Chapter Summaries

Kirigakure prepared to capture the Three-Tails as its chakra neared its peak, while Hikari warned Mei Terumi that the village could not protect it from the Akatsuki Organization. Mei drew a line between herself and Hikari, leaving their conflict unresolved.

• Kirigakure's sensory and sealing teams detected that the Three-Tails' chakra would peak in three days, and Ao ordered most of the Anbu to return to camp.
• Hikari and Kakashi Hatake relaxed in their courtyard while Might Guy trained, then Kakashi and Might Guy went inside when Mei Terumi arrived.
• Mei asked Hikari why he was determined to stop Kirigakure from obtaining the Three-Tails, and he warned that the village lacked the strength to protect it.
• Hikari pointed out that the Akatsuki Organization could overwhelm Kirigakure and said a greater conspiracy threatened the entire shinobi world.
• Mei told Hikari that Kirigakure would treat him as an enemy for opposing its plans, but Hikari insisted that she knew nothing of his group's strength.

The Akatsuki Organization waited near the lake for the Three-Tails to take form, while Obito warned them that the Hidden Leaf Village shinobi were far more dangerous than they realized. Sasori headed to speak with the Mizukage, leaving Obito and Deidara to resume their quarrel.

• Itachi Uchiha told the Akatsuki Organization that the Three-Tails would take initial form that night or the next morning and urged them to follow Tobi’s plan rather than attack.
• Deidara complained about Tobi, who emerged from the ground and warned that the Hidden Leaf Village had come to target the Akatsuki Organization after its peace plan was exposed.
• Itachi Uchiha reasoned that Might Guy and Kakashi alone could not defeat the Akatsuki Organization, while Hikari remained a mystery after killing Kakuzu.
• Obito warned the group to write their wills and cautioned Deidara to use his ultimate move immediately if he faced the person in green.
• Sasori decided to trust Obito’s warning and went to speak with the Mizukage, while Deidara kicked Obito and ordered him to wash his clothes.

Kirigakure struggled to seal the newly born Three-Tails while Obito and the Akatsuki watched for a chance to act. Hikari left Kakashi and Might Guy behind, and as Obito challenged the hidden threat, Kisame attacked an approaching enemy with his Great Devouring Shark Jutsu.

• The Three-Tails erupted from the lake, and Ao used his Byakugan as Kirigakure shinobi tried to bind it with a seal.
• Obito, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori watched from nearby as Obito waited for an opportunity to control and take the Three-Tails.
• Kakashi urged Hikari to abandon the mission, but Hikari insisted the Three-Tails' revival mattered more than the risk of war and flew away.
• Kirigakure's forces sealed the infant Three-Tails, while Obito released his aura to draw out the unseen threat.
• Kisame launched his Great Devouring Shark Jutsu at the approaching enemy, whose punch shattered the giant shark into countless smaller ones.

Hikari arrived at the lake and tried to stop Obito from sealing the Three-Tails, but Mei Terumi and the Akatsuki opposed him. After driving Obito away with Divine Air Strike, Hikari turned to face the remaining Akatsuki members.

• Hikari swept aside the sharks attacking him and rushed toward the lakeshore as Obito's chains continued sealing the Three-Tails.
• Mei Terumi asked Hikari whether Obito's claims about the Hidden Leaf were true, and Hikari admitted he could not deny them before urging her to step aside.
• Mei Terumi attacked Hikari with Boiling Release, but Hikari tore through the mist with Divine Air Strike and forced her to dodge.
• Obito offered to help Kirigakure seal the Three-Tails and mocked Hikari, while Hikari warned him and then attacked with Divine Air Strike.
• Obito escaped into Kamui, and Hikari struck at his spatial anchor before turning toward Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Deidara, Sasori, and Hidan.

Hikari fought off the Akatsuki Organization as its members tried to capture the Three-Tails, easily overcoming their strongest attacks. Obito called off the assault and retreated, admitting that the group could not defeat Hikari with its current strength.

• Hikari recognized the Akatsuki members and warned them to retreat from the Three-Tails, but Obito returned and ordered them to attack him.
• Kisame's water techniques failed against Hikari's Divine Air Strike, and Itachi's Tsukuyomi shattered before it could restrain him.
• Sasori trapped Hikari in an Iron Sand cage, but Hikari broke free and emerged unharmed after the cage exploded.
• Deidara prepared to attack Hikari, but Obito knocked him unconscious to stop him from provoking Hikari into killing them.
• Itachi accused Obito of using the Akatsuki as bait to test Hikari, and Obito said they had no chance of defeating Hikari with their current strength.

