Recaps

Yagura proposed an alliance between the Mist Village and Konoha, while Kuro announced he would lead a delegation to discuss it in person. Kabuto redirected the meeting to Akatsuki intelligence and revealed that Konoha had information on Orochimaru and Uchiha Kuro.

• Yagura proposed a formal alliance with Konoha to support joint investigations into Akatsuki in the Land of Water.
• Kakashi declined to commit to an alliance before consulting the Hokage, and Kuro said he would lead a delegation to Konoha to discuss it.
• Kabuto interrupted the exchange and steered the discussion back to Akatsuki intelligence.
• Kabuto introduced himself as head of Konoha's Intelligence Bureau, Root, and said Konoha had gathered information on Akatsuki members.
• Kabuto named Orochimaru and Uchiha Kuro as the two Konoha missing-nin on whom Konoha had the most detailed intelligence.

Kabuto presented Mist Village with intelligence on three Akatsuki members and explained why Konoha considered Uchiha Kuro a priority. His account of Kuro’s deeds at Kannabi Bridge brought back Kuro’s memories of failing to save Obito and the others, leaving him convinced he had changed nothing.

• Kabuto gave Kuro and Yagura files on Uchiha Kuro, Orochimaru, and Uchiha Itachi, then asked Mist Village to prioritize gathering information on Kuro.
• Kuro questioned why Konoha considered him a greater concern than Orochimaru, and Kabuto detailed his combat record and the name Black Lightning he earned at Kannabi Bridge.
• Kakashi clenched his fist as Kabuto recounted Kuro’s battlefield achievements, while Obito watched Kakashi and Kuro from the shadows.
• Kuro remembered fighting an overwhelming Stone Village force alone after sending Kakashi, Obito, and Rin to seek reinforcements.
• Kuro recalled awakening the Sixth Gate and defeating the enemy before losing consciousness, then waking to learn that Obito had died and given Kakashi his Sharingan.
• Kuro remembered Kakashi’s account of their encounter with another Stone Village squad and concluded that he had not changed Obito’s fate.

Kuro recalled his helplessness during the Battle of Kannabi Bridge while Kabuto presented a detailed report about his life and secret work illustrating Icha Icha Paradise. Obito and Yagura teased Kuro over the embarrassing revelations, leaving Kuro threatening that Obito would regret it.

• Kuro remembered the pain of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and resolved to gain absolute power so he would not be helpless again.
• Obito told Kakashi and Kuro that they had done nothing wrong and blamed the world for their suffering.
• Kabuto recited Kuro's career and personal details, including that Kuro illustrated the first volume of Icha Icha Paradise.
• Might Guy learned that Kuro had illustrated Kakashi's beloved book, while Obito struggled to hide his amusement.
• Kuro realized Jiraiya must have revealed his secret and angrily vowed to kill him when they next met.
• Yagura, controlled by Obito, insisted Kabuto continue, and Kuro warned Obito that he would regret teasing him.

Kabuto explained that Konoha still wanted Uchiha Kuro brought back and asked Mist Village to share intelligence about him, and the villages agreed to cooperate. After Kakashi, Might Guy, and Kabuto departed with Kisame, Kuro returned to the Advisor Building and found a masked Akatsuki figure waiting in Yagura’s chair.

• Kuro swiftly took the documents from the desk while Kabuto was explaining them, then let Kabuto continue.
• Kabuto told Kuro and Yagura that Konoha still classified Kuro as someone to bring back, unlike Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi, who were wanted dead or alive.
• Kuro accepted Konoha’s intelligence-sharing request, and Kakashi promised to relay Kuro’s proposed alliance negotiations to the Hokage.
• Yagura assigned Kisame to escort Kakashi, Might Guy, and Kabuto safely to Mist Harbor as they left Kirigakure.
• Kuro returned to the Advisor Building and found a masked Akatsuki figure sitting in Yagura’s chair, who quietly met his gaze.

Kuro and Obito discussed their plans for approaching Konoha and misleading it about Akatsuki’s location. They left to prepare the evidence needed to convince Konoha that Akatsuki’s base was in the Land of Water.

