Chapter Summaries

Naruto joined Shikamaru’s pursuit team after learning Sasuke had defected, and the team tracked the fugitives toward the Valley of the End. Choji stayed behind to fight Jirobo so the others could continue after Sasuke, leaving their battle about to begin.

• Shikamaru entered Naruto’s house through Karin’s barrier, woke him, and told him Sasuke had left with four of Orochimaru’s subordinates.
• Naruto and Shikamaru joined Neji, Choji, and Kiba at the Main Gate, and Kiba and Akamaru tracked the fugitives toward the Valley of the End.
• The four Sound Ninja realized Konoha was pursuing them, and Jirobo stayed behind to delay the team while the others continued with Sasuke.
• Jirobo trapped the pursuit team with his Earth Style technique, but Choji broke through the rock dome with his Human Boulder technique.
• Jirobo taunted Choji about his weight, and Choji stayed to fight while Shikamaru and the others passed him and continued the pursuit.

Naruto pursued Sasuke while arranging for his friends to face the Sound Ninja and secretly directing Kimimaro to fight Lee and Gaara without worsening his illness. Reinforcements helped Choji, Kiba, and Neji, and Hinata revealed she could remove Neji’s Caged Bird Seal.

• Shikamaru led Naruto, Neji, and the others onward as Sakon stayed behind to confront Kiba and Akamaru, while Kidomaru continued ahead.
• Kiba and Akamaru fought Sakon and Ukon until Kankuro arrived, trapping Sakon in Crow and helping kill both brothers.
• Neji fought Kidomaru until Hinata arrived and intercepted an arrow; she told Neji she could remove his Caged Bird Seal and activated her Tenseigan.
• Naruto met Kimimaro near the Valley of the End, sent him to give Lee and Gaara battle experience, and told him to meet Tsunade afterward for treatment.
• Karin found Choji after he defeated Jirobo, sealed the chakra from his secret technique, scolded him, and took him back toward the village as reinforcements reached the battlefield.

Hinata removed Neji’s Caged Bird Seal, allowing him to defeat Kidomaru and reconcile with her before they continued after the others. Meanwhile, Tayuya fled when Temari arrived, and Rock Lee faced Kimimaro, asking to pause so he could take his medicine.

• Hinata drained the Caged Bird Seal from Neji, restoring his Byakugan’s full vision and removing its blind spot.
• Neji defeated Kidomaru with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms after dodging his arrow, then apologized to Hinata for treating her coldly.
• Hinata told Neji that Karin and Kankuro had gone to help Choji and Kiba, and they decided to keep moving forward.
• Tayuya retreated as Temari arrived, escaping before Temari’s wind-style ninjutsu leveled the forest.
• Rock Lee fought Kimimaro, found himself outmatched, and asked to stop so he could take his medicine.

Lee accidentally drank liquor instead of his medicine and fought Kimimaro with Drunken Fist, but Gaara intervened when Kimimaro activated his Curse Mark. Kimimaro escaped and reunited with Tayuya, while Naruto finally reached the Valley of the End.

• Naruto worried that Lee might have mistaken alcohol for medicine as he hurried toward the Valley of the End.
• Lee drank liquor by mistake, then fought Kimimaro while drunk and used unpredictable Drunken Fist attacks.
• Kimimaro activated Curse Mark Stage Two and nearly struck Lee, but Gaara blocked the attack and joined the fight.
• Gaara and Lee attacked Kimimaro together, but Kimimaro escaped while they defended against his finger bones.
• Gaara carried the sleeping Lee toward Konoha, while Kimimaro found Tayuya and took her back to Orochimaru's base.
• Naruto arrived at the Valley of the End.

Naruto and Sasuke discussed their shared goal of bringing lasting peace to the world, and Naruto explained that he had given Sasuke his blood to help him awaken the Rinnegan. Sasuke’s Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan, and he challenged Naruto to a match.

• Naruto and Sasuke discussed Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, agreeing that they and their friends would work together to achieve lasting peace.
• Sasuke asked about Tayuya and learned that Naruto had placed her near Orochimaru to watch over him and had her inject him with Naruto’s blood.
• Naruto explained that he and Sasuke were reincarnations of Asura and Indra, and that combining their chakra could give Sasuke the opportunity to awaken the Rinnegan.
• Sasuke criticized Naruto for secretly injecting himself with Sasuke’s blood to awaken his Sharingan, then admitted he had been worried about Naruto’s safety.
• Sasuke reported having about a hundred times more chakra and showed Naruto that his Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke asked Naruto to have a match.

