Chapter Summaries

Orochimaru used Impure World Reincarnation to summon the four former Hokage, believing they would be needed for the coming threat and to restore the Nine-Tails to its complete form. The First Hokage recognized Orochimaru, who claimed he now worked as a Konoha-appointed researcher.

• Orochimaru prepared cloned White Zetsu as sacrifices and explained that the summoned Hokage needed to be brought back at their peak.
• Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha hesitated at the chance to question the former Hokage, especially the Second and Third Hokage, over their treatment of the Uchiha Clan.
• Orochimaru used four White Zetsu as sacrifices and revived the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage with Impure World Reincarnation.
• Orochimaru told Sasuke that Nanfeng had warned of a threat they might not defeat otherwise and that the Fourth Hokage was needed to restore the Nine-Tails to its complete form.
• The First Hokage asked Orochimaru whether he had summoned them to fight Konoha, and Orochimaru said he was now a Konoha-appointed researcher.

Orochimaru and the Hokage discussed Konoha’s leadership and the changes Nanfeng had brought to the village. The First Hokage approved of Nanfeng’s approach, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was left reflecting on his failures.

• The First Hokage recognized Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha’s Mangekyo eyes and compared them with Madara Uchiha’s.
• Itachi Uchiha told the Third Hokage that Nanfeng had cured his illness and helped him understand things, while Sasuke said Danzo was probably dead.
• Orochimaru assured the First Hokage that Konoha was doing well under Tsunade’s leadership, with Nanfeng’s help.
• The First Hokage admitted he had worried Tsunade would gamble away Konoha, and Orochimaru said she had become a capable Hokage.
• Orochimaru criticized Hiruzen Sarutobi for treating shinobi as tools and explained that Nanfeng’s influence had reshaped Konoha, including bringing the Anbu into the open.

Orochimaru explained that Nanfeng’s respectful leadership had made the Anbu more effective and improved their ties with Konoha, then confronted the Third Hokage over the Uchiha Clan’s persecution. Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha easily stopped the Second Hokage’s attack, leaving the First Hokage to urge Tobirama to calm down.

• The Second Hokage rejected Orochimaru’s claim that Nanfeng had improved the Anbu, but Orochimaru and the First Hokage defended Nanfeng’s approach.
• Orochimaru said Nanfeng’s friendship and respect had brought him back to Konoha, where his experiments on criminals helped improve security.
• Orochimaru accused the Third Hokage and the others of trying to corner the Uchiha Clan before wiping it out, angering Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha.
• The Second Hokage attacked Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha, but Itachi used his Eternal Mangekyo to take control of him.
• Itachi told the Second Hokage that the current generation had surpassed his era, and the First Hokage urged Tobirama to rein in his chakra.

Hashirama confronted Tobirama over his role in fueling the ninja world's wars and then began recounting how he first met Madara. He left the others eager to hear the story of their accidental encounter.

• Hashirama subdued Tobirama with a glance, and Sasuke and Itachi kept their Sharingan inactive.
• Orochimaru told Hashirama and the other Hokage that Tobirama's meddling and forbidden techniques had helped cause the current war and enabled Madara's revenge.
• Hashirama rebuked Tobirama, then surged with chakra to silence him, startling Sasuke, Itachi, and Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru said Nanfeng was holding Madara off, and Hashirama praised him as a trustworthy companion.
• Hashirama began telling Sasuke, Itachi, and the others that he had met Madara by accident, when neither knew the other's clan name.

Hashirama Senju recounted his friendship and conflict with Madara Uchiha, the founding of the shinobi villages, and the events that led to their final battle. Orochimaru then accused the Third Hokage of manipulating the Fourth Hokage and said Naruto would likely become Hokage instead of Nanfeng.

• Hashirama Senju explained how he and Madara Uchiha became friends before their clans discovered their identities and forced them into battle.
• Hashirama Senju described how Tobirama Senju killed Madara's younger brother, how Madara awakened the Eternal Mangekyo, and how Hashirama and Madara later founded the shinobi village system.
• Hashirama Senju reflected that the Will of Fire had been misunderstood and that the Third Hokage's long rule had contributed to Konoha's problems.
• Orochimaru accused the Third Hokage of choosing Minato Namikaze because he was easier to control and of using him as a puppet.
• Hashirama Senju asked whether Nanfeng would become Hokage, and Orochimaru said Naruto was more likely to take the position.

