Arc 10The Empire’s Advance
The Empire conquered the Five Great Nations while its agents spread stories of its prosperity and recruited support, even as the displaced leaders tried to rescue the children taken from the Land of Water. Madara revived himself and chose to pursue his own vision of peace, while Nagato fought Hashirama’s group and prepared to face Naruto.
- Naruto and Sasuke fought Hagoromo Otsutsuki in the Pure Land Space until Jiraiya sealed Hagoromo’s consciousness and divided his power between them, bringing them into the Six Paths realm.
- Stories of the Empire’s customs and prosperity spread through the villages as the Empire’s armies seized the Land of Water, Land of Lightning, and Land of Earth, while Zabuza took Nannan and Empire schools began opening.
- Chojuro learned how the Hidden Mist Village’s people had suffered under its shinobi system and resolved to change their circumstances, while Zabuza’s forces occupied the Land of Water and the Empire began distributing rice and supplies.
- Jiraiya returned to the Hidden Leaf and helped Naruto and Sasuke gain Six Paths power, while the leaders learned that the Empire had conquered their lands and Hashirama agreed to help rescue the children of the Land of Water.
- Orochimaru revived past Kage, including Madara, who learned that the Uchiha Clan had disappeared and that the Empire had conquered the Five Great Nations without killing anyone.
- Madara revived his body using Nagato’s Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, restored his vision with Nagato’s eye, and left with Obito to summon eighty thousand White Zetsu.
- Yahiko and Nan captured another world’s Konan and learned that their version of Nagato was near death, so Yahiko agreed to save him in exchange for Konan helping bring Rain Village into the Empire.
- Hashirama’s group discovered that Empire schools had used Genjutsu to implant lessons in children, and Nagato attacked them before summoning beasts and mechanical puppets to fight as Naruto approached.