• Kuro teased Obito about taking off his mask and acting sentimental after seeing Kakashi again.
• Obito told Kuro to travel to Konoha in a few weeks and use alliance discussions to gather intelligence, especially about whether Jiraiya would become the Fifth Hokage.
• Obito asked Kuro to learn about the current Nine-Tails jinchuriki while access was still possible.
• Kuro reflected that their alliance plan would let him approach Naruto and Sasuke, while Obito would use his official status to advance Akatsuki’s tailed-beast plans.
• Obito said they needed Konoha to believe Akatsuki’s base was in the Land of Water, and Kuro considered how to provide convincing evidence.
• Obito put on his orange spiral mask, and he and Kuro set out together.

Kakashi's group traveled toward Mist Harbor and discussed their bonds with Kuro and Kisame's loyalty to Kirigakure's leaders. They encountered Tobi and Kuro, and Kakashi reunited with the friend who had left Konoha five years earlier.

• Might Guy challenged Kakashi to a race while Kisame observed the group and remarked on their happiness.
• Kisame asked Kakashi about Kuro, and Kakashi said he believed they would meet again and bring Kuro back to Konoha.
• Kisame explained that both Kirigakure's Mizukage and Mizukage Aide were indispensable to him, and Kakashi praised them.
• Tobi burst from the woods in an Akatsuki cloak, and Kuro's sword, Firebirth, passed through him without harming him.
• Kuro emerged from the forest and chased Tobi, while Kakashi and Might Guy recognized him.
• Kakashi called out to Kuro, who stopped, sheathed Firebirth, and greeted his old friend.

Kakashi and Guy reunited with Kuro in the Land of Water, but Kuro showed no sign of returning to Konoha. Kakashi finally asked why Kuro had left five years earlier.

• Obito and Kuro encountered Kakashi, Guy, and Kabuto on a road in the Land of Water, and Kuro recognized his old acquaintances.
• Guy rushed to embrace Kuro, but Kuro used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge him, leaving Guy sprawled face-down in the dirt.
• Kuro asked after Might Guy's father and learned that he had become a Ninja Academy taijutsu instructor.
• Guy urged Kuro to return to Konoha, but Kakashi reminded him that they already knew Kuro's answer from Lord Jiraiya.
• Kuro learned that Teacher Jiraiya had returned to Konoha, then Kakashi asked why Kuro had left the village five years earlier.

Kuro explained that he left Konoha because he no longer wanted to be a ninja, after recalling the pressure and conflict surrounding the Uchiha and his own struggles. He left Kakashi and Might Guy with the long-delayed answer.

• Kakashi asked Kuro why he had left Konoha, while Kisame and Obito watched with interest.
• Kuro recalled the Uchiha's isolation, the growing conflict with Konoha, and the strain of trying to mediate while struggling with his own training and fears.
• Kuro remembered that an argument with Shisui had preceded his decision to flee Konoha.
• Kuro decided to tell Kakashi and Might Guy the truth rather than invent an excuse.
• Kuro told Kakashi and Might Guy that he had left because he did not want to be a ninja anymore.

Kuro revealed that the story he had told about awakening his two-Tomo Sharingan was false: after a Sand Village ambush killed his teammates and mortally wounded his teacher, he killed a fleeing civilian girl. He left Kakashi and Might Guy stunned as he began explaining why he no longer wanted to be a shinobi.

• Might Guy demanded to know why Kuro had quit being a shinobi, while Kakashi watched him in silence.
• Kuro reminded Kakashi and Might Guy of the Sand Village ambush in which Morishita Naoto, Inuzuka Cloud, and Tetsuki Fukama had died, and admitted his old account of awakening his Sharingan was only partly true.
• Kuro explained that Sand Village had deliberately left civilians in the combat zone as bait, and that Fukama and Cloud had died because of the tactic.
• Kuro recalled that a family of three had been caught in the attack, and that the parents died while sending their young daughter to flee.
• Kuro said Morishita had pointed him toward the girl before dying, and that he caught up with her and killed her.

Kuro explained that killing an innocent child during the Third Ninja World War made him reject being a ninja and leave Konoha five years ago. When Kakashi asked why he had joined Akatsuki, Kuro said he had found a goal that could change the false Ninja World, leaving Kakashi to infer that Akatsuki was part of his plan.

• Kuro recalled killing a six-year-old whose parents had died in the war and described the act as necessary but deeply painful.
• Kuro told Kakashi and Might Guy that he had wanted to stop being a ninja since the war and had decided to leave Konoha five years earlier.
• Kakashi and Might Guy listened in silence as Kuro explained his reasons, while Obito reflected on how little he had understood Kuro in the past.
• Kakashi asked why Kuro had joined Akatsuki after deciding to leave the ninja life.
• Kuro said he had found a goal to change the false Ninja World, and his silence suggested he could pursue it only through Akatsuki.

