Recaps

Naruto rejected Jiraiya’s attempt to persuade her to return to Konohagakure, then reunited with Karin, Yakushi Nonō, and Orochimaru after escaping Akatsuki. Orochimaru prepared to relocate his base, worried that Akatsuki might attack again.

• Jiraiya asked Naruto whether she would return to Konohagakure, but Naruto said she would never forgive the village for how it had treated her.
• Naruto sensed Orochimaru’s location with the Nine-Tails and left Jiraiya, warning that she hoped they would not become enemies.
• Orochimaru returned to his base, prepared to relocate, and believed Naruto might have died while helping him escape Akatsuki.
• Naruto returned safely, and Karin clung to her while Yakushi Nonō watched; they noticed white snake scales growing near Naruto’s eye.
• Orochimaru checked that Naruto was unharmed and told her to prepare to leave the base, and Naruto asked why.

Naruto negotiated with Akatsuki to protect Orochimaru and rejoined the organization as Sky, while Uba Village recovered and strengthened its defenses with Orochimaru’s help. Orochimaru delivered Ninja Academy materials and prepared to receive payment and blood from the Uchiha.

• Naruto told Orochimaru she had agreed to rejoin Akatsuki as Sky in exchange for Akatsuki leaving him alone and both of them refraining from harming the organization.
• Uba Village expanded its training and academy after its people vowed to become strong enough to defend their home, and Shisui used Naruto’s connection to Orochimaru to obtain suitable teaching materials.
• Orochimaru visited Uba Village and saw Shisui rescue Haiye from falling debris, then praised Shisui’s duty to protect the villagers.
• Orochimaru presented scrolls covering ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu to Shisui, who arranged for Itachi and Sasuke to come and requested twenty million in payment.

Orochimaru handed Otogakure to Naruto, who began planning how to develop it and potentially ally it with Uba Village and Amegakure. After reviewing the village’s files, Naruto learned that Yakushi Nonō and Karin were in danger.

• Orochimaru collected blood samples in Uba Village, left that afternoon, and killed an Iwagakure ambush squad with snakes.
• Naruto arrived at Otogakure and paid Dosu Kinata, Kin Tsuchi, and Zaku Abumi to clean her office.
• Naruto decided to develop Otogakure and considered alliances with Shisui Uchiha’s Uba Village and Nagato’s Amegakure.
• Naruto used Shadow Clones to read Otogakure’s files and discovered documents about its failed alliance with Sunagakure.
• Nine-Tails warned Naruto that Yakushi Nonō and Karin were in danger.

Naruto asserted control over Otogakure by brutally punishing ninja who threatened Yakushi Nonō and Karin, then arranged a challenge that became a massacre. The chapter ended with Naruto kissing the terrified Kin Tsuchi as the slaughter on the training ground came to an end.

• Naruto destroyed a wall to confront a knocking Otogakure ninja and sent him flying with a gust of wind.
• Otogakure ninja confronted Yakushi Nonō and Karin, and Karin used a Chakra Scalpel to disable an attacker.
• Naruto arrived, killed the ringleader by making him swell and explode, and forced the remaining ninja to submit.
• Naruto introduced himself as Orochimaru's student and challenged Otogakure's ninja to fight a hundred of his Shadow Clones for the right to rule the village.
• Sakura and Dosu joined the challengers while Kin Tsuchi refused; Naruto's Shadow Clones slaughtered the challengers as Kin watched in terror.
• Naruto lifted Kin's chin, asked whether she was afraid of him, and kissed her as the fighting ended.

Naruto took control of Otogakure by staging a challenge that let her Shadow Clones massacre the village’s ambitious ninja, leaving the survivors terrified of her. As she and her clones debated how to develop the village, Naruto prepared to visit Orochimaru to ask for money, while Kou wished she could go along.

• Naruto introduced herself to Otogakure’s ninja and offered to give up control if anyone defeated one of her Shadow Clones.
• Dosu and others challenged the clones, which slaughtered the challengers as Kin Tsuchi watched in terror.
• Naruto kissed Kin Tsuchi, who later found herself unable to stop thinking about Naruto.
• Naruto’s Shadow Clones argued over Otogakure’s future and agreed that Orochimaru should fund it.
• Naruto decided to visit Orochimaru for money, and Kou sighed that she could not accompany her.

