Chapter Summaries

Samui reported that Snow Ninja Village had defeated Kirigakure and that its leader might be Namikaze Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Fourth Hokage's son. The Fourth Raikage considered recruiting Naruto but chose to wait while Kumogakure gathered more intelligence.

• Samui told the Fourth Raikage that reports confirmed Kirigakure's defeat and the appearance of the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, and suggested Snow Ninja Village's leader was Namikaze Naruto.
• The Fourth Raikage asked whether Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son, and Samui said the report pointed to that conclusion.
• The chapter explained that Naruto had spread information about his identity and Konoha's secrets to undermine Konoha and make his name known across the Shinobi World.
• The Fourth Raikage considered approaching Naruto so Kumogakure could gain the Nine-Tails alongside the Eight-Tails, but he recognized how little he knew about Snow Ninja Village and Naruto.
• The Fourth Raikage decided that Kumogakure would wait and observe for now.

The nations reacted to Kirigakure’s defeat, Snow Ninja Village’s three Tailed Beasts, and Naruto’s identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Konoha’s leaders gathered as Tsunade prepared to confront the elders over what she called the village’s greatest disgrace.

• Fourth Raikage A ordered Samui to contact Kirigakure and bring Bee back, then vowed to settle old scores.
• Kumogakure suspended military operations, while Iwagakure and Sunagakure chose to wait and watch.
• The minor shinobi villages were unable to influence events and remained spectators.
• Tsunade gathered Konoha’s leaders, including Jiraiya, Kakashi, Shikaku Nara, Hyuga Hiashi, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō.
• Tsunade condemned Naruto’s actions as a public humiliation for Konoha and blamed the living elders for helping bring about the situation.

Tsunade and Konoha’s leaders confronted the scandal of Naruto founding the Snow Ninja Village, while Jiraiya realized how dire the situation had become. Danzo proposed declaring Naruto a missing-nin and joining Kirigakure and Kumogakure in an attack.

• Tsunade and Jiraiya considered the threat posed by Naruto’s powerful Snow Ninja Village and his near-Kage-level strength.
• Mitokado Homura reprimanded Tsunade, prompting Kakashi and Shikaku to frown at his disrespect toward the Hokage.
• Jiraiya reflected on his fruitless search for Naruto and the disgrace Naruto’s defection had brought upon Konoha.
• Danzo proposed offering Kirigakure and Kumogakure resources, including the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, to secure their help attacking the Snow Ninja Village.
• Danzo called for Namikaze Naruto to be declared a missing-nin and his crimes publicized.

Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō pushed to reclaim the Nine-Tails from Naruto and enlist Kumogakure and Kirigakure, while Jiraiya struggled to oppose them. Tsunade asserted that she alone had the final authority to decide Konoha’s course, leaving the elders’ plan unsettled.

• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu agreed with Shimura Danzō that Konoha should ally with Kumogakure and Kirigakure to capture Naruto and recover the Nine-Tails.
• Mitokado Homura argued that Konoha should offer the Three-Tails, Six-Tails, and potential gains from Snow Ninja Village in exchange for support.
• Utatane Koharu accused Jiraiya of putting Naruto ahead of Konoha, and Jiraiya fell silent, torn between Naruto and the village.
• Mitokado Homura began ordering contact with Kumogakure and Kirigakure, but Tsunade challenged his authority and declared that the final decision belonged to her as Hokage.

Tsunade rejected the elders’ push to rush into an alliance against Naruto, arguing that Konoha needed to rely on its own strength and consider the risks carefully. She made clear that she intended to assert the Hokage’s authority, but Danzō unexpectedly accepted her judgment while still proposing contact with Cloud and Mist.

• Danzō asked whether Tsunade intended to keep indulging Naruto, whom he called a rogue ninja.
• Tsunade said Naruto was Konoha’s enemy but cautioned that alliances with Cloud and Mist would be difficult and that Konoha should rely primarily on its own strength.
• Tsunade used the dispute to challenge the elders’ influence and signal that she intended to reclaim authority, including control of Root.
• Danzō agreed to proceed according to Tsunade’s assessment but proposed contacting Cloud and Mist to confirm the situation, surprising Tsunade and the others.

