Chapter Summaries

Pakura devastated a Konoha patrol with Scorch Release while Kitsuchi’s earth technique nearly crushed Cloud Village’s forces before the Third Raikage broke free. Ōnoki then ordered a strategy to exhaust the Raikage and lure him into a deadly trap in Thunder-Burial Valley.

• Pakura killed Konoha ninja with Scorch Release, which instantly drained the moisture from their bodies and even dispersed a Water Dragon Bullet.
• Kitsuchi and Iwagakure’s elite ninja raised enormous stone hands to crush the advancing Cloud Village forces in Bone-Rending Gorge.
• The Third Raikage used Three-Finger Nukite to break one stone hand apart and open an escape route for the trapped Cloud Village ninja.
• Ōnoki concluded that conventional attacks could not defeat the Third Raikage and ordered Iwagakure squads to harass his forces and wear him down.
• Ōnoki ordered demolition and sealing units to prepare a trap in Thunder-Burial Valley, using elite Jonin as bait to lure the Third Raikage.

The Third Raikage planned a defensive feint and a covert strike on Iwagakure's supply hub while using Blue B as bait near Thunder-Burial Valley. In Konoha, Shimura Danzō suspected both sides were setting traps and ordered Root to gather intelligence and prepare to exploit the war.

• The Third Raikage ordered Cloud forces to consolidate their defenses and abandon exposed strongholds.
• The Third Raikage sent Karui and Samui with elite companies along a secret route to attack Iwagakure's supply hub at Stone Town.
• The Third Raikage directed Blue B to reveal his tracks near Thunder-Burial Valley and draw Iwagakure's attention away from the assault.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and his advisors received intelligence that Iwagakure was preparing a trap for the Third Raikage in Thunder-Burial Valley.
• Shimura Danzō judged the movements of both villages to be a double trap and ordered Root to monitor their supply routes and infiltrate the Sand Village through Rasa.

Ōnoki learned that Kumogakure planned to target Stone Town and prepared traps for both the surprise force and the Third Raikage. After Lightning’s decoy squad was ambushed near Thunder-Burial Valley, the Third Raikage faced the choice of rescuing them despite suspecting a larger trap.

• Ōnoki received intelligence about Kumogakure’s plan and ordered Stone Town’s supplies moved while its defenses appeared weak.
• Ōnoki sent Mahiru’s unit to ambush the force approaching Stone Town and prepared a powerful sealing formation in Thunder-Burial Valley.
• Lightning’s decoy squad was caught in an Iwagakure barrier and attacked by coordinated Earth and Wind Style techniques.
• Lightning realized the squad was being used as bait and sent an urgent signal to the Third Raikage before communications were cut off.
• The Third Raikage learned Lightning’s squad was trapped and that Karui and Samui had not reported in, leaving him to decide whether to enter the suspected trap.

Third Raikage A chose to enter Thunder-Burial Valley despite Dodai’s warning that Ōnoki had prepared a trap for him. He entrusted the front and Kumogakure’s future to his commanders, then used Elder Cloud Pivot’s Heavenly Transfer Technique to depart alone.

• A hotheaded jōnin demanded an immediate rescue, while a senior commander and Dodai warned that Thunder-Burial Valley was a trap aimed at Third Raikage A.
• Third Raikage A summoned Elder Cloud Pivot and ordered him to transport him alone to the outskirts of Thunder-Burial Valley.
• Third Raikage A refused to abandon Lightning and the squad, despite the risk that Ōnoki’s trap would kill him.
• Third Raikage A put Dodai in command of the front and named his son A as the next Raikage if he failed to return.
• Elder Cloud Pivot activated the Heavenly Transfer Technique, and Third Raikage A vanished toward Thunder-Burial Valley.

The Third Raikage A broke into Thunder-Burial Valley and rescued the surviving Kumogakure ninja, then stayed behind to hold off Iwagakure’s forces. After fighting for three days and nights, he died standing, leaving Ōnoki to order that he be given a proper burial.

• The Third Raikage A smashed through the barrier around Thunder-Burial Valley and reached Lightning’s besieged squad.
• The Third Raikage A carved a path through the Iwagakure forces and ordered his surviving subordinates to escape while he guarded the breach.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure’s troops to attack in shifts and exhaust the Third Raikage A with relentless assaults.
• The Third Raikage A fought alone for three days and nights as his chakra and strength gradually ran out.
• The Third Raikage A cried that Kumogakure would prevail and died beneath a hail of weapons while still standing.
• Ōnoki approached the fallen Third Raikage A and ordered his troops to give him a proper burial.

