Recaps

Ria built the Church of the Holy Light into a powerful institution, protecting villages and defeating Sand shinobi before expanding its authority across the Land of Rain. After taking Corona City and putting its nobles on trial, Axel met Yahiko and debated whether equality could be achieved through communication or struggle.

• Li Ming found the dying Ria in Huayu Town and merged with her, awakening her as Artoria, an archbishop who killed the bandits responsible for her suffering and resolved to spread the Holy Light.
• Ria gathered her siblings and Meli into the church, recruited new clerics, and defeated Jonin Xiliu after he attacked them, then sent teams to establish churches in nearby villages.
• Axel and his companions earned Peace Village’s trust, built a church, and defended the villagers from Rasa’s Sand shinobi until Ria arrived and resurrected Axel after he sacrificed himself to save Yui.
• Ria led the Holy Light Clerics against Chiyo’s Sand forces, routed them, and began expanding the church into the Holy Church, which took control of territories and punished nobles judged evil.
• Axel’s forces defeated Tetsui’s army, seized Corona City, and captured Earl Dill, while the Holy Church registered residents, provided aid, and arrested criminals.
• Tiemu betrayed Caesar and the other nobles, helping the Holy Church capture them, and Axel arranged a public trial as residents reported abuses and nobles received sentences.
• Axel met Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, discussed the Holy Light and the struggle for equality, then returned to hear reports on the church’s military, industrial, and public-relations progress.

Ria’s Holy Church defeated Hanzō’s forces and gained control across the Land of Rain, while its relief work and harsh justice drew Yahiko’s scrutiny. As the Church extended its influence into the Land of Wind, Fengsha joined Will’s team and faced the slums’ desperate need for water.

• Ria organized the Holy Light Clerics to defend Corona City, repelled Hanzō’s attack, and persuaded him to sign an agreement supporting the Church’s expansion in the Land of Rain.
• Madara challenged Ria in Miwei City, but she defeated him and killed Black Zetsu before returning home to her family.
• The Holy Church liberated cities and aided refugees, while Ertai punished nobles responsible for killing refugees and Aili resurrected Lianhua’s child.
• During a rat plague caused by nobles’ evil rituals, Oli and his squad sacrificed themselves to protect civilians, then returned as Light Spirits through the Holy Light.
• Yahiko investigated the Church’s arrests and executions of nobles, learned of their crimes against children, and returned to Hanzō, who refused to oppose the Church.
• Ria approved Reilly’s plan to expand the Dawn Merchant Association and establish churches in the Land of Wind, while Hanzō ordered the Daimyo of the Land of Rain killed.
• Fengsha followed Will’s team into the slums after they rejected a luxurious church, then asked to become a Holy Light Cleric.
• Will accepted Fengsha as a possible companion and led his team to investigate the slum residents’ severe shortage of wells and access to river water.

The Holy Church intervened in the Third Shinobi World War, defeated the forces of the Land of Lightning, and compelled the warring nations to accept peace terms and Church oversight. As the war ended, Obito pursued Nagato and tried to manipulate the Akatsuki, but the Holy Light Clerics confronted him during Hanzō’s ambush.

• Will defeated the Sand shinobi who attacked him and Fengsha, while Mina confessed her feelings to Axel and he chose to keep walking forward with her.
• Jiraiya and Minato traveled with Li Yu to the Land of Rain, where they saw the Church’s schools, public services, and advanced technology, then returned to a Konoha facing Danzo’s plot against the country.
• When Stone forces invaded, Axel and Ria defended the Land of Rain, and Ōnoki withdrew after seeing the Church’s overwhelming military strength and signed an agreement allowing it to establish an embassy and preach in the Land of Earth.
• Ria ordered the Church to protect civilians as the Third Shinobi World War began, while Fengsha resurrected her father and Shishu’s forces entered the Land of Wind, defeated Sunagakure, and secured Ye Cang’s acceptance of Church oversight.
• Rich’s forces defeated the Cloud army, killed the Third Raikage, and captured Blue B, then Axel negotiated the Land of Lightning’s surrender and secured permission for Church monitors and affiliated churches.
• Minato reported the war’s end to Hiruzen, who approved an embassy for the Holy Church, while Obito joined Madara’s plan and traveled with Black Zetsu to the Land of Rain to target Nagato.
• Obito tried to recruit Nagato, then killed Hanzō’s aides and framed the Akatsuki, leading Hanzō to ambush Yahiko’s group and capture Konan.
• Obito attacked Qingyu and the Akatsuki, but the Holy Light Clerics protected them, forced Obito from his subspace, and struck him with a Holy Knight’s blade before he escaped the next attack with Kamui.

Phil’s rescue of Nagato set events in motion as the Holy Church helped Minato free Konoha from Danzo’s control and expanded across the great nations. Years later, Sasuke and Boruto arrived from another future, but Obito stole their time-traveling turtle and prepared to travel to the past.

• Phil rescued Yahiko and Konan from Hanzō, but Obito abducted Nagato and manipulated him into joining Akatsuki.
• Hexia’s team exposed Orochimaru’s human experiments, and Minato accepted Hiruzen’s cover-up before Orochimaru joined Akatsuki.
• Obito attacked during Naruto’s birth and released the Nine-Tails, but Meizi summoned the Light Spirits to seal it while Minato rescued Kushina.
• Minato allied with the Holy Church, freed Kushina from Root, and removed Danzo and the elders from power as Danzo was executed.
• Ria was crowned Archbishop, and she revealed to Nagato that Yahiko and Konan were alive before Obito escaped with Black Zetsu.
• Akatsuki lost members to the Holy Church over the following decade, while the Church spread across the great nations and Kirigakure became isolated.
• Sasuke and Boruto arrived in a parallel past without the Holy Church, where Boruto startled Naruto’s family by calling him Dad.
• Black Zetsu stole Boruto’s turtle from Naruto’s room, and Obito used his Mangekyō to control it and prepare to travel to the past.