Chapter Summaries

After finding Konan dead at the destroyed Joint Research Institute, Nagato tried to force Orochimaru to reanimate the corpses and reveal what had happened. Kushina and Anju intervened, but Nagato attacked them, leaving them to defend themselves inside the Steel Body as he continued his assault.

• Nagato questioned Orochimaru about the explosions, then raised the rubble and uncovered ten corpses beneath the ruins.
• Nagato dragged ten researchers before him and ordered Orochimaru to use Impure World Reincarnation on the dead, despite protests from the gathered technicians.
• Kushina and Anju arrived and tried to stop Nagato, but he rejected their pleas and blasted Anju away when he attempted to remove Orochimaru.
• Nagato attacked Anju and Kushina with Shinra Tensei and mechanical arms, revealing that he knew Anju was the Nine-Tails.
• Kushina summoned the Steel Body and reinforced it with arrays while Anju activated emotion arrays against Nagato and lent Kushina his Chakra as the Steel Body endured Nagato's assault.

Nagato attacked the Steel Body at the ruined Joint Research Institute until Naruto arrived and confronted him. Nagato fled after blaming Konoha for Konan’s death, and Anju decided to move the Joint Research Institute into the Sky Battleship because the ground was no longer safe.

• Nagato continued firing Chakra Cannons at the Steel Body while Orochimaru observed him and the technicians fled the ruins.
• Naruto arrived after flying from Konoha and used Sage Jutsu Sage Guiding Path to destroy the Chakra dragon Nagato summoned.
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path dispelled the Emotion Arrays affecting Nagato, who accused Konoha of obstructing his search for Konan’s killer.
• Kushina emerged from the Steel Body and told Nagato the killer had not been found, but Nagato declared that Konoha would pay and vanished using the Flying Thunder God Formation.
• Anju asked Orochimaru to return to Konoha and help rebuild the Joint Research Institute, but Orochimaru refused and left.
• Anju told Kushina to keep the Sky Battleship in the air and move the Joint Research Institute there, while accelerating construction of a second Sky Battleship.

Konoha’s leaders debated how to respond after the Land of Akatsuki turned against them and whether the Joint Research Institute could survive. Anju urged Kushina to win over the foreign researchers, arguing that collaboration across the Ninja World was essential to technological progress.

• Nara Shikaku warned that the Land of Akatsuki would target Konoha and urged preparations for its leader’s return.
• Uchiha Izumi defended Kushina’s intervention, while Tsunade confronted Jiraiya over his former disciples’ actions.
• Naruto warned that other nations might withdraw their research teams and asked Konoha’s leaders how to keep the Joint Research Institute operating.
• An Anbu reported that the Daimyos of the four great nations had scheduled a video conference for that evening, and Kushina left to prepare.
• Anju told Kushina that persuading the foreign technicians mattered more than persuading their nations, and explained how researchers from different regions drove technological progress.

Anju persuaded the Four Great Nations to continue cooperating with Konoha on outer-space research through a covert agreement, while Nagato accepted Obito’s offer to make Konoha suffer for Konan’s death.

• Ōnoki, Raikage A, and Rasa questioned Konoha’s role in the war and the safety of their researchers, and Anju argued that Konoha would continue exploring outer space.
• Anju proposed sending the researchers home, prompting Rasa and Raikage A to insist that their nations wanted to remain involved.
• Anju proposed publicly disbanding the Joint Research Institute while secretly bringing the researchers back aboard the Sky Battleship, and the leaders agreed.
• Ōnoki privately signed an agreement with Konoha rather than risk leaving the other great nations’ cooperation behind.
• Obito appeared before Nagato and urged him to make Konoha experience their pain, and Nagato accepted his hand.

After White Tiger’s death, Nagato declared war on Konoha and ordered Hiruko to lead the vanguard despite his objections. As Kushina prepared to confront Akatsuki near Hakoami Castle, Hiruko’s forces attacked a Konoha scouting squad at the border, leaving its Uchiha captain to hold them off.

• Hidan urged Nagato to destroy Konoha, while Kakuzu advised making thorough preparations and Hiruko objected to starting a war before completing his research.
• Nagato declared that Akatsuki would wage war on Konoha, ordered Hiruko to serve as vanguard, and told Kakuzu to mobilize the Land of Akatsuki’s resources and ninja forces.
• On Konoha Year 57’s Winter Solstice, the Land of Akatsuki declared war on Konoha, and Kushina led a team toward Hakoami Castle to target Nagato.
• Ōnoki kept his country out of the conflict but sold Akatsuki war equipment and ninja tools.
• At the Land of Akatsuki–Land of Fire border, Orochimaru taunted Hiruko before withdrawing, and Hiruko led his forces to attack a four-person Konoha scouting squad.
• The Uchiha captain ordered his teammates to report the attack and stayed behind, but Hiruko’s taijutsu forced him to fight while Akatsuki’s forces surrounded him.