Kuro refused Kakashi’s plea to leave Akatsuki, and Kakashi and Might Guy prepared to fight him. After launching Obito at their opponents with a “Night Knock,” Kuro assigned him Kisame and Kabuto while taking Kakashi and Guy for himself.

• Kakashi drew White Fang’s Tanto and vowed to bring Kuro back to Konoha, while Might Guy took his fighting stance.
• Kuro readied himself to test his strength against Kakashi and Guy without revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Obito tried to avoid fighting, so Kuro kicked him high into the air with a move he called “Night Knock.”
• Kisame caught the flying Obito with Samehada, and Obito used his intangibility before landing theatrically.
• Kuro told Obito to handle Kisame and Kabuto, then faced Kakashi and Might Guy himself.

Kakashi and Guy faced Kuro after he revealed his overwhelming strength, and Kakashi realized he could not defeat him alone. The three prepared to fight together, while Obito and Kisame watched their battle with interest.

• Kakashi countered Kuro's crimson flame slash with a lightning-infused Hatake sword technique, and Kuro praised his skill before challenging him.
• Kuro released a powerful wave of chakra and warned Kakashi that his swordsmanship alone would not be enough to defeat him.
• Obito and Kisame slowed their staged clash to watch Kakashi and Kuro, while Kabuto wondered why their fight seemed strange.
• Remembering Jiraiya's warning about Kuro's strength, Kakashi admitted he needed Guy's help.
• Kakashi and Guy charged up to face Kuro together, and Kuro welcomed the fight with eager anticipation.

Kuro faced Kakashi and Might Guy on the battlefield as Kakashi revealed his Sharingan and vowed to bring Kuro back to Konoha with Obito's strength. Kuro launched a rapid sword attack, but Kakashi and Guy countered together and trapped him between their strikes as he opened the Third Gate.

• Kakashi revealed his Three Tomoe Sharingan and told Kuro he would bring him back with Obito's strength, while Guy joined his vow.
• Obito, secretly present as Lord Madara, felt awkward as Kakashi and Guy mourned and invoked him.
• Kuro feigned sorrow for Obito, then used Uchiha Style—Waltz to attack Kakashi at close range.
• Kakashi signaled Might Guy, who struck Kuro with Konoha—Great Whirlwind and forced him to redirect his flaming blade.
• Kuro retreated from Guy's kick, but Kakashi blocked his path with a Chidori Longsword, trapping him between their attacks.
• Kuro opened the Eight Inner Gates' Third Gate, the Gate of Life.

Kuro escaped Kakashi and Might Guy’s pincer attack by activating the Gate of Life, revealing overwhelming speed and near-perfect aura concealment. Kakashi and Might Guy agreed to stay together, with Kakashi reading Kuro’s movements and guiding Guy as the fight continued.

• Kuro activated the Gate of Life and used a burst of speed to escape Kakashi and Might Guy’s attack, landing some distance away.
• Kakashi and Might Guy discussed Kuro’s speed and his ability to conceal his aura, which had kept Guy from sensing his movement.
• Kakashi concluded that Kuro intended to disable one of them first and warned Guy that they must not split up.
• Kakashi told Guy to take the initiative while he watched Kuro and called out his next moves, promising, “I’ll be your eyes!”

Kuro recognized Kakashi and Might Guy’s plan to counter his speed-focused fighting style, then switched tactics and unleashed a powerful Dragon Flame Song Technique. As Kakashi and Guy faced the encroaching flames, Kakashi connected Kuro’s growth to the mysterious masked man who inherited Uchiha Madara’s legacy.

• Kuro read the exchange between Kakashi and Might Guy and realized Guy would attack while Kakashi watched for openings.
• Kuro sheathed Firebirth and decided to use a different fighting style against his former friends.
• Kakashi warned Guy that Kuro was changing tactics as Kuro formed hand seals.
• Kuro launched a Dragon Flame Song Technique that sent flaming dragon heads toward Kakashi and Guy, closing off their escape routes.
• Kakashi prepared to counter the flames and linked Kuro’s extraordinary growth to the powerful teacher he suspected stood behind the masked man’s legacy.

