Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Hidan and Kakuzu fight Yugito, the Two-Tails’ jinchūriki. After Kakuzu binds her with black threads, Hidan draws her blood and uses his ritual to injure her remotely. Yugito transforms into Matatabi, but the pair defeat and capture her.
• Liuyun observes the fight without intervening, then returns to Hinata. He explains that he kept her away because Akatsuki’s mission could cause many deaths; she accepts his decision and trusts his intentions.
• Six months pass. Akatsuki has gathered the first seven Tailed Beasts, leaving only the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails. Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu have been lost, as in the original storyline.
• During that time, Liuyun travels with Hinata while her shadow clone trains in Takamagahara. Hinata masters Tenseigan Mode, and the women around Liuyun make major advances in their abilities.
• Liuyun arrives in the Land of Demons, anticipating the coming major events of the story, including Jiraiya’s death, Pain’s assault on Konoha, and the Five Kage Summit. He plans to confront those events with overwhelming strength.

Character developments

• Hinata grows stronger, mastering Tenseigan Mode and developing variations. She remains affectionate and trusting toward Liuyun.
• Mikoto and Tsunade master the Rinnegan’s abilities and investigate their potential further. The women also unlock Perfect Susanoo and begin training to combine it with Kurama.
• Izumi unexpectedly becomes the third Rinnegan wielder, surprising Liuyun.
• Liuyun continues to prepare for the coming conflict, collecting eleven Tailed Beast Copy Cards and intending to copy the Nine-Tails when Pain attacks.

Themes

• Power and preparation: Liuyun and his allies steadily strengthen themselves ahead of the coming crisis.
• Trust and care: Hinata understands Liuyun’s protective choice, and their relationship is shown through mutual affection.
• Destiny versus intervention: Liuyun knows the major events ahead but intends to overcome the established storyline through superior strength.
• The cost of conflict: Akatsuki’s hunt for the Tailed Beasts brings suffering and danger, even as the protagonists’ preparations intensify.

Character interactions

• Kakuzu directs the capture while Hidan carries out the blood ritual; their cooperation succeeds, though Kakuzu treats Hidan with impatience.
• Liuyun comforts Hinata and explains why he kept her out of the fight; she reassures him that she trusts him.
• Liuyun tenderly apologizes when he wakes Izumi by holding her too tightly. She notices his excitement and asks whether something good has happened.

Key plot points and events

• Izumi is anxious that Liuyun might leave again without warning. He promises to stay with the women and to tell them before any future departure. She helps him dress, and they join Tsunade, Mikoto, Kushina, and Hinata for a meal.
• The women have mastered the Rinnegan’s abilities but find them less impressive than their existing powers. Liuyun explains that the Rinnegan reaches its full potential only in the Six Paths Realm.
• He outlines the power hierarchy: the ordinary shinobi ranks, Kage level, Super Shadow level, and finally the Six Paths Realm. He demonstrates Six Paths Mode, showing its cloak, Truth-Seeking Orbs, and staff, and explains that reaching it requires mastering all seven chakra transformations and combining them through Yin-Yang Release.
• Kushina recklessly reaches for a Truth-Seeking Orb. Liuyun warns that it could have destroyed her hand, then comforts her after she apologizes.
• Liuyun says Rinnegan users already possess all seven chakra attributes and must learn to fuse them. He gives Kushina Six Paths Blood; she drinks it and falls asleep as it takes effect.
• Hinata’s Tenseigan Mode is revealed to be a special form of Six Paths Mode. Its power depends on the Tenseigan, so she must train to reach that realm without relying on her eyes.
• After the women resume training, Liuyun travels to the Land of Rain, where he expects Jiraiya to arrive. He tells Black Zetsu to inform Pain that he is merely sightseeing, then observes that life under Pain’s rule appears to have improved for local residents.

Character developments and interactions

• Liuyun reassures Izumi and recognizes the harm caused by leaving without warning. He also takes on the role of teacher, clarifying the women’s future training goals.
• Izumi expresses her need for family closeness and shows affection by helping Liuyun dress.
• Kushina remains curious and impulsive, but accepts correction and apologizes. Her eagerness to gain the Rinnegan leads her to drink the Six Paths Blood immediately.
• Tsunade, Mikoto, and Izumi learn that mastering the Rinnegan is only a step toward the Six Paths Realm.
• Hinata gains a clearer understanding of her Tenseigan’s strength and commits to developing power independent of it.
• Black Zetsu follows Liuyun’s instructions and serves as his link to Pain.

Significant themes

• Family and reassurance: Liuyun’s promise not to disappear without telling the women addresses their emotional security.
• Power and training: The chapter establishes a higher scale of strength and emphasizes that great abilities require deliberate mastery.
• Risk and responsibility: Kushina’s attempt to touch the Truth-Seeking Orb shows the danger of acting before understanding one’s power.
• Dependence and independence: Hinata’s training goal is to retain Six Paths-level strength without relying solely on the Tenseigan.
• A changed Land of Rain: The healthier residents suggest that Pain’s rule has brought some improvement to the country.