Naruto accepted Sasuke’s challenge to a serious battle at the Valley of the End, where Hinata gave them enchanted kunai from the Hyuga Clan. After Naruto countered Sasuke’s Amaterasu with Adamantine Sealing Chains, both fighters powered up for the real fight.

• Naruto agreed to fight Sasuke without holding back, while Hinata and Neji watched from above the Valley of the End.
• Hinata threw Naruto and Sasuke kunai forged from special stones, giving Naruto a Flying Thunder God mark and Sasuke a lightning-amplifying array.
• Neji questioned Hinata about giving away the Hyuga Clan’s treasures, and Hinata explained that Hanabi had taken the kunai from the shrine as gifts for Naruto and Sasuke.
• Naruto used Flying Thunder God attacks to pressure Sasuke, who dodged with lightning-enhanced speed and countered with Amaterasu.
• Naruto protected his arm from Amaterasu with Adamantine Sealing Chains, punched Sasuke into a rock, and entered Nine-Tails Mode as Sasuke entered Sage Mode.

Naruto and Sasuke fought at full strength, escalating from taijutsu to powerful chakra attacks before ending their duel in a devastating explosion. They parted on friendly terms, but Naruto collapsed and coughed up blood after Sasuke left.

• Naruto and Sasuke clashed with Nine-Tails Mode and Sage Mode, creating cracks in space that forced them to retreat.
• Hinata encouraged Neji to believe his White Eye could help him catch up to Naruto and Sasuke, and Neji vowed to grow stronger.
• Sasuke and Naruto each tried to cast Tsukuyomi on the other, but their genjutsu rebounded because of their chakra states.
• Naruto and Sasuke attacked with a Rasengan and Chidori, creating a growing black space that exploded after Naruto pulled them both clear.
• Naruto and Sasuke agreed to end the duel and meet again in four years, then Sasuke left.
• Naruto waited until Sasuke was gone before coughing up blood from injuries caused by the explosion.

Sasuke hid his serious injuries from Kimimaro and Tayuya as they escorted him to Orochimaru's base, where his rapid recovery surprised them. Meanwhile, Naruto reunited with Hinata and Neji, denied being hurt, and left Neji unconvinced.

• Sasuke clashed with Kimimaro over his disrespect toward Orochimaru, but Tayuya stopped them from fighting.
• Tayuya noticed Sasuke's injuries, which he denied, and she and Kimimaro watched him recover at an extraordinary rate on the journey to the Land of Sound.
• Orochimaru welcomed Sasuke to his base and told Kabuto Yakushi to take him to rest before training him.
• Naruto thanked Hinata for the kunai from her and Hanabi, then described Hanabi as a little sister and confused Hinata with his clueless answer.
• Naruto admitted Sasuke had escaped but denied being injured, while Neji called out his pale appearance and asked Hinata for medicine for his own injuries.

Naruto returned to Konoha and learned from Tsunade that he would soon leave on an S-rank mission to the Land of the Moon. After accidentally walking in on Karin bathing, he visited Anko and later spent a romantic evening with Hinata, reassuring her that she was the one he loved most.

• Naruto reported to Tsunade, who assigned him an S-rank mission to the Land of the Moon with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Hinata, and told him to find a medical ninja and leave in three days.
• Naruto accidentally entered the bathroom while Karin was bathing, apologized, and left home feeling awkward.
• Naruto went to Anko's house, denied having feelings for Karin, and kissed Anko.
• Naruto held Hinata on Hokage Rock at sunset, promised to protect her, and told her she would always be the one he loved most.

Naruto learned that an ancient cave in the Land of the Moon held a dangerous secret linked to the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura, then set out with Hinata and Kakashi to retrieve a sphere. Tsunade warned them that Orochimaru and the Akatsuki might also be there and ordered them to protect the seal on the cave’s lowest level.

• Naruto agreed to fight Neji after returning from his mission, and Neji vowed to defeat him with his strengthened White Eye.
• Hiashi told Naruto that Hamura and the Sage of Six Paths had sealed a cave in the Land of the Moon after discovering a powerful energy inside and left a warning against seeking its truth.
• Naruto reassured Hiashi that he would protect Hinata, then Hinata joined him to report to Tsunade.
• Tsunade told Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi to find Jiraiya at Banjo Ichitora’s residence in the Land of Hot Water before traveling to the Land of the Moon to retrieve a sphere.
• Tsunade warned the team not to descend to the cave’s lowest level and said Orochimaru and members of the Akatsuki might be there; Naruto and Kakashi fled after she yelled at them to leave.

