Chapter Summaries

Hikaru infiltrated Sunagakure's camp with Jiraiya and summoned the Seven-Tails there after asking Jiraiya to help create a distraction. The Seven-Tails appeared in the camp, while Takigakure discovered its seal had broken and the beast was missing.

• Ittan Matsu attacked Sunagakure's inspectors under Hikaru's control, causing chaos at the camp entrance.
• Hikaru concealed himself and Jiraiya with Black Hole Devour and led Jiraiya into Sunagakure's camp.
• Hikaru told Jiraiya to summon Gamabunta to make trouble, then disappeared into the camp by himself.
• Hikaru used Summoning Jutsu to bring the Seven-Tails from Takigakure into Sunagakure's camp.
• Takigakure's guards found the sealing device shattered and the Seven-Tails gone, while the beast roared at Hikaru.

Hikaru controlled the Seven-Tails Chōmei and unleashed it on Sunagakure’s camp, where the Third Kazekage rushed to stop its Tailed Beast Bomb. The camp was already in chaos as the Kazekage attacked the beast with iron sand.

• Hikaru controlled the Seven-Tails Chōmei and sent it rampaging through Sunagakure’s camp.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Hatake Sakumo, and Uchiha Hayashi watched in shock as Chōmei attacked the camp.
• The Seven-Tails Chōmei rose into the sky and began gathering Chakra for a Tailed Beast Bomb.
• The Third Kazekage woke, saw the threat to his camp, and rushed to stop Chōmei.
• The Third Kazekage formed a massive block of iron sand and slammed it into the Seven-Tails Chōmei.

Hikaru controlled the Seven-Tails to wreak havoc in Sunagakure’s camp while Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta to add to the chaos. As the Third Kazekage tried to stop the destruction, Hikaru began thinking about the Nine-Tails and his promise to keep Kushina from becoming its Jinchuriki.

• Hikaru made the Seven-Tails crash into the crowded camp, where it crushed ninja and destroyed tents despite the Third Kazekage’s attacks.
• Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta into the camp, and Gamabunta landed on several Sunagakure ninja before agreeing to cause more chaos.
• Gamabunta leaped into the air as the Seven-Tails continued rampaging under Hikaru’s control.
• Hikaru considered how much worse the destruction would be if the Nine-Tails appeared and resolved to help keep Kushina from becoming its Jinchuriki.

Hikaru left the Sunagakure camp after using the Seven-Tails to wreak havoc, while Jiraiya and Gamabunta escaped amid the chaos. The Seven-Tails regained its freedom and fled, leaving the Third Kazekage to abandon pursuit and deal with the camp’s wounded and damaged supplies.

• The Third Kazekage fought the rampaging Seven-Tails as it tore through the Sunagakure camp, while Ōnoki watched from above.
• Jiraiya sent the injured Gamabunta back to Mount Myōboku and slipped away from the camp.
• Hikaru left the camp using the black hole’s devouring power, leaving the Seven-Tails to its fate.
• The Seven-Tails regained control of itself, flew away while avoiding Ōnoki, and sought a place to recover.
• The Third Kazekage stopped pursuing the Seven-Tails and ordered his forces to treat the wounded and sort through damaged supplies.

Hikaru and the Seven-Tails devastated Sunagakure’s camp, while Ōnoki chose to return to Iwagakure’s camp and send medicine rather than pursue them. After reuniting with his allies, Hikaru explained the danger and relative strength of the tailed beasts as they headed back to camp.

• Hikaru controlled the Seven-Tails as it wrecked Sunagakure’s camp and destroyed supplies.
• Ōnoki saw the Third Kazekage, abandoned his pursuit of the Seven-Tails, and ordered medicine sent to Sunagakure.
• Hikaru returned to his group, and Tsunade, Orochimaru, Hatake Sakumo, Uchiha Hayashi, and Jiraiya gathered around him.
• Hikaru led the group away from Sunagakure and Iwagakure’s territory, then explained that an uncontrolled tailed beast could unleash even greater destruction.
• Hikaru told Uchiha Hayashi and the others that the Nine-Tails was strongest, the Eight-Tails followed, and One-Tail Shukaku was weakest.

