Recaps

Kakashi, Guy, Jiraiya, and Konoha’s surviving ninja regrouped after escaping the battlefield’s destructive blast and watched Naruto fight the First and Second Hokage. Naruto unleashed a vast barrage of elemental ninjutsu and erased a massive Wood Release attack with Dust Release, leaving the onlookers stunned and wondering how he had learned it.

• Kakashi noticed that the energy barrier had collapsed at the perfect moment and that Ice Release had spared the fleeing ninja.
• Guy urged Kakashi and the other Konoha ninja to return to the fight, and they headed toward the remaining battlefields.
• Jiraiya arrived at the devastated Forest of Death, feared for Naruto, and then spotted him hovering above the battlefield.
• Naruto bombarded the First and Second Hokage with more than four hundred ninjutsu for half an hour, leaving Kakashi and the watching elites stunned.
• The First Hokage’s Wood Release surged toward the ninja and Naruto, but Naruto erased the giant wooden attack and the earth beneath it with a beam of Dust Release.
• Jiraiya asked Kakashi how Naruto had learned Dust Release, but Kakashi was just as bewildered.

Naruto defeated the First and Second Hokage with an enormous Dust Release attack, stunning the shinobi who witnessed it. After boasting to a reporter and seeing the Hokage sealed, he wondered whether anyone in the shinobi world could still challenge him, then realized he had forgotten something.

• Kakashi, Jiraiya, Might Guy, and reporter Toma Taihei rushed to the battlefield after Naruto's Dust Release erased the First and Second Hokage's bodies.
• Naruto calculated Dust Release's huge Chakra cost and recovered from the attack as Jiraiya arrived and praised him.
• Kakashi questioned how Naruto had learned Dust Release, and Naruto claimed he had casually combined the required elements after Kakashi taught him about them.
• Naruto told Toma Taihei that the First Hokage was weak, the Second Hokage was annoying, and young shinobi should inherit the world.
• The Sealing Team sealed the First and Second Hokage while the First Hokage asked whether Naruto was Tsunade's grandson.
• Naruto wondered whether he had any opponents left, called being invincible boring, and then frowned because he had forgotten something.

Naruto brought Jiraiya and Kakashi to the rooftop where Orochimaru and Hiruzen were fighting, and Orochimaru tried to justify his attack on Konoha as a drastic act of protection. He then invoked the Hyuga Clan’s humiliating transaction from nine years earlier, leaving Hiruzen shaken and Naruto eager to hear more.

• Naruto used Flying Thunder God to bring Jiraiya and Kakashi inside the barrier, where Hiruzen and Orochimaru were resting after their prolonged fight.
• Jiraiya confronted Orochimaru, who realized Konoha had won and that the blond Naruto was likely responsible for defeating him.
• Orochimaru claimed his plan to revive the First and Second Hokage and challenge Hiruzen had been meant to force change and protect Konoha.
• Naruto laughed at Orochimaru’s speech and offered Kakashi sunflower seeds while watching the confrontation.
• Orochimaru accused Hiruzen of allowing Konoha to stagnate, then brought up the Hyuga Clan’s humiliating transaction from nine years earlier.
• Hiruzen trembled at Orochimaru’s accusation, while Naruto grabbed a watermelon and focused on hearing the details.

Orochimaru confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi over Konoha’s past compromises, invoking the Hyuga incident, Hatake Sakumo’s death, and the Uchiha Clan Downfall to justify his planned upheaval. When Hiruzen remained composed, Orochimaru turned to Naruto and raised an undisclosed matter involving him.

• Orochimaru reminded Hiruzen Sarutobi that Hizashi Hyuga had died in place of Hyuga Hiashi to secure peace with Kumogakure.
• Naruto remembered saving Hinata from a Kumogakure ninja and resolved to confront the Raikage someday.
• Orochimaru accused Hiruzen of allowing Hatake Sakumo to be driven to death by Konoha’s condemnation, and Naruto noticed Kakashi’s clenched fist.
• Orochimaru blamed Hiruzen’s leadership for the Uchiha Clan Downfall and claimed his own operation would protect Konoha from further decay.
• When Hiruzen remained unmoved, Orochimaru made Naruto the subject of his next accusation.

After Orochimaru was captured, Naruto raced to help Sasuke, Sakura, and Shikamaru, who had fought the Sand shinobi and awakened Shukaku. Shukaku initially refused to emerge because Naruto had terrified it, but Gaara convinced it that Naruto was dead, and the tailed beast erupted with renewed destructive hunger.

