Recaps

Naruto reunited with Minato in his consciousness and learned why the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside him. After Minato disappeared, Nagato invited Naruto to the Empire, leaving Naruto torn between the family he longed for and his loyalty to the Hidden Leaf Village.

• Nagato explained to Kakashi, Obito, Sasuke, and Sakura that he had left Naruto and Minato alone to talk.
• Naruto confronted Minato about the loneliness and mistreatment he had suffered because of the Nine-Tails, and Minato explained the circumstances behind the seal.
• Minato accepted Naruto’s choice to remove the seal and told him that he believed in him before his remaining chakra faded away.
• Nagato returned to Naruto’s consciousness space, and Naruto thanked him for letting him meet his father.
• Nagato invited Naruto to stay with Minato and Kushina in the Empire, but Naruto insisted that he would not betray the Hidden Leaf Village and resolved to become an undercover agent if he was taken there.

Nagato drained the Nine-Tails’ Chakra and transferred much of it to Naruto, who lost control as the power overwhelmed him. Kushina appeared through Minato’s seal and restored Naruto’s rationality, but Naruto mistook her for the Nine-Tails’ true form.

• Nagato decided to drain the Nine-Tails before separating it from Naruto and promised to leave Naruto with some of its Chakra.
• Nagato used the Preta Path—Adamantine Draining Technique to extract the Nine-Tails’ Chakra and the Chakra Transference Technique to channel it into Naruto.
• Naruto’s transformation advanced to eight tails, and he lost control and attacked Nagato as the Nine-Tails ran out of Chakra.
• Kushina appeared when Minato’s seal activated, and her voice restored much of Naruto’s rationality.
• Kushina waited for Naruto to recognize her, but Naruto concluded that she was the Nine-Tails’ true form.

Naruto reunited with Kushina inside his consciousness, learned more about his parents and the Nine-Tails’ attack, and said goodbye as she disappeared. Her loss strengthened his resolve to seek power, uncover the Masked Man’s role, and protect those he cared about.

• Naruto realized Kushina was his mother and hugged her, overwhelmed by emotion.
• Kushina told Naruto about his parents and the Masked Man behind the Nine-Tails’ attack, and Naruto decided to investigate when he grew stronger.
• Kushina tearfully told Naruto she loved him and thanked him for becoming her child.
• Kushina began to dissipate before she could embrace Naruto again, leaving him alone with his grief.
• Naruto resolved to join the Empire, gain strength, uncover the truth about his parents’ deaths, and protect the people he cared about.

Nagato extracted the Nine-Tails from Naruto and sealed it inside himself, then detected hostility among the civilians and exposed Tayo as a disguised ninja. Tayo died after a sealing technique activated, leaving Nagato and Kakashi to question his origins.

• Nagato extracted the Nine-Tails from Naruto and sealed it inside himself, discovering that it lacked its Yin-attribute power because Minato had sealed half of it separately.
• Naruto told Nagato, Kakashi, and Obito that Minato and Kushina had explained the Nine-Tails split to him in the sealing space.
• Obito proposed asking the Empire to conquer the world, and Nagato sensed hostility among the civilians near the completed bridge.
• Nagato attacked a suspicious civilian with an Earth Dragon Bullet, captured him with Almighty Pull, and identified him as a ninja named Tayo.
• Tazuna explained that Tayo had lived and worked in the Land of Waves for four years, but Tayo died when a Tongue Severing Seal activated.
• Nagato concluded that Tayo was likely not from the Land of Waves, while Kakashi denied knowing him or wanting to take him to Konoha Village.

Sasuke woke from a disturbing dream caused by Obito’s Genjutsu while the Empire’s team discussed its plans for the Naruto world. After Senju ordered them to recruit rather than casually kill people, Nagato proposed capturing unwilling Shinobi and using them as Chakra sources.

• Sasuke dreamed that Sakura had turned into Naruto, then woke in a panic and recoiled from Sakura.
• Obito admitted to Kakashi that he had cast Genjutsu on Sasuke to make him work harder, then joined the Empire’s meeting.
• Kakashi reported that the Land of Waves could serve as an outpost, the Nine-Tails had been sealed into Nagato, and the team planned to seize the One-Tail in the Land of Wind.
• Uchiha Senju ordered the team to build a communications channel, recruit Shinobi, and avoid sending people into the Pure Land unless necessary.
• Nagato explained the Pure Land to Obito, then proposed capturing unwilling Shinobi and using their Chakra to power the Empire’s arrival.

Obito, Kakashi, and Nagato discussed which targets to capture or spare before traveling with Naruto and Sasuke through the barren Land of Wind. Their journey ended in a Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier ambush, where Danzo appeared and confronted Kakashi.

