Chapter Summaries

Naruto celebrated becoming a chunin with Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata before Jiraiya asked to take him on as a student. At the Akatsuki base, Nagato reviewed the growing organization and decided it was time to remove people pulling it in different directions.

• Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata celebrated Naruto's promotion over barbecue, and Kakashi explained what Naruto would need to qualify as a jonin.
• Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata asked Kakashi to teach them new skills, and Kakashi considered how to plan their training.
• Jiraiya arrived after the meal, sent Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata away, and offered to make Naruto his student.
• Nagato received a message from Konan, burned it, and resolved to begin a housecleaning within the Akatsuki.
• Nagato recognized that Obito and Black Zetsu were recruiting rogue ninja to gain influence, but trusted the Land of Rain's backing and Chiba Tetsuya's support to keep the Akatsuki beyond their control.

Obito recruited an A-rank rogue ninja and discussed how the peaceful shinobi world and the Chiba Commerce Association obstructed his plans. Black Zetsu suggested targeting Chiba Tetsuya, but the group learned that senjutsu chakra protected every branch of the association.

• Obito used his Sharingan to recruit an A-rank rogue ninja into the Akatsuki and ordered him to hide their connection.
• Obito, Black Zetsu, and White Zetsu discussed how trade and alliances had reduced conflict and weakened their plans to control Nagato through the Akatsuki.
• Black Zetsu suggested that killing Chiba Tetsuya could destabilize the Chiba Commerce Association and the alliance of small countries.
• Obito doubted they could reach Chiba Tetsuya because of his powerful protectors and their lack of intelligence on the association.
• White Zetsu said his Spore Clones could not enter the association’s branches because they were protected by senjutsu chakra, surprising Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu and Obito planned to kill Chiba Tetsuya and exploit the resulting turmoil to advance their tailed-beast plan. Tetsuya spotted their attempt to lure him through the forum and agreed to meet them in the Land of Hot Water, intending to discover their plot.

• Black Zetsu proposed obtaining Chiba Tetsuya's blood so Hidan could kill him with a ritual curse, and Obito agreed to target him.
• White Zetsu warned that the Three-Tails might end up with the Chiba Commerce Association, but Black Zetsu argued that killing Chiba Tetsuya would create a weakness they could exploit.
• Tetsuya noticed that a forum post asking to meet him had received likes and comments mostly from the Land of Water, and suspected Obito was behind it.
• Tetsuya replied that he would meet the poster, while Obito and Black Zetsu chose the Land of Hot Water as the ambush site and planned to use Hidan if needed.
• Tetsuya accepted the Land of Hot Water meeting and told Obito he would set out in three days.

Karin sensed an attack on Tetsuya's convoy, and Zabuza, Sasuke, and Haku prepared to defend it from more than a hundred rogue ninja. The battle began with Zabuza and Haku cutting down attackers, while Sasuke unleashed Kirin against the enemies charging him.

• Karin sensed many chakra signatures approaching the convoy, and Zabuza sounded the alarm and activated the Underground Fortress Technique for the noncombatants.
• Sasuke, Zabuza, Haku, and Karin took positions around Tetsuya's carriage as more than a hundred rogue ninja surrounded the convoy.
• A rogue ninja shouted that Chiba Tetsuya was in the carriage, and the attackers charged.
• Zabuza used the Hidden Mist Technique and killed the first attackers, revealing himself to rogue ninja from Kirigakure as Demon Zabuza.
• Haku formed an Ice Rock Dome to block attacks and struck the front ranks with Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death.
• Sasuke faced the rogue ninja charging him and used Lightning Release: Kirin.

Tetsuya’s guards struggled against a massive force of rogue ninja until his Izuna duplicate turned the battle around. Obito then entered the carriage to capture Tetsuya, but Rin appeared and attacked him, leaving the two masked fighters facing off.

• Zabuza, Sasuke, Karin, and the others were pushed back by more than a hundred rogue ninja, and Sasuke called for Tetsuya’s help.
• Tetsuya’s Izuna duplicate emerged from the carriage and used the Gunbai and powerful techniques to overwhelm the rogue ninja.
• Obito and Zetsu watched the battle, and Obito decided to attack Tetsuya after his guards had been drawn away.
• Obito entered the carriage through Kamui and thrust his blade toward Tetsuya, who greeted him without fear.
• Rin appeared behind Obito with a Rasengan, forcing him to use Kamui to protect himself, and she confronted him as a traitor to the Uchiha Clan.

