Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Liao Wu establishes Dusk, a group intended to oppose Akatsuki, and announces a long-term goal of restoring the Uchiha Clan.
• Dusk’s first mission is unexpectedly personal: Liao Wu orders Deidara to capture Konan so that she can have his children. Deidara agrees.
• Liao Wu asks Itachi whether he has considered marrying and having children. Itachi refuses, believing his clan’s crimes make him undeserving of a family.
• When Candy points out that Liao Wu’s identity is unknown to Itachi and Orochimaru, Liao Wu claims he came from the distant past through the Dragon Vein. The story is partly fabricated to conceal his origins.
• Meanwhile, Obito sends White Zetsu to search the Leaf’s records for Liao Wu’s supposed ancestor, Uchiha Ryobu. The records contain a matching family branch, but its Ryobu died as a toddler centuries later than Liao Wu’s claimed era. Obito suspects coincidence or deception; Black Zetsu also knows nothing of Liao Wu.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu reveals his ambitious, irreverent approach to rebuilding the Uchiha: he mixes clan restoration with his personal desire for children and uses a false history to explain himself.
• Itachi remains consumed by guilt over killing Izumi and his clan. He sees himself as unfit for an ordinary life, despite his restored physical health.
• Deidara accepts Liao Wu’s unusual assignment without question.
• Candy challenges Liao Wu to explain who he is before questioning Itachi about the clan.
• Obito distrusts Liao Wu and speculates that he may be one of Madara’s hidden pieces, while Black Zetsu is unsettled because he has no memory of such a powerful Uchiha.

Significant themes

• Guilt and the possibility of a future: Itachi’s physical recovery contrasts with his belief that his past has permanently disqualified him from happiness.
• Identity and deception: Liao Wu’s unverifiable origin story, Obito’s assumed identity as Madara, and the misleadingly relevant clan records all make ancestry and truth uncertain.
• The burdens of clan legacy: Itachi treats Uchiha heritage as a source of sin and violence, while Liao Wu frames it as something to restore.
• Fate and ominous appearances: Itachi recalls Danzo’s claim that his features foretold a life of conflict, reflecting how people interpret—and may be shaped by—expectations of destiny.

Key plot points and events

• Obito and the Zetsus consider whether Madara gave the ancient Uchiha Ryobu his Rinnegan. They decide verification would require taking the eye, but Obito fears Ryobu might be able to counter Kamui and abandons the idea.
• Itachi and Orochimaru learn Ryobu claims to be from the Warring States Period and Madara’s grandfather. Itachi remains doubtful and plans to investigate privately; Orochimaru is fascinated by the possibility of time travel but has no intention of studying the Dragon Vein himself.
• Ryobu tells Itachi to reveal what he knows about the Uchiha Massacre. Orochimaru outlines the village’s long-standing political exclusion of the Uchiha, connecting it to the Hokage leadership’s Senju lineage.
• Itachi explains that, after the Nine-Tails attack, the village moved the Uchiha to its outskirts. Their resentment grew, and they began plotting a coup. Orochimaru notes that Anbu had closely monitored the clan.
• Itachi reveals that his friend Shisui tried to prevent the coup using Kotoamatsukami, a Mangekyo ability that can alter someone’s will without their awareness. Orochimaru suspects Deidara may already have been affected by it.

Character developments and interactions

• Obito is cautious about confronting Ryobu, recognizing that his confidence in Kamui may not be enough.
• Itachi is guarded about Ryobu’s identity but becomes candid about the massacre’s background and Shisui’s power.
• Orochimaru demonstrates his knowledge of Konoha politics and remains scientifically curious, while privately suspecting Deidara has been manipulated.
• Deidara misunderstands parts of the political history and mocks Orochimaru for leaving the village. He reacts with disgust to Kotoamatsukami, unaware Orochimaru suspects it may have been used on him.
• Ryobu prompts Itachi to share the truth, while Orochimaru and Deidara draw out the account through questions and reactions.

Significant themes

• Political exclusion and mistrust: The Uchiha’s isolation, surveillance, and lack of representation deepen their hostility toward Konoha.
• Power and manipulation: Kotoamatsukami represents the disturbing possibility of controlling someone without their knowledge.
• Uncertain history and identity: Ryobu’s extraordinary account is intriguing but unverified, leaving Itachi suspicious.
• Legacy and factionalism: The Senju lineage’s influence over Hokage succession frames the Uchiha’s conflict as part of a longer clan rivalry.

Plot and key events

• The group discusses Shisui’s plan to use Kotoamatsukami to stop the Uchiha coup. Orochimaru argues that Shisui was naive to trust the village leadership: Danzo’s Root agents attacked him, Danzo took one eye, and Shisui died after being poisoned.
• Itachi recounts the Uchiha clan’s long estrangement from the Leaf Village, the coup preparations, and the massacre he carried out at thirteen. Obito helped eliminate the Uchiha Police Force, while Root stood ready to intervene if Itachi failed.
• Itachi asks Liao Wu what might have saved the clan. Liao Wu rejects the idea that the Uchiha could have achieved peace by submitting to the village, arguing that their clan was doomed once it joined the Senju-founded Leaf.
• Liao Wu proposes an alternative: rather than rebel or defect to another country, the Uchiha could have sought the Daimyo’s protection. Orochimaru agrees that the Daimyo might welcome the clan’s military strength and that the village might have hesitated to act against them if one of their own had joined the Guardian Twelve Ninja.

