Chapter Summaries

Shizuka Uchiha secured Fujitora’s cooperation in a coordinated attack against the Demon Race, while Konoha’s defenses and reinforcements devastated the invading forces. Meanwhile, Christina and Heaven Slayer began a battle so powerful that Minato evacuated the observers, and their latest attacks created a black hole.

• Shizuka Uchiha revealed herself to Fujitora and explained Kushina’s plan to attack the demons from the front and rear, and Fujitora agreed to cooperate.
• Fujitora rallied his commanders by telling them Shizuka possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan, and they vowed to follow him and kill every demon.
• Konoha’s traps and clan forces nearly annihilated the demons attacking the village, and the Third Hokage sent reinforcements to other shinobi villages.
• Vankins learned that the Demon Army’s assault on the Land of Iron was in danger and tried unsuccessfully to contact Jis William.
• Heaven Slayer and Christina clashed with their blades, devastating the forest and forcing Minato to evacuate the onlookers with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Heaven Slayer’s Moon Lion’s Roar collided with Christina’s Phoenix Cry of the Nine Hells, creating a black hole.

Minato created a vast sealing barrier to contain the battle between Heaven Slayer and Christina, but both combatants revealed divine kingdoms and their clash threatened to break the barrier. Naruto recognized that Sasuke’s arrival offered a chance to use the Three Sacred Treasures’ seal.

• The Third Tsuchikage, Minato, and Tsunade realized the battle’s shock waves could destroy the Shinobi World, so Minato used the Four Symbols Seal to contain the fight.
• Naruto caught the exhausted Minato, while Lola praised the sealing barrier despite its crude construction.
• Heaven Slayer and Christina resumed fighting, and Heaven Slayer manifested his fiery divine kingdom, the Red Lotus World.
• Naruto explained that divine kingdoms belonged to peak Chief God Realm powerhouses and could draw on believers’ faith power.
• Christina manifested her own demonic divine kingdom, and the two worlds collided until Minato’s barrier began to crack.
• Naruto sensed Sasuke approaching with Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, Lee, and other rookies, and hoped they could use the Three Sacred Treasures’ seal.

Lola stopped Christina and Heaven Slayer’s battle, prompting Christina to withdraw her forces from the Shinobi World. Heaven Slayer then challenged Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata to withstand one sword strike, and they prepared Kaguya’s Three Sacred Treasures to face him.

• Heaven Slayer and Christina unleashed their full power, shattering the Four Symbols Seal and devastating the surrounding area before Minato evacuated the others.
• At Avril’s request, Lola slapped Heaven Slayer and persuaded him and Christina to stop fighting.
• Christina took Avril and returned through a space portal, ordering Jis William to withdraw the troops; Kallet advised him not to ask questions.
• After Lola left to follow Christina, Naruto prepared to face Heaven Slayer with Sasuke and Hinata, who each summoned one of the Three Sacred Treasures.
• Heaven Slayer proposed one sword strike as a test, and Naruto accepted on behalf of the three; Heaven Slayer recognized their weapons as Kaguya’s Three Sacred Treasures.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata combined the Three Sacred Treasures to defend against Heaven Slayer’s attack, but he absorbed their gathered natural chakra and shattered the treasures. He spared the three after his strike exhausted its power and left with Black Zetsu.

• Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto combined the Yata Divine Mirror, Yasaka Magatama, and Kusanagi Sword as the watching Kage marveled at their strength.
• Heaven Slayer struck their defense with a blade of energy, and the Three Sacred Treasures struggled to withstand it even with Naruto using the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
• Sasuke urged Naruto and Hinata to gather natural chakra, revealing that a mysterious legacy had taught him the Yasaka Magatama’s true purpose.
• Naruto and Hinata channeled the natural chakra Sasuke gathered into the Three Sacred Treasures, stabilizing their defense.
• Heaven Slayer’s blade absorbed the gathered chakra, shattered the defense, and destroyed the Three Sacred Treasures with one slash.
• Heaven Slayer spared Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata because the attack had exhausted its power, then left with Black Zetsu.

Heaven Slayer defeated Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, prompting the villages to prepare for a possible age of conflict among humans, gods, demons, and yokai. After the Three Sacred Treasures shattered and their spirits appeared, Naruto and his allies agreed to divide the Eight-Headed Serpent and seal its parts inside human hosts.

