Chapter Summaries

Yayoi learned that White Zetsu had helped orchestrate the attack on the Uzumaki Clan and that Nagato had disappeared, then discovered that Doichi’s newborn son Kisame was his grandson. In the Land of Rain, Black Zetsu grew suspicious of the Land of Night’s search for Nagato and planned to give Madara stronger White Zetsu.

• Irori reported the Uzumaki Clan attack, the White Zetsu’s interference, and evidence that they were connected to the Ten-Tails and ancient living weapons.
• Yayoi learned that Nagato had vanished after the attack and concluded that someone had secretly planned the Uzumaki Clan’s destruction.
• Irori told Yayoi that Doichi’s new son, born to a Hoshigaki woman, had extraordinary vitality and had been named Kisame.
• Yayoi recognized Kisame as his grandson and ordered Irori to send Samehada to Doichi before returning to hibernation.
• Black Zetsu watched Land of Night forces distribute supplies in the Land of Rain and wondered whether they had a way to foresee Nagato’s arrival.
• Black Zetsu decided to provide Madara with stronger White Zetsu and went underground to retrieve them.

Nearly half a year after the Uzumaki Clan incident, the Land of Night absorbed the surviving Uzumaki while Konoha took over the Land of Whirlpool. As the Land of Rain broke through its blockade with a victory over Hidden Sand forces, the Third Kazekage and Chiyo suspected the Rain shinobi had used weapons from the Land of Night.

• The surviving Uzumaki Clan rebuilt its home in Nightview City and joined the Land of Night’s education, support, medical, police, and assault departments.
• The Land of Fire and Konoha took control of the Land of Whirlpool, while Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist turned to proxies to test restless neighboring countries.
• Hidden Rain Village forced open a trade route to the Land of Rivers and defeated an unknown force without Hanzo leading the battle.
• Hidden Sand, Iwagakure, and Konoha reduced their visible operations in the Land of Rain while making their surveillance more covert.
• The Third Kazekage examined captured weapons from the defeated Hidden Sand force, and Chiyo identified them as carefully made tools associated with the Land of Night.

The Hidden Sand Village’s leaders planned to approach the Land of Night before striking the Hidden Rain Village, while the Third Kazekage aimed to use the campaign as a step toward attacking Konoha. Doichi agreed to help Ōnoki test the Hidden Mist Village and saw the plan as an opportunity to advance the Land of Night’s interests.

• The Third Kazekage directed the Hidden Sand Village to secretly contact the Land of Night before targeting Hanzo and the Hidden Rain Village.
• Doichi received Ōnoki at the General's Residence, where Ōnoki confronted him about military supplies reaching the Hidden Rain Village.
• Ōnoki proposed that the Land of Night join Iwagakure in testing the Hidden Mist Village’s strength, and Doichi agreed.
• Doichi planned to support Iwagakure within limits, use the Land of Whirlpool issue to justify involvement, and offer intelligence on the Hidden Mist Village gathered by the Heavenly Dao Palace.

Genji received word that Ōnoki had led more than eight hundred Iwagakure ninja in a surprise attack on the Land of Water and ordered Kirigakure to mobilize and seek Hidden Cloud support. On the eastern border, Ōnoki devastated Kirigakure’s defenders with Dust Release as Iwagakure reinforcements arrived aboard flying steel birds.

• Genji reviewed Kirigakure’s depleted Anbu forces and reflected on his first months as Mizukage.
• An Intelligence Division ninja reported that Ōnoki and over eight hundred Iwagakure ninja had attacked Kirigakure’s eastern border.
• Genji ordered a high-level meeting, sent a squad to request Hidden Cloud support, and prepared to go to the front lines.
• Ōnoki attacked the island city with Dust Release and summoned a massive stone golem against the Kirigakure defenders.
• Kirigakure ninja spotted Iwagakure fighters riding silver-gray steel birds toward the battlefield.

Iwagakure used Land of Night weapons and disguised Black Market mercenaries to overwhelm Kirigakure and seize cities in the Land of Water, while quietly shipping away resources. Kirigakure’s attempt to gain Kumogakure’s aid faltered after a small country threatened a military exercise near the Land of Frost.

• Iwagakure’s flying ninja tools bombarded Kirigakure’s forces, and Ōnoki ordered an all-out assault as Iwagakure troops closed in.
• The Land of Night’s supplies and disguised Black Market mercenaries enabled Iwagakure to conceal its preparations and rapidly capture key cities.
• Iwagakure established defensive positions, sent flying troops on raids, and had Black Market handlers pack and ship resources from occupied areas.
• Kirigakure secured a military agreement with Kumogakure, but a small country announced a large exercise near the Land of Frost as the Hidden Cloud prepared to send reinforcements.
• The Third Raikage withdrew support for Kirigakure, and Kumogakure’s relief operation ended.