Obito's assault on Tetsuya's group failed, but he escaped with Tetsuya's blood and brought it to Hidan as a sacrifice. Tetsuya's party collected the defeated rogues' bodies for bounty money and continued on to the Land of Hot Water.

• Obito used Kamui to evade Rin and attack Tetsuya, but Rin deflected his blade and the assault ended in defeat for the rogue ninja.
• Obito escaped with blood from Tetsuya's neck, while Tetsuya revealed that his wound had already healed.
• Tetsuya ordered Zabuza to collect the rogue ninja corpses and claim their bounties, then agreed to continue the journey to the Land of Hot Water.
• Tetsuya and officials from the Land of Grass visited the Land of Hot Water's Daimyo, while Karin took Haku and Sasuke shopping.
• Obito arrived at the Akatsuki hideout and gave Hidan a vial of Tetsuya's blood as a sacrifice for Lord Jashin.

Obito used Tetsuya’s blood to persuade Hidan to perform a ritual that cursed Tetsuya, pulling him into the Evil God’s realm instead of killing him. There, Tetsuya learned from Husky that his evil god immortal body was the same body as the Evil God’s, and he realized Hidan had guided him there.

• Obito gave Hidan blood from Tetsuya and urged him to offer Tetsuya as a sacrifice to Lord Jashin.
• Hidan performed the ritual and stabbed himself through the heart, drawing the Evil God’s attention.
• Tetsuya felt his heart jolt and was pulled into a scarlet realm, where Hidan mistook him for Lord Jashin.
• Tetsuya recognized Hidan’s curse and realized his own evil god immortal body might be the Evil God’s own constitution.
• Husky confirmed that Tetsuya had the Evil God’s immortal body and said the realm’s Evil God had left.
• Tetsuya told Husky that Hidan had guided him into the realm.

After becoming the Evil God, Tetsuya told Hidan that he accepted the offering but did not need more sacrifices, then gave him a new task. Obito believed Tetsuya was dead and spread rumors that ended five days later with Chiba Ryo succeeding him as Daimyo of the Land of Grass.

• Tetsuya learned that his constitution matched the vanished Evil God's and decided to use his new position for personal gain.
• Tetsuya praised Hidan's offering, told him he would not need more offerings for now, and assigned him a task.
• Hidan pulled a spear from his chest and told Obito that Lord Jashin had accepted the offering and granted him an audience.
• Obito concluded that Chiba Tetsuya was dead and planned to spread the news and stir unrest across the nations.
• Rumors about Tetsuya's death spread as Chiba Satoru and Chiba Ryo took on duties in the Chiba Commerce Association and Daimyo's Mansion.
• Five days after the rumors began, the Land of Grass announced Tetsuya's death and Chiba Ryo's succession as daimyo.

After Chiba Tetsuya’s funeral, disputes over the Land of Grass’s contracts intensified, and Tetsuya saw the Shinobi World sliding toward chaos. In Konoha, Naruto and four of his peers became Jonin, but Jiraiya warned Tsunade that the turmoil following Tetsuya’s death was already beginning.

• The people of the Land of Grass mourned Chiba Tetsuya at his funeral, attended by his family, apprentices, and representatives from across the Shinobi World.
• Chiba Ryo assured the representatives that existing contracts would remain valid, but demands for better terms sparked arguments and left the nations on bad terms.
• Tetsuya noticed inflammatory forum posts and rising tensions among small nations, suspected Obito was behind the unrest, and called Kakuzu to give events a push.
• Tsunade awarded Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, Tenten, and Rock Lee their Jonin ranks, and the five left to celebrate.
• Jiraiya entered Tsunade’s office through the window and warned her that trouble in the Shinobi World was emerging as a consequence of Chiba Tetsuya’s death.

Tsunade convened Konoha’s Elder Council to discuss rising tensions and ordered the village to work to prevent a Shinobi World War while preparing for one. Meanwhile, Danzo fumed over an online novel’s abrupt ending until a message from False World appeared on his screen.

