Chapter Summaries

Darui and the Kumogakure ninja rescued Sakura and cleared a path so Naruto could take Shion to the sealing altar. After Naruto mistook the reinforcements for enemies and attacked Darui, the misunderstanding was resolved, and Darui recognized Naruto as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki.

• Darui and the Kumogakure ninja arrived to rescue Sakura, then fought off the stone statues while Sakura objected to being called a girl.
• Naruto rushed at Darui, mistaking the Kumogakure ninja for enemies, but Darui dodged after hearing Sakura explain they were allies.
• Sakura apologized for Naruto's attack, and Darui accepted it before Shikamaru ordered Naruto to escort Shion to the altar.
• Naruto used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to clear a path and carried Shion toward the altar, while Shikamaru and the others stayed behind.
• Darui told Karui that Naruto was a jinchuriki like Killer B, shocking the Kumogakure ninja before they returned their attention to the stone statues.

Naruto carried Shion through the dark passages to the altar while Darui and Shikamaru held off the stone statues. Shion began sealing Moryo’s soul, but despite Naruto’s reassurance, her unease continued to grow.

• Naruto protected Shion from a sudden attack and carried her through the passage toward the altar.
• Shikamaru told Darui that the statues would stop moving once Shion sealed Moryo, so the shinobi focused on holding them back.
• Naruto and Shion reached the altar above the bubbling lava, and Shion asked Naruto to wait while she performed the sealing.
• Shion formed hand seals to use Moryo’s buried body to locate his soul and send it to the forbidden area where it could not escape.
• Two stone statues attacked, but Naruto destroyed them and urged Shion to concentrate on the sealing.
• Shion continued the sealing, yet felt increasingly uneasy as the formation began to glow.

Moryo confronted Shion as she prepared to seal him, while Naruto protected her from his attack and helped her establish a barrier. As Shion began the lengthy sealing ritual, Tobi and Zetsu watched from hiding and plotted to use the chaos to capture the Nine-Tails.

• Moryo appeared before Shion and declared that her fate was to merge with him.
• Naruto resisted Moryo's influence, dodged his attack, and destroyed two stone statues with Nine-Tails chakra.
• Shion completed her mark and raised a barrier that isolated her and Naruto with Moryo.
• Shion began the sealing ritual while Naruto vowed to protect her.
• Tobi told Zetsu that he intended to use Moryo's power and the situation to retrieve the Nine-Tails.

Pain’s group recovered the Six-Tails and prepared to seal it and the Seven-Tails, while Naruto failed to stop Moryo from taking Shion. Tobi revealed that Moryo’s attack was part of his plan to capture the Nine-Tails and use Moryo and Shion as bargaining chips, and that he intended to remove Pain as an obstacle.

• Pain’s group returned with the Six-Tails and discussed sealing it and the Seven-Tails before pursuing the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
• Shion found that her sealing mark no longer worked, and Moryo mocked her as he passed through the barrier.
• Moryo’s black mist took Shion through a newly opened passage, then his tentacles attacked Naruto and overwhelmed him.
• Zetsu questioned Tobi’s plan to use Moryo against Naruto, and Tobi said Moryo could not devour a tailed beast and was only a pawn.
• Tobi said Moryo and Shion could become bargaining chips, the Rinnegan was nearly ready to be reclaimed, and Pain had become an obstacle to the plan.
• Zetsu identified Tobi as Uchiha Obito, and Obito said they would wait for the final fruit.

Naruto plunged into Moryo’s body after spotting Shion inside, while the others struggled to hold off the suddenly empowered stone statues. Kei arrived and destroyed hundreds of them with a single sword technique, leaving Darui to recognize him as the Blood Asura, Ueno Kei.

• Naruto heard a bell ring and spotted Shion’s faint figure inside Moryo, so he leaped into the creature to reach her.
• The stone statues attacking the altar gained glowing purple eyes, moved violently, and began self-destructing, badly injuring Lee and several Kumogakure shinobi.
• Sakura saved Karui from an attack and treated the wounded while Darui and Shikamaru struggled to find a way to stop the statues.
• Kei appeared and used Wind Wing Sword Technique—Fourth Form: Moon Fall, destroying hundreds of stone statues and carving a deep ravine through the battlefield.
• Shikamaru, Neji, and Sakura welcomed Kei, while Darui recognized him as the Blood Asura, Ueno Kei.

