Recaps

Naruto explained to Tsunade how Akatsuki attacked Sand Village and how Gaara gave up Shukaku, which Naruto sealed inside himself alongside the Nine-Tails. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane then ordered Naruto to remain in Konoha under constant ANBU surveillance, and Naruto began planning to deal with them as the story shifted to Itachi, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku facing Yugito Nii.

• Tsunade found Gaara and Kimimaro hospitalized and asked Naruto what had happened to the Fifth Kazekage.
• Naruto said Akatsuki had attacked Sand Village, and he claimed he defeated Deidara and Sasori before Gaara surrendered Shukaku to keep it from Akatsuki.
• Naruto revealed that he had sealed Shukaku inside himself alongside the Nine-Tails, alarming Tsunade and Shizune.
• Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane ordered Naruto to stay in Konoha and have ANBU monitor him, prompting him to plan against them.
• Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku stood outside Hidden Cloud Village facing Yugito Nii.

Sasuke remembered how Naruto reunited him with Itachi and gave him a new purpose, while Itachi reflected on Naruto’s role in repairing their relationship. The brothers fought side by side, each silently grateful to Naruto.

• Naruto and Itachi arranged for Sasuke to believe that Danzo had orchestrated the Uchiha massacre, allowing Itachi to return to Konoha.
• When Sasuke fell into despair, Itachi asked Naruto to help him find a new purpose, and Naruto encouraged Sasuke to train with his brother.
• Sasuke asked Itachi to train him, and Itachi began teaching him to use the Sharingan.
• Sasuke grew stronger but became a flirt with powerful female ninja, and Itachi unsuccessfully tried to correct the habit.
• Sasuke and Itachi remembered Naruto’s help and fought side by side.

Itachi, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku delivered Naruto Uzumaki’s message to Yugito Nii before heading to the lake where the Three-Tails was hidden. There they encountered Kisame Hoshigaki and Tobi, and Itachi, Zabuza, and Haku fought them as the Three-Tails emerged.

• Itachi told Yugito Nii that Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha’s future Hokage, would visit the Hidden Cloud Village to discuss the tailed beasts, and Sasuke flirted with her before the group left.
• Itachi, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku reached the lake, where Kisame Hoshigaki and Tobi discovered the Three-Tails’ hiding place.
• Tobi told Kisame Hoshigaki that Naruto Uzumaki had repeatedly obstructed Akatsuki and made him the organization’s next priority after the Three-Tails.
• Kisame Hoshigaki summoned over a thousand sharks, drawing the Three-Tails Isobu out of the lake, and prepared to fight it.
• Itachi attacked Kisame Hoshigaki, who used a Water Clone, while Tobi faced Zabuza Momochi and Haku; their weapons passed through Tobi, and Zabuza realized he was dealing with an unusual opponent.

Sasuke awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and joined Itachi in cornering Kisame underwater as the Three-Tails fled. In Konoha, Naruto had Orochimaru desecrate Rin Nohara’s grave to obtain the materials needed to learn Edo Tensei and prepare to face Obito.

• Sasuke remembered how Itachi used a Genjutsu of the Uchiha massacre, with Danzo Shimura cast as the killer, to push him into awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke unleashed Susanoo underwater and confronted Kisame, while Itachi also descended with Susanoo to trap Kisame between them.
• The Three-Tails Isobu fled after seeing the humans fighting among themselves.
• Naruto noticed ANBU following him, and Orochimaru told him they had already been dealt with.
• Naruto and Orochimaru went to Rin Nohara’s grave, where Orochimaru split her tombstone and took soil from the coffin as Kakashi later discovered the desecration.
• Naruto began learning Edo Tensei from Orochimaru using the soil from Rin’s grave, intending to prepare for Obito.

Naruto left Konoha with Hinata and Karin on his way to the Hidden Cloud Village, then encountered Root members sent to bring him back. After recognizing Sai and Torune Aburame as potential recruits, he dismissed Fu Yamanaka and refused to return.