Hikari stopped Mei Terumi from interfering and chose to seal the Three-Tails on an uninhabited island under Kirigakure’s jurisdiction rather than kill it. He restrained and lifted the beast from the lake, leaving Kirigakure responsible for guarding it and any losses that followed.

• Hikari sealed Mei Terumi’s Chakra and ordered the Kirigakure forces to withdraw, but she threatened to kill herself and bring the other shinobi villages against the Hidden Leaf Village if he killed the Three-Tails.
• Hikari agreed to seal the Three-Tails on an uninhabited island in the Land of Water for Kirigakure to guard, warning Mei Terumi that the Akatsuki Organization had dangerous goals.
• As the Kirigakure sealing unit began to lose control, Hikari calmed the lake and used Adamantine Sealing Chains to bind the Three-Tails and suppress its Chakra.
• Hikari pulled the subdued Three-Tails from the water and told Mei Terumi that Kirigakure would bear responsibility for any future losses or theft.

Hikari returned after sparing the Three-Tails, warning Kakashi that the Akatsuki Organization contained formidable fighters. Meanwhile, Mei Terumi secured the sealed Three-Tails and ordered Kirigakure to prioritize survival if the Akatsuki came for it.

• Hikari told Kakashi that Mei Terumi had threatened suicide to stop him from killing the Three-Tails, then described the dangerous Akatsuki members he had faced.
• Kakashi asked how Hikari had become so strong, and Hikari jokingly credited his good looks.
• Ao led Kirigakure's shinobi to the island where the Three-Tails was sealed, but the Sealing Squad could not break the advanced seal.
• Mei Terumi agreed to pay the Akatsuki Organization's one hundred million ryo commission and told the Sealing Squad to remain and study the seal.
• Ao warned that the Akatsuki Organization threatened Kirigakure, and Mei Terumi said the village should seek Hidden Leaf's help if necessary.
• Mei Terumi ordered most of Kirigakure's shinobi to return home and instructed the remaining squad to value their lives over the Three-Tails if the Akatsuki appeared.

At a hot spring, Itachi Uchiha’s companions joked about Hidan’s immortality while Itachi briefly lost track of their argument. After Obito returned and reported finding the Three-Tails, the group agreed to rest for a day before returning to Amegakure and leaving the capture decision to their leader.

• Hidan bragged about his immortality, and Kisame Hoshigaki and Deidara teased him about whether Itachi Uchiha’s Amaterasu could burn him.
• Itachi Uchiha activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, but Hidan and Kisame mistook his voice for a hallucination and left the bath.
• Sasori announced that Tobi had returned, and Obito told the group he had located the Three-Tails and wanted to consult their leader before capturing it.
• Sasori demanded his share of the mission reward, and Obito agreed that the members could split what remained after half went to the village.
• Deidara said he needed to replenish his clay and develop stronger techniques, so Obito decided they would rest for one day and return to Amegakure tomorrow.

After Hikari reported on the mission involving the Three-Tails, he warned the Hidden Leaf leadership about the Akatsuki Organization and left them to investigate through Kakashi. Kakashi described Akatsuki’s members and abilities, then revealed that Tobi claimed the organization sought peace and had come to stop Hikari from destroying the Three-Tails.

• Tsunade was relieved that Hikari had not killed the Three-Tails, avoiding the risk of war with Kirigakure.
• Hikari told Jiraiya not to investigate the Akatsuki Organization and urged him to train Naruto to control the Nine-Tails’ power.
• Hikari left the Hokage’s office, and Tsunade redirected Kakashi from gossip to reporting on Hikari’s abilities.
• Kakashi described Hikari’s brief flight, powerful taijutsu, and resistance to Itachi Uchiha’s Tsukuyomi, then named the Akatsuki members and outlined their abilities.
• Kakashi recalled that Tobi had claimed the Akatsuki sought peace and had come to stop Hikari from destroying the Three-Tails, leaving Jiraiya doubtful.

Hikari spoke with Yakumo about her improved constitution and agreed to help regulate her body. At Kurenai’s residence, Yakumo put Anko under a genjutsu after Anko declared her love for Kurenai, leaving Kurenai wondering what Yakumo had shown her.

• Yakumo contacted Hikari through an ability and said her constitution had improved after their last encounter, asking him to help regulate her body.
• Hikari agreed to help Yakumo and continued walking through the Hidden Leaf Village in a bad mood.
• At Kurenai’s residence, Anko teased Kurenai about Yakumo and openly declared that she loved her.
• Yakumo cast a genjutsu on Anko, who quickly became terrified, and told Kurenai that she was fulfilling Anko’s wish to reunite with her in a dream.