Tsunade confronted Danzō and the two Advisors over Konoha’s response to Namikaze Naruto’s disappearance, making clear that she would keep Danzō’s Root organization under scrutiny. After they left, she defended her challenge as necessary to put Konoha’s affairs in order before the growing dangers in the Shinobi World.

• Tsunade said Konoha would declare Namikaze Naruto a missing-nin and seek intelligence from the Cloud and Mist Ninja, while warning Danzō and the Advisors to follow her arrangements.
• Danzō agreed to follow Tsunade’s orders and left the Hokage’s office with Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.
• Mitokado Homura warned Tsunade and Jiraiya to put Konoha’s interests above personal feelings before departing.
• Jiraiya cautioned Tsunade that confronting the elders was impulsive, but Tsunade said Danzō had to be dealt with and Konoha needed to correct past mistakes.
• Shikaku Nara supported Tsunade, arguing that Konoha must prepare for possible war and resolve internal problems before they became a crisis.

Tsunade and Konoha’s leaders discussed the growing threat posed by Namikaze Naruto and the Snow Ninja Village as the possibility of a Fourth Shinobi World War loomed. Tsunade declared Naruto an enemy of Konoha but left open the possibility of sparing his life if the village captured him and extracted the Nine-Tails.

• Tsunade acknowledged that Konoha needed accurate intelligence and a plan to address Namikaze Naruto and the Snow Ninja Village.
• Shikaku warned that another Shinobi World War was highly likely, and Jiraiya agreed that Konoha needed to prepare.
• Jiraiya asked Tsunade for more time to bring Naruto back, but Tsunade said Naruto had already become Konoha’s enemy.
• Jiraiya accepted Tsunade’s decision despite his lingering hope for Naruto.
• Tsunade said she might spare Naruto if Konoha quickly dealt with the Snow Ninja Village and captured him, but insisted that the Nine-Tails be extracted.

Tsunade set the terms for Naruto’s possible return and organized Konoha’s response to the situation in the Land of Snow. She left Jiraiya, the Hyuga Clan, Shikaku, and Kakashi with assignments as the village prepared for wider conflict and watched Danzo.

• Tsunade guaranteed Naruto’s life but said he would lose the Nine-Tails and remain confined if he returned to Konoha.
• Jiraiya agreed to gather intelligence in the Land of Snow and left for it immediately.
• Tsunade asked Hiashi to send Hyuga members to scout the Land of Snow, the Cloud Ninja, and the Mist Ninja, and to investigate Neji’s situation.
• Hiashi agreed to send Hyuga Clan members, while Shikaku accepted Tsunade’s orders to plan the forces and contact the Daimyo.
• Tsunade ordered Kakashi to monitor Danzo and Root with Anbu assistance and report anything unusual.

Tsunade tasked Kakashi with watching Danzo as nations and the Akatsuki reacted to Naruto’s growing power and the Snow Ninja Village’s influence. The Land of Snow then announced its unification with the Land of the Sea and the Land of Rainbow after Kirigakure’s defeat.

• Tsunade assigned Kakashi to monitor Danzo and reaffirmed her resolve to protect Konoha.
• Nagato convened the Akatsuki to revise plans for capturing the Three-Tails, Six-Tails, and Nine-Tails, while Obito prepared to adjust his own schemes.
• Uchiha Itachi reflected on Namikaze Naruto before setting off with Kisame Hoshigaki for another country.
• The Snow Ninja Village announced that it had unified with the Land of the Sea and the Land of Rainbow after Kirigakure surrendered those territories.

After Kirigakure accepted defeat and recognized Snow Ninja Village, Namikaze Naruto’s ascension as the First Snow Shadow brought the era of the Six Kage into view. With Kumogakure withdrawing its troops and Konoha unable to act alone, both villages decided to send delegations to the ceremony.