• Obito and Kakashi agreed to spare Chiyo and Gaara if possible, while Nagato said they would capture Hiruzen or kill him if he resisted.
• Naruto asked Nagato not to hurt Hiruzen, and Nagato promised to spare him if he cooperated.
• Nagato described how a great river from Rain Province had once brought life to Wind Province, while Naruto trained and Sasuke injured himself pushing his Chakra Body Refining Technique too hard.
• Nagato used the Asura Path—Life Stitching Technique to repair Sasuke's damaged cells.
• Obito and Kakashi sensed an ambush, and Danzo trapped the group inside a Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier.
• Danzo berated Kakashi for failing to control Naruto, then told him to kill himself to atone.

Danzo trapped Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and Obito inside a fortified barrier, hoping to capture them and seize information about the parallel universe. Kakashi’s attacks failed, and Nagato identified the barrier’s construction and began considering how to dismantle it from within.

• Danzo recalled how his attempt to control White Fang of Konoha had led to his suicide and left Danzo blaming himself for the Third Hokage’s later suppression of him.
• Naruto defended Kakashi, while Sasuke felt inexplicable disgust toward Danzo, the leader of Root.
• Kakashi struck the barrier with Purple Electricity—Lightning Fang Slash, but its Crimson Sun flames absorbed the attack and strengthened the defense.
• Kakashi created Shadow Clones to test the barrier with sword attacks, but the barrier withstood the assault and dispersed several clones.
• Nagato determined that the barrier combined the Crimson Sun Formation and Five Seal Barrier, drained Chakra, and could only be broken from within or by brute force.

Obito used Kamui to escape Danzo’s Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier, then demonstrated Susanoo to Sasuke and attacked the barrier. As Danzo strengthened it at the cost of his Root shinobi’s life force, Obito announced that he would unleash Susanoo’s fourth stage.

• Obito escaped through Kamui to Tazuna’s house, startled Tsunami, and returned to the barrier after considering using Kamui to spy on Rin.
• Obito manifested Susanoo and showed Sasuke its first three stages, inspiring Sasuke to admire Uchiha power.
• Obito’s Susanoo struck the Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier, making it shake and injuring the shinobi who maintained it.
• Danzo ordered the Root shinobi to take life-burning pills, strengthening the barrier as it began shrinking around Obito and the others.
• After Kakashi said Obito could only reach Susanoo’s third stage, Obito claimed he had been hiding his abilities and announced Complete Body Susanoo’s fourth stage.

Obito and Kakashi attacked the Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier while Danzo chose to stay and capture them, but Nagato unleashed Planetary Devastation and shattered the barrier. Danzo and several Root members survived the catastrophe, and Danzo ordered Tenzō, Sai, and Fū Yamanaka to attack Obito.

• Obito activated the fourth stage of Susanoo and joined Kakashi in striking one point of the Five Red Sun Sealing Barrier as Danzo decided not to retreat.
• Nagato awakened and used Planetary Devastation to absorb the barrier’s power, draining the life of the sealing ninjas and destroying the formation.
• Obito sent Zabuza, Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, and the other six people into the Kamui Dimension before Nagato used Almighty Pull against the Root members.
• Danzo used Wood Release to shield himself and rescue several Root members, while others used vines, insects, and a drawn bird to resist the pull.
• Planetary Devastation erupted and killed more than a dozen Root Elite Jonin, prompting Danzo to order Tenzō, Sai, and Fū Yamanaka to deal with Obito.

Danzo divided Root into teams to fight Kakashi, Nagato, and Obito, while Kakashi and Obito faced coordinated attacks. Kakashi overwhelmed his opponents with the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Yamato, Sai, and Fū appeared to trap Obito as their assault began.

• Danzo assigned Torune, Ryuma, Momiji, and Soetsu to fight Kakashi and sent the remaining Root members to confront the Uzumaki Clan member.
• Obito saw the Sharingan in Danzo’s hand and erupted in anger, while Kakashi drew his White Fang Blade and prepared to fight his assigned opponents.
• Kakashi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to strike down Momiji and narrowly miss Soetsu, then recognized Torune and Ryuma’s poisonous tactics and shredded their insects with a Wind Release attack.
• Yamato restrained Obito’s battered Susanoo with Wood Release as Sai’s Ink Tiger tore at it and Fū used the Mind Transfer Technique.

Obito overwhelmed Yamato, Sai, and Fū, killing Sai and Fū while deciding to capture Yamato after discovering his Wood Release. Meanwhile, Kakashi and Nagato gained the upper hand in their battles, leaving Root’s forces in worsening danger.