Hikari visited Ichiraku Ramen, where Ichiraku scolded him for flirting with Ayame and warned him about his relationships with other women. Hikari noticed Sunagakure ninja arriving to take Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro home, then left after provoking Ichiraku with another flirtatious remark.

• Hikari greeted Ayame at Ichiraku Ramen and asked for food while complaining that he was tired.
• Ichiraku confronted Hikari for flirting with Ayame and warned him to end his entanglements with other women if he wanted her support.
• Hikari noticed Sunagakure ninja arriving to take Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro away, and Ayame expressed disappointment that they were leaving.
• Hikari ate one bowl of ramen, then told Ayame he was upset because no beautiful woman had kissed him that day.
• Ichiraku ordered Hikari to leave and threatened to smash his balls if he stayed.

Baki arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village to bring Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro back to Sunagakure, and Gaara asked Hikari to help with the One-Tail before they left. Hikari strengthened Gaara’s seal and warned the group that they would have to protect themselves from those seeking the power of Tailed Beasts.

• Baki told Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro that Sunagakure’s council had ordered them to return.
• Gaara asked Baki to accompany him to visit Hikari before they left.
• Gaara asked Hikari to suppress the One-Tail, which emerged from Gaara and protested being confined.
• Hikari warned that the group was too weak to protect Gaara from people seeking Tailed Beasts, and told the One-Tail to cooperate with Gaara.
• Hikari replaced Gaara’s original seal with a strengthened Eight Trigrams Seal that let Gaara control the seal and use the One-Tail’s Chakra more effectively.

Orochimaru emerged in Genyūmaru’s body after reincarnating with the Three-Tails’ Chakra, but he had not fully controlled it. He planned to visit the Hidden Leaf Village alone to pursue Sasuke’s Sharingan and test Hikari, while Mei Terumi learned that someone was stealing the Three-Tails’ Chakra and considered whether that person could become an Akatsuki target.

• Orochimaru told Yakushi Kabuto that he had reincarnated into Genyūmaru’s body but had not yet mastered the Three-Tails’ Chakra.
• Orochimaru explained that the Tailed Beast Chakra rapidly restored his body, then ordered Yakushi Kabuto to clean up the laboratory.
• Orochimaru announced that he would go alone to the Hidden Leaf Village to pursue Sasuke Uchiha’s Sharingan and test Hikari’s strength.
• Mei Terumi entered her inner world and asked the Three-Tails about a condensed mass of its Chakra.
• The Three-Tails told Mei Terumi that someone had cultivated a separate body of its Chakra and was taking part of its origin.
• Mei Terumi suggested that the Chakra user could be treated as a Tailed Beast and targeted by the Akatsuki Organization, and the Three-Tails agreed before ejecting her from the inner world.

Orochimaru visited Sasuke and offered to train him in exchange for leaving the Hidden Leaf Village. Sasuke postponed his decision, and Hikari warned Orochimaru not to force him before the two discussed Orochimaru’s enhanced power and the Akatsuki Organization.

• Orochimaru approached Sasuke and offered him power and training to help him defeat Itachi.
• Sasuke asked whether Orochimaru or Hikari was stronger, then said he would consider the offer and went inside.
• Hikari appeared and told Orochimaru he would not interfere if Sasuke chose to leave willingly, but would act if Orochimaru forced him.
• Hikari questioned Orochimaru about using the Three-Tails to strengthen himself, and Orochimaru claimed the Akatsuki Organization could not catch him unless its leader intervened.
• Hikari vanished, and Orochimaru sank into the ground as the Uchiha clan district fell quiet.

Obito and Nagato discussed Hikari’s strength and the plan to revive the Ten-Tails using the Three-Tails’ Chakra or Orochimaru as a substitute. Nagato decided to head for the Three-Tails’ seal while the others went after Orochimaru, setting the Tailed Beast capture operation in motion.

• Nagato challenged Obito’s claim to be Madara Uchiha, but accepted Obito’s explanation for his weakened state and focused on Hikari’s power.
• Obito and Nagato discussed reviving the Ten-Tails and learned from Black Zetsu that Kirigakure had made no progress breaking the Three-Tails’ seal.
• Black Zetsu revealed that Orochimaru had traces of Three-Tails Chakra and had reached the Hidden Leaf Village, suggesting he could replace the Three-Tails in the revival plan.
• Black Zetsu explained that a ninja holding cultivated Nine-Tails Chakra could also serve as a substitute, allowing the plan to proceed without capturing the full Tailed Beasts immediately.
• Nagato ordered himself to go to the Three-Tails’ sealed location and sent the others to capture Orochimaru.

