Recaps

Shōji killed the Root operatives guarding Kabuto and helped Kabuto and Nonō recognize each other after Danzō’s photograph trick. He left them to talk and intercepted Hato, whose insect techniques failed to stop Shōji before he discovered Hato had used an insect clone.

• Shōji killed Resentment and the other Root operatives who had confronted Nonō and Kabuto.
• Shōji explained that Danzō had deceived Nonō with a misleading photograph, and Kabuto convinced her that he was her son.
• Shōji left Nonō and Kabuto together and headed toward the approaching Aburame Clan Root operative, Hato.
• Hato sensed the disturbance, turned toward the battle site, and ordered his three subordinates to scout for Iwagakure pursuers.
• Shōji confronted Hato, broke through his insect attacks, and struck what appeared to be Hato with his blade.
• Hato’s body dispersed into insects, and Shōji used his senses to locate Hato’s true body.

Shōji defeated Danzo’s Root operatives and persuaded Nonō and Kabuto to seek refuge with Iwagakure to protect themselves and the orphanage children. After capturing Aburame Ryūma and signaling Ogata’s force, Shōji left the operation poised to deliver valuable prisoners and intelligence to Iwagakure.

• Nonō decided to defect to Iwagakure with Kabuto after Danzo’s actions convinced her that staying with Root endangered them and the orphanage children.
• Kabuto accepted Nonō’s decision, and she asked him to tell her about his experiences over the past few years.
• Shōji overwhelmed Hato with his attacks, shattered his mask, and recognized him as Aburame Ryūma.
• Shōji used his Sharingan to subdue Ryūma, fired a signal flare, and led Iwagakure’s ninja to capture or kill the remaining Root operatives.
• Ogata praised Shōji for securing Nonō’s location and capturing Root members, while Shōji explained that Ryūma was a valuable prisoner.

Shōji brought Nonō and Kabuto to Iwagakure after they agreed to join the village, and Nonō shared intelligence about Konoha’s Root while requesting help for the orphanage children. Ōnoki approved Shōji’s plan to pressure Konoha but objected when Shōji volunteered to lead the mission there himself.

• Ogata took the subdued Aburame Ryūma into custody while Shōji returned to speak with Nonō and Kabuto.
• Nonō agreed to join Iwagakure and asked Shōji to conceal their deaths and help locate or rescue the orphanage children in Konoha.
• Shōji promised to seek permission to travel to Konoha, and Nonō and Kabuto accepted Iwagakure’s restrictions and surveillance.
• Nonō and Kabuto met Ōnoki, and Nonō disclosed intelligence about Shimura Danzō and Root before leaving with an Iwagakure Ninja.
• Ōnoki asked Shōji how to respond to Konoha’s infiltration, and Shōji proposed condemnation and increased border pressure.
• Shōji volunteered to lead a mission to Konoha, but Ōnoki rejected the plan because the danger to Shōji was too great.

Shōji persuaded Ōnoki to let him lead a delegation to Konoha, then prepared his clan and trained Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara before departing. In Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned the elders and Danzo after receiving Iwagakure’s demand for accountability.

• Shōji argued that he was the best choice to lead a mission to Konoha, and Ōnoki agreed while ordering him to prioritize his safety and promising support at the Land of Grass border.
• Ōnoki instructed Shōji to coordinate the delegation, send Konoha a formal demand for an explanation, and have Ogata’s group seek intelligence from captured Root members.
• Shōji visited Uzumaki Reina and Karin, checked how they were settling into Iwagakure, and later spent time with his younger siblings and prepared his students for his absence.
• Shōji guided Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara in training, told them to pause missions and focus on strengthening their skills, and appointed Itachi acting captain while he was away.
• After Konoha received Iwagakure’s demand, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō and ordered Anbu to monitor Root.
• Danzo delayed going to the Hokage Office Building while he gave orders to trusted Root subordinates, then arrived to find Homura and Koharu already waiting.

Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Shimura Danzō over Root’s failed operation to extract Yakushi Nonō as Iwagakure reinforced its forces near the Land of Grass. He ordered Root to suspend operations while Konoha prepared for an Iwagakure delegation expected the following week.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded that Danzo explain the loss of two Root squads and the failed extraction of Nonō, while Danzo claimed it had been a routine mission.
• Mitokado Homura warned that Iwagakure had gathered over a thousand forces near the Land of Grass border as Konoha’s forces were strained by its conflict with Kumogakure.
• Danzo denied hiding anything and blamed Iwagakure’s actions on provocation and Uchiha Shōji, while Hiruzen judged that Iwagakure was testing Konoha and preparing a delegation visit.
• Hiruzen ordered Danzo and Root to conduct no operations without his permission and assigned directly subordinate Anbu to monitor them; Danzo objected but left after Hiruzen refused to yield.
• Hiruzen asked Utatane Koharu to watch Danzo and Mitokado Homura to prepare for Iwagakure’s delegation, then began drafting a careful reply to the Third Tsuchikage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen reinforced Konoha’s northwestern border after receiving a reply from Iwagakure, prompting villages across the shinobi world to react to the growing risk of war. Ōnoki confirmed that Iwagakure’s preparations were complete, while Kumogakure’s Dodai proposed a different way to seize the Land of Hot Springs.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen sent several hundred elite shinobi to reinforce Konoha’s northwestern border near the Land of Grass.
• Boro ordered Kusagakure’s personnel to withdraw inward, while Yugakure’s leader kept the village’s shinobi away from the fighting.
• Rasa ordered Sunagakure to monitor the situation and consider reclaiming the Northern Fortress only if Konoha and Iwagakure entered a major war.
• The Fourth Raikage A ordered Kumogakure to press into the Land of Hot Springs, but Dodai warned that an advance could let Iwagakure profit and promised an alternative approach.
• Ōnoki dismissed Konoha’s reply, asked Kitsuchi whether Iwagakure’s preparations were complete, and Kitsuchi confirmed that they were.

Ōnoki sent Shōji to lead Iwagakure’s peace delegation to Konohagakure as Kumogakure dispatched its own delegation, bringing the nations toward a critical three-way meeting. Shōji arrived in Konoha under intense suspicion, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other leaders unsettled by his presence.

• Ōnoki ordered his forces to watch the borders and sent Shōji to determine Konoha’s attitude, with a fifteen-person Iwagakure delegation.
• A Kumogakure delegation set out for Konohagakure soon after Shōji’s group, and both delegations headed toward talks that could determine whether war erupted.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted Kumogakure’s offer of peace negotiations and assigned Nara Shikaku to handle liaison and security arrangements.
• Shōji’s delegation reached Konohagakure after three days, where Konoha’s escort tightened its surveillance upon recognizing him as the leader.
• Mitokado Homura and other Konoha leaders received Shōji at the village gate and wondered whether Iwagakure’s choice of him concealed a scheme.

Uchiha Shōji led Iwagakure’s delegation into Konoha and confronted Sarutobi Hiruzen over Konoha shinobi attacking Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. Hiruzen agreed to verify the evidence over the next two or three days, and Shōji left the meeting expecting a satisfactory answer.

• Mitokado Homura greeted Shōji’s delegation at Konoha’s gate, and Shōji taunted him about their first meeting and his new allegiance to Iwagakure.
• Shōji and Ogata entered the Hokage’s office, where Sarutobi Hiruzen received them alongside Homura and Nara Shikaku.
• Shōji demanded to know how Konoha would answer for its shinobi entering the Land of Earth and causing bloodshed, but Shikaku claimed there had been no such mission.
• Shōji identified the attackers as a high-ranking spy, two Root squads, and an Aburame Clan Jōnin, rejecting Konoha’s denial.
• Hiruzen demanded evidence and time to investigate, and Shōji agreed to wait two or three days for Konoha’s response before leaving the meeting.

Uchiha Shōji tested Konoha’s response to Iwagakure’s demands, while Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered surveillance and increased Naruto’s protection. Shōji’s delegation began secretly gathering intelligence in Konoha as Danzo plotted to take the Sharingan’s power for himself.