• Heaven Slayer absorbed Sasuke's gathered natural chakra with his slash, defeated Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, shattered the Three Sacred Treasures, and left with Black Zetsu.
• Minato explained that Heaven Slayer was likely a powerful yokai who used Senjutsu, while the Fifth Mizukage warned that a greater struggle among races might be approaching.
• Gaara proposed that the villages stay in contact, hunt the Demon Race, and strengthen their defenses, and the leaders agreed.
• The shattered Three Sacred Treasures released dark power, and three spirits emerged to warn Naruto that their broken seal would soon release the Eight-Headed Serpent.
• The Yasaka Magatama spirit proposed splitting the serpent and sealing its parts inside human bodies as Jinchuriki, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata agreed to begin.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata began the Three Sacred Treasures’ plan to reseal the Eight-Headed Serpent, while Itachi agreed to help the damaged artifacts recover. The Nine-Tails explained his determination to become a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, and the first serpent head was sealed inside Shikamaru.

• The artifact spirits assigned Sasuke to reseal the Eight-Headed Serpent, Hinata to release its heads, and Naruto to cut them off, while Itachi agreed to nurture the damaged Three Sacred Treasures with his Susanoo.
• The Yata Divine Mirror’s spirit assured Itachi that the serpent’s consciousness would be confined within its sealing space, and Hinata began controlling the cracked mirror.
• The Three Sacred Treasures’ spirits entered Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata’s consciousness spaces, where the Kusanagi Sword’s spirit met Kurama.
• Kurama declared that he would pursue becoming a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, and the Kusanagi Sword’s spirit returned to guide Naruto after learning Hinata had released a serpent head.
• Naruto cut off the first Eight-Headed Serpent head with the Kusanagi Sword, and Sasuke sealed it inside the prepared Shikamaru.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata sealed all eight heads of the Eight-Headed Serpent into their friends, then sealed its body inside Neji with the Three Sacred Treasures. A week later, Tsunade arranged for Naruto to leave the village with Jiraiya for training, and Naruto told Jiraiya they would depart the next morning.

• Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Sakura, Ino, Choji, Tenten, and Lee each received one of the Eight-Headed Serpent's heads without suffering harmful effects.
• Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Itachi combined the Yata Divine Mirror, Yasaka Magatama, and Kusanagi Sword to immobilize the Eight-Headed Serpent's body and seal it inside Neji.
• Nagato and Konan decided to leave without trying to capture Naruto, choosing instead to investigate the Demon Race and Heaven Slayer.
• A week later, Naruto turned in a B-rank mission report to Tsunade and learned she planned for him to train outside the village with Jiraiya.
• Naruto told Jiraiya they would leave at eight the next morning and warned him not to stand him up.

Naruto prepared to leave Konoha to train with Jiraiya while Karin, Kushina, and Hinata showed their concern for him. At the village gate, Naruto embraced Hinata as Jiraiya endured memories of being given similar instructions before training Minato.

• Karin packed Naruto’s luggage while he ate breakfast with Minato and Kushina, who worried over the women interested in her son.
• Hiashi and Hanabi visited to see Naruto off, and Hanabi warned him to stay safe and avoid Jiraiya’s influence.
• Naruto went to Konoha’s main gate after saying goodbye to his family.
• Hinata gave Jiraiya a long list of reminders for caring for Naruto during the trip.
• Naruto embraced Hinata, while Jiraiya recalled Kushina giving him similar instructions before he took Minato to train.

Heaven Slayer learned that Tianliu had sent Zora and Vera to find him, so he headed for the Land of Rain to hide. Meanwhile, Nagato resumed Akatsuki’s plans, while Christina ordered the Demon Race army withdrawn and kept Avril confined for her safety.

• Tianliu sent Zora and Vera to find Heaven Slayer within five years, and Heaven Slayer decided to hide from them in the Land of Rain.
• Nagato returned to Akatsuki’s headquarters with Konan and Itachi, who joined the organization as an undercover agent for Konoha.
• Nagato told Akatsuki to avoid clashing with the Demon Race and Heaven Slayer, retrieve Tobi and Kisame’s rings, and delay their operation; he assigned Itachi to partner with Yahiko.
• Christina ordered Jis William to summon reinforcements from the Demon Realm and withdraw the Demon Race legions from the coming battlefield.
• Christina refused Avril’s request to go outside and told her that a barrier would keep her inside.

Heaven Slayer was born with a heaven-envied bloodline, and his maternal grandfather sealed his power inside three Chief God Artifacts. As Heaven Slayer began cultivating and rapidly awakened his bloodline, his parents sent him to survive alone in the Endless Forest for two years.

• Yue Wuya stopped Meng Fang's invasion of the Red Lotus Empire, revealed Tian Po's search for a higher realm, and promised to prepare Tian Lin before leaving to pursue his dream.
• Heaven Slayer was born amid heavenly lightning, so Yue Wuya sealed three Chief God Artifacts within him and named him a Monster Lord destined for great power.
• Two centuries later, Heaven Slayer effortlessly lifted the training-ground boulders, and Tianliu ordered Jian Yi to hide what had happened; Heaven Slayer later exposed Jian Yi as a Behemoth Empire spy and killed him.
• Heaven Slayer revealed that he had known about his sealed power and his family's secrets, then asked Yue Xin to let him train in the Endless Forest, but she refused.
• Heaven Slayer began cultivating the Slay technique, awakened his bloodline through Tian Lin's harsh elemental training, and reached the peak of Body Tempering in less than two months.
• Tian Lin brought Heaven Slayer to the Endless Forest, gave him a communication talisman, and told him to survive there alone for two years.