• Hiruzen ordered Jiraiya to help arrest Orochimaru, and Enma and Jiraiya subdued him.
• Naruto sensed Sasuke, Sakura, and Shikamaru near Shukaku and rushed to bring them back safely.
• Sasuke challenged Gaara while Sakura defeated Kankuro and Shikamaru defeated Temari.
• Sasuke battered Gaara until Gaara transformed and Shukaku emerged, but Naruto arrived at the scene.
• Gaara tried to awaken Shukaku, who refused to come out because it feared Naruto's strength.
• Gaara told Shukaku that Naruto had died fighting the First and Second Hokage, and Shukaku broke free of its fear and awoke.

Sasuke challenged Shukaku but was badly outmatched and nearly killed. Naruto arrived just as Shukaku prepared to finish him, frightening the Tailed Beast and promising to demonstrate how to defeat it.

• Shukaku escaped and attacked Sasuke, who challenged the Tailed Beast with his Fire Style and Chidori techniques.
• Shukaku blocked Sasuke's attacks with sand, trapped him, and struck him into the forest.
• Shukaku restrained the injured Sasuke and formed a Tailed Beast Ball to kill him.
• Naruto spoke from a tree branch, causing the Tailed Beast Ball to disperse and Shukaku to tremble in terror.
• Naruto told Sasuke to watch as he demonstrated how to beat Shukaku.

Naruto used Shukaku as a target to demonstrate Fire Release, Lightning Release, and taijutsu while Sasuke watched and recovered with a Carefree Pill. After a ten-minute beating, Shukaku was left sprawled in despair, and Naruto asked the stunned spectators whether they had learned anything.

• Naruto's Lightning Release: Light Sword cut through Shukaku's claw, and Sakura pulled the injured Sasuke from the dust and healed him with a Carefree Pill.
• Shukaku realized Naruto and Gaara had tricked him, tried to flee, and found that Naruto had sealed off his way back to his private space.
• Naruto demonstrated Fire Release: Emperor of Flame, blasting Shukaku with a huge fireball that melted part of his sandy back.
• Naruto used Lightning Release: Dynamic Light Wave to pierce Shukaku repeatedly, then taunted him until Shukaku charged in a rage.
• Naruto launched Shukaku into the air and battered him with taijutsu for ten minutes, then asked Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, and the dog whether they had learned.

Danzo waited for Orochimaru’s attack on Konoha to kill Hiruzen and clear his path to the Hokage seat, but Naruto helped defeat Orochimaru and became the village’s most celebrated figure. Danzo suspected Hiruzen planned to use Naruto as a puppet Hokage and vowed to stop him.

• Danzo received intelligence that the Chunin Ninja Exams were proceeding smoothly and eagerly anticipated Hiruzen’s death during Orochimaru’s planned attack.
• Aburame Torune reported that Naruto subdued Shukaku, learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, and entered the Four Violet Flames Formation, taking the First and Second Hokage’s reanimated bodies.
• Danzo learned that Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi had helped Hiruzen defeat Orochimaru, leaving Hiruzen alive and Danzo’s path to the Hokage seat uncertain.
• Danzo asked his subordinates who had the greatest public renown in Konoha and was told that Naruto had risen to prominence.
• Danzo compared Hiruzen’s situation to a plot in “Romance of the Five Nations” and concluded that Hiruzen intended to make Naruto his puppet Hokage.
• Danzo vowed that Naruto would never become Hokage while he was alive.

After the Third Old Man announced his retirement, Naruto tried to secure Kakashi and Jiraiya’s support for becoming the Fifth Hokage. He won Jiraiya’s nomination, then teased Kakashi about his romance with Huahua and warned the others against peeping or visiting questionable establishments.

• Naruto gathered Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Sasuke at the hot springs and declared that he wanted to become the Fifth Hokage.
• Jiraiya and Kakashi challenged Naruto’s age and qualifications, but Naruto argued that his strength and kindness made him suitable.
• Jiraiya reluctantly agreed to nominate Naruto, though he urged him to aim for becoming the Sixth Hokage later.
• Naruto pressed Kakashi about his relationship with Huahua and learned that Kakashi had only walked her home and had never shown her his face.
• Naruto claimed the title of Konoha’s Number One Matchmaker and promised to help Kakashi’s romance progress.
• As Kakashi and Jiraiya prepared to go drinking, Naruto warned them against peeping at the women’s bath or visiting questionable salons.

Naruto reassured Sasuke that he could catch up to him by awakening the Uchiha’s Mangekyō Sharingan, then realized Sasuke cared deeply about him. Naruto decided to stage his own death to trigger Sasuke’s awakening, but first planned to make Sasuke study advanced textbooks.

