Chapter Summaries

Menma planned to meet Ōnoki with Orochimaru’s approval while considering how to recruit more allies and expand his influence. As the meeting was set for three days later, news of the Valley of the End battle reached Obito, who learned that Menma had taken Kakashi’s Sharingan and nearly killed him.

• Menma considered recruiting people from Takigakure and seeking out Utakata and Isobu to strengthen his side.
• Orochimaru agreed to Menma’s meeting with Ōnoki and chose northern Land of Grass as the location.
• Kabuto Yakushi relayed the proposed meeting, and Iwagakure agreed to meet Menma in three days.
• Reports of the Valley of the End battle spread among the ninja villages, though they lacked details about what had happened.
• Obito received a report that Menma had taken Kakashi’s Sharingan and nearly killed him, and reacted with fury.

Obito weighed Black Zetsu’s proposal to retrieve his Sharingan from Uzumaki Menma and begin the Moon Eye Plan early. He chose to wait, ordering closer surveillance of Menma and Orochimaru while leaving open the chance to reclaim his eye.

• Black Zetsu urged Obito to retrieve his Mangekyō Sharingan from Menma before it was damaged and suggested capturing the Nine-Tails to start the Moon Eye Plan ahead of schedule.
• Obito considered the Akatsuki Organization’s readiness and the possibility of a surprise attack on Menma, but worried that acting too soon would create unforeseen risks.
• Obito rejected the early start, reasoning that Nagato was not ready and that provoking a war among the Five Great Shinobi Villages first would weaken their enemies.
• Obito told Black Zetsu to intensify surveillance of Menma and Orochimaru and demanded to be addressed as Madara.
• Black Zetsu agreed and disappeared, while both he and Obito treated the lost eye as a minor concern.

Menma prepared to risk an early clash with Obito, believing his knowledge and possession of Kakashi’s Sharingan gave him an advantage. Three days later, he and Orochimaru arrived at a meeting place near Kannabi Bridge, where Ōnoki and Kitsuchi came to meet them.

• Menma reasoned that he could counter Obito’s Kamui by exploiting the connection between the two Mangekyō Sharingan and decided that the potential gains justified the risk.
• After three days, Menma questioned why Orochimaru had chosen a meeting place near Kannabi Bridge rather than near the secret base.
• Orochimaru said the location showed respect for the Third Tsuchikage, and Menma and Orochimaru set off for the meeting.
• Ōnoki flew with Kitsuchi across the border into the Land of Grass and spotted Menma and Orochimaru at the agreed location.

Ōnoki invited Menma to join Iwagakure and promised him resources, equal treatment, and personal training. Menma asked how Ōnoki would handle the risks of opposing Konoha, trusting a rogue ninja, and a refusal, leaving Ōnoki to answer.

• Ōnoki arrived and praised Menma, while Menma greeted him politely.
• Ōnoki and Orochimaru exchanged pointed remarks about Menma being different from Orochimaru.
• Ōnoki formally invited Menma to join Iwagakure and offered to take him as a disciple, with guidance from the village’s two Jinchuriki.
• Menma asked what Ōnoki would do if Konoha threatened war, how he could trust Menma’s loyalty, and how he would respond if Menma refused.

Menma rejected Ōnoki’s invitation to join Iwagakure but proposed an alliance against Konohagakure instead. Ōnoki asked what Menma meant by a partnership, leaving their potential alliance under discussion.

• Ōnoki assured Menma that he would not hand him over to Konoha and said he would act in Iwagakure’s interests.
• Menma acknowledged that Ōnoki’s first priority was his duty as Tsuchikage.
• Menma declined to join Iwagakure but offered to become Ōnoki’s partner.
• Menma proposed an alliance targeting Konohagakure, and Ōnoki asked him to explain the arrangement.

Menma proposed an alliance with Ōnoki against Konoha and offered intelligence about Akatsuki and other matters as bargaining chips. Ōnoki was only slightly persuaded and still needed to consider the proposal.

