Chapter Summaries

At the Five Kage talks, Mifune tried to move discussion away from the disputed Allied Shinobi Forces commander, but Ōnoki insisted the issue had to be resolved first. Gaara challenged Ōnoki and Mei Terumi over their cynicism, leaving the meeting deadlocked.

• Mifune suggested that the Five Kage set aside the commander dispute and discuss other matters first.
• Ōnoki rejected the suggestion and questioned whether an alliance could work without agreement on its commander.
• The Fourth Raikage split the table and confronted Ōnoki after he argued that shinobi could not trust one another to cooperate.
• Gaara asked Ōnoki when he had lost his ideals, but Ōnoki dismissed him as naive and inexperienced.
• Mei Terumi also called Gaara naive for speaking of ideals in a world shaped by bloodshed.

Ueno Kei appeared alive at the Five Kage Summit and confronted the Third Tsuchikage, Fourth Raikage, and Mei Terumi. As tensions rose, he sensed another intruder and demanded that they reveal themselves.

• Gaara resolved to keep pursuing his ideals as Kazekage despite the other Kage's skepticism.
• Ueno Kei emerged from the shadows, surprising the summit attendees and delighting the Konoha and Sunagakure representatives.
• The Third Tsuchikage questioned how Ueno Kei had survived, and Ueno Kei confirmed he was alive while suppressing him with his killing intent.
• The Fourth Raikage condemned Ueno Kei for disrupting the Five Kage Summit, and Ueno Kei prepared to respond.
• Ueno Kei sensed someone else had infiltrated the venue and demanded that they come out.

Ueno Kei exposed White Zetsu hiding in the Kage meeting, and White Zetsu revealed that Sasuke had infiltrated the area before killing himself. The Fourth Raikage rushed after Sasuke, while Ueno Kei discovered a Wood Release trace on White Zetsu and set out with Kakashi to follow.

• Ueno Kei noticed Tobi hiding in the meeting room, and White Zetsu emerged from beneath the floor.
• The Fourth Raikage seized White Zetsu and demanded to know where Killer B and Second Pillar were.
• White Zetsu announced that Second Pillar had infiltrated the area, then twisted his own neck and died.
• C located Sasuke, and the Fourth Raikage led his group out to pursue him.
• Ueno Kei sensed a strong Wood Release aura in White Zetsu's body, then agreed with Kakashi to follow the Raikage's group.

Ōnoki and Mei Terumi tried to keep Konoha’s delegation from leaving, suspecting Konoha might help Second Pillar evade capture. Ueno Kei rejected their demands and intimidated the Rock and Mist ninja with his overwhelming aura, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Ōnoki accused Konoha of arranging Second Pillar’s defection and urged Mei Terumi to detain Konoha’s group.
• Mei Terumi proposed that Ueno Kei and Kakashi stay behind, while Ueno Kei insisted Konoha would handle Second Pillar and threatened anyone who interfered.
• Kakashi backed Ueno Kei’s position, and Mei Terumi summoned Ao and Chojuro as the dispute grew more hostile.
• Ueno Kei stopped Kakashi from intervening and released a powerful aura that frightened Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, and the assembled ninja.
• Ueno Kei declared that Konoha would never yield if the Rock and Mist ninja chose to become its enemies.

Sasuke and his group were discovered inside the Land of Iron, where they fought the samurai guarding the castle. The Fourth Raikage intervened and confronted Sasuke, who emerged with a newly changed Sharingan.

• Ueno Kei warned the Kage against provoking Konoha, then left with Kakashi, the Fifth Mizukage, and the Third Tsuchikage to find Sasuke.
• Sasuke asked Karin to locate Kakashi while Suigetsu and Jugo waited with him inside the castle.
• The samurai surrounded Sasuke’s group, and Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Jugo attacked and cut down their opponents.
• Sasuke demanded directions to the Five Kage Summit from a samurai, but the Fourth Raikage struck him into a wall before he could kill the man.
• The Fourth Raikage ordered the samurai to stand down and faced Sasuke as Suigetsu and Jugo rushed to him.
• Sasuke emerged from the dust with a blood-colored six-pointed star turning in his eyes.

Sasuke fought the Fourth Raikage, using Susanoo to withstand his attacks and Amaterasu to burn his arm. The Fourth Raikage recovered and struck Susanoo hard enough to crack it, just as an unknown voice commented on Sasuke’s growth.

