Chapter Summaries

As the Shinobi World watched Uchiha Hikari battle Lucci, people learned that the Celestial Dragons considered the nobles and daimyō disposable slaves. Tsunade and Jiraiya speculated that the Sage of Six Paths had defeated the Celestial Dragons’ older power tradition, while nobles across the Five Great Nations rejected the revelation in panic.

• Across the Shinobi World, people marveled at Hikari’s strength and questioned how the Uchiha Clan had been wiped out.
• Shinobi and civilians mocked the nobles after learning the Celestial Dragons saw them as expendable slaves.
• In Konoha’s Hokage Office, Tsunade and Jiraiya discussed Lucci’s power and speculated that it came from a tradition predating Ninshu.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya proposed that the Sage of Six Paths defeated the Celestial Dragons and drove them into their pocket world.
• Daimyō and nobles across the Five Great Nations screamed in disbelief and denied that their ancestors had been slaves.

Kalifa captured Sarada and Kisame, and Lucci questioned Sarada about the changed state of the Shinobi World. After revealing that the cannon strike had merely announced the Celestial Dragons’ return, Lucci and Kalifa dismissed the lives lost in the Land of Rain, so Sarada pointed them toward the Five Great Hidden Villages as the real killers of the nobles.

• Nobles and Daimyō across the world rejected the revelation that they were discarded slaves as people debated the Celestial Dragons and the Uchiha’s secrets.
• Kalifa brought the unconscious Kisame and injured Sarada aboard the warship and reported to Lucci that Sarada appeared to lead the country.
• Lucci asked Sarada whether she was descended from Indra and questioned her about the destruction of the ruling class.
• Lucci told Sarada that the cannon shot had announced the Celestial Dragons’ return, not targeted the Land of Rain, and declared the world theirs again.
• Lucci slapped Sarada when she challenged him, while Kalifa said they did not care if ordinary people died.
• Sarada claimed that shinobi had slaughtered the nobles and urged Lucci to seek revenge on the Five Great Hidden Villages.

Sarada learned from Lucci that the daimyō and nobles were Celestial Dragon slaves, not their descendants, and that shinobi-world history had been deliberately obscured. When Lucci pressed her about the recent purge, Sarada defied him and relied on her Uchiha and Indra heritage to discourage him from killing her.

• Lucci slapped Sarada and angrily explained that the daimyō and nobles were slaves left behind by the Celestial Dragons, not their descendants.
• Sarada reeled at the revelation that slaves had ruled the shinobi world for a thousand years, while Lucci suspected someone had hidden its history after the Celestial Dragons withdrew.
• Lucci asked who had instigated the recent purge, and Sarada claimed shinobi had overthrown the nobles because they were the true masters of the world.
• Kalifa called Sarada a liar, but Sarada challenged her and declared that she was an Uchiha.
• Lucci asked whether Sarada feared death, and she invoked her descent from Indra; Lucci's murderous intent faded as he studied her.

Lucci ordered Sarada and Kisame imprisoned while the Celestial Dragons studied the Shinobi World's strength and discussed Indra's descendants. As the Sky Screen revealed the hidden history of the nobles and the destruction of Amegakure, Naruto and Sasuke received a report about the Celestial Dragons' arrival.

• Lucci had Sarada and the unconscious Kisame taken into custody, then told Kalifa they would observe the Shinobi World and keep Sarada alive because Indra's lineage mattered.
• People across the Shinobi World concluded that nobles had erased records of their ancestors' enslavement, and they mourned the destruction of Amegakure while debating why Sarada had resisted interrogation.
• Tsunade wondered how powerful the Senju Clan's founder had been, while Sasuke basked in his classmates' admiration until Naruto reminded him that Sarada was imprisoned.
• Naruto and Sasuke received Anbu intelligence about a strange roar and spatial disturbance over the Land of Rain, and Naruto reacted with excitement.

Naruto and Sasuke discussed how Naruto had used Sarada to expose the Celestial Dragons, while preparing Konoha for possible retaliation. At their mountain base, Lucci and Kalifa judged the war-torn Shinobi World worthless but resolved to keep it under Celestial Dragon control and face its strongest shinobi.

• Naruto told Sasuke they would remain in Konoha and wait for Anbu intelligence before deciding how to respond to the Celestial Dragons.
• Sasuke blamed Naruto for leading Sarada into danger, and Naruto admitted he had used her to draw the Celestial Dragons out but might save her if he could.
• Lucci and Kalifa read reports about the Shinobi World's long history of war and marveled that its people, including children, fought so relentlessly.
• Lucci and Kalifa discussed the near-extinction of the Uchiha and Senju clans and suspected Hagoromo had spread chakra beyond the Otsutsuki.
• Lucci declared the Shinobi World depleted and worthless, but he and Kalifa agreed it must remain under Celestial Dragon control and planned to see its strongest shinobi.

