Chapter Summaries

Genji ordered Kirigakure locked down after Bi warned that enemies had infiltrated the village and Gonbei had gone silent, but Obito ambushed them before they could act. Genji recognized Obito and died as Kirigakure fell under his control, leaving the village facing an unseen countdown to destruction.

• Bi warned Genji that people in Kirigakure might have been turned and that he had received no news from Gonbei for a full day.
• Genji ordered a village-wide meeting, a full lockdown, and arrests of anyone suspected of being involved.
• Obito attacked Bi with Wood Release, wounded him, and bound him with vines.
• Genji recognized Obito as the man who had controlled the Fourth Mizukage and understood that he was behind Kirigakure's crisis.
• Genji accepted his impending death and died before Obito could kill him; Obito then declared that Kirigakure had returned under his control.

Obito consolidated his control of Kirigakure and planned to use its hatred to ignite another war across the Shinobi World, while Black Zetsu secretly anticipated using the plan to free his mother. In the Village of Light, Menma prepared to meet Shikaku Nara after discerning Iwagakure's covert maneuvering.

• Black Zetsu praised Obito for taking control of Kirigakure, but Obito delayed the next operation until he had secured the village.
• Obito planned to stir Kirigakure's desire for revenge against the Village of Light, then draw other major villages into a war.
• Obito told Black Zetsu to investigate the outside world, contact Nagato about starting the plan later that year or early the next, and monitor Menma, who held four Tailed Beasts.
• Black Zetsu left while privately recognizing that Madara and Obito's peace plan would help free his mother from her seal.
• Menma reflected on Kitsuchi's meeting and Iwagakure's secret contacts with the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Grass, then prepared to meet Konohagakure's Shikaku Nara.

Shikaku Nara met with Menma to explore improving relations between Konohagakure and the Village of Light. Menma concealed his reluctance to ally with Konoha, choosing to keep negotiations open while he prepared his own plans.

• Menma received Shikaku Nara in his office and reflected on how his power had changed the way Konoha treated him.
• Shikaku hinted that Konoha's people had adapted to life in the Village of Light, and Menma recognized his probing intent.
• Shikaku openly proposed that the two villages find common ground and set aside past hostilities.
• Menma feigned anger and skepticism while deciding that keeping Konoha from attacking first would serve his plans.
• Shikaku argued that present interests and the Shinobi World's situation made cooperation more practical than holding onto old grudges.

Menma pretended to accept Shikaku’s proposal for a temporary alliance between Konohagakure and the Village of Light, while secretly planning to use the agreement as bait. The meeting ended with Shikaku’s request to let Hinata see her former companions refused, and Menma resolved to maneuver Konoha into breaking the agreement first.

• Shikaku argued that a temporary alliance would protect both villages and keep Menma from making Konohagakure his primary target.
• Menma acted hesitant, then agreed to cooperate only for the time being while insisting he would not forget his twelve years in Konohagakure.
• Shikaku asked Menma to let Hinata meet her former companions, but Menma coldly told him not to meddle in unnecessary matters.
• After Shikaku left, Menma admitted to himself that he had been acting and intended to use Shikaku’s partial belief as bait.
• Menma decided he could make Konohagakure break any alliance agreement once his plans were ready.

Menma prepared for the coming conflict while Shikaku concluded that Naruto was probably alive in the Village of Light. Shikaku shared the news with the delegation and warned them not to act rashly, leaving Hinata relieved but unable to see Naruto.

• Menma decided to keep negotiating with Konoha and avoid letting Naruto meet the delegation while he completed his preparations.
• Shikaku returned to Kakashi, Inoichi, and Might Guy and explained that Menma's reaction suggested Naruto was alive, likely in the Village of Light.
• Shikaku told Inoichi to report the news to Tsunade and Jiraiya, and ordered the others to keep watching Danzo's two agents.
• Shikamaru passed the news to Hinata, Ino, Kiba, Choji, and the others, and warned them not to provoke Menma or endanger Naruto.
• Hinata cried with relief but suppressed her urge to seek Naruto after learning Menma would not let them meet.

Hinata and her companions continued searching the Village of Light for Naruto while Shikaku negotiated a ceasefire agreement with Shibuki and Ajun. Menma accepted Karin’s warnings about Konoha and learned that the Anbu had located a site connected to his research into spiritual power.

