Chapter Summaries

After learning that Menma had defeated the Fourth Raikage and the Cloud forces, Tsunade kept Naruto in Konoha while the other villages reconsidered their plans. Menma’s victory reshaped his standing across the Shinobi World, leaving Ōnoki stunned by how quickly events had changed.

• Tsunade ordered Jiraiya to follow the frontline’s judgment, consulted the Elder Advisors, and increased Anbu surveillance to keep Naruto from leaving Konoha.
• Naruto concealed his resolve to escape and bring Menma and Sasuke back, despite agreeing to Tsunade’s warning.
• Danzo ordered his Root agents to suspend operations and follow Jiraiya’s orders while he waited for Menma and Tsunade to reveal weaknesses.
• The smaller countries and ninja villages turned their attention toward Iwagakure as the Great Villages hesitated or withdrew.
• Ōnoki reconsidered Menma after learning of his crushing victory over the Cloud forces and receiving a message from him.

Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s leaders debated whether to side with the major villages or honor their alliance with Menma after his defeat of Kumogakure. Roshi proposed exploiting Kumogakure’s weakness by attacking it, leaving the meeting to weigh a bold new strategy.

• Ōnoki reviewed reports of Menma’s victory over the Fourth Raikage, and Kurotsuchi recognized how far Menma surpassed her.
• Iwagaki urged Iwagakure to contact Konoha and move against Menma’s forces, while Kitsuchi argued that Menma’s side was now stronger and the village should honor their alliance.
• Most of Iwagakure’s Jonin favored Iwagaki’s cautious position, influenced by the established power of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
• Roshi criticized the conservative views and challenged Ōnoki to hear his opinion.
• Ōnoki invited Roshi to speak, and Roshi proposed attacking Kumogakure while it was weakened to make Iwagakure’s eastern front safer.

Ōnoki decided to honor Iwagakure’s alliance with Menma by sending a large force to attack Kumogakure, hoping to exploit its weakness. Menma received notice of the march and prepared Takigakure and Kusagakure to guard against Konoha and keep watch on Kirigakure.

• Roshi argued that Iwagakure should use Menma’s faction to weaken Kumogakure, and Ōnoki agreed with his proposal.
• Ōnoki ordered Kitsuchi to coordinate with Menma and sent more than five thousand Stone Ninja, including Roshi, toward Kumogakure’s northern territories.
• Menma received Ōnoki’s message and shared the news with Shibuki, Ajun, and the other leaders in Takigakure.
• Shibuki welcomed Iwagakure’s intervention, while Menma warned that Konoha remained a threat and Kirigakure’s movements still required vigilance.

Menma advised Takigakure to wait while Iwagakure’s advance put more pressure on Konoha, and Shibuki and his subordinates accepted his leadership. As Kumogakure reeled from the Stone Ninja invasion, the Fourth Raikage awoke and ordered a strategic retreat, then asked about Konoha, Kirigakure, and Menma.

• Menma told Shibuki, Ajun, Fushimi, and Doran to wait for Konoha’s response and watch the Stone Ninja and Cloud Ninja battle.
• Iwagakure sent over five thousand Stone Ninja under Kitsuchi to seize Kumogakure’s bases in the Land of Frost and the Land of Rice.
• Dodai learned that the Fourth Raikage had awakened and went to the hospital, where Doctor Koiwa said A needed several more days of rest.
• Dodai informed A of Kumogakure’s losses and Iwagakure’s invasion, and A ordered the village to abandon its frontline positions and defend its national border.
• A asked Dodai what Konoha and Kirigakure were doing and whether Menma had made any moves.

After losing the Two-Tails and suffering a devastating defeat, Kumogakure chose to negotiate with Konoha while giving up its gains rather than risk Iwagakure’s advancing army. Iwagakure pushed toward the Land of Lightning, reigniting war, while Akatsuki’s leaders welcomed the conflict from Amegakure.

• The Fourth Raikage agreed with Dodai that Iwagakure’s offensive left Kumogakure with little leverage and ordered him to minimize losses while negotiating with Konoha over Yugito.
• Under the Fourth Raikage’s orders, Kumogakure abandoned its front-line interests, allowing Iwagakure to advance with little resistance.
• Kitsuchi learned that the Cloud Ninja had withdrawn and ordered his troops to seize strategic locations across the region.
• Ōnoki ordered Kitsuchi to advance to the Land of Lightning’s border and pursue both territorial gains and the weakening of Kumogakure.
• Iwagakure and Kumogakure began fighting along the western border of the Land of Lightning, while Akatsuki’s leaders welcomed the renewed war in Amegakure.