Lucci planned to summon the shinobi world’s leaders to the Land of Rain and use captured nobles and daimyō to intimidate them. Naruto and Sasuke agreed to attend, while preparing for the Celestial Dragons and the mysterious Veil Organization.

• Kalifa reported that the Celestial Dragons had captured more than a hundred nobles and daimyō, and Lucci decided that two hundred would suffice to frighten the shinobi world.
• Lucci ordered Kalifa to summon every shinobi village leader to a gathering in the Land of Rain, where he intended to reveal his prepared spectacle.
• Shinobi watching the Sky Screen speculated about the origins of chakra, the depleted natural energy, and the Celestial Dragons’ plans for the captured nobles.
• The Kage of Sunagakure, Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure sent confidential inquiries to Konoha, and Naruto and Sasuke agreed to attend the gathering with them.
• Naruto and Sasuke decided to seek access to the Celestial Dragons’ world and warned that the Veil Organization might appear at the gathering.

Orochimaru appeared openly in Konoha’s Hokage Office, startling the Shinobi World and prompting Jiraiya and Tsunade to wonder about Jiraiya’s absence from the future. Naruto invited Orochimaru to the Land of Rain to meet the Celestial Dragons, but Orochimaru’s concern for Sarada drew a cold response from Sasuke.

• Naruto and Sasuke greeted Orochimaru warmly in the Hokage Office, while viewers across the Shinobi World were shocked to see him welcomed back to Konoha.
• Jiraiya celebrated Orochimaru’s return, but Tsunade asked why Jiraiya had not appeared in the future; Jiraiya hid his unease behind a joke.
• A present-day Orochimaru watched the Sky Screen with Karin and became eager to investigate the Celestial Dragons and the world’s buried secrets.
• Naruto invited Orochimaru to join him and Sasuke on their trip to the Land of Rain, and Orochimaru agreed.
• Orochimaru asked about Sarada, revealing that she was an Uchiha with a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Sasuke rejected her claim to the Uchiha Clan.

Naruto and Sasuke confronted Orochimaru about his interest in Sarada, and he admitted he knew her origins and wanted Sasuke to protect her at a meeting in the Land of Rain. Orochimaru revealed he had once tested whether Naruto had been replaced, then teased Sasuke about his intelligence before preparing to explain his business.

• Sasuke accused Orochimaru of possibly creating Sarada through forbidden experiments, while Naruto pressed him to reveal his intentions toward her.
• Orochimaru admitted he wanted Sasuke to keep Sarada alive during the meeting in the Land of Rain, and confirmed that he knew her origins.
• Orochimaru said he had used Impure World Reincarnation after the Fourth Shinobi World War to check whether Naruto had changed, and concluded Naruto had simply grown more perceptive.
• Orochimaru mocked Sasuke for never changing and recalled that Naruto and Sasuke had failed an IQ test, prompting Naruto to laugh and Sasuke to grow angry.
• At the Ninja Academy, young Naruto bragged to Sasuke about becoming smarter, but Sasuke retorted that Naruto's judgment was poor, and a classmate questioned whether they could pass written tests.
• Sasuke urged Orochimaru to get to the point, and Orochimaru became serious and prepared to speak.

Orochimaru told Naruto and Sasuke that Sarada was Uchiha Itachi’s child and offered Kisame’s role and preserved tissue samples as evidence. Naruto confirmed Orochimaru had told the truth, but sensed he was withholding something, leaving Sasuke relieved and eager to investigate.

• Orochimaru revealed that Sarada was Uchiha Itachi’s child, and Naruto and Sasuke initially doubted him.
• Orochimaru explained that Itachi could have fathered Sarada before his death and said Kisame had raised her.
• Orochimaru offered preserved tissue samples from Itachi for a genetic comparison and suggested Itachi might not have known he had a child.
• Orochimaru left, asking Naruto and Sasuke to tell him when they set out for the Land of Rain.
• Naruto told Sasuke that Orochimaru had spoken truthfully but was holding something back.

Naruto withheld his suspicions about Orochimaru while the Five Great Kage prepared to travel to the Land of Rain. There, Langwei arrived to rescue Sarada and Kisame, but Sarada urged him to flee without her as Lucci and Kalifa confronted them.

