Recaps

Kuro faced Kakashi and Might Guy in the Land of Water, revealing why he had left Konoha and fighting them without exposing his full power. Afterward, he investigated Orochimaru’s connection to Danzo and learned that Danzo was hiding in the Land of Rice Fields.

• Kabuto shared Konoha’s intelligence on Kuro, Orochimaru, and Itachi, while Kuro remembered the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and resolved to gain the strength to protect those around him.
• Kuro agreed to share intelligence with Konoha, and Obito asked him to use alliance talks to learn about Jiraiya and the Nine-Tails jinchuriki.
• Kuro reunited with Kakashi and Might Guy, then told them he had left Konoha because he no longer wanted to be a ninja and could not forget killing a child during the war.
• Kakashi and Guy fought Kuro, who opened the Third Gate and countered their attacks with powerful Fire Release techniques, including the Blazing Flame Sun Wheel.
• Guy and Kakashi opened the Seventh Gate and combined Daytime Tiger with Thunder Hunt to shatter Kuro’s attack, while Kuro escaped and Obito disappeared.
• Obito suspected Itachi had leaked information to Konoha and arranged for Kuro to join Itachi and Scorpion’s mission to hunt Orochimaru.
• Kuro reassured Karin that he would stay by her side, then questioned Orochimaru about Danzo and learned that Danzo had fled Konoha after the Uchiha massacre.
• Orochimaru revealed that Danzo had traded Root members and a plan to trap Itachi for help with his injuries, then said Danzo was hiding in the Land of Rice Fields.

Kuro killed Danzo and took in the surviving children, while Itachi and Kuro were assigned to hunt Orochimaru in the Land of Lightning. Hatake Sakumo and Asuma arrived there seeking Kuro and clashed with Sasori, but Kuro left with Itachi to pursue a hidden tomb, refusing to return to Konoha.

• Danzo confronted Kuro at Root’s base, but Kuro defeated him with Susanoo and Magatsuhi God, then destroyed him and part of the underground base with Space Collapse.
• Kuro spared six surviving children, and Fuma Naoto persuaded him to take them in as future subordinates.
• Kuro arranged for Orochimaru to draw Akatsuki’s attention to the Land of Lightning, where Pain ordered Itachi to join Sasori and Kuro in hunting Orochimaru.
• Hatake Sakumo learned from Sasori that Kuro was headed to the Land of Lightning, then set out with Asuma to rescue a blacksmith and help Kuro.
• Kuro, Itachi, and Sasori met in the forest, where Sakumo and Asuma intervened and demanded that Sasori release the captive blacksmith, Yoshimura Masao.
• Kuro realized Sasori had used Masao and his whereabouts to lure Sakumo into a confrontation, while Sasori warned Kuro and Itachi not to interfere.
• Kuro told Asuma he could no longer return to Konoha, then left with Itachi toward the hidden tomb of Indra’s previous reincarnation as Sakumo held Asuma back.

Kuro and Itachi pursued Orochimaru to an Uchiha mausoleum, where they discovered the Totsuka Blade was already gone. After the Fourth Raikage tried to recruit Kuro and capture him, Kuro escaped with Flying Thunder God and reached a hidden cavern in the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range.

• Asuma declared that he would learn why Kuro had left Konoha and bring him back, while Hatake Sakumo revealed Kuro’s intelligence about Scorpion’s weakness and recognized the Third Kazekage puppet.
• Hatake Sakumo and Asuma fought Scorpion, with Asuma breaking through the Iron Sand and Sakumo destroying the Third Kazekage puppet before Scorpion exposed his puppet body and unleashed his army.
• Kuro and Itachi pursued Orochimaru into a cavern, where Kuro exposed a hidden Uchiha tomb and Itachi identified it as the resting place of the Totsuka Blade.
• Kuro found the coffin empty and left with it as the Fourth Raikage confronted Itachi, while Manda escaped after A severed one of its horns.
• Kuro blocked A’s attack and explained that Akatsuki was hunting Orochimaru, but he rejected A’s offer to join Kumogakure and refused to be taken there.
• A, Darui, and C pursued Kuro across the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range, and Kuro used Uchiha Flame Formation to block their ambush.
• Darui and C revealed their admiration for Kuro’s erotic manga, while A ordered them to capture Kuro alive and attacked with them after Kuro again refused to join Kumogakure.
• Kuro escaped their coordinated attack with Flying Thunder God, and A ordered a search for Orochimaru and renewed research into countering the technique as Kuro reached a hidden cavern.

Kuro gained the power he needed to reshape the Ninja World, then returned to Konoha with Mist Village’s alliance proposal and confronted Sasuke about training him. Sasuke refused to trust Kuro until Kuro revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan.

• Kuro uncovered Uchiha Tong’s history with Senju Zhengsen, absorbed the Great Ori Cutter’s powers, and resolved to deal with Black Zetsu.
• Kuro’s Mangekyō Sharingan evolved, curing his blindness and giving him immense strength, and he decided to reshape the Ninja World into a place where he could feel safe.
• After learning that Kumogakure had exposed him as the creator of Icha Icha Paradise, Kuro confronted Obito about the association and joined him in planning a visit to Konoha.
• Kuro traveled to Konoha with Kisame and Utakata, where he proposed that Mist Village establish Odd Jobs Agencies and offered Konoha an alliance and a pilot program.
• Kuro met Sasuke and Anko in Konoha, then learned that Anko still grieved his disappearance and confessed her lingering feelings for him.
• Kuro found Sasuke alone at Kakashi’s home and offered to train him so he could avenge his clan, but Sasuke refused to trust a rogue ninja.
• Kuro claimed he could defeat Itachi and revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving Sasuke unable to move.