Nagato and Obito agreed to continue the Akatsuki’s plan to capture the Tailed Beasts while monitoring each other and Itachi. Meanwhile, Itachi and Kisame completed an Akatsuki mission in the Land of Swamps and discovered Sunagakure had quietly supported their targets.

• Konan warned Pain that a Shinobi World war could weaken the Five Great Nations, and Pain ordered her to monitor the Tailed Beasts and the masked man calling himself Madara.
• Zetsu reported Kumogakure’s defeat and Menma’s capture of the Two-Tails to Obito, who welcomed the growing chaos and told Zetsu to watch Nagato and Itachi.
• Obito and Zetsu confirmed that the Akatsuki would proceed with its plan to capture the Tailed Beasts according to schedule.
• Itachi and Kisame killed the anti-Iwagakure faction in the Land of Swamps on a mission commissioned by Iwagakure.
• Itachi told Kisame that Sunagakure had provided the faction with funding and cover, though it had not been deeply involved.

Itachi and Kisame discovered that Sunagakure was backing foreign resistance groups as a precaution, while the Shinobi World’s growing conflicts forced villages to weigh their alliances. As Tsunade gathered Konoha’s elders to decide whether to keep pressing for support, they learned that Uzumaki Menma had defeated the Fourth Raikage one-on-one.

• Itachi explained that Iwagakure’s pressure on Sunagakure had prompted its precautionary support for resistance groups, then burned the mission site and resolved to warn Tsunade and Jiraiya about the Organization’s plan.
• Dodai and Killer B reinforced the Cloud Ninja front and stopped the Stone Ninja’s advance, leaving Iwagakure and Kumogakure locked in a costly stalemate.
• Tsunade sought support from Kirigakure and Sunagakure, but Mei Terumi and Ao’s forces remained uncertain while Baki followed Chiyo and Ebizo’s advice to wait.
• Tsunade convened Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō to discuss whether Konoha should keep applying pressure or wait for events to unfold.
• Mitokado Homura reacted gravely to the intelligence that Uzumaki Menma had defeated the Fourth Raikage in a one-on-one battle.

Tsunade, Danzō, and the elders debated how to stop Menma, ultimately agreeing to seek the Mist and Sand villages’ help by offering concessions. Their decision was interrupted by news that Naruto had vanished, and Tsunade ordered a search and interception before he could reach the border.

• Tsunade relayed Shikaku’s advice to mediate the Cloud–Stone war and gather allies before attacking Menma.
• Danzō urged Konoha to pay whatever price was necessary to recruit the Mist and Sand villages and eliminate Menma.
• Utatane Koharu agreed with Danzō, while Mitokado Homura remained hesitant; Tsunade supported the plan to offer benefits and pursue an alliance.
• A Konoha Ninja reported that Naruto had disappeared from the village, prompting Tsunade to suspect he was heading toward Takigakure.
• Tsunade ordered the search parties and border guards to find Naruto and told the messenger to have Jiraiya intercept him if he reached the border.

Tsunade and Danzo agreed that Menma had to be eliminated, and Tsunade mobilized Konoha’s forces for the coming battle. The chapter ended with Hyuga Hiashi confronting Hinata for helping Naruto evade Anbu and leave the village.

• Tsunade and Danzo agreed to eliminate Menma, while Mitokado Homura took charge of negotiations with Kirigakure and Sunagakure and Utatane Koharu was assigned to negotiate with the Daimyo.
• Tsunade ordered Shizune to mobilize reinforcements and assembled more than three thousand Konoha shinobi, including members of the major clans.
• Hyuga Hiashi sent dozens of Hyuga Clan Members to the front lines, mostly from the Branch Family.
• Hiashi confronted Hinata after learning that she had used the Byakugan to help Naruto locate Anbu and escape Konoha.

Hiashi punished Hinata for helping Naruto escape to meet Menma, while Konoha began another large-scale mobilization to deal with Menma. Nearby, Orochimaru revealed that he had returned to capture a Hyuga Main Family member for his experiments.

• Hiashi confronted Hinata over helping Naruto evade Anbu surveillance and warned her about the danger of meeting Menma.
• Hiashi confined Hinata to the clan grounds and ordered Shinichi and Tenyuan to guard her.
• Hinata accepted the guards' blockade and prayed that Naruto would be safe.
• Konoha's mobilization spread as news throughout the Shinobi World.
• Orochimaru ordered Kabuto Yakushi to track down a Hyuga Main Family member so he could obtain a genuine Byakugan and blood for his experiments.

