Chapter Summaries

Naruto confronted Uchiha Itachi, who said he had come to ask him questions, and narrowly avoided falling into Itachi’s genjutsu with help from Kurama and Isobu. Karin Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga arrived to support Naruto as the tense encounter continued.

• Naruto found Uchiha Itachi and recognized him as the source of the unusual chakra presence.
• Itachi revealed that he knew Naruto’s identity and said he had come alone to ask questions and judge Naruto’s answers.
• Naruto tested Itachi and refused to answer, but Itachi’s Three-Tomoe Sharingan briefly caught him in a genjutsu.
• Kurama and Isobu helped Naruto break free, and Itachi noted that Naruto had sealed two Tailed Beasts inside himself.
• Karin Uzumaki sensed Itachi’s chakra and rushed to Naruto with Neji Hyuga.

Naruto chose to speak with Uchiha Itachi alone after the Akatsuki member confronted him in Snow Ninja Village. He used the Flying Thunder God to follow Itachi to a peak northwest of the village, leaving Neji, Karin, and Utakata behind.

• Utakata sensed a disturbance and joined Naruto, Karin, and Neji as Uchiha Itachi approached the village.
• Naruto identified Itachi as Sasuke's older brother and an S-rank missing-nin, and Itachi asked Naruto to make his decision.
• Naruto asked to talk somewhere else, and Itachi agreed and headed for the outskirts of Snow Ninja Village.
• Neji, Karin, and Utakata urged Naruto not to meet Itachi alone, but Naruto insisted and reassured them that he could escape with the Flying Thunder God.
• Naruto teleported to a peak northwest of the village, where Itachi waited and showed surprise that Naruto had come alone.

Naruto and Uchiha Itachi questioned each other about Naruto’s defection, ambitions, and connection to Sasuke. Naruto began answering by saying he left Konoha because its deep-rooted corruption made the village impossible to save.

• Naruto steadied himself and invited Uchiha Itachi to ask his questions, while weighing the danger Itachi’s Sharingan posed.
• Uchiha Itachi asked why Naruto left Konoha, what he intended to do in the Land of Snow, and what his relationship with Sasuke was.
• Naruto took Itachi’s focus on Sasuke as a sign that the meeting might not end in a fight.
• Naruto said his childhood treatment contributed to his departure but explained that Konoha’s corruption was the real reason he left.

Naruto confronted Itachi about the Uchiha Clan’s extermination and argued that Konoha’s High Command had been involved. Itachi remained determined to keep Sasuke from learning the truth, but Naruto’s deduction visibly unsettled him.

• Naruto disparaged Konoha, and Itachi’s expression shifted as he heard the village condemned.
• Naruto accused Itachi of slaughtering his clan for Konoha, prompting Itachi to activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and demand to know what Naruto knew.
• Naruto said he had learned tidbits from Root and reasoned that Itachi could not have exterminated the entire Uchiha Clan alone.
• Naruto concluded that Konoha’s High Command had been involved in the massacre and used Itachi’s reaction as confirmation.
• Itachi grew colder as Naruto’s accusation struck a nerve, while he still wanted Sasuke kept ignorant of the truth.

Naruto confronted Uchiha Itachi over the Uchiha massacre and explained his goal of changing the shinobi world. Itachi left Naruto’s ideals unendorsed, while Naruto remained focused on leaving Itachi and Sasuke’s future conflict to Sasuke.

• Naruto accused Itachi of helping Konoha’s leadership destroy the Uchiha clan and condemned the village for its treatment of other families.
• Itachi rejected Naruto’s accusations as resentment and speculation, insisting that people followed their own convictions and duties.
• Naruto answered Itachi’s second question by saying he wanted to change the world and clear away the corruption in the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
• Itachi called Naruto’s ambition arrogant and presumptuous, but Naruto said he did not need Itachi’s approval.
• Naruto decided to avoid disrupting his plans and leave the future confrontation between Itachi and Sasuke to Sasuke.

Naruto told Itachi that Sasuke had freely chosen to leave Konoha with him and that Sasuke alone would judge his brother's actions. Itachi struggled to hide how deeply Naruto's words affected him, while his devotion to Sasuke remained stronger than his loyalty to Konoha.

