sunagakure and picked up Temari along the way.
• Kakashi told the team they could reach Sunagakure in a day and promoted Sasuke to Jonin for capturing Disonas and locating Summoning Animals.
• Naruto and Sakura discussed Rasengan techniques while Temari questioned why Naruto had joined the mission.
• Eagle Fly reached the outskirts of Sunagakure, where Sand Ninja aimed ballistae at the approaching group.
• Temari descended on her fan and signaled the Sand Ninja, who recognized her and lowered their guard.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrived in Sunagakure with Temari to help rescue Gaara. After learning Kankuro had been poisoned while pursuing the Akatsuki, they went to see him, and Sasuke shared what he knew about Deidara’s explosive clay and weaknesses.

• Sasuke sent Eagle Fly to rest as Temari thanked the Konoha team for bringing her back to Sunagakure so quickly.
• Naruto and the others entered Sunagakure over its wall and found the village officials arguing about succession and defenses instead of organizing Gaara’s rescue.
• Temari reported that Kankuro had been poisoned while pursuing Gaara’s captors, and Baki led the Konoha team to the medical area after ordering the village sealed and its alert level raised.
• Sakura offered to treat Kankuro, while Sasuke identified Deidara and explained how his explosive clay worked and how Lightning Release could disable it.

Sasuke shared intelligence about Deidara and Sasori as Sunagakure treated Kankuro and investigated Gaara’s abduction. Kankuro revealed a clue that Kakashi’s Ninja Hounds could track, while Team Guy was sent to reinforce the rescue effort.

• Sasuke told Baki and Kakashi that Deidara had fought alongside Sasori, and the group went to check on Kankuro.
• Granny Chiyo mistook Kakashi for his father and attacked him until Ebizo stopped her; Sakura then treated Kankuro.
• Chiyo identified Sasori as her grandson and the maker of Kankuro’s puppets, while Baki reported that Captain Yura was missing from the cleared gate.
• Sakura stabilized Kankuro and said he would wake soon; after waking, Kankuro revealed that his puppet had torn cloth from Sasori’s mask and could help track Gaara’s scent.
• Kakashi summoned Ninja Hounds to follow the scents, and Baki received word that Team Guy was returning from Konoha to support the rescue.

Sasuke and his allies hurried from Sunagakure into the Land of Rivers to rescue Gaara, while Akatsuki tried to buy time to finish extracting the One-Tail. The two groups closed in on each other, and Akatsuki prepared to send transformed subordinates to delay the rescue team.

• Sasuke continued teaching Naruto the Rasengan until Kakashi received word that Deidara and his companion were heading toward the Land of Rivers.
• Temari objected to Sunagakure's failure to form a rescue team, and Granny Chiyo joined Kakashi's group despite the village council's decision.
• Kakashi sent Pakkun to alert Might Guy, then led Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Chiyo out of Sunagakure.
• Sasuke summoned Eagle Fly, who carried the group to the Land of Rivers, where Ninja Hounds guided them toward Akatsuki's hideout.
• Zetsu warned Akatsuki that Kakashi's rescue team was approaching while Gaara's One-Tail extraction was still underway.
• Sasori offered to use the Image Transformation Technique on two subordinates to delay the five rescuers, including Granny Chiyo.

Itachi and Kisame were sent to delay Kakashi’s team while the Akatsuki extracted the One-Tail’s Chakra. Sasuke recognized that the pair were impostors and challenged Itachi, while Kisame engaged the others.

• The leader ordered Itachi and Kisame to hold off Kakashi’s team long enough for the Akatsuki to obtain more than half of the One-Tail’s Chakra.
• Itachi and Kisame set out to draw Kakashi’s team away from the extraction site.
• Kakashi’s team encountered Itachi and Kisame on a plain, and Sasuke volunteered to fight Itachi while Kakashi faced Kisame.
• Sasuke identified the pair as not being the real Itachi and Kisame, and Kisame confirmed they were impostors.
• Sasuke charged Itachi, while Kisame unleashed Exploding Water Colliding Wave against Kakashi’s group and Itachi led Sasuke farther away.

