Chapter Summaries

Kawafune brought Nagato to a remote part of Konoha to demonstrate his strength to Sakumo, who feared the young ninja would be unsafe returning to the Land of Rain. Nagato displayed several powerful abilities, but Kawafune was still considering whether to show Sakumo his ultimate move.

• At dinner, Sakumo protested that Nagato and the others should not return to the Land of Rain without protection, so Kawafune offered to show him why he trusted Nagato.
• Kawafune used Flying Thunder God to take Nagato and Sakumo to a remote place and challenged Nagato to demonstrate his strength.
• Nagato blocked Kawafune's lightning-wreathed strike with Shinra Tensei, shocking Sakumo with the technique's power.
• Kawafune hurled his Lightning Dragon Roar at Nagato, who used Banshō Ten'in to send a boulder into it and then absorbed the attack with the Preta Path.
• Nagato summoned the Three-Headed Dog, Hell Crab, and Yatagarasu, while Kawafune asked Sakumo whether he was reassured and considered having Nagato use Chibaku Tensei.

Kawafune demonstrated his power to Sakumo, who agreed to Nagato and his companions’ mission to take control of the Land of Rain. After Kawafune explained that they might have to settle there for a long time, Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan chose to go, and Sakumo gave them leave to spend time with their family before departing.

• Kawafune’s demonstrations convinced Sakumo that Nagato could remain undefeated in the Land of Rain, and Kawafune restored the damaged forest before taking them home.
• Sakumo and Tsunade told Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan to keep a low profile and contact them if they encountered trouble.
• Nayuki’s concern about how long the three might be away made Kawafune realize that they could be unable to return from the Land of Rain for years.
• Kawafune offered to cancel the mission, but Nagato asked for the truth and decided that he, Yahiko, and Konan would go because they trusted Kawafune.
• Sakumo gave the three an extended leave, and Ginji’s playful exchange with Yahiko and Konan eased the family’s sadness.

Tsunade arranged to transfer Minato and Nawaki out of the Anbu, while Kawafune offered the departing students one request each. The group ended the evening with plans for Nagato to reunite with Nonō and an emotional promise that Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato would always have a home to return to.

• Tsunade decided to transfer Minato and Nawaki out of the Anbu, and Minato agreed to leave the arrangements to her.
• Konan asked Kawafune to turn the promised house into money, but he refused and offered each student one reasonable request instead.
• Yahiko gave his request to Konan, while Kawafune offered to assign Nonō to work with Nagato so they could meet again.
• Konan asked that their rooms be kept and that no one forget them, and Tsunade reassured her that they would always have a place at home.
• Sakumo left the dining room as the others stayed together late into the night.

Nonō completed her mission in Iwagakure and prepared to flee while posing as an ordinary Chunin. She escaped to the Land of Rain, leaving Iwagakure furious and its other spies undetected.

• Nonō received orders to proceed to the Land of Rain and began planning her escape from Iwagakure.
• Her squad's captain told them to search for a female spy known as Wandering Miko, unaware that Nonō was the spy they sought.
• After a week of fruitless searches, Nonō left Iwagakure by a route she had scouted and headed toward the Land of Rain.
• When Nonō failed to report for assembly, Iwagakure discovered several missing ninja were dead and identified her as Wandering Miko.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to capture Wandering Miko, while the village's focus on Nonō allowed its other spies to remain safe.

Nawaki and Misaki hosted a farewell feast for Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan before they departed from Konoha. The group toasted, traded jokes and promises to reunite, and left the barbecue restaurant thoroughly drunk.

• Nawaki poured drinks for the group, and Misaki gave Konan a smaller glass as they gathered to say farewell.
• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan thanked their friends, while Nawaki and the others recalled their time together and wished them well.
• Nawaki teased Nagato about seeing Nonō again, and the group joked about future marriages and reunions.
• Lion and his teammates talked about his unsuccessful blind dates, and Misaki reassured him that he would meet the right person.
• The feast lasted late, and everyone left too drunk to walk straight.

