Chapter Summaries

Rasa turned the minor villages against Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi collapsed after trying to defend it. Kakashi took over the negotiations and offered the villages territory and access to Konoha’s ninjutsu, while secretly planning to exploit them.

• Rasa mocked Hiruzen Sarutobi and persuaded the minor villages that Konoha had never treated them as allies.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi spat blood, then asked Kakashi to take over the negotiations.
• Kakashi urged the villages to join an all-out attack and promised land and access to some of Konoha’s ninjutsu for each enemy they killed.
• Asuma and Hiruzen objected to Kakashi’s promises, but Kakashi proposed releasing Tobirama’s forbidden techniques and using the villages to weaken Konoha’s enemies.
• Kakashi told Hiruzen that Konoha could confine the allied shinobi within its borders, reward them with land for their kills, and later seize their weakened territory.

Kakashi persuaded the Third Hokage to support exploiting the land cession to weaken rival shinobi, while Tobirama confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi over Konoha’s failures. As powerful figures appeared in the underground chamber, Kakashi recognized Itachi’s Rinnegan and was stunned by another newcomer.

• Kakashi argued that Konoha should manufacture conflicts among wandering shinobi and use its reputation for peace to expose how other villages had taken advantage of it.
• Rasa supported Kakashi’s proposal, and Hiruzen Sarutobi declared that Kakashi’s words represented his own position.
• Tobirama used the Body Flicker to slap Hiruzen Sarutobi four times, while Hiruzen felt relieved and renewed rather than resentful.
• Heavenly Path, Itachi Uchiha, and Minato Namikaze appeared, reassuring Hiruzen and alarming Kakashi when he noticed Itachi’s Rinnegan.
• Another figure appeared, leaving Kakashi stunned.

Hashirama Senju and Tobirama appeared before the Five Kage Summit, and Kakashi explained why the Hidden Leaf Village had agreed to Madara Uchiha’s terms. Hashirama then called on the other villages to unite against the Empire from the Other World, with the Hidden Leaf Village leading the fight.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi tearfully welcomed Hashirama, Tobirama, and Minato, while Tobirama rebuked him for letting the Hidden Leaf Village fall so far.
• Kakashi explained the village’s predicament and his conversation with Madara Uchiha to Tobirama.
• Tobirama criticized Hiruzen for turning the Five Kage Summit’s cooperation into a transaction that sacrificed the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Hashirama announced his identity as the First Hokage and resolved to stop showing mercy to those who bullied the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Hashirama urged the other villages to join the four Hokage and the Hidden Leaf Village in defeating the Empire from the Other World.

Hashirama used Wood Release and threats to pressure the gathered villages into joining Konoha’s campaign against the Empire organization. As the Raikage and Chōjūrō reluctantly agreed, Rasa openly challenged Hashirama’s demands and questioned who would benefit from the war.

• Hashirama restrained the attendees with Wood Release, seated them, and invited anyone unwilling to join Konoha to speak.
• The representative of Hidden Snow Village and several other small villages agreed to join Konoha, while Rain Village and Hidden Waterfall Village remained silent.
• Hashirama warned that the Empire organization had infiltrated their ranks and threatened to prevent anyone from leaving if they refused to take part in its purge.
• The Raikage agreed that Hidden Cloud would fight alongside Konoha, and Hashirama loosened the wood binding A.
• Rasa challenged Hashirama, arguing that Konoha was using righteousness to make other villages pay for a war that would chiefly benefit Konoha.

Hashirama Senju secured the other villages’ agreement to fight the Empire, though they demanded an explanation from the Hidden Leaf Village. The Six Paths Sage sensed powerful newcomers and pulled Naruto and Sasuke into a different space, leaving them separated from the approaching Jiraiya sensei.

• Chōjūrō objected to sending the Hidden Mist Village’s shinobi to war, then agreed to join the operation while demanding an explanation from the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Rasa and the other village representatives also demanded an explanation, and Hashirama Senju said they were fighting to protect their own homes and families.
• The Six Paths Sage sensed rapidly increasing Chakra and noticed that several powerful people bore no imprint of the world.
• The Six Paths Sage used Sage Chakra to create a powerful attraction that reached the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Naruto and Sasuke recognized the force as Six Paths-level power but could not resist it, and they were pulled into a different space before Jiraiya sensei arrived.

Naruto and Sasuke confronted the Sage of Six Paths in the Pure Land Space, seeking his power to unify and save the Shinobi World. Their battle turned against them as Sasuke’s Susanoo began to crack, and Naruto urged him to use Sage Art: Susanoo.