Orochimaru explained why he had no interest in becoming Hokage before discovering that Nanfeng had vanished from the battlefield. Nanfeng was summoned to meet the Sage of Six Paths, who asked him to let Naruto and Sasuke resolve the conflict between Asura and Indra themselves and warned of enemies beyond the ninja world.

• Orochimaru said that being Hokage would leave him too little time and money for research, and the others struggled to argue with him.
• Orochimaru sensed that Nanfeng's chakra and soul presence had disappeared, prompting the group to hurry toward the battlefield.
• Nanfeng vanished from Uchiha Madara's side and was summoned, body and soul, to a white space where he met the Sage of Six Paths.
• The Sage of Six Paths told Nanfeng that Naruto and Sasuke needed to resolve the conflict between Asura and Indra to prevent another cycle of war.
• Nanfeng warned that the Sage of Six Paths' mother would be resurrected, and the Sage said he would release Nanfeng to face future enemies from beyond the ninja world.

Nanfeng asked the Sage of Six Paths how to protect the shinobi world from the Kaguya Clan, and the system revealed that obtaining Kaguya Otsutsuki's complete bloodline was the only solution. While probing the Sage about his past, Nanfeng left him wondering whether their absent father had caused Kaguya's hatred of humanity.

• Nanfeng asked the Sage of Six Paths whether there was a way to solve the threat of the Kaguya Clan, and the Sage said there was no easy solution.
• The system told Nanfeng that it could not be detected by the Sage and said the host needed to obtain Kaguya Otsutsuki's complete bloodline.
• Nanfeng befriended the Sage of Six Paths and asked why he and his brother had sealed their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki.
• The Sage of Six Paths explained that Kaguya had attacked the human girl he loved, and that his younger brother had sacrificed himself to help awaken their eyes before the Sage of the Toads' talisman saved him.
• Nanfeng suggested that the Sage's absent father might have caused Kaguya to lose faith in humans, leaving the Sage speechless and troubled by the possibility.

The Sage of Six Paths and Nanfeng watched the Ninja World War through a mirror and discussed the chances of victory. Meanwhile, Madara Uchiha faced the Five Kage after Nanfeng vanished, surrounding them with powerful Shadow Clones and preparing an enhanced Wood Release attack.

• Nanfeng recalled arguing with the old sage at Mount Myōboku, and the Sage of Six Paths asked whether the war would be won.
• The Sage of Six Paths showed Nanfeng the Ninja World War in a mirror, and Nanfeng wondered whether events would unfold the same way without his interference.
• Tsunade confronted Madara Uchiha about Nanfeng's disappearance, but Madara said Nanfeng had vanished while he was looking away.
• Madara Uchiha challenged the Five Kage and created twenty-five Shadow Clones, leaving them horrified by the overwhelming odds.
• Tsunade recognized Wood Release hand signs as Madara Uchiha and his clones prepared to attack, realizing he could improve the technique.

Madara unleashed poisonous Wood Style flowers and detonated them with a massive fire technique, but Naruto shielded the Five Kage. As Naruto weakened and Madara threatened to kill everyone unless the Nine-Tails was surrendered, Sasuke arrived and Naruto declared that the unhelpful shinobi who wanted to sacrifice him could die.

• Tsunade recognized Madara's Wood Style: Flower Tree World Descent, and Madara ignited its poisonous flowers with a Great Fireball Technique.
• Naruto protected the Five Kage from the resulting explosion with the Nine-Tails' chakra, though his strength began to fail.
• Madara threatened the assembled shinobi with a barrage of enormous fireballs and demanded that Naruto hand over the Nine-Tails.
• Some shinobi urged Naruto to be handed over, and Naruto answered Madara, "Then let them die."
• Sasuke arrived in his Susanoo, and Naruto explained to Tsunade that he would not waste chakra protecting people who were dead weight and wanted him sacrificed.

Naruto rejected the idea that he should sacrifice himself to save the battlefield’s wounded, while Madara Uchiha’s ally Obito Uchiha arrived and confronted Kakashi about Rin’s death. Obito revealed that he had taken revenge on Kirigakure, leaving Kakashi stunned.

• Naruto told the battlefield’s ninjas that he had no obligation to save them and criticized the Tsuchikage and Raikage for expecting him to die in their place.
• Madara Uchiha summoned Obito Uchiha, who returned his gunbai and quickly healed from his wounds.
• Obito Uchiha denied being the Obito who died at the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and summoned a frail clone controlled by the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Obito Uchiha told Kakashi that Rin had deliberately run into his Raikiri after Kirigakure made her a vessel for the Three-Tails.
• Obito Uchiha revealed that he had destroyed Kirigakure’s Bloodline Limit users and controlled its Mizukage as revenge for Rin.

