Recaps

Naruto and Hikari assessed Kusagakure’s defenses and the villagers’ hardship as Naruto planned practical reforms to earn their trust. Later, Naruto chose a plum-blossom hair tie for Hikari, leaving her touched by his gesture.

• Hikari and Naruto found Kusagakure’s defenses dilapidated and its fighting strength limited to Mui, the elders, and a few weaker ninja.
• Naruto decided to improve villagers’ lives with work-for-food, schooling for children, and monthly supplies for the elderly instead of making empty promises.
• Naruto and Hikari visited a jewelry shop, where Naruto said he would teach her Flying Thunder God after they returned.
• Naruto asked Hikari to try on a silver plum-blossom hair tie, pretending he was choosing a gift for Karin.
• Hikari realized Naruto had picked the hair tie for her, and the shopkeeper stopped short of calling them a perfect match after Hikari gave him a cold look.

Naruto ordered Asuma, Sasuke, Rock Lee, and Neji to seize the estates of Kusagakure’s corrupt leaders and officials, while Shikamaru cataloged the confiscated assets. Afterward, Naruto prepared to earn money by writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

• Naruto paid for Hikari’s hair tie, then promised to teach her Flying Thunder God when they returned to the office.
• Naruto ordered Asuma, Sasuke, Rock Lee, Neji, and a Chunin squad to seize the estates of Kusagakure’s elders, senior officials, and their close relatives.
• Naruto assigned Neji to locate hidden valuables and told Sasuke and Rock Lee to restrain resistance without using excessive force.
• Naruto privately instructed Shikamaru to record the seized assets exhaustively, and Shikamaru understood that Naruto wanted the ledgers to exaggerate the officials’ corruption.
• Naruto gave Shikamaru money for a meal and rest, then wrote the opening lyric of Romance of the Three Kingdoms to prepare to make money.

Pain gathered the Akatsuki to discuss Konoha’s unexpected war and the threat posed by Naruto Uzumaki and the resurrected Hokage. The meeting ended with Deidara asking whether Pain or Hashirama Senju was stronger.

• Pain told the Akatsuki that Konoha had initiated a war, disrupting their plans to collect the tailed beasts.
• Kisame explained that Uchiha Itachi was gravely weakened after a draining technique and needed a long recovery.
• Kakuzu and the others discussed Orochimaru’s return to Konoha and the danger posed by the resurrected Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.
• Pain called for the Akatsuki to reassess their strategy and pay closer attention to Naruto Uzumaki and Konoha’s resurrected Hokage.
• Deidara asked whether Pain or Hashirama Senju was stronger, leaving the gathering silent.

The Akatsuki debated whether Nagato or Hashirama was stronger, but Kakuzu refused to give a definitive judgment, and Hidan derailed the discussion with a Jashinist rant. In the Kamui Dimension, Obito learned that Hatake Sakumo had been resurrected and dismissed the news as a temporary disturbance before reaffirming his plan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

• Konan said Nagato would defeat Hashirama, but Kakuzu recalled failing to challenge the First Hokage and cautioned that matchups, conditions, and tactics mattered more than strength alone.
• Zetsu noticed Hidan was unusually quiet, prompting Hidan to erupt into excited preaching about Lord Jashin and sacrifice.
• Deidara complained about Hidan's noisy, unartistic rant, while Zetsu regretted drawing attention to him.
• A White Zetsu Clone told Obito that Konoha had resurrected Hatake Sakumo alongside the previous Hokage.
• Obito reacted sarcastically to Sakumo's return, then dismissed it and said everyone would eventually find peace in the dream world created by the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Obito decided to target Naruto but learned that Zetsu could not locate him because of his keen sensing. Meanwhile, Minato arrived in the Land of Snow to meet Daimyo Kazahana Koyuki, who prepared to receive him while asking Mitaraishi Anko to stay alert.

• Obito asked Zetsu for Naruto's location and learned that Naruto's sensing had defeated their infiltration attempts.
• Minato reached the Land of Snow and saw how its geothermal generator had transformed the climate and landscape.
• Asama Sandayu welcomed Minato after learning he was Naruto's father and escorted him to the Daimyo's Mansion.
• Kazahana Koyuki learned that Konoha's envoy was Naruto's father and considered how his identity could be verified.
• Kazahana Koyuki asked Mitaraishi Anko to protect her if Minato acted suspiciously.