Naruto reached Sunagakure with Jiraiya and reunited with Gaara, then helped him use Shukaku’s power to strengthen the village’s basin walls. The villagers celebrated the transformed metal walls, and Gaara saw his power being welcomed as a force for protection.

• Naruto and Jiraiya spent nearly four days crossing the desert after Jiraiya misread the map, then arrived at Sunagakure.
• Naruto found Gaara, and Temari and Kankuro welcomed him before Gaara took him on a tour of the village.
• After Naruto learned that desertification threatened Sunagakure’s basin, he proposed using Shukaku’s power to reinforce its walls.
• Naruto and Gaara transformed into the Nine-Tails and Shukaku and poured chakra into the basin walls, turning them into metal.
• The villagers cheered, and Naruto told Gaara that power could bring people joy when used with the right intentions.

Naruto and Gaara reflected on their painful pasts and reaffirmed their friendship, while the Nine-Tails and Shukaku discussed a prophecy involving Naruto. Sunagakure's elders abandoned a plan to capture Naruto after learning about his power, and Naruto left the village to travel to the Land of Earth.

• Naruto and Gaara shared their histories of loneliness and agreed that their bond with their tailed beasts was a friendship of the highest order.
• The Nine-Tails and Shukaku recognized their jinchuriki as trusted friends, and the Nine-Tails said he planned to take Naruto to meet the other tailed beasts because the old man's prophecy was near fulfillment.
• Sunagakure elders considered capturing Naruto, but Baki warned them against provoking him and described his abilities and Sasuke's.
• Granny Chiyo ordered the elders not to interfere with Naruto, leaving his visit to Gaara's discretion, and Jiraiya observed that they had made the sensible choice.
• A few days later, Naruto and Gaara said farewell at Sunagakure's entrance, and Naruto set out to explore the Land of Earth.

Naruto explained how villages could create missions through commercial development, easing mission shortages and tensions between them. He told Jiraiya that lasting peace would require developing the villages and linking their interests, but left the details for later.

• Naruto remembered advising the Third Tsuchikage to use Iwagakure’s Earth Style and Kurotsuchi’s Lava Release to develop construction and create work for villagers and ninja.
• Jiraiya praised Naruto’s ideas, and Naruto explained how villages could create missions by producing goods with ninjutsu and partnering with merchants.
• Jiraiya wondered whether Naruto’s plan could bring world peace, but Naruto said economic development alone would not be enough.
• Naruto described two paths to peace: forcibly unifying the shinobi world or gradually developing villages and linking their interests.
• Naruto told Jiraiya he would explain how to connect the villages’ interests when the time was right.

Naruto and Jiraiya traveled through the Land of Earth, where Naruto learned that newly graduated Iwagakure genin were being sent on C-Rank escort missions. Naruto went to meet the Third Tsuchikage and urged him to keep the rookies on safer D-Rank missions, but Ōnoki refused to change his decision.

• Naruto and Jiraiya saw many merchant caravans guarded by Iwagakure genin, and a teahouse owner explained that the village had grouped nearby missions to cope with the workload.
• Naruto worried that the newly graduated genin faced too much danger and insisted on going to Iwagakure to speak with the Third Tsuchikage.
• Naruto and Jiraiya reached Iwagakure’s gate and asked to meet Ōnoki, who summoned them after learning their identities.
• Naruto met Ōnoki in his office and asked him to restrict newly graduated genin to D-Rank missions.
• Ōnoki said Iwagakure had to accept the risks and refused to change his decision.

Naruto failed to persuade Ōnoki to assign jonin instructors to Iwagakure’s new genin, but Kurotsuchi agreed to raise the idea with her grandfather. The next day, Naruto went to meet Iwagakure’s jinchuriki and was confronted by Roshi, who believed Naruto had come for the Four-Tails.

• Naruto left Ōnoki’s office determined to find another way to convince him to assign jonin instructors to genin teams.
• Kurotsuchi heard Naruto’s concerns and promised to discuss the proposal with her grandfather, though Iwagakure lacked enough jonin.
• Naruto told Jiraiya he expected Ōnoki to agree, then went to an inn and planned to visit Roshi and Han the next day.
• Naruto found Roshi in a cave, blocked Roshi’s fireball in Nine-Tails Mode, and asked whether someone else had come looking for him.
• Roshi suspected Naruto was after the Four-Tails, and both jinchuriki unleashed their auras as their fight began.