• Sasuke’s Chidori Stream barely affected the Fourth Raikage, who demanded to know where B was and threatened him.
• The Fourth Raikage rushed Sasuke with Heavy Bomb, but Sasuke protected himself with Susanoo and set the Raikage’s arm ablaze with Amaterasu.
• Cee severed the burning part of the Fourth Raikage’s arm and treated his wound, while the Raikage sent Darui and Cee after Suigetsu and Jugo and ordered samurai to seize Karin.
• Jugo told Suigetsu to protect Karin while he held off Darui and Cee, and the Fourth Raikage confronted Sasuke directly.
• The Fourth Raikage struck Susanoo with Thunderstorm Heavy Fist, cracking its armor and alarming Sasuke.
• An unknown speaker chuckled that Sasuke had grown considerably, startling both Sasuke and the Fourth Raikage.

Ueno Kei arrived as Sasuke fought the Fourth Raikage and confronted Sasuke over his questions about Itachi and the Uchiha Clan massacre. He confirmed Tobi’s account of the massacre and insisted that Konoha had done nothing wrong, leaving Sasuke with no answers about Itachi’s body.

• Ueno Kei and the other Kage arrived to watch Sasuke fight the Fourth Raikage.
• Sasuke was shocked to see Ueno Kei alive and demanded to know where Itachi’s body was and what had happened to the Uchiha Clan.
• Kakashi realized Sasuke had come to uncover information about Konoha, while the other Kage watched the confrontation.
• Ueno Kei’s presence unsettled Sasuke and the Kage, and Sasuke wondered whether the gap between them was still immense.
• Ueno Kei confirmed that Tobi had told Sasuke the truth about the massacre and claimed that Konoha had done nothing wrong.

Ueno Kei effortlessly defeated Sasuke and tried to calm him down, while Sasuke remained furious and unwilling to surrender. Tobi arrived at the Five Kage Summit, and Kei realized he would no longer need to decide how to secretly let Sasuke go.

• Sasuke attacked Ueno Kei with his armored Susanoo, blaming Konoha for his clan’s destruction.
• Ueno Kei blocked Sasuke’s Susanoo punch, shattered its armor, and sent Sasuke crashing to the ground with a single counterattack.
• Jugo and Suigetsu rushed to Sasuke, while the Fourth Raikage recognized that Ueno Kei was far stronger than he was.
• Ueno Kei asked Sasuke to calm down and considered how he might secretly let him escape, but Sasuke continued to resist.
• Tobi appeared in a cloud-patterned robe and told Ueno Kei that he had underestimated him.

Tobi rescued Sasuke and revealed himself as Uchiha Madara, then announced his Eye of the Moon Plan to the Five Kage and Ueno Kei. He claimed his goal was to create a world of peace through mutual understanding and love.

• Tobi told Sasuke that he had been too impulsive, and Sasuke declared that he would soon take revenge on Konoha for the Uchiha Clan.
• Tobi used space-time ninjutsu to transport Sasuke and the other members of Hawk away, then introduced himself to the Five Kage as Uchiha Madara.
• Tobi explained that his power had been damaged after his battle with Hashirama and that he was gathering the Tailed Beasts to regain strength and achieve his goal.
• Tobi announced the Eye of the Moon Plan and revealed that there were more than the nine Tailed Beasts everyone knew about.
• Tobi denied wanting to rule the world and said he sought to create a world where people understood and loved one another.

Tobi explained that the Eye of the Moon Plan would use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to trap the world in a peaceful dream, but Ueno Kei and Gaara rejected his plan. Tobi declared war on the five great ninja villages and vanished, leaving the Fourth Great Ninja War imminent.

• Tobi revealed that he intended to unite the tailed beasts, become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, and cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi over the world.
• Tobi urged the Kage to surrender the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails, promising that people could regain their loved ones and live without conflict.
• Ueno Kei argued that conflict came from human nature and that Tobi's plan would erase humanity, while Gaara rejected surrendering freedom.
• Tobi formally declared the Fourth Great Ninja War against the five great ninja villages and vanished.

The Five Kage agreed to establish the Shinobi Allied Forces and share intelligence while protecting their villages’ interests. Five days later, Ueno Kei learned that he was being asked to guard Naruto and Killer B, and a sudden shout suggested Kakashi had found a way to get Naruto to cooperate.