Kakashi connected Tobi to the masked mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident and suspected he was Uchiha Obito. Sensing Kakashi’s suspicion, Obito chose to confuse him by taking a direct hit from Kisame’s Samehada, leaving Kisame wondering whether he had killed Madara.

• Kakashi linked Tobi’s mask, space-time ninjutsu, and connection to Kuro with Minato-sensei’s description of Uchiha Madara.
• Kakashi suspected that Tobi was the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident and had influenced Kuro to join Akatsuki and leave Konoha.
• Obito sensed Kakashi watching him and considered killing him, but decided Kakashi had not fully confirmed his identity and that killing him would disrupt their plans.
• Obito shouted about his Tobi Combo and charged into Kisame’s Samehada, allowing it to smash his left leg and send him crashing into the woods.
• Kisame stared at the injured Obito and wondered whether he had killed Lord Madara or whether Lord Madara had committed suicide.

Kakashi refocused on the fight after Might Guy shielded him and unleashed Morning Peacock, breaking through Kuro’s Dragon Flame Song. As the firestorm bore down on Kuro, Kakashi noticed his hands had stopped forming seals and warned Might Guy that Kuro had prepared another technique.

• Kuro glanced at the Masked Man lying among the ruined trees, then turned his attention back to Kakashi and Might Guy as he continued forming hand seals.
• Kakashi questioned whether the Masked Man was truly the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident, but Might Guy pulled him out of his thoughts and urged him to focus.
• Kakashi decided to bring Kuro back and report the lead to Minato-sensei and Lord Jiraiya, then asked Might Guy to take the lead.
• Might Guy opened the sixth gate, Gate of View, and used Morning Peacock to smash apart Kuro’s flame dragon heads and send a storm of fire toward him.
• Might Guy prepared to charge Kuro as the firestorm closed in, but Kakashi grabbed his collar after noticing Kuro had stopped forming seals and was pointing two fingers forward.

Kuro gathered the heat from the battlefield into a concentrated Fire Release attack, which Kakashi recognized as an S-rank technique that could absorb even Might Guy’s chakra-free flames. Kuro unleashed the enormous Sun Wheel toward Kakashi and Might Guy, leaving the outcome of the attack unresolved.

• Kuro drew Morning Peacock’s flames and the lingering heat from the battlefield toward a point at his fingertips, causing the surrounding air and ground to frost over.
• Kakashi realized Kuro had prepared the technique with his earlier Dragon Flame Song Technique and explained that it absorbed surrounding heat to strengthen the attack.
• Kakashi warned Might Guy that Kuro’s S-rank technique could counter Fire Release, while Kuro acknowledged Kakashi’s insight and challenged them to withstand it.
• Kuro released the concentrated heat as a gigantic, high-speed flame cannon that carved a charred trench toward Kakashi and Might Guy.

Might Guy opened the Seventh Gate to protect Kakashi from Kuro’s Blazing Flame Sun Wheel, and the two friends combined their strongest techniques to break the attack. Obito watched their display of power and realized his plan involving the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki would be more difficult than expected.

• As the Blazing Flame Sun Wheel’s heat threatened them, Kakashi prepared to use Obito’s power, but Might Guy opened the Seventh Gate and shielded him with blue chakra vapor.
• Guy urged Kakashi to face Kuro with everything they had, and Kakashi joined him with lightning surging through White Fang’s Tanto.
• Guy unleashed Daytime Tiger while Kakashi fired Thunder Hunt, and their coordinated attacks shattered the Blazing Flame Sun Wheel.
• Obito, who had been pretending to be dead among shattered wood, watched Kakashi and Guy’s strength and reconsidered the difficulty of his Nine-Tails jinchuriki plan.

Kuro escaped after Kakashi and Guy combined their strength against his Blazing Flame Sun Wheel, while Kakashi began piecing together Kuro’s connection to the masked man. On a distant hill, Obito warned Kuro that Kakashi might have learned something about him.

• Kuro judged that Kakashi and Guy had overcome his attack, then used Swift Thunder to escape the blast without revealing his full strength.
• Guy collapsed from exhaustion after opening the Gate of Wonder, and Kakashi caught him while Kabuto hurried over to help.
• Kabuto told Kakashi that the masked man was gone, and Kakashi suspected Kuro had rescued him and might be working with the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident.
• Kisame recalled seeing Kuro carry the bloodied Madara away from the wreckage and hoped Madara would recover.
• Kuro questioned Obito about being struck by Samehada and trapped under a tree, but Obito said Kakashi might have figured something out about him.