Minato Namikaze met with Kazahana Koyuki to negotiate a railway and mineral-supply partnership between Konoha and the Land of Snow, while Anko was stunned to discover the visitor was the Fourth Hokage. Elsewhere, Orochimaru confronted Tsunade over her hesitation about using cloning technology to grant Jiraiya immortality or bring him back.

• Anko confidently promised Kazahana Koyuki she could protect her, then froze when Minato Namikaze entered the reception room.
• Minato introduced himself as Naruto's father and told Kazahana Koyuki that Naruto had become the Sixth Hokage.
• Minato and Kazahana Koyuki negotiated railway construction and iron supplies, reaching a preliminary cooperation plan.
• Orochimaru challenged Tsunade's reluctance to proceed with cloning technology for Jiraiya, arguing that Jiraiya's wishes should not outweigh the return of her loved ones.

Orochimaru forced Tsunade to honor their bargain and obtain Jiraiya’s blood, then told Tobirama Senju that he planned to clone Jiraiya to study his Perfect Sage Mode. The chapter ended with Tobirama understanding Orochimaru’s research goal and returning to his work.

• Orochimaru reminded Tsunade that he had revived Dan Katō and Nawaki in exchange for Jiraiya’s blood and threatened to take them back if she refused.
• Tsunade struggled between her friendship with Jiraiya and her desire to keep her loved ones, then agreed to get Jiraiya’s blood.
• After Tsunade left, Tobirama Senju questioned Orochimaru about why he wanted Jiraiya’s blood.
• Orochimaru revealed that he intended to clone Jiraiya and study how he had attained stable, controllable Perfect Sage Mode.
• Orochimaru explained that Jiraiya’s clone could help him develop a safer, more widely usable artificial Sage Mode, and Tobirama accepted his reasoning.

After seeing that Konoha’s conquest had restored order in the Land of Grass while sparing civilians, Hashirama accepted Naruto’s plan to unify the shinobi world by force and joined him in the war. Naruto planned to launch an immediate attack on the Land of Earth and use Hashirama to help seize the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind.

• Hashirama walked through the Land of Grass, saw civilians returning to daily life, and reconsidered his opposition to Naruto and Tobirama’s war of unification.
• A street vendor told Hashirama that the former ninja residents had been arrested, forced to work, and killed, while civilians had largely been spared.
• Hashirama found Naruto teaching Uchiha Hikari and Karin the Flying Thunder God Technique at the former Kusagakure Leader’s headquarters.
• Hashirama told Naruto, “Let’s fight together,” and bumped fists with him, formally committing to the campaign.
• Naruto decided to have Shikaku draft a declaration of war and attack the Land of Earth the next day, while sending a clone with Hashirama to seize the Land of Rivers and then the Land of Wind.

Naruto ordered Shikaku to draft a declaration of war and prepare simultaneous campaigns against the Land of Earth, the Land of Rivers, and the Land of Wind. Shikaku pulled Shikamaru from relief work to help with the urgent next stage of the war.

• Naruto's Shadow Clone delivered orders for Shikaku to draft a declaration of war and prepare a blitzkrieg against the Land of Earth, alongside operations in the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind.
• Shikaku accepted the orders and decided to recruit his son Shikamaru to help with the coming war.
• Shikaku found Shikamaru and Neji delivering rice to needy residents because Konoha lacked personnel and local people did not yet trust its administration.
• Neji agreed to continue the deliveries while Shikaku took Shikamaru away for an urgent assignment concerning the next stage of the war.

Shikaku explained to Shikamaru that Naruto might never appoint a formal Hokage Advisor but would likely rely on him for major planning and coordination. Shikamaru began drafting declarations of war, and Shikaku taught him to prioritize likely targets after Naruto arrived asking for documents.

• Shikaku reviewed the history of Hokage Advisors and suggested Naruto would avoid formally creating the position while entrusting its work to Shikamaru.
• Shikaku gave Shikamaru a declaration of war for Kusagakure as a model and instructed him to prepare declarations for the other Great Nations and Small Countries.
• Shikamaru worked on the declarations, but Naruto arrived that evening asking for documents for the Land of Wind, the Land of Earth, and the Land of Rivers.
• Shikaku produced declarations for the Land of Lightning, the Land of Iron, and the Land of Water, then told Shikamaru to prioritize likely next targets and gave him the declaration for the Land of Rain.