• Menma recognized that rejecting Ōnoki could turn Iwagakure into a major enemy and proposed joining forces against Konoha.
• Ōnoki rejected the alliance, doubting that Menma had enough power or standing to be a useful partner.
• Menma offered additional bargaining chips and began explaining what he knew about Akatsuki, Konoha, and the Nine-Tails' rampage.
• Ōnoki listened as Menma shared intelligence, while Orochimaru was surprised by how much Menma knew about Akatsuki.
• Menma asked Ōnoki to consider the proposal, but Ōnoki remained unconvinced and said he needed to think it over.

Ōnoki accepted Menma’s proposed alliance after asking why he had left Konoha, though Menma recognized that the Tsuchikage was keeping his options open and might use him. As Ōnoki and Kitsuchi headed back to Iwagakure, Kitsuchi questioned whether they should instead seize the Nine-Tails.

• Ōnoki asked Menma why he had left Konoha, and Menma said Konoha lacked what he sought and that his path differed from Naruto’s.
• Ōnoki agreed to an alliance with Menma, then used the Light-Weight Rock Technique to fly away with Kitsuchi.
• Menma told Orochimaru that Ōnoki’s agreement was a flexible arrangement in which the Tsuchikage could exploit Menma or cut his losses.
• Menma and Orochimaru returned, while Ōnoki and Kitsuchi traveled toward Iwagakure.
• Kitsuchi questioned Ōnoki’s decision and suggested they seize the Nine-Tails before other villages could act.

Ōnoki explained to Kitsuchi that Menma knew Iwagakure was using him but had accepted an alliance to reduce his enemies. The chapter ended with Ōnoki pointing out that Menma had little choice after leaving Konoha.

• Ōnoki warned Kitsuchi not to underestimate Menma, whose strength and alliance with Orochimaru showed he was no subordinate.
• Kitsuchi questioned whether Menma could control the Nine-Tails’ power, and Ōnoki argued that Iwagakure should let other villages make the first move while using Menma as an advance scout.
• Ōnoki reflected that Kitsuchi still lacked the outlook and ambition he wanted in a future Tsuchikage.
• Ōnoki revealed that Menma had recognized his intentions and willingly joined forces with Iwagakure to reduce the number of enemies pursuing him.
• Kitsuchi worried that Ōnoki held all the leverage, and Ōnoki replied that Menma had little room to choose after leaving Konoha.

Ōnoki and Kitsuchi secretly agreed to maintain contact with Menma and keep their alliance with him and Orochimaru hidden. Back at the base in the Land of Grass, Sasuke challenged Menma to a fight, and their battle began with Sasuke launching a Genjutsu and a kunai attack.

• Ōnoki told Kitsuchi to secretly maintain contact with Menma and report urgent intelligence.
• Ōnoki returned to Iwagakure after their secret meeting, leaving the alliance between Iwagakure, Orochimaru, and Menma undisclosed.
• Sasuke visited Menma's base and challenged him to fight at Training Ground C.
• Menma asked Karin to handle laboratory work and prepare experimental materials before heading to the training ground with Sasuke.
• Sasuke activated his Sharingan, tried to ensnare Menma in Genjutsu, and attacked him with a kunai after the Nine-Tails dispelled the illusion.

Menma and Sasuke fought at the training ground, where Sasuke used Curse Mark Stage Two and Lightning Style to keep pace with Menma. Menma proved stronger without relying on the Nine-Tails, and the fight ended with him blasting Sasuke away after their Rasengan and Chidori clashed.

• Sasuke ambushed Menma with a ruthless close-range assault, but Menma dodged and countered with Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere Technique.
• Sasuke activated Curse Mark Stage Two and used Lightning Style Chakra to evade Menma’s wind attacks.
• Menma and Sasuke fought at high speed, with Sasuke realizing that Menma could match him without using the Nine-Tails’ power.
• Menma cut Sasuke’s chest during a clash, prompting Sasuke to attack with Chidori.
• Menma met Sasuke’s Chidori with Rasengan, neutralized the attack, and struck Sasuke’s chest to send him flying.