• Naruto took Hinata and Karin out of Konoha without using the Flying Thunder God Technique, knocking aside ninja who tried to stop them.
• Shukaku emerged from Hinata's clothes in a fist-sized form, and Naruto warned it not to torment her.
• Naruto continued toward the Hidden Cloud Village and realized Root members were following him.
• Sai, Torune Aburame, and Fu Yamanaka appeared to block Naruto's path and ordered him to return to Konoha.
• Naruto greeted Sai and Torune Aburame familiarly, then dismissed Fu Yamanaka as a minor character and refused to let him join his team.

Naruto fought Torune Aburame with taijutsu and urged him to become his companion, while Hinata used Sage Jutsu to link her Byakugan vision with Gamayū and overwhelm Sai. Sai fled on his ink lion, but Hinata emerged from hiding nearby.

• Fu Yamanaka attacked Naruto’s group, fighting Karin while Sai faced Hinata and Torune Aburame confronted Naruto.
• Naruto exchanged taijutsu with Torune Aburame, revealed he knew about the Rinkaichū, and asked Torune to become his companion.
• Naruto destroyed Torune Aburame’s glove, then knocked him down and left, telling him to seek Naruto out once he had decided.
• Hinata summoned Gamayū, whose concealed weapons forced Sai to flee on an ink lion while the Byakugan tracked him.
• Hinata used Sage Art: Keen-Eye Shared Vision Technique to share her vision with Gamayū, letting it target Sai from beyond its sight.
• Hinata burst out of the grass near Sai, shocking him as he realized she had been hiding nearby.

Hinata fought Sai using her Byakugan, but Sai exploited its limitations with an ink clone and aerial attacks. Naruto arrived through Hinata’s shared vision, defeated Sai, and continued traveling with his group after defeating Konoha’s attackers.

• Hinata saw through Sai’s ink screen, but his clone distracted her while his real body attacked from above.
• Hinata deflected Sai’s ink birds, then used the Keen-Eye Shared Vision Technique to share her Byakugan vision with Naruto.
• Naruto joined the fight after defeating Torune Aburame and Fu Yamanaka, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to kick Sai from the sky.
• Naruto let Sai’s ink stain him and eagerly asked Hinata to wash up with him while Sai crashed into the bushes.
• Naruto’s group continued their journey, and Naruto was pleased that he had drawn out Sai and Torune, whom he hoped to bring under his control.

Naruto led his group toward the Hidden Cloud Village, intending to provoke Akatsuki into attacking it while claiming to seek peace. The chapter ended with the village guards mistaking the Konoha delegation for an invading force and ordering Naruto to leave.

• Naruto told Hinata he planned to make the Hidden Cloud Village pay for the kidnapping attempt against her and Hizashi's death, while Karin warned that his actions could start a war.
• Itachi, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku joined Naruto, and Itachi reported that Akatsuki had captured the Three-Tails and begun operating in groups of four after two failed missions.
• Naruto explained that he wanted Akatsuki to gather its members and attack the Hidden Cloud Village, where the One-Tail, Two-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails would be concentrated.
• After resting, Naruto's group met Kabuto near the Hidden Cloud Village, where Kabuto said he had leaked the tailed beasts' locations to Akatsuki.
• Naruto led the group of eight to the village gates and announced that he had come as Konoha's envoy to discuss friendly cooperation, but the guards called for the Raikage and ordered him to return to Konoha.

Naruto arrived in the Hidden Cloud Village with Hinata and challenged the Fourth Raikage, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to evade his attacks. After landing a Rasengan and revealing their Sage Jutsu, Naruto and Hinata launched a combined Frog Kata attack, leaving the Raikage facing their next move.