Chapter 223 Summary

• Liuyun waits for Jiraiya: Expecting Jiraiya to arrive in Amegakure, Liuyun settles in to observe the coming confrontation. He believes Jiraiya was killed in the original timeline because he did not understand Pain’s abilities, and intends to spare him this time—for Tsunade’s sake.
• Pain learns of Liuyun’s presence: Black Zetsu tells Deva Path Yahiko that Liuyun is in Amegakure only to look around. Remembering how easily Liuyun destroyed the Six Paths, Nagato chooses not to challenge him.
• Jiraiya enters Amegakure: After two days, Jiraiya sneaks into the country and gathers information at a tavern. Liuyun secretly follows, while Black Zetsu alerts Pain.
• Teacher and students reunite: Jiraiya discovers that Yahiko is leading Akatsuki and appears to wield the Rinnegan. Yahiko claims Nagato died fighting for the organization and presents himself as a god, arguing that pain is necessary for people to grow. Jiraiya is shaken and refuses to believe Nagato is dead.
• The battle begins: Yahiko declares Jiraiya an enemy. Jiraiya attacks with a Fire Release technique, but one of the Paths absorbs it. Deva Path then uses Shinra Tensei; Jiraiya evades with a clone and escapes.
• Pain presses the attack: Guided by Black Zetsu, the Paths pursue Jiraiya. An Asura Path attacks with overwhelming force, and the Animal Path summons a giant bird and a three-headed beast. Jiraiya responds with Needle Jizo as the fight escalates.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Liuyun remains an unseen observer, confident in his ability to intervene and intent on changing Jiraiya’s fate.
• Jiraiya shifts from casual infiltration to shock, grief, and resolve as he confronts his former students and the apparent death of Nagato.
• Yahiko/Nagato speaks with fanatical certainty, framing himself as a god whose mission is to impose pain and eliminate threats.
• Black Zetsu acts as Pain’s informant, tracking Jiraiya and directing the Paths.

Significant Themes

• Pain and growth: Yahiko/Nagato believes suffering is the only route to understanding and strength.
• Mentorship and regret: Jiraiya’s concern for his students—and his remorse that he did not bring them to Konoha—deepens the emotional stakes.
• Fate and intervention: Liuyun’s presence offers the possibility that Jiraiya’s tragic outcome can be changed.

Key plot points and events

• Jiraiya destroys Pain’s summoned bird and attacks Asura Path with a Rasengan, but the Six Paths’ coordinated attacks quickly overwhelm him.
• He summons Gamaken to buy time while he prepares to enter Sage Mode. Pain’s animal summons attack Gamaken, and Deva Path uses Banshō Ten’in to pull the toad into the ground.
• Jiraiya emerges in Sage Mode with Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders. The two sages recognize the Rinnegan, while Jiraiya realizes that one of the Pains is someone he had previously killed—suggesting the bodies can be revived or replaced.
• Sage Mode gives Jiraiya a dramatic advantage: he swiftly incapacitates Human Path with an Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan, then uses a hair-needle attack and Shima’s tongue to seize Animal Path, finishing it with twin Rasengans.
• Deva Path identifies himself as Jiraiya’s former student and urges him to give up. Jiraiya and the sages answer with Sage Art: Goemon, combining wind, oil, and fire into a vast inferno. The remaining Pains appear unfazed as the chapter ends.

Character developments

• Jiraiya moves from being pressured and outnumbered to fighting effectively after entering Sage Mode. Despite his confidence in battle, he is troubled by the enemy’s revival ability and by facing a former student.
• Fukasaku and Shima become essential partners, lending Jiraiya their senjutsu abilities and supporting his attacks. Their initial banter gives way to alarm and seriousness when they see Pain’s Rinnegan.
• Deva Path/Yahiko reveals a personal connection to Jiraiya as his former disciple, while remaining composed and convinced of his superiority.

Significant themes

• Teacher and student: Jiraiya’s battle is complicated by the discovery that one of his former pupils is among his enemies.
• Adaptation and teamwork: Jiraiya survives by changing tactics and coordinating with the two sages.
• Power and uncertainty: Sage Mode turns the fight in Jiraiya’s favor, but Pain’s multiple bodies, summons, and apparent ability to restore fallen Paths make victory uncertain.
• The uncanny and the familiar: The Rinnegan and the reappearance of someone Jiraiya had killed unsettle even experienced shinobi.

Character interactions

• Jiraiya directs Gamaken to defend him while he prepares Sage Mode; Gamaken agrees despite calling himself clumsy.
• Fukasaku and Shima question Jiraiya about Pain’s identity and help him launch coordinated senjutsu attacks.
• Jiraiya recognizes the former student behind Deva Path, while Deva Path addresses him as “Teacher Jiraiya.”
• The sages’ support enables Jiraiya to disable two Paths quickly, but Pain’s response suggests the fight is far from over.

Plot points and events

• Jiraiya fights Pain’s bodies in Sage Mode, using natural energy and the Toad Sages’ support. He knocks the Preta Path away and helps immobilize several Pains with the Toad Confrontation Chant.
• Pain counters with powerful repulsion, summons, and relentless projectiles. Jiraiya narrowly escapes a devastating Shinra Tensei that turns the ground into a crushing mudflow.
• The Pains Jiraiya had defeated return unharmed. From their abilities, he deduces that they use attraction and repulsion, summons, close combat and projectiles, chakra absorption, and resurrection—likely provided by a support body.
• As his Sage Mode and strength run low, Jiraiya and the Toad Sages try to escape. Jiraiya targets the Naraka Path, disabling it with a Super Big Ball Rasengan, then uses a final Sage Art: Goemon to cover their retreat.
• Jiraiya refuses to leave with the Toad Sages. He senses Pain closing in and insists they carry his intelligence to Konoha and Minato. Before he can finish explaining his suspicion about Pain’s true nature, projectiles explode around him and blast him away.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiraiya shifts from testing Pain’s abilities to fighting for survival, but remains analytical and determined. Even exhausted, he prioritizes warning Konoha over his own safety.
• Fukasaku and Shima support Jiraiya with genjutsu and combat assistance. Fukasaku repeatedly urges retreat, while Jiraiya’s resolve ultimately keeps him in the fight.
• Pain/Yahiko grows increasingly angry as Jiraiya disrupts his forces. He is especially frustrated by the Toad Sages’ interference and uses overwhelming force to block Jiraiya’s escape.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and duty: Jiraiya risks his life to protect Konoha with what he has learned.
• Persistence against overwhelming odds: His tactics buy time, but Pain’s numbers, abilities, and ability to revive defeated bodies make victory seem impossible.
• Knowledge as a weapon: Jiraiya’s deductions about Pain’s powers may be more valuable than winning the battle itself.