• Naruto and Sasuke were pulled into the Pure Land Space, where the Sage of Six Paths asked why they had come.
• Naruto said they wanted to unify the Shinobi World and save it, while Sasuke demanded the Sage’s power and insulted him.
• Sasuke attacked the Sage of Six Paths with the Sage Tool given to them by Emperor, and the weapon split the Sage’s Yin-Yang Release attack.
• The Sage of Six Paths intensified the fight by sending Truth-Seeking Orbs at Sasuke, and Naruto used Shadow Clones to defend him and battle the Sage.
• The Sage’s attacks cracked Sasuke’s Susanoo, so Naruto shouted for Sasuke to use Sage Art: Susanoo.

Naruto and Sasuke continued their desperate fight against the Six Paths Sage, with Sasuke using Sage Art: Susanoo to withstand his attacks. In Konoha Village, stories of the Empire—including how its Emperor saved a sparrow—stirred villagers’ curiosity and encouraged them to visit.

• Sasuke activated Sage Art: Susanoo with power stored inside him by the Emperor, and Naruto and Sasuke used their abilities to hold off the Six Paths Sage.
• The Six Paths Sage’s consciousness weakened, but he continued fighting Naruto and Sasuke to prevent them from succeeding.
• Stories about the Empire spread through Konoha Village, including one about Kiba and the Emperor rescuing a sparrow caught in high-voltage wires.
• The Empire’s flying ninja squad cut the wire without causing a village-wide power outage, and Kiba caught the falling sparrow.
• Villagers were told they could enter the Empire through the Hidden Sand Village without paying fees, and stories of its welcoming people fueled their interest.

A villager’s mistake at the Ichiraku Chain taught Konoha about the Empire’s strict standards, while a summer camp story showed Konohamaru and Udon learning perseverance together. The villagers grew angrier at Hiruzen Sarutobi for retiring in the Empire and more eager to experience its way of life.

• A new worker at the Ichiraku Chain washed plates only five times instead of seven, and Might Guy found grease on one during his inspection.
• The worker admitted his mistake, and Might Guy stressed the importance of upholding standards before the worker resigned to study the Empire’s rules.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Konohamaru to an imperial summer camp, where Konohamaru and Udon stood out for their contrasting manners at dinner.
• During a hike, Konohamaru injured his knee and wanted to quit, but Udon encouraged him to persevere, and all the children completed the trail.
• Konoha villagers heard the story, condemned Hiruzen Sarutobi for retiring in the Empire, and wished their children could grow up in its environment.

Stories about the Empire spread through the Land of Wind and Land of Water, persuading people to admire its cleanliness and prosperity. After Chojuro’s fabricated environmental-exchange story helped condition the Hidden Mist Village, Zabuza Momochi ordered his forces to move out and bring them warmth.

• Temari infiltrated the Kazekage Estate as a cleaner, but Baki demonstrated his dedication by scrubbing a toilet spotless and drinking its water, prompting her to report the story to the Land of Wind.
• Civilians in the Land of Wind grew eager to enter the Empire after hearing that even toilet-cleaning water was drinkable, while comparing it with their own severe water shortages.
• Chojuro visited the Land of Water as an envoy, taught villagers to sort waste, and helped make the Hidden Mist Village cleaner.
• Chojuro returned to the Water Province after his story spread, though the events had been staged by Chojuro using Water Clones and the Transformation Technique.
• Zabuza Momochi praised Chojuro and ordered his forces to move out and bring the Hidden Mist Village warmth.

Chojuro and soldiers from the Third Army entered the Hidden Mist Village as part of the Empire’s effort to influence or replace local leadership without needless casualties. Seeing the village’s poverty and desolation, Chojuro faced the contrast between this world and the Empire as his doubts about the Shinobi Village System began to take shape.

• The Empire prioritized controlling worlds and their populations, and the Emperor considered a plan to resurrect the dead to avoid losses.
• Zabuza ordered the infiltrators to understand the people and gradually win over those receptive to the Empire, while removing fierce resisters or replacing local leaders.
• Chojuro reflected on his frustration at being denied advancement in the Empire and on his curiosity about whether the Shinobi Village System offered a better life.
• Chojuro led soldiers from the Third Army into the Hidden Mist Village, where the Water Division had sent forces to conduct invasions.
• Chojuro and his companions found the Hidden Mist Village deserted and impoverished, with decaying buildings and narrow streets, leaving him with complicated feelings.

