Chapter Summaries

Naruto argued that Hyuga Soji had planted the God Tree, while Konoha's leaders questioned Soji's motives and warned Naruto not to trust him blindly. Sasuke agreed they should be wary, then began to qualify his stance.

• Naruto explained that Soji was the only person who could have planted the God Tree, based on his access to Isshiki's Ten-Tails and Urashiki's body.
• Sasuke confirmed Naruto's deduction, and Shikamaru concluded that Soji could not use Infinite Tsukuyomi without the Nine Tomoe Rinnegan.
• Tsunade asked why Soji had planted the God Tree, but Naruto and Sasuke admitted they did not know his purpose.
• Shikamaru warned Naruto that Soji might be like Madara Uchiha or Obito Uchiha, and Naruto insisted Soji would never harm the Ninja World.
• Sasuke agreed that they should be wary of Soji because they barely knew him, then began to add, “However...”

Sasuke explained that his time-travel trip showed him how Hyuga Soji had saved many people in another time and space, convincing him to trust Soji on his own judgment. After learning that Soji had also saved Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi vowed never to doubt him again.

• Sasuke said he had changed his opinion of Soji because of what he learned during the trip to another time and space.
• Sasuke revealed that Naruto's parents and the Uchiha Clan had survived in that time and space, where the Uchiha had integrated into the village.
• Sasuke explained that Soji had saved them, leading him to trust Soji independently of Naruto.
• Sasuke told Kakashi that Hatake Sakumo was alive because Soji had stopped him from taking his own life.
• Kakashi became emotional at the news that his father was alive and vowed never to doubt Soji again.

Sasuke persuaded Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shikamaru to trust Hyuga Soji by describing people who had survived in another timeline and Soji’s friendship with Shikaku. By the end, everyone present considered Soji a good person, though Sasuke’s claims about his role in those survivors’ lives were misleading.

• Sasuke told Tsunade that Jiraiya and the Third Hokage had been alive in the past timeline, and she assumed Soji had saved them.
• Tsunade declared Soji a good person, joining Kakashi as one of his supporters and leaving Shikamaru as the lone skeptic.
• Naruto asked Sasuke to persuade Shikamaru, who guessed that Asuma had also been alive in the past timeline but said that did not prove Soji could be trusted in their own.
• Sasuke told Shikamaru that Shikaku had counted Soji among his close friends, convincing Shikamaru to stop doubting him.
• Shikamaru began addressing him as Senior Soji, and everyone present accepted that Soji was a good person.

Naruto and Sasuke persuaded the Five Great Shinobi Villages and the Land of Fire’s daimyo to leave Soji’s God Tree alone as long as it stayed within the Land of Rain. After waiting fifteen days, Soji watched the God Tree bloom and reveal a Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan, leaving him to await the Chakra Fruit.

• Sasuke convinced Kakashi, Tsunade, and Shikamaru to trust Soji, and Naruto planned to reassure the other villages and the daimyo.
• Naruto and Sasuke attended an online Kage Summit, where the Five Great Shinobi Villages agreed to stay still and observe the God Tree.
• Naruto personally assured the Land of Fire’s daimyo that the God Tree would cause no further effects, ending pressure on Konoha to send troops.
• Soji warned intruders away from the Land of Rain with Yin-Yang Release Chakra Receivers and rescued people the God Tree had hung from its branches.
• On the fifteenth day after planting the God Tree, Soji watched its flower bloom and reveal a huge Nine Tomoe Rinne Sharingan.
• Soji celebrated the bloom and continued waiting for the God Tree to bear a Chakra Fruit.

Hiruko watched Soji and the others defeat Urashiki Otsutsuki and realized Konoha was too dangerous for him to attack alone. Still intent on completing his Chimera Technique by stealing a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he decided to seek help from the Akatsuki Organization.

• Hiruko watched the battle near Konoha and was shaken by the power that protected the village.
• Hiruko revealed that he had developed the Chimera Technique, gathered Steel Release, Swift Release, Dark Release, and Storm Release, and needed a Three-Tomoe Sharingan to complete it.
• Hiruko recalled that the Third Hokage had ordered the Sannin to capture him after his human experiments were discovered, but they had let him escape.
• Hiruko rejected seeking help from Orochimaru because they both coveted the Sharingan and had competing goals.
• Hiruko decided to approach the Akatsuki Organization, believing their hunt for tailed beasts could align with his plans.

