Chapter Summaries

Naruto defeated the reanimated Fourth Hokage, and Hokage Madara took him to a hidden facility to drain the Nine-Tails chakra inside him. Outside Konoha, Obito tried to seize the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and threatened Sasuke, who confronted him as Naruto and the others watched.

• Naruto blasted the Fourth Hokage with a Rasenshuriken, but the reanimated Hokage began regenerating and reassured his son.
• Hokage Madara pinned the Fourth Hokage with chakra black rods, then used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take him away while Sasuke blocked Obito.
• Hokage Madara brought the Fourth Hokage to Root's former site and used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to drain his Nine-Tails chakra, controlling the Nine-Tails with his Sharingan.
• Obito threatened to capture Sasuke and use him to demand Shisui's Rinnegan, while Naruto, Shisui, and Hayato watched from nearby.
• Sasuke attacked Obito with Futsu-no-Mitama, but the strike passed through his phantom form and left Obito sweating.

Sasuke used his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to detect the spatial fluctuations behind Obito’s Kamui and repeatedly countered his attacks. After Sasuke killed Tobi and broke through Obito’s assault, Obito retreated into thoughts of how his missing eye had left him unable to win.

• Obito discovered that Sasuke could see the spatial fluctuations caused by Kamui, while Sasuke sensed a connection between his chakra and Tobi’s.
• Obito merged with Tobi and attacked Sasuke with Wood Release, but Sasuke pierced Obito’s materialized arm with Chidori Sharp Spear.
• Obito abandoned Kamui and fought Sasuke head-on with Fire Release and Wood Release, but Sasuke’s Susanoo blocked the attacks.
• Obito used Kamui to evade Sasuke’s Majestic Destroyer Flame and left Tobi exposed, allowing Sasuke to kill Tobi with Futsu-no-Mitama and black flames.
• Obito realized he could not break Sasuke’s Susanoo and regretted having only one Sharingan, then turned his thoughts to his other eye.

Sasuke’s evolved Rinnegan let him see and strike Obito through space, but Obito survived a fatal blow using Izanagi. Sasuke then summoned his Perfect Susanoo, leaving Obito facing its legendary defensive and sealing weapons.

• Sasuke evolved his eyes into the Rinnegan and struck Obito through his intangibility with black Chidori and Futsu-no-Mitama.
• Obito used Izanagi to return after Sasuke cut off his head, and Shisui explained the technique’s reality-altering power and cost.
• Obito repeatedly attacked Sasuke while relying on Izanagi, but Sasuke countered his strikes.
• Sasuke summoned his Perfect Susanoo, equipped with the Yata Mirror and Totsuka Blade, while Obito felt helpless before it.

Obito escaped Sasuke’s attack but returned to the Mountainous Cemetery badly wounded, where Edo Madara killed him. Hokage Madara restored Kurama’s other half to Naruto, who dismissed Kurama’s unease about Itachi before a samurai arrived with a message from Lord Shinhiko.

• Obito used Kamui to escape Sasuke’s Yata Mirror, but the attack left him gravely wounded.
• Obito begged Edo Madara to save him and warned that Sasuke and Naruto had become too powerful to stop.
• Edo Madara activated Obito’s restriction and killed him in the cave.
• Hokage Madara freed the Fourth Hokage’s soul, recovered Kurama’s other half, and returned it to Naruto.
• Kurama warned Naruto that Itachi felt as dangerous as Madara, but Naruto defended Itachi and dismissed the warning.
• A samurai arrived at Konoha’s entrance and delivered a message from Lord Shinhiko to Hokage Madara.

After the five daimyo and many senior officials were killed, Shikaku Nara deduced that Orochimaru had used resurrected former Kage to frame the villages and fracture the alliance. Konoha received a plea to protect the Land of Fire’s interim leaders, and Hokage Madara was asked to go to the capital.

• Jiraiya questioned why the Fifth Mizukage would kill the Land of Fire’s daimyo and senior officials.
• Ajin, Sai, and Kazuhiko reported that the daimyo and officials of the Lands of Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water had also been killed.
• Shikaku deduced that Madara Uchiha was behind the attacks and explained that Orochimaru could use Impure World Reincarnation to resurrect former Kage and stage the killings.
• Shikaku reasoned that the murders were meant to sow distrust among the nations and prevent them from forming an allied army.
• A samurai reported that Lord Shinhiko and Lord Yuanxin were overseeing the Land of Fire but lacked guards, and asked Hokage Madara to protect them, coordinate with the other nations, and avenge the daimyo.

Hokage Madara agreed to go to the Capital with a team and take charge, while Shikaku would lead Konoha in his absence and Naruto would protect the village. In Kumogakure, the Raikage blamed Madara for the Daimyo’s death and ordered troops to protect the chaotic Capital of the Land of Lightning.