• Obito broke through Yamato and Sai’s combined defenses with powerful Flame Release techniques, then used Kamui to send Sai’s head into the Kamui Dimension.
• Naruto and Sakura reacted in shock when Sai’s severed head appeared beside Team 7, Zabuza, and Haku in the Kamui Dimension.
• Obito watched Sai’s soul get swallowed by Nagato’s King of Hell, then killed Fū and continued fighting Yamato.
• Yamato’s mask broke, revealing his identity, and Obito chose to capture him alive because of his rare Wood Release.
• Kakashi removed his gravity rods and cut down the Aburame clan members’ insect forms with his White Fang Blade.
• Nagato killed the ninjas beside Danzō with Almighty Pull and mechanical arms as their battle intensified.

Nagato overwhelmed Danzo and the Root ninja, then pursued Danzo as he fled. Danzo survived Nagato’s Great Fire Annihilation by using Izanagi, revealing one of the Sharingan on his arm had closed.

• Danzo summoned a Dream Tapir, but Nagato’s many Summoning Animals and the King of Hell overwhelmed Danzo’s forces.
• Danzo created Shadow Clones to cover his escape, but Nagato destroyed them and chased his real body.
• Nagato used Almighty Pull and the Five Releases against Danzo, who escaped a Vacuum Bullet with Wood Release.
• Nagato’s Great Fire Annihilation consumed Danzo’s wooden defenses, and Obito worried that Danzo had died before they could question him.
• Danzo reappeared alive with one Sharingan on his arm closed, and Nagato recognized his survival technique as Izanagi.

Danzo used Izanagi and Kotoamatsukami against Nagato, Obito, and Kakashi, while reliving the memory of Tobirama choosing Hiruzen as the next Hokage. After implanting a command in Nagato, Danzo appeared to run out of Sharingan and unleashed a final attack on his enemies.

• Danzo spent more Sharingan to undo Nagato’s attacks with Izanagi and decided to target Nagato with Kotoamatsukami.
• Danzo’s attempt to control Nagato triggered a memory of Tobirama choosing Hiruzen as the next Hokage, and Danzo realized he was caught in a genjutsu.
• Danzo cast Kotoamatsukami on Nagato, but the Rinnegan resisted his control, so Danzo implanted the command to let the Hidden Leaf Village exist forever.
• Kakashi repeatedly cut Danzo down as Danzo used his remaining Izanagi, until Danzo’s Sharingan were exhausted.
• Danzo laughed, declared he would not let Obito and Kakashi live, and tore open his clothes as black blood gushed out.

Danzō used the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing and died, while Nagato embraced the idea that Konoha could endure only through a unified Shinobi World and the Empire’s ideology. Nagato and his companions set off for the Hidden Sand Village, where Obito reflected on its harsh desert environment.

• Danzō activated the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, and Kakashi and Obito escaped while Danzō died.
• Obito found that Danzō’s eyes had been destroyed and took his corpse for the Two-World Transmission Channel.
• Tenzō reported that Root had been almost completely wiped out, and Danzō’s corpse appeared in the Kamui Dimension.
• Nagato’s thoughts turned to making Konoha endure by unifying the Shinobi World and abolishing the Shinobi Village System.
• Nagato recruited Kakashi and Obito’s cooperation, summoned the Giant Bird, and set off with them and Sasuke for the Hidden Sand Village.
• Obito compared the wind-swept Hidden Sand Village with the more livable village in the Empire.

Tobi told Obito that Nagato had extracted the Nine-Tails and that two Kakashis had appeared, one of whom looked exactly like Obito. Obito went to question Nagato as the group landed in the Hidden Sand Village and split up to gather intelligence and supplies.

• Tobi reported that Nagato, not Pain, had extracted the Nine-Tails and that one of two Kakashis resembled Obito; Black Zetsu confirmed the report.
• Obito left to find Nagato, while Black Zetsu and White Zetsu stayed behind to keep watch.
• Nagato, Obito, Kakashi, and Sasuke landed safely in the Hidden Sand Village, though Obito admitted internally that he had forgotten to help Sasuke.
• Obito released Naruto, Zabuza, Haku, Sakura, and Yamato from the Kamui Dimension, and Kakashi ordered the group to gather food and information.
• The group split into three teams to investigate the village, while Obito searched alone for materials to build a teleportation passage.
• Zabuza and Haku entered a clothing store to gather information, while Nagato took Naruto and Sasuke to eat and collect general intelligence.

