Chapter Summaries

Rasa killed Sasori, recovered the Third Kazekage’s body, and returned to Sunagakure, where he pretended to grieve the loss of his teacher. He stopped Chiyo and Ebizo from resigning as elders, leaving them convinced of his devotion to the village.

• Rasa and Nagato confirmed that Sasori had died when the Third Kazekage’s Human Puppet was destroyed, and Rasa collected the remains.
• Rasa declined Nagato’s invitation to stay, staged a dramatic display of swordsmanship, and used the distraction to leave.
• Rasa returned to Sunagakure late at night and summoned Chiyo and Ebizo to see the Third Kazekage’s body and Sasori’s remains.
• Rasa pretended to mourn the Third Kazekage and told Chiyo and Ebizo that Sasori had killed his beloved teacher.
• Chiyo and Ebizo offered to resign as elders and guard the Third Kazekage’s grave, but Rasa insisted that the village needed them and persuaded them to stay.

Rasa put the Third Kazekage and Sasori’s deaths behind him while Sunagakure’s elders continued their work. Karura told him she was pregnant, and his joy turned to thoughts about their child and the men who might someday court his daughter.

• Rasa arranged for the Third Kazekage’s puppet body and Sasori to be buried near Sasori’s parents, while Chiyo and her younger brother continued serving as elders.
• Sunagakure’s ninja learned that Rasa had recovered the Third Kazekage’s body, and Rasa gave vague replies about the ongoing investigation.
• Karura told Rasa that a pregnancy test was positive, and Rasa celebrated the news.
• Rasa asked Karura whether she wanted a boy or a girl, then imagined their child might be Temari.
• Rasa considered taking out Shikaku Nara because he disliked the prospect of a future slacker son-in-law for his daughter.

Rasa learned that Kumogakure’s AB Brothers had turned the front against Sunagakure and that Baki and Kakuzu were in danger. He faced a decision about rushing to the battlefield just as another urgent message arrived.

• Rasa prepared for Karura’s first child while handling his Kazekage duties and secretly hoping to stay home if the front remained stable.
• Kenshiro delivered Baki’s battle report, and Pakura checked it for poison before Rasa read it.
• Kenshiro reported that Sunagakure had retreated fifty kilometers in three days and was mostly on the defensive.
• Kenshiro explained that Killer B had joined the Raikage’s son and that the two were suppressing Kakuzu.
• Rasa questioned why he had not heard about the reinforcements sooner, and Kenshiro said Kakuzu had believed he could handle them.
• Rasa prepared to decide what to do when another urgent knock sounded at the office door.

Rasa learned that Kirigakure had sent a force to extort Sunagakure while it was fighting Kumogakure, and he chose to answer with force. He forged thousands of high-quality weapons, appointed Pakura to lead a counterattack, and rallied Sunagakure’s shinobi to enlist.

• A messenger told Rasa that Kirigakure blamed Sunagakure for the deaths of Biwa Juzo and Suikazan Fuguki and demanded compensation.
• Rasa concluded that Kirigakure was exploiting Sunagakure’s war with Kumogakure and crushed the list of demands.
• Rasa used his Electromagnetic Force to forge thousands of swords, Kunai, and Shuriken from metal drawn out of the earth.
• Rasa learned that roughly seven or eight hundred Kirigakure shinobi were approaching and appointed Pakura to lead a thousand Sunagakure shinobi against them.
• Rasa offered the volunteers weapons as a reward, and the Sand shinobi eagerly signed up and selected equipment.

Pakura led a thousand Sand Ninja to repel the Mist Ninja while Rasa rushed to the front against Kumogakure and found Maki and Kakuzu struggling under the AB Brothers’ attacks. After hearing their reports, Rasa paid Kakuzu in gold, restoring his enthusiasm for the fight.

• Rasa assigned Pakura a thousand ninjas and sent her to face the invading Mist Ninja.
• Rasa left Chiyo in temporary charge and flew to the main front against Kumogakure.
• Rasa landed at the command post, where Maki apologized for failing to hold back Kumogakure’s attack.
• Kakuzu told Rasa that the AB Brothers had raided the camp and destroyed his Wind and Lightning hearts, leaving him exhausted.
• Rasa gave Kakuzu gold ingots, and Kakuzu said he felt ready to fight again.