• Shikaku persuaded Koharu and Konoha’s leaders that Madara should go to the Capital to reassure the surviving ministers and secure their support.
• Madara named Shikaku acting village head, assigned Naruto to protect Konoha, and chose Sasuke and others to accompany him.
• Madara gave Jiraiya a letter and land deed securing a refuge in the Land of Rice Fields for Nagato and Konan.
• The Raikage blamed Madara for the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning’s death, while Mabui suggested the Akatsuki had used Impure World Reincarnation to summon the Second Tsuchikage.
• Darui and C reported that Lord Ya had ordered Kumogakure to move troops to the Capital but keep them outside the city, and the Raikage assigned one-third of the village’s forces to protect it under C’s command.

After Orochimaru’s attacks left the great nations’ leaders dead and their villages mired in suspicion, Konoha circulated Shikaku’s deductions to reassure them that the Akatsuki was responsible. Hokage Madara gained the nations’ trust and entered the Land of Fire’s capital.

• The Third Tsuchikage sent half of Iwagakure’s manpower to protect the Land of Earth’s capital as he suspected the attacks were an Akatsuki scheme.
• Gaara and Ebizo considered sending Temari to Konoha after Sunagakure received no reply, while Kirigakure feared the Land of Water’s officials might purge it.
• Konoha distributed Shikaku’s explanation that Orochimaru and reanimated Previous Kage had attacked the nations, urging the villages not to turn against one another.
• The Raikage, Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, Gaara, and the surviving nobles gained confidence in Hokage Madara after receiving Konoha’s intelligence.
• Hokage Madara entered the Land of Fire’s capital, where Shinhiko and Yuanxin welcomed him.

Hokage Madara became the Land of Fire’s Acting Daimyo after Uesugi Genshin, Shinhiko Kōzuki, and the surviving nobles backed his appointment. He secured the Capital and reassured its ministers, then considered using the other nations’ weakened leadership to gain greater influence.

• Shinhiko Kōzuki recalled how he had once underestimated Hokage Madara, while he and Uesugi Genshin helped keep the Land of Fire stable after Kabuto and Orochimaru’s massacre.
• Uesugi Genshin and Shinhiko Kōzuki asked Hokage Madara to temporarily become Daimyo, and the surviving nobles joined their appeal.
• Hokage Madara accepted the position of Acting Daimyo, and his Bodyguard Unit took control of the Capital’s defenses.
• At his first court meeting, Hokage Madara promised the ministers he would protect the Capital while the Five-Nation Allied Army was formed.
• After the ministers were reassured, Hokage Madara noted that the other four nations had lost most of their leaders and suggested they could use the crisis to secure greater gains.

Yamaguchi Aoyama explained to Sasuke and the other ninja why the daimyo and nobles feared their own villages, describing how they used missions, wars, and other institutions to limit ninja strength. Neji then asked how that fear justified scheming against allied nations, leaving Aoyama to answer.

• Yamaguchi Aoyama argued that the Five Great Nations should prioritize forming an Allied Army, but Sasuke questioned his call to scheme against their allies.
• Aoyama recognized Sasuke Uchiha and explained that nations feared ninja villages because ninja were more loyal to their Kage than to the daimyo.
• Aoyama used Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policy to show how a powerful, isolated village could threaten its daimyo.
• Aoyama said the daimyo used missions, wars, and the Bounty Exchange Office to drain ninja strength and prevent rebellion.
• Neji asked Aoyama how the nations' fear of their ninja villages related to scheming against their allies.

Aoyama explained that the Land of Fire needed to support friendly factions in the other nations before it could unite the Five Great Nations against the Akatsuki. The group reviewed intelligence showing political instability across the four nations, and Shikamaru asked why Mei Terumi had secretly appealed to Hokage Madara for help.

• Aoyama asked Sasuke and Neji how the Land of Fire should unite the Five Great Nations, and Shikamaru explained that it needed to support governments friendly to the Land of Fire.
• Shikamaru warned that choosing a trustworthy proxy in the other nations would be difficult, and Aoyama sought permission to share intelligence with Hokage Madara.
• Yuanxin provided documents showing that Matsushita Tetsugo had gained power in the Land of Lightning and Yamamoto Taro had taken control of the royal Capital in the Land of Earth.
• Shikamaru read that rival factions in the Land of Wind had both requested the Land of Fire's protection, while the Land of Water's leaders and Kirigakure had sent opposing appeals for help.
• Shikamaru asked Hokage Madara why Mei Terumi had secretly written to him for help.