Character developments and interactions

• Itachi reflects on his lack of choices and the tragedy of carrying out the massacre, while recognizing that the clan’s fate might have been even worse under Orochimaru.
• Liao Wu reveals his old-era, hard-line Uchiha values: he believes a proud clan should either triumph decisively or perish openly, rather than be gradually subdued. He also offers a political strategy Itachi had not considered.
• Orochimaru mocks Shisui’s trust in Danzo and the village, then contributes a pragmatic reading of the balance between the Hokage and Daimyo.
• Deidara questions Shisui’s decision to target Fugaku rather than the village leaders, showing his outsider’s perspective on the affair.

Significant themes

• Clan loyalty versus village authority: the Uchiha’s loyalty to the Leaf never overcame their exclusion and mistrust.
• Power and political leverage: Liao Wu’s proposal suggests that protection could have come through the Daimyo, not just through force or rebellion.
• The cost of peace: Itachi and Shisui sought coexistence, but the discussion exposes how little control they had over either the clan or the village.
• Conflicting generations: Liao Wu’s warrior-era ideals clash with Itachi’s efforts to prevent bloodshed through compromise.

Key plot points and events

• The group discusses whether the Uchiha could have used the Land of Fire’s Daimyo to support their coup. Itachi argues the Daimyo would be deterred from interfering, while Orochimaru says the clan’s rebellion was reckless and poorly prepared.
• Liao Wu challenges Itachi’s view of the conflict, arguing that resistance can be a necessary response to oppression. He says the Uchiha should have sought allies—possibly other Ninja Villages—and planned for governing the Leaf after a successful coup.
• Itachi admits his father and the other conspirators never considered how they would manage the village’s factions or deal with Jiraiya and Tsunade. Orochimaru concludes that the Uchiha were outmatched by the village and that their coup was likely doomed.
• Liao Wu proposes restoring the Uchiha through the Rinnegan’s revival technique. Itachi refuses, fearing the clan would repeat its mistakes and suffer another tragedy.
• Liao Wu decides to proceed anyway. He orders Orochimaru and Snow Leopard to identify the massacre’s victims and gather their DNA, so they can first be restored through Impure World Reincarnation and then revived with Life Rebirth.

Character developments

• Itachi reflects on the Uchiha’s political failures and recognizes that his family had not planned beyond overthrowing the Hokage. He remains protective of the clan, but believes reviving them could expose them to renewed disaster.
• Liao Wu reframes the Uchiha rebellion as a response to injustice rather than merely a foolish bid for power. He is determined to resurrect the clan despite Itachi’s reservations.
• Orochimaru offers a pragmatic assessment of the coup’s odds and its aftermath, then accepts Liao Wu’s assignment to help bring the Uchiha back.
• Deidara proposes bombing the Hokage’s Office as a supposed coup strategy; Liao Wu points out that this would be terrorism, not a political rebellion.

Significant themes

• Resistance and oppression: Liao Wu argues that refusing to resist injustice can itself be morally culpable.
• Political strategy and isolation: The Uchiha’s lack of allies, poor planning, and failure to account for other village factions made their rebellion unsustainable.
• Learning from history: Itachi doubts the Uchiha can overcome their longstanding tendency to stand alone and repeat past errors.
• Guilt, responsibility, and resurrection: The possibility of restoring the clan raises the question of whether resurrection can repair past tragedy—or simply recreate its conditions.

Character interactions

• Liao Wu challenges Itachi’s Hokage-centered perspective and urges him to consider the Uchiha’s oppression and need for allies.
• Orochimaru and Itachi agree that the clan’s coup was strategically flawed, though Itachi resists the idea of bringing the clan back.
• Liao Wu directly asks Itachi whether he wants his clansmen revived; after Itachi declines, Liao Wu consults Orochimaru and assigns him the resurrection preparations.
• Deidara’s violent suggestion briefly interrupts the serious discussion, prompting Liao Wu to distinguish political rebellion from indiscriminate attack.

Plot points and events

• Liao Wu sets Dusk’s priorities: gather ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai, collect DNA from powerful shinobi, and establish a Ninja Museum. He also intends to revive the Uchiha Clan, despite Itachi’s unease about facing the relatives he killed.
• Liao Wu tells Orochimaru to reconnect with Kabuto, whose later abilities may exceed Orochimaru’s expectations. Orochimaru confirms he already has DNA samples from Sasori and Kakuzu.
• Dusk adopts Itachi’s goal of ending conflict, but plans to use its power to keep the Five Great Shinobi Nations united against Akatsuki.
• To prevent Akatsuki from reviving the Ten-Tails, Liao Wu orders Itachi to kill the Eight-Tails—and Killer B—and keep killing the beast whenever it revives. Itachi accepts, believing the sacrifice will preserve the balance of power and prevent war.
• The group discusses recruiting more members by reviving dead Akatsuki members. Sasori and Kakuzu’s DNA is available; locating Hidan’s burial place will be harder.
• The meeting ends with Liao Wu asking the group to find him women. Deidara jokes about Orochimaru’s body-transfer technique, and Orochimaru redirects the suggestion toward Deidara’s Transformation Technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Itachi remains committed to peace, but his willingness to sacrifice Killer B shows how far he will go to prevent a larger war. His silence over the Uchiha revival reveals guilt and fear about confronting his former clan.
• Liao Wu frames Dusk as a peacekeeping organization, while pursuing his own ambitions and maintaining control over its members. He uses threats and irreverent jokes to command the room.
• Orochimaru follows Liao Wu’s plans and reveals the breadth of his and Kabuto’s DNA-collection work. He is intrigued by Kabuto’s potential and visibly unsettled by Liao Wu’s threat to use relatives as leverage.
• Deidara tests the limits of the meeting with a question about blowing people up, then deflects Liao Wu’s demand for women toward Orochimaru.
• Candy points out Dusk’s lack of members, prompting the discussion of recruiting through reanimation.

