Chapter Summaries

Hyuga Neji confronted Hyuga Aoi and Hyuga Homura after apparently obtaining what he sought and altering his Caged Bird seal. When Homura tried to reach the hidden chamber, Neji struck him down with overwhelming force, leaving Aoi alarmed by Neji’s eyes and newfound power.

• Hyuga Aoi noticed that Hyuga Neji’s Caged Bird Cursed Seal had become faint and questioned what he had done.
• Hyuga Homura told Aoi he would confront Neji while he checked on Hiashi in the hidden chamber.
• Hyuga Aoi urged Neji to stay calm, hoping to spare him for Hyuga Yunchuan’s sake.
• Hyuga Homura used the Body Flicker Technique to rush past Neji, but Neji repelled him with a single palm strike and shattered his bones against a wall.
• Hyuga Aoi shielded Hinata and asked Neji what had happened to his eyes.

Hyuga Neji claimed that extreme emotional stimulation awakened the Tenseigan, concealing the real method as he admitted to killing Main Branch members and beat Hyuga Homura to death. As Homura’s corpse began to transform into a Hollow, Neji sensed something above and caught a strange sheathed Tachi that burst through the ceiling.

• Hyuga Neji threatened Hyuga Aoi and Hinata, then admitted he had attacked Hyuga Hiashi and other Main Branch members to obtain the Tenseigan.
• Hyuga Neji falsely told Hyuga Aoi, Hinata, and the dying Hyuga Homura that the Byakugan evolved through extreme emotional stimulation, and confessed to earlier killings in the Forbidden Library.
• Hyuga Homura condemned Neji for endangering the clan, while Neji raged against the Caged Bird system and beat Homura to death.
• Hyuga Homura’s corpse released an ominous aura, while Shimura Danzō celebrated as Hyuga Riwo and four other tortured bodies began producing negative energy in an underground chamber.
• Hyuga Aoi warned Neji that he had doomed them as Homura’s corpse began changing, but Neji sensed something above and caught a strange sheathed Tachi that crashed through the ceiling.

Hyuga Neji drew Wrath and unleashed golden Karma Fire across the Hyuga Clan compound, healing those he judged good while burning the souls of Hollows born from the Main Branch’s dead. The purified Hollows became black spheres that flew toward Hyuga Hiashi’s residence.

• Hyuga Aoi recognized the tachi as one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and Hyuga Neji drew Wrath despite its flames burning his hand to the bone.
• Hyuga Neji declared that he would judge and punish injustice himself, then invoked Wrath and sent a pillar of golden fire through the Hyuga Clan compound.
• Hyuga Iroha, Hyuga Tetsu, and Hyuga Takashi watched golden flames heal them while burning the newborn Hollow formed from Hyuga Yoto’s corpse.
• Wrath’s flames purified the Hollow into a black sphere containing the faces of Hyuga Yoto and Hyuga Lingren, then carried it toward Hyuga Hiashi’s residence.
• Golden flames engulfed Hollows forming from Main Branch corpses across the compound and sent the resulting black spheres flying toward Hyuga Hiashi’s residence.

Shimura Danzō’s attempt to claim Hyuga Riwo’s transformation into a Gillian ended when golden flames consumed it and burned Danzō’s soul. As dawn broke, the Land of Sky Village attacked Konoha with a massive aerial bombardment while Shadow watched from Kage Rock.

• Golden flames erupted from Hyuga Riwo and consumed him, while water proved unable to extinguish them.
• Shimura Danzō used Wood Release: Explosive Spear Tree to suppress the flames, but they spread through the tree and burned his arm.
• Shimura Danzō severed his arm to escape the flames, which reduced the Gillian to ash and left a black sphere behind.
• Shadow watched a pillar of golden light rise over the Hinata clan compound from atop Kage Rock as dawn approached.
• Hundreds of aircraft dropped bombs on Konoha, setting off widespread explosions before the village alarms sounded.
• Shadow comforted his startled black cat and said that day had broken as Konoha burned below.

Jiraiya and Tsunade were dealing with the Daimyo’s demands when they learned that Wrath had escaped the Forbidden Jutsu Library and a golden pillar of light had appeared near the Hyuga Clan. An explosion, rising smoke, and a flock of strange birds then signaled an attack on the Barrier Team, prompting Jiraiya to declare Stage Three.

• Jiraiya complained about his workload, and Tsunade woke up and told him to stop making noise.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade that the Daimyo wanted more manpower, but she chose to stall until the Hokage returned.
• Tsunade questioned Jiraiya about searching for blue-eyed ninjas, and he admitted nothing while avoiding her gaze.
• An Anbu ninja reported that Wrath had broken through its seal and flown out of the Forbidden Jutsu Library.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade saw a golden pillar of light rise near the Hyuga Clan, then witnessed explosions, smoke, and a flock of strange birds near the Barrier Team.
• Jiraiya declared an emergency and ordered Stage Three.