Hokage Madara revealed his strength and Aoyama explained how noble marriages preserved power across nations. Aoyama then proposed taking control of the Land of Wind, arguing that its political weakness and ties to Konoha made it an easy target.

• Hokage Madara told Shikamaru that he had helped kill the Akatsuki-controlled Fourth Mizukage, leaving the court stunned by his strength.
• Aoyama explained that his wife, Takahashi Sakura, came from a powerful Land of Wind family and that noble marriages maintained influence and shared interests across countries.
• Shikamaru and the other ninja realized that noble families prioritized their wealth and survival, even if their countries were defeated.
• Hokage Madara asked Aoyama to present his plan, and Aoyama proposed taking control of the Land of Wind and Sunagakure.
• Aoyama cited the Land of Wind's weak political and military position and Sasuke's favorable relationship with the Kazekage as advantages for Konoha.

Aoyama explained to Shikamaru how the Land of Wind could be brought under Hokage Madara’s control, then traveled there with Sasuke’s team. In the Land of Lightning, the Raikage confronted Acting Daimyo Zhegang and pressured him to form the Five-Nation Allied Army against the Akatsuki.

• Aoyama told Shikamaru that controlling the Land of Wind’s inner circle, backed by military strength, would bring the country under Madara’s control.
• Madara sent Sasuke’s team and Shikamaru to accompany Aoyama to the Land of Wind.
• The Raikage smashed into the Royal Palace of the Land of Lightning and demanded to know whether Zhegang planned to dissolve the Five-Nation Allied Army.
• When samurai moved to seize him, the Raikage shattered the palace floor and threatened to replace Zhegang as daimyo.
• Zhegang explained that the country should stabilize first and warned that the other nations were in chaos, but the Raikage insisted that they also form the allied army and attack the Akatsuki.

The Raikage forced Zhegang and the Land of Lightning’s ministers to obey his wartime orders, while Sasuke’s group reached the Land of Wind’s capital to negotiate an alliance. Sasuke used his Perfect Susanoo to terrify a thousand samurai, leaving Aoyama stunned.

• The Raikage demanded that Zhegang and the ministers follow his orders during the war, and Zhegang agreed on the condition that their safety was guaranteed.
• Neji spotted samurai waiting to ambush Sasuke’s group near the Land of Wind’s capital, and Aoyama asked the ninja to demonstrate their strength while sparing as many enemies as possible.
• Sato Hirofumi confronted Aoyama and ordered him to leave, insisting that the Land of Wind needed to choose an Acting Daimyo instead of forming an allied army.
• Sasuke approached Hirofumi and summoned his Perfect Susanoo, causing the surrounding samurai to drop their swords and kneel in terror.
• Suigetsu teased Sasuke for going too far, while Aoyama stood speechless at the sight.

Sasuke used Susanoo to terrify Yuwen and his samurai into escorting him and Aoyama to the Land of Wind's Capital. At the city gates, Aoyama told Yuwen the Land of Fire would not help the Takahashi clan destroy the Sato family, and Sasuke asked Kento about Sunagakure.

• Sasuke flattened a distant sand hill with Susanoo's arrow, leaving Yuwen and his samurai too frightened to move.
• Sasuke ordered Yuwen to lead the group into the city, and Suigetsu caught Aoyama when he stumbled toward the sand.
• Yuwen's men escorted Sasuke and Aoyama to the gates, where Takahashi Kento arrived with armed samurai.
• Aoyama gave Yuwen four hours to gather his clan's decision-makers and allies, and reiterated that the Land of Fire would not help the Takahashi clan wipe out the Sato family.
• Aoyama introduced Sasuke to Kento as a Konoha ninja whose strength surpassed a Kage's, and Sasuke asked about Sunagakure.
• Kento said the Land of Wind trusted Konoha more and had ordered Sunagakure to hold position and await further instructions.

Aoyama, backed by Sasuke, met with the Sato and Takahashi factions to negotiate the Land of Fire’s goals in the Land of Wind. The nobles accepted the talks peacefully and bowed after hearing Aoyama’s terms.

• Kenshō brought Sasuke and the others to the royal palace while he went to gather the Takahashi allies.
• Sato Hirofumi led Sato Takeshi and the Sato faction to meet Sasuke, and they prostrated themselves before him.
• Sasuke told the nobles to handle all matters through Aoyama, who helped Sato Takeshi rise.
• Takahashi Yamato and the Takahashi faction arrived and paid their respects to Sasuke.
• Aoyama explained that the Land of Fire would not alter the Land of Wind’s balance of power or attack it, and outlined its aims of mediation, protecting the remaining nobles, and securing help to assemble the Five-Nation Allied Army.
• Takahashi Yano and Sato Takeshi exchanged a glance and bowed together.

