Recaps

Naruto, disguised as Uchiha Obito, drove the Cloud Ninja from Kumogakure’s ruins and used genjutsu and Kamui against Raikage Ay. The chapter ended with Ay dead and Darui left holding the Raikage’s severed lower body.

• The Masked Man unleashed Wood Style: Dance of the Thorns, and Raikage Ay shielded the Cloud Ninja with a lightning assault as some were impaled.
• Ay ordered the Cloud Ninja to retreat, and Darui led them away while recognizing the Masked Man as Uchiha Obito.
• The Masked Man used Binding Technique to immobilize Ay despite his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• The Masked Man swallowed Ay with Kamui, and Darui reached him too late, catching only his severed lower body.

Naruto captured Raikage Ay after Darui’s strike left him mortally wounded, gathered intelligence from his memories, and prepared modified Cloud Ninja for Root. After equipping a Two-Tails Badge that boosted Chakra recovery, Naruto set his sights on the Eight-Tails.

• Darui’s attack left Raikage Ay with only half his body, and Naruto escaped the battlefield into the Kamui Dimension as Cloud Ninja cried out and attacked.
• Ay pursued Naruto into the dimension, but Naruto caught his lightning fist, knocked him down, used genjutsu to incapacitate him, and read his memories.
• Naruto sealed Ay’s body and soul in a scroll, then healed and modified thirteen captured Cloud Ninja as personnel for Shimura Danzō’s Root Organization.
• Naruto told News Tycoon Minazuki Sanjo that the Root personnel were ready, and they discussed launching the plan in about half a year.
• Naruto equipped the Two-Tails Badge, saw that it greatly increased his Chakra recovery, and headed toward the Eight-Tails as a test subject.

Naruto confronted Killer B in Cloud-Thunder Gorge and used his Sharingan to subdue Gyuki before beginning to extract the Eight-Tails. As Gyuki was pulled from Killer B, it severed one of its tentacles to leave behind and help Killer B survive.

• Killer B left his training ground and attacked Naruto, who was disguised as Obito, after Naruto offered him a watermelon and fried chicken.
• Naruto trapped Killer B with genjutsu, but Killer B broke free using Gyuki’s chakra and transformed into the Eight-Tails.
• Naruto used his Sharingan to control Gyuki and force it back into Killer B before entering Killer B’s consciousness.
• Naruto began extracting Gyuki from Killer B with the Reaper technique, and Gyuki severed a tentacle as it was pulled out.

Naruto tested whether a reclaimed Tailed Beast retained its memories by summoning Gyuki, then reclaimed the Eight-Tails and discovered its badge offered a repeatable Chakra Recovery boost. After sending Killer B to work alongside Ay in the Land of Grass, Naruto decided to leave the Land of Earth alone for now and took the day off.

• Naruto purchased and summoned Gyuki, confirmed it remembered its encounter with him, and subdued it with a punch before reclaiming it.
• Naruto received 600,000 ryo and an Eight-Tails Badge that increased Chakra Recovery by 8%, and considered exploiting the reward for rapid regeneration.
• Naruto woke Killer B, altered his appearance and memories of the extraction, and sent him through a spatial vortex to join Ay in the Land of Grass.
• Naruto reviewed the damage and his actions in Kumogakure, then chose not to target the Land of Earth so Uchiha Obito's identity would not draw too many enemies.
• Naruto declared a day of paid leave and disappeared to visit the pleasure district and listen to music.

Newspapers reported that Uchiha Obito had attacked Kumogakure, killed Raikage Ay, and unleashed the Two-Tails, alarming the shinobi world. As village leaders reacted and Sasuke learned of Shimura Danzō’s stolen Sharingan, Kakuzu spotted Obito’s enormous bounty and hurried back to sell the arm he possessed.