Obito and Black Zetsu plotted to lure Hikari away from the Hidden Leaf Village and set him against Nagato, while Akatsuki members prepared to capture Orochimaru. Black Zetsu secretly revealed that he intended to use Obito, Nagato, and Madara Uchiha to revive his mother.

• Nagato assigned the Akatsuki members to capture Orochimaru, and Tobi warned them that Hikari would be formidable before departing with Black Zetsu.
• In the Kamui Dimension, Black Zetsu proposed manipulating Kirigakure into sending Hikari to confront Nagato, and Obito agreed to the plan.
• Obito decided to use White Zetsu disguises to prevent Ao from detecting the scheme, then sent Black Zetsu to gather information on Orochimaru while he went to Kirigakure.
• After Obito left, he questioned whether Black Zetsu's plans might also threaten him but still resolved to obtain the Rinnegan.
• Black Zetsu privately revealed that he considered Obito, Nagato, and Madara Uchiha tools for reviving his mother and vowed that she would punish Hagoromo and Hamura.

Hikari visited Kotetsu and Da Ju, but their talk about his love life revealed that Tsunade was encouraging him to marry and settle down in the Hidden Leaf Village. He left after Da Ju named several women he was rumored to be involved with and suggested Tsunade could help him become an advisor or the next Hokage.

• Hikari visited Kotetsu and pregnant Da Ju, joked about the timing of her pregnancy, and asked whether they knew the baby's sex.
• Kotetsu questioned Hikari about what kind of woman he wanted to marry and said Tsunade had offered to officiate his wedding.
• Hikari suspected Tsunade was trying to keep him in the Hidden Leaf Village by pressuring him to marry.
• Da Ju named Ayame, Tenten, Anko, and Kurenai as women linked to Hikari, while he denied being involved with them.
• Da Ju suggested Tsunade could promote Hikari to advisor or make him the next Hokage, and Hikari excused himself to leave.

Hikari visited Yakumo after fleeing Hikari's Residence, discussed Orochimaru's arrival and his obsession with the Mangekyō Sharingan, and learned that Yakumo had trapped him in a genjutsu. The conversation ended with Hikari recalling Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō eye and reflecting on Orochimaru's genius and fixation.

• Hikari used the Body Flicker Technique to leave Hikari's Residence and found himself at Kurenai's Residence, where Yakumo invited him inside.
• Yakumo teased Hikari about his troubles choosing a wife, but he changed the subject to Orochimaru's visit to the village.
• Yakumo explained that Orochimaru had created Three-Tails Chakra inside a child and that she had trapped him in a genjutsu where he dreamed of obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Yakumo offered to implant a genjutsu-type Sharingan in Hikari, but he remembered Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō eye and asked to study it.
• Hikari reflected that Orochimaru's obsession with the Mangekyō had distracted him from pursuing his other scientific talents.

Yakumo tested Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan and used Kotoamatsukami on herself, explaining how her mastery of genjutsu let her resist its attempt to alter her subconscious. After analyzing the technique, she tried to use genjutsu to make Hikari love her, and stopped him from leaving.

• Yakumo took Shisui’s Sharingan from the jar and activated its Mangekyō pattern without damaging the eyes.
• Yakumo cast Kotoamatsukami on herself, then closed her eyes as Hikari checked her condition.
• Yakumo told Hikari she had resisted Kotoamatsukami by recognizing its attack on her subconscious and described her experiments with genjutsu.
• Yakumo explained that she had analyzed Kotoamatsukami and asked Hikari to let her test it on him.
• Hikari tried to leave, but Yakumo shut the room’s window and curtains and prevented him from escaping.

Yakumo kept Orochimaru trapped in a genjutsu that fulfilled his fantasies and wanted to use him as research material, while Hikari warned her that the Three-Tails' Chakra could attract the Akatsuki Organization. Their conversation turned to Yakumo's ability to alter a ninja's body through genjutsu, prompting Hikari to punish her for joking about transforming Orochimaru into a woman.

• Hikari watched Orochimaru act like an idiot inside Yakumo's improved genjutsu, which let him live out his fantasies.
• Yakumo refused to discard Orochimaru because she wanted him as research material, and Hikari warned that his Three-Tails' Chakra could attract the Akatsuki Organization.
• Hikari told Yakumo to remain in the Hidden Leaf Village until she became strong enough to face the ninja world's hidden threats.
• Yakumo offered to use genjutsu to make women fall in love with Hikari, but he declined and changed the subject to Orochimaru.
• Yakumo explained that genjutsu could alter a ninja's subconscious and Chakra to change their body's structure, including turning Orochimaru into a woman.
• Hikari spanked Yakumo for joking about transforming Orochimaru, and Yakumo teased him about his strength and challenged him to try again soon.