• Hinata decided to search the Village of Light for Naruto during the remaining time, and Shikamaru, Neji, and the others accompanied her.
• Shikaku received Tsunade and Jiraiya’s approval and negotiated follow-up agreements with Shibuki and Ajun, making concessions to secure a ceasefire.
• Menma reviewed the agreement and told Karin that Konoha’s offer was a sincere gesture, while Karin urged him to remain cautious.
• Menma trusted Karin to watch for potential threats in the Village of Light, and the two shared a quiet moment together.
• Karin told Menma that the Anbu had located the site he had asked them to find beneath Fengzui Mountain, near the Land of Hot Water.
• Menma reflected that he needed spiritual power approaching Madara Uchiha’s level to advance his research toward the Power of All Creation.

Menma learned that a hidden Space-Time Channel in Fengzhui Mountain led to the moon and planned to seek the Giant Tenseigan to gain power against future threats. As the Konoha envoys prepared to leave the Village of Light, A Xing secretly met with Danzo's Root subordinate Yamanaka Fu.

• Menma recalled that the Rinnegan and the Giant Tenseigan could provide the Yin power he needed, and chose the moon's Giant Tenseigan as his immediate target.
• Karin told Menma that Muku had confirmed the Space-Time Channel's location in Fengzhui Mountain, near the Land of Hot Water.
• Menma explained the moon's secrets and his plan to absorb the Giant Tenseigan, while Karin warned that its former owners' wills could threaten his mind.
• Menma said he would wait until his experiments succeeded and his body reached its limit before traveling to the moon, and Karin promised to help him prepare.
• Karin left with Menma's signed agreement for Tsunade, while Menma continued to refuse Naruto a meeting with the Konoha envoys.
• On the final night before the envoys' departure, A Xing secretly met with Yamanaka Fu at their inn.

Yamanaka Fu infiltrated the Village of Light on Danzo’s orders to locate Naruto, while A Xing helped conceal his departure. Muku intercepted Fu and defeated him with Satori’s overwhelming negative emotions, leaving him unconscious.

• Yamanaka Fu met A Xing, received intelligence about a possible search area, and departed to investigate Naruto’s whereabouts.
• A Xing returned to the delegation to conceal Fu’s departure and keep watch on Shikaku and the others.
• Yamanaka Fu evaded patrols and searched the northeastern corner of the Village of Light for Naruto’s Chakra.
• Muku appeared before Fu and told him to surrender, but Fu attacked with Shuriken and charged into close combat.
• Yamanaka Fu used Mind Transfer Jutsu on Muku, but Satori’s power overwhelmed his mind and left him unconscious.

Muku captured Yamanaka Fu after he infiltrated the Village of Light and brought him to Menma, who chose to interrogate him and let Konoha handle the betrayal internally. Meanwhile, Shikaku and the Konoha envoy confronted A Xing, who admitted he had followed Danzō’s orders and defended opposing the peace agreement.

• Muku captured the unconscious Yamanaka Fu and brought him to Menma’s laboratory.
• Menma ordered Muku to interrogate Fu while keeping him alive, then return him to the Konoha envoy as a message to Shikaku Nara.
• Menma told Karin he would avoid provoking a wider conflict and let Tsunade and Danzō contend with each other while he completed his preparations.
• Shikaku, Inoichi, Kakashi, and Might Guy confronted A Xing after discovering Fu was missing.
• A Xing admitted he had acted on Danzō’s orders and argued that Konoha should oppose the agreement and join other villages against Menma.

Shikaku and Kakashi faced Muku after Yamanaka Fu was caught trespassing in the Village of Light, and learned that Menma expected Konoha to answer for the incident. Shikaku decided the delegation should leave the next day and report the matter to Tsunade, leaving Konoha to decide how to handle Danzo.

• Shikaku ordered Inoichi to search A Xing, but a messenger reported that Muku had come to meet him on the Heavenly Kage’s orders.
• Shikaku and Kakashi met Muku, who demanded an explanation for the captured intruder and warned that Konoha’s agreement with the Village of Light depended on its response.
• Muku refused to return Yamanaka Fu, said Konoha’s delegation could leave the next day, and dropped a bloodstained headband before disappearing.
• Kakashi asked whether they should abandon Yamanaka Fu and leave, and Shikaku decided that returning to Konoha was the safest course.
• Shikaku concluded that Menma was using the incident to pressure Konoha over Danzo, so he resolved to report it to Tsunade for a decision.