Significant themes

• Peace through force: Dusk claims to stop wars, yet its plan relies on intimidation, strategic killing, and maintaining a common enemy.
• The cost of peace: Itachi accepts the death of an innocent jinchūriki as the price of preventing a wider catastrophe.
• Control and exploitation: DNA collection and reanimation turn the dead into resources, while Liao Wu’s threats show how power can be used to control allies.
• Guilt and reconciliation: The plan to revive the Uchiha forces Itachi to confront the consequences of his past.

Plot points and events

• Liao Wu makes crude demands for beautiful women, ordering Deidara to arrange an introduction to Kurotsuchi and Orochimaru to resurrect Tayuya. He dismisses collecting Fugaku Uchiha’s DNA and jokes that Fugaku would only be an obstacle.
• In Obito’s underground base, the search for Liao Wu’s origins has stalled because the Uchiha’s oldest records were lost. Black Zetsu secretly plants a scroll, Warring States Sealing History, among the archives.
• Tobi finds the scroll and alerts Obito. It describes dangerous people sealed in the Warring States era, including Nameless Uchiha, who possessed the Mangekyō technique Yachihoko—a power that controls minds and absorbs chakra—and the demon Satoru, who can read minds and anticipate attacks.
• Concerned that Liao Wu could disrupt the Moon Eye Plan, Obito decides to locate and release people he might control. He prioritizes Nameless, hoping to use her abilities against Liao Wu.
• Obito also plans to bring Sasuke into Akatsuki and have him capture the Eight-Tails, both to demonstrate his value and help him master his newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan. Since Itachi’s body and eyes are gone, Sasuke cannot obtain the Eternal Mangekyō; he intends to conserve his eye power and later replenish it with Karin’s cells.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu’s lecherous, impulsive side is emphasized. Deidara obeys without question, while Orochimaru recognizes Liao Wu’s interest in women as a possible weakness. Itachi avoids being drawn into the exchange by fleeing as crows.
• Obito grows increasingly anxious about Liao Wu’s strength and unpredictable influence. He shifts from searching for Liao Wu’s past to recruiting sealed threats as countermeasures.
• Black Zetsu quietly steers Obito toward that plan by planting the scroll, and privately shares his concern about Liao Wu.
• Obito sees Sasuke as a useful new Akatsuki member and intends to push him into action while helping him adapt to his Mangekyō.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Nameless was turned into a weapon, and Obito hopes to exploit her in the same way.
• Fear and escalation: Liao Wu’s presence prompts Obito to seek increasingly dangerous allies.
• Power’s cost: Sasuke must balance using his Mangekyō with preserving its limited strength.
• Manipulation and uncertainty: Black Zetsu subtly influences events, while Obito’s plans depend on controlling people who may prove uncontrollable.

Key plot points and events

• After the Great Toad Sage’s death is confirmed, the toads of Mount Myōboku grieve and try to understand what happened. Gama Ryu reports that a “lightning cat” appeared before the Sage died, and that the Sage’s name then vanished from the toads’ register.
• Jiraiya suspects Uchiha Ryobu, who once appeared catlike and whom the Great Toad Sage had seen in a prophetic Dreamscape. Fukasaku proposes that the Sage may have sacrificed himself to prevent Ryobu from destroying Mount Myōboku, though no one knows the truth.
• Shima wants to attack Ryobu, but Jiraiya and Fukasaku urge caution: Ryobu’s Complete Susanoo makes him too powerful to confront without a plan.
• Fukasaku asks Tsunade to arrange a Five Kage Summit, arguing that the villages must coordinate against Akatsuki and Ryobu.
• Fukasaku also urges Jiraiya to begin Naruto’s Senjutsu training. Jiraiya had planned to wait until Naruto was older, but Fukasaku argues that Naruto is already unusually strong and capable.

Character developments and interactions

• Fukasaku and Shima’s grief turns into anger and suspicion toward Ryobu. Shima is eager for revenge, while Fukasaku favors strategic action.
• Jiraiya acts as a voice of restraint, warning that Ryobu cannot be challenged recklessly. He also recalls his earlier plan to prioritize Senjutsu before Naruto attempts to master the Nine-Tails’ power.
• Tsunade recognizes the danger Ryobu poses to the village, especially given Konoha’s role in the Uchiha massacre, but refuses to sacrifice Danzo or another Leaf comrade to avert conflict.
• Naruto is presented as a promising but still young trainee: he has mastered Nine-Tails Chakra and Minato’s Flying Thunder God, though Senjutsu remains dangerous and physically demanding.

Significant themes

• Grief, uncertainty, and revenge: The toads mourn their leader but lack clear answers, leaving suspicion to fill the gap.
• Prophecy and choice: Fukasaku suggests that the Great Toad Sage may have changed a foretold disaster, raising the idea that the future can be altered.
• Power and caution: Ryobu’s strength makes ordinary confrontation futile, emphasizing the need for cooperation and planning.
• Duty and loyalty: Tsunade balances the village’s security against her refusal to abandon one of her own.
• Preparation under threat: Naruto’s training is advanced because Akatsuki’s pursuit of the Nine-Tails makes both his growth and protection urgent.

Plot points and events

• Naruto’s explosive growth—mastering Nine-Tails Chakra, Flying Thunder God, and Uzumaki sealing techniques—has given the Leaf hope against Akatsuki and other threats.
• Jiraiya and the toad sages propose teaching Naruto Mount Myōboku’s Senjutsu, which could make him an even stronger successor to Minato.
• Kakashi worries that Naruto’s personality has changed since returning from Rōran. Tsunade says he has become “a Little Jiraiya,” embarrassing Shizune by mentioning that Naruto groped her. Fukasaku considers Naruto’s behavior a normal sign of puberty.
• Koharu objects to sending Naruto to Mount Myōboku: the village needs him present to defend it from Nagato and other powerful enemies. The sages agree to teach him Sage Mode in the Leaf instead, despite the training being harder and more dangerous.
• After the sages return to Mount Myōboku, Tsunade confronts Jiraiya about being detected during his infiltration of Amegakure. Jiraiya explains that Nagato sensed him through the rain, but admits he stayed to investigate because he blames himself for Nagato’s path.

