Recaps

Madara confronted the Leaf Village and demanded the Nine-Tails sealed inside Kushina for his Moon Eye Plan. Minato and the Third Hokage refused, and Madara vowed to prove that only absolute military might could bring peace.

• Kushina’s White Cat manifested the Mangekyō Sharingan and Rinnegan, terrifying the Leaf Village, while Liao Wu briefly used Madara’s presence to intimidate Kushina.
• Madara surveyed the Hokage monuments, mocked Tobirama and the Third Hokage, and learned from Liao Wu that Sarutobi Hiruzen was considered the strongest Hokage.
• Madara revealed that Kushina was the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki and demanded that she hand over the beast in exchange for sparing the Leaf Village.
• Minato shielded Kushina and refused to surrender her or the Nine-Tails, while Liao Wu pleaded with Madara to take Kushina too and was struck with lightning.
• The Third Hokage condemned Madara’s Moon Eye Plan, and Madara argued that absolute military might was the only path to peace and vowed that no one, not even Hashirama, would stop him.

Madara Uchiha declared war on the shinobi world and announced that Tsunade would marry Liao Wu, leaving Jiraiya devastated. As the villages refused to unite immediately, the Third Hokage appointed Obito a Jonin for his loyalty and role in learning about Madara’s Moon Eye Plan.

• Madara Uchiha declared the Fourth Shinobi World War and announced that Liao Wu and Tsunade would marry the next day in Rain Village.
• Jiraiya tried to rush to Tsunade’s rescue, but Sage Fukasaku and Minato stopped him; Liao Wu then withdrew his white-cat clone after Kushina demanded Tsunade’s release.
• Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima returned to Mount Myōboku to prepare for war and urged the Third Hokage to unite the villages against Madara Uchiha.
• The Five Great Shinobi Nations ignored Leaf’s request for an alliance while they verified Madara’s resurrection and remained distrustful of one another.
• Jiraiya grieved over Tsunade, while Obito recognized his own unrequited love for Rin, who watched Kakashi with a blush.
• The Third Hokage appointed Obito a Jonin, citing his Battle of Kannabi Bridge contribution, loyalty to the Will of Fire, and knowledge of the Moon Eye Plan.

Obito was promoted to Jonin after exposing Madara Uchiha’s Moon Eye Plan, and Itachi received permission to enter the Ninja Academy early so he could grow strong enough to bring his uncle back. The Third Hokage also arranged for the Uchiha to teach Obito about his Sharingan and rewarded Hong with the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique.

• The Third Hokage promoted Obito to Jonin, and Kakashi ran out of the Hokage's Office on his hands, inspired by Obito’s success.
• Mikoto and Itachi revealed their identities, and Itachi told the Third Hokage he wanted to become a Ninja and bring his uncle back.
• Kushina joked that Itachi should shave his head during the New Year to curse Liao Wu, and the Third Hokage approved Itachi’s early admission to the Ninja Academy.
• The Third Hokage asked Mikoto to have the Uchiha teach Obito to use his Sharingan properly.
• Minato requested an Advanced Illusion Technique for Hong, and the Third Hokage gave her a copy of the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique as a mission reward.

The Third Hokage rewarded the young ninjas and called a Jonin meeting to discuss the threat from Madara Uchiha, deciding to reveal Kushina’s identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. The meeting recognized Obito for exposing Madara’s plan, and Obito resolved to surpass Kakashi.

• The Third Hokage let Hong, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin choose powerful techniques; Obito chose Chidori to use against Liao Wu, while Rin chose Medical Ninjutsu.
• The Third Hokage told the junior Chunin that surviving an encounter with Madara Uchiha would count as completing their mission.
• The Third Hokage asked Kushina to stay for the Jonin meeting and said her identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki could no longer remain secret.
• Minato, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Obito, and Mikoto supported Kushina, but the White Cat warned that the villagers might blame and ostracize her as they had Sakumo.
• The Third Hokage gathered Leaf Village’s leaders and Jonin, and Utatane Koharu asked about Obito’s rescue and his knowledge of Madara’s Moon Eye Plan.
• The Third Hokage praised Obito for exposing the plan, and Obito relaxed beside Kakashi and vowed to surpass him.

