Chapter Summaries

Liao Wu controlled the Fourth Raikage with an illusion and explained to Sasuke how Itachi’s ideals had shaped his life. Sasuke admitted he still did not know what he truly wanted, while Liao Wu urged him not to rush and showed concern for him.

• At Liao Wu’s signal, the Fourth Raikage nearly slit his own throat, and Samui, Mabui, Sasuke, and Suigetsu realized how powerful Liao Wu’s illusions were.
• Liao Wu told Sasuke that Itachi had chosen to pursue peace after witnessing the horrors of war as a child.
• Liao Wu explained that Itachi’s goal had become a deep-rooted yearning, then asked Sasuke whether he could bring himself to kill Naruto, Sakura, or Kakashi.
• Sasuke could not answer and recognized that he still held on to his bonds with the Leaf Village.
• After reflecting on Itachi and the Uchiha’s history, Sasuke said he had not yet discovered what he truly wanted.
• Liao Wu told Sasuke to take his time, and Sasuke felt warmed by the care of a fellow clan member.

Liao Wu left the captured Root assassin with the Cloud Village after Sasuke chose to join them and the Hawk Team identified the attack as Danzo’s work. Sasuke and Karin confirmed their wedding would be held the next day and invited Liao Wu to bring Itachi.

• Sasuke told Liao Wu he wanted to join the Cloud Village, and Liao Wu asked the Hawk Team who had attacked them.
• Jugo described the attacker’s chakra-devouring insects, and Sasuke recognized him as an Aburame ninja.
• Suigetsu and Mabui identified the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, linking the captured ninja to Danzo’s Root.
• Samui suspected a Leaf Village spy had helped Root time the attack during the Anbu shift change, and Mabui said the Cloud Village would demand compensation from the Leaf Village.
• Liao Wu left the captured ninja with Samui and Mabui, then asked Sasuke about his wedding with Karin.
• Karin confirmed that the wedding was the next day and asked Liao Wu to bring Itachi.

Liao Wu helped Sasuke and Karin prepare for their wedding, promising that Itachi would attend and planning a surprise for Sasuke. After releasing the Fourth Raikage from his illusion, Liao Wu took an item from each of Mabui and Samui and vanished, leaving the Raikage furious and the Cloud Village shaken.

• Liao Wu reassured Karin that Itachi would come to Sasuke's wedding, and Sasuke set aside his plans to renegotiate with the Cloud Village.
• Liao Wu promised Sasuke a surprise and decided to dig up the Uchiha Clan's graves so he could resurrect the clan for the wedding.
• Mabui and Samui offered to discuss terms with Liao Wu to secure the Fourth Raikage's release, while the Cloud Village shinobi struggled with their helplessness.
• Liao Wu refused to take Mabui and Samui themselves but secretly took one item from each of them.
• Liao Wu dispelled the illusion on the Fourth Raikage and vanished, and the enraged Raikage punched a huge hole through the rock.

At a barbecue meal, Liao Wu disguised as Naruto reassured Team Seven about Sasuke's capture and argued over what the Cloud Village might do with his Sharingan. The conversation ended with Jiraiya explaining that villages had to protect their own interests, even against current allies.

• Jiraiya treated Team Seven to a meal while watching them, and Sakura worried that the Cloud Village would torture Sasuke.
• Liao Wu swapped places with his Spore Clone, posed as Naruto, and dramatically declared he would rescue Sasuke because he was his Great Bond.
• Liao Wu argued that Sasuke's capture could keep him from doing more harm as a member of the Akatsuki, and Jiraiya agreed that it might stop him from falling further.
• Sai suggested that the Cloud Village might persuade Sasuke to join because of his Sharingan, prompting Liao Wu to joke that Sasuke could revive the Uchiha there.
• Liao Wu criticized the Leaf Village's treatment of the Uchiha, but Ino stopped him from continuing, and Jiraiya explained that villages had to guard against even potential allies.

After Sasuke and his companions were attacked in the Cloud Village, Tsunade summoned Jiraiya and Kakashi to discuss the incident and suspected Danzo’s Root. She ordered an investigation into the ninja assigned to guard the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, while Sasuke’s fate remained unknown.