• Naruto introduced himself to the Hidden Cloud guards as Konoha’s future Hokage and asked to speak with the Raikage.
• The Fourth Raikage attacked Naruto, who escaped with Hinata using the Flying Thunder God Technique and revealed that Minato Namikaze was his father.
• Naruto repeatedly dodged the Raikage’s lightning-fast attacks while taunting him, and then struck his back with a Rasengan.
• Naruto explained that Minato had lacked a way to penetrate the Raikage’s defenses, then revealed Sage Jutsu markings as Hinata did the same.
• Naruto and Hinata teleported in front of the Raikage and attacked together with Sage Art: Naruto-Hinata Frog Kata.

Naruto and Hinata defeated the Fourth Raikage with a simultaneous Frog Kata, then secured permission to enter the Hidden Cloud Village and discuss business. Naruto’s group entered amid hostile villagers, while Naruto promised that a grand gift would arrive soon.

• Naruto and Hinata struck the Fourth Raikage with Frog Kata, knocking him down and wounding his pride despite his durable physique.
• Naruto prepared to stomp on the Raikage, but Darui intervened, and Naruto teleported to Hinata with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• The Fourth Raikage acknowledged Naruto’s strength and permitted Naruto’s group to enter the village, while Naruto taunted Darui and threatened to stomp on the Raikage someday.
• Naruto’s group entered the Hidden Cloud Village, where hostile villagers shouted at them over the bloodshed between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village.
• Naruto waved at the crowd and promised a grand gift, while Darui mocked the group’s reception.

Naruto’s group settled into the Hidden Cloud Village, where Naruto paid for a hot spring inn and used a supposed Archimedes method to measure Hinata’s burden. Meanwhile, Akatsuki argued over failed missions and who posed the greatest obstacle, until Pain silenced them with his Rinnegan.

• Darui showed Naruto’s group a rundown house, but Naruto refused to stay there and took them to a hot spring inn instead.
• Darui ordered Hidden Cloud ANBU to watch the Konoha group and report any suspicious activity.
• The innkeeper refused to host Konoha ninja until Naruto paid her with two bags of money, and Karin became interested in money.
• Naruto used a water-displacement trick at the hot spring to tell Hinata that her burden weighed 1,200 grams.
• Akatsuki members blamed Itachi or Naruto for the failed One-Tail and Two-Tails missions, while Hidan insisted Naruto was his target.
• Pain opened his Rinnegan, and the other Akatsuki members fell silent.

Pain sent six Akatsuki members to Hidden Cloud Village after learning that Naruto and Itachi were there, while Naruto waited at an inn for Akatsuki to attack. Deidara began bombing Hidden Cloud Village, and the Fourth Raikage rushed to confront him.

• Zetsu reported that Naruto had defeated the Raikage and that the Nine-Tails, Two-Tails, and Eight-Tails were in Hidden Cloud Village, so Pain ordered six Akatsuki members to go there.
• Yamato watched Akatsuki's temporary base as Pain, Konan, Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, and Hidan departed, but Yamato escaped Konan's pursuit.
• Naruto stayed at a hot spring inn with Hinata and told the Fourth Raikage he wanted Konoha and Hidden Cloud to develop hot spring tourism together.
• Explosions shook the village, and the Fourth Raikage ordered Darui to watch Naruto's group before hurrying back to Hidden Cloud Village.
• The Fourth Raikage found Hidden Cloud Village ablaze and saw Deidara bombing it from a clay bird, so he hurled a boulder at him.

Naruto and Hinata watched the attack on Hidden Cloud Village as the Fourth Raikage fought Pain’s summoned beasts. After the Raikage beheaded the Animal Path, Pain’s five other bodies surrounded him, and the Animal Path reappeared unharmed.

• The Fourth Raikage smashed Deidara’s clay bird with a boulder and noticed summoned beasts rampaging through Hidden Cloud Village.
• Naruto and Hinata watched the battle from Hot Spring Mountain, and Naruto urged Darui to seek help from the village’s two jinchuriki.
• The Fourth Raikage defeated several summoned beasts and used Lightning Guillotine to behead the Animal Path.
• An ANBU report identified the attackers as Akatsuki, and Naruto explained that the Six Paths of Pain shared vision.
• Pain’s five remaining bodies surrounded the Fourth Raikage, and the beheaded Animal Path stood up again with its head restored.