Naruto and Uchiha Hikari traveled toward the Land of Earth while Obito waited near the border to test Naruto’s strength. White Zetsu reported that Naruto had a female companion who resembled Madara Uchiha, leaving Obito baffled by the idea that Madara could have a daughter.

• Naruto and his Wood Clone took separate routes with Uchiha Hikari and Hashirama, avoiding the Land of Rain because Pain’s surveillance made it dangerous.
• The chapter described the Smoke Faction’s flight from Amegakure and its ongoing clashes with Pain’s Rain Faction around the borderlands.
• Obito waited near the Land of Earth border as White Zetsu used the Mayfly Technique to scout Naruto’s approach.
• White Zetsu told Obito that Naruto was traveling with a woman and that he had initially mistaken her for Madara Uchiha’s daughter.
• Obito was shocked and wondered how Madara, whom he considered an old bachelor, could possibly have a daughter.

Obito ambushed Naruto and Uchiha Hikari, but Naruto recognized his Kamui and exposed his identity and plans. The chapter ended with Obito stunned that Naruto’s intelligence network knew so much about him.

• Obito prepared an ambush with the Uchiha Gunbai after deciding to take Naruto and Hikari seriously.
• Naruto blocked Obito’s strike with a gold dust shield while Hikari’s Amaterasu passed harmlessly through him.
• Naruto recognized Obito’s Kamui and listened as Obito disguised himself as Madara Uchiha.
• Naruto recited Obito’s personal details and Eye of the Moon Plan, then identified him as Obito Uchiha.
• Obito was shocked that Naruto knew his identity and plans, realizing his disguise had been exposed.

Naruto deduced Obito Uchiha’s identity and connected him to the Uchiha Shrine tablet and the Eye of the Moon Plan. Obito exposed his face, decided to eliminate Naruto and Uchiha Hikari, and challenged them both to fight him.

• Obito tried to escape with Kamui after Naruto revealed his knowledge of Obito and the Eye of the Moon Plan.
• Naruto deduced that Obito was the one-eyed Uchiha who gave his left eye to Kakashi Hatake and that Rin Nohara’s death had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Naruto connected Obito’s plan to the Uchiha Shrine tablet and suggested Madara Uchiha had saved him at Kannabi Bridge.
• Obito decided Naruto and Hikari could not be allowed to live, removed his mask, and revealed his scarred face.
• Obito suspected Hikari had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and challenged her and Naruto to attack him together.

Naruto and Uchiha Hikari countered Obito’s attack with Wood Release, Water Release, and Amaterasu, forcing him to escape through Kamui after losing his left arm. Obito regrouped in the Kamui Dimension, identified Hikari’s likely Mangekyō abilities, and left Naruto and Hikari at the Land of Earth Border.

• Obito attacked Naruto with his Gunbai, but Naruto used Flying Thunder God to evade and then raised more than a dozen wood golems that crushed the hidden White Zetsu clones.
• Obito used Kamui to avoid the golems and launched Blast Wave Wild Dance, but Naruto countered the fire vortex with Water Dragon Prison.
• Uchiha Hikari struck Obito’s left shoulder with Amaterasu while he briefly became solid, and Obito tore off his burning arm before escaping into the Kamui Dimension.
• Obito examined his wound and concluded that Hikari’s Mangekyō abilities likely included Kagutsuchi and Susanoo.
• Naruto watched Obito’s disappearance and remarked that he had run fast.

Naruto told Hikari that Obito Uchiha had once been a Konoha ninja and had caused his parents’ deaths, then advised her to target Obito’s head if they fought again. As they resumed their flight toward the Land of Earth, Naruto offered to make Hikari spicy beef sauce, and she ruffled his hair after he hesitated to pat hers.