Obito revealed Madara Uchiha’s Moon Eye Plan and explained that he intended to gather the Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails. The Third Hokage called for a ninja alliance against Madara, then disclosed that the Nine-Tails had always been in Leaf Village.

• Obito recounted his undercover time with Madara Uchiha and revealed the Moon Eye Plan and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Torifu Akimichi and Shikaku reasoned that Madara planned to gather all nine Tailed Beasts and revive the Ten-Tails, while the gathered clans inferred that Kushina held the Nine-Tails.
• The Third Hokage declared that Leaf Village would have to fight Madara, and Shikaku argued that the other Great Ninja Villages could unite against his plan.
• The Third Hokage ordered Shikaku to share Madara’s plan with the other villages and the wider Ninja World.
• The Third Hokage revealed that the Nine-Tails had always been in Leaf Village.

The Third Hokage revealed that Kushina was the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki and rallied Leaf Village to protect her from Madara Uchiha. As Minato’s scouting team prepared to search for Madara, the leadership chose not to risk a rescue of Tsunade, leaving Jiraiya and Kakashi to confront the cost of putting the mission first.

• The Third Hokage explained the Nine-Tails’ history, and Kushina revealed that she was its second Jinchuriki.
• Minato, the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, the Senju, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, and Mikoto pledged to protect Kushina from Madara Uchiha.
• The Third Hokage formed a scouting team led by Minato, with Kakashi, Obito, Rin, several specialists, and Jiraiya, to find Madara and gather intelligence.
• Minato and Jiraiya refused Kushina’s request to join the mission because she was pregnant, while the Third Hokage concluded that Tsunade should be left with Ryobu rather than risk more lives trying to rescue her.
• Jiraiya fell silent over abandoning Tsunade, and Kakashi reflected on his own choice to prioritize a mission when Rin was captured.

Jiraiya wanted to rescue Tsunade, but Danzo argued that she had betrayed the village by passing its secret techniques to Uchiha Ryobu. The Third Hokage rejected declaring Tsunade a rogue Ninja and said Leaf Village would assemble an alliance to rescue her from Rain Village.

• Jiraiya wanted to charge into Rain Village to save Tsunade, but Kakashi restrained Obito as the others weighed the mission's risks.
• Danzo emerged and urged Jiraiya to kill Tsunade if he saw her again, then accused the Uchiha Clan of having no explanation for Ryobu and Madara Uchiha.
• The Third Hokage ordered everyone to preserve unity and threatened to punish anyone who disrupted it, while Danzo and the Uchiha Jonin fell silent.
• Danzo claimed Tsunade had taught Ryobu her Monstrous Strength and challenged Jiraiya over her apparent relationship with Ryobu; White Cat insisted that Tsunade and Ryobu truly loved each other.
• The Third Hokage refused to declare Tsunade a rogue Ninja and said Leaf Village would form a Ninja Alliance to rescue her; Koharu and Homura warned Jiraiya not to risk his life over her.

The Third Hokage refused to send pregnant Kushina to the battlefield, while Danzo left to pursue a plan involving Impure World Reincarnation. Beneath Leaf Village, Orochimaru prepared for the war against Madara and arranged for Sakumo to see Kakashi.

• Danzo urged Kushina to master the Nine-Tails' power and proposed allying with Cloud Village, but Minato and the Third Hokage refused to send her to battle while she was pregnant.
• Danzo remembered Senju Tobirama's Impure World Reincarnation and stormed out, intending to use the Forbidden Technique to bring back their teacher and the First Hokage-sama.
• The Third Hokage assigned Kushina to keep Liao Wu's Clone sealed and sent Shisui to explain the Moon Eye Plan to the Uchiha Clan at the Mist Village Frontline.
• Orochimaru overheard the meeting and dismissed the proposed alliance as a mob of misfits, then sent a clone to fetch Anko for White Zetsu Cell research.
• Sakumo agreed to fight Madara Uchiha on the condition that he could see Kakashi, and Orochimaru approved, hoping Sakumo would pass his legacy on to his son.