The Akatsuki attacked the Hidden Cloud Village to capture Naruto, Yugito Nii, and Killer B, while the Deva Path battled the Fourth Raikage. Naruto watched from Hot Spring Mountain with Hinata and offered Konoha’s help as both sides prepared for a larger fight.

• The Deva Path told the Fourth Raikage that the Akatsuki had come for Naruto, Yugito Nii, and Killer B, then repelled the Raikage with Almighty Push.
• Naruto identified the Deva Path as Yahiko and watched the fight with Hinata from Hot Spring Mountain.
• Darui received intelligence and summoned Killer B, while Naruto urged him to gather the Hidden Cloud Village’s strongest fighters.
• Killer B and Yugito Nii joined the Raikage, and Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori arrived to support the Akatsuki.
• The Hidden Cloud Village’s reinforcements assembled against the Akatsuki, while Naruto offered Darui Konoha’s help and Darui refused.

Zabuza Momochi and Haku brought One-Tail Shukaku to a new location, while the Akatsuki sensed his chakra and moved to capture him. In Kumogakure, Sasori and Deidara fought Killer B and the village’s elite ninja, with Sasori protecting Deidara as he attacked freely.

• Zabuza Momochi and Haku stopped at a secluded spot with the tiny One-Tail Shukaku in Haku’s hands.
• Karin and the others sensed unusual chakra, and Darui confronted Naruto about two missing members of his group.
• Deva Path recognized One-Tail Shukaku’s chakra, ordered Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu, and Hidan to fight, then left the battlefield as Asura Path held off the Fourth Raikage.
• Killer B began rapping before the battle, and Deidara attacked him with Four-Winged Bird Clay Bombs, which Killer B dodged.
• Sasori blocked Killer B’s punch and used more than fifty puppets to hold off Kumogakure’s elite ninja while sending the Third Kazekage’s human puppet to support Deidara.
• Sasori’s puppet kept Killer B away, allowing Deidara to attack with Clay Bombs without worrying about defense.

Deidara and Sasori fought Killer B while Hidan and Kakuzu battled Yugito Nii, and the Fourth Raikage faced five Pains. The Raikage discovered that Pain’s Preta Path could absorb chakra and revive, leaving him to identify and eliminate the path responsible for healing.

• Deidara distracted Killer B with bird-shaped Clay Bombs, then detonated smaller bombs on his shoulder, but Killer B survived with Tailed Beast chakra protecting him.
• Hidan charged the transformed Yugito Nii and was disemboweled, but Kakuzu’s flames struck both fighters as Hidan healed himself and kept attacking.
• The Fourth Raikage assessed the five Pains and attacked the Preta Path, which absorbed his Lightning Release chakra and ended his enhanced state.
• The Raikage killed the Preta Path with a punch, but the Asura Path fired rockets and the Animal Path summoned three dogs while the Pains changed positions.
• The Preta Path returned to perfect condition, and the Raikage concluded that one of the other two Pains must be healing the others.

Naruto left Darui’s watch and reached the battle between the Akatsuki and the Hidden Cloud, where he joined the Deva Path and claimed to be Nagato’s junior disciple. After absorbing the wounded One-Tail willingly, Naruto asked to join the Akatsuki and persuaded the Deva Path to destroy the Hidden Cloud so he could obtain the Two-Tails.

• Naruto vanished from Darui’s watch, while Sasuke, Itachi, Kabuto, and Karin fled toward the Hidden Cloud Village and Zabuza Momochi set up a teleportation point.
• Naruto arrived with Hinata and found the Deva Path had badly injured One-Tail Shukaku, while Zabuza Momochi and Haku had suffered minor injuries.
• Naruto called the Deva Path his senior disciple and claimed Jiraiya had sent him, then revealed that he knew the Deva Path was Nagato.
• Naruto let the wounded One-Tail enter his body willingly, shocking both the Deva Path and the hidden Zetsu.
• Naruto asked to join the Akatsuki and urged the Deva Path to destroy the Hidden Cloud so he could obtain the Two-Tails; the Deva Path agreed.