• Naruto and Sasuke drank cola together and talked about how Sasuke had shared his childhood supply with Itachi Uchiha.
• Naruto asked whether Sasuke resented him for intervening when Shukaku sent Sasuke flying, and Sasuke admitted he had simply been weaker.
• Sasuke asked if he could catch up to Naruto, and Naruto told him the Uchiha’s dormant power could awaken through the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Naruto asked who Sasuke could not bear to lose, and Sasuke realized Naruto was the person most important to him.
• Naruto decided to begin a plan called “The Death of Naruto” and resolved to make Sasuke memorize advanced textbooks before carrying it out.

Naruto asked Kurama about unfamiliar chakra sealed inside him, while Ōnoki read the Shinobi World Daily’s account of Orochimaru’s failed attack on Konoha. The chapter left Ōnoki stunned by a picture showing Naruto wielding a vast beam of Dust Release.

• Naruto told Kurama he had sensed three unfamiliar sources of chakra, and Kurama recognized two as chakra left by the people who sealed it.
• Naruto set aside the question of the third chakra and invited Kurama to play a game with him.
• Ōnoki complained that the Shinobi World Daily was promoting Naruto and Konoha, but opened the newspaper after seeing its headline about Orochimaru’s Konoha Collapse Plan.
• Ōnoki read that Naruto had stopped Orochimaru’s alliance of Sound Village, Sunagakure, the revived First and Second Hokage, the One-Tail, and Uchiha Obito.
• Ōnoki saw an image of Naruto using a massive beam of Dust Release and realized that Naruto was more powerful than the First Hokage.

Jiraiya surprised Konoha’s Jonin by recommending twelve-year-old Uzumaki Naruto for Fifth Hokage, prompting a close contest with Tsunade. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Shimura Danzō and ordered him to disband Root, ending with Hiruzen asserting his authority as Hokage.

• Asuma, Kurenai, and Might Guy pressed Kakashi to explain Team 7’s rapid growth, and Kakashi agreed to teach special lectures for their classes.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the Fifth Hokage nomination meeting, and Jiraiya rejected his own candidacy to recommend Uzumaki Naruto.
• Jonin who supported Naruto cited his battle achievements and the Shinobi World Daily’s coverage, while Tsunade’s supporters brought the two candidates to an apparent tie.
• Shimura Danzō confronted Hiruzen over Naruto’s support, accusing him of trying to rule from behind the scenes.
• Hiruzen told Danzō that Naruto was unsuitable for Hokage, then ordered him to disband Root.
• Danzō protested that Konoha needed Root, but Hiruzen declared, “Danzo, I am the Hokage!”

Naruto brought Sasuke a mountain of math and science books, claiming that studying them would strengthen his Mangekyō Sharingan. Sasuke reluctantly agreed to learn calculus, while Naruto privately looked forward to revealing the whole claim was a prank.

• Naruto arrived at Sasuke's home with a huge stack of books and refused Sasuke's invitation to move in.
• Naruto told Sasuke that studying the books would make his Mangekyō abilities stronger than Itachi's, and suggested he ask Teacher Leopard for confirmation.
• Sasuke distrusted the books at first but began to believe Naruto after recalling Teacher Leopard's advice and hearing Naruto's confident claims about Itachi.
• Naruto gave Sasuke an advanced mathematics book and urged him to learn calculus, leaving Sasuke bewildered by the formulas.
• Naruto privately imagined Sasuke's rage when he eventually admitted the Mangekyō promise was a joke, then complained that the game prevented him from selling eye abilities.

After losing the Hokage election to Tsunade, Naruto concluded that his age, reputation, and lack of prestigious connections had held him back, and considered building a new ninja village in the Land of Grass. In the Duel Arena, he discovered that Shimura Danzō had an arm implanted with ten Sharingan and decided he no longer had any reason to spare him.

• Naruto questioned Jiraiya about his support in the Hokage election, and Jiraiya admitted Tsunade had been the stronger candidate.
• Naruto learned that Shimura Danzō had vetoed his candidacy and analyzed why he had lost to Tsunade.
• Naruto considered building a new ninja village in the Land of Grass and entered the Duel Arena to fight Shimura Danzō.
• Naruto attacked Danzō with Fire Style, then used genjutsu and Lightning Release to sever his bandaged right arm.
• Naruto uncovered ten Sharingan embedded in Danzō's arm and resolved to arrange Danzō's funeral without hesitation.

Naruto fought Tsunade in the Training Ground, then decided to send Jiraiya after her while planning missions against the Land of Rain and Kumogakure. He created a new clone, Uchiha Hongzhong, and sent him to investigate the organization’s losses in the Land of Rain.