Kakashi tried to return Obito’s Sharingan, but Obito insisted it remain a gift and a witness to their bond. As Sakumo watched from the shadows and resolved to protect their dreams, Rin persuaded Obito to apply to the Uchiha for a replacement eye.

• Obito told Asuma, Hong, and the others that Kushina was the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki, then boasted that his Sharingan and Wood Style could control the beast.
• Kakashi led Obito into the woods and offered to return the Sharingan, admitting that it reminded him of failing to protect Obito and Rin.
• Obito refused to take back his eye, calling it a gift for Kakashi’s promotion and a witness to their bond.
• Sakumo watched Kakashi and Obito, regretted how his suicide had affected Kakashi, and resolved to protect their dreams from Madara Uchiha.
• Rin urged Obito to ask the Uchiha for a spare Sharingan, and Obito agreed to apply through the Police Force.

Obito celebrated his promotion to Jonin by demanding gifts, but his friends dodged the request and Anko turned it around by asking him for a present. After Obito realized his White Zetsu Cells had not fully adapted, he worried about Liao Wu’s rapid growth and the danger he could pose to the Ninja World.

• Obito asked his friends for Jonin promotion gifts, but most of them made excuses and left.
• Jifeng offered Obito medicine for Kidney Deficiency, and Obito accepted it after his body suddenly gave out.
• Obito realized that without Tobi helping him, his White Zetsu Cells had not fully adapted to his body, and he considered going to the Torture Department to control Tobi.
• Yugao promised to prepare a gift for Obito, while Anko demanded that Obito give her one instead.
• Might Guy urged Kakashi and Obito to train for the coming war, and Obito warned that Liao Wu’s growth and ruthlessness could make him a greater danger than Madara Uchiha.

Sakumo secretly took White Zetsu Cells from Obito for Orochimaru’s research, while Anko found her teacher alive and followed him toward an underground base. At the Leaf Village Hero Cemetery, Danzo concluded Orochimaru had robbed several graves, including Senju Tobirama’s.

• Obito, Guy, and Kakashi ran toward the coming battle while Rin stayed behind to study Medical Ninjutsu and cheer them on.
• Sakumo secretly swept past Obito and took some of the White Zetsu Cells inside him for Orochimaru.
• Anko spotted Orochimaru in the village, learned he was alive, and followed him toward the sewers and his underground base.
• Danzo learned that several graves had been robbed, including those of Senju Tobirama, Kagami Uchiha, Dan Katō, and White Fang.
• Danzo decided Orochimaru was responsible for robbing the graves.

Danzo ordered Ryoma to track down Orochimaru, whom he suspected of stealing the First Hokage’s and other shinobi’s remains to use Impure World Reincarnation. In Amegakure, Liao Wu organized the Ninja Cats’ information-selling scheme, then told Tsunade that Madara had agreed to let them marry, leaving her to press him about the Moon Eye Plan.

• Danzo reasoned that Orochimaru was the likeliest culprit behind the stolen tombs and told Ryoma to find him.
• Liao Wu and Candy met with Amegakure’s Ninja Cats, and Liao Wu told them to collect their share of the money they earned selling information and protection.
• Liao Wu sent the cats to prepare for the next day’s wedding and went to Tsunade’s office, where Tsunade was teaching Konan Medical Ninjutsu.
• Tsunade asked whether Liao Wu had convinced Madara to abandon the Moon Eye Plan, but Liao Wu said Madara had agreed to let them marry.
• Tsunade clarified that she meant the Moon Eye Plan and asked what had happened, while Konan listened and Liao Wu ducked under the desk.

Ryobu’s attempt to force Tsunade into marriage ended in embarrassment, while Orochimaru prepared a cell-fusion surgery for Anko. Anko learned that Orochimaru intended to change her surname to Senju.

• Tsunade rejected Ryobu’s arranged marriage proposal and fled after realizing Konan had witnessed their encounter.
• Ryobu invited Konan to accept Tenten, but she ran away, so he carried Candy to the Hashirama Cell Research Lab.
• Orochimaru examined Obito’s cells and discussed Sakumo’s regrets about abandoning his responsibilities after his wife’s death.
• Anko was stunned to see the resurrected Sakumo and Hiruko at Orochimaru’s lab.
• Orochimaru told Anko that her surname would become Senju.