Itachi and Sasuke joined the Hidden Cloud Village’s battle against Akatsuki, but Hidan incapacitated Yugito Nii before the Fourth Raikage arrived and crushed Kakuzu. With the Raikage turning toward him, Hidan fled the village.

• Itachi and Sasuke entered the fight and said they intended to stop Akatsuki from capturing the Two-Tails.
• Hidan used his ritual to inflict severe wounds on Yugito Nii, and Kakuzu warned him that she was close to death.
• The Fourth Raikage defeated Pain’s five Paths, killed Kakuzu, and survived Kakuzu’s Wind and Fire attacks without injury.
• The Raikage pulverized Kakuzu with a hundred lightning-charged punches and then turned his attention to Hidan.
• Hidan saw that Kakuzu and the five Pains had fallen and fled toward the outskirts of the Hidden Cloud Village.

The Eight-Tails overwhelmed Sasori and Deidara until Deva Path drove it away with Almighty Push, then Pain attacked the Fourth Raikage. Naruto rescued Itachi, Sasuke, Yugito Nii, another Hidden Cloud ninja, and the Raikage before teleporting them toward Hinata as Pain prepared his ultimate technique.

• Killer B and the Eight-Tails destroyed Sasori’s puppets and Iron Sand after Killer B’s lightning had disabled Deidara’s clay.
• Deva Path used Almighty Push to send the Eight-Tails rolling beyond the Hidden Cloud Village and repel the Fourth Raikage.
• Naruto arrived to evacuate Itachi and Sasuke, while Sasuke carried Yugito Nii and dragged another injured female ninja with him.
• Naruto hurled a Three-Pronged Kunai beside the fallen Raikage, teleported everyone to him, then sensed the distant marker again and took them toward Hinata.
• Pain watched Naruto leave and said he had planned to use his technique after Naruto was gone.

Pain destroyed the Hidden Cloud Village after Naruto and Yugito Nii escaped, while Naruto’s group treated the wounded and met the Raikage’s suspicion. Naruto persuaded the Raikage to form an alliance with Konoha, intending to absorb the Hidden Cloud and eventually conquer the Five Great Nations.

• Pain waited until Naruto and Yugito Nii had left, then used Almighty Push to reduce the Hidden Cloud Village to ruins.
• Naruto asked Karin to heal the wounded Raikage, Yugito Nii, and Samui, and Karin transferred her chakra to them with a modified syringe.
• The Raikage accused Naruto of working with Pain, but Naruto explained that Pain was targeting him because he was a jinchuriki and acted like an idiot to lower the Raikage’s guard.
• Sasuke approached the waking Yugito Nii and Samui, while the Raikage hurried to return to the Hidden Cloud Village.
• Naruto offered Konoha’s help, and the Raikage agreed to ally with Konoha against Akatsuki.
• Naruto accepted the alliance on Tsunade’s behalf and privately resolved to absorb the Hidden Cloud and conquer the Five Great Nations.

Naruto negotiated with Pain to join Akatsuki in exchange for help gathering tailed beasts, but Pain only sent him on a mission because the Akatsuki lacked a way to extract the two beasts inside him. Naruto left suspicious of Pain's cooperation and furious that he had not received an Akatsuki cloak.

• Naruto celebrated Hinata as his future Hokage's wife, then accepted Shisui Uchiha's left eye from Itachi.
• Naruto met Pain and Konan, offered to join Akatsuki, and claimed he would fuse the tailed beasts to bring peace.
• Pain agreed to let Naruto join and assigned him a mission, but Naruto left without the standard cloak or ring.
• Naruto realized Pain had never intended to let him officially join Akatsuki and complained to Hinata about the missing cloak.
• Konan learned that Pain had spared Naruto because the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals could not extract two tailed beasts from him.
• Pain resolved to find another extraction method, while Naruto continued cursing Nagato and wondered why Pain had been so accommodating.