Naruto used a messenger frog and Flying Thunder God to reach Jiraiya quickly with Kakashi and Hinata. At Orochimaru's base, Sasuke defeated a group of over a hundred ninja without using his Sharingan and revealed he had mastered senjutsu.

• Naruto insisted that the team stay in town so Hinata could sleep comfortably, but Kakashi reminded him that their mission was urgent.
• Naruto sent a messenger frog to find Jiraiya and deliver his Flying Thunder God kunai, then teleported himself, Kakashi, and Hinata to Jiraiya.
• Sasuke killed over thirty ninja before the remaining fighters trapped him inside rising stone walls.
• Sasuke used Sage Art: Super Great Fireball Technique to burn most of the attackers, then defeated the survivors and smashed through the wall.
• Orochimaru praised Sasuke's senjutsu and told Kabuto Yakushi to keep watching for news from the Land of the Moon.

Naruto’s team met Jiraiya and learned that their mission was to retrieve a Chakra Sphere formed from the Sage of Six Paths’ chakra in the Land of the Moon. As they prepared to leave, Orochimaru learned of the mission and ordered Sasuke to lead a team there to oppose the Akatsuki.

• Liu Yu Uzumaki found the Sage of Six Paths’ powerful seal in a hidden cave, while Six Desires sensed how it worked and decided to wait for others to arrive.
• Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring Hinata and Kakashi to Jiraiya, then exposed Jiraiya for peeping at women bathing and promised to stop him from doing it again.
• Jiraiya told Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi that they were going to retrieve the Sage of Six Paths’ Chakra Sphere from a dangerous location in the Land of the Moon, and Naruto warned that Orochimaru and the Akatsuki might also seek it.
• Naruto and Hinata discussed their hopes of seeing Sasuke and Naruto worried that Orochimaru might mistreat him.
• Kabuto Yakushi reported Konoha’s mission to Orochimaru, who ordered Jūgo, Suigetsu, and Tayuya released and sent Sasuke to lead them to the Land of the Moon.

Sasuke learned that Orochimaru was sending him to the Land of the Moon to disrupt the Akatsuki, and he removed the restriction Naruto had placed in Tayuya’s mind. Naruto realized Sasuke had undone it, while Jiraiya returned with news that forced Konoha’s team to leave for the Land of the Moon immediately.

• Tayuya told Sasuke that Orochimaru wanted him to lead a team to the Land of the Moon and stop the Akatsuki from obtaining a mysterious treasure.
• Tayuya revealed that Konoha had sent Jiraiya, Kakashi, Hinata Hyuga, and Naruto, and Sasuke removed Naruto’s restriction from her mind with his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Kabuto Yakushi ordered Sasuke to leave for the Land of the Moon the next morning and prevent the Akatsuki from getting the object, even if Konoha claimed it instead.
• Naruto sensed that Sasuke had removed Tayuya’s restriction and told Hinata that Sasuke would become stronger, though he kept his further plan secret.
• Jiraiya returned looking grim and told Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, and the others that they had to leave for the Land of the Moon as soon as possible because something unexpected had happened.

Naruto’s team learned that Kumogakure and Iwagakure had joined the race to the Land of the Moon, while Akatsuki’s four-person team assessed their opponents. The factions continued toward the Land of the Moon, with Obito set on confronting Kakashi.

• Jiraiya told Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata that forces from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth had joined the mission, and Naruto identified Iwagakure as the greater threat.
• Naruto, Jiraiya, and Kakashi agreed to hurry toward the Land of the Moon while taking precautions against Kumogakure, despite their peace treaty.
• Kisame told Kakuzu, Hidan, and Obito that Iwagakure had sent over twenty Jonin led by Kitsuchi, and that Konoha and Orochimaru’s forces were also on the way.
• Kisame described Jiraiya, Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi as dangerous opponents, revealing that Kakashi wielded a Mangekyō Sharingan with a space-time technique.
• Obito volunteered to fight Kakashi, and privately looked forward to meeting him again.

Jiraiya used the Pocket Toad to sneak Naruto, Kakashi, and Hinata past Iwagakure’s guards and into the cave. After examining the remains inside, the group discovered evidence of deaths across several eras, and Jiraiya suddenly warned them to hold their breath after detecting a fragrance.

• Jiraiya concealed the group inside the Pocket Toad and guided it past the Iwagakure shinobi guarding the cave.
• Naruto reflected on Orochimaru’s resurrection methods and considered whether Jiraiya could use senjutsu to survive death and free the Fourth Hokage’s soul.
• The Pocket Toad reached the cave without being discovered, and Jiraiya released the technique so the group could emerge.
• Naruto and Kakashi examined bones and concluded that people from several eras had died in the cave, some from starvation and others in battle.
• Jiraiya detected a fragrance and urgently told everyone to hold their breath.