• Naruto kept his doubts about Orochimaru to himself and discussed Sarada's identity with Sasuke.
• The Four Great Kage gathered in Konoha to prepare for the Celestial Dragons' banquet in the Land of Rain.
• Lucci and Kalifa dismissed the Shinobi World and waited for reinforcements to help them reclaim it.
• Langwei arrived at the Black Ship's valley carrying the wounded Sarada and unconscious Kisame, then asked Sarada if Lucci and Kalifa had hurt them.
• Sarada ordered Langwei to take Kisame and leave, but he refused to abandon her and asked if she feared he was too weak to fight.

Celestial Dragon forces surrounded Langwei, Sarada, and the unconscious Kisame, and Lucci discovered that Langwei was from the Knights rather than the Shinobi World. Lucci attacked Langwei to test his strength, and the two clashed in the valley.

• Celestial Dragons’ Attendant Warriors blocked every escape route, while Sarada urged Langwei to flee with Kisame without her.
• Lucci recognized Langwei as someone from the Knights, and Sarada learned that Langwei was not from the Shinobi World.
• Langwei denied knowing how he had arrived and said someone had taught him to train; Kalifa confirmed he was telling the truth.
• Lucci decided to fight Langwei rather than capture him, then unleashed his beast form and charged.
• Langwei shielded Sarada and Kisame, advanced to meet Lucci, and collided with him in the valley.

Langwei revealed strength equal to Lucci's and fought him evenly in a series of brutal physical exchanges. The battle continued with neither gaining an advantage, while Sarada protected Kisame and watched in disbelief.

• Langwei stopped Lucci's full-speed charge head-on, shocking Lucci, Sarada, and viewers across the Shinobi World.
• Lucci abandoned his contempt for Langwei, and Langwei launched a Mountain-Shattering Fist that collided with Lucci's Sky-Splitting Kick.
• Sarada watched Langwei fight Lucci on equal terms, then surveyed their surroundings while protecting Kisame.
• Langwei blocked Lucci's rapid claw attacks and countered with a River-Breaking Charge, which Lucci evaded before striking back with Instant Descent Slash.
• Langwei and Lucci traded dozens of attacks without either gaining an advantage, then acknowledged each other's strength.

Langwei revealed his Haki and clashed with Lucci in a devastating battle that leveled the valley. Their fight continued as the Shinobi World watched through the Sky Screen.

• Lucci unleashed Purgatory Thrust, but Langwei blocked it and the two proved evenly matched.
• Lucci prepared to fight with Kalifa and the attendants surrounding Langwei, while Langwei insisted he would not lose and identified his group as the Holy Knights.
• Langwei declared that Haki stood above all else and revealed the black-and-red lightning of his newly grasped Haki.
• Langwei and Lucci charged at each other and exchanged dozens of attacks, shattering the ground and reducing the valley to ruins.
• Shinobi across the world watched the battle through the Sky Screen and reacted with astonishment to the fighters' speed and power.

Langwei and Lucci battled in the ruined valley of the Land of Rain while arguing over whether Haki or the Celestial Dragons’ God Fruits represented the truest power. Lucci revealed his beliefs about the God Fruits’ origins, then rose from a deep pit at full strength as their fight continued.

• The shinobi watching the battle speculated that the Holy Knights and Celestial Dragons came from separate hidden worlds and that other ancient powers might still exist.
• Lucci praised Haki but challenged Langwei to prove he could sustain it longer than Lucci’s God Fruit power.
• Langwei claimed Haki came from inner will and condemned the Celestial Dragons’ power as dependence on external forces.
• Lucci angrily insisted that God Fruits were gifts from a supreme deity and unleashed his Divine Punishment Fist against Langwei’s Demon-Subduing Fist.
• As they fought, Lucci explained that God Fruits arose from the collective wishes of living beings and could be bestowed through prayer to the Supreme God Stone.
• Langwei knocked Lucci into a deep pit, but Lucci shot back into the air with his God Fruit power raging at its limit.

The Shinobi World learned more about the opposing beliefs of the Holy Knights and Celestial Dragons as Langwei and Lucci fought. The Celestial Dragons’ Black Ship appeared and locked onto Langwei, who tried to flee after confirming Sarada and Kisame had escaped.

• Ninja and village leaders debated Haki, the Divine Stone, God Fruits, and the hidden history of the ancient era.
• Langwei and Lucci traded blows and argued over whether the Holy Knights’ self-cultivation or the Celestial Dragons’ borrowed power was the true path.
• The Black Ship appeared over the battlefield, and Kalifa ordered Lucci to stop fighting while threatening Langwei with its weapons.
• Lucci accepted Kalifa’s intervention, while Langwei confirmed Sarada and Kisame had escaped safely.
• Langwei turned and sped toward the mountain forest, but Kalifa declared that the Black Ship had already locked onto him.