Rasa and Kakuzu raided Kumogakure’s camps to lure out the AB Brothers, killing nearly two hundred Cloud Ninja before A and Killer B arrived. The brothers entered the burning camp and Killer B knocked Kakuzu flying, while Rasa’s trap remained poised.

• Rasa learned that Kumogakure had killed about eighty Sunagakure shinobi and ordered Kakuzu to rest before a nighttime sortie.
• Rasa and Kakuzu attacked a Kumogakure camp, where Rasa impaled the Cloud Ninja with metal spikes and Kakuzu took a heart from a corpse.
• Rasa and Kakuzu raided several more camps, letting survivors escape to summon reinforcements and killing nearly two hundred Cloud Ninja.
• A and Killer B raced toward the burning camp after detecting Kakuzu’s attack.
• Killer B kicked Kakuzu through his Earth Grudge Fear defenses and sent him flying as the Cloud Ninja welcomed the AB Brothers’ arrival.

Rasa confronted A and Killer B after Kakuzu lured the Cloud Ninja into battle, then slaughtered the camp with a forest of metal spears. Killer B attacked Rasa with his Seven-Sword Style, but Rasa stopped his blades and prepared to strike with metal wings as A rushed to intervene.

• Gyuki sensed Rasa’s overwhelming chakra and urged Killer B to flee, but Killer B refused to back down.
• Kakuzu withdrew and revealed Rasa above the AB Brothers, where Rasa declared that only one of them would return alive.
• Rasa used Electromagnetic Force to raise metal spears from underground, impaling the Cloud Ninja in the camp.
• Killer B charged through the steel forest with Gyuki’s help and attacked Rasa with seven swords.
• A donned the Lightning God Armor and rushed to help, while Rasa froze Killer B’s swords and formed steel wings to strike him.

Rasa fought A and Killer B, countering their attacks with his Magnet Release and leaving the brothers at a disadvantage. He then turned his attention to the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and appeared ready to pit Killer B against Kakuzu.

• Killer B released his swords and used the Eight-Tails' chakra to defend against Rasa's Steel Wings, but A caught him and took the sword-feathers head-on with Kumogakure's Lightning God Armor.
• Rasa bound A with Gold Dust and used a Front Lotus to slam him into a steel plate, leaving A injured and disoriented.
• A attacked with Lariat, but Rasa's Visible Light Manipulation shifted his image, causing A to strike the ground instead.
• Killer B charged Rasa with Head Eight-Sword, but Rasa dodged and kicked him through several trees.
• Rasa said he was not interested in fighting children and offered to find Killer B a suitable opponent, prompting Kakuzu to hope for a chance to kill him.

Rasa summoned Five-Tails Kokuō to fight Killer B and Eight-Tails, revealing that Kokuō had become his willing ally. As the two Tailed Beasts clashed, Rasa challenged A to defeat him in close combat.

• Kakuzu’s attempt to take Rasa’s head failed as Rasa completed a summoning array.
• Rasa summoned Five-Tails Kokuō, and Gyuki recognized the chakra while Killer B realized the summoning beast was a Tailed Beast.
• Kokuō affectionately greeted Rasa and agreed to hold off its old friend, Killer B.
• Kokuō and Eight-Tails traded insults before Killer B and Kokuō began fighting to a stalemate.
• Rasa told A to focus on their fight, and A activated his Lightning God Armor and charged at him.

Rasa overwhelmed A with Magnet Release and a series of attacks, leaving him badly injured and forcing him to cut off his shattered arm. As Rasa and the Five-Tails approached, A accepted Killer B and the Eight-Tails’ advice to retreat, though he feared they might be too late.

• Rasa used metal stakes and a tightening cage to force A into his Lightning Release Chakra Rampage Mode, then kicked him into the Steel Forest.
• Rasa attacked A with molten metal and a Super Railgun, shattering his arm and sending him flying hundreds of meters.
• Killer B broke away from the Five-Tails and reached the injured A, while Rasa acknowledged A’s toughness and pursued him.
• A cut off his ruined arm, and Killer B urged him to flee rather than fight an opponent they could not defeat.
• A asked the Eight-Tails for its view, accepted that escape was their best option, and warned Killer B that Rasa was already closing in.