Nagato, Sasuke, and Naruto learned from a Hidden Sand Village drunk that gold-dust trading had become nearly impossible, while Kakashi and Yamato revealed information about the village to their captors. The old man prepared to explain the reason behind the gold-dust shortage after Nagato offered him gold nuggets.

• Kakashi led Kakashi and Yamato through the Hidden Sand Village and drew out information about its history and mineral wealth.
• Nagato, Sasuke, and Naruto entered a tavern, where Nagato claimed they were merchants seeking to buy minerals.
• A drunk man told Nagato that gold-dust trading had become unprofitable and suggested selling fruit or fruit wine instead.
• Nagato offered the drunk man more drinks, then showed him two gold nuggets and asked why gold-dust trading had become difficult.
• The drunk man decided to reveal the Hidden Sand Village's open secret in exchange for the gold nuggets.

Nagato learned that the Wind Kage and the Jinchuriki had gone to the Hidden Leaf Village to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan, while Obito found a vast stockpile of rare metals in the Hidden Sand Village. The group planned to use the materials to open a teleportation channel and persuade the Sand villagers to join the Empire, by words or force.

• Nagato learned from a drunkard that the Wind Kage and the Jinchuriki had left for the Hidden Leaf Village with the Hidden Sand elites to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan.
• Nagato relayed the news to Obito and Kakashi, and Kakashi explained that the Hidden Leaf Village had invited other villages to the Chunin Exams.
• Obito found a huge stockpile of gold dust, iron sand, and other rare metals in a secret warehouse and said the resources could help open a temporary teleportation channel.
• Kakashi ordered Obito to search for and take other hidden supplies, while another Kakashi defended the seizure as borrowing that would eventually benefit the villagers.
• Kakashi said the group needed to persuade the Hidden Sand villagers before building the channel, then suggested using force if they would not accept the Empire's ideals.

Kakashi and his companions entered the Hidden Sand Village seeking space for the Cross-Dimensional Channel, but a confrontation with Sand Shinobi turned into a fight. After Kakashi defeated the patrol, Chiyo arrived with ten puppets and demanded that he return her son and the fallen warriors.

• A Hidden Sand patrol recognized Kakashi as the White Fang of Konoha, and an Elite Jonin pretended to welcome him while the village's shinobi surrounded the group.
• Sagan attacked with Earth Release—Quicksand, but Kakashi countered it and cut through Sagan's Sand Release body with the White Fang Blade.
• Sagan and the other Sand Shinobi launched several attacks, but Kakashi blocked them with Blade Tornado and dispersed the smoke with Wind Release—Raging Wind Blade Aura.
• Kakashi beheaded Sagan, captured the Sand Shinobi who had used Wind Concealment Technique, and knocked the remaining attackers unconscious when they refused to surrender.
• Chiyo arrived with ten grotesque puppets and demanded that Kakashi return her son and the lives of her Hidden Sand warriors.

Chiyo confronted Kakashi in Hidden Sand Village, mistook him for his father before recognizing him, and watched him overwhelm her puppets. Obito joined the fight with Susanoo, and Chiyo concluded that Konoha had engineered a long-running scheme to seize Hidden Sand while its Kazekage was away.

• Chiyo rushed to the battle after learning Konoha ninjas had been found and attacked Kakashi, believing he was the White Fang of Konoha.
• Chiyo recognized Kakashi as the White Fang's son and summoned her ten puppets, but Kakashi destroyed most of them and countered her techniques.
• Obito arrived from the treasury and used Susanoo to scatter the Hidden Sand ninjas attacking Kakashi.
• Chiyo linked Orochimaru's defection, the Uchiha Clan's reported extermination, and the Kazekage's summons to Konoha, concluding that Konoha planned to take Hidden Sand while its leaders were away.

Hiruzen kept the parallel-universe matter secret while Nagato, Kakashi, and Obito forced Hidden Sand Village to surrender and gathered the materials needed to open a Cross-Dimensional Channel. The chapter ended with them reporting to Uchiha Senju and Orochimaru that they were ready to build the anchor and open the channel.

• Hiruzen ordered the Anbu to keep the parallel-universe matter secret and focused on preparations for the Chunin Exams.
• Chiyo surrendered to Nagato, Kakashi, and Obito to prevent further deaths among the Hidden Sand ninja.
• Nagato ordered Obito to collect Hidden Sand's rare resources and metals, and Obito used Kamui to bring them back.
• Kakashi contacted Orochimaru and the Emperor, and a holographic projection of Uchiha Senju and Orochimaru appeared.
• Nagato, Kakashi, and Obito reported that they had gathered the materials needed to build a positioning anchor and open the Cross-Dimensional Channel.