Aoyama helped the Takahashi and Sato factions divide the Land of Wind’s power and resources, and they appointed Sasuke as Daimyo with Aoyama serving as Acting Daimyo. After securing the factions’ cooperation, Sasuke organized Sunagakure’s supplies and personnel and arranged protection for the Land of Wind’s leaders.

• Aoyama helped the Takahashi and Sato factions settle their rivalry by dividing the vacant power and resources between them.
• Sato Takeshi proposed that Aoyama oversee the Land of Wind during the war, and Takahashi Yano agreed; Aoyama accepted the Acting Daimyo role and named Sasuke as Daimyo.
• Aoyama ordered Sato Takeshi to send supplies to Sunagakure and assemble its forces in the Land of Fire, prompting the young ninjas to question their place in the Shinobi World.
• Sasuke sent Neji and Shikamaru to deliver supplies to the Kazekage and decided to escort the Land of Wind’s leaders to safety in the Land of Fire.
• Sato Takeshi, Sato Hirofumi, Takahashi Kento, Takahashi Yano, and several others were chosen to travel to the Land of Fire while the remaining officials acted on their orders.

Sasuke transported the Land of Wind's officials to the Land of Fire and escorted their supplies to Sunagakure, where the villages' alliance orders caused resentment. After Gaara learned Sasuke was there, he challenged him to a rematch.

• Sasuke used his Rinnegan ability to transport the Land of Wind's senior officials to the Land of Fire, then joined Shikamaru and the others as they hauled supplies toward Sunagakure.
• Gaara received the Land of Wind's approval for Sunagakure to join the war, along with orders requiring its ninja to obey Konoha's ninja.
• Ebizo concluded that the Land of Wind's nobles had negotiated an exchange of interests with the Land of Fire and effectively offered Sunagakure's service.
• Sasuke and his companions arrived in Sunagakure with supplies, food, and gold, prompting the village's ninja to celebrate.
• Temari questioned Sasuke's presence, and Shikamaru sent away a samurai who rebuked her for addressing Sasuke by name.
• Gaara attacked Sasuke with a spike of sand, then flew into the desert and challenged him to a rematch.

Gaara challenged Sasuke to a fight in the desert, and the two exchanged powerful sand and fire techniques. Gaara tried to trap Sasuke with Sandstorm Funeral, but an enormous purple figure began emerging from the sand, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Kankuro tried to stop Gaara from challenging Sasuke, but Ebizo urged him to trust the Kazekage.
• Gaara attacked with sand while Sasuke answered with Majestic Destroyer Flame and dodged Gaara’s relentless assaults.
• Gaara trapped Sasuke in sand, but Sasuke used Shinra Tensei to break free before Gaara tried to seal him inside a sand pyramid.
• Sasuke appeared to pierce Gaara, but the body was a sand clone, and Gaara caught Sasuke with Sandstorm Funeral and buried him underground.
• An enormous purple hand emerged from the collapsing sand, and Gaara tried to seal the rising figure with a sand pyramid.

Sasuke defeated Gaara in a spar, and Gaara ended the confrontation after Sunagakure's ninja rallied to protect him. In a meeting with Sunagakure's leaders, Gaara offered allegiance to the Land of Fire, and Sasuke accepted on the Hokage's behalf.

• Sasuke's Susanoo shattered Gaara's defenses and exhausted him, but Sunagakure's ninja gathered to shield Gaara from further attack.
• Gaara called off the fight, and Sasuke helped him to his feet.
• In the Kazekage's Office, Gaara suspected the Land of Wind's orders came from the Land of Fire, and Sasuke confirmed it.
• Gaara asked what Sunagakure would gain by pledging allegiance, and Sasuke promised resources and aid while requiring its main forces to be stationed in the Land of Fire.
• Shikamaru explained to Kankuro that the Land of Wind's leadership had already submitted to the Hokage, and Gaara said he had fought Sasuke to test whether Konoha was truly invincible.

Gaara thanked Sasuke after Sunagakure agreed to pledge allegiance to the Land of Fire. Hokage Madara then turned his attention to bringing the Land of Water under his influence, revealing that the magnate Gato was his subordinate.

• Gaara thanked Sasuke for helping Sunagakure submit on favorable terms, and Kankuro accepted that the village could not resist Sasuke.
• Sai reported to Hokage Madara that Sunagakure, led by Gaara, was willing to pledge allegiance.
• Hokage Madara announced that the Land of Water was his next target and asked about its Acting Daimyo, Fujiwara Kiyomori.
• Yuanxin described Kiyomori as greedy and difficult to control, while the officials warned that buying his loyalty would be costly.
• Hokage Madara revealed that Gato, the wealthy shipping magnate, was his subordinate and said he would handle the Land of Water.