• The Fourth Raikage agreed that the Five Kage would jointly lead the Allied Forces, and Mei Terumi, Ōnoki, and Gaara confirmed their villages would join.
• Kakashi said Konoha would share Akatsuki intelligence while safeguarding its own interests, and Ueno Kei reminded the Fourth Raikage that Killer B was still safe.
• The Fourth Raikage left to search for Killer B, and Ueno Kei and Kakashi returned to Konoha after learning Yamato and Might Guy had brought Naruto back.
• Five days later, Kakashi showed Ueno Kei a Kumogakure request to hide Naruto and Killer B, whose protection would be shared by Konoha and Kumogakure.
• Shikaku explained that the Fourth Raikage had proposed Ueno Kei protect Naruto and Killer B, and Ueno Kei recognized the plan as a sensible way to keep them out of the war.
• Naruto shouted excitedly about another S-rank mission, and Ueno Kei smiled at Kakashi’s apparent plan to get him to cooperate.

A mysterious short man appeared in the Land of Rivers, tortured a Konoha ninja for information, and vanished, prompting Black Zetsu to investigate a powerful aura he recognized as Mother's. Tobi warned Sasuke to rest his overused Mangekyō, but Sasuke remained determined to recover Itachi's corpse and destroy Konoha.

• Three white-robed figures appeared in the Land of Rivers, and their short leader ordered a subordinate to bring him a Konoha ninja.
• The short man read the captured ninja's memories, then disappeared with his followers, leaving the ninja dead.
• Black Zetsu sensed Mother's aura and resolved to investigate before the plan could be disrupted.
• Tobi cautioned Sasuke that frequent Mangekyō use risked blindness and explained that Itachi's corpse was beyond their reach for now.
• Sasuke vowed to retrieve Itachi's corpse himself and make Ueno Kei watch Konoha's destruction, then agreed to recover from his injuries in the cave.

Ueno Kei, Naruto, Yamato, and Might Guy arrived at a harbor to meet Cloud Ninja for their mission, while Naruto excitedly saw the ocean for the first time. The next day, after Naruto ate twenty bowls of ramen, someone called out to the two Konoha ninja as they were leaving.

• Naruto marveled at the ocean, and Ueno Kei reassured himself that Naruto had recovered from his troubled thoughts about the Uchiha Clan and the ninja world.
• Ueno Kei confirmed with Yamato that Cloud Ninja would meet their group at the harbor in two days.
• Shizuka and Tokiwa arrived in town, while a creepy man watched them and vowed not to give up pursuing the princess.
• Naruto ate twenty bowls of ramen, leaving Ueno Kei upset about the cost.
• A voice called for Ueno Kei and Naruto to wait as they were preparing to leave.

Naruto learned that Jiraiya had promised him in marriage to Lady Shizuka, a Nadeshiko female ninja, and struggled with whether to meet her. He decided to see her the next day, before his team departed on its secret mission.

• Tokiwa told Naruto that Jiraiya had arranged his marriage to Lady Shizuka and asked him to fight her.
• Ueno Kei teased Naruto about honoring the agreement, while Naruto worried about what Sakura would think.
• Tokiwa insisted Naruto was obligated to fulfill the agreement, then left the inn.
• Yamato reminded the group that their secret mission and Naruto's whereabouts must remain concealed, and said the Cloud Ninja contact would arrive the next evening.
• Naruto told Ueno Kei he would meet his fiancée the next day before their departure.

Yakushi Kabuto planned to exploit the duel between Naruto and Nadeshiko Shizuka to capture Naruto and advance his own scheme. As Naruto went to the duel and Ueno Kei set out to investigate a suspicious presence, Kabuto released four figures from coffins to begin his attack.

• Tokiwa told Nadeshiko Shizuka that Naruto had accepted the duel, and Shizuka scheduled it for the next day, saying she would follow the wedding ritual if he met their predecessors’ standards.
• Yakushi Kabuto overheard that the Konoha ninja would be fighting and planned to seize Shizuka after they were exhausted, but Ueno Kei appeared and knocked him unconscious.
• Kabuto revealed himself to be alive and transformed, and decided that Naruto’s Nine-Tails power and a way to restrain Ueno Kei would serve his plans.
• The next morning, Naruto left the inn to meet Shizuka for the duel while Yamato stayed behind to await Kumogakure’s contact.
• Ueno Kei and Might Guy went to investigate the powerful presence from the previous day, and Ueno Kei covertly noticed Kabuto watching them through a white snake.
• Kabuto decided to test whether Ueno Kei had taken the bait, opened four coffins, and vanished with the figures as he declared the game had begun.