• Shōji asked permission to visit the Uchiha shrine and retrieve inherited ceremonial items, provoking Sarutobi Hiruzen with a reminder of the clan’s past.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Mitokado Homura to watch Shōji’s delegation and reinforce border reconnaissance, then assigned Kakashi Hatake to protect Naruto around the clock.
• Danzo ignored Hiruzen’s warning and plotted to seize Shōji’s Sharingan, vowing to make him regret returning to Konoha.
• Shōji and Ogata arrived at the guest inn, where Shikaku warned them to follow Konoha’s rules and Shōji pressed the village not to delay its decision.
• Shōji assigned members of the Iwagakure delegation to secretly gather intelligence, and they dispersed into the night to carry out their missions.

Shōji infiltrated Konoha, recovered the Uchiha clan’s Stone Tablet, and investigated Nonō’s orphanage while his delegation gathered intelligence. After learning Konoha might reinforce its northwestern border, he urged Ogata to wait and watch, suspecting the Kumo Ninja might soon attempt to abduct Hinata.

• Shōji entered Naka Shrine, sensed a possible response from the Stone Tablet, and dug it out to take with him.
• Shōji returned the Stone Tablet to the inn, then spent the night investigating Konoha and Nonō’s orphanage.
• Ogata reported that Konoha might shift its focus northeast and reinforce the northwestern border, but the delegation had gained little useful intelligence.
• Shōji considered changing Iwagakure’s strategy, then decided to wait and observe Konoha’s dealings with the Kumo Ninja.
• Shōji suspected that the Kumo Ninja might attempt to abduct Hinata, though he was uncertain whether the event would occur in this altered timeline.

Shōji waited for Kumogakure’s delegation to arrive, expecting the negotiations to recreate the events of the Original Work so he could help Kumogakure and weaken Konoha and the Hyuga Clan. As Konoha’s leaders considered Kumogakure’s demand for the Land of Hot Springs, Sarutobi Hiruzen called his advisers together to decide how to respond.

• Shōji told Ogata to halt further operations and wait to see whether Kumogakure would send a peace delegation and target the Hyuga Clan again.
• Konoha discovered traces of Iwagakure’s espionage, but the delegation’s sudden quietness puzzled Sarutobi Hiruzen until news came that Kumogakure’s delegation was approaching.
• Shōji went to observe the Kumo Ninja’s arrival and welcomed the prospect of helping them obtain the Land of Hot Springs or the Byakugan.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen delayed negotiations to pressure Shōji’s delegation, while Shōji saw through the tactic and remained unconcerned.
• Kumogakure’s lead Jōnin Mayoi demanded that Konoha withdraw completely from the Land of Hot Springs in exchange for a ceasefire.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Danzō, Homura, Koharu, Shikaku, and Inoichi to discuss Kumogakure’s demand and Konoha’s position.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha’s senior leaders debated how to respond to Kumogakure and Iwagakure’s military pressure. Hiruzen chose limited concessions to Kumogakure while preserving Konoha’s border defenses, as Shimura Danzō continued planning to target Uchiha Shōji.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen briefed Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu on the large Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces near Konoha’s borders.
• Shimura Danzō urged Konoha to negotiate with Kumogakure and pressure Iwagakure, arguing that Iwagakure’s delegation led by Uchiha Shōji was probing Konoha’s strength.
• Nara Shikaku assessed that both villages were using pressure to force Konoha’s concessions and recommended stabilizing relations with Iwagakure while prioritizing negotiations with Kumogakure.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu supported Shikaku’s cautious approach, while Danzō maintained that Konoha should eliminate the Uchiha threat.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen instructed Shikaku to negotiate a withdrawal from the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost while keeping Konoha’s defensive positions near Mount Fengzui.

Shikaku and Inoichi questioned Hiruzen’s cautious handling of the Iwagakure and Kumogakure delegations, while Shōji waited for the Kumo Ninja’s hidden plan to unfold. Konoha and Kumogakure signed a peace agreement, and the village celebrated, unaware that the agreement coincided with Kumogakure’s second mission.