Naruto wondered why Pain had spared the Hidden Cloud Village, then comforted Hinata and spent time with her in the wilderness. Meanwhile, Obito mourned Rin while playing with the Three-Tails before meeting the Deva Path and Konan, where he proposed sealing all nine tailed beasts inside Naruto.

• Naruto questioned why Pain had changed his attitude after Naruto fused with Shukaku and deliberately waited to destroy the Hidden Cloud Village.
• Naruto told Hinata she needed to grow stronger, called her his psychologist, and became intimate with her in the wilderness.
• Obito lay on the Three-Tails and remembered Rin, then swam with Isobu before knocking it unconscious.
• Obito met the Deva Path and Konan, who explained that Naruto's two tailed beasts could not be extracted with the Phantom Dragon Nine Seals.
• Obito called Naruto's ability to absorb tailed beasts a blessing and proposed putting all nine inside him before sealing him in the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• The Deva Path warned that Naruto would become so powerful that Akatsuki could not defeat him.

Obito ordered Akatsuki to gather the tailed beasts and give them to Naruto, hoping Naruto would absorb them and survive. In Konoha, Naruto faced Tsunade, the Raikage, Jiraiya, and others, and revealed that Danzo had founded Akatsuki and that Nagato controlled the Six Paths of Pain.

• Obito rejected the Deva Path's warning and ordered Nagato to have Akatsuki capture all the tailed beasts for Naruto, even if they had to be sealed inside him by force.
• Naruto returned to Konoha with Hinata and was summoned to Tsunade's office, where the Fourth Raikage accused him of colluding with Akatsuki and abducting Killer B.
• Naruto claimed Danzo Shimura had created Akatsuki as Konoha's force, but that it had fallen out of Konoha's control after Danzo died.
• Naruto explained that Yahiko was dead and that the Yahiko the Raikage fought was a corpse controlled by Nagato through the Six Paths of Pain.

Naruto blamed Danzo Shimura for founding Akatsuki and manipulating Obito and Nagato, provoking the Raikage to demand answers from Konoha. Tsunade avoided a declaration of war by claiming Danzo was a missing-nin, using Naruto’s forged bounty notice to sever Konoha’s ties to him.

• Naruto revealed that Uchiha Obito was alive and had worked with Nagato as Akatsuki’s mastermind, shocking Kakashi.
• Naruto claimed Danzo Shimura had founded Akatsuki to gather tailed beasts, wage war, and seize the Hokage’s seat, prompting the Fourth Raikage to hold Konoha responsible.
• Tsunade questioned Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane about Danzo, but they could not explain his actions.
• As the Raikage threatened Konoha, Tsunade asked Naruto for help, and Naruto claimed Danzo had been listed as a missing-nin.
• Naruto produced a forged bounty notice, and Tsunade, Homura, and Koharu affirmed that Danzo was a Konoha traitor whose actions did not represent the village.

The Fourth Raikage left Konoha distrustful after seeking help to find Killer B, while Naruto revealed Akatsuki’s links to Konoha and claimed Obito was alive. After Itachi supplied detailed intelligence on Akatsuki, Konoha’s leaders debated how to respond and Naruto proposed putting Itachi in charge of Root.

• The Fourth Raikage rejected Konoha’s assurances and left to investigate Killer B’s disappearance himself, while Naruto asked Yugito Nii to hand over the Two-Tails and Samui learned Sasuke Uchiha’s name.
• Naruto told Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi that Obito was alive and claimed Danzo had founded Akatsuki and arranged Itachi’s membership.
• Itachi gave Tsunade a scroll detailing Akatsuki’s members and abilities, including Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain and Obito’s identity and Kamui.
• Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane called for Konoha to sever ties with Akatsuki and hunt its members, while Jiraiya and Kakashi opposed the plan because they wanted to protect Nagato, Konan, and Obito.
• Naruto recommended that Itachi take over Root, and Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane approved.