• Naruto asked Itachi whether Sasuke was merely useful to him or whether Itachi's actions had been meant to protect his younger brother.
• Itachi refused to answer and warned Naruto to understand his position and meet Itachi's demands.
• Naruto declared that Sasuke was his comrade and had chosen of his own free will to leave Konoha with him.
• Naruto condemned deception as a form of malice and said Sasuke alone would judge Itachi's choices.
• Itachi's hidden hand tightened until his nails pierced his palm as Naruto's words struck at his deepest feelings.
• Itachi's devotion to Sasuke outweighed his loyalty to Konoha, and he might even destroy the world for his brother.

Naruto told Uchiha Itachi that Sasuke had chosen to leave the village freely and intended to confront him, while Itachi promised to wait two years. After Itachi left, White Zetsu emerged from hiding, excited by what he had overheard.

• Itachi learned from Naruto that Sasuke had made his choice freely and was staying with Orochimaru to prepare to face him.
• Naruto criticized the Will of Fire and warned Itachi that Sasuke would soon seek the truth and that the two of them would decide what happened next.
• Naruto prepared for a possible fight, but Itachi promised to wait exactly two years for Sasuke and told Naruto that others besides Konoha were watching him.
• Itachi vanished among a flock of crows, and Naruto left the snowy area after reflecting on Itachi's warning.
• White Zetsu emerged from beneath the snow and celebrated overhearing Naruto and Itachi's conversation.

Naruto killed the White Zetsu who had secretly followed him after Kurama warned him, then returned safely to Snow Ninja Village and informed his companions about Sasuke and Itachi. As Naruto and his allies prepared for stronger enemies, a masked figure appeared in an underground base in the Land of Rain.

• Kurama alerted Naruto to White Zetsu's presence, and Naruto killed him before he could report Naruto's meeting with Uchiha Itachi to Uchiha Obito.
• Naruto considered how badly Uchiha Itachi's health had deteriorated and hoped Sasuke would find freedom, then carried White Zetsu's corpse back to Snow Ninja Village.
• Neji, Karin, and Utakata welcomed Naruto back, and Naruto shared some information about Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi with them.
• Naruto relayed the news to Sasuke, while Karin committed to studying the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques and the others resumed their work.
• Naruto trained to master the Nine-Tails Chakra and study the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style, wary of Nagato, Uchiha Obito, and future threats.
• A figure wearing an orange Spiral Mask appeared inside an underground base in the Land of Rain.

Uchiha Obito learned that the White Zetsu following Uchiha Itachi had disappeared and concluded that Itachi had detected and killed it. Obito suspended the surveillance, leaving Itachi with more freedom while Black Zetsu continued pursuing his own hidden plan.

• Obito asked Black and White Zetsu about the missing White Zetsu, and Black Zetsu said Itachi had probably noticed and killed it.
• Obito ordered the surveillance of Itachi to stop for now and told Zetsu to call him Madara.
• Black Zetsu withdrew underground, privately thinking that Obito and the others were pawns in his plan to resurrect his mother.
• Obito believed Itachi had used his Mangekyō Sharingan to detect the surveillance and decided he would need to approach him cautiously.

Obito shifted his attention from monitoring Itachi to tightening control over the Akatsuki, while Itachi and Sasuke remained committed to their plans. Jiraiya’s pursuit forced Orochimaru to abandon his hideout and prepare to move again as Sasuke continued training under him.

• Obito ended his surveillance of Itachi, prioritizing control of Nagato and the Akatsuki while still believing Itachi might join him.
• Itachi left the Land of Snow to resume Akatsuki missions, more determined to follow his plan for Sasuke.
• Sasuke restrained his desire to seek out Itachi and waited for the right time, while Yakushi Kabuto told him Orochimaru was waiting.
• Yakushi Kabuto explained that Orochimaru had escaped Jiraiya’s raid but suffered minor injuries and could not defeat him in his current condition.
• Orochimaru abandoned the hideout and some subordinates, then prepared to relocate while arranging to continue Sasuke’s training elsewhere.

Sasuke and Kabuto left their abandoned base as Naruto trained and developed the Snow Ninja Village while preparing for the Akatsuki. Two years passed amid growing regional tensions, and Iwagakure halted its fighting with Sunagakure when Kumogakure threatened to intervene.