• Kirigakure paid compensation, recognized Snow Ninja Village and the Land of Snow, and agreed to send an envoy to Namikaze Naruto’s First Snow Shadow ascension ceremony.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Snow and the Daimyo of the Land of Water recognized Naruto’s position, while Snow Ninja Village invited every nation to the ceremony.
• The Fourth Raikage ordered most Kumogakure troops away from the border and chose Samui and Darui to lead a delegation to Snow Ninja Village.
• Tsunade abandoned her plan to march against the Land of Snow and decided to send a small Konoha delegation instead.
• Danzo, Mitokado, and Utatane supported Tsunade’s decision to postpone the attack and investigate Snow Ninja Village through the delegation.

As Tsunade weighed who would join Konoha’s delegation, Shikamaru gathered Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji’s former companions after news of their achievements reached the village. He asked whether they still considered the three defectors their companions, leaving the group to confront what their answer meant.

• Tsunade considered the delegation’s members and its chief and deputy while accounting for Danzo’s demand to include Root members.
• Shikamaru and eight of Naruto’s former companions met near the Ninja Academy after hearing news of the Snow Ninja Village’s victory and Naruto’s rise to First Snow Shadow.
• The chapter recounted how Sakura and Hinata had trained hard and become Chunins, while Sakura had become Tsunade’s disciple.
• Shikamaru asked the group whether they still considered Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji their companions.

Shikamaru gathered his friends to agree on what they would do about Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji, who had left the village. They resolved to bring them back, while Shikamaru kept his knowledge of the political obstacles to himself and decided there was still hope.

• Shikamaru explained that they needed to be honest with one another and agree on their objective and next steps.
• Lee, Kiba, Choji, and Shino declared that they would not abandon their friends and would help bring them back, even if they faced punishment too.
• Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Tenten affirmed their resolve to bring Neji and the others back, with Hinata determined to become strong enough to help Naruto.
• Shikamaru recognized that his friends underestimated the village's political complications, which he had investigated since the three left more than two years earlier.
• Shikamaru chose not to reveal what he knew yet and held onto hope because Tsunade was Hokage and Jiraiya cared deeply about Naruto.

Shikamaru told his friends that Konoha planned to send an envoy to Naruto’s inauguration in the Land of Snow, and they agreed to seek places in the group so they could speak with Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji. After they dispersed to pursue their selection, Shikamaru asked his father, Shikaku Nara, to ensure he could join the envoy.

• Shikamaru explained that Naruto’s rise as First Snow Shadow and the coming envoy offered a chance to speak with Naruto and persuade him to bring the Snow Ninja Village into Konoha.
• Kiba, Shino, Choji, Lee, Ino, Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata all said they wanted to join the envoy.
• Shikamaru warned Hinata that her father might not let her travel to the Land of Snow, and she vowed to do everything she could to get permission.
• Shikamaru told the group not to act rashly if they were selected and to discuss their plans beforehand.
• After the others left to seek places in the envoy, Shikamaru asked his father, Shikaku Nara, to help him join it.

Shikamaru gained Shikaku’s approval to join the delegation traveling to the Land of Snow, where they would meet the Snow Ninja Village controlled by Namikaze Naruto. Tsunade assembled the delegation and secured Hinata’s permission to travel, leaving the team preparing to depart in a few days.

• Shikaku asked whether Shikamaru’s decision came from his own conviction, and Shikamaru affirmed that he wanted to take responsibility.
• Shikaku agreed to request Shikamaru’s place in the delegation and warned him to report before taking action in the Land of Snow.
• Shikamaru prepared for the journey while Sakura Haruno, Lee, Shino, Kiba, Choji, Ino, and Tenten secured places in the delegation.
• The Hyuga Main Branch initially refused to let Hinata go, but Tsunade spoke with Hyuga Hiashi and the elders, who then changed their minds.
• Hatake Kakashi and Shikaku Nara were named delegation leaders, with Might Guy and Anbu member Yamato joining the team.

Tsunade assembled a delegation to travel to the Land of Snow and meet Naruto, with Iruka joining to see his former student and bring him home if possible. As the delegation departed, Hiashi watched and privately hoped Naruto could help the Hyuga Clan change.

