Recaps

Naruto prepared for a life-and-death shogi match against Hagoromo, drawing allies and the resurrected dead into a vast battle across the Pure Land. As fighters settled old conflicts on scattered battlefields, Sasuke faced Uchiha Tajima and Hagoromo’s match with Naruto remained unfinished.

• Naruto accepted Hagoromo’s life-and-death shogi challenge and appointed Shikamaru as his chief strategist, while Minato and Kushina returned to their family.
• Naruto explained the coming match to Konoha’s leaders, introduced Kaguya, Otohime, and Black Zetsu at dinner, and told his parents he planned to get engaged to seven women.
• Isshiki ambushed Naruto, but Naruto killed him and refined his body, soul, and chakra into a Chakra Fruit before Hagoromo began the shogi match.
• Naruto and Hagoromo deployed fighters from the living world and history, and battles began between Hashirama and Madara, Hikari and Indra, Otohime and Hamura, and Kaguya and Asura.
• Itachi apologized to Shisui before dying and joining the Pure Land’s side, while Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on himself to switch sides and Sasuke appeared to challenge Itachi.
• Neji revealed his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and used Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion to carve through enemy territory, prompting Hagoromo to scatter the strongest fighters across separate battlefields.
• Hiruzen confronted Danzo and Kagami, while Hiashi reunited with Hizashi and Neji faced his father and the dead Hyuga elders.
• Sasuke fought Uchiha Tajima with swordsmanship and lightning-enhanced attacks, scorching Tajima with Amaterasu before Tajima changed to his Gunbai and prepared to fight seriously.

The Pure Land battle reached its turning point as old rivals settled their fights and Guy and Duy gave their lives to defeat Indra and Asura. Naruto then confronted the Sage of Six Paths, drawing on allies and immense new power as their clash began.

• Sasuke Uchiha defeated Uchiha Tajima after learning from his guidance, while Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha unleashed their full power against each other.
• Hagoromo returned Asura's chakra and consciousness, and Asura prepared to fight Kaguya at full strength as Indra and Taichi entered the battle.
• Hatake Sakumo outmaneuvered Sasori, retrieved his true Core of Regeneration, and disabled his puppets, while Nagato turned against Obito and helped Konan regain control against Hanzō.
• Might Guy and Might Duy opened the Gate of Death and used Night Guy to badly wound Indra and Asura, dying after their attacks as the brothers disappeared from the battlefield.
• Hashirama put Madara to sleep, and Naruto interrupted the Sage of Six Paths's attempt to examine his future before confronting him directly.
• Orochimaru summoned Second Manda after Manda hesitated, while Naruto revealed Six Paths Sage Mode and told Kurama he would fight the Sage with everything he had.
• Naruto used the Tenseigan's abilities to drive back the Sage, who summoned his Perfect Susanoo, and Naruto answered with the Eight-Armed Asura and chakra from his allies.
• Naruto swallowed the Chakra Fruit refined from Ōtsutsuki Isshiki and sent the Asura's eight weapons against the Sage's Susanoo as the Sage raised Amenonuhoko to meet them.

Naruto fought the Sage of Six Paths to a draw, then returned to the living world and escorted a film crew into the Land of Snow. After killing Kazahana Dōtō, Naruto faced an ambush by Orochimaru and Sasuke.

• Tobirama checked on Konoha while Naruto and the Sage of Six Paths fought, and the village’s shinobi resolved to protect their home until Naruto returned.
• Konan, Nagato, Hashirama, and Naruto attacked the Sage, but he escaped Naruto’s sealing techniques and continued their battle.
• Naruto borrowed Nagato’s Rinnegan abilities to summon Limbo shadows, then traded insults and attacks with the Sage through a month-long fight.
• Naruto and the Sage unleashed a final clash that shattered Six Paths Life-and-Death Shogi, leaving both exhausted without a victor.
• Naruto visited Kusagakure and Iwagakure, returned to Konoha, and told Jiraiya he planned to marry on his eighteenth birthday.
• Naruto and Jiraiya escorted Kazahana Koyuki’s film crew through the Land of Snow, where Naruto killed Nadare Rōga, Fubuki Kakuyoku, and Fuyukuma Kōsetsu for a two-million-ryō bounty.
• Naruto refused to help Koyuki and Asama Sandayu overthrow Kazahana Dōtō, but later confronted Dōtō and decapitated him after he called for help.
• Naruto fought off an ambush and recognized Orochimaru’s voice before Sasuke attacked him with a lightning-coated Kusanagi Sword.

Naruto and Orochimaru joined forces against Sunagakure, capturing and killing Rasa before Naruto faced Gaara. Naruto defeated Gaara and sealed Shukaku away, leaving the Sand Ninja to reckon with the strength of the outsider who had vanished.

• Naruto and Sasuke fought to a standstill before agreeing to duel again in a year, while Naruto helped Kazahana Koyuki restore the Land of Snow and set off for Konoha with Orochimaru.
• Naruto and Orochimaru ambushed Rasa in the Land of Wind, defeated him, and forced him to reveal some of Sunagakure’s defenses and supplies before Orochimaru killed him and took his Magnet Release training scroll.
• Jiraiya brought Sasuke to Tsunade for treatment, then set out with her to investigate the cult threatening Red Swallow’s seal, while Sasuke stayed behind to recover and pursue his goal of defeating Naruto.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Hyuga Hiashi that Orochimaru had taken Naruto and that Konoha would avoid openly intervening in the Land of Snow while calling Naruto back.
• Naruto and Orochimaru captured Temari and learned from her memories how Gaara became Sunagakure’s jinchūriki, before Gaara broke into the basement and confronted them.
• Naruto fought Gaara while holding Kurama back, piercing Gaara’s defenses with a lightning-infused water dragon as Shukaku’s chakra healed Gaara and strengthened his transformation.
• Naruto used a Hurricane Rasengan and a surprise attack to break through Gaara’s defenses, but Gaara continued transforming as Orochimaru escaped and Kankuro took Temari away.
• Naruto’s sealing runes forced Gaara out of his Tailed Beast Transformation and sealed Shukaku back in the Sealing Space, after which Naruto vanished with Flying Thunder God and the runes on Gaara’s back formed the Eight Trigrams Seal.