Nagato launched a surprise attack on Konoha Main Camp, using Shinra Tensei to devastate the unprepared army. Anju disrupted his technique, but Nagato summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and sent sealing chains toward her and Kushina.

• Kushina ordered Konoha's scouting squads to withdraw and the army to advance after learning that the Land of Akatsuki's main force had not yet set out.
• Nagato, disguised inside a Chameleon, charged Konoha Main Camp and unleashed Shinra Tensei, deflecting the shinobi's attacks before Anju destroyed the summon.
• Nagato used Super Shinra Tensei against the camp, while Kushina defended herself and Anju used Sage Guiding Path to break through his absorption shields and interrupt the attack.
• Nagato targeted Anju with Banshō Ten'in, and Kushina charged him before he blasted her into the sky with repulsive force.
• Anju evaded Nagato's pull and used Sage Art: Sage Guiding Path, forcing him to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path fired sealing Chakra Chains at Kushina and Anju as Nagato waited for them to be trapped.

Nagato trapped Kushina and extracted Isobu, the Three-Tails, despite Anju’s attempt to intervene with a Sage Chakra body. After Nagato escaped with the beast and collapsed, Anju entered Kushina’s seal to control the rampaging Natural Energy and repair her.

• Kushina escaped Nagato’s first attack, then returned to shield Konoha shinobi from lightning and was caught by Chakra chains.
• Nagato sealed Kushina and began extracting Isobu, while Anju created a Divine Immortal body and attacked the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path with Flame Sun Courage.
• Nagato used Fire Sealing Method scrolls to counter the flames, then extracted Isobu and vanished with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Anju entered Kushina’s empty seal to control the rampaging Natural Energy as the Divine Immortal repaired her seal.
• Anju looked at the fallen Nagato and remarked that he had never expected to seal himself.

Obito took Nagato’s Rinnegan and used the Six Paths of Pain to keep the Land of Akatsuki’s army moving after Nagato’s death. He began preparing to capture the remaining Tailed Beasts, while Konoha and the Akatsuki members reacted to Nagato’s death.

• Obito took the Rinnegan from Nagato’s corpse and escaped into the Kamui Dimension with Nagato’s body when Anju’s Earthly Immortal attacked.
• Anju dismissed the Earthly Immortal after it ordered Konoha Ninja to take Kushina back to Konoha and report the Land of Akatsuki Daimyo’s death.
• Obito controlled the Six Paths of Pain to stop the Land of Akatsuki’s army from halting its operations, while Orochimaru, Kimimaro, Hiruko, and Biwa Juzo left the camp.
• White Zetsu told Hidan and Kakuzu that Obito would become the new Land of Akatsuki Daimyo and inherit the Rinnegan.
• Obito told Black Zetsu to make the Land of Akatsuki’s forces guard the border and locate the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Four-Tails, Six-Tails, and Seven-Tails.

Naruto chaired Konoha’s meeting and proposed sharing an attack on the Land of Akatsuki with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth rather than facing its new Rinnegan-wielding leader alone. As the neighboring nations moved against the Land of Akatsuki, Obito set out to hunt jinchuriki while Kakuzu scrambled to defend the country’s borders.

• Naruto told Konoha’s leaders that Nagato was dead but warned that the new leader controlling Six Paths of Pain likely possessed the Rinnegan.
• Naruto rejected annexing the Land of Akatsuki alone and proposed dividing it jointly with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.
• News spread that Nagato had died, the Akatsuki had disbanded, a new daimyo had appeared, and Kushina had been severely injured; the Land of Wind then declared war.
• Black Zetsu told Obito that the One-Tail, Two-Tails, and Four-Tails jinchuriki had been located, and Obito left Kakuzu to manage the Land of Akatsuki’s forces.
• Kakuzu sent forces to the borders with the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, taking the Land of Wind front himself and assigning Hidan to the Land of Earth front.

Gaara had found stability and guidance in Sunagakure, learning Magnet Release from Kiesuna Shota, until Obito Uchiha attacked their training ground. Kiesuna Shota fought to protect Gaara and escaped with him just as Obito closed in.

• Gaara enjoyed a more peaceful childhood with Yashamaru, Kankuro, and Temari, while Chiyo and Ebizo helped teach him.
• Kiesuna Shota treated Gaara as a friend and potential successor, personally training him in Magnet Release.
• Gaara and Kiesuna Shota repeatedly tricked Shukaku into failed escape attempts, leaving the tailed beast furious.
• Kiesuna Shota sensed Obito Uchiha's arrival and prepared the training ground with the Iron Sand World Method.
• Obito overwhelmed Kiesuna Shota's Iron Sand and Wind Release attacks with gravity and Shinra Tensei.
• Kiesuna Shota grabbed Gaara, formed a hand seal, and vanished with him before Obito could reach them.