Sky Ninja and Pain’s forces launched a coordinated assault on Konoha, destroying the Barrier Tower and killing the guards at the village gate. Pain’s search party set out to find the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki while the others caused a diversion, as a mysterious golden pillar rose near the Hyuga Clan.

• The Barrier Team detected a rapidly growing number of intruders, but Sky Ninja bombed the Barrier Tower and brought it crashing down on the street below.
• The Sky Ninja continued flying toward Konoha’s center as the destruction and panic spread through the village.
• Ooyashiro En killed four Chunin guarding the gate with arrows of compressed Chakra, then entered Konoha with Deva Path Pain and Naraka Path Pain.
• Deva Path Pain and Naraka Path Pain noticed the golden pillar near the Hyuga Clan and ordered Shinno’s aerial forces and Ooyashiro En to create a diversion while they searched for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Ooyashiro En speculated that Jiraiya’s presence in Konoha could make the attack more interesting.

In Las Noches, Espada No. 4 Fierce Eye and Espada No. 5 Corpse Bone fought a Rank-Swap Blood Battle until Uzumaki stopped them. After sensing a new Gillian in the Land of Wind, she sent Corpse Bone to retrieve it, with his rank at stake if he failed.

• White Fang asked Uzumaki whether she would let Fierce Eye and Corpse Bone continue fighting after their battle had lasted a full day and night.
• Corpse Bone attacked Fierce Eye with bone growths and Yin-Killing Ash Bone, while Fierce Eye countered with Dojutsu: Teitaku Nyomei and his skeletal Susanoo.
• Uzumaki stopped both Espada, and Puppeteer restrained Corpse Bone with invisible threads as Uzumaki ended the battle.
• Uzumaki announced that a new Gillian had been born in the Land of Wind and ordered Corpse Bone to retrieve it, warning that Fierce Eye would take his rank if he failed.
• Puppeteer released Corpse Bone, who tore open a fissure in space and leaped through it toward the Land of Wind.

Rasa raced back toward Sunagakure after receiving a warning, but arrived to find the village buried beneath a vast sand dune. He recognized a buried boundary marker and realized Sunagakure had been swallowed by the sand.

• Rasa hurried toward Sunagakure after receiving no reply to his warning and left Baki and Yura's bodies behind to travel faster.
• Rasa pushed his Gold Dust cloud to its limit and reached the village as dawn broke.
• Rasa found only sand dunes where Sunagakure should have stood and stumbled into the soft sand.
• Rasa uncovered part of Sunagakure's boundary marker and recognized the buried structures as his village.

Rasa returned to Sunagakure and found the village buried beneath the sand, with nearly all its people dead. Pakura and Ebizo told him that Gaara had become a powerful Hollow after his death and was responsible for the destruction; Rasa began to suspect there was another reason Gaara had become so strong.

• Rasa was dragged beneath the sand by withered arms and emerged inside a buried Sunagakure filled with dried corpses.
• Pakura led Rasa through the ruins to a hidden shelter containing the village’s last survivors, including Temari, Kankuro, and Ebizo.
• Pakura told Rasa that fewer than a thousand villagers remained and blamed his son Gaara for what had happened.
• Ebizo explained that Akatsuki members had extracted Shukaku from Gaara, who became a Hollow after dying and used sand manipulation and controlled villagers to terrorize Sunagakure.
• Rasa questioned how Gaara could have become so powerful as a Hollow, then began to realize what might explain it.

Rasa and Pakura led the surviving Sunagakure shinobi through Gaara’s deadly underground domain, but Corpse Bone arrived and killed Rasa, provoking Gaara into a full battle. Gaara and Corpse Bone began fighting as sand and bone tore apart the collapsing underground space.

• The dried corpses and controlled shinobi attacked the shelter, and Rasa stayed behind to hold them off while Pakura led the survivors toward an exit.
• Pakura and the survivors climbed Rasa’s Gold Dust staircase and blasted open the sand ceiling, but Corpse Bone appeared and the sand surged against him.
• Corpse Bone burst free of the sand sphere, pierced Rasa with bone spikes, and killed him while taunting Gaara.
• Gaara emerged from the Pyramid as Rasa died, collapsed the underground space, and attacked Corpse Bone with a vast torrent of sand.
• Corpse Bone answered with Grave Fern Annihilation, and his growing Bone Forest clashed with Gaara’s sandstorm.

Hyuga Yunchuan returned to find Konoha under attack and the Hyuga Clan territory trapped beneath a golden pillar, then rushed there and found Hyuga Neji facing Hyuga Aoi. He blocked Neji’s killing blow, and Hyuga Aoi noticed a blue surge in his eyes that seemed connected to the Tenseigan.