Naruto fought Roshi to subdue him and obtain the Four-Tails' chakra, then connected with Roshi and Son Gokū through their shared memories. Son Gokū agreed to share his chakra, and Naruto left Roshi to make peace with the Tailed Beast inside him.

• Roshi attacked Naruto with lava, but Naruto fought back and eventually overwhelmed him with a Tailed Beast Bomb, Flying Thunder God, and chakra-absorbing chains.
• After Roshi regained consciousness, Naruto invited him to share a meal, and Roshi accepted.
• Naruto and Roshi bumped fists and experienced each other's memories, then found themselves in a mental space with Kurama and the chained Son Gokū.
• Kurama asked Son Gokū to share his chakra, and Son Gokū agreed, recognizing Naruto as the person the Sage of Six Paths had spoken of.
• Naruto urged Roshi to befriend Son Gokū and then disappeared, leaving Roshi shaken by Naruto's memories and words.

Naruto explained to Roshi how he had overcome his hatred and invited him to help bring peace, inspiring Roshi to release Son Gokū and speak with him. Meanwhile, an unidentified attacker defeated two Iwagakure ninja guarding a caravan while Xiao Fu escaped with the others to seek help.

• Naruto told Roshi that he had once hated the Nine-Tails and the villagers, but came to oppose the hatred that fueled conflict and joined companions seeking true peace.
• Roshi agreed to support Naruto’s goal and said he would try to become friends with Son Gokū.
• Naruto departed to find Han, and Roshi entered his sealing space, released Son Gokū’s chains, and apologized for neglecting him.
• Iwagakure ninja under attack sent Xiao Fu away with the caravan to report the coordinated assaults to the Tsuchikage.
• The attacker used Wind Release and the Body Flicker Technique to knock out the two Rock Ninja who stayed behind.

After Iwagakure's cargo teams were attacked, the Third Tsuchikage investigated the mysterious nonlethal assaults and suspected he knew who was behind them. Naruto Uzumaki visited Han to discuss tailed beasts, but Han's blunt remarks repeatedly angered Naruto and Kurama.

• Miiwa Tayū found two unconscious genin and reported that the attackers had struck more than a dozen caravans, leaving their cargo stolen and their victims alive.
• The Third Tsuchikage arrived with Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi, ordered Miiwa Tayū to take the injured back to the village, and said he had suspicions about the attackers.
• Kurotsuchi told the Third Tsuchikage that Naruto had gone to the Back Mountain to visit Roshi and Han, while Jiraiya was still at a pleasure house.
• Naruto entered Han's cave and asked whether Han considered tailed beasts friends; Han questioned Naruto about his bond with Kurama.
• Han called Kurama childish and described Naruto as acting like a kindly old man, repeatedly provoking both Kurama and Naruto as Naruto struggled to hold back his anger.

Naruto gained Kokuō’s chakra and learned that Han’s breathing method was an attempt to let people master senjutsu independently. After discussing Iwagakure’s jonin shortage with Ōnoki and learning about Minato’s wartime impact, Naruto found an idea to address the problem and rushed off to tell the Third Tsuchikage.

• Naruto met Kokuō through Han and received his chakra after learning that Han considered Kokuō his teacher.
• Naruto learned that Han’s breathing method absorbed natural chakra and aimed to help people become sages without relying on the Three Great Sage Lands.
• Iwagakure Anbu brought Naruto to Ōnoki, and Naruto admitted he had staged the caravan attack to press his proposal for Iwagakure.
• Ōnoki explained that Minato Namikaze had killed thirty Iwagakure jonin during the Third Shinobi World War, and Naruto apologized to the families of those killed.
• Naruto told Jiraiya about the jonin shortage, then seized on an idea and hurried off to see Ōnoki.

Naruto proposed that Iwagakure train students through missions before graduation and arranged an exchange with Konoha to demonstrate the method. After learning his parents were expecting a baby, he was left stunned at the thought of becoming a big brother.

• Naruto suggested to the Third Tsuchikage that Iwagakure's students complete D-Rank and C-Rank missions before graduation, then persuaded him to invite Konoha's graduating class for an exchange.
• The Third Tsuchikage accepted Naruto's invitation plan and ordered Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi to prepare Iwagakure's students for the afternoon event.
• Naruto returned to Konoha, startled Karin after appearing in his room while she was bathing, then hurried to arrange the exchange with Tsunade.
• Tsunade took the invitation and went to organize the exchange between Konoha's and Iwagakure's graduating classes.
• Minato and Kushina told Naruto they were expecting a baby, and Naruto reacted in stunned silence at the news that he would become a big brother.