Ueno Kei arrived and sealed the undead army behind a lightning barrier, then confronted Kumogakure ninja who objected to his attitude. When a golden chakra presence appeared in the sky, he sensed Naruto was involved and rushed away.

• Ueno Kei trapped the undead army inside his Ten Thousand Seal Lightning Prison, which withstood their attacks.
• Ueno Kei asked Shikamaru where Naruto and Shion were and learned they had entered the altar.
• Karui challenged Ueno Kei for dismissing Kumogakure's support, and he overwhelmed her with his presence before warning her not to provoke Konoha.
• A golden streak and powerful chakra appeared in the sky, and Ueno Kei called Naruto's name before vanishing in a flash of violet light.

Ueno Kei reached the cavern and found Naruto and Shion alive inside Moryo, while Shion prepared to sacrifice herself to defeat the demon. Naruto intervened and attacked Moryo with a Wind Style—Rasenshuriken, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Ueno Kei entered Sage Mode and sensed Naruto and Shion alive within Moryo, as Tobi and Zetsu hid from him.
• Ueno Kei burned away one of Moryo's tentacles with Thunderlight and moved to rescue Naruto.
• Shion resolved to fulfill her duty as priestess and sacrifice herself to purify Moryo.
• Naruto appeared before Shion, stopped her, and vowed to protect her.
• Naruto carried Shion away and struck Moryo with a Wind Style—Rasenshuriken.

Ueno Kei, Naruto, and Shion defeated Moryo, but Tobi appeared to seize Moryo’s core and reach for Shion. Ueno Kei recognized Tobi’s Mangekyō Sharingan and demanded to know who he was.

• Outside the volcano, Darui and Samui warned Karui to be cautious around Ueno Kei, while Sakura and the others worried about him and Naruto.
• Ueno Kei and Naruto weakened Moryo from outside and within, and Shion used her priestess power to break through Moryo’s toughest barrier.
• Ueno Kei caught Naruto and Shion after the battle, and Shion began a chant to finish off the dying Moryo.
• Moryo’s body turned to ashes, leaving a dark purple core that Shion identified as his soul and prepared to destroy.
• Tobi emerged through twisted space, grabbed Moryo’s core, and reached for Shion, but Ueno Kei and Naruto moved to protect her.
• Ueno Kei recognized the Mangekyō Sharingan in Tobi’s eyes and demanded to know his identity.

Ueno Kei and Naruto confronted Tobi, whose Mangekyō Sharingan and possible role in the Nine-Tails incident made him a dangerous suspect. The Great Elder trapped Tobi with a spatial lockdown barrier, and Ueno Kei prepared to attack and unmask him.

• Ueno Kei recognized Tobi's Mangekyō Sharingan and wondered whether he was an Uchiha survivor connected to the Nine-Tails incident.
• Tobi's space-time ninjutsu let Ueno Kei's strike pass through him, and Tobi promised to come for them later.
• Ueno Kei accused Tobi of involvement in the Nine-Tails incident, while Naruto realized Tobi might be responsible for his parents' deaths and childhood.
• Tobi tried to use his Mangekyō to teleport away, but the Great Elder's spatial lockdown barrier kept him in place.
• Ueno Kei vowed to break Tobi's mask and raised the purple-gold glowing Lingyu Blade.

Ueno Kei overwhelmed Tobi in their first clash, but tremors broke the Great Elder’s spatial barrier and let Tobi escape. The cave began collapsing as Ueno Kei reunited with Naruto and Shion at the exit.

• Naruto stayed beside Shion while Ueno Kei fought Tobi under the Great Elder’s spatial lockdown.
• Ueno Kei pressed his attack, kicked Tobi into a rock wall, and forced him to rely cautiously on his space-time ninjutsu.
• Tobi escaped Ueno Kei’s strike with a wooden substitution as the space began trembling.
• Tobi declared their next encounter would be a battle to the death, then vanished after the barrier shattered; Zetsu slipped away too.
• Ueno Kei thanked the Great Elder, who returned to the Originless Realm, as the cave began collapsing and Naruto called to Ueno Kei from the exit.

After defeating Moryo, Ueno Kei realized the masked man had taken Moryo’s remaining soul and resolved that the threat of Akatsuki required the villages to cooperate. He met the Fourth Raikage, clashed with him over their villages’ rivalry, and watched the Cloud Ninja leave without a fight.