The Konohagakure Delegation left the Village of Light without meeting Menma, leaving Hinata disappointed and Neji uncertain after his private conversation. Menma watched them go and continued planning to win over Konoha’s clans and followers, while the festival’s end left smaller nations relieved by peace but wary of the Village of Light.

• Shikaku worried about the delegation’s failed encounter with Menma and planned to report the situation to Tsunade and Jiraiya after returning to Konoha.
• Hinata left the Village of Light disappointed that she had not seen Naruto, while Neji wrestled with confusion about what he should do.
• Shikaku led Kakashi, Inoichi, Shikamaru, Hinata, Neji, and the others away from the village, with Yamanaka Fu absent.
• Menma watched the delegation depart and considered Neji, Shikaku, and Konoha’s clans as potential allies in his plans.
• The festival ended with smaller nations glad for a temporary peace but fearful of the Village of Light’s growing power.

The Village of Light’s rise forced the smaller nations to reconsider their positions, while Sunagakure’s Baki chose to avoid confrontation and focus on recovery. Kumogakure learned that Menma planned to return Yugito, but Dodai urged the Fourth Raikage to keep supporting the Village of Light against a possible Konoha–Iwagakure alliance.

• The Village of Light’s celebration established it as a great power alongside the five established nations, leaving neighboring small nations wary.
• Baki decided Sunagakure would lie low for several years, preserve its strength, and send the latest intelligence to Chiyo and Ebizo.
• Dodai reported to the Fourth Raikage that Menma intended to return Yugito to Kumogakure by the end of the month.
• The Fourth Raikage was shocked by the news and agreed that Menma might be seeking Kumogakure’s support against Konoha and Iwagakure.
• Dodai warned the Fourth Raikage not to remain neutral, arguing that Kumogakure should help the Village of Light at a critical moment.

The Fourth Raikage and Dodai decided to strengthen ties with the Village of Light to keep Konoha and Iwagakure from gaining too much power, while prioritizing Yugito’s return. In Konohagakure, Shikaku reported Danzo’s covert actions to Tsunade, and their confrontation escalated as Danzo accused her of colluding with Menma.

• Dodai argued that Konoha and Iwagakure could defeat the Village of Light, and the Fourth Raikage agreed to support it enough to drain their enemies while preventing its destruction.
• The Fourth Raikage ordered Dodai to strengthen contact with the Village of Light and bring Yugito back quickly.
• Shikaku and Kakashi returned to Konohagakure and reported the delegation’s findings, including Danzo’s failed infiltration attempt, to Tsunade and the Elders.
• Tsunade demanded an explanation from Danzo, who claimed Root had acted within its duties to eliminate Konoha’s enemies.
• Tsunade berated Danzo for defying her orders and endangering the village, and Danzo accused her of colluding with Menma.

Tsunade and Danzo clashed over whether Konoha should negotiate with Menma or pursue the Nine-Tails through an alliance with Iwagakure. Tsunade removed Danzo from leadership of Root and ordered him confined, while a scroll detailing Root’s actions left the elders urging him to accept the order for now.

• Danzo insisted that Menma must return the Nine-Tails before Konoha could negotiate, while Tsunade argued that trying to reclaim it would put the village at unacceptable risk.
• Danzo proposed relying on Iwagakure, and he accused Tsunade of cowardice when she rejected the plan.
• Tsunade stripped Danzo of his position as Leader of Root, ordered him to remain at home, and assigned Mitokado Homura temporary control of Root.
• Tsunade summoned four members of the Hokage’s Direct Anbu to surround Danzo as Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu objected to the escalation.
• Tsunade gave the two elders a scroll documenting what investigators had found at Root’s base, and Jiraiya confirmed its contents were true.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu told Danzo to accept a period of rest, and Danzo stopped himself from revealing what he had been about to say.

Tsunade forced Danzo to leave under guard and began planning to dismantle Root and bring it under Hokage control. As she and Jiraiya debated how to handle Menma and the Village of Light, Shikaku advised Jiraiya to delay a personal visit and began explaining why.

• Danzo conceded to Tsunade and left under the watch of Kakashi and the Hokage's Direct Anbu.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu reassured Tsunade that they would monitor Danzo, then left to manage Root.
• Tsunade ordered Shikaku to watch Root and prepare to take it over as she worked to remove Danzo's influence and reorganize the division.
• Jiraiya asked whether Konoha should continue its previous approach toward Menma, and Tsunade said the village needed to wait for other nations' positions to become clearer.
• Jiraiya proposed going to the Village of Light to learn Menma's intentions and confirm whether Naruto was alive, but Tsunade refused.
• Shikaku advised Jiraiya to postpone the trip and began explaining his reasons.