Character developments and interactions

• Naruto is recognized as exceptionally powerful, though his rapid transformation has also raised concerns about his behavior.
• Koharu puts the village’s immediate security ahead of Naruto’s training, arguing that he is its only viable defense against Nagato.
• Jiraiya remains burdened by guilt over his former students and believes his choices may have shaped Nagato into a threat. Tsunade challenges his decision to risk his life, while listening sympathetically to his regret.
• Tsunade is pragmatic and loyal to the Leaf; her recollection of the Rain orphans shows that she pitied them but could not risk empowering people who might threaten her village.
• Fukasaku is relaxed about Naruto’s growing sexuality and confident that Senjutsu can be taught outside Mount Myōboku.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Naruto’s strength offers hope, but also makes the village dependent on him.
• Duty versus personal guilt: Jiraiya risks himself because he feels responsible for Nagato, while Tsunade emphasizes the duty to survive and serve the village.
• Nature versus village loyalty: Tsunade’s past treatment of the Rain orphans reflects the conflict between compassion and allegiance to the Leaf.
• Growth and maturity: Naruto’s rapid development brings both new abilities and uncertainty about how he is changing.

Key plot points and events

• Tsunade and Jiraiya reflect on their past choices regarding Nagato: Tsunade would have killed him to protect the Leaf, Orochimaru would have exploited his Rinnegan, and Jiraiya would have tried to guide him more patiently.
• Jiraiya recalls Nagato as a gentle, withdrawn child who felt guilty after killing attackers with his awakened Rinnegan. He believes Yahiko’s death transformed Nagato and Konan. The “Pain” Jiraiya fought appeared to be a puppet made from Yahiko’s body.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade agree that investigating Yahiko’s death would distract from the urgent threat of Akatsuki.
• The pair share drinks and discuss the dangers of students turning against their teachers, recalling Orochimaru’s role in the Third Hokage’s death and Nagato’s conflict with Jiraiya.
• They suspect Orochimaru may still survive within Sasuke through his Curse Mark. Jiraiya thinks Sasuke’s weakness during his fight with Itachi may have let Orochimaru surface, before Itachi somehow removed him. Tsunade plans to watch for signs that Sasuke can still use the Curse Mark.
• They discuss Itachi’s role in the Uchiha massacre and the village’s inability to publicly clear his name. Danzo ordered the massacre, while the Third Hokage had accepted the leadership’s decision but later disbanded Root; it was eventually rebuilt under Tsunade.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiraiya shows regret over failing to understand Nagato’s pain, and compassion for the child Nagato once was. He also remains alert to the possibility that Orochimaru has survived.
• Tsunade expresses concern for Jiraiya’s safety and acknowledges that her own past losses left lasting wounds. Her uneasy feelings about winning at gambling reflect her belief that good fortune is followed by misfortune.
• Orochimaru is described as a hard-eyed realist, shaped by losing his parents in war, but still profoundly dangerous and obsessed with survival.
• Itachi is portrayed as a hidden hero who accepted blame for a massacre ordered by the village leadership. Jiraiya and Tsunade admire him, while recognizing the political reasons his name cannot be cleared.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade’s conversation blends teasing and shared memories with serious concern, showing their deep trust and the grief they carry over friends, students, and the cycle of war.

Significant themes

• War’s lasting damage: Repeated conflicts shape Nagato, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya, leaving grief and trauma across generations.
• The burden of loyalty and sacrifice: Nagato’s attachment to Yahiko and Itachi’s concealed role in the massacre show how personal devotion can lead to terrible choices.
• Teachers and students: The chapter contrasts the bonds between Jiraiya and Nagato, the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, and Itachi and Sasuke—relationships marked by affection, failure, and betrayal.
• Political responsibility and concealed truth: The Leaf’s leadership bears responsibility for the Uchiha massacre, yet Itachi carries the public disgrace.

Key plot points and events

• Jiraiya spends the night talking with Tsunade, but when she drunkenly mentions her dead love, Dan, he realizes she still hasn’t moved on. Shizune, who had been eavesdropping, helps Tsunade back to her room.
• In Sunagakure, Temari and Kankuro visit Gaara, who is studying a report from the Leaf Village. Temari insists on treating Gaara as her younger brother rather than formally as Kazekage, while Kankuro tries—and fails—to enforce protocol.
• The Leaf has invited the Five Great Shinobi Villages to the Chunin Exams, hoping to use the gathering to hold a Five Kage Summit about Akatsuki. Gaara strongly supports cooperation: he knows the Sand cannot face the organization alone and has struggled to secure support from the other villages.
• Gaara reveals that the report concerns Akatsuki’s headquarters in Amegakure. Temari immediately proposes invading the Rain Village, but Gaara tells her to read the intelligence before deciding. The chapter ends as she opens the top-secret document.

Character developments

• Jiraiya accepts that Tsunade remains emotionally attached to Dan and reflects ruefully on how missed opportunities shaped their lives.
• Tsunade is shown as still grieving and unable, even in her sleep, to let go of Dan.
• Gaara acts as a thoughtful, pragmatic leader, favoring inter-village cooperation and caution over impulsive military action.
• Temari remains fiercely protective of Gaara and outspoken, but her instinct to retaliate against Akatsuki may be tempered by the report.
• Kankuro attempts to uphold formal respect for the Kazekage, though Temari’s older-sister authority quickly overrides him.