• Hyuga Yunchuan, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Hatake Kakashi arrived near Konoha and saw fires across the village and a golden pillar over the Hyuga Clan territory.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Hyuga Yunchuan to investigate the Hyuga Clan territory while he and Hatake Kakashi went to confront the attackers.
• Hyuga Homura burned away under Hyuga Neji’s Karma Fire, leaving a black sphere that Neji’s blade absorbed.
• Hyuga Neji warned Hyuga Aoi to move aside, then attacked her with his Karma Fire-coated Tachi when she refused.
• Hyuga Yunchuan crashed into the secret chamber, caught Neji’s blade with his bare hand, and demanded to know what Neji had done.
• Hyuga Aoi recognized a blue surge in Hyuga Yunchuan’s eyes and connected it to the Tenseigan.

Hyuga Neji refused to explain why the Branch Family had attacked, choosing to carry the blame rather than endanger the surviving Main Branch members. He and Hyuga Yunchuan wounded each other, but Karma Fire unexpectedly healed Yunchuan as Neji prepared to strike again.

• Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Aoi recognized the dark-blue radiance in Hyuga Yunchuan’s eyes as a possible Tenseigan, leaving Neji confused about how Yunchuan could have awakened it.
• Hyuga Yunchuan condemned Neji for attacking the Main Branch and claimed he could have removed the Caged Bird Cursed Seal without bloodshed within half a year.
• Hyuga Neji concealed that the Main Branch had attacked and tortured the Branch Family, deciding to bear the blame to protect Hinata Hyuga and Hyuga Aoi.
• Hyuga Yunchuan drew his Ring-Pommel Saber and stabbed at Hyuga Neji, who caught the blade with his hand.
• Hyuga Neji and Hyuga Yunchuan stepped into each other’s weapons, cutting their hands and stabbing each other’s shoulders.
• Golden Karma Fire spread from Hyuga Neji’s blade over Hyuga Yunchuan, rapidly healing his wounds and restoring his Chakra as Neji swung Wrath across his front.

Hyuga Yunchuan awakened the Tenseigan while breaking free of Hyuga Neji’s attack and learned that Konoha was also under assault. He flew off to confront the wider threat, while Hinata rushed to her father’s body and cried out in grief.

• Hyuga Neji bound Hyuga Yunchuan and Hyuga Aoi with black spirits formed from stored evil, then escaped through the breach to the surface.
• Hyuga Yunchuan unleashed a vast repulsive force that destroyed the black bindings, revealing the power of his awakened Tenseigan.
• Hyuga Yunchuan told Hyuga Aoi to find Hyuga Iroha, gather the surviving clansmen, and restore order before flying away to respond to the attack on Konoha.
• Hinata staggered into the chamber to see her father, and Hyuga Aoi stayed behind as Hinata cried out in grief.

Sky Ninjas attacked Konoha with explosives and rapid-fire Kunai Guns while Ebisu organized a civilian evacuation on Commercial Street. After disguised explosive bodies devastated the district, Ooyashiro En emerged from the smoke and pinned Ebisu and other survivors with Chakra arrows.

• Sky Ninjas bombarded Konoha and shot down defenders with Kunai Guns, overwhelming the village's conventional attacks.
• Ebisu directed civilians toward shelters as ninjas and medical teams tried to keep the evacuation orderly.
• Ebisu noticed approaching figures leaking blackish-purple fluid and warned the nearby ninjas to retreat.
• The figures transformed into swollen balls of flesh and exploded, killing nearby ninjas and devastating Commercial Street.
• Ooyashiro En emerged from the smoke and pinned Ebisu and the surviving Konoha ninjas with Chakra arrows.

Ooyashiro En tortured and killed Ebisu, then used the Ketsuryūgan to discover the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki’s direction and left, while his Chakra arrows turned pinned Konoha ninja into Human Bombs. As Konoha’s leaders responded to the coordinated assault and Tsunade summoned Katsuyu to treat the wounded, Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived, and Tsunade immediately asked where Hyuga Yunchuan and Hatake Kakashi were.

• Ooyashiro En questioned Ebisu about the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, broke his knees and hand, and killed him when he refused to answer.
• Ooyashiro En read Ebisu’s eye movement with the Ketsuryūgan and used Shunshin toward the direction he had indicated.
• The Chakra arrows transformed Ebisu and other pinned Konoha ninja into stiff-moving Human Bombs that walked away to spread destruction.
• Izumo Kamizuki and an Anbu ninja reported the air assault, the near destruction of the Barrier Team, the Human Bombs, and the mysterious golden pillar surrounding the Hyuga Clan to Jiraiya and Tsunade.
• Jiraiya ordered squads to prioritize civilian evacuation and investigate the Hyuga Clan, then left to rally Konoha’s defenders while Tsunade summoned Katsuyu to treat the wounded.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived on the Hokage Building rooftop, and Tsunade asked him where Hyuga Yunchuan and Hatake Kakashi were.