Orochimaru used the Chimera Technique to fuse White Zetsu and White Snake Cells into Anko, while Liao Wu attempted to fuse the powerful cells of Madara and Hashirama into himself. After a dangerous struggle, Liao Wu stabilized the fusion and began to grow stronger.

• Orochimaru decided to use Hiruko's Chimera Technique and White Snake Cells to improve Anko's chances of fusing with White Zetsu Cells.
• Orochimaru put Anko to sleep and used the Chimera Technique to fuse the cells into her.
• Candy captured fifty White Zetsu for Liao Wu's experiment in Rain Village.
• Liao Wu used the Chimera Technique to fuse Madara Hashirama Cell into his chest while Candy played a movie to distract him from the pain.
• The cells overwhelmed Liao Wu several times, but he burned his Life Spore and eventually brought the fusion into balance.
• Liao Wu's power began rising rapidly as he started to ascend into a dragon.

Nagato discovered Liao Wu producing a Tailed Beast-level surge of Chakra in a guarded laboratory, while Tsunade and Konan went to find them and felt the same ominous power. Madara learned that spies had appeared around Amegakure, ordered them eliminated, and destroyed his own statue before heading to the Amegakure Building.

• At dinner, Tsunade scolded Fish Ball for eating poisonous Ibuse flesh and wondered why Liao Wu had not come to eat.
• Nagato sensed a terrifying Chakra surge upstairs, found Liao Wu's laboratory behind a Barrier, and realized the power resembled Tailed Beast Chakra.
• Nagato heard suggestive sounds from inside the laboratory, while Liao Wu's Spore Clone awkwardly insisted the main body was doing something important.
• Tsunade and Konan went to look for Nagato, and Konan asked Tsunade whether her encounter with Liao Wu had felt good before a Tailed Beast-like Chakra wave swept over them.
• Madara sensed Liao Wu's Chakra awakening and ordered White Zetsu to kill the spies gathering around Amegakure.
• Madara destroyed his statue and declared that he would reshape the world before walking toward the Amegakure Building.

Orochimaru explored the medical uses of White Zetsu Cells and agreed to transplant them into Kakashi if Sakumo worked for him. Meanwhile, Obito stabilized his failing White Zetsu fusion by having Kushina seal Tobi inside his body.

• Konan and Tsunade caught Nagato eavesdropping outside the laboratory and realized what he had been listening to.
• Orochimaru observed Obito’s White Zetsu tissue disintegrating after his contest with Might Guy, while Sakumo asked him to help Kakashi with a transplant.
• Sakumo agreed to work for Orochimaru in exchange for White Zetsu Cells for Kakashi, then knocked out Ryoma Aburame when he broke into the base.
• Orochimaru recognized Ryoma as a sign that Danzo had found the base and ordered Hiruko to invite Danzo in, killing him if he proved useless.
• Obito asked Minato to retrieve Tobi, then had Kushina seal Tobi inside the right half of his body, stopping his White Zetsu Cells from disintegrating.

Kushina planned to experiment with sealing White Zetsu inside Ninja to help them in battle, while Danzo discovered Orochimaru had revived Sakumo and stolen the First and Second Hokage’s bodies. The chapter left Danzo confronting Orochimaru after recognizing the coffins in his underground base.

• Kushina decided to ask Mikoto for help developing a Sealing Technique that could combine White Zetsu with Ninja.
• Minato took a mission to Rain Village to investigate Madara Uchiha’s situation.
• Danzo, Nonō, and a masked Root Member followed Ryoma Aburame’s Kikaichū to Orochimaru’s base and found Sakumo guarding the entrance.
• Danzo argued with Sakumo about his choice to save his comrades, and Sakumo said his mistake had been failing to stand firm and leaving Kakashi to bear the burden.
• Orochimaru let Danzo enter, where Danzo saw coffins marked “First” and “Second” and accused Orochimaru of madness.

Orochimaru discussed how to prepare for Madara Uchiha, while Sakumo suggested resurrecting Might Duy to hold him off. Shisui informed the Uchiha clan about Madara’s Moon Eye Plan, the Rinnegan, and Kushina’s status as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, leaving Fugaku and the clan shocked.