• Naruto recognized Tsunade’s Yin Seal and tested her super strength in a fierce taijutsu fight, concluding that his own style was more advanced.
• Naruto abandoned the idea of courting Tsunade himself and resolved to urge Jiraiya to pursue her.
• Naruto reviewed his delayed plans to investigate the Land of Rain and target Kumogakure over its repeated attempts to kidnap Hinata.
• Naruto created a new clone named Uchiha Hongzhong and ordered him to infiltrate the Land of Rain, investigate the losses, and judge how much strength to use.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed he had ended Danzo’s legacy by disbanding Root, but reporter Toma Taihei brought clear photographs proving Danzo possessed ten Sharingan on his arm and Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan. The Shinobi World Daily demanded fifty million ryō to suppress the story, and Hiruzen resolved to arrest Danzo as the scandal threatened Konoha.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi reflected on Danzo’s crimes and concluded that disbanding Root was a reckoning for his own years of tolerance and failed oversight.
• Toma Taihei told Hiruzen that the Shinobi World Daily had received damaging photographs from an anonymous insider.
• Hiruzen examined photographs showing ten Sharingan embedded in Danzo’s arm and Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan in his eye socket.
• Toma said the newspaper would suppress the story if Konoha paid fifty million ryō, but Hiruzen realized he could not raise the money immediately.
• Hiruzen concluded the photographs would likely be published and decided that Danzo had to be arrested at once.

Uchiha Liutong infiltrated Shimura Danzō’s residence, overpowered him, and extracted his memories while preserving him as a decoy. As Hiruzen Sarutobi prepared to arrest Danzō, he learned that Danzō had defected.

• Under house arrest after Root’s dissolution, Shimura Danzō planned to use Kotoamatsukami to control Naruto and seize power.
• Uchiha Liutong confronted Danzō, immobilized him, and dismissed his attempts to use his Sharingan, Izanagi, and other techniques.
• Liutong revealed his Rinnegan and read Danzō’s memories, discovering that the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal would alert Root if Danzō died.
• Liutong sealed Danzō’s soul inside his living body and stored him with Kamui to conceal his death and use him as a scapegoat.
• As Hiruzen Sarutobi gathered Anbu to arrest Danzō, he received news that Danzō had defected.

Naruto learned from Uchiha Liutong that Danzo’s memories confirmed Minato Namikaze was his biological father, the Fourth Hokage. The revelation left him furious at Konoha and considering destroying the village.

• Naruto relaxed with Sasuke and Sakura while Sasuke struggled to study advanced mathematics and physics.
• Uchiha Liutong told Naruto that Danzo had cursed every Root ninja so the seals would lift when Danzo died.
• Uchiha Liutong revealed that Naruto and Gaara shared a deeper connection: Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, was Naruto’s father.
• Naruto forcibly synchronized with Danzo’s memories and confirmed that Minato was his biological father.
• Naruto blamed Konoha for how he had been treated and wondered aloud whether to destroy the village.

Naruto reconsidered his connection to Minato, Konoha’s villagers, and Kurama, then confronted Kurama for hiding his identity as the Fourth Hokage’s son. After Kurama signed Naruto’s agreement, Naruto demanded a spar and revealed an enormous form that dwarfed the Nine-Tails.

• Naruto decided that Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the Third Hokage had kept his parentage secret and planned to confront them later.
• Naruto entered the Training Space and asked Kurama whether it had concealed a secret about the Fourth Hokage.
• Kurama confessed that it had known Naruto was Minato’s son, and Naruto made it sign an agreement about the secret.
• Naruto ordered Kurama to spar with him, and Kurama reluctantly followed him to the Training Ground.
• Kurama transformed into its full Nine-Tails form, only to find that Naruto had become so enormous that Kurama was smaller than one of his toes.

Naruto tried to fleece Kakashi and Jiraiya after learning they had known Minato was his father, but he spared Kakashi and extracted pills and a house down payment from Jiraiya. He left acknowledging Jiraiya as a sincere teacher and set his sights on the Third Elder.

• Naruto confronted Kakashi about keeping Minato's identity secret, but abandoned his plan to fleece him and pushed him to take Sister Huahua to a movie.
• Naruto found Jiraiya spying with a telescope and accused him of hiding that Minato was his father.
• Naruto stole Jiraiya's bankbook and discovered he had saved 563 million ryo, possibly for Tsunade.
• Jiraiya agreed to buy Naruto one hundred Carefree Pills and pay the down payment on a villa to keep him from abandoning the prophecy.
• Naruto left feeling that Jiraiya had sincerely accepted him as a disciple and resolved to support him in old age.
• Naruto named the Third Elder as his next target.