Naruto fought Nadeshiko Shizuka over the marriage pact and defeated her decisively. After Shizuka accepted the pact, Naruto clarified that he had come to talk to her, not to marry her immediately.

• Tokiwa announced that Naruto and Shizuka would duel with their marriage pact at stake.
• Naruto tried to speak before the fight, but Shizuka attacked and insisted that they talk afterward.
• Naruto effortlessly countered Shizuka's attacks as she fought to vent her grief over losing her former lover.
• Naruto caught Shizuka's kunai and restrained her, forcing her to concede defeat.
• Shizuka acknowledged that the pact was established and asked whether Naruto intended to marry her immediately.
• Naruto denied that marriage was his purpose and said he had come to talk to Shizuka.

Naruto urged Shizuka to reject a life chosen for her and find happiness on her own terms, sharing his own pain and regrets until she accepted his comfort. Their moment was interrupted by the arrival of Yakushi Kabuto and four others.

• Naruto told Shizuka she should choose her own future instead of obeying the marriage agreement made by the previous village head and Master Jiraiya.
• Naruto shared his feelings about unrequited love and losing a beloved family member, then encouraged Shizuka to seek her own happiness.
• Shizuka remembered the man she had loved and the previous village head's apology, then leaned against Naruto and thanked him through tears.
• Naruto sensed someone approaching, shielded Shizuka, and recognized Yakushi Kabuto among the five newcomers.

Naruto confronted a transformed Yakushi Kabuto, who revealed that he wanted to capture the Nine-Tails as leverage against Tobi. Ueno Kei and Might Guy arrived to support Naruto, and Ueno Kei faced Kabuto with killing intent.

• Naruto warned Shizuka and Tokiwa to flee while he faced Kabuto, but Shizuka refused to leave him.
• Kabuto unleashed a sinister aura, and Naruto blocked his attack while protecting Shizuka and Tokiwa.
• Naruto asked Kabuto whether he was targeting the Nine-Tails, and Kabuto admitted he wanted Naruto as a bargaining chip against Tobi.
• Ueno Kei and Might Guy appeared, and Ueno Kei accused Kabuto of becoming like Orochimaru.
• Kabuto remained calm despite Ueno Kei's killing intent and said he had not lost anything.

Ueno Kei confronted Yakushi Kabuto and rejected his offer to trade secrets about Tobi and the Akatsuki for Itachi Uchiha's corpse. The standoff remained unresolved as Ueno Kei prepared to capture Kabuto and extract the information from him.

• Ueno Kei sensed that Yakushi Kabuto was dangerous and told Might Guy to protect Shizuka, Tokiwa, and especially Naruto if a fight began.
• Yakushi Kabuto offered to reveal secrets about Tobi and the Akatsuki in exchange for Itachi Uchiha's corpse.
• Ueno Kei considered the value of Kabuto's information but refused because Itachi was alive and investigating Kaguya Otsutsuki for him.
• Ueno Kei refused the deal, called Itachi Konoha's unsung hero, and said he would capture Kabuto to obtain the secrets.

Ueno Kei confronted Yakushi Kabuto over his offer of intelligence and refused to let him leave, but Kabuto escaped after revealing that his apparent body was a clone. Naruto and Ueno Kei then departed with Kumogakure’s people, while Shizuka promised to visit Naruto and resolved to grow stronger.

• Yakushi Kabuto tried to bargain for Itachi Uchiha’s body and summoned Sasori of the Red Sands, Kakuzu, the Third Kazekage, and Rasa to block Ueno Kei.
• Ueno Kei attacked Kabuto as the four reincarnated shinobi retreated into coffins, but his blade split a clone that turned into a white snake.
• Ueno Kei warned Naruto to keep their whereabouts secret, and they prepared to leave with Kumogakure’s people.
• At the harbor, Naruto admitted that Sakura liked Sasuke, and Shizuka told him she would visit Konoha after settling her affairs.
• After the ship sailed, Shizuka resolved to become stronger so she could stand by Naruto.