• At the barbecue restaurant, Jiraiya and Kakashi left after receiving an urgent message, and Liao Wu, Shikamaru, Sai, and Sakura each made excuses to leave Choji with the remaining meat.
• Tsunade told Jiraiya and Kakashi that Sasuke and his companions had been attacked by a powerful explosion in Kumogakure and that the Cloud Village had placed Shikaku and the others under house arrest.
• Jiraiya considered whether the Akatsuki and Deidara were responsible, but doubted they would attack Sasuke so openly.
• Kakashi suggested that Danzo had arranged the attack to stop Sasuke from joining the Cloud Village and giving it access to the Uchiha bloodline.
• Tsunade ordered the Anbu to investigate the ninja assigned to guard the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio after Jiraiya warned that someone around Shikaku might be compromised.

Tsunade approved a mission to Kumogakure to investigate Sasuke’s attack and prevent him from joining the Cloud Village, while forbidding Naruto from going. As Jiraiya’s team departed, Naruto gave them Flying Thunder God kunai, leaving Jiraiya reminded of Minato and proud of Naruto.

• Tsunade and Jiraiya discussed the danger of Sasuke joining the Cloud Village and agreed to investigate what had happened to him.
• Kakashi and Sakura asked to accompany Jiraiya, and Ino, Shikamaru, Sai, and Liao Wu also appeared; Tsunade approved Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai for the mission.
• Jiraiya refused to take Liao Wu because he was Naruto and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and Ino dispelled his Sexy Jutsu after he tried to persuade Jiraiya.
• Sai created a Giant Ink Eagle, and the team prepared to leave for Kumogakure.
• Naruto gave Jiraiya and the others Flying Thunder God kunai so he could teleport to their aid if needed, and Jiraiya thought of Minato and felt proud of Naruto.

Jiraiya revealed to Kakashi that Kushina had been the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki and concluded that Madara had released the beast during her childbirth, causing Minato and Kushina’s deaths. Kakashi learned that his grief had a target and resolved to confront Madara.

• Jiraiya left with Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai for the Land of Lightning while Ino scolded Liao Wu for groping her.
• Jiraiya explained that Mito and Kushina had been the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki, and that the Uzumaki Clan’s sealing techniques made its members ideal vessels.
• Jiraiya reasoned that an intruder had exploited Kushina’s weakened seal during childbirth and identified Madara as the likely culprit.
• Kakashi realized Madara had attacked Minato and Kushina, awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, and felt driven to confront Madara even at the cost of his own life.

Liao Wu hypnotized Shikamaru to learn where Hidan was buried and told Kakuzu to rescue him, while Danzo discovered that Zhixing and the others had been exposed. The chapter left Danzo preparing to respond to the exposure.

• Jiraiya and Kakashi agreed that they hated Madara and would make him pay, while Sai said the conflict between the Uchiha and the village could not have been eased.
• Liao Wu, Ino, and Shikamaru returned to the barbecue restaurant, where Shikamaru told them Sasuke had been attacked in the Cloud Village.
• In the restroom, Liao Wu revealed his Sharingan to Shikamaru, learned Hidan's burial place, and relayed it to Kakuzu so he could rescue his partner.
• Liao Wu erased Shikamaru's memories of their encounter, and Shikamaru returned to the meal without realizing what had happened.
• Danzo summoned Yamanaka Fū and Aburame Torune and told them that Zhixing and the others had been exposed.

Danzo sent Torune to the Cloud Village to determine whether Sasuke had survived and to silence Jiyuki before Root’s involvement could be exposed. Meanwhile, Liao Wu found that the Uchiha dead had been cremated, thwarting his plan to reanimate them as a surprise for Sasuke’s wedding.

• Danzo suspected that Jiyuki had been captured by the Cloud Village and ordered Torune to investigate Sasuke’s fate and kill Jiyuki or recover his body.
• Danzo told Yamanaka Fū to prepare Root to relocate and cover up its involvement, while reflecting on his ambition to become Hokage.
• Liao Wu searched Anbu records for the Uchiha Clan’s remains while talking with Yugao.
• Liao Wu discovered that the Anbu had cremated the Uchiha and buried their ashes together near Naka Shrine.
• Liao Wu realized the cremation explained why Kabuto could not reanimate the Uchiha and lamented that he could not use them to surprise Sasuke at his wedding.

Liao Wu decided to use the Dragon Vein to travel back to the night of the Uchiha clan’s annihilation and bring the clan members to the present. He agreed to let Yugao accompany him so she could try to change Jifeng’s fate, and they arrived in Rōran, where Yugao recognized the reanimated Sasori.