• Jiraiya reported that friction between nations and shinobi villages was increasing, prompting the Elder Council to fear another Shinobi World War.
• Tsunade told the council to pursue peace while preparing for the possibility of war, and Jiraiya urged them to communicate with the major villages.
• The council members agreed that Konoha should prepare, while hoping the Five Great Nations and Five Great Shinobi Villages would avoid conflict.
• Danzo read the ending of 'Bearing the Darkness, I Aspire to Become Village Chief' and angrily complained that Murashita Dan had been killed by a meteor.
• Danzo opened the comments to confront the author, but a notification appeared saying that his friend False World had sent him a message.

Nagato rallied Akatsuki and assigned teams to capture the tailed beasts, while Tetsuya learned the plan had begun and traveled to the White Snake Sage’s cave. He told the snake princesses to make sure the Sage rested, leaving his contempt for her clear.

• Nagato declared that Akatsuki would transform the shinobi world, and its members chanted in support.
• Nagato assigned Deidara and Sasori to capture the One-Tail in Sunagakure, then sent Hidan and Tobi after Kumogakure’s Two-Tails.
• Tetsuya received Yahiko’s message about the tailed beast capture plan and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel to the White Snake Sage’s cave.
• Tagitsuhime told Tetsuya that the White Snake Sage was recovering, and Tetsuya ordered her to keep resting.

Tetsuya visited Kabuto Yakushi in Ryūchi Cave, where Kabuto had completed two years of senjutsu training and achieved a perfect Sage Mode. Tetsuya told him that upheaval was brewing in the Shinobi World and prepared to send him on an undercover mission.

• Tetsuya entered Ryūchi Cave and found Kabuto Yakushi meditating after two years of training.
• Tetsuya recalled that Orochimaru had angered the White Snake Sage with his experiments, so Tetsuya had forced her to arrange Kabuto's senjutsu lessons.
• Kabuto awakened with a perfect Sage Mode, then dismissed its snake-like scales and horns at will.
• Kabuto compared his Sage Mode with Tetsuya's, and Tetsuya explained that their powers came from different paths.
• Tetsuya said the Shinobi World was stirring and that he had a mission only Kabuto could handle.
• Kabuto guessed that Tetsuya wanted him to infiltrate someone undercover.

Sasori and Deidara returned to Sunagakure with the Akatsuki First Hunting Squad, and Sasori learned about the village's leadership and a Konoha envoy. Deidara began an attack under cover of darkness while Sasori led the others toward the village.

• Yura killed Sunagakure's guards and welcomed Sasori, then reported that Gaara was Kazekage and a Konoha envoy was meeting with him.
• Sasori killed Yura after hearing his report, explaining that Yura had outlived his usefulness.
• Deidara flew ahead on a clay bird to scout Sunagakure, while Sasori continued toward the village with the Akatsuki members.
• Deidara spotted three sentries, waited for nightfall, and sent Clay Spiders toward them.
• A Clay Spider leapt onto a sentry's face as Deidara shouted, "Art is an explosion!"

Deidara attacked Sunagakure to capture its jinchūriki, Gaara, and the two fought in the sky above the village. Gaara trapped Deidara inside a giant sphere of sand, leaving his capture uncertain.

• Deidara broke through Sunagakure’s defenses, but Gaara confronted him and used sand to pursue him into the sky.
• Deidara learned that his clay bird had revealed his presence, while sentries raised the alarm and Naruto and Kakashi identified him as an Akatsuki member.
• Gaara launched an enormous sand attack, and Deidara dodged it before testing Gaara’s defenses with explosive clay birds.
• Deidara’s explosives struck Gaara, but Gaara protected himself inside a sphere of sand.
• Gaara surprised Deidara with a sand waterfall and trapped him in a giant sand sphere using Sand Binding Prison.

Gaara fought Deidara until Sasori captured Temari and forced Gaara to release Deidara. Kankuro confronted Sasori with his puppets while Naruto stayed inside on Kakashi’s orders, and the chapter ended with Kankuro trapping Sasori in Black Ant.

• Gaara pursued Deidara with his faster, tougher sand, but Sasori seized Temari and threatened her life.
• Gaara released Deidara, and Sasori tossed Temari to Kankuro, who handed her to a nearby ninja and summoned Crow, Black Ant, and Ibuse.
• Naruto tried to join the battle, but Kakashi and Sakura convinced him that Konoha’s team had to stay out of Sunagakure’s internal affair.
• Deidara resumed fighting Gaara while Kankuro sent Crow against Sasori, who easily deflected its attacks.
• Kankuro trapped Sasori inside Black Ant and sent Crow’s blades toward the puppet.