Kawafune gave Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan a strategy and prepared them to return to the Land of Rain, deciding they should recruit Kakuzu to manage their finances. After bidding farewell to his disciples, Kawafune returned to Tsunade and expressed confidence in their future.

• Kawafune handed Yahiko a strategy scroll for the group to use after returning to the Land of Rain.
• Kawafune offered the disciples money, then entrusted the envelope to Nagato instead of Konan.
• Kawafune told the group to check the Anbu prison for Kakuzu and bring him along if he was alive.
• Yahiko agreed that they would visit the prison before setting out the next day.
• Kawafune and Tsunade discussed their affection for the three disciples and Kawafune's confidence in them.

Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato brought Kakuzu from Konoha to the Land of Rain after overpowering him and recruiting him. As they entered the rain-soaked country, Kakuzu learned that Hatake Kawafune had been their teacher and reluctantly accepted his situation.

• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato visited Kakuzu in Konoha's Anbu prison and secured his release with Tsunade's authorization.
• Kakuzu tried to take control after leaving Konoha, but Nagato defeated him, and Kakuzu agreed to join them after receiving money.
• The group crossed into the Land of Rain, where Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato reminisced about their first days with their teacher.
• Yahiko told Kakuzu that Hatake Kawafune had been their teacher, and Kakuzu realized Kawafune had deceived him.
• Nagato warned Kakuzu not to insult Kawafune again, and Yahiko promised Kakuzu a place in the Land of Rain if he did useful work.

Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan traveled through the devastated Land of Rain with Kakuzu, and Yahiko declared his intention to help end the war. After finding the intelligence point, Nagato followed a message to a dilapidated village where someone important to him was waiting.

• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan saw starving refugees being driven from shelter, and Yahiko told Kakuzu they had come to end the war in the Land of Rain.
• The four spent the night in an earthen house Nagato made, while Kakuzu went to gather firewood and returned without fleeing.
• Nagato found a message scroll at the intelligence point and used its map to lead the group toward its sender.
• Kakuzu guessed Nagato was going to meet a girl, and Nagato confirmed she was someone important to him.
• Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, and Kakuzu reached a dilapidated village where signs of life remained.

Nagato reunited with Yakushi Nonō in the Land of Rain, and she welcomed him warmly after washing the grime from her face. Nonō then briefed Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, and Kakuzu on the factions and shifting power in the country.

• Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, and Kakuzu found Nonō at a patched-up house in the Land of Rain.
• Nonō ran inside to wash her face, then called Nagato her Pain and embraced him.
• Nonō greeted Yahiko and Konan and learned that Kakuzu had once tried to assassinate Lord Kawafune before joining their group.
• Nonō told them she had been in the Land of Rain for a week and mapped out its three main factions and their likely moves.

Nonō learned that Kawafune had assigned Nagato, Yahiko, Konan, Kakuzu, and her to take over and unify the Land of Rain, and she agreed to stay with them. The group read Kawafune’s plan, which focused on developing casinos and brothels after the country was unified, leaving them unsettled by its proposal.

• Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan explained that their mission was to take over and unify the Land of Rain, and Nonō realized she had been kept in the dark about it.
• Nagato apologized for involving Nonō, but she said she would stay and fight alongside him.
• Yahiko produced Kawafune’s scroll, and the group read his plan for recruiting troops and unifying the Land of Rain.
• The group discovered that Kawafune’s plan devoted much of its attention to building casinos and brothels after the unification.
• Kakuzu praised the proposal as a way to attract wealthy visitors and generate money, while Konan and Nonō condemned the idea.

Yahiko, Nagato, Nonō, Konan, and Kakuzu agreed to recruit Rain Country shinobi rather than seize control through force. They named their team Akatsuki, setting out to build a force that could restore peace to the Land of Rain.