Genji confronted the crisis caused by Iwagakure’s high-altitude flying unit and the Land of Night’s involvement, then convened Hidden Mist leaders to seek countermeasures. The meeting ended with the elders realizing their intelligence and combat information might have been exposed, and blaming the Third Mizukage.

• Genji struggled to contain his anger over the worsening situation in the Land of Water and the delayed Hidden Cloud reinforcements.
• Genji opened a meeting with Hidden Mist elders and clan heads and asked how they could counter Iwagakure’s flying unit.
• The elders explained that Iwagakure’s mass-produced flying tools attacked from beyond the range of most Mist ninjutsu and protected their pilots with barriers.
• The leaders concluded that the flying unit was meant to drain the Mist forces before Iwagakure’s ground troops attacked.
• An elder noted the pilots and technology seemed unfamiliar, and another linked a pilot to the Black Market and the Land of Night.
• The meeting’s attendees feared Iwagakure had obtained their spies’ reports and knowledge of senior Mist ninjas’ abilities, then blamed the Third Mizukage.

As Iwagakure and the Hidden Mist Village fought a devastating war, Hiruzen convened Konoha's leaders to assess the wider danger and plan the village's response. Konoha decided to procure the Land of Night's flying ninja tools, with Kiyoharu Hyuga chosen to lead negotiations and carry ninjutsu for trade.

• Fourth Mizukage Genji led reinforcements to the front, but Iwagakure's flying units and battlefield advantage kept the Hidden Mist Village on the defensive.
• Iwagakure and the Hidden Mist Village escalated their fighting across the Land of Water, deploying their Jinchūriki and devastating a vast combat zone.
• Hiruzen gathered Konoha's advisers, clan heads, and core Jonin to review the widening conflicts and approve strategic arrangements for the village.
• Shikamon Nara announced Konoha's plan to buy the flying ninja tools that the Land of Night had supplied to Iwagakure.
• Kiyoharu Hyuga volunteered to visit the Land of Night, and Hiruzen assigned him the procurement mission and promised a list of ninjutsu to offer in trade.

Doichi reviewed the Land of Night’s aerial unit performance and discussed the war in the Land of Water with his ministers. After delegations arrived seeking visits and access to flying ninja tools, he arranged to meet Kiyoharu Hyuga and assigned Shinnō to negotiate their sale.

• Doichi convened Land of Night officials to review footage of Iwagakure’s flying unit attacking Hidden Mist Village and discuss the tools’ strengths and limitations.
• The ministers noted that the Land of Night had received a quarter of goods transported from the Land of Water under its agreement with Iwagakure.
• After the meeting, Chihiro told Doichi that delegations from Konoha, Hidden Sand Village, Hidden Cloud Village, and other powers had arrived seeking visits.
• Doichi chose to host his uncle Kiyoharu Hyuga, who arrived with Hiashi and several Hyuga children needing recuperation, and left the other delegations to Chihiro.
• Doichi and Chihiro agreed that Shinnō would represent the Land of Night in negotiations over selling first-generation flying ninja tools.

Shinnō reflected on how the General’s support had transformed his life as he oversaw flying ninja tool negotiations, which succeeded with several nations but failed with the Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Mist Village. After the Hidden Mist Village’s new countermeasure remained unfinished, Genji ordered an orderly retreat under Iwagakure’s aerial bombardment.

• Shinnō left the Military School to negotiate flying ninja tool sales, grateful for the status and life he had gained in the Land of Night through the General’s support.
• Konoha, the Hidden Sand Village, and several smaller nations placed orders, while the Land of Night rejected the Hidden Cloud Village and Hidden Mist Village.
• At the Hidden Mist Village’s frontline camp, Genji learned that the new long-range Water Release technique needed more than a month of refinement.
• Iwagakure’s explosives struck the camp, and Genji ordered the Hidden Mist Village forces to withdraw while parts of the force covered their retreat.
• Genji reassured the retreating ninja that their lives mattered more than the supplies they might lose to Iwagakure.

Hanzo accepted the Third Kazekage’s offer to negotiate peace and traveled alone to the border, where they signed an agreement. After Hanzo expressed trust in Hidden Sand, the Third Kazekage revealed his intention to kill him.