Significant themes

• Lost chances and lingering grief: Jiraiya’s feelings for Tsunade are shaped by regret, while Tsunade’s love for Dan remains vivid.
• Family versus public duty: Temari’s refusal to address Gaara formally reflects her desire to remain his dependable sister despite his position.
• Trust and cooperation amid old rivalries: The Five Kage Summit offers a chance to unite against Akatsuki, but the villages’ histories of war and suspicion make collaboration difficult.
• Leadership and restraint: Gaara’s response contrasts with Temari’s urge to attack, emphasizing the importance of weighing intelligence before acting.

Character interactions

• Jiraiya quietly watches over Tsunade and exchanges farewells with Shizune, masking his disappointment.
• Temari and Kankuro bicker over whether she should use Gaara’s title; the exchange reveals their sibling dynamic and Temari’s protective role.
• Gaara shares the Leaf’s intelligence with his siblings, inviting them to reconsider their assumptions before choosing a response.

Key events

• Sunagakure’s leaders—Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro—review intelligence from the Leaf about Akatsuki, including Jiraiya’s findings from Amegakure.
• They learn that Akatsuki’s leader wields the Rinnegan and commands six powerful bodies, each with formidable abilities. Temari realizes an invasion of the Land of Rain would have been disastrous.
• Akatsuki aims to capture all nine Tailed Beasts and create a weapon capable of destroying a great nation, hoping to deter future wars. Since Sunagakure’s One-Tail has already been taken, the village may not be Akatsuki’s immediate target if it stays out of the conflict.
• Gaara expects the other great villages to take the threat seriously and attend the Leaf’s Chunin Exams, where a Five Kage Summit may be held.
• A second, more alarming report names Madara Uchiha as a possible Akatsuki member and confirms the existence of an ancient Uchiha, Ryobu, who arrived through the Dragon Vein and possesses power approaching that of a god. Ryobu has clashed with Akatsuki’s leader; if the two joined forces, the Five Great Villages might not be able to stop them.

Character developments and interactions

• Temari moves from confidence about Sunagakure’s military strength to caution after learning what the Rinnegan can do.
• Gaara remains composed, weighs the intelligence carefully, and emphasizes that some claims—especially about Madara—are uncertain, while Ryobu’s existence is confirmed.
• Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara share warm memories of Naruto, praising his loyalty to Gaara even when Sunagakure’s own people failed him. They joke about his chances of passing the Chunin written exam.

Significant themes

• Cooperation against shared threats: Akatsuki’s plans may force rival villages to unite.
• Power and uncertainty: The Rinnegan, Madara, and Ryobu raise the stakes, while incomplete intelligence makes judgment difficult.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Naruto’s devotion to Gaara contrasts with Sunagakure’s past abandonment of him.
• The cost of recklessness: Temari recognizes that underestimating an enemy could have led to Sunagakure’s destruction.

Chapter Summary: “Ryobu’s Envoy”

Key plot points and events

• Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro discuss Ryobu, a powerful figure who traveled from the Warring States Period through Rōran’s Dragon Vein. They fear that if Ryobu attacks the Leaf Village, the Sand Village may be targeted next.
• The siblings prepare to respond to the growing crisis when a cloud of smoke suddenly appears in the Kazekage’s office.
• The visitor is Fish Ball, Ryobu’s orange Ninja Cat summoning, who introduces himself and says his master is tired of war and does not intend to start one.
• Fish Ball’s assurances prove unconvincing. He demonstrates overwhelming Chakra, claiming he could destroy Sunagakure with a single Super Shinra Tensei.
• He announces that the Five Great Shinobi Villages must pay Ryobu tribute in exchange for their continued independence and protection.
• When Kankuro challenges him, Fish Ball catches him in a Sharingan illusion, making him behave like a cat. Temari breaks the illusion.
• Gaara deduces that Fish Ball’s allies have secretly sealed the office with a Barrier, preventing the Shadow Guard from responding. Recognizing the danger, he asks what tribute Ryobu expects.

Character developments

• Gaara remains cautious and pragmatic. Rather than risk the Sand Village’s survival out of pride, he accepts the need to negotiate.
• Temari stays alert and capable, preparing to fight and then helping Kankuro recover from Fish Ball’s illusion.
• Kankuro reacts indignantly to Fish Ball’s threats, but his anger leaves him vulnerable to the Sharingan.
• Fish Ball presents himself as Ryobu’s envoy, combining reassurance with intimidation. His power and bold demands reveal that he is not merely delivering a friendly message.

Character interactions

• Gaara and his siblings discuss the threat Ryobu poses to the balance of the Five Great Nations.
• Fish Ball tries to reassure them about Ryobu’s reluctance to wage war, but his threats and demand for tribute undermine the claim.
• Kankuro openly confronts Fish Ball; Fish Ball retaliates with an illusion, and Temari intervenes.
• Gaara addresses Fish Ball respectfully and seeks the terms of tribute, prioritizing the village’s safety over appearances.

Significant themes

• Power and political coercion: Fish Ball frames tribute as protection, making submission a condition of independence.
• Pragmatism over pride: Gaara is willing to negotiate because preserving the village matters more than maintaining appearances.
• The collapse of the old order: The prospect of Ryobu’s intervention adds to the instability already threatening the Five Great Nations.
• Trust versus evidence: Fish Ball’s assurances about Ryobu carry little weight beside the force he demonstrates; the Sand leaders resolve to judge by actions.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Fish Ball reveals that his master, Liao Wu, is interested in controlling women. The revelation surprises Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, but Gaara finds it less frightening than the prospect of Liao Wu pursuing peace through mass destruction, as Akatsuki’s leader intends.
• Fish Ball explains that Sand Village can gain Liao Wu’s protection by offering him women. He names Temari, the Kazekage’s sister and the village’s “flower,” as the offering.
• Gaara refuses to sacrifice Temari. Temari, believing that her submission might spare the village from war, offers to become Liao Wu’s slave instead.
• Gaara pulls Temari behind him and declares that he will not become like his father. Having only just escaped his own “hell,” he will not let someone close to him be dragged into one.