• Hiruzen assigned Shikaku to oversee the Mount Fengzui outpost and ordered Homura and Inoichi to continue negotiations with Iwagakure.
• Shikaku told Inoichi that Hiruzen’s policy toward Kumogakure was too conservative, and both agreed to avoid unnecessary involvement while hoping Jiraiya or Tsunade would eventually lead Konoha.
• Shōji remained unconcerned during negotiations, while Homura struggled to discern Iwagakure’s intentions and Shōji waited to see whether Kumogakure would attempt to abduct Hinata.
• Mayoi agreed to terms that gave Kumogakure the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, and the two villages completed a peace agreement as Kumogakure prepared to carry out its second mission.
• Hiruzen announced the peace agreement to Konoha, and villagers celebrated the end of the long war.

Shōji left Konoha after the peace agreement, expecting Kumogakure to exploit the celebration and loosened security to target the Hyuga Clan. Danzo instead sent Root to intercept Shōji’s delegation, and Shōji began cutting through the ambushers as the Kumo Ninja set out to abduct Hinata Hyuga.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen relaxed Konoha’s security restrictions so citizens could celebrate the peace agreement, creating a brief gap in the village’s defenses.
• Shōji led the Iwagakure delegation out of Konoha, telling Ogata that he planned to return later and watch for trouble.
• Shimura Danzō sent more than a hundred Root members to intercept Shōji’s party as they traveled through the Land of Fire.
• Mayoi ordered Retto and the Kumo Ninja to infiltrate the Hyuga compound and abduct three-year-old Hinata Hyuga.
• Shōji detected Root’s ambush, exposed the attackers with a Great Fireball Technique, and identified them as Danzo’s forces.
• Root charged Shōji, who activated his Sharingan and lightning armor, then killed several attackers with his Tachi.

Shōji annihilated Danzo’s Root force, sent Ogata and the others toward the Land of Grass with the bodies as evidence, and returned to Konoha to watch for the Kumo Ninja’s move against the Hyuga Clan. He arrived as Hyuga Hiashi defeated Retto after rescuing Hinata.

• Shōji slaughtered the Root elites, while their leader ordered one member to escape and report the defeat to Danzo.
• Shōji let the messenger flee, finished off the remaining Root members, and told Ogata to send the news to the Third Hokage and withdraw with the bodies.
• Ogata, Hu Yin, and the Iwagakure Ninja sealed the corpses and left for the border, while Shōji returned to Konoha.
• Shōji watched the Hyuga Clan compound for signs of the Kumo Ninja and detected a disturbance nearby.
• Hyuga Hiashi rescued Hinata from Retto and attacked the wounded Kumo Ninja.

Hiashi accidentally killed Retto after the Kumo Ninja tried to attack Hinata, while Shōji escaped after witnessing the death. Danzo’s ambush of Shōji failed disastrously, and Hiruzen ordered him to stop pursuing the Uchiha Clan and remain in the Hokage Tower.

• Retto deliberately lunged toward Hinata, prompting Hiashi to strike a fatal blow and kill the wounded Kumo Ninja.
• Shōji watched Retto die, was detected by Hiashi, and fled into the night after deciding to speak with Kumogakure’s delegation later.
• Hiruzen learned that Danzo had sent nearly two hundred Root members after Shōji and dispatched Anbu while summoning Danzo.
• A surviving Root member reported that Shōji had killed nearly the entire force without using his Mangekyō Sharingan, shocking Danzo.
• Danzo urged Hiruzen to hunt Shōji and eliminate the Uchiha Clan, but Hiruzen refused and ordered Danzo to remain in the Hokage Tower.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stripped Danzo of control over Root after Danzo’s attack on the Iwagakure delegation, but then learned that Hiashi had killed a Kumogakure envoy during an attempted kidnapping. Facing pressure from both Iwagakure and Kumogakure, Hiruzen chose to pursue peace with Kumogakure while preparing Konoha for war with Iwagakure.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Danzo to remain in the Hokage Tower and temporarily placed Root under Mitokado Homura’s authority, assigning Kakashi to watch over Danzo.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu reported that Hiashi had killed Retto after catching him trying to abduct Hinata Hyuga from the Hyuga compound.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen revealed that Danzo had sent over two hundred Root members after Uchiha Shōji’s Iwagakure delegation, leaving only one survivor and risking accusations from Iwagakure.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu advised Hiruzen to prioritize peace with Kumogakure, and Hiruzen ordered Homura to negotiate while Koharu arranged reinforcements and a meeting with the clan heads.
• Mayoi received Retto’s corpse from Homura, condemned Konoha’s actions, and threatened war while Homura offered to ease the terms of their negotiations.