Hiruko sought the Akatsuki Organization for help while the Five Great Shinobi Villages gathered in Konoha for a Kage Summit about uniting against it. The summit began under heavy security, with Mizuki Ember entering first as the other Kage deferred to him.

• Hiruko left after witnessing Konoha’s battle and decided to find the Akatsuki Organization, hoping it would help him obtain the final Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• The Five Kage and their delegations arrived in Konoha, where the villages prepared to discuss joining forces against the Akatsuki Organization.
• Pain and Obito prepared the Akatsuki Organization for a possible Fourth Ninja World War as the summit threatened to unite all five villages against them.
• Konoha began the summit in a sealed, heavily guarded conference hall, with the Third Hokage and Shikaku Nara welcoming the delegations.
• Rasa, A, and Ōnoki let Mizuki Ember enter the conference hall first, acknowledging his status and reputation for strength.

At the Kage Summit, the Third Hokage reflected on Mizuki Ember’s strength and influence as the other village leaders gathered. The Fourth Raikage, Ōnoki, and Rasa got stuck arguing over who would enter second, until the Third Hokage opened another door and invited them to come in together.

• The Third Hokage recalled Inoichi Yamanaka’s account of Mizuki Ember’s battle with the Rinnegan-wielding young man and acknowledged that Mizuki could not be restrained by force.
• Mizuki Ember, using Soji’s alter ego, entered the conference hall and took his seat.
• Ōnoki played up his age to claim second place, and the Fourth Raikage A taunted him about retiring.
• Rasa tried to enter while Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage argued, but both stopped him, leaving him to wait.
• The Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki pressured the Third Hokage to choose who would enter next, but he opened the other door and told all three to come in together.

The Kage Summit began with the Third Hokage revealing that he had stepped down, leaving the other villages wondering who Konoha had chosen as the Fifth Hokage. Soji suggested that the person attending the summit might not be the new Hokage, and the answer remained unknown.

• The Third Hokage and the other three Kage entered the conference hall together after an awkward argument at the doorway.
• Killer B came to the summit hoping the Five Great Shinobi Villages would unite to rescue the Eight-Tails Ox-Demon, while Kakashi attended despite his injuries and doubts about Obito.
• The Third Hokage arrived in ordinary clothes and declined to take the Hokage's seat, prompting Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage to challenge him.
• The Third Hokage said the seat no longer belonged to him and joined Konoha's other leaders, revealing that he had stepped down.
• Rasa, Ōnoki, and the Fourth Raikage wondered who Konoha had chosen as the Fifth Hokage, and Soji suggested that the person attending the summit might not be the new Hokage.

At the Kage Summit, Soji hinted that Konoha’s next Hokage was already on his way, while the Third Hokage worried that Soji knew Minato Namikaze was alive. Minato appeared and revealed himself as the Fourth Hokage, leaving the other Kage stunned.

• Rasa reminded Soji that Minato Namikaze had died and that Konoha would need a Fifth Hokage if the Third Hokage stepped down.
• The Third Hokage suspected that Soji knew Minato was alive and resolved to investigate Konoha’s senior officials.
• Soji told the other Kage that the answer would come soon, then refused to reveal more as a figure in Hokage robes entered.
• Minato reached the Kage’s table, removed his hat, and greeted the Fourth Raikage, who recognized him in shock.
• Ōnoki and Rasa realized that the returning Hokage was Minato Namikaze, the supposedly dead Fourth Hokage.

Minato Namikaze returned to the Kage Summit, shocking the other villages and raising suspicions about Konoha’s ties to Kirigakure. Soji admitted he had known Minato was alive, and Minato explained that they were longtime friends, leaving the gathered leaders to question how close the two villages were.

• Minato appeared at the Kage Summit, and the other three Kage and their shinobi reacted with disbelief at the supposedly dead Fourth Hokage’s return.
• Soji confirmed that Minato could represent Konoha, while the other Kage realized Mizuki Ember had hinted at Minato’s survival earlier.
• Rasa asked Soji whether he had known Minato was alive, and Soji admitted that he had known for a long time.
• The villages interpreted Soji’s admission as evidence of possible secret ties or infiltration, and Konoha’s leaders grew suspicious of one another.
• Minato explained that Soji had known because Minato asked him to keep the news secret, then revealed that they had been close friends for a long time.

Soji revealed that he and Minato Namikaze had been lifelong friends, easing Konoha’s fears and helping forge closer ties between Konoha and Kirigakure. The Five Kage then assembled and officially began their summit, with Konoha and Kirigakure’s growing cooperation leaving the other villages uneasy.