After the Third Raikage died at Thunder-Burial Valley, Iwagakure claimed his body as a bargaining chip while Uchiha Sou’s forces secretly collected tissue samples. The death drove the nations toward wider war, and Sou watched the growing chaos, wanting the flames to burn fiercer.

• White Zetsu spores collected tissue from the Third Raikage’s bloodied battlefield, and Uchiha Sou ordered the samples prioritized for research.
• Ōnoki ordered the Third Raikage’s corpse sealed and transferred to a secure fortress so Iwagakure could use it to bargain with Kumogakure.
• Shimura Danzō treated the Raikage’s death as an opportunity, ordering increased infiltration of Sand Village and intelligence operations in the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning.
• The Fourth Raikage A vowed revenge and to recover his father’s body, while Kumogakure and Iwagakure prepared for further fighting.
• Konoha increased its border activity and contact with Sand Village as conflicts across the Ninja World escalated into the brutal climax of the Third Great Ninja War.
• Uchiha Sou recorded the spreading chaos and said the flames needed to burn fiercer.

Uchiha Sou and Hiruko analyzed the Third Raikage’s cells and found that his extraordinary Lightning Release depended on a specialized cellular adaptation that also caused rapid deterioration. Sou added research into reverse-engineering Kekkei Genkai cellular coding to Angkor Fortress’s long-term plans.

• Hiruko examined the Third Raikage’s cells and noted their extreme activity and rapid decay.
• Omoikane no Mikoto reported that the cells showed damage from prolonged high-voltage lightning and contained a chakra-guiding protein complex linked to Lightning Release.
• Uchiha Sou explained that the Third Raikage’s body was innately adapted to conduct and amplify Lightning Release, but had suffered irreversible depletion.
• Hiruko proposed studying how Kekkei Genkai were encoded in cells and whether specific traits could be designed or induced.
• Sou compared the Third Raikage’s cellular coding with Hashirama Senju’s and said a broad database was needed before reverse-engineering Kekkei Genkai.
• Sou instructed Hiruko to record the cells’ final chakra collapse and energy dissipation, then added Kekkei Genkai cellular coding research to Angkor Fortress’s long-term catalog.

Sunagakure’s leaders remained divided over choosing a successor to the missing Third Kazekage, while Danzō exploited the uncertainty to extend Konoha’s influence. On the Wind-Fire border, Root killed Sunagakure barrier-unit ninja under the eyes of Konoha Anbu, and the unfolding conflict was observed by Uchiha Sou through White Zetsu’s network.

• Chiyo and Ebizo presided over a contentious meeting where Rasa was proposed as Kazekage, but he urged caution and called for the truth behind the Third Kazekage’s disappearance to be uncovered.
• Danzō ordered his agents to spread vague accusations about a Sunagakure official and offered Rasa Konoha’s aid in exchange for future alignment.
• Konoha Anbu tracked Sunagakure ninja setting up a warning barrier along the border.
• Root ambushed and killed the Sunagakure barrier unit, then ordered the watching Anbu to leave.
• Uchiha Sou learned of the Sunagakure power struggle and border violence through White Zetsu’s network.

Rasa and Pakura clashed over Sunagakure’s strategy as Danzō exploited their rivalry by luring Pakura into an ambush. Pakura escaped Riftwind Gorge with three wounded subordinates, convinced someone had targeted her, while Rasa awaited news of the disastrous mission.

• Pakura challenged Rasa’s cautious leadership, and their disagreement deepened over whether Sunagakure should fight Konoha or focus on recovery.
• Danzō sent fabricated intelligence about a vulnerable Konoha supply convoy directly to Pakura, who chose to attack without informing Rasa.
• Pakura led an elite squad to Riftwind Gorge, where masked attackers ambushed them from the flanks and rear.
• The attackers killed two squad members in the first assault, and Pakura realized the supposed convoy mission was a trap aimed at her and her squad.
• Pakura fought her way out of the gorge with three wounded subordinates, suffering injuries and losing more than half her squad.
• Pakura vowed to uncover the mastermind, while Rasa was expected to receive the report and remained unaware that unseen forces might be manipulating him too.

After Team Minato returned from a reconnaissance mission, Minato reunited with Kushina and watched his students train, hoping to protect their ordinary lives as the war continued. The chapter left Minato uneasy about the war’s future but resolved to protect those he cherished.