• Orochimaru told Danzo that Hashirama could not defeat Madara and planned to fuse with White Zetsu Cells before learning Senjutsu at Ryūchi Cave.
• Sakumo recommended that Orochimaru bring Might Duy back through Impure World Reincarnation to hold Madara off.
• Shisui told the Uchiha leaders about the Moon Eye Plan, and Fugaku agreed that the clan had to oppose Madara.
• An Uchiha ninja reported that nearly all Ninja Cats had joined Madara and that Liao Wu had gained influence in the Land of Rain.
• Shisui revealed that Madara possessed the Rinnegan, and he persuaded the Uchiha not to join Madara’s plan.
• Shisui told the Uchiha that Kushina was the second Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, shocking Fugaku because their families were close.

Liao Wu completed the difficult fusion of Madara's and Hashirama's cells, awakening a powerful body and a three-Tomoe Sharingan while still failing to awaken the Mangekyo. As Amegakure prepared for his wedding to Tsunade, Madara watched Liao Wu's recovery and waited for an emotional trigger.

• Tekka accused the village higher-ups of hiding the Nine-Tails from the Uchiha, and Shisui explained that the secret had also been kept from the Senju Clan.
• Fugaku accepted the Hokage's mission to visit the Mist Village and tell its commander about Madara Uchiha and the outside threats.
• The Ninja Cats announced Liao Wu and Tsunade's wedding, gave the villagers a paid day off, and set out to collect wedding gifts from the Land of Rain's nobles and Daimyo.
• Tsunade, Konan, Nagato, and the others approached Liao Wu's laboratory as his immense Chakra subsided and plants grew across the wooden structures.
• Liao Wu emerged from a flower bud inside a Susanoo, and Madara recognized that he had awakened the Mangekyo's precursor but still lacked an emotional trigger.
• Liao Wu realized the fusion had given him Hashirama's powerful body, immense vitality, and passive regeneration, while his Sharingan remained at three Tomoe.

After fusing Madara and Hashirama’s cells, Liao Wu gained immense Chakra, enduring Three Tomoe eyes, Susanoo, and a vastly enhanced life force. He took charge of Madara’s plans for the Tailed Beasts and Shinobi Villages, then was sent flying out of Rain Village after teasing Madara.

• Liao Wu explained that his evolved Three Tomoe Sharingan had Mangekyo-level Pupil Power and could summon Susanoo without awakening Mangekyo abilities.
• Liao Wu described his new strength and regeneration after fusing Madara and Hashirama’s cells, claiming he had fifty lives.
• Madara gave Liao Wu a scroll of Hashirama’s Wood Style techniques, and Liao Wu dispatched Spore Clones to practice them.
• Madara told Liao Wu that he could handle the Nine Great Tailed Beasts and the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
• Liao Wu called Madara his grandfather and said he should retire in Rain Village, while Nagato, Konan, and Tsunade braced for trouble.
• Madara angrily repelled Liao Wu and sent him flying from the office building toward Rain Village’s outskirts.

Madara hurled Liao Wu into Huo Jin Lake while Tsunade and Konan resisted the Ninja Cats’ plan to force Tsunade into a wedding. Liao Wu survived and practiced Water Style beneath the lake as Madara watched the sky for signs that the Gods were targeting him.

• Candy ordered the Ninja Cats to prepare the wedding and seize Tsunade, while Konan and Nagato intervened to protect her.
• The Ninja Cats failed to overpower Nagato and Konan, and Fish Ball left to seek reinforcements.
• Candy threatened Nagato and Konan with Madara’s power and reminded them they were prisoners.
• Madara pinned Liao Wu into Huo Jin Lake and monitored the sky with his Rinnegan while considering how to respond if the Gods were targeting him.
• Liao Wu told Madara he was still practicing the Water Dragon Bullet Technique, which required forty-four hand seals.

Liao Wu battled Madara, countering his absorption of Liao Wu’s Chakra by restoring it with life spores and summoning a Wood Dragon. In the Leaf Village, Anko completed her White Zetsu Cell fusion and asked Orochimaru whether she could become a Jonin.