• Liao Wu learned that the Anbu had cremated the Uchiha bodies, making it impossible to use their remains for Impure World Reincarnation, and rejected Fish Ball’s suggestion to enter the Pure Land.
• Liao Wu decided to travel to the past and bring the Uchiha clan forward before Itachi and Obito attacked; Yugao asked to come with him to help Jifeng survive his encounter with Baki.
• Liao Wu agreed to take Yugao, and Fish Ball transported them to Rōran with Space-Time Ninjutsu after they left Spore Clones in their place.
• Liao Wu, Yugao, Candy, and Fish Ball reached the Dragon Vein Tower, where Sasori was using Dragon Vein chakra to develop an independent, self-aware puppet.
• Yugao recognized Sasori and realized that Liao Wu had used Impure World Reincarnation on former Akatsuki members.

Liao Wu used the Dragon Vein to take Yugao and Sasori back to the Second Ninja World War, after Sasori asked to save his parents from Hatake Sakumo. They arrived in the Land of Rain and entered Chiyo’s command tent, where Sasori greeted his grandmother.

• Liao Wu told Sasori he wanted to use the Dragon Vein to return to the Uchiha massacre and resurrect his clan, and Yugao accompanied him.
• Sasori asked Liao Wu to take him back to when he was a child so he could save his parents from White Fang.
• Liao Wu used his Rinnegan and Sara Clan bloodline to open a passage through time, bringing Sasori and Yugao to Year 37 of Leaf Village.
• The group left Rōran unnoticed and traveled to the Sand Village camp in the Land of Rain to find Chiyo.
• Sasori entered Chiyo’s command tent and called her Grandma.

During the Second Shinobi War, a future Sasori appeared before Chiyo and revealed that her son and daughter-in-law were destined to die at the hands of the Leaf's White Fang. Chiyo joined Sasori and Liao Wu to reach them before the attack.

• Chiyo mistook the teenage Sasori for an impostor until he convinced her that he had come from the future.
• Sasori told Chiyo that White Fang would kill Liya and Zhi, and Chiyo found their mission route to the Leaf Village's supply line.
• Chiyo insisted on accompanying Sasori to protect her son and daughter-in-law.
• Liao Wu took Sasori, Chiyo, and Yugao into the sky and flew toward the supply line.
• Chiyo asked Sasori what happened after his parents died, but he said she would not want to hear it.

Liya and Zhi’s mission to raid the Leaf Village’s supply line ended in a deadly ambush by Sakumo, the White Fang. Sasori arrived through Impure World Reincarnation to save his parents and confront Sakumo, and the chapter left them poised to fight.

• Liya and Zhi led their puppet squad into a Leaf ambush, where Sakumo destroyed their puppets and killed the rest of the squad.
• Liya suspected that someone in the Sand Village had leaked their mission to eliminate him and Zhi, while Sakumo prepared to strike them down.
• Zhi pushed Liya out of the way of Sakumo’s blade, but Sasori fell from the sky and blocked the blow with his body.
• Sasori’s body regenerated after Sakumo cut him in two, and he identified himself as an avenger before sending chakra threads at the Leaf Ninja.
• Sasori challenged Sakumo to fight, determined to protect his parents and kill the man he had long wanted revenge on.

Sasori used endless chakra threads to overwhelm Sakumo and his comrades, while Liao Wu explained how Sakumo's loyalty to companions had led to his downfall. The battle shifted in Sasori's favor as Sakumo's chakra began to run low.

• Sasori controlled Sakumo's companions with a mass of chakra threads and made them attack him, while Sakumo cut the threads to protect them.
• Liao Wu accidentally confirmed to Chiyo that Sakumo had died after abandoning a mission for his companions and suffering the village's slander.
• Sakumo rescued a Leaf Ninja from Sasori's attempt to make him commit suicide, continuing to prioritize his comrades over attacking Sasori.
• Sasori exploited Sakumo's concern for his companions as Sakumo's chakra dwindled, and Sakumo stopped using the white chakra flow when cutting threads.

Sasori wore Sakumo down and killed him, then prepared to turn his body into a human puppet. As Yugao condemned Liao Wu for perpetuating the cycle of hatred, Liao Wu silenced her with a jutsu.

• Sasori controlled an Anbu Ninja as a puppet and used Sakumo's companions against him until Sakumo was fatally wounded.
• Sakumo apologized to Sasori for killing his parents, then died thinking of Kakashi.
• Sasori collected Sakumo's corpse and began preparing it as a human puppet while Chiyo, Liya, and Zhi watched.
• Yugao blamed Liao Wu for setting Kakashi on a path toward becoming a demon, but Sasori said he had no interest in killing Kakashi.
• Liao Wu argued that eliminating entire sides would end cycles of hatred, and Yugao objected that ordinary people could not wipe each other out completely.
• Liao Wu cast a jutsu that made Yugao snore.