• Sasuke warned Kabuto to stop smiling at him, then left the base, and Kabuto vanished shortly afterward.
• Naruto became more vigilant after Itachi discovered his identity and focused on strengthening himself and developing the Snow Ninja Village.
• The Snow Ninja Village’s growth strained its relations with the Land of Snow’s neighbors and weakened its already tenuous friendship with the Land of Water and Kirigakure.
• Two years passed as the major villages and independent forces engaged in repeated local clashes, while Konohagakure avoided major conflicts.
• Iwagakure and Sunagakure fought for more than a year, but Ōnoki halted Iwagakure’s campaign when Kumogakure strengthened its border defenses.

The great Shinobi Villages kept their conflicts limited as Sunagakure and Iwagakure signed a truce and Kumogakure withdrew from its border clashes with Konoha. While Mei Terumi led Kirigakure’s recovery, Nagato, Obito, and the Akatsuki monitored the villages’ forces, defenses, and Tailed Beasts as their plan approached.

• Baki signed a truce with Iwagakure on Sunagakure’s behalf after the prolonged fighting strained its resources.
• The Fourth Raikage sent Kumogakure troops to pressure Iwagakure and Konohagakure, but the Third Tsuchikage and Tsunade reinforced their defenses and denied him an opening.
• Kumogakure and Konoha fought minor skirmishes near the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Water, whose civilians suffered from the clashes and criminal organizations.
• After probing Konoha’s strength, Kumogakure withdrew its border force, and Tsunade ordered Konoha’s troops to pull back as well.
• Mei Terumi led Kirigakure’s gradual recovery while the other great villages remained focused on their limited conflicts.
• Nagato, Obito, and the Akatsuki gathered intelligence on the villages’ forces, Tailed Beasts, and defenses as their plan drew closer.

The Akatsuki completed preparations to capture the Tailed Beasts and shifted its focus to locating Utakata, the Six-Tails Jinchuriki. As Nagato and Obito’s capture net closed around the Shinobi World, the Land of Snow rapidly transformed in secret.

• Nagato and Obito confirmed the locations and defenses of nearly all the Tailed Beasts, with Gaara in Sunagakure and Utakata remaining unlocated.
• The Akatsuki learned that Naruto had taken the Three-Tails and was working with Orochimaru, drawing the attention of the Akatsuki and several major villages toward Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru kept Naruto hidden because he still wanted something from him and had grown curious about his identity.
• After searching for Utakata for more than two years, the Akatsuki made finding him its priority and planned to capture the Tailed Beasts rapidly, starting with the One-Tail.
• Nagato and Obito’s organization formed a vast capture net while the Land of Snow secretly advanced its economy, culture, politics, and military.

Over two years, Naruto’s policies helped the Land of Snow prosper and the Snow Ninja Village grow strong enough to challenge the Mist Ninja or Sand Ninja. Having greatly increased his own abilities, Naruto prepared to expand his plans beyond the Land of Snow before the Akatsuki began hunting the Tailed Beasts.

• Naruto proposed policies that Kazahana Koyuki and Sandayu refined and implemented across the Land of Snow.
• Naruto set the Snow Ninja Village’s direction while Fushimi, Taizan, and others handled its administration and adjusted plans as problems arose.
• The Snow Ninja Village grew to six or seven thousand ninja and equipped most of them with upgraded Chakra Armor, enabling it to contend with the Mist Ninja or Sand Ninja.
• Naruto mastered the Nine-Tails’ Chakra, advanced his Flying Thunder God Technique, and perfected the Rasenshuriken, gaining confidence that he could evade even Might Guy’s attacks.
• Naruto decided to begin expanding his plans and secure opportunities before the Akatsuki and the great nations could act, aiming to unite the Shinobi World before eventually facing Kaguya.

Naruto reflected on the costs of the war he planned to unify the Shinobi World and concluded that the Snow Ninja Village was ready to begin its next phase. As his guard Xinghuo approached during training, the chapter described how Karin and Neji had grown into powerful leaders while the village prepared to bare its fangs.

• Naruto recognized that residents of the Snow Ninja Village revered him, while people elsewhere might see him as the cause of war and suffering.
• Naruto decided he would proceed with his plan to unite the nations despite understanding the pain it would bring.
• Naruto outlined his four-phase plan and judged that the Snow Ninja Village was nearing the end of its development phase.
• Xinghuo appeared and knelt behind Naruto while he trained.
• Naruto recalled that Hoshichi, Sakura, and Guyue had left the personal guard to take on leadership roles and gain experience.
• Karin had become a formidable support fighter, while Neji reached Jonin level but felt limited by the Hyuga Clan system.