Obito Uchiha invaded Sunagakure and demanded that the village hand over Gaara, killing ninjas and destroying much of the village. Gaara escaped, while Kiesuna Shota used the Sealing Sand Array to protect the survivors as Obito pursued the source of a Tailed Beast Ball.

• Kiesuna Shota brought Gaara to the Kazekage Building, where Chiyo tried to activate Sunagakure’s Gravity Array, but Obito Uchiha pinned the officials down and killed six Sand Ninja with Chakra Black Receivers.
• Obito demanded the Jinchuriki, so Kiesuna Shota sent Gaara fleeing and returned to confront him; Obito dismissed the claim that Gaara had defected and phased through Kiesuna Shota’s attack.
• Kiesuna Shota rescued Chiyo and the remaining Sand Ninja, who attacked Obito with the Gravity Array and puppets, but Obito repelled them and began using Super Shinra Tensei.
• A Tailed Beast Ball struck toward Obito, who redirected it into Kiesuna Shota; Kiesuna Shota reformed, used Heaven and Earth Transposition to shield Sunagakure, and Obito pursued Gaara’s trail.
• Obito’s attack left one-third of Sunagakure destroyed, while Kiesuna Shota saved the survivors who had not been killed at the outset.

Obito captured Shukaku from Gaara and extracted Matatabi from Yugito, killing the Two-Tails Jinchuriki. After learning that both One-Tail and Two-Tails had been seized, Ōnoki realized the other Jinchuriki were in danger.

• Obito used a Dragon Scale Stone and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to extract Shukaku from Gaara, then left Gaara’s body behind for Kiesuna Shota to find.
• Obito attacked Yugito at a hot spring, subdued her with Shinra Tensei and Chakra Black Receivers, and extracted Matatabi with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Kumogakure Ninja found Yugito dead and sent word to the Raikage.
• Obito headed for the Land of Earth while Rōshi remained out of Ōnoki’s reach.
• Ōnoki learned that Gaara had been attacked and Shukaku captured, and realized the situation was dire.

Obito killed Rōshi and sealed the Four-Tails, prompting Ōnoki to call an urgent conference as Kushina returned home after losing Isobu. Anju warned Naruto that Obito was collecting Tailed Beasts and cautioned him against using the dangerous Descent of the Divine Immortal.

• Obito left the ruined temple after sealing the Four-Tails and reflected that only two Dragon Scale Stones remained.
• Iwagakure discovered Rōshi's corpse, and Ōnoki arranged a video conference with the other daimyo.
• Kushina returned home after recovering from Isobu's extraction, and Anju learned that the One-Tail, Two-Tails, and Four-Tails had been attacked.
• Anju suspected Obito planned to revive the Ten-Tails using Impure World Reincarnation and explained how Chiyo's Reanimation Jutsu could have saved Gaara.
• Anju told Naruto that the Rinnegan's Reverse Reincarnation could revive the dead and warned him not to use Descent of the Divine Immortal because its mental-energy side effects were severe.

Kushina offered Konoha’s aid against Obito’s collection of Tailed Beasts, prompting Naruto to clarify that Konoha wanted support for the Joint Research Institute rather than political concessions. The other nations agreed to send technical personnel back to the institute as the daimyo conference ended with cooperation secured.

• Naruto warned the daimyo that the Land of Akatsuki had collected four Tailed Beasts, and Zabuza Momochi revealed that Kirigakure could not contact Utakata.
• Raikage A called for the nations to stop the Tailed Beast collection, and Kushina offered to aid them through the Flying Thunder God Formation.
• Anju warned Kushina that she had offered Konoha’s help too quickly, but agreed to support her after learning she understood Obito’s plan to revive the Ten-Tails.
• Rasa offered benefits to Konoha, but Naruto said Konoha only wanted the nations to support the Joint Research Institute by sending technical personnel.
• Raikage A agreed to return Kumogakure’s technical personnel to the institute, and Kushina felt she had not ruined the negotiations completely.

Obito found Utakata’s island hideout and killed his master, but Utakata escaped through an underwater passage. Obito then tracked down Fū in the Land of Iron and sealed the Seven-Tails, leaving Fū and her two Samurai guards dead.

• Obito and Black Zetsu found the Perception Barrier on the island and confronted Utakata’s master.
• Obito killed Utakata’s master before he could use Sealing Jutsu, and the dying man sent a soul butterfly to warn Utakata.
• Utakata followed the butterfly through a sea inlet and escaped underwater, forcing Obito to abandon the pursuit.
• Black Zetsu told Obito that the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, Fū, was in the Land of Iron, and Obito went there with him.
• Obito killed Fū’s two Samurai guards, subdued Fū, and sealed the Seven-Tails with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Kushina and Naruto confronted Obito at Killer B’s training ground and sealed him after Kushina disrupted his attack with a combination of techniques. Black Zetsu then rescued Obito underground, leaving Kushina to question Raikage A’s lack of defenses against underground escape.