Sasori reunited with Chiyo, Liya, and Zhi after killing Sakumo, and their farewell forced him to confront the emotions he had tried to abandon. He left Rōran with Liao Wu while Chiyo and the others accepted that Sasori could not become completely inhuman.

• Liya suspected the Third Kazekage or hostile elders had leaked their intelligence, and Chiyo promised to investigate.
• Chiyo, Liya, and Zhi escorted Sasori and Liao Wu through the Land of Wind toward Rōran, where Liya and Zhi struggled to speak to Sasori.
• Sasori told Liya and Zhi that his fate was his own choice and explained that, despite becoming a Human Puppet, he could not let go of his past.
• Chiyo told Sasori that emotions endured through the memories of those who loved him, and Zhi embraced him and promised that she and Liya would always love him.
• Sasori shed tears in Zhi's embrace, then parted from his family without telling them about Rōran's Dragon Vein or offering advice about Sand Village's future.

Chiyo kept Liya and Zhi away from Sasori while they investigated a possible Sand Village informant. Liao Wu, Sasori, and Yugao traveled to the night of the Uchiha massacre, where Liao Wu began arranging to save Mikoto and Obito entered the Uchiha Police Force.

• Chiyo told Liya and Zhi to fake their deaths and stay away from Sasori while she searched for a mole in the Sand Village.
• Liao Wu took Sasori and Yugao through the Dragon Vein to the night of the Uchiha massacre.
• Candy and Fish Ball deceived the Leaf Village's Sensory Unit, allowing Liao Wu, Sasori, and Yugao to enter the Uchiha Clan Land.
• Liao Wu had Candy and Fish Ball use clones to replace Uchiha people so Itachi would believe his victims were real, while planning to save Mikoto after Itachi killed Fugaku.
• Obito slipped into the Uchiha Police Force, where the Uchiha elites had gathered to guard against a surprise attack before their planned coup.

At the Police Force headquarters, Liao Wu disguised as Yuta Uchiha voiced crude ambitions while the Uchiha Radical Faction discussed its planned coup and grievances against Itachi and Fugaku. Obito appeared, rejected the Uchiha’s assumption that he supported them, and attacked Yashiro as the clan prepared to fight.

• Uchiha Police Force ninja gathered to anticipate the coup and discuss how it would change their clan’s standing in the Leaf Village.
• Liao Wu, disguised as Yuta Uchiha, proposed opening adult entertainment venues, casinos, and red-light districts, then asked whether he could take multiple wives.
• Inabi and Tekka criticized Fugaku for protecting Itachi, and the Radical Faction vowed to investigate the Anbu and force Fugaku to hand Itachi over.
• Obito appeared at the gathering, and Yashiro identified him as Madara Uchiha, believing he had come to support the coup.
• Obito grabbed Yashiro by the neck and declared that he had come to wipe out the Uchiha, prompting the clan members to draw their weapons.

Obito revealed that Itachi was slaughtering the Uchiha families and blocked the Police Force from reaching them, while Itachi entered Izumi’s home, intending to kill her and her mother first. The chapter left the Police Force facing Obito as Itachi prepared to confront Izumi and Tsuki.

• Obito told Yashiro that he had come to destroy the Uchiha and that Itachi had asked him to deal with the Police Force.
• Obito revealed that Itachi was slaughtering their families, prompting the Police Force ninja to rush outside to save them.
• Obito blocked the Police Force and used his strange space ninjutsu to evade their attacks and strike them with his chain.
• Itachi entered Izumi’s home during dinner, where Izumi and her mother, Uchiha Tsuki, were eating.
• Itachi prepared to kill Izumi and Tsuki first, reflecting on the conflict between the Uchiha and the Leaf Village.

Itachi attacked Izumi’s home as part of the Uchiha extermination and used Tsukuyomi to give her a peaceful life with him. Izumi died happily in the illusion, leaving Itachi to continue with his mission.

• Itachi reflected on the Uchiha coup and concluded that he had to eliminate the clan to prevent a wider war.
• Tsuki entered the kitchen, where Itachi subdued her and left her unconscious so Izumi could be his first victim.
• Izumi found her mother on the floor, and Itachi trapped her in Tsukuyomi.
• Itachi gave Izumi an illusion in which they married, raised a family, and grew old together in a peaceful world.
• After living seventy years in the illusion, Izumi thanked Itachi and died in his arms.