• Ueno Kei surveyed the ruined volcano and worried that the masked man might revive Moryo with the stolen remnant soul.
• Ueno Kei, Naruto, and Shion met the Cloud Ninja and found the Fourth Raikage waiting with them.
• Ueno Kei told the Raikage that Moryo’s body had been destroyed, while he and Shion and Naruto kept Moryo’s stolen soul secret.
• Ueno Kei mocked the Raikage and recalled his past encounter with the Raikage and the Eight-Tails, provoking the Raikage into charging himself with lightning.
• Darui and Samui calmed the Raikage, who then led the Cloud Ninja away with their wounded.

Ueno Kei returned to Konoha with Shion, who tried to move in with Naruto before being placed in guest accommodations. After reporting that Akatsuki had taken Moryo and that a Mangekyō Sharingan user was involved, Ueno Kei urged Konoha to convene a Five Kage Summit; Kakashi and the others agreed to discuss the plan.

• Ueno Kei left the Land of Demons with Neji, Naruto, and the others after the Raikage departed without fighting.
• Ueno Kei and his group returned to Konoha seven days later with Shion, who clung to Naruto and said she wanted to stay at his house.
• Kakashi and the others arranged for Shion to stay in Konoha's guest lodging after Naruto protested her moving in with him.
• Ueno Kei told Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, and the others that Akatsuki had taken Moryo and that the mysterious masked man likely had the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Ueno Kei proposed a Five Kage Summit to address Akatsuki's growing threat, and Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade agreed to discuss convening it.

Jiraiya decided to infiltrate Amegakure to investigate Akatsuki, whose leader he suspected was his former student Nagato. Despite Ueno Kei, Tsunade, and Kakashi warning him of the danger, Jiraiya insisted on going, and Ueno Kei secured permission to accompany him.

• Jiraiya proposed infiltrating Amegakure before the Five Kage Summit to gather intelligence on Akatsuki.
• Jiraiya said Akatsuki's leader likely possessed the Rinnegan and might be one of his former students, Yahiko, Nagato, or Konan.
• Ueno Kei warned that Akatsuki's leader and the Mangekyō Sharingan wielder made the mission too dangerous, and Tsunade and Kakashi joined his opposition.
• Jiraiya remained determined to go, assuring Tsunade that he would return safely.
• Ueno Kei insisted on accompanying Jiraiya as his final condition, and Jiraiya agreed.

After learning that Chiriku had been killed by two Akatsuki members, Asuma joined a Konoha search party while Kakashi mobilized Anbu to hunt them down. The chapter left Kakashi preparing to pursue the attackers as Jiraiya and Ueno Kei continued examining an unconscious boy in Konoha's research facility.

• A chunin told Kakashi that two men in cloud-patterned cloaks had attacked the Fire Temple, killed Chiriku, and taken his body.
• Asuma lost control at the news, then steadied himself and asked Kakashi to let him join the search for Chiriku's killers.
• Kakashi assigned Izumo, Kotetsu, and Yamato to Asuma's team and sent Anbu squads to search nearby black markets.
• Kakashi chose not to notify Jiraiya or Ueno Kei and prepared to act personally against the two Akatsuki members.
• Jiraiya and Ueno Kei watched researchers examine an unconscious boy at a secured underground facility in Konoha.

Ueno Kei and Jiraiya learned that the Nine-Tails chakra inside Sora was active and could regenerate, unlike the chakra drawn from Naruto. The discovery suggested the chakra carried a trace of the Nine-Tails' will, leaving Ueno Kei to abandon hopes of creating artificial jinchuriki for now.

• Ueno Kei asked the researcher about the results of the tests on Sora's Nine-Tails chakra.
• The researcher explained that Sora's chakra regenerated as long as its source remained intact, unlike the consumable chakra extracted from Naruto.
• The researcher theorized that Sora's chakra contained a weak trace of the Nine-Tails' will, which Jiraiya feared might threaten Naruto's seal.
• Ueno Kei reassured Jiraiya that the Fourth Hokage's Eight Trigrams Seal and its key would warn them if anything went wrong.
• Ueno Kei concluded that mass-producing jinchuriki was too dangerous and learned that Sora's unusual physique might be necessary to endure tailed beast chakra.

Ueno Kei urged Jiraiya to let Naruto train to control the Nine-Tails’ chakra before Akatsuki could threaten Konoha. Jiraiya instead planned for Naruto to master senjutsu first, and Kei agreed after learning how quickly Naruto had sensed natural energy.