Character developments and interactions

• Gaara acts as both Temari’s brother and the Kazekage, insisting that he cannot trade an individual’s happiness for the village’s safety. His resolve reflects the change brought about by Naruto: he now values protecting others rather than living only for himself.
• Temari shows her sense of duty and independence. Though she dislikes the idea of belonging to Liao Wu and has feelings for Shikamaru, she is prepared to sacrifice her own future for Sand Village.
• Fish Ball presses Gaara with the practical costs of refusing protection, pointing out that war already brings suffering to ordinary villagers. His challenge exposes the difficult trade-off behind Gaara’s ideal.
• Gaara and Temari clash over sacrifice: Temari volunteers herself, while Gaara refuses to let her bear that burden. His intervention moves Temari, who remembers how different he is from their father.

Significant themes

• Protection versus sacrifice: The chapter questions whether peace is worth buying at the cost of an individual’s freedom and happiness.
• The burden of leadership: Gaara must weigh his responsibility to the whole village against his duty to protect his sister.
• Breaking from the past: Gaara’s refusal to imitate his father marks his rejection of the cruelty and sacrifice that shaped his childhood.
• Love and responsibility: Temari’s willingness to give herself up and Gaara’s determination to protect her both stem from care for others, though they lead them to opposite choices.

Plot points and events

• Fish Ball, an envoy of Liao Wu—whom Candy identifies by the honored title Sage Riri—assures Gaara that refusing to give Temari in marriage will not provoke war. He says Sand Village can take time to consider the proposal while he continues his diplomatic tour.
• Before leaving, Fish Ball tries to bargain for a beautiful female cat as a personal side deal, suggesting he will praise Sand Village to his master in return.
• Candy, his fellow envoy, knocks him aside and takes him away using Kunado God. She makes clear that the attempted bribe is beneath her standards and stresses her master’s title.
• The barrier around Gaara’s office disappears. Gaara’s guards never noticed the meeting, and Kankuro and Temari find no dangerous trace left behind.
• The siblings discuss the envoys’ abilities and the possible marriage proposal. Gaara decides Sand Village should remain on good terms with Sage Riri for now, gather intelligence, and inform the Leaf Village.

Character developments and interactions

• Gaara stays composed and practical. He recognizes the envoys’ power, prioritizes the Akatsuki threat, and tells Temari not to devalue herself for the village’s sake.
• Temari is both uneasy about being singled out by a powerful stranger and flattered that she was chosen. She admits that improving the desert could tempt her, and says she would sacrifice herself if the village’s survival required it—though she agrees it must be a last resort.
• Kankuro is angry and embarrassed after Fish Ball’s Sharingan briefly controls him. He mocks Temari’s possible interest in the proposal but also worries that she could be mistreated or treated as a possession.
• Fish Ball comes across as opportunistic, seeking a private reward even after making a diplomatic appeal.
• Candy acts as his stern counterweight: she stops his misconduct, protects the dignity of the mission, and demonstrates formidable skill.

Significant themes

• Diplomacy and power: The envoys’ effortless entry and escape show that Sage Riri’s influence is backed by exceptional abilities.
• Duty versus personal dignity: Temari weighs her feelings and self-worth against the possible benefit to Sand Village.
• Family and respect: Gaara and Kankuro’s concern for Temari contrasts with the danger of treating her as a bargaining asset.
• Caution under uncertainty: The siblings do not know what Sage Riri is truly like, so Gaara chooses investigation and diplomacy before making a decision.

Plot points and events

• Candy and Fish Ball continue their diplomatic tour of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, arriving in the Leaf Village after Sunagakure.
• They find Liao Wu disguised as Naruto and working at Ichiraku Ramen. He jokes that he is unprepared for the approaching Chunin Exams, prompting Teuchi and Ayame to warn him that handing in another blank paper would undermine his chances.
• Liao Wu flirts with Ayame, who resists his advances but has grown accustomed to his boundary-pushing behavior. He asks her to date him if he becomes a Chunin; she refuses, citing their age difference. He leaves after Teuchi pays him for his work.
• Rather than study, Liao Wu continues using Naruto’s identity to get close to women, with little concern for their feelings. Candy and Fish Ball teleport to him under an illusion that fools the Anbu. Liao Wu immediately asks Candy if she can transform into a Cat Girl.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu presents himself as an unserious, academically inept Naruto, while his real motives are manipulative and self-serving. His exchanges with Ayame mix teasing, unwanted physical advances, and apparent affection.
• Ayame gently but firmly rebuffs him, while still showing concern for Naruto’s future and treating him with familiarity.
• Teuchi acts as a practical mentor, encouraging Naruto to study and insisting on fair payment for his help.
• Candy and Fish Ball successfully reach Liao Wu without detection; Candy’s reaction to his Cat Girl request provides the chapter’s closing joke.