Rasa thwarted A and Killer B’s Double Lariat by using Visible Light Manipulation to make them attack an afterimage. When Rasa’s next strike sent the Eight-Tails and A flying back the way they had come, the Eight-Tails declared that the attack had given them an escape route.

• A and Killer B unleashed Double Lariat against Rasa after deciding they had to hurt him before escaping.
• The Eight-Tails sensed something was wrong, but A and Killer B’s attacks collided after Rasa distorted their vision and rose above them.
• Rasa explained that his ability had altered the image they saw, and the Eight-Tails realized A had been fooled by it earlier as well.
• Rasa reshaped buried metal into a greatsword and launched it at A, but the Eight-Tails transformed and blocked the strike.
• The sword severed one of the Eight-Tails’ horns and sent it crashing into A, propelling them toward the route they had taken to arrive.

Rasa pursued A and Killer B, but the Eight-Tails helped the brothers escape by breaking free of Killer B’s seal and confronting him. Rasa overwhelmed Gyuki and began trapping the Eight-Tails in Gold Dust.

• The Eight-Tails fired a Tailed Beast Bomb to slow Rasa, then landed with A and Killer B and urged them to flee.
• Killer B offered to stay behind, but the Eight-Tails proposed that A break its seal so it could fight Rasa while the brothers escaped.
• A damaged Killer B’s sealing formula, and the Eight-Tails left two tentacles inside him before emerging in its true form as Gyuki.
• Gyuki told A and Killer B to run and challenged Rasa, who agreed to tame it as a Summoning Beast.
• Gyuki unleashed a barrage of Tailed Beast Bombs, but Rasa dodged them, kicked its chin and sent it crashing through the forest.
• Rasa thrust out both hands and engulfed Gyuki in a tide of Gold Dust.

Rasa defeated the Eight-Tails with Metal Torrent and forced him to choose between death and becoming a Summoning Beast. The Eight-Tails surrendered on the condition that he would not have to fight Killer B, and the Five-Tails volunteered to keep watch over him.

• Rasa unleashed Metal Torrent, engulfing the Eight-Tails in superheated gold and nearly burning him to death before cooling the torrent into a Metal Cube.
• Rasa offered the trapped Eight-Tails death or surrender, and the Eight-Tails chose to surrender while demanding that he not be made to fight Killer B.
• Rasa agreed, and the Eight-Tails signed the Summoning Contract and shrank to a smaller form like the Five-Tails.
• Rasa offered the Eight-Tails a place to live near the Five-Tails, who urged Rasa to house him together so he could monitor him.

Rasa secured the Eight-Tails as a summoning ally, leaving Killer B without his lifelong companion but still able to use the chakra left inside him. After A and Killer B returned to Kumogakure’s camp battered and defeated, A planned to switch battlefields with his father so the Third Raikage could face Rasa.

• The Eight-Tails settled in the Land of Birds with the Five-Tails after signing a Summoning Contract with Rasa.
• A and Killer B returned to Kumogakure’s camp, where Killer B realized his connection to the Eight-Tails had been severed.
• A confirmed that Killer B could still use the Eight-Tails’ remaining chakra and promised to reunite them after the beast was reborn.
• The Cloud Ninja saw A’s injuries and learned that Kazekage Rasa had defeated the AB Brothers.
• A said Rasa never went all out from the start and planned to switch battlefields with his father, believing the Third Raikage could defeat Rasa.

After Rasa’s victories over Kumogakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s advisers debated whether Konohagakure should strike Sunagakure before it grew stronger. Orochimaru defended Rasa as a peaceful ally and persuaded Hiruzen to pursue friendly relations and trade, then proposed a marriage alliance before withdrawing the idea when Tsunade reacted angrily.

• Rasa’s capture of the Eight-Tails and defeat of the AB Brothers inspired Sunagakure to counterattack and drive Kumogakure’s forces into retreat.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned a meeting to discuss the threat posed by Rasa’s growing power, and Danzo urged Konohagakure to attack Sunagakure first.
• Orochimaru praised Rasa as a peace-loving partner and opposed Danzo’s proposal to start a war.
• Minato admitted he could not confidently hold Rasa off, while Orochimaru assured Hiruzen that Rasa would not attack Konohagakure for at least ten years.
• Orochimaru persuaded Hiruzen to strengthen ties with Sunagakure through trade and suggested a marriage alliance, but Hiruzen dropped the idea after Tsunade objected.