• Soji confirmed that he and Minato were close friends, and Minato affirmed that their friendship would last a lifetime.
• Soji and Minato clasped hands, prompting Konoha and Kirigakure to embrace deeper cooperation while Kumogakure and Iwagakure looked on with concern and Sunagakure hoped to join them.
• Minato asked to begin the summit, and Soji agreed, intending to give Minato a chance to strengthen his standing.
• Rasa, the Fourth Raikage, and Ōnoki agreed to proceed, and the Five Kage sat together and placed their Straw Hats at the center of the table.
• A Konoha attendant announced the official start of the Kage Summit.

At the Kage Summit, the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki pushed for an alliance against Akatsuki, but Minato and Soji showed little concern. Soji privately pressured Ōnoki into promising supplies to Kirigakure, leaving the Raikage still trying to secure support against Akatsuki.

• The Fourth Raikage proposed that the Five Great Shinobi Villages unite against Akatsuki and recover their captured Tailed Beasts.
• Minato said Konoha could handle Akatsuki, while Soji declared he would deal with them himself; Rasa remained anxious about Gaara but aligned himself with the stronger villages.
• Ōnoki urged the other Kage to act against Akatsuki's rogue ninja, prompting Soji to hint that he knew of a connection between Akatsuki and Iwagakure.
• Ōnoki interrupted Soji and agreed to provide supplies Kirigakure needed in exchange for Soji keeping the connection quiet.
• Ōnoki privately suspected Kirigakure had someone inside Akatsuki, while the Fourth Raikage asked the Kage to reconsider joining the fight.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages agreed to unite against the Akatsuki Organization after Kumogakure and Iwagakure accepted costly mission-sharing terms. The Kage then began exchanging intelligence, revealing dangerous members and connections that left the assembled leaders alarmed.

• Soji, Minato, and Rasa secured agreements for Kumogakure and Iwagakure to give each of their villages a share of mission work for three years.
• Ōnoki accepted the same terms as the Fourth Raikage, and the joint proposal to resist the Akatsuki Organization passed.
• Minato shared Konoha’s intelligence about eight Akatsuki members encountered in Takigakure, including rogue ninja from several villages.
• Soji acknowledged that Kirigakure had several rogue ninja in the organization, and Karatachi Yagura explained that a masked man calling himself Madara Uchiha had controlled him and caused defections.
• Minato identified the masked man as a shared enemy who had also attacked Konoha, and Karatachi Yagura revealed that another Akatsuki member possessed the Rinnegan.

At the Five Kage meeting, Karatachi Yagura described a Rinnegan-wielding Akatsuki member, leaving Jiraiya unsure whether the youth was Nagato or Yahiko. Jiraiya then shared his intelligence about Akatsuki, including its suspected base in the Land of Rain and evidence that Hanzō had been dead for years.

• Karatachi Yagura confirmed he had seen the Rinnegan youth and recounted his encounter with Akatsuki to the assembled leaders.
• Jiraiya recognized the description as resembling Yahiko, though he remembered Nagato as the one who possessed the Rinnegan, and struggled to make sense of the contradiction.
• After calming down, Jiraiya revealed that he had investigated Akatsuki while pursuing Orochimaru, who had briefly joined the organization after defecting from Konoha.
• Jiraiya said he had located Akatsuki's suspected base in the Land of Rain, prompting Tsunade and Ōnoki to question how it could operate in Hanzō's territory.
• Jiraiya shocked the meeting by revealing that his investigation suggested Hanzō, the Land of Rain's famed Demigod, had died long ago.

At the Kage Summit, Jiraiya volunteered to infiltrate the Land of Rain, but Soji revealed that Nagato led the Akatsuki Organization from behind Pain and confirmed Yahiko was dead. Jiraiya was left devastated by the fate of his former students.

• Jiraiya said Hanzō had been killed and suspected the Rinnegan-wielding young man was involved.
• Jiraiya proposed secretly entering the Land of Rain to gather intelligence, despite Minato, the Third Hokage, and Tsunade urging him not to go alone.
• Jiraiya insisted on going because he wanted to learn whether the Rinnegan wielder was someone he had known.
• Soji revealed that the Land of Rain was the Akatsuki Organization's headquarters and that Pain was a puppet controlled by Nagato, the true Rinnegan owner and Akatsuki leader.
• Jiraiya learned that Nagato was alive and Yahiko was dead, then blamed himself for what had become of his former students.