Jiraiya and the others discovered corpse flowers in a cave and deduced that their poisonous pollen had caused people to hallucinate and kill one another. Jiraiya revealed that Naruto had once discarded a book containing rare historical information, then began explaining what the Third Hokage’s investigation had uncovered.

• Jiraiya used a sealing technique to protect the group from the corpse flower pollen, then led them to flowers growing beneath a pile of bones.
• Naruto recognized the corpse flowers, and Jiraiya explained that their pollen paralyzed the soul and caused hallucinations that likely led the dead to kill one another.
• Kakashi, Naruto, and Jiraiya reconstructed how starving refugees and later visitors had died in the cave, with Naruto suggesting the flowers grew among the bodies by coincidence.
• Naruto claimed he had learned about corpse flowers from an old book he later threw away, and Jiraiya struck him for discarding such a valuable record.
• Jiraiya said the Third Hokage’s investigation had uncovered something important after Naruto told Hinata and Sasuke about Kaguya, and Naruto asked what it was.

Jiraiya revealed that Kaguya likely came from another world, but the group had to flee deeper into the cave as their barrier failed. Sasuke’s team entered by using Suigetsu’s Mirage Beast, then Jugo went berserk after smelling a fragrant floral scent and was subdued.

• Jiraiya began sharing a secret about the investigation into Kaguya, saying she likely came from another world a thousand years ago.
• Kakashi warned that their barrier was about to fail, so Jiraiya, Kakashi, Naruto, and Hinata hurried deeper into the cave.
• Suigetsu used a Mirage Beast to conceal Sasuke, Tayuya, and Jugo from the Iwagakure guards, allowing the team to enter the cave.
• At the mountain of bones, Jugo smelled a fragrant floral scent, transformed into Curse Mark Stage Two, and attacked Suigetsu.
• Sasuke restrained Jugo with a white snake, and Tayuya injected him until he calmed down; Jugo and Tayuya both recalled smelling flowers.

Sasuke’s group hurried through a cave filled with dangerous corpse flowers, while Naruto’s group escaped bloodsucking bees and learned that their souls had created an illusory paradise. Jiraiya then revealed evidence suggesting that gods and demons may have existed before recorded history, leaving Naruto wondering whether gods were real.

• Sasuke identified the flowers as Hell-corpse flowers and warned Jugo and the others to hold their breath as they crossed the area.
• Naruto’s group escaped an illusion created by bloodsucking bees, and Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to capture some bees and eggs.
• Jiraiya explained that bloodsucking bees absorbed human souls and that their released soul energy had created the beautiful scenery the group saw.
• Naruto asked Jiraiya about the important information from his investigation, and Jiraiya said records suggested history extended beyond the thousand years since Kaguya’s arrival.
• Jiraiya described a stone inscription about gods and said the evidence suggested an earlier age of gods and demons, leaving Naruto to question whether gods had existed.

Obito and Kisame entered the cave while Hidan fought the Rock Ninja outside, and Naruto’s group discovered a vast underground cavern with a lake and forest. Giant wolves ambushed them, then stopped to howl as Jiraiya realized the danger and urged Gamabunta to intervene.

• Hidan charged the Rock Ninja, survived a kunai through the heart, and killed their squad leader through his Jashin Ritual.
• Obito and Kisame slipped past the remaining guards into the cave while Kakuzu stayed behind with Hidan.
• Naruto, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Hinata reached a moonlit cavern containing an enormous lake surrounded by a giant forest.
• Giant wolves attacked the group, forcing them and Gamabunta to retreat to the treetops.
• The wolves stopped attacking and began howling, prompting Jiraiya to warn Gamabunta to stop them.

Jiraiya, Naruto, Hinata, and Kakashi defeated a pack of giant wolves, then fled a larger pack led by a Giant Wolf King. When a roar sounded from the underground lake, the wolves suddenly retreated, leaving the group to face whatever had made the noise.

• Jiraiya and Gamabunta attacked the giant wolves, but the wolves used natural chakra to counter their fireballs and howl for reinforcements.
• Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, and Jiraiya killed the first pack of wolves, and Naruto explained how he could use Kurama's chakra to support Kakashi and Hinata.
• A Giant Wolf King led a vast pack that repeatedly surrounded and pursued the group, forcing them to fight their way toward an underground lake.
• The wolves fled when a roar came from the lake, and another roar sounded after Jiraiya suggested it had frightened them.