Mayoi received Shōji’s explanation that Konoha was trying to appease Kumogakure after Root attacked Iwagakure’s delegation, and Shōji proposed that Iwagakure and Kumogakure pressure Konoha together. Ōnoki seized on the opportunity and ordered preparations to threaten the Land of Fire’s border while awaiting Kumogakure’s response.

• Mayoi reported Konoha’s unusual conduct to the Fourth Raikage and began investigating it while awaiting orders.
• Shōji secretly met Mayoi, explained that Root had ambushed Iwagakure’s delegation, and proposed cooperation against Konoha.
• Mayoi said the decision rested with the Fourth Raikage, while Shōji promised Iwagakure would not interfere with Kumogakure’s aims and asked him to pass that message on.
• After receiving the reports, Ōnoki decided to exploit the crisis and summoned Kitsuchi to discuss military preparations.
• Ōnoki ordered Kitsuchi to lead three thousand troops to the Land of Grass, bring Han to the border, and pressure the Land of Fire with small-scale infiltrations.

Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage A prepared to exploit the crisis between Konoha and Iwagakure, each hoping to weaken Konoha and gain advantages. Kumogakure chose to pressure Konoha while mobilizing troops, leaving war increasingly likely.

• Kitsuchi left to prepare Iwagakure’s three thousand troops, while Ōnoki sent Kumogakure an official alliance offer.
• The Fourth Raikage A received the delegation’s report and summoned Dodai and other subordinates to discuss Kumogakure’s response.
• Dodai advised mobilizing troops near the Land of Hot Springs and using the crisis to demand territory, trade and mission concessions, supplies, and Hyuga Hiashi.
• The Fourth Raikage A agreed to Dodai’s plan and told him to pressure Konoha, contact Ōnoki, and summon Yugito from Qianyan Hot Spring.
• The Fourth Raikage A declared that Kumogakure would insist Konoha hand over Hyuga Hiashi or face war, regardless of who had actually killed Retto.

Kumogakure and Iwagakure coordinated military pressure on Konoha and demanded severe compensation, including the surrender of Hyuga Hiashi and Shimura Danzō. Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha’s leaders faced the prospect of war, with neither surrender demand acceptable and the village’s stability at stake.

• Ōnoki and A reached a preliminary agreement to pressure Konoha together from the northwest and northeast.
• Kumogakure and Iwagakure deployed more than ten thousand ninja near the borders, led by Dodai and Kitsuchi, with their Two-Tailed and Five-Tailed Jinchuriki also present.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Konoha’s leaders to discuss the military threat and the villages’ demands.
• Kumogakure demanded Hyuga Hiashi, while Iwagakure demanded Shimura Danzō, alongside territorial, mission, and material concessions.
• Konoha’s leaders recognized that handing over either man would undermine trust, alienate clans, and risk internal conflict or the village’s collapse.

Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted Nara Shikaku’s plan to appease Kumogakure while defending against Iwagakure and preparing for a prolonged western-front war. As Konoha mobilized, Shōji headed west, while Rasa began preparing Sunagakure to seize an opportunity against Iwagakure.

• Nara Shikaku advised Sarutobi Hiruzen to meet Kumogakure’s non-principled demands and make Iwagakure appear to be the greater threat, while protecting key western defenses and drawing Iwagakure into a prolonged war.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen authorized Shikaku and Inoichi to organize the western defenses, summoned the major ninja clans, and sent Homura with him to speak to the Hyuga Clan.
• Konoha mobilized its forces and dispatched elite Barrier Corps and Sealing Corps units to the western front to help counter Iwagakure’s Five-Tails Jinchuriki and Kumogakure’s Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Shōji watched Konoha’s reinforcements depart, suspected the village’s strategy was tied to the Uchiha Clan, and left for the west.
• After learning of the escalating conflict, Rasa ordered Sunagakure to begin mobilizing but resolved to wait for a clear opportunity before attacking.

