Chapter Summaries

Kitsuchi and Mabui argued over the Stone Ninja’s search for the supposed ultimate weapon in the Land of Artisans. Mabui refused to let the Cloud Ninja stand aside while the Stone Ninja pressured their neighbor, and the encounter ended in a tense standoff.

• Kitsuchi recognized Mabui and asked why the Cloud Ninja secretary had come to the Land of Artisans.
• Mabui said she had left her secretary duties with Shii and dismissed the ultimate weapon rumors as a danger that could provoke conflict between villages.
• Kitsuchi said the Stone Ninja would search for the weapon and joked that the trip was a chance to fleece someone at his father’s expense.
• Mabui declared that the Cloud Ninja would not let the Stone Ninja cross several countries to bully the Artisan Ninja Village.
• Kitsuchi asked whether Mabui would yield, and she refused as the two sides faced off.

An explosion drew the Four Heavenly Phenomena away from the standoff, and the Cloud Ninja tried to follow them. The Stone Ninja blocked the Cloud Ninja to stall their intervention, then raised the possibility that Yugito was also in the Artisan Ninja Village.

• A huge blast sent smoke rising from within the Four Heavenly Phenomena, and Black Eagle, Brown Bear, Peacock, and Green Snake rushed toward it.
• Mabui moved to lead the Cloud Ninja after them, but Kitsuchi blocked her and warned that the explosion might be a ploy.
• The Stone Ninja held the Cloud Ninja back to prevent them from taking control of the unfolding incident.
• A Stone Ninja told Kitsuchi that Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito, was reportedly in the Artisan Ninja Village.

The Akatsuki members searched the treasury for clues to the ultimate weapon but found nothing, so Itachi proposed capturing the Four Heavenly Phenomena. When the four arrived, Deidara attacked them with clay creatures, and Black Eagle warned his allies that they were dangerous.

• Kitsuchi and Mabui led the Cloud and Stone Ninja toward the smoke-filled treasury.
• Deidara, Sasori, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Itachi Uchiha found no clues to the ultimate weapon in the treasury.
• Itachi suggested capturing the Four Heavenly Phenomena to obtain information, and the others agreed to try.
• The Four Heavenly Phenomena arrived and Black Eagle demanded to know who the Akatsuki were and what they wanted.
• Deidara sent clay creatures toward the Four Heavenly Phenomena, and Black Eagle warned his allies to be careful.

The Four Heavenly Phenomena weathered Deidara’s clay-bomb attack and discovered the powers of their weapons. Green Snake remained without the Dragon Eye Retractable Sword, which was still held by the conservatives.

• Deidara sent clay insects to attack the Four Heavenly Phenomena and detonated them.
• The four members used a violent gale to clear away the explosions without being injured.
• Brown Bear revealed that his Infinite Peacock Armor could absorb Chakra without limit and offered powerful defense.
• Peacock discovered that her Peacock Twin Swords reduced Chakra consumption and guided violent winds.
• Black Eagle had left his Light Sword behind, while Green Snake envied the conservatives who still possessed the Dragon Eye Retractable Sword.

Yugito confronted the Akatsuki, but Itachi Uchiha caught her in the Sharingan and triggered Matatabi’s chakra to rise violently. Itachi decided the group should leave before Yugito went berserk, leaving a gift behind despite gaining nothing.

• Kisame Hoshigaki praised the Craftsmen Village’s artisan techniques as the Akatsuki watched the scene.
• Yugito appeared on the wall, questioned the four Akatsuki members, and attacked them with Fire Rat Ball.
• Matatabi warned Yugito that the group was dangerous, especially Itachi Uchiha.
• Yugito met Itachi’s Sharingan and became trapped in an illusion as Matatabi’s chakra grew increasingly violent.
• Kisame Hoshigaki remarked that Itachi was needed to handle a tailed beast, and Itachi ordered the group to leave and leave the others a gift.

The four Akatsuki members left as the Cloud Ninja arrived, leaving Yugito motionless under genjutsu. Black Eagle told the Cloud Ninja what had happened, and Mabui prepared to break the genjutsu when Yugito suddenly roared.

• The four Akatsuki members withdrew as the Cloud Ninja approached, and the Four Heavenly Phenomena let them go.
• The Cloud Ninja found Yugito standing motionless with a tail behind her and looked to the Four Heavenly Phenomena for an explanation.
• Black Eagle said four mysterious attackers in black robes with red clouds had attacked them and that a Sharingan user had likely trapped Yugito in genjutsu.
• The Cloud Ninja suspected the Sharingan user was connected to the Uchiha clan and focused on freeing Yugito.
• Mabui prepared to disrupt Yugito's chakra and break the genjutsu, but Yugito suddenly roared.

The Stone Ninja arrived late and found that the Akatsuki Organization had disappeared, leaving Yugito under Itachi Uchiha’s Genjutsu. The Two-Tails broke through the illusion by transforming Yugito into a dangerous form that turned on everyone nearby.