The Third Raikage arrived at the Sunagakure front and questioned the AB Brothers about Rasa’s strength. Convinced he could withstand Rasa and defeat him, he gathered nearby Cloud forces and set out to attack.

• The Third Raikage left the Konoha front and arrived at the Cloud camp near Sunagakure, where the AB Brothers greeted him.
• The Third Raikage said Konoha’s resistance had slowed his campaign and identified Rasa as the greatest threat to the Cloud forces.
• A described Rasa as exceptionally difficult to defeat, explaining that his broad abilities and room for error had led to the brothers’ losses.
• The Third Raikage compared himself favorably to Ōnoki and declared that Rasa could not defeat him in one blow.
• The Third Raikage asked where Rasa’s forces were, then ordered nearby Cloud troops to assemble so they could attack Rasa together.

The Third Raikage led Kumogakure in a counterattack against Sunagakure, prompting Rasa to confront him. Rasa struck the Raikage with a high-speed metal pillar, but the Raikage survived and challenged him to a fight.

• The Third Raikage organized Kumogakure’s forces into a vanguard and supporting groups, then led an assault that pushed the Sand Ninja back.
• Baki told Rasa that the Third Raikage had arrived and was cutting through Sunagakure’s defenses, so Rasa set out to meet him.
• Rasa located the Third Raikage and launched a metal pillar at him at Mach five using his Electromagnetic Force.
• The Third Raikage endured the impact, deflected the pillar enough to survive, and was driven into a crater as the blast injured nearby Cloud Ninja.
• The Third Raikage emerged alive, challenged Rasa to a duel, and tried to hide his trembling body.

Rasa confronted the Third Raikage after injuring him with a surprise attack, then taunted him and promised to fight without his Railgun or hands. The Third Raikage attacked with Four-Finger Nukite, but Rasa evaded him with an afterimage and remarked that A was harder to handle.

• Baki pointed out that the Third Raikage's mouth was bleeding, and Rasa explained that his apparent lack of external injuries hid serious internal damage.
• The Third Raikage accused Rasa of a sneak attack, but Rasa replied that he had warned him before striking and guessed that he was trying to provoke him.
• Rasa offered not to use his Railgun or hands for the rest of the fight, and the Third Raikage accepted the challenge.
• The Third Raikage activated Lightning God Armor and charged at Rasa with Four-Finger Nukite, but struck an afterimage and smashed into a stone pillar.
• Rasa appeared behind the Third Raikage and said that A was stronger than his father in Rasa's eyes.

Rasa overwhelmed the Third Raikage by trapping him inside his Strike Freedom mecha and battering him, while the Raikage repeatedly tried to break through its armor. The Third Raikage unleashed Lightning Release: Black Panther, and Rasa escaped through a rear hatch as the attack struck.

• Rasa dodged the Third Raikage's Hell Stab and formed a massive armored mecha with his Electromagnetic Force.
• Rasa's Strike Freedom punched the Third Raikage into the ground, then knocked him away when he pierced partway through its armor.
• Strike Freedom grabbed the Third Raikage and repeatedly struck his head, leaving him dizzy and risking internal injuries.
• The Third Raikage counterattacked with Lightning Release: Black Panther, and Rasa shot out through a hatch behind the mecha.

Rasa defeated the Third Raikage by trapping him in a sealed metal cube and burning away its oxygen. After the Third Raikage died, Rasa reflected on humanity’s frailty, while Baki arrived and witnessed the end of the battle.

• The Third Raikage broke free of Rasa’s mecha and fought back, but Rasa rebuilt it into the War God and injured him with powerful swings.
• Rasa transformed the battlefield into a charged forest of weapons, tricked the Third Raikage into breaking a finger against a reinforced metal wall, and bound him with chains.
• Rasa enclosed the Third Raikage in a thick metal cube and heated its walls until the oxygen inside burned away.
• The Third Raikage suffocated and suffered brain death, while Rasa smoked and said that he was only human.
• Baki reached the cube, and five minutes later the Third Raikage’s heart stopped completely.