Chojuro and the Third Army found the Hidden Mist Village impoverished and isolated, then learned from an elderly villager that war and the village’s ninja-training policies had devastated its people. The old man welcomed the stories brought from another world as a ray of hope, while Chojuro silently resolved that things would change.

• Chojuro and the Third Army arrived in a rundown Hidden Mist Village and wondered why it was so different from the prosperous place they had expected.
• Chojuro entered an elderly villager’s home after the man cautiously asked whether he was a ninja.
• The old man condemned ninjas for destroying the village and explained that his son had been forced to kill fellow trainees before dying on a mission.
• The old man told Chojuro that the villagers could not escape because the sea surrounded them, outsiders were barred, and the village had lost its workers and trade routes.
• The old man said the stories from another world had given him hope, and Chojuro resolved that the villagers’ circumstances would soon change.

Chojuro learned that many people in the Land of Water resented the Hidden Mist Village and accepted the Empire’s rule, so Zabuza launched an invasion that brought the country under Imperial control. Zabuza then seized a five-year-old girl for a mission, leaving her family terrified despite his assurances about freedom of speech.

• Chojuro heard an old man condemn the Hidden Mist Village and resolved to reject the authority he had gained through exploiting the people.
• After Chojuro confirmed that ordinary people would accept the Empire, Zabuza ordered an all-out assault on the Land of Water.
• The Water Division overwhelmed the Hidden Mist Village, and Zabuza killed a shinobi who begged to surrender.
• The Empire took control of the Land of Water in one day, with little resistance from its people.
• Momochi Zabuza entered a coastal family’s home, claimed the Empire protected free speech, and dragged away their frightened five-year-old daughter for a mission.

Zabuza took Nannan away, while her family discovered that the Empire had left them rice and a remarkable cooking pot that strengthened those who ate its food. On the road to the Hidden Mist, Zabuza celebrated the Empire’s arrival as education ninjas built schools and generous rice subsidies reached the people of the Land of Water.

• Zabuza carried Nannan away as her family mourned, then opened the scroll she had left behind and found twelve sacks of rice.
• Grandma discovered that the scroll could summon more supplies and used it to produce a large iron pot.
• Grandma read the pot’s manual, and the family cooked a meal that tasted delicious and seemed to strengthen them.
• The family planned to use the supplies to find a way to rescue Nannan.
• Zabuza carried Nannan toward the Hidden Mist as Empire education ninjas arrived and schools began rising across the Land of Water.
• The Empire provided each household with a monthly subsidy of one hundred pounds of rice, with the first payment covering a year.

The Empire defeated the Land of Lightning’s resistance, then rapidly rebuilt a modern city while its Lightning Division soldiers complained about being assigned infrastructure work. In the Land of Earth, Deidara unleashed destructive attacks, while Nagato searched Konoha for the vanished Empire’s Twin Stars and was surprised by a figure appearing behind him.

• Killer B led the Land of Lightning’s ninjas against the Empire but was defeated, and Mabui sacrificed her life to send some Elite Ninjas away with the Heavenly Transfer Technique.
• The Empire’s Third Army conquered the Land of Lightning and built a modern city in less than a day, leaving the Lightning Division soldiers to complain about infrastructure work.
• Deidara bombed buildings across the Land of Earth while sparing the surrounding plants and passersby, ignoring deputy commanders who tried to stop him.
• Nagato repeatedly searched Hidden Leaf Village for the vanished Empire’s Twin Stars and considered flattening the village to find them.
• A figure appeared out of thin air and patted Nagato on the shoulder.

Jiraiya entered Sage Mode, displayed powerful new Sage Arts, and left to pursue the person who had taken someone away. In the Pure Land Space, Hagoromo Otsutsuki nearly defeated Naruto and Sasuke, but Jiraiya appeared and deflected his attack.

• Jiraiya reassured Nagato, transformed into Sage Mode, and used Sage Art: Myriad Hair Spirit Devour to absorb Chakra from his surroundings.
• Jiraiya activated Sage Art: Omniscient Perception, sensed lingering spatial power, and told Nagato he would meet the person who had taken someone away.
• Jiraiya vanished, leaving Nagato confused before he returned to his work.
• In the Pure Land Space, exhausted Naruto and Sasuke faced Hagoromo Otsutsuki, who attacked them with eight Truth-Seeking Ball spikes.
• A white-haired figure appeared before Naruto and Sasuke and tore apart and deflected Hagoromo Otsutsuki's attack.