• Team Minato returned to Konoha after a three-day border reconnaissance mission, and Minato praised Obito for sending a warning signal when they encountered enemy scouts.
• Obito and Kakashi argued over the mission while Rin reminded them how their teamwork had kept them safe.
• Minato went home to Kushina, who complained about being confined to the village, and he asked her not to leave on her own.
• Team Minato reviewed their coordination and practiced Chakra control at Training Ground 7 while Obito challenged Kakashi to a match after the war.
• Minato watched his students beneath the evening sky, felt uneasy about the war, and resolved to protect what he cherished.

After Iwagakure demanded a humiliating price for the Third Raikage’s body, the Fourth Raikage A restrained his urge for immediate revenge and ordered Kumogakure to rebuild its strength while pressuring Iwagakure. The chapter left Kumogakure preparing for a future war as negotiations and border attacks began.

• A read Iwagakure’s demand for metal, Explosive Tags, and mining profits in exchange for the Third Raikage’s body, then erupted in anger.
• Killer B tried to calm A, and A struck him before Dodai entered the wrecked office.
• Dodai warned A that Ōnoki wanted to provoke Kumogakure, drain its resources, and buy time to recover.
• Dodai advised rejecting the extortion, seeking mediation over the body, harassing Iwagakure’s borders, and rebuilding Kumogakure’s forces.
• A ordered relentless attacks on Iwagakure’s strongholds and supply routes, accelerated the Eastern Army’s reconstruction, and told Killer B to master the Eight-Tails’ power.

Ōnoki chose to return the Third Raikage’s body unconditionally to ease Kumogakure’s raids and give Iwagakure time to recover and address threats from Konoha. A accepted the return but insisted the handover take place at a location chosen by Kumogakure under a third party’s witness.

• Iwagakure officials reported that Kumogakure’s raids were increasing casualties, exhausting supplies, and weakening the eastern front.
• Kitsuchi warned Ōnoki that Iwagakure could not afford a prolonged border war while Konoha grew active on the western front.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to return the Third Raikage’s body unconditionally and instructed officials to present the handover as a solemn gesture of respect.
• A told Dodai that Kumogakure would choose the handover location and require a third-party witness.

Kumogakure received Third Raikage A’s remains from Iwagakure and held a grand funeral, where Fourth Raikage A vowed revenge. A placed the village on total war readiness and launched military research and training programs, leaving Kumogakure preparing for a future conflict with Ōnoki and Iwagakure.

• In the Land of Iron, Kitsuchi handed Third Raikage A’s coffin to Fourth Raikage A, who warned that Kumogakure would remember his father’s death.
• Kumogakure held a grand funeral for the Third Raikage, and A vowed to avenge him by defeating Iwagakure.
• A convened a military council and ordered Kumogakure to prepare for total war.
• Kumogakure’s researchers pursued lightning armor, Hell Stab derivatives, improvements to the Heavenly Transfer Technique, and studies of the Third Raikage’s cells.
• A prioritized Killer B’s training and research into tactics using the Eight-Tails’ abilities.
• A watched Kumogakure strengthen its forces and warned Ōnoki that he would not let him scheme again.

Akatsuki grew into a powerful force in the Land of Rain, and word of Nagato’s Rinnegan reached Shimura Danzō in Konoha. Danzō plotted to manipulate Hanzo and provoke attacks on Akatsuki while Uchiha Sou watched the coming conflict from Angkor Fortress.

• Akatsuki helped protect civilians and settle disputes in the Land of Rain, building influence under Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, whose Rinnegan became the subject of rumors.
• Shimura Danzō received intelligence confirming that Pain possessed the Rinnegan and decided the power must be controlled or destroyed.
• Danzō ordered Root operatives to investigate Pain and instructed agents to stoke Hanzo’s suspicion of Akatsuki.
• Danzō arranged for rogue shinobi to receive information about Akatsuki members, hoping to provoke violence and gather data on the Rinnegan.
• Uchiha Sou monitored Danzō’s schemes and the growing tensions in the Land of Rain from Angkor Fortress.

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sou planned to make Nagato experience extreme despair so the Rinnegan would fuse with him and bind his power to pain and hatred. Sou prepared to monitor the coming tragedy involving Yahiko, Hanzo, and Danzo for data on the fusion.