Hikaru left Sunagakure’s devastated camp after unleashing Seven-Tails Chōmei, while Ōnoki considered how the attack had affected the war. The Third Kazekage learned that Sunagakure had lost supplies and three hundred ninja, leaving the camp’s ability to continue fighting in doubt.

• Hikaru told Tsunade and Hatake Sakumo that no village could currently control a tailed beast, then led his people away past enemy outposts.
• Ōnoki received reports of the attack and reflected on the wounded and the damage Seven-Tails Chōmei had caused in Sunagakure’s camp.
• Grandma Chiyo told the Third Kazekage that Jiraiya’s Great Toad had ruined much of Sunagakure’s food and medicine supplies.
• The Third Kazekage demanded the casualty report, and Grandma Chiyo reported that Sunagakure had lost three hundred ninja.

The Third Kazekage and Grandma Chiyo assessed Sunagakure’s heavy casualties after the Seven-Tails’ rampage and debated how to keep the alliance with Iwagakure intact. The Third Kazekage was left weighing whether to send a small force under Ōnoki’s command or mobilize more ninja from the village.

• Grandma Chiyo reported that three hundred ninja had died, five hundred were seriously wounded, and seven hundred were lightly wounded.
• The Third Kazekage smashed a table in anger and realized the wounded had severely weakened Sunagakure’s forces.
• Grandma Chiyo advised sending some Sunagakure ninja to fight under Iwagakure’s command rather than delaying or mobilizing a new army.
• The Third Kazekage dismissed Grandma Chiyo to consider the proposal and surveyed the damaged camp and its struggling wounded.

Sunagakure and Iwagakure renewed their attack on Konoha after a period of rest, reigniting the war in the Land of Rain. Hikaru decided to join the fighting personally and left Hatake Sakumo and the Third Elder responsible for the camp.

• The Third Kazekage weighed the dangers of transporting wounded ninja and supported Grandma Chiyo's proposal to send only a small force under Konoha's command.
• Ōnoki struggled to adjust his plans after Sunagakure's losses disrupted the alliance's war effort.
• Hikaru celebrated with the Konoha camp after returning, but news soon arrived that Iwagakure and Sunagakure ninja had entered Konoha's positions.
• Hikaru ordered Konoha's forces to engage the attackers, and the three sides resumed fighting across the Land of Rain.
• Hikaru announced that he would enter the battlefield personally, then tasked Hatake Sakumo and the Third Elder with protecting the camp and reporting developments.

Hikaru left Hatake Sakumo to defend Konoha’s camp and led Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to face Iwagakure and Sunagakure. On the battlefield, he learned that Sunagakure’s small force was fighting passively and suspected the Third Kazekage had a scheme.

• Hikaru ordered Hatake Sakumo and the Third Elder to keep the camp secure while he took Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to the battlefield.
• Hatake Sakumo warned that Amegakure might accept another payment and attack Konoha, but Hikaru said Konoha could not spare troops to guard against it and threatened to make Amegakure regret declaring war.
• Hikaru left Hatake Sakumo in charge of the camp and led part of Konoha’s force into the fighting across the Land of Rain.
• Sarutobi Nikyo reported that Iwagakure’s offensive was fierce while Sunagakure had fewer than five hundred ninja who fought passively and seemed unprepared.
• Hikaru inferred that the Third Kazekage was pursuing a scheme, thanked the Anbu for their sacrifices, and said their manpower would be replenished after the war.

Hikaru explained that Konoha should focus its attacks on Sunagakure’s small, poorly coordinated force to drive it out and weaken Iwagakure’s campaign. He led an Anbu unit into battle, and after defeating Sunagakure shinobi, his team gathered supplies and prepared to move on.

• Hikaru ordered Konoha’s forces to target Sunagakure’s shinobi while avoiding direct fights with Iwagakure’s troops.
• Hikaru explained that Sunagakure had sent only a small contingent under Iwagakure’s command, and that routing it could force both villages to withdraw from the Land of Rain.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru split from Hikaru to attack from other directions, while Hikaru took a small force led mostly by Anbu.
• Hikaru led the Anbu into battle and drove through the enemy, killing Sunagakure shinobi.
• Hikaru ordered his team to collect usable Ninja Tools and change locations, while an Anbu member found him food.