Lucci and Kalifa discussed Langwei’s escape from the Black Ship’s devastating cannon and revealed that the Knights had secretly entered the shinobi world years ago. Kalifa said Sarada had been captured again, and the chapter ended with an injured Langwei in a remote cave.

• The Black Ship fired its main cannon at Langwei, who survived the blast but was badly wounded.
• Lucci and Kalifa concluded that the Knights were more formidable than they had expected and discussed how little they valued the shinobi world.
• The Sky Screen broadcast the Black Ship crew’s revelations, prompting the shinobi world to react to the Knights’ long-hidden presence.
• Kalifa explained that patrols had recaptured Sarada after she escaped with Kisame, while Kisame was left alone.
• Lucci decided to keep Sarada alive as bait for Langwei and as a way to draw out the Knights.
• The Sky Screen showed Langwei, pale and bloodied, hiding in a remote cave.

Kisame and the badly injured Langwei headed for Konoha after the Celestial Dragons captured Sarada, then met Naruto, Sasuke, Orochimaru, and the other Kage on the road. Langwei asked for help rescuing Sarada and offered to explain what he knew about the Celestial Dragons.

• Kisame and Langwei agreed they could not rescue Sarada alone and raced toward Konoha to seek Naruto and Sasuke's help.
• Kisame met Sasuke and began to reveal Sarada's origins, but Sasuke said Orochimaru had already told him the truth.
• Naruto asked about the explosions in the Land of Rain, and Langwei explained that Lucci had fought him evenly before Kalifa intervened with the Black Ship's Main Cannon.
• Naruto sensed Langwei had no chakra and questioned whether he was from another world, but Langwei said the Shinobi World was his home and Sarada was his family.
• Langwei asked the Konoha group to join him in rescuing Sarada and offered to share everything he knew about the Celestial Dragons.

Langwei explained that the Celestial Dragons and Holy Knights relied on Haki or Devil Fruits and possessed bodies that ordinary ninja techniques could scarcely harm. He described the Black Ship’s devastating tracking cannon, then hinted that he knew a way to counter it, leaving Naruto and the others waiting for his answer.

• Naruto abandoned his plan to negotiate with the Celestial Dragons after Sarada was captured again and asked Langwei to explain their powers.
• Langwei told Naruto and the Four Great Kage that Holy Knights trained their bodies and awakened Haki, while Celestial Dragons gained strength through God Fruits.
• Langwei warned that ordinary Kage-level fighters could not match the Celestial Dragons and that Lucci’s body could withstand attacks that would kill a Kage.
• Langwei explained that the Black Ship’s durable hull and tracking cannon could devastate a vast area, and Orochimaru said countering it had to come first.
• Sasuke insisted that he would save Sarada, and Langwei then revealed that there was a way to deal with the Black Ship.

Langwei revealed that the Celestial Dragons used the Shinobi World’s nobles and Daimyō bloodlines as living fuel for the Black Ship’s main cannon. Naruto planned to eliminate the remaining noble lineages, while the broadcast left Tsunade realizing her Senju blood could make her fuel as well.

• Langwei explained that the Black Ship’s cannon consumed the life force and bloodline essence of nobles and Daimyō as ammunition.
• Naruto and Sasuke realized that killing the remaining noble bloodlines would deprive the Black Ship of its shells, and Langwei confirmed the plan would neutralize its offensive power.
• Naruto sent the Five Kage-led main force toward the Land of Rain to draw the Celestial Dragons’ attention, while Langwei and Kisame went into hiding to act secretly.
• The Sky Screen broadcast Langwei’s revelation, sparking fear and calls among people across the Shinobi World to eradicate the remaining nobles.
• Tsunade learned that her Senju bloodline was related to the Daimyō’s and realized the Celestial Dragons could use her to fuel the Black Ship.

Tsunade and Jiraiya planned to consult the ancient sages about obtaining Six Paths power to oppose the Celestial Dragons. At his hidden base, Karin changed Orochimaru’s view of the shinobi world’s lost history, prompting him to plan to capture nobles for research.

• Tsunade asked how the shinobi world could obtain Six Paths power, and Jiraiya said they needed a special opportunity or medium.
• Jiraiya suggested asking the Three Great Sage Lands, and Tsunade planned to visit Sage Katsuyu while Jiraiya would seek the Great Toad Sage at Mount Myōboku.
• Orochimaru struggled to understand how noble bloodlines could fuel the Black Ship’s bombardments, and Karin explained that the shinobi world had lost knowledge through a thousand years of war.
• Orochimaru realized he had been judging the Celestial Dragons by the shinobi world’s incomplete knowledge and suspected someone had concealed the past.
• Orochimaru decided to capture nobles and examine their bloodlines to uncover how they powered the Black Ship.