• An Anbu Ninja delivered the Third Kazekage’s letter to Hanzo, inviting him to meet at the border and sign a peace treaty.
• Kanzang warned Hanzo that the invitation could be a trap, but Hanzo decided to negotiate in person.
• Hanzo met the Third Kazekage at a temporary border camp, and they signed and exchanged the treaty documents.
• The Third Kazekage asked Hanzo whether he feared Hidden Sand would break its word, and Hanzo said he trusted their integrity.
• The Third Kazekage declared that he wanted to borrow Hanzo’s head.

The Third Kazekage attacked Hanzo with Iron Sand, but Hanzo used a huge lake to blunt the assault and force a stalemate. The Third Kazekage proposed an alliance against Konoha and the Land of Fire, and Hanzo was left to consider the offer.

• The Third Kazekage destroyed the Hidden Sand camp with an Iron Sand attack, but Hanzo escaped unharmed.
• The Third Kazekage used Iron Sand World Method, and Hanzo created a lake that slowed and weakened the spikes.
• Hanzo and the Third Kazekage recognized that neither could easily defeat the other while Hanzo fought from the water.
• The Third Kazekage ended the fight and argued that the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind had no direct conflict of interest.
• The Third Kazekage proposed that Hanzo join him in a new agreement against Konoha and the Land of Fire.

Iwagakure debated how to handle Kirigakure’s improving defenses, and Ōnoki ordered a partial pullback rather than a decisive battle. At the Land of Night princess’s wedding, Yayoi’s absence prompted speculation while Izayoi and Kicho reflected on his transformation and their long lives.

• Ōnoki’s commanders argued over whether to contract Iwagakure’s front lines or keep advancing against Kirigakure.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to pull back somewhat, monitor Kirigakure, and avoid a decisive battle for now.
• Ōnoki told Iwagakure to send a wedding gift for the Land of Night princess.
• Kicho and Izayoi watched Maki’s wedding and regretted that Yayoi could not attend.
• Izayoi noticed foreign representatives speculating about Yayoi’s absence and thought about his health, transformation, and their own longevity.

Izayoi discussed the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Rain Village’s escalating standoff with Kicho, while hoping the conflict would draw Konoha into the fighting. At Maki and Hatake Sakumo’s wedding, Izayoi accepted Sakumo as her son-in-law, leaving his father overwhelmed by the match.

• Izayoi and Kicho agreed that Yayoi’s absence would leave others guessing about the Heavenly Dao Palace’s situation.
• Izayoi asked Kicho about the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Rain Village conflict, which had neared open war after the Third Kazekage and Hanzo clashed during peace talks.
• Izayoi said she regretted that Konoha had not been drawn into the conflict and thought about using the turmoil to strike at the Land of Fire and the Senju Clan.
• Izayoi and Kicho turned their attention to Maki and Hatake Sakumo’s wedding, with Kicho representing Yayoi as his principal wife.
• Izayoi approved of Sakumo as her son-in-law, while Hatake Shinjiro sweated beside her, stunned that his son had married his former superior’s daughter.

Hiruzen and his advisors discussed the Land of Night and the escalating conflicts between the great nations, then learned that the Hidden Sand Village had launched a surprise invasion of the Land of Fire. Hiruzen headed to the southwestern front to confront the Third Kazekage.

• Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu discussed rumors about the Land of Night's First Shogun and the mystery of the Heavenly Dao Palace.
• Hiruzen agreed with Koharu's proposal to contact Hanzo and consider supporting the Hidden Rain Village against the Hidden Sand Village.
• A Konoha Anbu reported that over a thousand elite Hidden Sand ninja had crossed the Land of Rivers and invaded the Land of Fire under the Third Kazekage's command.
• Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu realized that the apparent Sand-Rain conflict had concealed a plan to attack Konoha.
• Hiruzen ordered Homura and Koharu to coordinate from the village, then took an Anbu squad and three hundred ninja toward the southwestern front.

The Third Kazekage supervised the Hidden Sand Village’s looting in the Land of Fire before flying to rescue his Third Division from Hiruzen Sarutobi’s counterattack. Hiruzen and the Third Kazekage began a fierce duel, which ended with Hiruzen summoning four solid clones for an unknown technique as the Kazekage refused to dodge.