• Obito arrived at Valley of Clouds and Lightning to capture Killer B, but Kushina and Naruto confronted him.
• Raikage A brought Killer B back and explained that he had invited Kushina to protect the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Obito fought Kushina and Naruto, using Kamui, Shinra Tensei, and Wood Release to attack them.
• Kushina used Heart Mind Transfer, Affection's Bond, and Phantom Mother Array to disrupt Obito, then sealed him with Yin-Yang Sealing Bind.
• Black Zetsu pulled the motionless Obito underground and escaped, and Kushina asked Raikage A why he had not prepared against underground techniques.

Obito woke in the Underground Palace after Black Zetsu disrupted Kushina’s seal by possessing half his body, then began gathering Tailed Beast Chakra to revive the Ten-Tails and break the seal. Meanwhile, Utakata learned that Akatsuki’s new leader had killed his master and was collecting the Tailed Beasts.

• Black Zetsu explained that Obito could move only while he possessed half of his body, and that Obito would be sealed again if he left.
• Obito recalled being trapped by Master's Wife's genjutsu and agreed with Black Zetsu that they needed to revive the Ten-Tails to break Kushina's seal.
• Obito used the Phantom Dragon Nine Sealing Consumption to draw Five-Tails Chakra from Han and Eight-Tails Chakra from Blue B.
• Obito drained Nine-Tails Chakra from the Gold and Silver Brothers and ordered White Zetsu to find the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Black Zetsu considered using Obito to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan and revive his mother, while keeping Madara as a backup.
• Utakata entered the Land of Fire to investigate his master's death and learned that Akatsuki's new leader was collecting the Tailed Beasts.

Anju realized Obito could use Impure World Reincarnation to obtain Tailed Beast Chakra from the Gold and Silver Brothers, leaving the Six-Tails as his last obstacle to reviving the Ten-Tails. Kushina mobilized Konoha and the other great countries to find and protect Utakata, the Six-Tails' sole surviving Jinchuriki.

• Anju and Kurama sensed a strange purple Chakra tremor, and Kushina gathered Konoha's leaders to investigate.
• Anju explained that Obito could use Impure World Reincarnation and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to extract Chakra from the Gold and Silver Brothers' bodies.
• Anju warned that Obito could revive the Ten-Tails if he obtained the Six-Tails, and identified Utakata as the only Jinchuriki he could target.
• Kushina ordered Konoha's clans and allies in Kirigakure, the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning, and the Land of Wind to search for Utakata.
• Naruto sent out a vast number of Shadow Clones as the other great countries joined the search.

Orochimaru’s experiment on Jugo succeeded, awakening a Mangekyō Sharingan, while Orochimaru also pursued information about the Six-Tails Jinchuriki and the Rinnegan held by Suzaku. The chapter left Orochimaru observing Hiruko’s failed Kekkei Genkai experiments and taking advantage of his need for supplies and protection.

• Orochimaru learned from Yakushi Kabuto that Konoha and other countries were searching for Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki, and decided to seek Suzaku’s Rinnegan.
• Orochimaru injected his improved solution into Jugo, whose Pseudo-Sage Transformation faded as his Sharingan awakened into a Mangekyō.
• Jugo asked Orochimaru whether the experiment had succeeded, and Orochimaru reassured him before Jugo passed out.
• Orochimaru told Kimimaro to care for Jugo and instructed Yakushi Kabuto to investigate the Six-Tails Jinchuriki and Suzaku.
• Orochimaru visited Hiruko’s laboratory, where Hiruko’s attempt to fuse five Kekkei Genkai had failed again for lack of energy.
• Hiruko angrily confronted Orochimaru, who explained that he could enter because Hiruko had bought his formations and continued accepting his supplies.

Jugo awoke with Wood Release and Mangekyō Sharingan abilities, and Orochimaru began studying him. Utakata sought Orochimaru’s help to gain power for revenge, and Orochimaru agreed to put him through an experiment.

• Jugo absorbed nutrient fluid, demonstrated Wood Release, and revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan techniques, Ominous Omen and Ebisu.
• Kimimaro tested Jugo’s abilities in a spar and was overwhelmed by the effects of his ocular techniques.
• Orochimaru began examining Jugo, while Yakushi Kabuto returned with Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Utakata told Orochimaru he wanted power for revenge and explained that his master had sent him to seek Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru agreed to test whether Utakata could endure an experiment and sent him with Yakushi Kabuto to prepare.