Sasuke and Itachi secretly discussed delaying the ritual and taking half of the One-Tail’s Chakra to save Gaara. As Naruto was dragged underwater and Kakashi struggled against Kisame, Sasuke used a powerful fire technique to finish his fight with Itachi and rushed to help.

• Sasuke asked Itachi how long the ritual would take and proposed that Itachi take half of the One-Tail’s Chakra so Gaara would survive.
• Kisame overwhelmed Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura with Water Release techniques, trapping Naruto underwater with a water shark.
• Kisame fought Kakashi while Naruto struggled underwater, and Sakura could not catch the shark.
• Sasuke used Fire Release: Nine Dragon Maze Formation against Itachi, then rushed toward Kisame’s battle.
• Kisame spent his remaining Chakra on Great Shark Bullet, but Sasuke’s Water Formation Wall held it back until the water shark dissipated.

After defeating two Akatsuki impostors, Kakashi's team rested and continued toward Gaara's location. At the cave entrance, Sasuke offered to remove the Five-Point Seal so the team could break through the boulder and enter.

• Kakashi warned Naruto and Sasuke that the Akatsuki members they had defeated were weakened and that another difficult fight awaited them.
• Sasuke described his dangerous solo training, and Kakashi encouraged Naruto by promising to teach him the Multiple Shadow Clone training method.
• Kakashi ordered the team to rest before approaching the stronghold, and Sasuke shared food and meditated while they recovered.
• Kakashi woke the team during the night, and they traveled to a canyon where a sealed cave blocked their path.
• Kakashi explained that the Five-Point Seal required four matching seals to be removed simultaneously, and Sasuke offered to remove it while Sakura prepared to smash the boulder.
• Kakashi wondered how Sasuke could undo the seal and feared the cave might be a trap.

Sasuke broke the cave’s seal, rescued Gaara from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and faced Deidara as Kakashi and Granny Chiyo prepared to fight Sasori. The Akatsuki leader and statue disappeared, leaving the rescue team to confront the two remaining enemies.

• Sasuke used Lightning Chains to break the Five-Point Seal, and Sakura smashed the boulder blocking the cave.
• Sasuke severed the Chakra connecting Gaara to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, caught Gaara, and sent him to Naruto.
• The Akatsuki leader ended the extraction and vanished with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, leaving Deidara and Sasori behind.
• Sakura examined Gaara and found that he needed treatment for overexertion and slight internal bleeding, while Naruto angrily confronted Deidara and Sasori.
• Sasuke chose Deidara as his opponent, and Granny Chiyo addressed Sasori as her grandson.

Sasuke pursued Deidara into an aerial battle, using Eagle Blade and his ninjutsu to counter Deidara’s explosive clay. After foiling Deidara’s ambush, Sasuke confronted him on the ground as Deidara sent a swarm of Clay Spiders after him.

• Deidara flew out of the cave to fight Sasuke, while Kakashi assigned Naruto to protect Sakura as she treated Gaara.
• Sasuke summoned Eagle Blade and caught up with Deidara in the sky.
• Eagle Blade and Sasuke destroyed Deidara’s Twin-winged Hummingbirds with Wind Blades and Lightning Release Senbon.
• Sasuke used Water Release to weigh down Deidara’s Clay Bird, but Eagle Blade detected Deidara’s ambush and helped Sasuke evade its explosion.
• Sasuke landed to face Deidara while Eagle Blade kept control of the sky, and Deidara sent Clay Spiders hopping toward Sasuke.

Sasuke defeated Deidara by surviving his explosive attacks and using Kamui to evade Deidara’s final blast. Meanwhile, Sakura stabilized Gaara and prepared to enter the cave to help fight Sasori, leaving Naruto to guard Gaara.

• Sasuke overwhelmed Deidara with his speed, lightning armor, and a combined fire-and-wind attack.
• Sasuke tracked Deidara underground with Eight-Way Earth Current and struck him with Lightning Cutter.
• Deidara held Sasuke and began his final self-detonation, but Sasuke used Kamui to become intangible and escape unharmed.
• Sakura finished treating Gaara and told Naruto she would go into the cave to help fight Sasori.
• Naruto wanted to avenge Gaara, but Sakura insisted that her medical skills made her the better choice to face Sasori’s poison.