Deva Path Pain attacked Konoha while searching for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, but Kakashi confronted him after Naruto had been moved. Kakashi used a lightning clone to create an opening and activated Envy: Fake Mirror, leaving Naraka Path Pain stunned by the figure it produced.

• Deva Path Pain flattened a Konoha street with Shinra Tensei and found Naruto Uzumaki's residence reduced to rubble.
• Naraka Path Pain killed two surviving Konoha ninja, and Deva Path Pain concluded that Naruto had likely been moved to an underground shelter.
• Kakashi appeared and challenged Deva Path Pain, who recognized him and pulled him in with Banshō Ten'in.
• Deva Path Pain impaled Kakashi's lightning shadow clone, which released lightning and briefly paralyzed him.
• The real Kakashi drew the Envy Wakizashi and activated Envy: Fake Mirror, causing Naraka Path Pain to freeze in shock.

Konoha’s defenders regrouped against the Sky Ninja, but Shinno’s modified attackers unleashed devastating Chakra beams that ravaged the village. As Jiraiya sensed someone entering Sage Mode, Kakashi’s mirror-image summoning produced a cheerful young man who called himself Yahiko, provoking Deva Path Pain’s furious reaction.

• Akimichi and Nara Shikaku fought off the Sky Ninja as Konoha’s ninja organized a coordinated defense under Jiraiya’s command.
• Jiraiya shielded Konoha’s ninja from a mass Kunai attack with Needle Jizo, then struck back at the Sky Ninja with Needle Hell.
• Shinno’s modified Sky Ninja charged their Bombing Ninja Tools and fired devastating Chakra beams that tore through Konoha, while Jiraiya destroyed other devices.
• Jiraiya sensed a familiar Sage Mode aura after the explosions, while Hatake Kakashi watched a summoned orange-haired youth introduce himself as Yahiko.
• Deva Path Pain recognized the youth and demanded to know what Hatake Kakashi had done.

Naruto helped Shizune, Sasuke, and the other Konoha survivors treat the wounded in the shelter during Akatsuki’s attack. After learning from Yunshi how Danzo and Hanzo’s betrayal transformed Akatsuki, Naruto questioned whether siding with Konoha could ever end the cycle of war, and found that it was not the answer he sought.

• Naruto brought Shizune the instruments she needed and supplied Sasuke and another medical ninja with surgical materials.
• Naruto surveyed the overcrowded shelter, where Konoha’s wounded, civilians, and young ninja struggled amid mass casualties.
• Naruto steadied himself against his fear and asked Yunshi who the attackers were and why they had attacked Konoha.
• Yunshi explained Akatsuki’s original pursuit of peace and how Danzo and Hanzo’s betrayal led Nagato to seek peace through an ultimate weapon.
• Naruto reflected that war created hatred and hatred created new wars, then questioned whether defending Konoha could end the cycle.

Naruto reflected on how he might find a better answer to ending war, while Sasuke and the Uchiha helped treat wounded civilians in Konoha’s shelter. Ooyashiro En attacked the shelter to seize Naruto, but Hyuga Yunchuan appeared and struck him into a wall.

• Yunshi told Naruto that he had to use what he had learned to seek the best possible answer to ending war and bear the consequences of acting on it.
• Sasuke used his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to help a medical ninja operate, while Uchiha clansmen assisted the wounded and civilians in the shelter.
• Civilians grew alarmed when the Third Hokage failed to appear, and Iruka tried to reassure them before an explosion shook the shelter door.
• Ooyashiro En broke into the shelter, killed civilians, subdued Shizune, and threatened to kill someone every ten seconds until Naruto came out.
• Iruka hid Naruto as Sasuke signaled him to stay back, while Ooyashiro En attacked the figure who had appeared behind him.
• Hyuga Yunchuan resisted Ooyashiro En’s kick, demanded to know how many accomplices he had and where they were, then punched him into the stone wall.

Hyuga Yunchuan overwhelmed Ooyashiro En and demanded to know the purpose and deployment of his operation. After Yunchuan crushed En’s hands and struck him into the rock wall, the villagers stared in shock at the ruthless side of the ninja they had known as gentle.

• Hyuga Yunchuan struck Ooyashiro En with a punch that drove him into the rock wall.
• Ooyashiro En tried to attack with compressed blood, but Yunchuan appeared before him and seized his hands.
• Yunchuan crushed En’s hands and questioned him about the operation and the people modified into bombs.
• Second Pillar kicked away En’s longbow as it flew toward Yunchuan in a sneak attack.
• Yunchuan punched En into the damaged rock wall, and the villagers watched in stunned silence.