Uchiha Senju learned that the temporary Cross-Dimensional Channel could not be stabilized without the One-Tail, which had been taken for the Konoha Crush Plan, and ordered construction to begin. He told Tsunade he planned to send Empire newcomers into the other world during its Chunin Exams, but she left the choice of who to send to him.

• Kakashi told the Emperor that the channel needed the One-Tail to become stable, but the Kazekage had taken its jinchūriki to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan.
• Senju accepted the delay, ordered the teleportation array built, and told his men to coordinate with Orochimaru.
• Uchiha Senju summoned Tsunade to Konoha University and told her the temporary channel was about to open.
• Tsunade asked about her counterpart in the other world, and Senju joked that she would be a forty- or fifty-year-old virgin.
• Uchiha Senju said he wanted to send Empire newcomers to the other world during its Chunin Exams and asked Tsunade whom he should choose.
• Tsunade told Uchiha Senju to decide for himself.

Uchiha Senju chose shinobi from Konoha University and Hidden Sand University, including Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, to travel to World 64. In World 64, the group opened a transmission channel to the Empire by draining Hidden Sand shinobi and others, and the chapter ended with the connection established and the Empire preparing to test it.

• Uchiha Senju selected Gaara, Kankuro, seven Konoha rookies, Rasa, Chiyo, and Uchiha Setsuna for the mission to World 64.
• In Hidden Sand Village, Chiyo watched the village's accumulated resources get consumed as Nagato, Obito, Kakashi, and Orochimaru prepared the transmission channel.
• Obito sacrificed Danzo's corpse to stabilize the channel, while Nagato drained the Nine-Tails and Hidden Sand shinobi to supply it with Chakra.
• Kakashi pushed Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku, Sasuke, Sakura, and Chiyo into the effort to provide more energy.
• The transmission channel connected, and the people in Hidden Sand Village felt the Empire's abundant natural Chakra flood into their world.
• Orochimaru confirmed the connection to Kakashi and ordered the Empire to send someone through for a stability test.

Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku, Yamato, Chiyo, and Naruto crossed through the unstable dimensional channel into the Empire. Naruto arrived safely and met the Empire’s Sasuke and his own alternate self, whose warm welcome brought him to tears.

• Kakashi and the others sent Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku, Yamato, and Chiyo through the Cross-Dimensional Channel.
• Obito sent Naruto through last, and Naruto crossed safely under the protection of his Tailed Beast Cloak.
• Naruto emerged in the Empire and learned that the Third Hokage was its Emperor.
• Naruto mistook the Empire’s handsome Sasuke for his own Sasuke before the two clarified that they were from different worlds.
• The Empire’s Naruto appeared, and the sight of his alternate self made Naruto tear up.

Naruto and Sasuke arrived in the Empire’s world and met their alternate selves, while World 64 received a group of Imperial reinforcements. The teleportation array collapsed just after Naruto and Sasuke entered the passage toward World 64.

• Naruto struggled with seeing his confident alternate self, who reassured him that his parents were on their way.
• Sasuke arrived and insulted his alternate self’s Chakra and Sharingan, but Naruto interrupted their argument and explained that Sasuke had prepared for their arrival.
• In World 64, Kakashi learned that no more people needed to be sent to the Empire and prepared to receive reinforcements.
• Chiyo, Uchiha Setsuna, Gaara, Kankuro, Rasa, and Konoha’s five prodigies arrived through the teleportation array.
• The array reached its limit and collapsed as Naruto and Sasuke entered the teleportation passage to World 64.

Naruto rescued Sasuke and the others as the Cross-Dimensional Channel collapsed, and the Empire's forces received missions to seize control of villages and collect the Tailed Beasts. Obito revealed that the Uchiha clan in this world had been wiped out, while Sasuke used genjutsu on Sakura as the group prepared to enter the Chunin Exams.

• Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to pull Sasuke and the others to safety just before the Cross-Dimensional Channel closed.
• Rasa, Obito, Kakashi, and Nagato compared their missions to control the Hidden Sand Village, gather Tailed Beasts, and enter the Chunin Exams before taking over the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Nagato flew toward the Hidden Cloud Village, while Obito tried to persuade Uchiha Setsuna to help gather the Tailed Beasts.
• Obito told Setsuna that Itachi had killed the Uchiha clan in this world, and Setsuna awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan in shock and anger.
• Kakashi explained the local team system, while Sakura became captivated by Naruto and Sasuke despite knowing they were enemies.
• Sasuke ordered Sakura to look at him, then met her gaze with his Mangekyo Sharingan and cast genjutsu.