• Newspapers across the shinobi world reported Obito’s attack on Kumogakure and Ay’s death, spreading fear throughout the Land of Lightning.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to tighten security around its tailed-beast jinchūriki, then discovered a report that Danzō had defected.
• Chiyo ordered Sunagakure to continue negotiating with Konoha for Gaara and its captured shinobi, while Konoha’s leaders insisted on a ransom.
• Sasuke saw a photograph of Danzō’s Sharingan-covered arm, blamed him for the Uchiha Clan Downfall, and left to train.
• Kakuzu saw Obito’s 3.2-billion-ryō bounty and returned to the Gold Exchange to sell Obito’s arm.

Zetsu learned that the impostor, not the real Uchiha Obito, had apparently captured the Two-Tails and killed Raikage Ay. Obito briefly resolved to make a comeback, but after seeing the newspaper, he returned to eating and gaming; meanwhile, Uchiha Hongzhong arrived in the Land of Rain.

• Zetsu confirmed that Obito had stayed in the cave while the impostor acted, and learned Obito had spent the day gaming.
• Black Zetsu asked whether Obito had a biological brother, provoking an angry denial.
• Tobi returned with food and supplies, and Obito announced he would leave to confront the impostor.
• White Zetsu showed Obito the headline about the impostor defeating Raikage Ay and taking the Two-Tails, and Obito abandoned his comeback plan to eat and play games.
• Uchiha Hongzhong stepped onto the soil of the Land of Rain.

Uchiha Hongzhong infiltrated Amegakure to investigate why his clones had disappeared and learned that Pain had killed Hanzo and ruled as the village’s “God.” After confronting Konan, Hongzhong faced a newcomer with the Rinnegan, leaving him stunned by the sight of those eyes.

• Uchiha Hongzhong planted Flying Thunder God markers across the Land of Rain and teleported into Amegakure, where he realized the village’s rain carried chakra for sensing intruders.
• Pain sensed that Hongzhong had obstructed his rain and told Konan the intruder was stronger than the three previous attackers.
• Hongzhong gathered rumors in a tavern, followed a Rain ninja, and used genjutsu and his Rinnegan to extract the man’s memories about Pain, Hanzo’s death, and Konan’s role as an angel.
• Hongzhong located Konan and attacked her with Fire and Water Release, overwhelming her paper techniques before an unknown figure appeared and absorbed the flood with his palms.
• Hongzhong recognized the newcomer’s Rinnegan and wondered where those eyes had come from.

Uchiha Hongzhong encountered three Rinnegan-wielding Pain bodies in Amegakure and suspected their hidden controller was Nagato. He played along with Pain’s attempt to recruit him, then tested the bodies’ abilities and discovered they shared vision.

• Hongzhong recognized the three Rinnegan-wielding figures as puppets controlled by chakra threads and decided to investigate Amegakure more thoroughly.
• Animal Path Pain identified himself and tried to recruit Hongzhong, but then summoned a chameleon and prepared to test his strength.
• Hongzhong used the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique and Fire Release against Naraka Path, who absorbed the fire attack.
• Hongzhong attacked Naraka Path physically and sent him crashing into the wall, where broken pipes began spraying water.
• Hongzhong realized the three Pain bodies shared their vision.

Uchiha Hongzhong battled the Six Paths of Pain, using his abilities to defeat the summoned hounds, Naraka Path, Asura Path, and a giant bird. He cornered the hidden Animal Path, but its Shinra Tensei interrupted his attack.

• Hongzhong blocked the three-headed hound with a Great Fireball, then cut it apart with his Lightning Release: Light Sword, only for it to split into four hounds.
• Hongzhong escaped the hounds, lured them into an underground corridor, and destroyed them with Majestic Destroyer Flame.
• Hongzhong confronted Naraka Path and Asura Path, used a fireball to hide his approach, and cut both Pains apart with his sword.
• Hongzhong sealed the defeated Pains, then pinned the giant bird to a wall with his lightning-infused Kusanagi Sword.
• Hongzhong used Majestic Destroyer Flame to target the invisible chameleon, but Animal Path shouted Shinra Tensei.