Significant themes

• The Chunin Exams assess judgment, initiative, and leadership—not just combat strength or correct answers. The chapter contrasts Naruto’s blank-paper approach with the expectation that a capable ninja should improvise, gather information, and demonstrate competence.
• Ninja culture is portrayed as valuing mission results over personal bonds, even when loyalty to a partner is condemned.
• The chapter also contrasts ordinary fairness—seen in Teuchi’s insistence on paying for work—with Liao Wu’s cynical disregard for genuine affection and consent.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Liao Wu feeds Candy and Fish Ball, then explains his plan to force Sand Village to hand over Temari. He expects the Five Great Shinobi Villages to weaken in their conflict with the Akatsuki after he devoured Naruto, whom he calls the villages’ “Child of Destiny.”
• He orders Candy to secretly control the Land of Wind’s Daimyo and cut off Sand Village’s funding, hoping to make the village desperate for his help.
• Fish Ball jokes about taking female cats as a bribe. Liao Wu punishes him, despite Candy noting the hypocrisy of Liao Wu demanding indulgence for himself while restricting his followers.
• The cats propose negotiating with Tsunade for a Leaf Village beauty. Fish Ball suggests the elderly Utatane Koharu, and Liao Wu shocks him for the suggestion. Liao Wu instead declares that Tsunade must bear him ten Uchiha children as revenge for Leaf Village’s role in the Uchiha massacre.
• The group has captured three Anbu in an illusion. Liao Wu refuses to kill them because he wants Uzuki Yugao for himself, and he has Candy secretly implant a Spore in her.
• Candy and Fish Ball go to the Hokage’s Office to negotiate. Once their illusion ends, the Anbu resume watching Liao Wu, unaware of what happened.
• Liao Wu later heads toward the Yamanaka Flower Shop, planning to visit Kurenai with Ino. Meanwhile, Yugao and two other Anbu are assigned to watch him and protect Naruto.
• Liao Wu secretly marks the two other Anbu, Tiger Mark Mask and Eagle Mask, with Yachihoko and makes them his slaves. They arrange to leave Yugao alone on duty.
• Using a Remote Control, Liao Wu causes the Spore inside Yugao to produce an itching sensation. Yugao senses something is wrong but stays at her post because she must guard Naruto.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu is shown as calculating, domineering, and sexually predatory. He plans to manipulate Sand Village’s finances, control women, and exploit his powers to infiltrate Leaf Village.
• Candy follows his orders but privately recognizes his double standards, especially in his treatment of Fish Ball.
• Fish Ball is playful and opportunistic, trying to bargain for female cats and teasing Liao Wu about Koharu. His joking brings out Liao Wu’s vanity and volatility.
• Yugao remains dutiful and vigilant despite the unexplained discomfort caused by Liao Wu’s Spore. Her concern for Naruto keeps her from seeking medical help.
• Tiger Mark Mask and Eagle Mask appear to be loyal Anbu, but secretly become Liao Wu’s controlled agents and help isolate Yugao.

Significant themes

• Power and manipulation: Liao Wu uses political pressure, deception, and supernatural control to weaken his enemies and exploit those around him.
• Duty versus personal safety: Yugao ignores her own health concerns because she feels responsible for protecting Naruto.
• Hypocrisy and entitlement: Liao Wu condemns Fish Ball’s attempted indulgence while freely pursuing women himself.
• Corruption of trust: The Anbu’s apparent loyalty conceals Liao Wu’s control, turning the village’s own protectors into tools against it.

Key plot points

• Liao Wu visits Ino at the Yamanaka flower shop and asks her to accompany him to see Kurenai. Ino chooses pink carnations, hoping for Kurenai’s safe delivery.
• Unsure what to bring, Liao Wu settles on an A-rank illusion technique, Phantom Dream Ruins, which traps a target in nested, repeating illusions. He claims it was left to him by Minato and argues that a technique should be shared rather than forgotten.
• Liao Wu flirts with Ino, turning a shop rose into a golden one with Wood Style. Ino blushes, accepts it, and leaves with him hand-in-hand.
• Ino’s mother approves of Naruto, while Yugao—secretly watching over him—suspects he is flirting with several women and abruptly suffers a mysterious curse-like discomfort.
• At Kurenai’s home, Liao Wu breaks down in front of Asuma’s memorial tablet, crying even more dramatically than Ino.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu presents himself as generous and thoughtful toward Kurenai’s future and career, but also playfully courts Ino. His tearful reaction at Asuma’s memorial hints at an unusually intense or performative emotional streak.
• Ino is touched by Liao Wu’s romantic gesture, though she protests that he is giving away something far too valuable. Her ease in taking his hand suggests growing closeness.
• Yugao remains Naruto’s hidden protector, but her judgment of his apparent romantic fickleness complicates her view of him.
• Ino’s mother favors Liao Wu and contrasts him with Sasuke, whose past and affiliations she considers worrying.
• Kurenai’s situation is framed by the loss of Asuma: she is pregnant, and the couple had never formally married. The Sarutobi clan’s hopes now rest on Konohamaru.

Significant themes

• Legacy and preservation: Liao Wu believes valuable techniques should be passed on and used, not left to gather dust.
• Love and courtship: The chapter portrays affection through gestures and mutual attention rather than explicit declarations.
• Loss and family decline: Asuma’s death follows the Third Hokage’s, leaving Kurenai to face pregnancy alone and the Sarutobi clan weakened.
• Jealousy and appearances: Yugao sees Liao Wu’s attentions to different women and questions his sincerity.

Plot points and events

• Liao Wu, posing as Naruto, breaks down over Asuma’s death and claims he caused it because the Akatsuki came for the Nine-Tails. Hong comforts him, though the narration clarifies that Kakuzu and Hidan were in the Land of Fire to pursue a bounty and would only have captured Naruto if they encountered him.
• Hong tells him Asuma’s death was not his fault and recalls that Naruto had been blamed and mistreated by villagers after the Nine-Tails attack. She admits she once resented him because her father died in that attack, but later learned Naruto had been made a scapegoat.
• Liao Wu reflects on the Third Hokage’s responsibility. He accepts that the Third may have been kind and protective, but considers him a failure for not giving Minato and Kushina’s son the care and recognition the village owed him.
• Liao Wu turns his thoughts toward Danzo, whom he holds chiefly responsible for Naruto’s suffering. He considers elaborate, brutal retaliation against Danzo and the Shimura clan.
• Ino catches Liao Wu smiling. He hides his disturbing thoughts, acts innocent, and tells Hong that he once believed his own death might free the village from the Nine-Tails’ burden. Hong embraces him, deeply moved.