Jiraiya confronted Hagoromo Otsutsuki in the Pure Land and defeated him using the Sage Art Breathing Technique. He then split Hagoromo’s power between Naruto and Sasuke, who ascended to the Six Paths realm.

• Jiraiya revealed that his power came from the Empire’s Sage Art Breathing Technique and said he had absorbed most of Mount Myōboku’s natural Chakra.
• Jiraiya demanded that Hagoromo submit to the Empire, but Hagoromo refused and unleashed Six Paths Planetary Devastation.
• Jiraiya interrupted Hagoromo’s attack, sealed his consciousness, and took control of his power.
• Jiraiya divided Hagoromo’s power between Naruto and Sasuke so they could advance into the Six Paths realm.
• Naruto and Sasuke transformed and attained Six Paths power.

Naruto and Sasuke reached the Six Paths level with Jiraiya’s help, and he gave them guidance for continuing their training. At Southern Red Island, reports revealed that the Empire’s forces had occupied the Hidden Stone Village, while Hashirama kept the leaders from rushing to the Hidden Leaf Village.

• Naruto and Sasuke adapted to their new Six Paths power as Jiraiya explained the sacrifices he had made to help them ascend.
• Jiraiya gave Naruto a Mount Myōboku Sage Jutsu scroll and told Sasuke that an Uchiha genius could teach him a comparable art.
• Sasuke suspected that his brother might be the Uchiha genius Jiraiya meant, but dismissed the idea because he believed his brother’s cultivation had stalled.
• Hashirama restrained Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage A, and the other leaders, allowing only their guards to return from the Hidden Leaf Village.
• A returning ninja reported that the Empire had occupied the Hidden Stone Village and that a Deidara who was not their Deidara had bombed their settlements.

Chōjūrō begged Hashirama to save the children taken from the Land of Water, and Hashirama agreed on the condition that the Hidden Mist sign a lasting peace agreement with the Hidden Leaf. Meanwhile, the Empire prepared for Hashirama’s arrival, and A learned that the Land of Lightning had been conquered.

• A Hidden Mist shinobi reported that a massive force had taken the children of the Land of Water, and Chōjūrō pleaded with Hashirama to rescue them.
• Minato questioned Chōjūrō’s promise of eternal peace, and Hashirama agreed to help only if the Hidden Mist signed a peace agreement with the Hidden Leaf after the war.
• Rasa and Kakashi alerted the Empire’s forces that Six Paths Hashirama was heading toward the Land of Water, while Zabuza ordered the troops to evade and send the children home.
• Mabui’s Heavenly Transfer Technique delivered a handful of surviving Hidden Cloud shinobi to A, who learned that the Land of Lightning had been occupied.

Rasa accused the Hidden Leaf Village of attacking the Hidden Sand Village, deepening the other leaders’ suspicions and bringing the gathering close to conflict. As Hashirama tried to calm the situation and the injured Hidden Cloud ninjas were declared beyond saving, Orochimaru revealed himself and began an Impure World Reincarnation ritual.

• A Hidden Sand messenger reported that the Hidden Leaf Village had attacked his village, and Rasa used the report to accuse the Leaf and inflame the gathered leaders’ suspicions.
• Tobirama confronted Rasa, but Hashirama stopped him from attacking as both sides remained at a tense stalemate.
• Chōjūrō asked Hashirama to save the children of the Land of Water, while Fourth Raikage A tried to return to the Hidden Cloud Village and learned its injured ninjas could not be saved.
• Orochimaru emerged from a white snake on Deva Path Itachi’s body and offered to revive the dead using the materials he had brought.
• Orochimaru began an Impure World Reincarnation ritual to summon past Kage and ancestors.

Orochimaru used Impure World Reincarnation to summon past shinobi and expose Rasa as an Empire counterpart, while Kakashi secretly bought time and extracted information from him. Madara Uchiha was resurrected and found Hashirama transformed into the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki with Madara’s eyes.

• Orochimaru summoned past sages using Impure World Reincarnation, including Kinkaku, Silver Horn, and former Raikage.
• Hashirama restrained Rasa after he fled under tenfold gravity, and Kakashi accused him of being an Empire infiltrator.
• Orochimaru tested Kakashi’s blood with Impure World Reincarnation, but the ritual produced no reaction.
• Kakashi took Rasa away, threatened him with Chidori, and learned that about ten thousand Empire forces had arrived.
• Orochimaru resurrected the past Kage, including Madara Uchiha, who questioned why Hashirama had become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and possessed Madara’s eyes.