• Iruka joined Tsunade's delegation after learning Naruto had become Snow Shadow, hoping to see him and hear whether he would return to Konoha.
• Danzo assigned Sai and Yamanaka Fu to the delegation, and Tsunade privately asked Kakashi and Shikaku to monitor them.
• After several days of preparation, the Konoha delegation joined the Fire Daimyo's envoys and set out for the Land of Snow.
• Hiashi watched the delegation leave and resolved to trust Naruto as a possible path toward change for the Hyuga Clan.

Danzo secretly sent a group toward the Land of Rain to use Akatsuki against Naruto and Tsunade, while delegations from nations across the world gathered in the Land of Snow for Snow Ninja Village’s succession ceremony. Naruto returned to Snow Ninja Village and was met by Jiraiya, a visitor he least wanted to face.

• Hiashi decided to take a chance rather than repeat his regret from ten years earlier, while keeping the Hyuga Clan’s survival his foremost concern.
• After learning that Naruto had defeated the Fifth Mizukage, Danzo judged Naruto a threat and secretly sent a group toward the Land of Rain to involve Akatsuki in his schemes.
• Delegations from major and minor nations, including Sunagakure and Iwagakure, set out for the Land of Snow as Snow Ninja Village’s succession ceremony approached.
• Naruto returned to Snow Ninja Village and encountered Jiraiya.

Jiraiya openly entered the Land of Snow and was escorted by Neji to meet Naruto, now the Snow Shadow. Impressed by Snow Ninja Village’s strength, prosperity, and Naruto’s leadership, Jiraiya reached Naruto’s office, where their reunion was about to begin.

• Snow Ninja scouts recognized Jiraiya as he entered the Land of Snow but let him pass under orders from their village.
• Neji welcomed Jiraiya at Snow Ninja Village’s gate and explained that Naruto was waiting for him.
• Jiraiya agreed to follow Neji and reflected on Naruto’s rise and the Snow Ninja’s devotion to him.
• Neji led Jiraiya through the prosperous village to Naruto’s office.

Naruto welcomed Jiraiya to Snow Ninja Village and spoke honestly about meeting Minato and Kushina, undoing his seal, and cooperating with the Nine-Tails. He explained that he and the Nine-Tails shared a goal, while leaving open whether Jiraiya would join his cause.

• Neji and the others kept the area clear so Naruto could speak privately with Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya met Naruto and remarked on how much he resembled Minato.
• Naruto welcomed Jiraiya, served him tea, and told him that Minato and Kushina had appeared to him through their chakra.
• Naruto revealed that he had undone the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style using sealing techniques he learned from Kushina.
• Naruto told Jiraiya that he and the Nine-Tails had reached an understanding because they shared a goal.

Naruto told Jiraiya that he sought peace for the Shinobi World, but intended to take revenge on Konoha’s leadership and the mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident. Jiraiya challenged Naruto’s use of war to pursue peace, leaving their opposing convictions unresolved.

• Naruto told Jiraiya that he wanted to guide the Shinobi World toward peace rather than seek revenge on all of Konoha.
• Naruto named Konoha’s higher-ups and the Nine-Tails Incident’s mastermind as targets, identifying Shimura Danzō as his personal target and noting Sasuke’s interest in the Advisors.
• Naruto warned Jiraiya that he would not abandon his chosen path, even if he had to kill Jiraiya to continue it.
• Jiraiya acknowledged Naruto’s resolve but argued that war would deepen hatred and that peace required people to understand one another.

Naruto rejected Jiraiya’s belief that mutual understanding could bring peace and declared that he would follow his own justice, even if it meant using violence. Jiraiya left troubled and determined to intervene if Naruto went astray, while Naruto remained resolute and warned himself that he would kill Jiraiya if necessary.

• Naruto told Jiraiya that selfish desires made mutual understanding and lasting peace impossible.
• Jiraiya urged Naruto to reconsider his violent approach and invoked Minato, Kushina, and the First Hokage’s ideals.
• Naruto refused to change his mind and told Jiraiya to warn Danzo that he and Sasuke would soon come for him.
• Jiraiya left the office unable to understand Naruto’s intentions and resolved to observe him before judging his actions.
• Naruto reflected that he, Jiraiya, Nagato, Obito, and Madara sought peace through different methods, and vowed that no one would sway him.
• Naruto resolved that if Jiraiya tried to stop him, he would kill him himself.