• Yahiko asked the group to decide on their first step, and Nagato said recruiting people was essential because they had only five members.
• Kakuzu suggested attacking the largest faction of wandering shinobi, but Nonō warned that they would be difficult to govern and Yahiko rejected killing them into submission.
• Nagato proposed recruiting the remnants of the Land of Rain’s shinobi, and Nonō outlined a plan to help them escape during an expected clash with the wandering shinobi.
• Yahiko assigned Nonō to gather intelligence, and Nonō recounted the dangers she had faced before reuniting with Nagato.
• Yahiko suggested naming the team, and Nagato proposed Akatsuki, which everyone accepted.

Yahiko and the Akatsuki members waited for rogue ninja to attack the Land of Rain remnants, then intervened to rescue the survivors. They retreated after Yahiko was wounded, leaving the remnants alive and the nighttime assault incomplete.

• Yahiko, Konan, Nonō, Nagato, and Kakuzu watched rogue ninja attack the Land of Rain remnants and waited fifteen minutes before joining the battle.
• Konan rescued Rain Ninja from rogue ninja with Paper Senbon and led them toward the fiercest fighting, where she and Yahiko fought together.
• Kakuzu killed a Jonin, took his heart, and attacked the rogue ninja with Fire Style while Nagato and Nonō supported the rescued Rain Ninja.
• The five Akatsuki members gathered and helped the Rain Ninja break through, but Yahiko was struck in the lower abdomen by a Kunai.
• Nagato helped Yahiko retreat as Kakuzu covered their escape with a Water Style attack, and the rogue ninja failed to wipe out the Land of Rain remnants.

Nagato, Nonō, and Yahiko treated the Rain Ninja they had rescued, while Yahiko used the moment to earn their trust. After hearing their account of the Land of Rain’s decline, Yahiko agreed to join them and help restore the country.

• Nagato and Nonō treated the wounded Rain Ninja, while Kakuzu and Konan waited nearby.
• Once the injured had been treated, Yahiko told the Rain Ninja that he and his companions had grown up as war orphans and returned to the Land of Rain after their guardian died.
• A Rain Ninja who had become leader after Lord Murakami’s death urged Yahiko’s group to join them and help restore the Land of Rain.
• Konan objected to being tied down, but the new leader offered to let them do as they pleased and even give Yahiko his position.
• Yahiko agreed that his group would stay and work with the Rain Ninja for the future of the Land of Rain.

Nagato and the others’ Akatsuki had become one of the two dominant forces in the Land of Rain and prepared to confront the remaining rival force. In Konoha, Minato was refused permission to join them, while Yahiko rallied Akatsuki for the battle that could bring peace to the country.

• At dinner, Tsunade told Sakumo and Minato that Akatsuki had absorbed the Rain Ninja remnants and smaller armed groups, becoming one of the Land of Rain’s two largest forces.
• Minato asked to go help Nagato and the others, but Kawafune and Tsunade told him to remain in Konoha and trust them.
• In the Land of Rain, Yahiko chaired a meeting as Akatsuki prepared to face the rival force, Flow, whose territory was slightly smaller.
• Kakuzu confirmed that weapons and medicine had been distributed, while Nonō reported that Flow had strengthened its defenses after Akatsuki’s previous raid.
• Yahiko ordered the commanders to stay alert and follow the deployment plan, urging them to win the battle and bring peace to the Land of Rain.

On the eve of the decisive battle, Yahiko and the others finalized their preparations and assignments while teasing one another in private. The group left the tent ready for the battle that would determine the war’s outcome.

• Nagato entered after the meeting and confirmed that all the wounded had been treated, so Yahiko dismissed the commanders.
• Konan, Yahiko, Nonō, Nagato, and Kakuzu joked together until Yahiko brought the discussion back to business.
• Yahiko assigned Kakuzu to fight without holding back, Konan and himself to support him, and Nagato and Nonō to manage medical care and casualties.
• Nagato said he had prepared rescue teams, while Nonō reported that the scouts had found no sign that the enemy knew of the planned attack.
• Yahiko said the next day’s battle would decide everything and that they could bring their teachers good news afterward, then the five left the tent.

Akatsuki launched its attack on the wandering ninja, with Yahiko destroying their fortifications using Water Style: Severing Wave. Nagato and Nonō organized rescue efforts amid the close-quarters battle, then left the wounded to the team as they returned to their other duties.