• The Third Kazekage directed Hidden Sand ninjas and hired black-market experts as they evacuated valuables and collected corpses from a ruined town.
• A Hidden Sand Anbu reported that Konoha’s Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had ambushed the Third Division, so the Third Kazekage flew to confront him.
• The Third Kazekage saw Hiruzen overwhelming his 1,200 soldiers with the Adamantine Staff and dived to stop him.
• Hiruzen extended the Adamantine Staff, and Enma grabbed the Third Kazekage before Hiruzen struck him with Fire Dragon Flame Bullet.
• The Third Kazekage attacked with a massive Iron Sand cube, but Hiruzen shattered part of it and knocked the rest back with his staff.
• Hiruzen created four solid clones, and the Third Kazekage chose not to dodge, unwilling to appear weaker than the other Five Kage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand World Method in a direct clash, forcing Hidden Sand to retreat from the battlefield. After reviewing the war’s progress, Izayoi arranged to support Hidden Sand and Hidden Rain indirectly by using the Ninja Cat Clan and the black market.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and his four clones combined five chakra releases to blast apart the Third Kazekage’s Iron Sand World Method, injuring him while Hiruzen remained mostly unharmed.
• The Third Kazekage ordered Hidden Sand to retreat, and Hiruzen charged after the withdrawing ninja.
• Izayoi read intelligence showing Konoha was pushing back Hidden Sand and Hidden Rain after their initial surprise attacks, and she grew dissatisfied with their declining fortunes.
• Izayoi decided to have the Ninja Cat Clan use the black market to supply Hidden Sand and Hidden Rain with weapons, medicine, and discounted bounty-hunter services.
• Izayoi gave a letter to a ninja cat and premium cat food as payment, and the cat left to deliver it.

Hanzo fought Danzo and Torifu Akimichi on the rain-soaked battlefield, using Ibuse’s poison and his own deadly gas against Konoha’s forces. As Torifu activated Butterfly Mode and charged, Danzo unleashed a wind technique to obscure Hanzo’s vision.

• Ibuse and the Baku battled across the battlefield while Ibuse’s poisonous mist incapacitated Konoha Ninjas.
• Danzo used Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere to open an escape route through the poison, then confronted Hanzo.
• Hanzo accused Danzo and Konoha of exploiting the Land of Rain, rejected Danzo’s appeal, and continued attacking him.
• Torifu Akimichi arrived to support Danzo, and Hanzo removed his gas mask as the nearby shinobi retreated.
• Torifu activated Butterfly Mode and charged Hanzo with a summoned staff while Danzo’s Wind Release: Dust Cloud Great Breakthrough obscured Hanzo’s vision.

Hanzo battled Danzo and Torifu as they tried to delay him and give Konoha’s main force time to retreat. Elsewhere, Ryoma was confronted by Orochimaru, but Sakumo’s arrival drove Orochimaru away, and Ryoma and Sakumo set off toward their mission’s designated location.

• Hanzo fought Torifu in Butterfly Mode and evaded Danzo’s Wind Release attack while the two Konoha ninja tried to hold him back.
• Ibuse and Baku returned from their clash, and Hanzo, Danzo, and Torifu charged into battle on their summoning beasts.
• Ryoma confronted Orochimaru, who revealed he had investigated Ryoma’s activities in the Land of Rain and demanded answers.
• Sakumo killed two of Orochimaru’s Anbu, prompting Orochimaru to flee with the two remaining Anbu.
• Ryoma and Sakumo discussed their mission and headed toward its designated location.

Half a month earlier, Madara watched a God Tree cultivate Hashirama-like bodies while learning that the Land of Night was closing in on Nagato. He used Yin-Yang Release Chakra to awaken a defective special White Zetsu and named him Black Zetsu.

• Madara recalled his past with Hashirama while examining the bodies growing from the God Tree’s roots.
• White Zetsu reported that the Land of Night’s search for Nagato had reached the town where he was hiding.
• Madara decided to try something with a newly formed special White Zetsu whose powerful Chakra was matched by vacant, lifeless behavior.
• Madara infused the special White Zetsu with his Yin-Yang Release Chakra, turning his skin black and giving him consciousness.
• Madara named the awakened creation Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu tested his new White Zetsu body and left to capture a Wood Release ninja, while Madara turned his attention to the Land of Night. In the Land of Rain, the Land of Night’s team moved to retrieve Nagato, but Tobi ambushed them with Wood Release and a giant golem.

• Black Zetsu demonstrated his strength to Madara, who ordered him to share information with White Zetsu and capture a Wood Release ninja in Konoha.
• Madara decided to investigate how much the Land of Night knew.
• Ryoma told Sakumo that their target, the red-haired child Nagato, was in a town in the Land of Rain, and Flying Kite ordered the team to move in.
• Sakura Hime sensed someone underground and warned Flying Kite, Ryoma, and Sakumo as wooden vines burst from the earth.
• Tobi emerged, revealed his powerful Wood Release, and summoned a giant wooden golem that sent the townspeople fleeing.