• The Stone Ninja arrived after the fighting, hoping the Cloud Ninja had weakened their Akatsuki Organization allies, but found the Akatsuki members gone.
• The Stone Ninja learned that Yugito had fallen under an enemy Genjutsu and heard her final roar.
• Yugito’s eyes revealed a Three-Tomoe Sharingan as her skin peeled away to expose the Two-Tails’ scarlet, black-lined form.
• Mabui sensed the transformed Yugito was dangerous and no longer distinguished between friend and foe.
• Itachi Uchiha’s Genjutsu had trapped Yugito, prompting the Two-Tails to use its influence to resist the illusion and awaken her into Tailed Beast Mode.

Itachi Uchiha controlled the Two-Tails through a Mangekyō Sharingan Genjutsu, but the beast began to go berserk and attack the assembled ninja. As Kumogakure focused on subduing Matatabi, Kitsuchi’s Iwagakure group withdrew, and another disturbance arose within the Four Heavenly Phenomena.

• Itachi Uchiha used a Mangekyō Sharingan Genjutsu to control the Two-Tails after Matatabi took over Yugito’s body.
• The Two-Tails began showing signs of erupting and charged at the gathered ninja, leaving one person unable to evade its first attack.
• Mabui and the Cloud Ninja focused on restraining the rampaging Two-Tails rather than interfering with the ultimate weapon.
• Kitsuchi signaled to the Cloud Ninja, and the Iwagakure group silently moved away from the area.
• A sudden sound from the distance indicated that something had gone wrong within the Four Heavenly Phenomena again.

Kitsuchi weighed whether Four Heavenly Phenomena had hidden the ultimate weapon while Kumogakure struggled to contain the out-of-control Yugito. Mabui accused the Stone Ninja of standing by, leaving Kumogakure facing a costly fight and the risk of the other villages wiping them out.

• Kitsuchi considered whether the ultimate weapon did not exist or Four Heavenly Phenomena had hidden it.
• Yugito continued attacking in her tailed-beast transformation, overwhelming the Hot-and-Cold siblings and injuring Kumogakure's people.
• Mabui shouted for Yugito to wake up, but Yugito remained under Sharingan control.
• Mabui demanded that the Stone Ninja help, but Kitsuchi said the Two-Tails Jinchuriki belonged to Kumogakure.
• Mabui realized Kumogakure's restraint could leave them badly weakened and vulnerable to the other villages.

Mabui ordered the Cloud Ninja to retreat rather than risk losing Kumogakure’s elite forces to the rampaging Yugito. The Cloud Ninja withdrew despite their objections, leaving the Artisan Ninja Village to face Yugito’s destruction.

• Mabui considered the danger Yugito posed and the absence of Ay and Killer B, who could have subdued her.
• Mabui ordered all Cloud Ninja to evacuate immediately and stop fighting Yugito.
• Some Cloud Ninja objected that retreat went against their village’s ways, but Mabui insisted they follow her command.
• The Cloud Ninja retreated as Mabui chose to protect her village’s elites over the Artisan Ninja Village.

Matatabi rampaged after the Cloud Ninja retreated, while the other villages fled rather than risk intervening. The Artisan Ninja Village’s conservative faction arrived as the beast continued destroying buildings.

• The Cloud Ninja escaped Matatabi’s entanglement but lost several fighters and left others seriously wounded.
• Matatabi continued rampaging, scattering chakra and reducing everything in its path to rubble.
• The Stone Ninja noticed Mabui’s hesitation and fled before Matatabi could turn on them.
• The Four Heavenly Phenomena abandoned their headquarters and subordinates as soon as the Two-Tails went berserk.
• The Artisan Ninja Village’s conservative faction rushed toward Matatabi while it was destroying a building.

Might Guy and the Konoha ninja rushed to help the elderly Artisan Ninja Village residents who tried to stop Matatabi. The fight escalated as Guy ignored his companion’s call to return and charged the tailed beast.

• Mabui recognized that the elderly villagers were risking their lives to defend their home and understood their resolve.
• Matatabi slapped an old man dozens of meters away, leaving his fate unknown.
• Might Guy charged at Matatabi despite his companion shouting for him to come back.
• Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, and another elite jonin followed Guy into the fight.

Might Guy kicked Matatabi away when she threatened the Artisan Ninja Village conservatives, but the blow prompted her to assume her complete form. The Konoha shinobi braced for the stronger tailed beast as the conservatives watched in fear.

• Might Guy charged at Matatabi and sent her crashing through a stretch of walls with a powerful kick.
• The other Konoha shinobi reproached Might Guy for acting impulsively, while the conservatives thanked Konoha and received no reply.
• Matatabi remained motionless in the rubble before roaring and emerging in her complete form, covered in blue Chakra flames.
• The conservatives trembled at Matatabi's increased strength, while the Konoha group focused on another concern.

The Konoha group realized Itachi Uchiha was controlling Matatabi with the Sharingan and struggled to fight the tailed beast. They left Kurenai Yuhi to look for a way to break the Genjutsu while Guy and Asuma attacked Matatabi.