• Hikari asked Naruto whether Obito had once belonged to Konoha, and Naruto confirmed that Obito Uchiha had been a student of the Fourth Hokage.
• Naruto explained that Obito had caused his parents’ deaths during the Nine-Tails’ Attack and told Hikari to use Amaterasu on Obito’s head next time.
• Naruto thanked Hikari for helping in the fight and offered to treat her to food in the Land of Earth.
• Hikari asked Naruto to replenish her extra-hot sauce and then requested beef, so he promised to make her spicy beef sauce.
• Naruto restored the battle-scarred forest with his Wood Golem Technique and prepared the golden sand platform for their flight.
• Hikari ruffled Naruto’s hair, then covered her head and turned away in embarrassment as Naruto smiled and smoothed his hair.

Naruto told Roshi he had come to the Land of Earth for Dust Release and Iwagakure, and also wanted to learn about Lava Release from Son Gokū. Roshi recognized Naruto's ambitions and called them a big appetite.

• Naruto shared food and drink with Roshi while Hikari quietly ate Rock-Skin Flatbread nearby.
• Roshi asked whether Naruto had come to kill Ōnoki, then joked that Naruto might be seeking Kurotsuchi.
• Naruto's reaction to Kurotsuchi's name made Roshi suspect he had come for her, but Naruto denied the misunderstanding.
• Naruto said he had come for Dust Release and Iwagakure, and wanted to ask Son Gokū about Lava Release.
• Son Gokū opened his eyes after hearing Naruto knew his name, while Roshi called Naruto's ambitions a big appetite.

Naruto faced Roshi after the Iwa ninja challenged his strength and overwhelmed Roshi’s lava attacks with a massive Water Release. The flood swallowed Roshi and his magma pool, leaving his condition unclear as Hikari watched Naruto’s power in astonishment.

• Roshi activated Lava Release Chakra Mode and challenged Naruto to prove his strength.
• Naruto raised himself and Hikari above the magma on a platform of gold dust, then asked Hikari to let him fight alone.
• Naruto and Roshi entered golden and lava chakra modes, and Roshi attacked with Lava Release: Scorching River Rock Technique.
• Naruto countered with Water Release: Heavenly River Cascade, which cooled and swept away Roshi’s lava projectiles.
• Roshi unleashed the Four-Tails’ chakra and expanded the magma pool, but Naruto’s flood submerged him and the surrounding area.
• Hikari watched the flood in astonishment as Roshi’s faint roars sounded beneath the water.

Naruto froze Roshi’s flood with Ice Release, forcing Roshi to become the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, and unleash a devastating lava counterattack. As Son Gokū struck a triumphant pose, Kurama emerged and pinned his face with a golden chakra claw.

• Naruto used Absolute Traces to freeze the flood and trap Roshi in an expanding field of ice.
• Roshi called on Son Gokū, who broke out of the ice and transformed into the Four-Tails.
• Son Gokū unleashed Flower-Fruit Mountain and Great Burning River Eruption, melting the ice and turning the battlefield into a sea of lava.
• Kurama emerged from golden ripples and pinned Son Gokū’s face with a chakra claw, mocking his confident roar.

Kurama ambushed Son Gokū and forced a fight despite the Four-Tails asking to make peace. As the tailed beasts battled, Naruto ate beside Hikari, who put on his cloak, and he quietly accepted her closeness.

• Kurama surprised Son Gokū and rejected his request to make peace, insisting they fight first.
• Kurama and Son Gokū clashed, with Roshi joining the battle using Lava Release.
• Naruto reappeared beside Hikari and continued eating his Rock-Skin Flatbread while the battle raged.
• Hikari took Naruto’s white cloak and wrapped herself in it, and Naruto let her keep it.
• Hikari watched Naruto and breathed in the familiar scent of his cloak.

Naruto defeated Roshi and received the Four-Tails’ chakra through their wager. Son Gokū settled into a new territory inside Naruto’s Sealing Space, where Shukaku welcomed him with mockery.

• Roshi acknowledged Naruto as the Sixth Hokage and Nine-Tails’ jinchūriki after their battle ended.
• Roshi admitted defeat and offered Naruto the Four-Tails’ power, and Son Gokū willingly transferred his chakra when their fists met.
• Son Gokū appeared in a new lava territory inside Naruto’s Sealing Space, beside Shukaku’s desert.
• Shukaku mocked Son Gokū for losing to Kurama, and Son Gokū drew a boundary between their territories before resting.
• Naruto thanked Roshi for honoring their bet, and Roshi urged him to use the Four-Tails’ power well.