Uchiha Hongzhong faced the assembled Six Paths of Pain, rejected Deva Path Pain’s invitation to join the Akatsuki, and fought back against the Rinnegan’s powers. He destroyed the Animal Path’s summoned beasts, but the battle remained unresolved.

• Deva Path Pain gathered the remaining Pains and invited Hongzhong to join the Akatsuki Organization, presenting world peace as its goal.
• Hongzhong questioned Pain’s invitation and challenged him, prompting Deva Path Pain to declare that he would show Hongzhong the power of a god.
• Deva Path Pain used Banshō Ten'in to drag Hongzhong toward him, but Hongzhong countered with Majestic Fire Destruction and escaped Pain’s Shinra Tensei using a replacement log.
• Hongzhong unleashed Majestic Destroyer Flame against the four Pains, forcing Deva Path Pain to shield them with Shinra Tensei.
• Animal Path summoned a giant rhinoceros, a bull, and a crab, and Hongzhong destroyed all three with a high-pressure water cannon and lightning-infused sword strikes.

Hongzhong overwhelmed Pain’s forces with relentless water and lightning attacks, killing the Hell Path and Human Path. As he mocked the survivors, the Animal Path summoned four more Rinnegan-bearing figures, restoring the Six Paths of Pain and leaving Hongzhong facing unexpected reinforcements.

• Hongzhong bombarded the four Paths of Pain with Water Meteor Cannons and killed the Hell Path after the Deva Path’s Shinra Tensei could not keep up.
• Hongzhong flooded the battlefield with a Great Waterfall and attacked the remaining Paths with a hundred Water Dragon Bullets.
• Hongzhong hurled a lightning spear at the Human Path while the Deva Path tried to evade, killing the Human Path.
• Hongzhong confronted the Deva Path and Animal Path, mocking their strength and their claims of bringing peace.
• The Animal Path summoned four additional figures with Rinnegan, restoring the Six Paths of Pain and surprising Hongzhong.

Hongzhong revealed his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and overwhelmed the Six Paths of Pain with genjutsu, repulsion, and gravity before annihilating them with a black-hole technique. He suspected Uchiha Madara was controlling Pain and headed west to confront the Rinnegan’s master.

• Hongzhong told Deva Path that he knew the Six Paths of Pain were puppets and demanded to meet the person controlling them.
• Hongzhong revealed his Sharingan and claimed he had awakened it after masked people killed his mother, presenting himself as an Uchiha with no ties to Konoha.
• Hongzhong’s genjutsu immobilized the Six Paths, but Deva Path broke free and countered with Shinra Tensei.
• Hongzhong repelled Pain’s attacks, crushed the Paths with immense gravity, and destroyed the remaining bodies with his Annihilation Black Hole technique.
• Hongzhong collected the resulting neutron microcore and turned west, calling out to Uchiha Madara.

Hongzhong entered the Akatsuki Organization’s hideout and learned from Nagato that the group planned to combine the nine tailed beasts into a weapon and force peace through mass destruction. After Nagato invited him to join, Hongzhong accepted, seeing an opportunity to oppose the plan and confront the Akatsuki.

• Hongzhong reached the Akatsuki hideout, passed the six Pains, and discovered Nagato and Konan inside instead of Uchiha Madara.
• Nagato told Hongzhong that he had been born with the Rinnegan and explained his belief that war made genuine peace impossible.
• Nagato revealed that the Akatsuki planned to gather the nine tailed beasts and create a weapon capable of destroying a great nation.
• Nagato said he would give the weapon to warring nations so mass deaths would make survivors fear war and seek peace.
• Nagato invited Hongzhong to join the Akatsuki, and Hongzhong accepted.

Kakuzu met his newly assigned teammate, Hongzhong, while waiting in the Land of Frost and immediately assessed him as a possible source of bounty money and a Lightning Release heart. They set off to complete a mission in the Land of Lightning, each hiding his suspicions about the other.