Chapter 226 Summary

Key plot points

• Jiraiya and the two Mount Myōboku toads are cornered by Pain after Jiraiya’s defeat. Liuyun intervenes, restraining Deva Path Yahiko and persuading Pain to withdraw.
• Liuyun heals Jiraiya and the toads, then takes Jiraiya for a meal and drinks with him. Jiraiya learns that Yahiko is dead and that Nagato controls the Six Paths bodies; Liuyun explains that Nagato is physically ruined by wielding the Rinnegan.
• Grieving over his former students, Jiraiya drinks until he passes out. Liuyun carries him back to Konoha and leaves him with Minato, who is relieved to see his mentor safe.
• Returning to Takamagahara, Liuyun finds Kushina’s transformation complete. She emerges from her cocoon with a Rinnegan and reveals her ability: Limbo: Border Jail, which creates up to six shadow doubles that can defend or attack.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiraiya survives the encounter but is devastated by what became of Yahiko and Nagato. He blames himself for not bringing his students to Konoha and copes by drinking heavily.
• Liuyun proves both powerful and compassionate: he saves Jiraiya despite claiming he did not intend to interfere, heals him, and returns him to Konoha. He also speaks frankly about Nagato’s condition.
• Minato is anxious about Jiraiya’s disappearance and visibly relieved when Liuyun brings him home.
• Kushina reunites joyfully with Liuyun after completing her transformation. She is pleased with her new power and remains affectionate and familiar with him.

Significant themes

• Choice and responsibility: Liuyun argues that people must face the consequences of the paths they choose, while Jiraiya struggles with guilt over his students’ choices.
• Teacherly love and regret: Jiraiya’s sorrow reflects his enduring care for Yahiko and Nagato, even after their paths diverge.
• Power and its cost: Nagato’s use of the Rinnegan has severely damaged his body, contrasting with Kushina’s successful transformation and newly gained abilities.
• Loyalty and protection: Liuyun’s intervention shows that personal bonds can override a wish to remain uninvolved.

Plot points and events

• After three months of waiting, Konan and Pakura ask Liuyun for Six Paths blood so they can awaken the Rinnegan and become strong enough to keep up with him. He agrees, helps ease the painful transformation, and sends them to Takamagahara.
• Black Zetsu tells Liuyun that Pain will attack Konoha in a week, with Obito joining the assault to keep Minato occupied.
• Liuyun arrives in Konoha on the day of the attack and discovers Jiraiya is absent. Pain’s forces invade while Obito draws Minato away.
• Minato orders an evacuation and rescue effort before confronting Obito. Without the Hokage, Konoha’s forces—despite knowing Pain’s abilities—are overwhelmed. Shikaku and the other leaders conclude they can only summon Jiraiya for help.
• Pain gathers the Six Paths’ power into Deva Path Yahiko and unleashes a massive Shinra Tensei, reducing Konoha to a wasteland and killing nearly everyone.

Character developments and interactions

• Konan and Pakura’s request reflects their determination to grow stronger for Liuyun’s sake. Liuyun responds with affection and support, though he had initially wanted them to relax.
• Liuyun is eager to obtain Nine-Tails chakra, but becomes frustrated when he learns Jiraiya has left Konoha despite the imminent threat.
• Minato acts decisively to protect the village, while Obito conceals his identity and focuses on separating him from the battle.
• Shikaku and Inoichi recognize that strategy and prior knowledge cannot compensate for the vast power gap. Their discussion recalls Liuyun’s warning that planning is futile against overwhelming strength.
• Pain shows no hesitation in carrying out Nagato’s decision, delivering catastrophic destruction.

Significant themes

• Power versus preparation: Konoha’s knowledge of Pain’s abilities proves insufficient against his strength.
• Loyalty and self-improvement: Konan and Pakura seek greater power out of devotion to Liuyun.
• Fate and the original story: Liuyun wonders whether events are correcting themselves, as Naruto may still be needed to save Konoha.
• War’s human cost: The attack turns the village into a wasteland, leaving its survival—and the arrival of help—uncertain.

Key events

• Obito keeps Minato occupied in the Kamui Dimension while Pain devastates Konoha.
• Naruto arrives with Jiraiya and Mount Myōboku’s reinforcements. Because Liuyun had preserved Jiraiya and Naruto knows Pain’s abilities, they initially destroy several Paths and push Deva Path back.
• Pain revives the fallen Paths, and the battle turns. After a prolonged fight, Jiraiya is killed by Deva Path. Naruto loses control and transforms into the Nine-Tails.
• Liuyun copies the Nine-Tails’ chakra, then leaves, satisfied that events are broadly following the expected course. Black Zetsu likewise departs, prioritizing Obito and the Rinnegan over Nagato.
• As Naruto is trapped by Planetary Devastation, a black-and-blue ice seal erupts from the pendant at his neck, restrains the Nine-Tails, and restores Naruto’s control. Naruto returns to Sage Mode and defeats Deva Path.
• Naruto goes to confront Nagato, while Minato and Obito end their fight. Pain’s resurrection technique restores Konoha’s dead, so the village’s losses are limited to destruction of buildings.
• A month later, Naruto is celebrated throughout the shinobi world. The other great villages avoid challenging Konoha and focus instead on Akatsuki.

Character developments and interactions

• Naruto moves from anger and confusion at learning Pain was Jiraiya’s student to disciplined resolve. After Jiraiya’s death and his loss of control, the pendant—apparently provided by Liuyun—helps him regain himself and win.
• Jiraiya fights in close coordination with Naruto, but is killed protecting the battle’s momentum; his death is a major emotional turning point.
• Minato is delayed by Obito, then returns anxious about Naruto. He recognizes Naruto’s victory when the revived villagers appear.
• Liuyun remains detached from Konoha’s suffering, focused on freeing Kaguya and acquiring the Nine-Tails’ chakra. He treats Naruto and Minato as potential obstacles rather than family to protect.
• Black Zetsu advises Liuyun not to intervene in Nagato’s fight, since Nagato is expendable and Obito is the greater priority.
• Obito disengages after the battle’s outcome is decided, leaving Minato to return to Konoha.