• Liao Wu’s Water Dragon Bullet was destroyed by Madara’s Shinra Tensei, and Madara pulled him from the lake with Banshō Ten'in.
• Liao Wu shattered Madara’s Susanoo fist with his enhanced strength, but Madara dodged his next attack and drained his Chakra with the Preta Path.
• Liao Wu used his life spores to restore his Chakra, learned the Wood Dragon Technique through a Spore Clone, and sent a Wood Dragon toward Madara.
• Anko successfully fused with White Zetsu Cells, gaining increased Chakra, strength, recovery, and abilities to absorb Chakra and change her appearance.
• Anko transformed into Orochimaru after absorbing his Chakra, fooled Danzo, Sakumo, and Hiruko, then asked Orochimaru whether she could become a Jonin.

Orochimaru learned from Root’s sealed files that Might Duy had defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen with the Eight Gates Formation, despite his Genin rank and the village’s efforts to conceal his feat. He proposed finding Duy’s cells so he could summon him as a Reanimation Body and test whether immortality would let Duy keep the Eight Gates open forever.

• Orochimaru asked Danzo to promote Anko to Jonin, while Danzo praised White Zetsu Cells and urged their wider use.
• Orochimaru said he planned to strengthen himself with White Zetsu Cells and Ryūchi Cave Senjutsu, then questioned Sakumo about Duy’s strength.
• Danzo brought Orochimaru, Sakumo, Hiruko, and others to Root and showed them Duy’s sealed battle file and photographs of the devastation left by the Eight Gates Formation.
• Danzo explained that opening the Gate of Death granted power dozens of times greater than the Five Kage’s but burned the user’s body to charcoal.
• Sakumo said Duy’s Genin-level stats had limited the technique’s power, while Danzo noted that Duy’s body had left no usable tissue.
• Orochimaru ordered Danzo to search Duy’s home for cells and realized a Reanimation Body might let Duy use the Eight Gates without dying.

Danzo introduced Orochimaru to Kano, a survivor of the Hashirama Cells experiments who could use a diminished Wood Style, and Orochimaru took him in as Yamato. After Orochimaru and Danzo agreed to work together against Madara Uchiha, Danzo grew angry that Orochimaru refused to revive Senju Tobirama and resolved to learn Impure World Reincarnation and take control of Orochimaru’s reanimated fighters.

• Danzo told Orochimaru that Impure World Reincarnation could not restore the life force needed for Might Duy to open the Gate of Death.
• Danzo revealed that Kano had survived the Hashirama Cells experiments, and Orochimaru tested his Wood Style before concluding it was a diminished version of the First Hokage’s power.
• Orochimaru made Kano his student, renamed him Yamato, and assigned Anko to look after him.
• Orochimaru and Danzo formed an alliance, agreeing to grow a prosthetic arm for Ryoma and exchange powerful ninja corpses for Orochimaru’s Reanimation forces.
• Danzo urged Orochimaru to revive Senju Tobirama, but Orochimaru refused because Tobirama could kill him if he let his guard down.
• After Orochimaru left, Danzo decided to learn Impure World Reincarnation and seize Orochimaru’s reanimated fighters.

Danzo sent Yakushi Nonō to infiltrate Rain Village and gather information on Madara Uchiha, offering her freedom and support for her orphanage if she succeeded. At Huo Jin Lake, Madara punished Ryobu for challenging him, while Ryobu considered finding the moon’s Tenseigan as a way to oppose Madara and escape his control.

• Danzo ordered Yakushi Nonō to infiltrate Rain Village, approach Uchiha Ryobu, and investigate Madara Uchiha, promising her freedom and funding for her orphanage if she completed the mission.
• Madara defeated Ryobu’s Wood Dragon and threw him aside, warning him not to let Hashirama’s Power make him overconfident.
• Madara wondered whether the moon’s Deities had noticed their battle and asked Ryobu how they could reach the moon, but Ryobu said he did not know how.
• Ryobu considered finding the spatial tunnel to the moon or using young Toneri and the Hyuga Clan’s pure Byakugan to obtain the Tenseigan and challenge Madara’s Rinnegan.