Naruto learned that Kirigakure had increased its forces along the southern coast and that affairs in the Land of Rainbow and the Land of the Sea required his attention. He prepared to begin an operation involving the Land of Snow and Snow Ninja Village.

• Neji continued managing village affairs while Naruto trained and planned ways to help Neji and his companions grow stronger.
• Xinghuo reported that Kirigakure had increased its forces in the southern coastal region and that Neji had requested Naruto’s immediate return.
• Naruto told Xinghuo to inform Neji that he knew and to summon Karin, Fushimi, and Taizan to his office.
• Naruto decided the time had come to launch the operation and make the Land of Snow and Snow Ninja Village known across the Shinobi World.

Naruto gathered Snow Ninja Village officials to respond to Kirigakure's growing military pressure after years of secret clashes over regional influence. Fushimi reported that Kirigakure's reinforcements were moving toward the Land of Rainbow and the Land of the Sea, both largely under Snow Ninja control.

• Naruto appeared in his office, where Karin, Neji, Fushimi, Taizan, Hoshichi, Sakura, and Utakata had gathered.
• Naruto said Kirigakure had increased its forces after years of probing and provocation, making a fight seem inevitable.
• Taizan explained that Kirigakure had lost patience as its core interests and influence in nearby countries came under threat.
• Neji's intelligence and reports of rising Anbu casualties showed that Kirigakure intended to confront the Snow Ninja Village in force.
• Fushimi reported that Kirigakure's new forces were heading toward the Land of Rainbow and the Land of the Sea, which had mostly fallen under Snow Ninja rule.

Naruto prepared the Snow Ninja Village for an impending war with Kirigakure, which was advancing into the Land of Sea and other contested areas. Facing a shortage of troops, he planned to rely on intelligence and their strongest fighters, and Utakata agreed to fight as the village’s ultimate weapon.

• Kirigakure’s forces advanced as the Land of Water moved to protect its sphere of influence from the Land of Snow.
• Naruto asked Fushimi about Kirigakure’s troop deployments, and Fushimi said tightened security had prevented the village from learning their exact positions.
• Naruto ordered ordinary intelligence agents to withdraw or remain undercover without taking risks, while Anbu took over intelligence work.
• Naruto turned to Neji to coordinate intelligence gathering and supplies, knowing the Snow Ninja Village could field only about five thousand ninja.
• Naruto asked Utakata to fight for the Snow Ninja Village, and Utakata calmly agreed, saying he had prepared for this since coming to the Land of Snow.

Naruto prepared the Snow Ninja Village’s campaign to seize the Land of the Sea and the Land of Rainbow, planning to use a Tailed Beast and a new flight corps to overwhelm Kirigakure. Karin volunteered to lead the Land of Rainbow front, and Naruto weighed her argument that a swift victory could keep other nations out of the war.

• Naruto ordered Utakata, Taizan, and five hundred Snow Ninja to attack Kirigakure’s forces in the Land of the Sea with support from half the flight corps.
• Naruto intended for Neji and Hoshichi to handle the Land of Rainbow front while he confronted Mei Terumi.
• Karin volunteered to lead the Land of Rainbow front and argued that Isobu would let her crush the Mist Ninja quickly.
• Naruto considered Karin’s point that ending the war swiftly could prevent Konoha and other nations from joining the conflict.

Naruto assigned Karin to lead Snow Ninja forces into the Land of Rainbow and prepared to confront Kirigakure’s Mizukage while protecting Snow Ninja Village from other threats. He rallied his forces to begin the war, marking the final step of his plan’s second stage.

• Naruto trusted Karin to defeat Kirigakure’s frontline forces, noting that Isobu had made her a Perfect Jinchuriki.
• Naruto ordered Karin to command the Land of Rainbow campaign, sending Sakura, Hoshichi, five hundred ninja, and half the flying forces with her.
• Naruto prepared to intercept Mei Terumi and ordered Utakata and Karin to launch surprise attacks on Kirigakure’s main forces.
• Naruto left Fushimi in charge of village affairs and tasked Neji with guarding against Konoha and the Cloud Ninja while Yakumo protected Koyuki and Sandayu.
• Naruto declared the start of the war and rallied Snow Ninja Village to fight for the Land of Snow and their future.