Obito learned that Konoha, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure were preparing for war and ordered Black Zetsu to gather more intelligence so Akatsuki could exploit the fighting. Shōji returned to Iwagakure’s western force with reports of Konoha’s deployments and concessions to Kumogakure, leaving Kitsuchi to consider Iwagakure’s next move.

• Black Zetsu told Obito that Iwagakure and Kumogakure had deployed about five thousand troops each along the Land of Fire’s borders, and Obito ordered White Zetsu to monitor both fronts.
• Obito dismissed Black Zetsu’s concerns about Uchiha Shōji and argued that Shōji’s Mangekyō Sharingan would eventually lose its power.
• The Land of Fire’s Daimyo backed Konoha’s preparations for war, while Hyuga Hiashi learned that Hizashi had died in his place and grew deeply resentful.
• Shōji returned to Iwagakure’s western camp, where Kitsuchi, Akatsuchi, Yashiro, and Inaho welcomed him.
• Shōji reported that Konoha had sent five thousand reinforcements west, fewer than two thousand east, and was willing to meet nearly all of Kumogakure’s demands except its territorial demands.

Shōji urged Iwagakure to strike before Konoha could gather its full strength, and Kitsuchi ordered an advance into the Land of Grass. Iwagakure’s forces attacked Konoha’s western defenses, while Konoha’s scattered troops withdrew toward Mount Wuyuan.

• Shōji warned Kitsuchi that a war of attrition would favor Konoha and urged Iwagakure to seize the opportunity to attack.
• Kitsuchi ordered Shōji and Akatsuchi to lead separate forces against Konoha’s strongholds and advance toward Mount Wuyuan.
• Kitsuchi assigned Arai Kenjirō to establish a forward base near Kannabi Bridge and seek assistance from the Land of Grass and Kusagakure.
• Shōji left to prepare his troops, accompanied by Uchiha Inaho, Gin, and Uchiha clan members eager to fight Konoha.
• Konoha scouts detected Iwagakure’s advance, and Shōji’s and Akatsuchi’s forces overwhelmed the forward defenders.
• The Konoha western-front commander ordered scattered troops to retreat to the Mount Wuyuan defensive base.

Nara Shikaku led five thousand reinforcements toward Mount Wuyuan while Uchiha Shōji’s Iwagakure force reached the base ahead of them. Shōji launched a probing assault, then entered the battle himself and turned the fight against Konoha.

• Nara Shikaku took command of the Western Front and headed for Mount Wuyuan after Sarutobi Hiruzen approved his plan to hold the line there.
• Uchiha Shōji and his troops advanced rapidly through the Land of Grass, driving Konoha’s outposts back to Mount Wuyuan before Shikaku’s reinforcements arrived.
• Shōji rejected Gin’s suggestion to retreat and ordered a probing attack on Mount Wuyuan Base, while privately considering capturing it if the opportunity arose.
• Konoha’s commander triggered the base’s traps and ordered a counterattack, but the ensuing clash left Iwagakure’s attackers at a disadvantage.
• Shōji rushed into the battle and killed nearly twenty Konoha Ninja, freeing Iwagakure’s surrounded troops and forcing Konoha’s line to retreat.

Shōji fought Konoha’s elite clan jōnin at Mount Wuyuan Base, killing an Aburame jōnin and severely injuring an Inuzuka jōnin. Akatsuchi’s reinforcements turned the battlefield in Iwagakure’s favor, forcing Gekko Zen'yoku to order a retreat and face Shōji himself.

• Shōji broke free of the Nara and Aburame clans’ coordinated techniques and engaged Gekko Zen'yoku’s elite squad without using his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Shōji exploited a brief gap in the formation, wounded an Aburame jōnin fatally, and knocked an Inuzuka jōnin and his ninja hound out of the fight.
• Akatsuchi arrived with four or five hundred Iwagakure Ninja, scattering Konoha’s advancing forces and restoring Iwagakure’s control of the battlefield.
• Gekko Zen'yoku ordered his troops to retreat into the base in sequence, then charged Shōji to cover their withdrawal.