• Kakuzu learned that Obito's arm would fetch only 20 million ryo, then received Pain's message that a new teammate was on the way.
• Hongzhong completed his induction into the Akatsuki Organization and traveled to the Land of Frost to meet his teammate.
• Hongzhong greeted Kakuzu and asked whether he wanted to claim Obito's 3.2 billion ryo bounty.
• Kakuzu asked whether Hongzhong had a bounty, then grew disappointed when Hongzhong said he did not.
• After Hongzhong mentioned his Lightning Release, Kakuzu decided his heart could be useful and led him toward their mission in the Land of Lightning.

Hongzhong and Kakuzu infiltrated Kumogakure to investigate the Two-Tails’ disappearance, but Kakuzu tried to kill Hongzhong for his bounty. Hongzhong revealed his Sharingan, subdued Kakuzu, and left him alive with a four-hundred-million-ryo price on his life.

• Kakuzu spotted Hongzhong’s 5.2-million-ryo bounty and decided to kill him, then received a mission with Hongzhong to investigate the missing Two-Tails.
• Hongzhong and Kakuzu infiltrated Kumogakure, interrogated two patrol ninjas, and learned that Uchiha Obito likely had the Two-Tails.
• Kumogakure forces ambushed them, and Kakuzu killed the shinobi before trying to burn Hongzhong with a compound ninjutsu and claim his bounty.
• Hongzhong survived the attack, stabbed Kakuzu, revealed his Sharingan, and destroyed three of Kakuzu’s hearts while leaving the last one intact.
• Hongzhong read and sealed some of Kakuzu’s memories, then demanded four hundred million ryo to spare his life and made him carry the bearded Jonin’s corpse.

Naruto visited Uzumaki Goudan in the Land of Grass and questioned him about the deaths of the daimyo and the city under construction. Goudan revealed that the Land of Wind held a large shallow oil field, leaving Naruto to consider how to claim it before others realized its value.

• Naruto arrived at the Land of Grass, where Uzumaki Goudan had built a city project after the daimyo and his family died with pancakes stuffed in their mouths.
• Goudan staged a welcome with hundreds of Shadow Clones, and Naruto blasted them all away before meeting him in his office.
• Naruto questioned Goudan about the daimyo’s deaths, and Goudan admitted he had killed the daimyo and his family after the daimyo demanded one hundred million ryo for wasteland.
• Goudan showed Naruto the vast construction site and said the city’s roads and other groundwork were nearly complete, with subway and automobile technology ready for trial production.
• Goudan told Naruto that the intelligence team had found a vast shallow oil field in the Land of Wind and urged him to claim it before others recognized its value.

Naruto explained to Goudan that his actions in the Land of Lightning would likely trigger a great war, which he intended to use to make Night City a safe haven for refugees and skilled workers. He discovered that Goudan had turned the city’s elite ninja into construction laborers and spent hundreds of millions of ryo on Carefree Pills, then recognized the business potential of supplying ninja workers.

• Naruto told Goudan he would handle the oil field and explained that he had failed the Hokage Election, learned his father was the Fourth Hokage, and taken the Two-Tails, Raikage Ay, and the Eight-Tails from the Land of Lightning.
• Goudan offered to gather troops and force Hiruzen Sarutobi to apologize, but Naruto told him to focus on building Night City and described his plan to establish New Konoha in the Land of Grass.
• Naruto agreed with Goudan that losing its Raikage and Tailed Beasts would likely provoke war against the Land of Lightning, and he viewed the conflict as an opportunity to profit and expand his influence.
• Goudan suggested bringing people from war-torn regions into Night City, and Naruto told him that keeping the city safe and orderly would draw refugees and skilled workers without needing to recruit them.
• Goudan revealed that the 108 Generals and 1080 Chunin were speeding construction by using their abilities as laborers, and Naruto learned that hundreds of millions of ryo had gone toward Carefree Pills to sustain their work.
• Naruto praised ninja construction work as a model for their peaceful future and recognized that Carefree Pills could become an everyday necessity for ninja laborers.