Character developments and interactions

• Liao Wu/Naruto: Uses apparent guilt to draw closer to Hong, while privately rationalizing his conduct and plotting revenge. Naruto’s memories have become so integrated into him that Naruto’s suffering feels personal. His tenderness and cruelty coexist.
• Hong: Responds with compassion, admits her past prejudice, and reassures him that he is not the Nine-Tails or responsible for Asuma’s death. Her care intensifies as she sees him as a wounded child.
• Ino: Briefly interrupts Liao Wu’s private thoughts by noticing his smile.
• The Third and Danzo: The chapter distinguishes the Third’s good intentions from his failures as Hokage, while casting Danzo as a central target of Liao Wu’s anger.

Themes

• Scapegoating and political manipulation: The village directs grief and anger over the Nine-Tails attack toward Naruto and the Uchiha rather than confronting its leaders or the source of its losses.
• Responsibility versus intention: Good intentions do not erase the harm caused by failing to protect or care for others.
• Trauma, guilt, and belonging: Naruto’s imposed shame shapes his self-image, while Liao Wu uses guilt to create emotional dependence.
• Revenge and dehumanization: Liao Wu’s desire to make Danzo suffer shows how vengeance can reproduce cruelty rather than heal it.

Plot points

• Tsunade coordinates the upcoming Chunin Exams and tries to organize a Five Kage Summit about Akatsuki. Gaara and Mei will attend, but Ōnoki dismisses the danger and the Fourth Raikage makes a provocative demand for the Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki.
• Fish Ball, an unusual cat with a Sharingan and Rinnegan, infiltrates the Hokage’s Office as an envoy for Uchiha Ryobu, whom he calls Sage Riri. He tells Tsunade that Ryobu knows the Leaf’s leaders ordered the Uchiha Massacre and demands that she bear him ten children as compensation. Tsunade attacks, but Fish Ball escapes after delivering the message.
• Later, Liao Wu—posing as Naruto—offers Kurenai a valuable A-rank genjutsu scroll. She initially refuses it, but he explains that he wants her to teach him genjutsu so he can address Naruto’s apparent weakness before fighting Sasuke again.

Character developments and interactions

• Tsunade’s diplomatic efforts reveal her frustration with the other villages’ lingering distrust and competing ambitions. She responds with anger to Ryobu’s crude demand.
• Fish Ball acts as Ryobu’s boastful, provocative messenger, while his infiltration demonstrates the reach of Ryobu’s influence.
• Kurenai is cautious about accepting an expensive gift, but remains warm and willing to help her supposed new student. Ino recognizes that Kurenai will consider the scroll too valuable to accept.
• Liao Wu uses his Naruto disguise to seek training; privately, he knows the claimed weakness does not reflect his own abilities.

Significant themes

• Distrust and political rivalry: The villages disagree over the Akatsuki threat, while some appear more concerned with power and resources than cooperation.
• Reparation and coercion: Ryobu frames the Leaf’s responsibility for the massacre as grounds for restitution, but his demand of Tsunade is exploitative and absurd.
• Appearance versus reality: Liao Wu’s request is shaped by the Naruto persona he is impersonating, contrasting with his actual abilities.

Summary

Naruto asks Kurenai to teach him Illusion Techniques, explaining that after his experiences in Rōran and mastering Wood Style, he awakened Yin Release Chakra. Kurenai confirms that his active mental energy supports this claim. Though she suggests Jiraiya, Naruto says he is too busy, and she agrees to teach him at her home each afternoon. After some urging from Naruto and Ino, Kurenai accepts Naruto’s valuable Illusion Technique scroll as a gift.
Naruto and Ino spend the evening with Kurenai, helping her prepare dinner. Their playful closeness makes Kurenai realize they are dating. She wonders how Hinata—who has long loved Naruto—would feel, but decides not to interfere. Their conversation also brings up Kurenai’s late partner, Asuma, and the danger of the ninja world. Naruto comforts her by declaring that he will protect everyone in the village and become Hokage. His ambition moves Kurenai, who resolves to help him grow into a Hokage who might change a world shaped by death.
On the way home, Ino asks whether Naruto truly intends to overcome his weakness. She admits she has not mastered her family’s inherited technique and doubts her own ability with Illusion Techniques, but tells Naruto she will rely on him for protection. Naruto notes that her family’s techniques involve Yin Release and suggests she may have talent for illusions.

Character developments and interactions

• Naruto shows a new determination to improve, while presenting himself as a future protector and Hokage. His concern for Kurenai also helps ease her grief.
• Kurenai moves from cautious teacher to committed mentor. Naruto’s resemblance to Minato and his promise to protect others restore some of her hope.
• Ino is affectionate and confident in her relationship with Naruto, though she is modest about her own abilities and openly trusts him.
• Kurenai recognizes Naruto and Ino’s romance and reflects on Hinata’s unrequited feelings, but chooses to leave the young people to their own choices.

Significant themes

• Loss and mortality: Asuma’s death and Minato’s fate lead Kurenai to question whether strength can truly defy death.
• Hope and responsibility: Naruto’s aspiration to protect the village gives Kurenai a reason to believe the cycle of loss may be changed.
• Youth and unfulfilled love: Kurenai accepts that affection does not always turn out as hoped, connecting her memories of Asuma with Hinata’s feelings for Naruto.
• Mentorship and growth: Kurenai’s training offers Naruto a path to overcome a weakness, while Naruto’s determination inspires her in return.