Significant themes

• Fate versus intervention: Liuyun’s actions alter key circumstances, yet he believes events will still follow the original course.
• Power and control: Naruto’s transformation threatens to overwhelm him, but the pendant’s seal lets him regain control and return to Sage Mode.
• Sacrifice and renewal: Jiraiya’s death contrasts with Pain’s mass resurrection, leaving Konoha devastated but with its people restored.
• Loyalty and family: Naruto’s bond with Jiraiya and concern from Minato stand against Liuyun’s cold commitment to his larger plan.

Chapter 229 summary

Key plot points and events

• Akatsuki’s capture of seven Tailed Beasts—and Sasuke and the Hawk Squad’s capture of Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki—alarms the great nations. The Fourth Raikage calls a Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron to address Akatsuki.
• The leaders of the major villages set out for the summit. Minato leaves Konoha in Shikaku and Inoichi’s care, while Gaara departs with Temari and Kankuro.
• Kirigakure’s aides, Ao and Chojuro, worry that Mei Terumi—who has retired as Mizukage and is in the Land of Demons—won’t reach the summit in time. Chojuro uses a scroll to summon Katsuyu, who agrees to relay their message.
• Liuyun explains the summit to his household after receiving an invitation from General Mifune to serve as referee. Mei learns she is still expected to attend and reluctantly agrees.
• Several women decide to accompany Mei, turning the summit into a group trip. Liuyun says he will travel with them rather than act as referee.
• Before they leave, Liuyun gives the women Tailed Beast Copy Cards containing Nine-Tails chakra. They activate them and gain their own obedient Nine-Tails, greatly expanding their chakra and combat potential.

Character developments and interactions

• Mei Terumi is content with her life away from political responsibility and would rather avoid the summit, but Ao and Chojuro’s message draws her back into Kirigakure’s affairs. She eventually accepts the trip.
• Chojuro proves resourceful by using Katsuyu to contact Mei, while remaining shy and straightforward. Ao is exasperated that Chojuro never mentioned having access to her summon.
• Izumi eagerly volunteers to accompany Mei and act as her guard; Ino, Kurenai, Yugao, and Kushina join as well. Konan, Pakura, Tsunade, Mikoto, and Hinata choose to stay and train.
• Kushina shows no jealousy when the other women receive Nine-Tails chakra; she is sincerely pleased that they are becoming stronger. Liuyun responds affectionately, and the two share playful marital banter.
• Liuyun supports the women’s choices and frames travel as a useful break from training. His chakra gifts reinforce his protective, generous role in the household.

Significant themes

• Akatsuki as a shared threat: The organization’s growing power pushes rival nations toward cooperation.
• Strength through support: Liuyun’s gifts help the women gain independence and greater power.
• Duty versus personal happiness: Mei has left leadership behind for a more fulfilling life, yet is pulled back into public affairs.
• Rest and balance: Liuyun argues that a change of scenery can complement, rather than undermine, training.

Key plot points and events

• After a week of training the women in Complete Nine-Tails Mode, Liuyun brings Kushina, Mei Terumi, and the others to the Land of Iron for the Five Kage Summit. He leaves them soon after to check on Black Zetsu and the progress of the Eye of the Moon Plan, worried that Obito may not follow the original course of events.
• Mei Terumi’s aide, Chojuro, meets the group in the capital. He has abandoned his duties in Kirigakure, overwhelmed by Ao’s attempts to make him handle official business. Mei tells him to attend the summit with them and return to his post afterward.
• Chojuro gives Mei her Fifth Mizukage cloak and hat, then leads the women to an inn. They settle into a luxury suite and go shopping while waiting for the summit.
• Several men make vulgar remarks and discuss attacking the women once security loosens. Kushina, enraged by what she hears, strikes the crowd with overwhelming force, killing some and leaving others badly wounded.
• Yugao then draws her sword and kills the survivors. Her sudden ruthlessness shocks the group, including Kushina.

Character developments and interactions

• Liuyun shows concern about the altered course of events and takes responsibility for checking Obito’s plans. He reassures Ino before departing.
• Mei Terumi remains practical and composed, managing Chojuro’s unexpected arrival and redirecting the women toward enjoying their visit.
• Chojuro reveals a shy but rebellious side: he has fled his responsibilities, yet is delighted to join Mei at the summit. His attention to Liuyun and his gift of Mei’s official garments draw the women’s notice.
• The women enjoy a rare outing, bonding over shopping and choosing accessories to show Liuyun. Their strength is so formidable that ordinary men cannot safely approach them.
• Kushina reacts violently to the men’s degrading comments, prioritizing the women’s dignity over restraint.
• Yugao, usually gentle, proves startlingly merciless by executing the injured men. Her actions reveal a colder, more lethal side and leave the others stunned.

Significant themes

• Changed destiny and uncertainty: Liuyun worries that events may diverge from the familiar timeline, especially regarding Obito’s plan.
• Power and protection: The women’s immense strength protects them from harassment, but their response also raises questions about the limits of justice and violence.
• Contrasting appearances and character: Chojuro’s timid manner hides a capacity for defiance, while gentle Yugao displays unexpected brutality.
• Companionship and leisure: The women’s shopping trip offers a brief, cheerful respite before the political summit, strengthening their camaraderie.

Plot points

• Yugao checks on Kushina after the fight, revealing how fiercely protective she is of her adoptive family.
• Samurai arrive to arrest the women after learning that one of the dead was Lord Rikaku’s nephew. When Rikaku insults them, Yugao kills him instantly.
• Kushina refuses to let the confrontation spoil the outing and orders everyone to continue shopping. Mei has the samurai carry their bags while they wait for Mifune.
• Chojuro arrives, confirms that the women are safe, and warns that the Land of Iron could face destruction if they are harmed.
• On a rooftop, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro observe the scene. Gaara judges the women to be exceptionally powerful—stronger than he is.