Naruto visited Mizuki Tetsu’s media headquarters and reviewed its campaigns, including a plan to poison Uchiha Obito’s reputation and test a strategy for winning the Mizukage position. He ordered the group to use fabricated history and public opinion to build support for a unified shinobi world, and decided to introduce Kaguya Otsutsuki and Hagoromo Otsutsuki as figures from the invented era of peace.

• Naruto used Flying Thunder God to leave Night City and arrive at the media group’s forest headquarters, where Mizuki Tetsu greeted him.
• Naruto praised Tetsu’s tireless work, toured the well-run headquarters, and listened to his reports.
• Tetsu reported that the Black Earth Plan was spreading damaging stories about Uchiha Obito through tabloids, novels, and films.
• Naruto reviewed the Mizukage Contest team’s effort to test whether a savior could gain the village’s support and become Mizukage.
• Naruto instructed Tetsu to fabricate a peaceful era of ancient shinobi-world unity and promote it through magazines to prepare people for future unification.
• Naruto proposed bringing Kaguya Otsutsuki and Hagoromo Otsutsuki into the invented history as figures from that era.

Naruto and Mizuki Tetsu invented a sensational history of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Kaguya Otsutsuki to support Naruto’s plan to unify the ninja world. Tetsu’s latest version ended with Hagoromo spotting a girl who resembled Kaguya, leaving Naruto eager to develop the story further.

• Naruto shared his memories of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Kaguya Otsutsuki with Mizuki Tetsu and asked him to devise a story that would support unification.
• Mizuki Tetsu proposed making Kaguya and Hagoromo tragic lovers, then outlined a history of a unified kingdom overthrown by greedy daimyo.
• Naruto rejected the first outline for giving too little attention to the ideal nation, so Mizuki Tetsu recast the Otsutsuki as alien harvesters and Kaguya as a sacrifice who ate the Chakra Fruit to save Hagoromo.
• Mizuki Tetsu’s revised story had Hagoromo seal Kaguya, spread Chakra, and establish a peaceful Ninja Sect utopia while guarding her resting place.
• Mizuki Tetsu extended the romance by having Hagoromo notice a girl who resembled Kaguya, and Naruto enthusiastically approved the idea.

Naruto and Mizuki Tetsu planned a fictional history to build support for unification, including blaming Uchiha Obito for a thousand years of war and claiming the moon was created to seal Kaguya. After a day of disappointing hot springs in the Land of Hot Water, Naruto prepared to return home and confront Hiruzen Sarutobi.

• Naruto approved Tetsu’s tragic romance story and ordered him to include propaganda against the daimyo.
• Naruto and Tetsu decided to make Uchiha Obito the reincarnation of the Otsutsuki Monitor and to present Naruto as Hagoromo Otsutsuki’s reincarnation.
• Naruto reminded Tetsu that unification had to remain the story’s central purpose and proposed that Hagoromo had formed the moon with Planetary Devastation to seal Kaguya.
• Tetsu agreed to publish the fabricated history under the independent pen name Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng, with the Shinobi World Daily positioned as a mere reporting platform.
• Naruto visited the Land of Hot Water, found no beautiful women at its hot springs, and prepared to return home to face Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Naruto returned to Konoha and met with Hiruzen Sarutobi and the village elders to negotiate compensation and his future role. He rejected their offer as too small and claimed Kumogakure had offered him enough money to consider becoming its Raikage, then said he had already forgiven the village for kidnapping his mother.