• Uchiha Madara appeared in Angkor Fortress and judged that Nagato was nearly ready to bear the Rinnegan.
• Madara explained to Uchiha Sou that extreme negative emotions could reduce resistance to the Rinnegan and help Nagato connect with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Uchiha Sou assessed that Yahiko’s death could drive Nagato into the despair needed for the transplant and its intended effects.
• Madara said he would intervene when Nagato tried and failed to save Yahiko during the peace talks arranged by Hanzo and Danzo.
• Uchiha Sou raised the White Zetsu monitoring network’s authorization and prepared to calculate the critical moment’s coordinates.
• Madara vanished after ordering Sou to record everything, while Sou focused on the coming event as an opportunity to gather data.

Hanzo of the Salamander agreed to Danzō’s scheme to eliminate Akatsuki by luring Yahiko into a staged attack and killing the group under the guise of restoring order. The conspiracy was set in motion, while another pair of Rinnegan watched from afar.

• Danzō’s masked envoy warned Hanzo that Akatsuki’s growing influence and Nagato’s power threatened his rule.
• The envoy proposed a false peace talk where Akatsuki would be framed as attacking Hanzo, giving him an excuse to kill its members.
• Hanzo recognized that Konoha wanted an alliance and Root’s freedom of movement in the Land of Rain in return for its support.
• Fearing Akatsuki would undermine his control, Hanzo accepted Danzō’s offer but reserved approval over the time and place.
• The plot was sealed as a pair of Rinnegan watched the conspiracy unfold.

Yahiko told Akatsuki that Hanzo had invited them to peace talks, believing the meeting could bring peace to the Land of Rain. Konan remained uneasy about the dangerous location, Soul Severing Bridge, while Nagato watched silently as the group prepared for the meeting.

• Yahiko announced that Hanzo had invited Akatsuki to negotiate as equals about the Land of Rain's future.
• Konan questioned Hanzo's sudden change of heart and warned that Soul Severing Bridge was easy to ambush.
• Yahiko reassured Konan that Hanzo was sincere and urged her to trust their path toward peace.
• Konan's worries eased somewhat, but returned when she noticed Nagato silently watching from the shadows.
• Akatsuki's members left the meeting to prepare for the talks as rain continued to fall over the Land of Rain.

Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sou secretly transplanted both Rinnegan into Nagato while the Akatsuki slept, leaving him to mistake the painful rejection for exhaustion. Nagato hid his worsening symptoms from Konan and Yahiko as they prepared for the peace talks.

• Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sou drugged the Akatsuki members and used White Zetsu's concealed spore clones to keep watch.
• Uchiha Sou removed Nagato's right eye and transplanted Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan into its place.
• Uchiha Madara replaced his own Rinnegan with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Uchiha Sou transplanted the second Rinnegan into Nagato.
• Uchiha Sou treated Uchiha Madara's eye wounds, and the two men disappeared before dawn.
• Nagato woke with pain and blurred vision but blamed his condition on exhaustion and mental strain.
• Nagato concealed his symptoms from Konan and Yahiko so they would not be distracted from the peace talks.

Yahiko led Akatsuki to Soul Severing Bridge for peace talks, but Hanzo ambushed them and accused them of treason. As the attack devastated the group, Nagato's transplanted Rinnegan broke its seal and unleashed Shinra Tensei, leaving him drained and the survivors still surrounded.

• Yahiko and Akatsuki arrived at Soul Severing Bridge, where Hanzo's forces sprang an ambush instead of beginning negotiations.
• Hanzo accused Akatsuki of treason and ordered his shinobi to attack, trapping the group under waves of weapons and ninjutsu.
• Konan tried to protect Nagato as he endured the Rinnegan's backlash, while Akatsuki members fell and Yahiko was badly wounded.
• Nagato opened his Rinnegan and unleashed Shinra Tensei, blasting the attacking Amegakure shinobi and shattering the bridge.
• Nagato collapsed into exhaustion as Konan supported him, while Hanzo's forces began closing in again around the survivors.

After Hanzo betrayed Akatsuki on Soul Severing Bridge, Yahiko led the surviving members into the forest, where an unknown force ambushed them in the fog. As their companions fell and Nagato remained incapacitated by the Rinnegan's pain, Yahiko's faith in peace faltered and something dangerous began to stir within Nagato.

• Yahiko ordered Akatsuki to retreat from Soul Severing Bridge while Nagato and Konan fled with the survivors.
• Akatsuki escaped into the forest at the cost of nearly half their members, pursued by Hanzo's forces.
• An unknown group ambushed the survivors with poisoned crossbow bolts and explosive Shuriken, scattering them in the fog.
• Konan struggled to protect Nagato as Yahiko tried to regroup the survivors and more of their comrades were killed.
• Yahiko questioned whether their pursuit of peace had been wrong, while despair stirred something unknown within Nagato.