Character developments and interactions

• Yugao shows her unwavering loyalty to Kushina and the family, responding to threats with lethal decisiveness. She still looks to Kushina for direction afterward.
• Kushina remains warm toward Yugao but calm and confident amid escalating danger, prioritizing the group’s outing.
• Mei handles the samurai with blunt authority, while Chojuro rushes to check on her and readily follows her orders.
• Temari cautions Kankuro against provoking the women; Gaara backs her assessment of their strength. The samurai commander shifts from aggression to fear as he realizes the group includes the Mizukage and is far beyond his ability to control.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Yugao’s violence is framed as a response to threats against the people she loves.
• Power and political consequences: The samurai’s abuse of authority turns a local dispute into a potential national crisis.
• Composure amid danger: Kushina and Mei treat the threat as manageable, while their opponents grow increasingly alarmed.
• Gender and tradition: Mei’s order that the male samurai carry the women’s bags exposes the Land of Iron’s patriarchal customs—and challenges them.

Plot and major events

• Gaara senses the women accompanying Mei Terumi are far stronger than he is, warning Kankuro not to provoke them. Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage also recognize the danger and expect the Land of Iron to regret crossing them.
• Minato arrives to intervene. He reunites warmly with Kushina, who jokes about his Hokage appearance and brushes aside his thanks. He asks her to spare the Land of Iron; she agrees, but warns that further provocation will have consequences.
• Mifune recognizes the women as members of Uchiha Liuyun’s family. Realizing the danger, he apologizes for his subordinates’ actions and accepts responsibility. Kushina agrees to let the matter end, though she tells him Liuyun will not serve as referee for the Five Kage Summit.
• Mifune thanks Minato, discreetly assigns samurai to protect and watch over the women, and rushes to get the summit underway. The next day, Kushina and the others accompany Mei to the meeting, largely because Mifune is afraid to refuse Kushina.
• At the summit, the other Kage avoid addressing the women, wary of Liuyun’s reputation for defending his family. Ino and Izumi quietly comment on the Kage; Ōnoki overhears and reflects on Iwagakure’s lack of a successor.

Character developments and interactions

• Kushina is friendly with Minato but remains protective and authoritative. She accepts Mifune’s apology once he takes responsibility, showing she can be generous when treated respectfully.
• Minato acts as a mediator, using his friendship with Kushina to prevent further conflict and help safeguard the Land of Iron.
• Mifune shifts from anger over Rikaku’s death to anxious caution once he identifies Liuyun’s family. He accepts blame, yields to Kushina, and prioritizes preventing another incident.
• Gaara and Kankuro recognize the women’s overwhelming strength and choose not to interfere.
• Ōnoki is reminded of Iwagakure’s succession problem and thinks of Deidara as a possible former candidate.

Significant themes

• Power and restraint: The women’s strength makes others cautious, but Kushina chooses to end the dispute rather than escalate it.
• Family loyalty and reputation: Liuyun’s fierce protectiveness shapes how leaders behave around his family.
• Diplomacy through personal relationships: Minato’s friendship with Kushina helps avert a crisis.
• Leadership and succession: Ōnoki’s thoughts highlight the burden of governing without a suitable successor.

Key plot points and events

• At the Five Kage Summit, the leaders spend an hour arguing over the Akatsuki’s capture of Jinchūriki. Kushina and the other women attending grow bored.
• Sasuke crashes through the wall, announces he wants to question Minato, and attacks the Fourth Raikage. His sword cannot pierce the Raikage’s lightning armor, and a counterattack sends him crashing into the ground.
• After learning that Izumi is an Uchiha, Sasuke insults her and the other women, deriding their presence at the summit and boasting that he could defeat the Kage.
• The room’s mood shifts from surprise to pity: the Kage and their guards recognize how dangerously Sasuke has misjudged whom he is provoking. Gaara, who had considered helping him, withdraws the idea out of fear of Liuyun’s retaliation.
• Kushina orders Izumi to deal with Sasuke. Izumi punches him through several walls and sends him flying back into the summit hall.

Character developments

• Sasuke is portrayed as arrogant, reckless, and oblivious to the political danger of insulting Liuyun’s companions. His bravado persists even after the Raikage injures him.
• Izumi openly rejects her former clan ties, regarding Kushina and the other women as her family. Nevertheless, she insists on handling Sasuke herself because he is an Uchiha—and is willing to use severe force.
• Kushina displays her fierce temper and loyalty to her companions, authorizing Izumi to punish Sasuke without holding back.
• Gaara shows caution and political awareness, abandoning his intention to help Sasuke when he understands the consequences.

Significant themes

• Arrogance and consequences: Sasuke’s confidence repeatedly leads him to provoke opponents far beyond his understanding.
• Chosen family and belonging: Izumi values her bonds with Liuyun’s household over her Uchiha heritage.
• Power and reputation: The Kage’s reactions show that Liuyun’s influence extends beyond his own strength; even the possibility of angering him shapes others’ decisions.
• Loyalty and protection: Kushina and the others respond collectively when Sasuke insults one of their own.

Character interactions

• The Kage debate the Akatsuki threat while Kushina and the others observe.
• Sasuke clashes physically with the Fourth Raikage, then verbally antagonizes Ino, Izumi, and the other women.
• Minato tells Sasuke to stop, while Gaara and the others refrain from intervening.
• Kushina entrusts Sasuke’s punishment to Izumi; Izumi rejects Sasuke’s claim to superiority with a brutal beating.