• Yahiko ordered Akatsuki’s main force to advance, with Kakuzu at the vanguard and Nagato and Nonō at the rear.
• Kakuzu killed two sentries with his black threads, and the wandering ninja raised signal flares to warn their forces.
• Yahiko used Water Style: Severing Wave to tear apart the wandering ninja’s earthen fortifications.
• Akatsuki’s Rain Ninja stormed the enemy territory, and Kakuzu led the charge into the ensuing close-quarters battle.
• Nonō and Nagato directed rescue teams and worked together to save a badly wounded ninja.
• Nagato and Nonō left the rescue team to continue its work and returned to their other duties.

Yahiko and Konan joined the battle against the rogue ninjas, helping Akatsuki break through and gather at the center. After Kakuzu claimed a bounty, Yahiko and Konan pursued the fleeing leader, who tried to buy his life with money.

• Yahiko and Konan reinforced the left flank, where their attacks helped Akatsuki overwhelm the rogue ninjas.
• Yahiko ordered a signal flare to summon the forces to the center, and Kakuzu led his troops toward it.
• Kakuzu recognized a rogue ninja worth thirty million and killed him after nearly hitting Yahiko with False Darkness.
• Konan spotted the rogue ninja leader escaping, and she and Yahiko chased him into a dense forest.
• The leader offered money to spare his life, but Konan rejected the bribe and shredded the bills with Paper Senbon.

After Akatsuki won the battle, Nagato treated the wounded while Yahiko and Konan returned safely. Yahiko planned to build a new ninja village for the Land of Rain and honor the fallen, leaving the group preparing to recover and rebuild.

• Nagato and Nonō treated the wounded at the makeshift medical station after hearing that Yahiko had killed the enemy leader.
• Nagato amputated a wounded man's unsalvageable arm and sent him away alive.
• Yahiko and Konan returned with some recovered money and complained that Kakuzu had nearly gotten Yahiko killed.
• Nagato said he would warn Kakuzu, while Yahiko insisted he would settle the score himself someday.
• Yahiko reported the heavy casualties and proposed establishing a new ninja village, bringing back the fallen for a Memorial Stone, and first comforting the people and recovering.

Tsunade learned that Yahiko and the others had established Akatsuki Hidden Village in the Land of Rain and planned quiet support for its rebuilding. She shared the news with Kawafune at the Ninja Academy, where their teasing ended with Tsunade returning to work and canceling his promised reward.

• Shota told Tsunade that the Land of Rain had established Akatsuki Hidden Village, and Tsunade ordered supplies sent discreetly when possible.
• Tsunade visited the Ninja Academy and watched Kakashi, Kurenai, and Rin fight Might Guy, Asuma, and Obito in a team exercise.
• Suzuki Osamu scolded the students for fighting without coordination after Tsunade left the training area.
• Tsunade found Kawafune in his office, enjoyed his massage, and told him Yahiko and the others had founded a village and that his disciple had become a Kage.
• Kawafune celebrated Yahiko's achievement and praised Tsunade, who promised him a reward before leaving for work.
• Kawafune called after Tsunade to remind her of the reward, and she glared at him and declared it canceled.

Nagato used the Rain Tiger at Will Technique to detect four Sunagakure ninja traveling to the Akatsuki Hidden Village to seek an alliance. Yahiko prepared to welcome them and secure their support, while warning Kakuzu not to provoke them.

• Nagato sensed four unfamiliar Chakra signatures through the rain, and Konan questioned whether they were allies or invaders.
• Yahiko ordered an Akatsuki ninja to receive the Sand Ninja and treat them well before bringing them to him.
• Konan argued with Kakuzu after he insulted her, while Nagato and Nonō joined in the teasing.
• Nonō explained that Fourth Kazekage Rasa had made money by panning for gold in the desert, despite Sunagakure's reputation for poverty.
• Kakuzu suggested detaining the Sand Ninja, but Yahiko warned him not to risk offending Sunagakure and said the others would handle the visitors.