Menma defeated Sasuke and advised him on improving his Cursed Seal, body, ninjutsu, and Sharingan. Sasuke considered Menma’s talk of the Mangekyō Sharingan and asked if it explained why Menma had taken Kakashi’s Sharingan and obtained research materials from Orochimaru.

• Menma defeated Sasuke, who withdrew the Cursed Seal and admitted defeat.
• Menma pointed out Sasuke’s weaknesses and advised him to strengthen his body, develop his Sharingan, and learn more ninjutsu.
• Menma urged Sasuke not to compare his weaknesses with Menma’s strengths, explaining their clans had different advantages.
• Menma told Sasuke that his Sharingan had far greater potential, and Sasuke thought of Itachi Uchiha’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke asked Menma whether his interest in the Mangekyō explained why he had taken Kakashi’s Sharingan and obtained Sharingan research materials from Orochimaru.

Menma explained to Sasuke that he had taken the Sharingan to study the Uchiha Clan’s Yin Release Chakra, while hinting that Sasuke could pursue a path beyond the one Itachi had shown him. As the tension after the Konoha Crush Plan eased, Tsunade received news that the Five Great Nations were reducing their border forces.

• Menma told Sasuke that the Sharingan interested him as a means to research Yin Release Chakra, and suggested Sasuke might find a different path to strengthen his eyes.
• Sasuke questioned Menma’s identity, then decided Menma’s secrets did not matter as long as he could help rather than obstruct Sasuke’s goals.
• Menma left, while Sasuke vowed to obtain Mangekyō Sharingan and make Itachi repent.
• Konoha’s alliance with Sunagakure helped prevent the Konoha Crush Plan from triggering a wider war, and the Five Great Nations began reducing their border forces.
• Tsunade breathed a sigh of relief when she received word that the military standoff was easing.

Kumogakure’s search for Menma intensified as its scouts closed in on Orochimaru’s base in the Land of Grass. With the base nearly exposed, Kabuto informed Menma that Orochimaru had ordered them to relocate, and Menma agreed to pack his belongings.

• Fourth Raikage A sent Darui and elite search teams across several nations to find Menma, while Tsunade kept Konoha’s pursuit limited.
• Sunagakure and smaller nations largely tolerated Cloud Ninja operating in their territories, while Iwagakure actively searched for them.
• Menma noted that Kumogakure was his main threat and that Konoha had not launched a full-scale manhunt.
• Orochimaru’s guards killed three batches of Cloud Ninja scouts near the Land of Grass base as other villages’ scouts gathered nearby.
• Kabuto told Menma that the base had been nearly exposed and Orochimaru had ordered them to relocate; Menma agreed to pack.

Orochimaru relocated his people to a new base in the Land of Tea, while Menma continued preparing to build his own power in Takigakure. Near the end of the year, intelligence revealed that a Takigakure Jonin had made a move, giving Menma the opportunity he had been waiting for.

• Orochimaru ordered the relocation, and Menma traveled with him from the Land of Grass to the Land of Tea.
• Menma and Orochimaru discussed the new coastal outpost before the group proceeded to the larger inland base.
• Menma considered Orochimaru a valuable partner while keeping his plans for Takigakure in mind.
• Menma read intelligence arranged by Kabuto Yakushi and learned that a Takigakure Jonin had made his move.
• Menma recognized that he could not gather intelligence effectively without direct subordinates of his own.

Menma sought Orochimaru’s support for his plans to intervene in Takigakure and met with him after receiving intelligence about the village. He asked Orochimaru to provide personnel, leaving their alliance’s motives uncertain.

• Menma used Orochimaru’s subordinates to carry out his plans and made repeated visits to Takigakure, learning about the village and building a relationship with Shibuki.
• After receiving intelligence about Takigakure, Menma went to Orochimaru’s residence, where he encountered Hozuki Suigetsu.
• Menma and Orochimaru discussed the risks of intervening in Takigakure, including the Five Great Shinobi Villages’ restraint and Shibuki’s position as a young leader.
• Menma asked Orochimaru to arrange personnel to assist him with his plans.