• Izumi overwhelms Sasuke: Izumi emerges from the wrecked wall and easily outpaces Sasuke, dismissing his Amaterasu as a limited use of Yin Release. She withstands the black flames, then shatters his first-stage Susanoo with a single punch. Sasuke is left badly injured and shaken, forced to confront how little he understands his clan’s powers—and how far he falls short of Itachi.
• The Kage reassess Liuyun’s allies: The watching Ōnoki and Fourth Raikage realize Izumi’s Taijutsu rivals the Raikage’s. Their alarm grows when she forms a Tailed Beast Bomb, demonstrating that Liuyun’s companions may themselves be a formidable force.
• Mifune prevents a catastrophe: Fearing the attack could destroy the Land of Iron’s political center and kill the officials gathered there, Mifune pleads with Izumi to show restraint. She apologizes and dismisses the bomb, while Sasuke remains stunned by his defeat.
• Sasuke’s team arrives, and the women split the fight: Jugo and Suigetsu come to Sasuke’s aid. Kushina and Kurenai volunteer to face them, assigning Jugo to Kushina and Suigetsu to Kurenai while Izumi keeps Sasuke. Ino regrets missing her chance to fight; Yugao is content because she fought the previous day, and Miroku says she would rather pursue medical ninjutsu.
• Kushina and Kurenai demonstrate contrasting styles: Kushina defeats Jugo with brutal Taijutsu, smashing him into the ground and leaving him apparently incapacitated. Kurenai handles Suigetsu with Genjutsu instead, trapping him in a terrifying illusion in which he is bound to trees and threatened by a grotesque old man. She claims that two days pass inside the illusion for every second outside.
  Character developments and themes: Sasuke’s confidence collapses as his abilities prove inadequate against Izumi. The women’s individual strengths and personalities come into focus: Izumi is composed and overwhelmingly powerful, Kushina is eager and forceful, and Kurenai is calm but cruelly inventive. The chapter emphasizes the limits of power built on arrogance, the hidden strength of Liuyun’s allies, and the need to restrain destructive force when innocents and political leaders are at risk.

Key plot points and events

• Sasuke tries to free Suigetsu from Kurenai’s Genjutsu, but Kurenai’s technique makes him believe his Chakra is entering Suigetsu when it is actually being blocked. Kurenai could trap Sasuke too, but refrains because Izumi is his opponent.
• Izumi, furious at Sasuke, unleashes a devastating Mangekyo-powered Great Fire Annihilation. The flames melt the ground and destroy part of the Land of Iron’s meeting hall, shocking the assembled leaders and leaving Mifune facing an expensive repair.
• Izumi realizes that someone used Space-Time Ninjutsu to rescue Sasuke and his companions. Obito appears and claims to be Madara Uchiha, but Kushina and Ōnoki reject the claim, while Ino identifies his ability as Kamui.
• Minato recognizes the masked man as Obito. Obito denies it, explains Akatsuki’s plan to create peace through the Eye of the Moon, and meets firm opposition from the Five Kage. He declares the Fourth Shinobi World War and escapes through Kamui.
• The Kage begin planning against Akatsuki. After a day of discussion, Ōnoki proposes involving Liuyun; the Raikage agrees, though Mei does not share the others’ enthusiasm.

Character developments and interactions

• Sasuke suffers another humiliating setback, unable to overcome Kurenai’s Genjutsu and facing Izumi’s contempt.
• Izumi displays extraordinary power and anger, but also recognizes the limits of her knowledge when she realizes her opponents were rescued.
• Kurenai demonstrates that her Genjutsu can deceive both its target and someone trying to help, while deliberately leaving Sasuke for Izumi.
• Obito tries to establish himself as Madara and present his ideology, but the leaders quickly expose his disguise and reject his plan. His composure conceals growing alarm.
• Minato reacts to Obito as his former student and urges the Kage to take the threat seriously. Kushina and Ino openly challenge Obito’s presentation; the other Kage reject his proposed “peace.”
• Liuyun’s companions leave the summit, dismissing the discussion and implying they understand Obito’s real motives and have their own connections.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Izumi’s fire technique shows how far elite shinobi power can exceed ordinary defenses.
• Deception and perception: Kurenai’s Genjutsu and Obito’s false identity both exploit what others believe they see.
• Conflicting visions of peace: Obito’s forced, illusory peace is rejected in favor of confronting the danger directly.
• Political dependence and responsibility: Faced with a world-level threat, the Kage consider seeking Liuyun’s intervention—even as his allies remain detached from their deliberations.

Key plot points and events

• After the Five Kage Summit, the Kage agree that Mei Terumi should tell her husband, Liuyun, about Akatsuki’s plans and invite him to join their side. Mei privately doubts he would support them.
• Mei sends Chojuro back to Kirigakure to report to Ao and help manage the village. She reveals she has been preparing him to become the Sixth Mizukage, promising to assist him after the war if the village resists.
• Liuyun returns to his group and discusses the coming war. He explains that Akatsuki can use Impure World Reincarnation to summon powerful dead Ninja, and that its strength depends on the sacrifices used. He says Akatsuki has already taken bodies from graves, making the war difficult to prevent.
• The news of the summit and Akatsuki’s declaration spreads, frightening people across the Shinobi World.
• Half a month later, Kabuto performs Impure World Reincarnation for Obito, summoning former Akatsuki members, Jinchūriki, past Kage, and other notable Ninja. He also commands 100,000 strengthened White Zetsu. Obito declares the Fourth Shinobi World War underway.

Character developments and interactions

• Mei embraces her life with Liuyun and his other partners rather than returning to Kirigakure. She shifts responsibility to Chojuro and firmly pushes him toward leadership.
• Chojuro begins the scene anxious and self-doubting, but Mei’s confidence and support leave him more cheerful about becoming Mizukage.
• Kushina and Mei tease Chojuro’s timid manner, while sharing faith that he can grow into the role.
• Liuyun is amused by the women’s actions at the summit and treats the prospect of war with unsettling confidence, even welcoming the chance to see Kaguya.
• Obito and Kabuto act as collaborators: Kabuto supplies the reanimated army, while Obito prepares to lead it.