• The Konoha group spotted a three-tomoe Sharingan in Matatabi's eyes and suspected Itachi Uchiha was controlling her.
• Matatabi charged at the group, and Might Guy warned everyone to be careful before attacking her.
• Asuma told Kurenai Yuhi to try to dispel Itachi Uchiha's Genjutsu, though she admitted she did not know how.
• Guy's attacks barely affected Matatabi, whose counterstrike smashed a crater into the ground as Guy dodged.
• Asuma warned Guy to move aside and began the Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation.

Asuma and Fukawa Masashige attacked Matatabi together, but they could not match her chakra and had to retreat from her flames. Seeing Konoha intervene, Mabui led eight other jonin into battle while ordering the remaining Cloud Ninja to stay back.

• Asuma unleashed Great Fire Annihilation while Fukawa Masashige attacked Matatabi with a Water Dragon Bullet Technique.
• Matatabi countered with blue flames, overpowering the combined ninjutsu in a chakra contest.
• Fukawa Masashige told Asuma to withdraw, and they scattered as Matatabi's flames swept across the battlefield.
• The Cloud Ninja watched Konoha's intervention and felt ashamed that they had not acted.
• Mabui ordered all jonin and higher-ranking ninja to join her, then led eight others toward the battlefield.

As the Cloud Ninja, Konoha, and Iwagakure joined the battle against the uncontrolled Two-Tails, Kitsuchi realized Akatsuki was far more dangerous than Iwagakure had assumed. Hinata watched the fighting remain deadlocked and wondered why the assembled ninja did not work together to subdue the tailed beast.

• Samui stopped Atsui from rushing into the dangerous battle, warning that they were not yet jonin and could distract the senior ninja.
• Kitsuchi recognized that Itachi Uchiha had used the Sharingan to control the Two-Tails and reconsidered Iwagakure's assumptions about Akatsuki.
• Kitsuchi led Iwagakure experts into the battle after Konoha and the Cloud Ninja joined.
• Hinata, Kurama Mutsu, Winter Rain, Mizuki Rei, and Wu Zhu watched from a nearby hill as the battle remained deadlocked.
• Hinata thought that the ninja could defeat the Two-Tails if they coordinated their strength.

Hinata grew frustrated with the arena battle and questioned why powerful chakra users relied so much on taijutsu. As the factions remained reluctant to fight the tailed beast, a tornado rushed toward Matatabi.

• Hinata reflected that tailed beasts and other powerful chakra users should rely more on devastating ninjutsu than close combat.
• Hinata decided that she and her group had watched long enough and told them it was time to leave.
• Hinata observed that the nearly twenty elite jonin were holding back, leaving the fight against the tailed beast at a stalemate.
• A violent gale swept across the ninja villages, and a tornado appeared and advanced toward the arena.
• Kurama Mutsu told Hinata she could do little against tailed beasts and would support the others instead.
• The people scattered as the tornado passed them and crushed toward Matatabi.

Hinata and three black-robed figures appeared during the battle against Matatabi and covered the battlefield in ice. They summoned a pack of enormous ice wolves, which charged at Matatabi.

• Matatabi charged into the tornado, enduring its winds while they bought time for Hinata and the others.
• After the gale died down, Hinata and three black-robed figures appeared atop the only remaining tall building.
• One of the black-robed figures formed hand seals and spread ice across the battlefield, bringing down heavy snow.
• Dozens or hundreds of gigantic ice wolves rose from the ice and charged at Matatabi.
• Matatabi watched the wolves approach and seemed to feel provoked.

A black-robed ninja used ice wolves to freeze Matatabi’s hind legs, then summoned a giant One-Horned White Whale to crash down on her. Matatabi was knocked to the ground and badly injured.

• Matatabi swatted at the ice wolves, crushing many, but the rest turned into mist around her legs and froze them.
• Matatabi broke the ice restraining her hind legs, but the black-robed ninja formed another series of hand seals.
• The ice rippled, and a giant One-Horned White Whale leaped out beside Matatabi.
• The whale crashed down on Matatabi, leaving her on the ground with considerable injuries.

A black-robed figure attacked Matatabi with explosive paper cranes, forcing the injured tailed beast to counter with a Tailed Beast Bomb. Watching from above, the Akatsuki members identified the attackers’ Paper Release and Ice Style and considered where their abilities came from.

• A black-robed figure sent a dense swarm of explosive paper cranes at Matatabi.
• Matatabi endured the explosions and formed a Tailed Beast Bomb to blast through the cranes.
• Kisame Hoshigaki and Sasori watched the battle from above with two other Akatsuki members.
• Sasori noted that the opponent used Paper Release despite not appearing to be Konan, then asked Kisame about their Ice Style.
• Kisame said Ice Style was associated with the Yuki Clan of Kirigakure and the Snow Ninja Village, whose users depended on naturally occurring ice and snow.