Recaps

Sasuke joined Akatsuki and was drawn into the Sacred Lord’s power while Ling investigated its corruption and helped form the Allied Shinobi Forces. At Annihilation Valley, Ling disrupted Sasuke’s ritual, but the Sacred Lord’s darkness erupted and Sasuke’s fate remained unknown.

• Sasuke accepted Obito’s offer to join Akatsuki, trained to control his dark chakra, and captured Yugito with Kisame and Zetsu.
• Ling traced Sasuke’s dark power, sent him a warning, and helped Konoha’s delegation investigate the Sacred Lord’s influence as it traveled to the Five Kage Summit.
• Ling and Kakashi discovered a dark nest beneath the summit castle, and the Five Kage joined forces to destroy it while Obito stole the Nether Purification Stone.
• The Five Kage established the Allied Shinobi Forces, and Ling developed Water Mirror techniques to purify dark energy and capture part of Zetsu.
• The alliance approved a search for Akatsuki bases and the stolen stone, while Obito took Sasuke to Annihilation Valley for a dangerous training ritual.
• Ling’s squad infiltrated the valley and found Sasuke being corrupted by the Nether Purification Stone and the Sacred Lord’s will.
• Ling disrupted the ritual with a purifying technique, but the enraged Sacred Lord unleashed a torrent of darkness, and Sasuke moved Ling to safety, then lost consciousness as Obito escaped and the squad withdrew.

Ling and the Allied Forces fought the Sacred Lord’s island weapons, while Sasuke vanished and later returned with the reanimated Hokage. At headquarters, Ling helped suppress the darkness within Sasuke and trained to protect the Beacon from Orochimaru, as Tobirama prepared him for the coming battle.

• Ling studied the Sacred Lord’s dark power, developed techniques to disrupt its God Tree remnants, and learned from Jiraiya that Obito was directing tailed-beast-like chakra aggregates overseas.
• Naruto mastered his bond with Kurama as the Allied Forces attacked the island, where Ling, Gaara, Killer B, and Naruto defeated three pseudo-Tailed Beasts by awakening the leyline spirit.
• Obito attacked the survivors and targeted Naruto, but Sasuke arrived to oppose him, and the Sacred Lord’s assault forced Tobirama Senju to sacrifice his remnant soul to protect Ling.
• After recovering, Ling learned Sasuke had left, while Sasuke went to Orochimaru and summoned Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze to demand the truth about the Uchiha Clan massacre.
• The Sacred Lord’s will attacked Orochimaru’s base, but Tobirama disrupted its passage and persuaded Sasuke to join the Allied Forces, and Ling received Tobirama’s warning and helped prepare headquarters for their arrival.
• At headquarters, Tobirama revealed the Beacon’s purification method, and Ling entered Sasuke’s consciousness to strike at the darkness, allowing Hashirama and Tsunade to stabilize him.
• Ling recovered and trained under Tobirama while Naruto vowed to bring Sasuke back, and they discovered Orochimaru was watching the Beacon and preparing to target it.
• Tobirama trained Ling to defend the Beacon, then negotiated an exchange with Orochimaru for his observation records before sending Ling back to prepare for the real battlefield.