Significant themes

• Succession and responsibility: Mei’s departure forces Chojuro to accept the burden of leading Kirigakure.
• War and fear: The declaration revives painful memories of past conflict and spreads anxiety among ordinary people.
• Power through the past: Impure World Reincarnation turns the dead into weapons, making history itself a force in the coming war.
• Moral inversion and dramatic irony: Liuyun’s group appears less concerned with stopping Akatsuki than with observing the conflict—and may be aligned with the forces others see as the enemy.

Chapter Summary

Gaara gives a moving speech to the Allied Shinobi Forces, acknowledging the hatred and suffering caused by the past wars and by the Jinchūriki system. He describes how Naruto, once his enemy, showed him compassion and saved his life. Gaara urges the gathered ninja to unite against Akatsuki to protect Naruto and the world, even offering his own life if they cannot forgive one another after the war. The speech rallies the forces, who respond by pledging their support.
Watching from above, Liuyun reflects on the power of Gaara’s words and anticipates the long-awaited war. He thinks of Kaguya, who is unconscious on the moon, and hopes to reunite with her soon. He then vanishes. Kakashi notices the spatial disturbance and wonders if Obito was responsible.
At the Allied command meeting, Minato reports that the rally succeeded, while the Fourth Raikage stresses that the fighting is about to begin. Three days later, the Allied forces clash with Akatsuki’s Impure World Reincarnation army and White Zetsu.

• First front: Kurotsuchi, Kankurō, Sai, and others face reincarnated fighters including Deidara and Sasori. Kankurō’s puppets help capture Sasori, while the allied ninja deal with the other opponents. Shin’s soul departs, Sasori is released from the technique, Deidara is restrained, and Chūkichi escapes. Meanwhile, the White Zetsu army advances underground.
• Second Division: Neji detects White Zetsu beneath the ground with his Byakugan and warns the unit. Kitsuchi leads the counterattack, and the division quickly defeats the first wave—but a seemingly endless mass soon appears.
• Third Division: Kakashi confronts the reincarnated Zabuza, Haku, and other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Zabuza and Haku explain that their bodies are being controlled, then use the Hidden Mist Technique as the swordsmen attack the Allied forces.
• Darui’s patrol: Darui encounters reincarnated fighters including Kinkaku, Ginkaku, Kakuzu, Asuma, and Dan, surrounded by White Zetsu. He begins warning his unit as the threat closes in.

Character Developments and Interactions

Gaara emerges as a confident leader, turning his own history of hatred and loneliness into an appeal for solidarity. His bond with Naruto becomes central to his motivation: he wants to protect both his friend and the wider world. Kakashi admires Gaara’s leadership and later shares memories of Naruto with Zabuza and Haku. Their concern for Naruto underscores how much he has changed since their earlier encounter. Kankurō, Kurotsuchi, Sai, Neji, Kitsuchi, and Darui each take active roles in leading or supporting their units as the war begins. Liuyun’s thoughts reveal that his personal hopes and plans involving Kaguya run alongside the larger conflict.

Significant Themes

• Reconciliation and unity: Shared suffering gives former enemies a reason to fight together, even if old grudges may not truly be gone.
• Compassion overcoming hatred: Naruto’s kindness changed Gaara’s life and inspires Gaara to extend trust to others.
• The cost of war: Reincarnated allies and opponents are forced back into battle, while the living face mounting danger.
• Collective responsibility: Gaara’s plea and the Allied forces’ response frame the war as a shared struggle to protect the world.

Chapter summary

The Fourth Shinobi World War erupts across multiple fronts. Liuyun’s changes to the timeline are evident: Choji and Shikamaru fight alongside another Yamanaka, not Ino, and their teacher is an unnamed Elite Jonin rather than Asuma—whom Liuyun killed years earlier. The Ino-Shika-Cho team shows no hesitation in attacking its former teacher and drives the young Asuma back. Meanwhile, Kinkaku and Ginkaku use their Six Paths Tools and Nine-Tails chakra to overwhelm Allied forces, contributing to a battlefield stalemate.
On another front, Chukichi, Chiyo, Hanzō, and Kimimaro flee through the forest, lamenting that Impure World Reincarnation has denied them rest. Kiba and Shino ambush them, and Mifune arrives with Samurai. Mifune chooses to face Hanzō himself, recalling that Hanzō defeated him in the past but spared his life with an antidote. Their battle begins alongside the Allied forces’ fight against the other resurrected Ninja.
At the Fourth Division’s battlefield, Gaara confronts four resurrected Kage: Mū, the Second Mizukage, the Third Raikage, and his father, the Fourth Kazekage. Gaara tells his father that he has earned the village’s acceptance, become the Fifth Kazekage, and found an important friend. The Fourth Kazekage is moved by his son’s growth, but the reunion is cut short when he attacks with Gold Dust Burial. The resurrected Kage charge, beginning the battle.
From above, Liuyun watches the conflicts spread across the war. He reflects that the war will last only three days and thinks of Kaguya, promising to rescue her and reunite with her soon.
An hour later, the Second Battlefield remains locked in a struggle against seemingly endless White Zetsu. On the Third Battlefield, Kakashi’s division is attacked by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and other revived Ninja. Kakashi coordinates a combined Wind-and-Fire assault to clear the Hidden Mist, then orders the sealing squad to prepare. He and Might Guy engage opponents separately, while Kakashi faces Zabuza and Haku. Their rematch begins as Zabuza expresses emotion at fighting Kakashi again; the excerpt ends as a Water Dragon attack is launched.