• Naruto returned to Konoha, stopped Ino from hugging him, and escaped her advances after teasing her about being too skinny.
• Naruto met Kakashi and gave him fragrant bath salts for himself and Sister Huahua.
• Uzuki Yugao summoned Naruto to the Hokage Building, and Naruto used Flying Thunder God to bring them there instantly.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the advisers offered Naruto the Sixth Hokage position, 1.5 billion ryo, and a funded residence, but Naruto said the compensation was too little.
• Naruto claimed Kumogakure had asked him to become Raikage and offered substantial money, prompting Hiruzen to warn him about his mother's kidnapping.
• Naruto told Hiruzen and the advisers that he knew about the kidnapping but had forgiven Kumogakure long ago.

Naruto demanded at least three digits in units of a hundred million ryo from Konoha, using Kumogakure’s offers and his own achievements to strengthen his bargaining position. After he left, Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected reviving Minato and decided Konoha would pressure Sunagakure to help cover the cost.

• Naruto told Hiruzen Sarutobi and the two advisors that Kumogakure had paid him one hundred million ryo and offered another two billion if he accepted its invitation.
• Naruto demanded at least three hundred million ryo from Konoha and gave the village five days to answer before he vanished using Flying Thunder God.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi confirmed that intelligence had verified Raikage Ay’s death and the loss of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and Matatabi, though Naruto’s other claims could not be checked.
• Utatane Koharu proposed reviving Minato with Impure World Reincarnation to persuade Naruto, but Hiruzen Sarutobi refused to disturb the dead.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi said Naruto mattered more than the coming war and decided to pressure Sunagakure over its prisoners to help fund the payment.

After Konoha raised its demand from five hundred million ryō to ten billion, Chiyo realized Sunagakure had no means to resist and suspected Hiruzen was bargaining with Naruto using the village’s prisoners and assets. She ended the chapter considering whether Sunagakure should negotiate directly with Naruto.

• Chiyo waited with Sunagakure’s leaders for news of the prisoner handover after they agreed to pay five hundred million ryō.
• A messenger delivered word that Konoha had torn up the treaty and demanded ten billion ryō instead.
• Sunagakure’s leaders discussed war, but Chiyo reminded them that their forces were depleted and that they could not defeat Uzumaki Naruto.
• Chiyo ordered Sunagakure to sell Rasa’s hidden Gold Dust and whatever else the village could trade for money.
• Ebizo showed Chiyo intelligence linking Naruto’s visit to the Hokage Building with Hiruzen’s sudden changes to the terms.
• Chiyo wondered whether Sunagakure could bypass Hiruzen and negotiate directly with Naruto.

Naruto, bored after finding his friends away, joined Jiraiya on a mission to find Tsunade. As they left Konoha, Naruto concealed his activity from Kurama and learned Jiraiya intended to bring Tsunade back to become Hokage.

• Naruto found Sasuke and Sakura studying together, while Choji and Shikamaru had left on a mission and Team Eight was away.
• Jiraiya appeared and insisted Naruto accompany him to meet a great beauty.
• Naruto guessed they were seeking Tsunade and eagerly agreed, hoping the mission could help him become Hokage.
• Naruto disabled his seal so Kurama could not sense what was happening, then left Konoha with Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya revealed that the woman they sought was his teammate Tsunade, whom the village wanted to become Hokage.
• Naruto recognized that Tsunade was likely heading to Tanzaku Street after losing money to his clone, though he kept that knowledge from Jiraiya.

Naruto arrived in Tanzaku Street and became a celebrated gambler after winning fifty-six rounds in a row, until Tsunade joined his table and his streak ended. Tsunade asked him to teach her gambling, and Jiraiya recognized her just as Naruto suspected she had caused his bad luck.

• Tsunade entered a casino in disguise after losing her money, while Naruto won round after round and drew a crowd of admirers.
• Tsunade placed her last 100 ryo on Big at Naruto's table, and the dice came up Small, ending his winning streak.
• Naruto gathered his winnings and left the casino, suspecting Tsunade had brought him bad luck.
• Tsunade followed Naruto and asked him to teach her Gambling Skill.
• Jiraiya found Naruto and recognized the disguised Tsunade.