Naruto confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi about hiding his identity as Minato Namikaze’s son and used the threat of leaving Konoha to pressure the Hokage into promising compensation. He secured a village proposal within two days and planned to visit Kumogakure and Amegakure during his time away.

• Naruto went to the Hokage’s Office, where he accused Hiruzen Sarutobi of concealing his parentage and letting him suffer as a child.
• Naruto questioned whether Konoha was still worth staying in and mentioned invitations and generous offers from Iwagakure and Kumogakure.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi, fearing Naruto would leave, promised land, funding, special authority, and training resources in a proposal prepared within a few days.
• Naruto accepted the promise but said he would leave the village for about two days, and Hiruzen agreed to provide an answer within that time.
• Naruto left the office and planned to visit Kumogakure and Amegakure himself.

Naruto and Uchiha Liutong arrived in the Land of Lightning to target Kumogakure, and Naruto teleported them to the building housing the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. He confronted Yugito and, after seeing her, began considering a bold idea.

• Naruto complained that they had arrived in the evening, then ordered Uchiha Liutong to report for standby with the Mizukage Contest team.
• Naruto sensed the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and used a space-time technique to take himself and Liutong to a building near Kumogakure.
• Naruto and Liutong discussed the Land of Lightning’s dark-skinned residents, and Naruto joked that they should grow cotton after the ninja world was unified.
• Naruto burst into the room and confronted Yugito, who recognized him as Uchiha Obito.
• Naruto confirmed that Yugito was the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, admired her appearance, and came up with a bold idea.

Naruto extracted Matatabi from Yugito, sealed Yugito away, and used his Sharingan to make Matatabi attack Kumogakure. The Raikage Building and nearby mountain structures were devastated as A and the other leaders realized Uchiha Obito was behind the attack.

• Naruto used his power to tear Matatabi out of Yugito, sealed Yugito's soul in her body, and sent her into the Kamui Dimension.
• Naruto summoned Sharingan-controlled Matatabi at Kumogakure and directed it to attack the Raikage Building with a Tailed Beast Ball and its claws.
• Kumogakure's command center detected a tailed-beast-level disturbance, and Samui ordered evacuations as Cee sensed hostile, unfamiliar Chakra.
• Matatabi's attack destroyed half the Raikage Building and damaged nearby mountain structures, while monitoring footage revealed its Sharingan eyes.
• The monitoring squad identified Uchiha Obito as the likely culprit, and A charged toward Matatabi in a lightning cloak.

Naruto, disguised as Uchiha Obito, fought Raikage Ay while pretending his destruction of Kumogakure was a helpful renovation project. Ay could not land a blow through Obito’s intangibility, and the confrontation ended with Naruto mocking him as the village’s supposed benefactor.

• Fourth Raikage Ay interrupted Matatabi’s Tailed Beast Ball with a lightning-fast elbow strike, then was blasted through ruined buildings by its explosion.
• Naruto recognized Ay as a threat and appeared above the ruins as Uchiha Obito, using his intangibility to evade Ay’s Lightning Release: Lariat and repeated charges.
• Ay demanded to know why Obito was attacking Kumogakure, while Naruto recalled the village’s past attempts to kidnap his mother and Hinata.
• Naruto claimed he had come to help by demolishing Kumogakure’s dangerous mountain settlements and called himself the Cloud Village Demolition Office Director.
• Ay roared in fury as Naruto insisted that he should be celebrated as Kumogakure’s great benefactor.

Naruto, disguised as Uchiha Obito, devastated Kumogakure’s forces and recovered the sealed Two-Tails along with the Amber Jar of the Six Paths. After Raikage Ay vowed to hunt him down, Naruto decided he had to kill Ay.

• Raikage Ay led Kumogakure’s forces in a coordinated assault, but Naruto phased through their attacks and used Wood Style to kill and injure many ninja.
• Naruto broke the genjutsu squad’s attack and used fire and steam as cover to continue picking off Kumogakure’s fighters.
• Ay ordered the surviving ninja to regroup defensively as he realized the battle was costing his forces heavily while Naruto remained largely unharmed.
• Naruto appeared atop the Amber Jar of the Six Paths after Darui’s team sealed Matatabi, then recovered both the jar and the Two-Tails, making them vanish.
• Ay attacked Naruto in fury and vowed Kumogakure would pursue him, so Naruto abandoned his plan to spare Ay and declared he had to kill him.