Hikaru's battlefield tactics weakened Sunagakure's morale and drove down the number of its ninja fighting alongside Iwagakure. Ōnoki refused to dismiss the Sunagakure forces for fear of damaging relations with the Third Kazekage, and ordered his troops to flee if they encountered Hikaru.

• Hikaru's attacks and the destruction of Sunagakure's camp left its ninja demoralized, while fewer of them fought alongside Iwagakure.
• Ōnoki's secretary warned that the Sunagakure ninja were hurting Iwagakure's morale and suggested dismissing them.
• Ōnoki refused to dismiss Sunagakure's forces because doing so could irreparably damage relations with the Third Kazekage.
• Ōnoki's secretary reported that ninja who encountered Hikaru on the battlefield did not return.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure's forces to flee immediately if they encountered Hikaru.

Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure shinobi to flee if they encountered Uchiha Hikaru, but a group that had not heard the order surrounded Hikaru and his Anbu. Hikaru used Wood Style to kill the attackers, leaving the surviving Iwagakure shinobi trapped among the trees and vines.

• Ōnoki ordered his shinobi to retreat immediately if they encountered Hikaru, recognizing how deadly he was.
• Iwagakure shinobi followed smoke from Hikaru's cooking fire and surrounded him and his Anbu.
• Hikaru revealed himself to the gathered Iwagakure shinobi, prompting their leader to order a retreat.
• Hikaru used Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence to ensnare and kill the Iwagakure shinobi with towering trees and vines.

Hikaru used Wood Release to wipe out Iwagakure ninja and continued striking enemy forces until Iwagakure changed to smaller teams, reducing his impact on the battlefield. After Hikaru returned to camp to rest, Grandma Chiyo reported that fewer than fifty of the five hundred Sunagakure ninja sent to assist Iwagakure had returned.

• Hikaru killed dozens of Iwagakure ninja with Wood Release, then ordered the Anbu to collect their food and Ninja Tools.
• Hikaru led the Anbu onward as enemy casualties mounted and deserters fled from the fighting across the Land of Rain.
• Ōnoki divided Iwagakure's forces into small teams to reduce losses when they encountered Hikaru.
• Hikaru returned to camp to rest after Iwagakure's new tactics reduced his presence on the battlefield.
• Grandma Chiyo told the Third Kazekage that fewer than fifty of the five hundred Sunagakure ninja sent to assist Iwagakure had returned.

The Third Kazekage learned that Sunagakure's alliance with Iwagakure was straining and that many Sunagakure ninja had defected. He ordered the camp to rest and reorganize, leaving cooperation with Iwagakure uncertain as Sunagakure's forces and Puppet Corps weakened.

• Grandma Chiyo reported that Iwagakure resented Sunagakure's troops, Konoha had exposed their plans, and many Sunagakure ninja had defected.
• The Third Kazekage erupted over the defections and ordered Sunagakure's camp to rest and reorganize until it could fight again.
• The Third Kazekage told Grandma Chiyo to ignore Iwagakure and said the alliance was not worth keeping if Ōnoki could not understand their position.
• Grandma Chiyo left to deliver the order and worried that Konoha's antidotes had sharply reduced the Puppet Corps' effectiveness.

Ōnoki accepted that Sunagakure could not join the fight, leaving Iwagakure to face Konoha alone. In Konoha, the Third Hokage denied responsibility for the Seven-Tails’ appearance and sent Takigakure’s envoys to question Hikaru at the front lines.

• Ōnoki learned that Sunagakure was regrouping and decided Iwagakure would continue the fight against Konoha alone.
• The Third Hokage worried that Hikaru’s forces were suffering heavy losses without reinforcements.
• Takigakure’s envoys confronted the Third Hokage over the disappearance of the Seven-Tails and its attack on Sunagakure’s camp.
• The Third Hokage denied Konoha’s involvement and suggested the Seven-Tails’ seal had malfunctioned in Takigakure.
• The Third Hokage told the envoys to question Hikaru at the front lines, and they welcomed the chance to speak with him.