Orochimaru pursued his Byakugan research and set plans in motion while Menma consolidated his influence in Takigakure and prepared to use the captured Two-Tails for his ambitions. Menma warned Kurama that the Ten-Tails’ resurrection was already underway, leaving the Nine-Tails frightened by the threat of losing his consciousness.

• Orochimaru decided to target Hyuga Main Family members, especially Hiashi, to obtain pure Byakugan for his evolution research.
• Kabuto told Orochimaru that Namikaze Naruto had secretly left Konohagakure, and Orochimaru ordered him to inform Menma and notify Sasuke that he could proceed with their earlier matter.
• Menma strengthened the alliance between Takigakure and the Grass Ninja after defeating the Cloud Ninja forces, then planned to use the captured Two-Tails and other Tailed Beast Chakra to pursue a Mini Ten-Tails.
• Menma discussed Matatabi with Kurama and revealed that the Ten-Tails’ revival was an active plan, with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path already summoned from the moon.
• Kurama asked whether the Ten-Tails was truly going to be revived, and Menma confirmed that the remaining step was sealing the Tailed Beasts into the statue.

Menma gained Matatabi’s cooperation and her Chakra, bringing the number of Tailed Beasts’ Chakra held in his body to four. He then learned that Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Konohagakure were moving against Takigakure, leaving him to prepare for an encirclement by overwhelming forces.

• Menma considered the risks of creating a Miniature Ten-Tails and believed cooperation from the Tailed Beasts was essential to his plans.
• Matatabi agreed to assist Menma after he promised to preserve Yugito’s life, then gave him a portion of her Chakra.
• Menma left the underground chamber and received Karin’s report that more than a thousand Sand Ninja were gathering near the Land of Grass border.
• Menma ordered Karin to monitor the Sand Ninja and remain defensive unless they attacked first, suspecting Konohagakure had persuaded Sunagakure to join its plans.
• Menma learned from Orochimaru that more than five thousand Konoha Ninja led by Jiraiya, alongside nearly three thousand Mist Ninja led by Mei Terumi, were moving to encircle Takigakure.

Menma took Takigakure’s leader seat as the village prepared for Konoha’s invasion and reviewed intelligence on the allied forces gathering against Takigakure and Kusagakure. He left the meeting resolved to hold the front against Sunagakure while relying on Muku’s Satori form to strengthen their defenses.

• At Shibuki’s insistence, Menma accepted the leader’s seat at Takigakure’s meeting, while Fū recognized the change as the outcome her grandfather had foreseen.
• Menma shared intelligence confirming that Konoha and Kirigakure were advancing in force and that Sunagakure had gathered more than two thousand Sand Ninja near Kusagakure.
• Menma dismissed concern about Naruto’s arrival, deciding that he would imprison Naruto if his brother tried to stop him, but would not kill him.
• Menma introduced Muku, who could transform into Satori for a limited time and would provide powerful battlefield support.
• Menma told Ajun to keep Kusagakure’s forces on the Sunagakure front rather than transfer them, judging that Sunagakure was unlikely to risk an all-out battle.

Menma deployed the Waterfall Ninja to defend against the advancing Konoha-Kirigakure alliance, while Mui and Baki prepared for the Sand-Grass front to remain tense without escalating. As the Fourth Great Ninja War began, Menma led his troops toward the allied camp, leaving the opposing armies poised for battle.

• Menma assigned Shibuki and Ajun to command supporting bases, stationed Utakata and Fū to reinforce the front, and took command of the central battlefield with Muku.
• The Waterfall Ninja mobilized with high morale, and Menma considered how Muku, Utakata, and Fū could counter the allied forces while he faced Jiraiya and watched for Might Guy.
• Mui received scouts' reports and ordered Kusagakure's defenses maintained as the Sand Ninja built facilities without launching a full-scale attack.
• Baki, persuaded by Konoha's generous terms and the allied advance, sent elite Sand Ninja to the front but held back from attacking until the main battlefield's outcome became clearer.
• Menma sensed the Konoha-Kirigakure forces and led the Waterfall Ninja toward their camp, relying on prepared defenses and traps as scouts reported their approach.

Jiraiya established a forward camp and coordinated Konoha’s attack with Mei Terumi and Ao, while warning Tokuma Hyuga not to target Ao over the stolen Byakugan. The chapter ended with an urgent message that Naruto had left the village and might be heading for the Land of Waterfalls, prompting a call for Jiraiya to intercept him.