At the Kage Summit, Soji revealed that Jiraiya’s former disciples Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan were tied to the Akatsuki Organization, then explained how Yahiko’s death had changed the survivors. The revelation that Shimura Danzō helped cause Yahiko’s death left Konoha’s delegation facing the shame of his actions.

• Jiraiya asked Soji how he knew about the Akatsuki Organization, and Soji revealed that he had once fought its leader.
• Soji identified Konan as the Akatsuki member who helped Nagato rule the Land of Rain, prompting Jiraiya to worry about his former disciples.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade and the Third Hokage that he had trained Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan in the Land of Rain after meeting them during the Second Ninja World War.
• Soji said Hanzo of the Salamander and Shimura Danzō were responsible for Yahiko’s death, which had driven Nagato and Konan to become what they were.
• The other villages looked toward Konoha’s delegation, while Tsunade and Jiraiya blamed Danzō and the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura silently bore the shame of having indulged him.

At the Kage Summit, Soji revealed more intelligence about the Akatsuki Organization and persuaded Jiraiya not to travel to the Land of Rain to confront Nagato and Konan. He identified Zetsu and other members, leaving the gathered shinobi in awe of how much he knew.

• Soji revealed that he had fought Madara Uchiha, while Kakashi silently struggled with whether to disclose that the masked man was Obito Uchiha.
• Soji warned Jiraiya that Nagato and Konan were unlikely to abandon their plans and might kill him, and Jiraiya reluctantly agreed not to go to the Land of Rain.
• Soji explained that the Akatsuki Organization's actions had harmed other villages, making it difficult for Nagato and Konan to be accepted even if they turned back.
• The Fourth Raikage asked whether anyone knew of other Akatsuki members, and Soji identified Zetsu as Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, describing their abilities and threats.
• Soji added that Hozuki Mangetsu and Biwa Juzo were special unofficial members, then said he had no further information about future recruits.

As the Five Great Shinobi Villages prepared to attack the Akatsuki, Nagato resolved to capture the remaining tailed beasts, but Obito arrived in Amegakure and revealed the strength he had regained with both Kamui Sharingan. He left Nagato and Konan stunned after absorbing Deva Path Pain.

• The Five Great Shinobi Villages spent three days planning an attack on the Land of Rain while Nagato prepared the Akatsuki to capture the remaining tailed beasts.
• Nagato reassured Konan that the Akatsuki had no way back and that their actions followed Yahiko's wish.
• Obito appeared before Nagato and Konan, mocked them, and shrugged off their coordinated attacks with his phasing ability.
• Obito revealed Susanoo and attacked Deva Path Pain, then evaded Pain's counterattack and absorbed him with Kamui.
• Konan confronted Obito as Nagato lost control of Deva Path Pain and both realized how much stronger Obito had become.

Obito defeated Deva Path Pain and forced Konan to take him to Nagato, where he demanded the Akatsuki Organization’s leadership. Nagato and Konan resisted, and Obito demonstrated his newly reclaimed left-eye Kamui as the confrontation began.

• Obito used his enhanced Kamui abilities to trap Deva Path Pain and demanded that Konan lead him to Nagato.
• Konan refused to help, but Nagato contacted them and told her to bring Obito to his hidden location.
• Konan led Obito to Nagato’s concealed cave and revealed how she had hidden its entrance with Paper Style.
• Obito returned Deva Path Pain’s body and declared that he wanted to become the Akatsuki Organization’s leader.
• Nagato and Konan rejected Obito’s demand, and Konan attacked him with a paper tornado that Obito destroyed with Uchiha Flame Formation.
• Nagato fired an Asura Path beam at Obito, who used his left-eye Kamui to warp the beam away.

Obito and Nagato fought over leadership of the Akatsuki Organization, with Obito’s Dual Kamui giving him the advantage but Nagato repeatedly countering his attacks. As their battle shook the cave, an aloe vera-like figure emerged from the ground and found them fighting.

• Obito used Kamui to attack Nagato, but Nagato escaped its spatial distortion with a hidden chameleon summon.
• Obito forced Nagato to use Shinra Tensei, then tried to pull him into the Kamui Dimension, but Nagato immobilized him with the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal.
• Obito escaped the seal with Kamui’s intangibility and withdrew before Nagato could strike him with a Chakra Receiver.
• Obito and Nagato continued battling, and Konan held back when Nagato refused her help.
• The battle shook the underground cave, drawing an aloe vera-like figure from the ground, who wondered why Nagato and Obito were fighting.