Hikaru met a Takigakure envoy who wanted to know how Seven-Tails Chōmei had ended up on the battlefield and demanded its return. When the envoy implied Hikaru was responsible, Hikaru ordered the delegation to leave.

• The Third Hokage sent Takigakure's envoy to the frontline camp to question Hikaru about Seven-Tails Chōmei.
• Uchiha Hayashi told Hikaru that the envoy had arrived, and Hikaru realized the Third Hokage had sent them to him.
• Hikaru welcomed the envoy and pretended not to know anything about Seven-Tails Chōmei's appearance on the battlefield.
• The Takigakure envoy said his village wanted to reclaim Seven-Tails and asked Hikaru not to obstruct them.
• Hikaru told the envoy to get lost, then slammed his palm on the table and pointed at the door.

Uchiha Hikaru drove away Takigakure’s envoy, refused to take responsibility for the Seven-Tails’ capture, and warned Takigakure to search the sea before other villages acted. Afterward, he dismissed concerns about a conflict with Takigakure and turned his attention back to Ōnoki and the war with Iwagakure.

• Hikaru rejected the Takigakure envoy’s accusations and threatened to cut off his finger when he pointed at him.
• The envoy apologized, and Hikaru said the injured Seven-Tails Chōmei had flown toward the sea after the Third Kazekage attacked it.
• Hikaru warned that Kirigakure might reach the sea-bound Seven-Tails and ordered Uchiha Hayashi to escort the Takigakure delegation out.
• Hayashi worried Takigakure might worsen relations with Konoha, but Hikaru said its cautious leader would not dare start a war.
• Hikaru asked for a map so he could focus on Ōnoki, while acknowledging his inexperience as a wartime commander had caused hidden losses.

Hikaru reviewed Konoha’s rising casualties and supply use as Ōnoki’s tactics kept the war grinding on. He recognized the need to limit losses but found few chances to strike decisively against Iwagakure.

• The Third Elder reported Konoha’s increasing casualties and urged Hikaru to prepare for the consequences of a prolonged war.
• Hikaru asked about Iwagakure’s condition, and the Third Elder explained that Konoha’s elite forces, especially the Sannin, gave them an advantage despite their smaller numbers.
• Hikaru studied the map and saw that Ōnoki was keeping Iwagakure’s forces dispersed to deny him a chance to destroy them in one strike.
• Hikaru asked how much supply the army had used, and the Third Elder said Konoha was faring better than Iwagakure and Sunagakure, though its own consumption was enormous.

Hikaru decided to cut off Iwagakure’s supply route to end the war in the Land of Rain without risking Konoha’s forces in a drawn-out battle. He left the Third Elder in charge of camp and prepared to head for the Land of Earth with Uchiha Hayashi.

• Hikaru asked how long Iwagakure could last without supplies, and the Third Elder estimated that it would retreat within a month.
• Hikaru ordered the camp to cut off Iwagakure’s supply route, but the Third Elder objected because Konoha lacked the manpower and the operation would be costly.
• Hikaru explained that he would go himself rather than send many people, and rejected the Third Elder’s objection.
• Hikaru announced that he would leave immediately for the Land of Earth and make Ōnoki suffer without using Seven-Tails Chōmei against the enemy camp.
• Hikaru chose to take only Uchiha Hayashi and left the Third Elder responsible for the camp.

Hikaru and Uchiha Hayashi infiltrated the Land of Earth to sabotage Iwagakure’s supply lines. They found a narrow mountain pass suited for an ambush and waited for a convoy, while Ōnoki remained unaware of the threat.

• Hikaru left the Third Elder guarding the camp and entered the Land of Earth with Uchiha Hayashi.
• Hikaru noticed Iwagakure still used a single supply route and decided to disrupt its deliveries.
• Hikaru chose a narrow mountain pass and ordered Uchiha Hayashi to block the road with a boulder when signaled.
• Hikaru planned to flood the pass and ruin the convoy’s supplies rather than kill the transport teams.
• Hikaru surveyed the area, confirmed the pass was the only supply route, and waited for a convoy to arrive.