Obito Uchiha confessed that he had orchestrated years of violence to end war by killing everyone who started it, then summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as the Fourth Shinobi World War escalated. In the Pure Land, Nanfeng spoke with Orochimaru, who had unexpectedly contacted him using his genes as a marker.

• Obito Uchiha admitted to controlling events in Kirigakure, manipulating the Nine-Tails, contributing to the Uchiha massacre, and working with Konoha elders for his plan.
• Obito Uchiha declared that he wanted everyone to die and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path onto the battlefield.
• Minato Namikaze arrived and questioned Obito Uchiha about his motives, while Obito explained his plan to end war by killing those who started it.
• Madara Uchiha cut off the Second Hokage's arm, then explained that he had learned the Flying Thunder God technique and used its principles to escape the Impure World Reincarnation's restrictions.
• In the Pure Land, Orochimaru contacted Nanfeng through a technique using Nanfeng's genes, and Nanfeng explained that he was alive and had brought his body with him.

Nanfeng told Orochimaru that the Sage of Six Paths had summoned him and explained that Naruto and Sasuke needed to awaken the power in their souls. While Tsunade and Orochimaru took a break from the battle, Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha prepared to fight the Hokage and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

• Nanfeng told Orochimaru that he did not know when he would return and warned him that the Sage of Six Paths might appear in the shinobi world.
• Orochimaru reassured Tsunade that Nanfeng was alive and that Naruto and Sasuke needed to awaken their hidden power.
• Tsunade persuaded Orochimaru to drink sake while Naruto and Sasuke remained suspended in the sky and the Hokage held the front line.
• The Second Hokage regenerated his arm and confronted Obito Uchiha and Madara Uchiha, who divided their opponents between them.
• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path charged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze as it gathered a massive Tailed Beast Bomb.

Minato Namikaze redirected the Ten-Tails’ enormous Tailed Beast Bomb, then joined Naruto in Nine-Tails Mode as Madara Uchiha descended among the Allied Shinobi Forces. Hashirama Senju confronted Madara and asked whether he had something to say.

• Minato Namikaze teleported the Ten-Tails’ Tailed Beast Bomb away from the Allied Shinobi Forces, sparing them while its blast wave knocked some shinobi off balance.
• In the Pure Land, Nanfeng and the Sage of Six Paths discussed Minato’s feat and the value of innovation in the shinobi world.
• Minato Namikaze spoke with the Yin half of the Nine-Tails and entered Nine-Tails Mode, surprising Naruto.
• Madara Uchiha realized that Minato and Naruto were both Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and considered draining their chakra to defeat them.
• Madara Uchiha descended into the Allied Shinobi Forces, where Hashirama Senju confronted him.

Madara prepared to use the Rebirth Technique while the Ten-Tails charged, unaware that Kabuto had secretly taken over Obito's clone and was controlling the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Nanfeng sensed something was wrong but had not figured out what had happened.

• Hashirama and Madara argued briefly before turning their attention to the approaching Ten-Tails.
• Nanfeng questioned the Sage of Six Paths about the Ten-Tails and Black Zetsu, while the Sage told him to wait for a signal before returning to the battlefield.
• Madara arranged for a shadow to merge with Obito's clone and prepared to use the Rebirth Technique.
• Kabuto revealed that he had replaced the clone's soul with his own, using Izanagi to conceal the body switch.
• Kabuto resolved to see whether Madara could take control of the body.

Kabuto Yakushi hid his identity while using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to kill shinobi and absorb souls, prompting Nanfeng to suspect something was wrong with Obito's clone. Meanwhile, the four Hokage began sealing the statue, and Madara Uchiha faced Hashirama Senju's Wood Dragon.

• Kabuto Yakushi controlled the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and killed shinobi, whose souls were swallowed along with their bodies.
• Kabuto Yakushi used the Rinnegan to absorb souls and try to restore his own, while Nanfeng noticed the Ten-Tails was gaining less power from each soul.
• Nanfeng suspected something was wrong with Obito's clone and warned the Sage of Six Paths that Kabuto Yakushi might still be involved.
• The Sage of Six Paths warned Nanfeng that Kaguya could be born through his younger brother and might become a formidable enemy.
• The four Hokage used the Four Violet Flames Formation and Hashirama Senju's Sage Mode to pin the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path with Gates of the Great God.
• Hashirama Senju summoned a Wood Dragon, and Madara Uchiha smiled as he recognized his old rival's attack.

Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju fought with Susanoo and a Wood Dragon while Sasuke, Naruto, and Killer B moved to stop the Ten-Tails. Minato Namikaze saved them from its enormous Tailed Beast Bomb, and Naruto counterattacked with a Rasenshuriken.

• Madara Uchiha summoned Susanoo and attacked Hashirama Senju, who met him with a Wood Dragon.
• Sasuke warned the other ninja to get clear of the fighters’ shock waves, then spotted the Ten-Tails struggling under the influence of Obito Uchiha’s clone.
• Sasuke urged everyone who could still fight to suppress the Ten-Tails, whose attacks erased its victims’ bodies.
• Naruto and Killer B joined Sasuke in rushing the Ten-Tails, and Killer B warned that it was absorbing power and could become more dangerous.
• The Ten-Tails fired an enormous Tailed Beast Bomb, but Minato Namikaze teleported it over the ocean.
• Naruto greeted Minato and hurled a gigantic Rasenshuriken at the Ten-Tails.

Naruto's puppet-controlled Wind Style: Rasenshuriken failed to harm the Ten-Tails, which absorbed it with the Preta Path. As Naruto, Sasuke, and the Eight-Tails struggled to damage it, Nanfeng suspected Black Zetsu was waiting for an opportunity and continued working on escaping the Pure Land.

• Naruto guided his Wind Style: Rasenshuriken with Chakra Threads, but the Ten-Tails dodged its returning strike and absorbed it with Chakra Absorption.
• Sasuke and Naruto discussed the difficulty of controlling Lightning Release attacks, while Killer B and the Eight-Tails marveled at their abilities.
• Kabuto Yakushi's soul considered devouring the others' chakra, while Black Zetsu watched him as a possible pure vessel for Kaguya Otsutsuki's resurrection.
• Nanfeng wondered why Black Zetsu had not acted and continued figuring out how to leave the Pure Land.
• Naruto watched the Ten-Tails shrug off the Rasenshuriken, and the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb failed to move it.

Killer B and the Eight-Tails discussed the dangers of senjutsu, while Obito Uchiha decided to confront Kakashi and remove Madara Uchiha’s control seal. Obito trapped Kakashi in the Kamui dimension, where their deadly fight began with a return to a memory of Minato Namikaze’s training.

• Killer B rejected the idea of learning senjutsu from Orochimaru after the Eight-Tails warned that unstable senjutsu chakra could affect even tailed beasts.
• Obito Uchiha realized Madara Uchiha’s control seal remained in his heart and decided to use Kakashi’s Raikiri to break it.
• Obito Uchiha transported himself and Kakashi into the Kamui dimension, leaving Might Guy behind.
• Kakashi and Obito exchanged kunai strikes, then revealed they had been fighting through genjutsu.
• Kakashi and Obito declared their resolve to kill each other and recalled their Practical Combat Assessment with Minato Namikaze.

Kakashi and Obito fought to the death in the space between them, trading lethal attacks and recalling their past. Kakashi appeared to win, but Obito survived a wound through the heart and revealed that he had modified his body.

• Obito taunted Kakashi as they clashed with kunai, and Kakashi fought with lethal intent for the future of the shinobi world.
• Obito used a Great Fireball Technique, then struck Kakashi through the smoke while Kakashi prepared a lightning-clone counterattack.
• Kakashi used the lightning clone to stun Obito and followed with an attack, leaving both of them gravely wounded.
• Kakashi believed he had killed Obito, but Obito pulled Kakashi's hand from the wound and stood unharmed.
• Obito told Kakashi that he had modified his body.

Obito Uchiha explained to Kakashi how Madara Uchiha rescued him after he was crushed, then showed him the memories of his recovery in Madara’s cave. Obito remained trapped there and had yet to recover enough to return to Konoha.

• Obito told Kakashi that he had given up his heart to survive and used Genjutsu to show him what happened after the cave-in.
• Two White Zetsu examined the injured Obito until Madara Uchiha intervened and revealed his identity.
• Obito thanked Madara for saving him but insisted he needed to return to Konoha to help his teammates.
• Madara challenged Obito to try leaving, and Obito discovered he was too weak to stand and the cave entrance was blocked by a huge boulder.
• The White Zetsu suggested that Obito recover first.