Sasori exposed and destroyed Kankuro’s puppets, but Naruto intervened before Sasori could kill him. Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata joined the battle as Sasori revealed that the Akatsuki had come for Gaara.

• Sasori revealed that the captive inside Kankuro’s Black Ant was a Sand Clone and struck down the Ibuse puppet’s shield.
• Sasori read Kankuro’s attacks, destroyed all three of his puppets, and prepared to kill him.
• Naruto intercepted Sasori’s tail with a Rasengan and told Kankuro to leave for spare puppets.
• Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata joined Naruto, while Gaara continued fighting Deidara above them.
• Naruto realized the Akatsuki were targeting jinchūriki, and Sasori prepared to fight him.

Kakashi helped Hinata, Sakura, and the Sunagakure ninja turn the fight against the Akatsuki, while Naruto discovered Sasori was hiding inside the puppet Hiruko. Deidara’s attack damaged Gaara’s absolute defense, leaving him exposed and cracked.

• Kakashi used Lightning Blade, Kamui, and a Lightning Release Clone to defeat several Akatsuki members, allowing Hinata and Sakura to lead a counterattack.
• Naruto recognized that Sasori was a puppet and struck Hiruko with a Great Flame Rasengan, forcing Sasori’s real body to emerge.
• Deidara dropped C3 on Sunagakure, but Gaara blocked the explosion with a wall of sand.
• Deidara revealed Clay Spiders inside Gaara’s absolute defense and detonated them, causing the sand sphere to crumble and exposing Gaara with cracks across his face.

Deidara captured Gaara despite Naruto using the Flying Thunder God Technique to try to save him, and the Akatsuki retreated from Sunagakure. During questioning afterward, Naruto described Sasori’s hidden puppet body, and Baki identified the puppeteer as Sasori of the Red Sands.

• Gaara moved the sand wall away from Sunagakure before losing consciousness, and the villagers rallied to protect him.
• Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to reach Gaara in midair, but Deidara captured Gaara and flew away.
• Sasori signaled the Akatsuki to retreat once Gaara was secured, and Sunagakure failed to stop them.
• Sunagakure questioned the four Konoha representatives, and Naruto described finding a person hidden inside a puppet.
• Baki recognized Naruto’s description and sketch as Sasori of the Red Sands.

Tetsuya told Tobirama and Madara about a second Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, explaining that the weakened Ōtsutsuki Isshiki possessed it. Madara proposed finding Isshiki and taking his Ten-Tails, and Tetsuya agreed, leaving Tobirama unsure what he intended.

• Tetsuya discussed reports that Deidara and Sasori had captured Gaara and that Naruto had fought Sasori in Sunagakure.
• Tobirama reasoned that the Akatsuki would need time and several people to perform the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals.
• Tetsuya admitted he knew someone else in the Shinobi World possessed a Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and Madara objected that a second one could not exist.
• Tetsuya explained Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's history with Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and claimed nature had revealed the ancient events to him.
• Madara urged Tetsuya to find and eliminate the weakened Isshiki, then take his Ten-Tails, and Tetsuya agreed.

Tetsuya and Madara discussed how difficult it would be to locate Isshiki in an alternate dimension, while Jigen watched the Akatsuki begin collecting Tailed Beasts and considered helping Kaguya’s descendants. At the Akatsuki hideout, Nagato overcame his hesitation and began the sealing ritual for the captured One-Tail Jinchuriki.

• Tetsuya told Madara that Isshiki likely hid in an alternate dimension, and Izuna said he needed spatial coordinates or contact with it to find him.
• Tetsuya expected Isshiki to reveal himself when the time was right and thought Madara might intervene if Isshiki appeared.
• Jigen watched Ten-Tails and reflected on Kaguya’s possible return, then considered helping her descendants win the coming battle.
• Nagato hesitated over extracting the Tailed Beast from the captured One-Tail Jinchuriki, while Black Zetsu and Obito eagerly urged the ritual to begin.
• Nagato announced the ritual to the Akatsuki Core Work Group, used the Magic Lantern Body Technique, and summoned the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.