Character developments and interactions

• Gaara faces his resurrected father with confidence, openly declaring his status and the bonds he has built. His father’s pride and relief briefly soften their confrontation before combat begins.
• Mifune and Hanzō meet with mutual respect and complicated memories: Mifune remembers his defeat and Hanzō’s mercy, yet now must oppose him.
• Chiyo, Hanzō, and Kimimaro respond differently to being resurrected: Chiyo and Hanzō resent the violation, while Kimimaro worries about Orochimaru.
• Kakashi and Might Guy work in close coordination, relying on their long familiarity to execute a plan without much explanation.
• Zabuza and Kakashi meet again as adversaries, both recognizing the significance of their renewed fight.
• Liuyun remains detached from the battles, focused on the war’s short duration and his personal goal of rescuing Kaguya.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the burden of fighting the dead again: resurrected Ninja resent being denied rest, while the living must confront former enemies, relatives, and mentors. It also explores changed relationships and alternate histories, especially through Gaara’s growth and the altered Ino-Shika-Cho team. Old debts, respect, and unresolved rivalries shape encounters such as Mifune’s with Hanzō and Kakashi’s with Zabuza. Finally, the war’s widespread stalemates contrast with Liuyun’s intensely personal vision of what will come after it.

Plot and key events

• Sakura joins Kakashi’s Third Division and stops Haku’s senbon attack with a single punch. She and Haku recognize each other from the mission four years earlier.
• Haku and Zabuza accept sealing, believing the dead have no reason to remain in the living world. Their sealing rallies the division, which defeats and seals the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and a hidden White Zetsu. Kakashi then heads to reinforce other divisions.
• White Zetsu infiltrators sow fear and mistrust among the Allied Shinobi Forces. Naruto and Killer B arrive; Naruto uses Nine-Tails Mode to identify and eliminate nearby impostors.
• Naruto and Killer B encounter reincarnated Nagato and Itachi. Itachi breaks free of Kabuto’s control using Shisui’s eye, while Nagato returns to the Pure Land. Itachi goes to confront Kabuto, and Sasuke follows him.
• On the Fourth Battlefield, Gaara and Ōnoki face the Third Raikage, whose speed and nearly impenetrable defense devastate the Allied forces. Naruto’s Rasenshuriken fails to harm him, but Naruto eventually spots the Raikage’s old scar and tricks him into striking it himself. The Raikage is sealed; Mu remains at large after splitting his body.
• On the First Battlefield, Kinkaku, Ginkaku, and Asuma are sealed, while Kato Dan escapes. The Masked Man briefly steals the Six Paths Tools and disappears. Most battlefronts are under control, though the Second Division remains tied down by White Zetsu.
• Kabuto summons Madara Uchiha through Impure World Reincarnation and presents him as the next major force in the war.

Character developments and interactions

• Sakura demonstrates how far she has progressed since her first encounter with Haku. Their reunion is respectful and nostalgic rather than hostile.
• Haku and Zabuza show acceptance and a measure of peace, asking Kakashi to seal them. Kakashi honors their wishes.
• Kakashi leads effectively, but immediately shifts from victory to helping other divisions, mindful of the war’s cost.
• Gaara briefly loses composure as the Raikage overwhelms his troops, then steadies himself after Ōnoki reminds him of his responsibility as commander. The two work together to stop the threat.
• Naruto arrives confident in his mastery of the Nine-Tails’ power and helps turn the battle against the Raikage. His friendship with Gaara is evident in Gaara’s immediate concern for his safety.
• Itachi regains control of himself and resumes his mission against Kabuto; Sasuke’s decision to follow him shows his continuing attachment to his brother.
• Kabuto confidently prepares Madara for battle, while Madara’s contempt for Kabuto’s methods underscores the tension between them.

Significant themes

• Growth and change: Sakura’s strength contrasts with her helplessness four years earlier.
• Acceptance and closure: Haku and Zabuza choose release rather than prolonging their existence as reanimated dead.
• Trust under pressure: White Zetsu’s infiltration turns allies’ fear into suspicion, making Naruto’s ability to distinguish them crucial.
• Leadership and responsibility: Gaara must regain his calm to protect his troops and command effectively.
• Limits overcome through insight: Raw power cannot defeat the Third Raikage; identifying and exploiting his scar does.
• Escalating war: As most battlefields approach resolution, Madara’s arrival signals that the conflict is far from over.

Key plot points and events

• Madara Uchiha is revived and arrives on the battlefield, demanding to know whether Uchiha Liuyun—who once defeated him—is present. Gaara explains that Liuyun is staying out of the war until a worthy opponent appears.
• Madara attacks the Allied Shinobi Forces with overwhelming taijutsu, killing many. Gaara’s enormous wave of sand fails to stop him; Madara counters it with his Susanoo.
• Madara asks Kabuto about the Tailed Beasts. The Eight-Tails is still missing, and Kabuto worries Liuyun may disrupt their plans.
• Madara insists Liuyun is deliberately waiting for the enemy to become as powerful as possible, hoping to face him at his full strength. Madara welcomes the prospect of a meaningful fight.
• The Allied forces struggle against Madara’s attacks. Their Water Release blocks his Great Fire Annihilation, but his Susanoo withstands Naruto’s Rasenshuriken.
• Naruto begins gathering Natural Energy to enter Sage Mode. Madara uses the Rinnegan to summon a massive meteor, leaving the Allied forces terrified and close to despair.

Character developments and interactions

• Madara is arrogant, destructive, and eager for a challenge. His interest in Liuyun is not merely strategic: he sees him as a rare opponent who might end his long-standing boredom.
• Naruto is alarmed by Madara’s pressure but keeps fighting, attempting an attack before switching to Sage Mode.
• Gaara remains composed enough to confront Madara and explain Liuyun’s absence, though he recognizes the severity of the threat.
• Kabuto understands that Madara’s plan may be complicated by Liuyun, but Madara dismisses the concern with confidence.
• Madara treats the Allied forces as insignificant, while their leaders and fighters react with mounting fear as his power escalates.

Significant themes

• The burden of overwhelming power: Madara’s strength turns the battlefield into a slaughter and tests the Allied forces’ courage.
• The search for a worthy opponent: Madara’s boredom with invincibility mirrors Liuyun’s desire to fight only at full strength.
• Fear versus resolve: The meteor nearly breaks the Allied forces’ will, while Naruto continues trying to resist.
• Escalation and spectacle: Each failed countermeasure leads to a more devastating display of power.