Sasuke joined Kakashi, Sakura, and Chiyo as they fought Sasori, while Naruto stayed outside to care for Gaara and worried that he had been useless. Sasori unleashed his Puppet Brigade, and Sasuke stepped forward to face him alone.

• Sakura joined Kakashi and Chiyo in the battle against Sasori’s Third Kazekage puppet, relying on her antidote and knowledge as the team struggled.
• Sasuke returned after defeating Deidara, but refused Naruto’s request to guard Gaara and hurried into the cave to help Sakura.
• Naruto spoke with Gaara after he woke, confessed that he felt useless, and took encouragement from Gaara’s reassurance.
• Sasuke saw Sakura’s injuries and angrily confronted Sasori, who mocked him and then summoned the Puppet Brigade.
• Sasuke told Kakashi, Sakura, and Chiyo to retreat while he handled Sasori, who became wary that Sasuke might possess eyes like Itachi’s.

Sasuke fought Sasori after sending Kakashi, Sakura, and Chiyo out of the cave, using the battle to improve his swordsmanship. He summoned Eagle Fury and launched a diving attack with a powerful combination of Fire and Wind Release, leaving the clash unresolved.

• Sasuke told Kakashi to take Sakura and Chiyo away, then faced Sasori alone.
• Sasuke used Water Release to destroy many of Sasori’s puppets before fighting the remaining ones with War Soul.
• Sasuke’s swordsmanship improved during the fight, prompting Sasori to pull back his puppets.
• Sasuke summoned Eagle Fury and rode it into the air as Kakashi and the others watched from a distance.
• Sasuke and Eagle Fury dove toward Sasori, who raised his puppets for protection, while Sasuke used Great Fire Annihilation and Eagle Fury used Rapid Current Wind.

Sasuke defeated Deidara and Sasori, recovered Sasori’s core, and reunited with Gaara and the others. After the group rested, Guy’s Team arrived, and Sasuke told Guy they had rescued the Kazekage and killed two Akatsuki members.

• Sasuke used Gale Flame Wave to destroy the cave’s puppet wreckage, then sealed Sasori’s core in a scroll.
• Sasuke gave the scroll to Granny Chiyo and told her Sasori could return to life in a puppet body, but warned her to keep him in check.
• Gaara woke and thanked Sasuke, who cautioned that Akatsuki might target him again and explained why defeating Deidara and Sasori did not mean the group could easily defeat Akatsuki.
• Sasuke hunted and cooked dinner for the group, then took the night watch while the others rested.
• Guy’s Team and Pakkun arrived at midnight, and Sasuke welcomed them and reported that they had rescued Gaara and killed two Akatsuki members.

After rescuing Gaara, Sasuke and Kakashi escorted him back to Sunagakure, where Temari, Kankuro, and the villagers welcomed him. The Konoha team returned home a week later, with Sasuke racing ahead alongside Might Guy and Rock Lee.

• Temari, Kankuro, and Ebizo led a group of Sand Ninja to meet the returning team and reunite with Gaara.
• Kakashi decided the Konoha team had to escort Gaara to Sunagakure before their support mission was complete.
• The group reached Sunagakure, where villagers welcomed Gaara, and Kakashi's team left after resting for a day.
• Sasuke raced with Might Guy and Rock Lee on the journey back and reached Konoha's gate first.
• Sakura reminded Might Guy that the team needed to register and report to the Hokage.

After the successful mission to rescue the Kazekage, Tsunade and Jiraiya assigned Yamato to Team 7 to help train Naruto and suppress the Nine-Tails’ Chakra. Yamato joined the team and began explaining Chakra nature transformation, while Sasuke continued to wonder about the unusual abilities of his eyes.