Roshi begged Naruto to spare the people of the Land of Earth and Ōnoki, offering his service in return. Naruto refused to take Roshi’s freedom and promised that after uniting the land, Roshi could keep protecting its people as part of a wider peace.

• Roshi knelt before Naruto and asked him to spare the Land of Earth’s civilians and Ōnoki.
• Roshi offered to serve Naruto if he granted his request.
• Naruto struggled with the plea but chose not to accept Roshi’s allegiance.
• Naruto explained that his war aimed to end the shinobi world’s conflicts and establish lasting peace.
• Naruto asked Roshi to keep protecting the people of his homeland after it became part of the united shinobi world.
• Roshi saw Naruto as the beginning of a new era.

Pain and Konan prepared to leave Amegakure for an S-rank mission from Iwagakure, but Obito warned them that their target was the Nine-Tails’ perfect jinchuriki, accompanied by a young Uchiha girl with the Mangekyō Sharingan. Pain wondered whether Orochimaru had turned Sasuke Uchiha into a woman, leaving Obito speechless.

• Pain had changed the rain over Amegakure so it fell only on Sundays, allowing the village and its crops to recover.
• Pain and Konan prepared to depart for the Land of Earth to carry out an S-rank mission commissioned by Iwagakure.
• Obito appeared and warned Pain and Konan that their target was the Nine-Tails’ perfect jinchuriki, who was accompanied by a young Uchiha girl with the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Pain questioned where the Uchiha girl had come from and wondered whether Orochimaru had turned Sasuke Uchiha into a woman.
• Obito told Pain he had never known him to have such a knack for humor.

Obito proposed transplanting Hashirama’s cells into Nagato to strengthen the Akatsuki and advance his plans, while secretly intending to keep Nagato under his control. He demonstrated the cells’ regenerative power and promised they could restore Nagato’s frail body, leaving Nagato and Konan startled by the possibility.

• Obito told Pain that Sasuke was in Kusagakure with an unknown young Uchiha woman whose dōjutsu appeared to include Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi.
• Pain dismissed the threat posed by the woman’s flames and Naruto’s Wood Release, trusting in the Rinnegan’s power.
• Obito proposed transplanting Hashirama’s cells into Nagato to prepare for stronger enemies and support their plan.
• Konan questioned the benefit of the transplant, and Obito demonstrated White Zetsu cells’ rapid regeneration by breaking and reattaching his hand.
• Obito promised the cells could restore Nagato’s health and might awaken greater powers, leaving Nagato and Konan visibly stunned.

Nagato rejected Obito’s offer to transplant Hashirama cells, wary of trusting the masked man with his body or power. After Obito left, Nagato prepared to confront Naruto Uzumaki and the Uchiha, while Obito brooded over Naruto’s strength and his own past.

• Nagato used the Rain Tiger at Will Technique to monitor Obito in the Land of Rain and refused his offer of Hashirama cells.
• Konan supported Nagato’s decision, and Nagato ordered her to prepare for the mission involving Naruto Uzumaki and the Uchiha.
• Obito left the Tower and returned to the Kamui Dimension, where he concluded Nagato might struggle against Naruto in his current condition.
• Obito considered retrieving Kakashi’s eye to increase his strength and recalled Naruto’s calm gaze as a newborn, which he remembered as pity.

Naruto's Wood Clone brought Kakashi back to Konoha after revealing that Obito was the Masked Man behind the Nine-Tails' Attack, then met with Orochimaru to discuss eye surgery and recovered Urashiki's purified Byakugan. The chapter ended with the clone asking Orochimaru to give Kakashi an ordinary eye while Naruto's original decided what to do with Obito's eye.

• Naruto's Wood Clone told Kakashi that Obito Uchiha had been the Masked Man responsible for the Nine-Tails' Attack and brought him to Orochimaru's laboratory.
• Orochimaru said he had removed the safeguards from Urashiki's Rinnegan and gave Naruto's Wood Clone the eyes' purified Byakugan.
• Naruto's Wood Clone asked Orochimaru about cultivating a Sharingan from Naruto and Uchiha Hikari's cells, and Orochimaru said the experiment had not developed enough yet.
• Naruto's Wood Clone asked Orochimaru to transplant an ordinary eye into Kakashi and said Naruto's original would decide whether to destroy or seal Obito's eye.