Obito suspected that someone had leaked his identity as Uchiha Madara to Konoha, while Kuro feared Obito might suspect him and prepared to strike. Obito named Uchiha Itachi as the likely culprit, leaving Kuro stunned.

• Obito told Kuro that Kakashi had not recognized him but had shown unusual hostility, suggesting Kakashi already knew about Uchiha Madara.
• Obito concluded that someone had leaked his information to Konoha, and Kuro worried that Obito might suspect him.
• Kuro considered attacking Obito with Magatsuhi God and prepared to strike before Obito could use Kamui.
• Obito revealed that he suspected Uchiha Itachi had leaked the information, and Kuro reacted with confusion.

Obito suspected Uchiha Itachi of leaking information about him and tasked Kuro with testing Itachi during a mission to hunt Orochimaru. After returning to his hidden cave, Kuro asked Karin whether she wanted to leave and live with him in the outside world.

• Obito reasoned that Uchiha Itachi was the likeliest source of the leaked information, though he admitted he lacked proof.
• Obito asked Kuro to join Itachi and Scorpion's mission to hunt Orochimaru and probe Itachi's reactions, while Obito searched for new Akatsuki members.
• Kuro agreed to approach Itachi, and Obito left to arrange Kuro's addition to the mission through Nagato.
• Kuro returned to the hidden lava cave near Mist Village and reunited with Karin.
• Kuro asked Karin whether she wanted to leave the cave and live with him in the outside world.

Karin told Kuro she was happy in their lava cave and would follow him anywhere, and Kuro promised to remain by her side as her master and family. After Karin went to sleep, Kuro entered his secret chamber and returned to his research on the Mangekyō Sharingan technique "Eternal World."

• Karin told Kuro that their life together made her happy and that wherever he was would be home to her.
• Kuro promised Karin that he would stay by her side in the future, and she accepted his reassurance with a smile.
• Kuro and Karin cooked dinner together, after which he taught her sealing theory and medical ninjutsu chakra control before staying with her until she fell asleep.
• Kuro tucked Karin beneath her blanket, then went to the secret chamber and examined his extensive research on "Eternal World."

Kuro used his Mangekyō Sharingan to control Orochimaru, making him record his knowledge and answer questions about Danzō. Kuro learned that Danzō fled Konoha with Root members on the night of the Uchiha massacre, leaving him stunned.

• Kuro reviewed Orochimaru's written research on souls, spiritual power, and the Sharingan, then considered how useful Orochimaru could be for his plans.
• Kuro used his Mangekyō Sharingan to command Orochimaru to answer his questions in detail.
• Kuro asked whether Orochimaru had recently been in contact with Shimura Danzō.
• Orochimaru said Danzō contacted him three days after the Uchiha clan massacre and had already been gravely wounded.
• Orochimaru revealed that Danzō had fled Konoha with more than a dozen elite Root members on the night of the massacre, shocking Kuro.

Kuro learned from Orochimaru that Danzo had been driven from Konoha after Hiruzen blamed him for the Uchiha massacre, and that Obito had secretly taken all the Uchiha bodies. After Orochimaru revealed Danzo’s later alliance plans and his knowledge of a person close to Kuro, Kuro demanded Danzo’s whereabouts and learned he was hiding in the Land of Rice Fields.

• Orochimaru told Kuro that Danzo had sought Sharingan from him before the Uchiha massacre and was later nearly killed by Hiruzen after the Hashirama Cells in his arm rebelled.
• Orochimaru explained that Danzo found every Uchiha corpse missing, was blamed by Hiruzen, and escaped using Izanagi with help from Root members.
• Kuro concluded that Obito had taken the Uchiha bodies and wondered what purpose they served.
• Orochimaru revealed that Danzo had exchanged Root members and a plan to trap Itachi for help stabilizing his injuries, then proposed an alliance against Konoha.
• Orochimaru mentioned Danzo’s intelligence about a suspected Uzumaki remnant beside Kuro, prompting Kuro to seize him and demand Danzo’s location.
• Orochimaru told Kuro that Danzo was hiding in the Land of Rice Fields.