• Kakashi reported the mission’s success to Tsunade, and she approved a few days of rest for the team.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya agreed to remove Yamato from the Anbu and assign him to Team 7 to help train and protect Naruto.
• Sasuke took Naruto and Sakura out for a meal, and the team rested before meeting Kakashi again the next day.
• Kakashi introduced Yamato as Team 7’s new Jonin and acting captain when Kakashi was absent, explaining that Yamato could suppress Naruto’s Nine-Tails’ Chakra.
• Yamato demonstrated Wood Release and explained that he had combined Water and Earth Chakra natures to form a Kekkei Genkai.
• Yamato told Naruto that he had other Chakra natures besides Wind Release, though Wind Release was the most abundant in his body.

Yamato explained chakra attributes, clan techniques, and Kekkei Genkai while Kakashi prepared Naruto for accelerated training. Sasuke left after realizing he had forgotten a fundamental point about the world's chakra system, and began reconsidering his plan to create a new order.

• Yamato explained the five basic chakra attributes and how Yin Release and Yang Attribute Chakra supported the secret techniques of several Konoha clans.
• Yamato revealed that his Wood Release came from the First Hokage's cells, while Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya worried about Sasuke's growing potential and planned to strengthen Naruto.
• Kakashi told Naruto to focus on Wind Release training and introduced a quick-training method suited only to him; Sasuke recognized it as the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and left to think.
• Sasuke realized he had forgotten that the world's five chakra attributes lacked metal and wood, and reconsidered his belief that the world's disorder required a new order.

Sasuke unlocked the Nine-Tomoe’s ability to travel between his nine elemental spaces, then became frightened as he wondered whether a god had arranged the world and his own arrival. After resting and dreaming of an ordinary family life, he regained his resolve to protect Sakura and the people close to him.

• Sasuke tested his Nine-Tomoe and explored the nine elemental spaces, then considered how Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Divine Tree, and the Summoning Animals might fit into the world’s history.
• Sasuke feared that a god might have created the world’s order and placed his soul there, and he questioned the purpose of his cultivation.
• Sakura found Sasuke sitting dazed in the courtyard, and he took her to dinner before going home and sleeping without cultivating Chakra.
• Sasuke dreamed of growing old with a family, then woke late to find Sakura beside him and decided he would face death rather than abandon those he needed to protect.

Sasuke went to Eagle Nest Mountain to restore his missing Chakra attributes and investigate his Sharingan abilities, discovering that Nine-Cycle Space accelerated his cultivation. After filling out all nine Chakra types, he woke to find most of his Chakra depleted and began monitoring his body while fishing.

• Sasuke got Tsunade's permission to train at Eagle Nest Mountain for a month and told Sakura he would be away.
• Sasuke asked the Eagle King about Summoning Animals with Wood Release and Metal Release, but the Eagle King knew nothing about them.
• Sasuke tried cultivating earth-nature Chakra with fire-nature Chakra, but his progress was too slow.
• Sasuke entered the earth-attribute space within Nine-Cycle Space and rapidly cultivated until he had all nine Chakra types, dividing his reserves equally among them.
• Sasuke woke after a day of sleep to find two-thirds of his Chakra depleted, replenished it, and began fishing to sense changes in his Chakra.

Sasuke discovered that his eyes drained most of his Chakra each day, leaving his strength unstable, but chose to keep his new Chakra attributes rather than change them back. Back in Konoha, he learned the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had been captured, received a mission to help stop the hunt for the Three-Tails, and began studying the Scroll of Seals.

• Sasuke observed his Chakra flowing into his eyes for a month and decided to wait and see how much they would absorb.
• Sasuke returned to Konoha and told Sakura that his training had produced little progress, while learning that Naruto had improved through Shadow Clone training.
• Sasuke and Sakura reported to Tsunade, who told them the Two-Tails Jinchuriki had been captured and assigned their team to help stop the hunt for the Three-Tails.
• Sasuke asked to study the Scroll of Seals and requested a collection of low-level ninjutsu, and Tsunade approved both requests.
• Sasuke began reading the Scroll of Seals to memorize techniques suited to his expanded range of Chakra attributes.