• Ueno Kei abandoned the plan to mass-produce Nine-Tails jinchuriki and told the researchers to clean up without harming Sora.
• Ueno Kei told Jiraiya that Naruto needed to begin training to control the Nine-Tails’ chakra because Akatsuki left Konoha little time to prepare.
• Ueno Kei discussed Konoha’s need to strengthen Naruto, Neji, Lee, and Shikamaru, noting that Shikamaru was being cultivated as a strategist.
• Ueno Kei urged Jiraiya to give Naruto the key to training with the Nine-Tails, but Jiraiya refused and proposed that Naruto learn senjutsu under Lord Fukasaku first.
• Jiraiya revealed that Naruto had sensed natural energy in under three hours at Mount Myoboku, and Ueno Kei agreed to follow Jiraiya’s plan.

Asuma led Kotetsu, Izumo, and Yamato to hunt the Akatsuki members who had killed Chiriku, driven by grief and a desire for revenge. They encountered Hidan near Konoha, and the two sides began fighting.

• Asuma asked where the nearest black market was as he set out to avenge Chiriku, and Kotetsu pointed out their destination on a map.
• Hidan complained that he and Kakuzu had been forbidden to pursue Konoha ninja, then spotted Asuma and welcomed the chance to fight.
• Asuma questioned Hidan about his companion while keeping watch for an ambush, and Hidan noticed Asuma's former Guardian Ninja marking and thought of his bounty.
• Yamato used Wood Release to send vines at Hidan as Izumo and Kotetsu moved in from both sides, but Hidan blocked the vines and became excited by Yamato's Wood Release.

Asuma led Kotetsu, Izumo, and Yamato to a black-market location while pursuing the Akatsuki members who had killed Chiriku. They confronted Hidan, and Yamato opened the fight with Wood Release as the team tried to capture him.

• Asuma asked Kotetsu where the nearest black market was, driven by grief and a desire to avenge Chiriku.
• Kotetsu identified the location, and Asuma continued toward it with Kotetsu, Izumo, and Yamato watching over him.
• Hidan complained that he had been forbidden from seeking out Konoha ninja, then spotted the approaching team and welcomed the chance to fight.
• Asuma questioned Hidan about his partner Kakuzu while checking for an ambush, and Hidan recognized Asuma as a valuable bounty target.
• Yamato used Wood Release—Vine Technique to attack Hidan as Izumo and Kotetsu moved to flank him, and Hidan blocked the vines and became excited by Yamato's Wood Release.

Kakuzu and Hidan confronted Asuma, Yamato, Izumo, and the injured Kotetsu after Kakuzu recognized Asuma as a fifty-thousand-ryo bounty target. As Kakuzu and Hidan overwhelmed Asuma and Yamato, the Konoha team appeared close to defeat.

• Kakuzu kicked Kotetsu into a wall, severely injuring him, and Hidan blamed Kakuzu for drawing the Konoha ninja to them.
• Kakuzu identified Asuma as the son of the Third Hokage and a fifty-thousand-ryo bounty, then claimed him as his target.
• Asuma ordered Izumo to protect Kotetsu while he and Yamato fought Kakuzu and Hidan.
• Kakuzu quickly overpowered Asuma with a punch and used Earth Release to crack the ground around them.
• Hidan attacked Yamato with his scythe, forcing Yamato to focus on delaying him with Wood Release.
• Asuma and Yamato struggled against their opponents, and the Konoha team seemed close to defeat.

Kakashi sent Shikamaru, Neji, Ino, and Choji to hunt the Akatsuki members who had infiltrated the Land of Fire. As they departed, Kakashi and his advisers discussed sharing more intelligence with the other villages to convince them of Akatsuki’s threat and secure a Five Kage Summit.

• Kakashi briefed Shikamaru, Neji, Ino, and Choji on the Akatsuki infiltration and ordered them to find the two members, prioritizing their own safety.
• Shikamaru and the others left Konoha and headed for the designated area.
• Kakashi asked how the Cloud, Mist, and Rock Ninja had responded to Konoha’s proposal for a Five Kage Summit.
• Shizune reported that the Mist had not responded, while the Cloud and Rock saw no need for a summit and doubted Akatsuki’s threat.
• Shikaku advised Kakashi to disclose more intelligence, and Kakashi agreed to inform the other villages about Akatsuki’s power.