Menma and Karin carried out the final stage of Menma’s physical enhancement experiment on Yugito, using a special reagent to increase her cellular activity and life force. The experiment succeeded, leaving Menma confident that Yugito could survive the planned extraction of Matatabi.

• After political tensions eased, Menma devoted himself to completing his physical enhancement experiment with Karin.
• Menma prepared Yugito for the experiment, while Matatabi agreed to protect her with Chakra.
• Menma injected the diluted reagent as Karin maintained the barrier and monitoring procedures.
• Yugito’s cells proliferated, her life force increased, and her condition gradually stabilized.
• Karin confirmed the experiment had succeeded, and Matatabi reported that Yugito was doing well.

Menma prepared to extract Matatabi from Yugito and seal her into Karin, while arranging for Suigetsu to become Isobu’s Jinchuriki. The transfer succeeded, Karin adapted well, and Yugito survived, leaving Menma ready to proceed with the Three-Tails sealing.

• Matatabi thanked Menma for developing a method that gave Yugito a strong chance to survive extraction and promised to help him recruit the other Tailed Beasts.
• Menma brought Karin, Suigetsu, Muku, and the unconscious Yugito to a guarded sealing site and confirmed Suigetsu as Isobu’s chosen Jinchuriki.
• Suigetsu questioned whether he was suitable, but Menma reassured him that Isobu would cooperate and that the village needed him.
• Menma extracted Matatabi from Yugito and sealed the Tailed Beast into Karin, who successfully began adapting to her Chakra.
• Menma examined Yugito and confirmed that she was alive despite severe weakness, while Matatabi accepted that she would now support Menma.

Menma sealed Isobu’s Chakra into Suigetsu, adding another Jinchuriki to his village, then underwent a dangerous experiment to strengthen his Sage Body. He survived and gained Hashirama Senju-level physical abilities, including rapid regeneration and the ability to sense Nature Energy.

• Menma released Isobu’s Chakra and sealed it into Suigetsu, creating a second Jinchuriki alongside Karin.
• Menma injected himself with a full-strength enhancement solution based on Zero-Tails cultivation and White Zetsu cell factors.
• Karin injected a neutralizing solution and used Medical Jutsu as Menma endured violent physical changes that threatened to kill him.
• Menma’s body stabilized, his wounds healed rapidly, and he confirmed that his physical strength and regenerative power had greatly increased.
• Menma recognized that he could now sense Nature Energy and concluded that his Sage Body would let him pursue Sage Mode.

Menma completed an experiment that awakened the ultimate Sage Body and began planning to refine his Yin Release while strengthening the Village of Light. As he pursued reforms and new weapons, he learned that scarce metal from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth was blocking mass production.

• Menma celebrated the success of his Sage Body experiment with Karin and credited her help.
• Menma considered the challenges of developing his spiritual power and planned future research, including a moon-landing plan.
• Menma returned to village affairs and decided to use a period of relative peace to consolidate the Village of Light and launch his plans by year’s end.
• Menma advanced the Air Combat Unit, Chakra Armor production, and simplified weapons intended to improve Genin combat strength.
• Ajun told Menma that the Village of Light lacked enough gun-barrel metal, which was available mainly in the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth, making large-scale production difficult.

Menma weighed the Village of Light’s supply shortages and planned to attack Sunagakure after completing its military preparations, likely near the end of the year. Meanwhile, Obito strengthened his control over Kirigakure and prepared to provoke a coalition against the Village of Light.

• Menma ordered Ajun to prioritize available weapons production and tighten security around the production bases.
• Menma selected Sunagakure as his first target, intending to use its earlier incursion into the Land of Grass as justification for retaliation.
• Menma estimated that the Air Combat Unit and elite Chakra Armor forces would be ready for a battle plan around the end of the year.
• Obito learned from Black Zetsu that Kirigakure’s officials and ninja were under control and that many Mist Ninja were eager for revenge.
• Obito ordered Kirigakure to contact Konoha and Iwagakure, offering to lead an attack on the Village of Light in exchange for its destruction and the return of the Six-Tails.