Menma asked Orochimaru for personnel to help him take control of Takigakure, and Orochimaru agreed while concealing his own motives. Orochimaru ordered Suigetsu and Tayuya to assist Menma, while Kabuto questioned whether strengthening Menma would make him uncontrollable.

• Menma asked Orochimaru to provide personnel for his plans and urged him to remove the effects of the technique on his arms.
• Orochimaru ordered Suigetsu to join Menma's operation with several others and follow Menma's orders.
• Kabuto warned Orochimaru that Menma might become impossible to control if he took over Takigakure.
• Orochimaru said he and Menma were partners, then told Kabuto to send Tayuya and several others with Menma.

Orochimaru ordered Kabuto Yakushi to retrieve the masks connected to the Reaper Death Seal while awaiting Danzo’s formula and further verification. He also reviewed the preliminary Sharingan fusion experiments, whose results deviated significantly from expectations.

• Kabuto Yakushi reported that the Reaper Death Seal’s location had been confirmed in Konoha's Western Suburbs, but Danzo refused to hand over its original formula.
• Orochimaru ordered Kabuto Yakushi to retrieve all the masks and inspect them after confirming they were safe.
• Orochimaru considered the life cost and difficulty of undoing the Reaper Death Seal’s side effect, and decided he could wait while he refined his own survival techniques.
• Orochimaru asked about the experiments fusing various cells with the Sharingan, and Kabuto Yakushi handed him the preliminary data.
• Orochimaru read the experimental results and furrowed his brows at their significant deviation from the projections.

Orochimaru abandoned the failed preliminary experiments and planned to personally test whether powerful Cells could counter the Sharingan. Menma set out from the Land of Tea toward the Land of Waterfalls with a squad arranged by Orochimaru, while a Takigakure Jonin defected several days earlier.

• Kabuto Yakushi reported that the Sharingan strongly rejected the experimental Cells, prompting Orochimaru to skip the second stage and prepare to conduct the main experiment himself.
• Orochimaru considered using highly active Cells, including those from the Akimichi or Uzumaki clans and the First Hokage's Wood Release.
• Menma prepared for the long journey across the continent and gathered manpower so he could travel with a proper squad.
• Tayuya, Suigetsu, Karin, and several Chunin-level shinobi joined Menma, who led them toward the southwestern coastline.
• Menma and his squad boarded a small passenger ship and traveled north toward the heart of the continent.
• Several days earlier, a Jonin had left Takigakure in the Land of Waterfalls and officially defected from the village.

Takigakure leader Shibuki faced mounting doubts after the respected Jonin Suiken defected, and he ordered a search while rumors blamed him for Suiken’s departure. Fū confronted Shibuki for the truth, and he insisted Suiken had betrayed the village, though the matter could only be settled once they found him.

• Shibuki asked Ajun whether Takigakure had found any trace of Suiken, and Ajun said the search had turned up nothing.
• Ajun suspected that someone inside the village and outsiders had helped Suiken escape, while Shibuki resolved to issue a kill order and search more intensely.
• Fū entered the Government Hall and demanded to know whether Shibuki had forced her Uncle Suiken to defect.
• Shibuki stopped Ajun from scolding Fū and told her that Suiken had chosen to betray the village, though a misunderstanding might have been involved.

Fū accepted Shibuki’s explanation about Suiken and asked to speak with Suiken herself, while hiding her sorrow and disappointment. Shibuki believed the immediate crisis had passed and ordered Ajun to widen the search for Suiken, unaware that his reassurance about Mizuno Satoru could cause trouble.

• Fū asked Shibuki if she could trust him, and he swore that what he had told her about Suiken was true.
• Fū agreed to leave Suiken’s case to Shibuki but asked him to notify her as soon as Suiken was found so she could question him herself.
• Fū reminded Shibuki to tell Grandpa Satoru to visit her, then left the Government Hall with Echizen while concealing her sorrow.
• Ajun warned Shibuki to watch Fū because of her special relationship with Suiken, but Shibuki dismissed his concern and said Mizuno Satoru was recovering.
• Shibuki ordered Ajun to contact the Daimyo and expand the search for Suiken, seeking help from other shinobi villages if necessary.