• A scout reported that two to three thousand Takigakure forces had gathered forty li ahead, and Jiraiya agreed with Shikaku to establish a camp instead of attempting a surprise assault.
• Konoha and Kirigakure set up separate camps, then Jiraiya met with Mei Terumi and Ao to confirm that Konoha would attack the front while Kirigakure struck the flanks.
• Tokuma Hyuga recognized Ao and restrained his urge to attack him over the Byakugan stolen from the Hyuga Clan.
• Jiraiya warned Tokuma to put the village’s interests first, and Tokuma promised the Hyuga Clan would obey his command during the war.
• A messenger informed Jiraiya that Naruto had left the village without authorization and was suspected of heading toward the Land of Waterfalls, and the Fifth Lord ordered him to send people to intercept Naruto.

Jiraiya ordered a search for Naruto after he escaped Konoha, while Menma strengthened Takigakure’s defenses for the coming battle. Naruto sent Menma a location and asked to meet alone, and the brothers came face to face as Naruto hoped to persuade him to turn back.

• Jiraiya learned that Naruto had escaped and ordered Shikaku and Kakashi to search for him and seal the borders.
• Menma directed Doran, Muku, and the Waterfall Ninja in strengthening the base’s barriers, traps, and defenses.
• A Waterfall Ninja delivered Naruto’s letter to Menma, who recognized its location as a request for a private meeting.
• Menma left Doran and Muku in charge of the base and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel to the meeting place.
• Menma sensed Naruto nearby, approached him, and exchanged greetings as Naruto faced him with guilt and sorrow.

Menma and Naruto committed to settling their conflict through battle, with Naruto summoning Fukasaku and Shima to enter Sage Mode. Their clash began evenly, but Menma escalated into Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and attacked Naruto with a Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu.

• Menma challenged Naruto to prove his resolve, and Naruto vowed to stop his brother even at the cost of his life.
• Naruto summoned Fukasaku and Shima, who helped him enter perfect Mount Myōboku Sage Mode.
• Naruto and Menma exchanged blows, and Naruto used the Toad Sages' support to keep pace with Menma.
• Menma entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, alarming Fukasaku and Shima with his greatly increased power.
• Menma launched a Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu, sending a swarm of kunai down toward Naruto.

Menma overwhelmed Naruto with the Flying Thunder God Technique and stopped the toads’ attempt to reverse-summon Naruto to Mount Myōboku. With Naruto bound by Menma’s Adamantine Sealing Chains, Menma launched another slash, intending to cripple his younger brother and strike Fukasaku as well.

• Naruto repelled Menma’s kunai with a Sage Art wind technique, but Menma used the Flying Thunder God Technique to stab him in the abdomen with the Sword of the Thunder God.
• Fukasaku and Shima drove Menma back with paired Sage Arts, giving Naruto time to retreat and attempt to escape through Shima’s Reverse Summoning Technique.
• Naruto and Fukasaku raised a dust storm to conceal Shima’s return to Mount Myōboku, while Menma charged through the gale and sensed the reverse summoning beginning.
• Menma fired Adamantine Sealing Chains through the storm, binding Naruto’s right foot and interrupting Shima’s technique.
• Menma appeared beside the restrained Naruto and swung his sword at him and Fukasaku, intent on crippling Naruto.

Menma defeated and captured Naruto after Naruto dispelled Fukasaku’s summoning to save him. As Naruto pleaded for Menma to spare Konoha, Menma rejected his plea and declared that the village and the world needed to be purified.

• Menma attacked Naruto and Fukasaku, but Naruto dispelled the summoning technique, sending Fukasaku away before the blade could kill him.
• Menma’s sword pierced Naruto’s shoulder, and his Adamantine Sealing Chains bound Naruto after he fell out of Sage Mode.
• Naruto admitted defeat and pleaded with Menma to spare Konoha, offering to bear the village’s hatred and accept any punishment.
• Menma said revenge was no longer his main goal and condemned Konoha and the world as rotten and in need of purification.
• Naruto tried to persuade Menma to calm down, but his wounds worsened and he spat out blood.

Menma prepared to kill Naruto, but Kushina appeared and stopped his strike. Naruto reunited with his mother while Menma watched from a distance, unable to accept her emotionally as his parent.

• Menma condemned Naruto's words and pulled the Sword of the Thunder God from him.
• Menma raised the sword to strike Naruto, but a golden chain blocked the blade.
• Kushina appeared before the brothers, and Naruto recognized her as their mother.
• Naruto ran to Kushina and embraced her as she comforted him.
• Menma stayed apart, grateful to Kushina for giving him life but unable to bridge the emotional distance between them.