Naruto sought funding to develop Otogakure into a money-making factory, and Kakuzu agreed to invest one hundred million ryo after wildly misinterpreting her plan to make money make money. Naruto and Kakuzu formed a partnership, which Hidan interrupted when he entered their room.

• Naruto left Otogakure to visit Orochimaru, but found him away and ate a huge meal at his base.
• Naruto used Shadow Clones to discuss how to fund Otogakure and decided to ask Kakuzu to invest in the village.
• Naruto proposed that Kakuzu invest two hundred million ryo, but Kakuzu rejected the amount and Naruto admitted she did not have that much herself.
• Naruto asked Kakuzu for one hundred million ryo to develop Otogakure by making money make money, and Kakuzu agreed after imagining money reproducing through Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation.
• Naruto and Kakuzu shook hands on their partnership, and Hidan barged into the room and apologized when Naruto scolded him for not knocking.

Naruto built an Otogakure clothing business, training ninja to sew and opening stores that sold both luxury garments and inexpensive winter clothes. The Daimyo of the Land of Fire insisted on buying the showcase dress Blue Raindrop, and the store manager opened Naruto’s letter for instructions.

• Naruto decided to make money by producing clothes and had Otogakure recruit sewing instructors and train its ninja.
• Naruto named Kin Tsuchi senior seamstress after admiring her work and doubled her mission payment.
• Naruto created the defensive silk dress Blue Raindrop and ordered stores to display it as not for sale while selling other clothes.
• Otogakure’s stores opened, and cheap winter clothes became popular with commoners and a major source of income.
• Fuji Kaze Setsu E admired Blue Raindrop, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire offered up to five million ryō to buy it.
• The store manager opened Naruto’s letter after the Daimyo insisted on purchasing the display dress.

Naruto turned Otogakure’s clothing business into a major source of income and persuaded Kakuzu to help manage the village as she planned to develop its ninja forces. Exhausted from her work, she ended the chapter resting in a hot spring while Yakushi Nonō worried about her.

• The Daimyo bought Fuji Fuka’s Blue Raindrop dress for thirty million ryō, and it trapped him in a Water Prison Technique when he stumbled toward her at a banquet.
• Fuji Fuka learned the dress could cast ninjutsu, and Naruto’s publicity about the actress wearing it made the clothing sought after by noblewomen.
• Naruto gave Kakuzu his share of the profits and invited him to help expand Otogakure; Kakuzu agreed and began reviewing the village’s management documents.
• Hidan wandered into the seamstresses’ workroom and emerged wearing a flamboyant pink women’s kimono, which Naruto praised and Kakuzu criticized.
• Naruto rested in a hot spring as Yakushi Nonō massaged her, and she said she needed more power beyond her own strength.

Naruto used Otogakure’s clothing profits to launch plans for territorial expansion, recruitment, and a Ninja Academy, winning unanimous support from her staff. Construction began under Scorpion, but Naruto disliked his bizarre building designs and asked him to reconsider them.

• Yakushi Nonō kissed sleeping Naruto, recognized her forbidden feelings, and decided to stay to care for her.
• Naruto planned Otogakure’s expansion, a Ninja Academy, and recruitment from nearby poor villages after the spring clothing line became a success.
• Naruto presented her development plan at a meeting, and Kakuzu questioned its cost before the staff unanimously supported it.
• Naruto began expanding Otogakure and sent recruitment invitations to nearby villages while Scorpion used his puppets for construction.
• Kakuzu accidentally ruined Hidan’s sacrifice ritual while hunting a bounty, then returned to Otogakure after finding the work more profitable.
• Scorpion showed Naruto his architectural plans, and Naruto objected to the strange, wormlike buildings.

Naruto completed Otogakure’s expansion with Sasori, then clashed with an envoy demanding taxes on behalf of the Daimyo of the Land of Rice. Unable to sleep over the political fallout, she asked Nine-Tails whether she should kill the Daimyo, and he advised her to consult Orochimaru and Kakuzu first.

• Naruto replaced Sasori’s impractical blueprints with her own, and Sasori later completed Otogakure’s expansion with a giant puppet modeled after her.
• Naruto confronted the puppet, while Sasori explained that it was too Chakra-intensive to pilot and had been built as eternal art.
• An envoy sent by the Daimyo of the Land of Rice demanded Otogakure’s earnings and ordered Naruto to pay respects to the Daimyo.
• Kin Tsuchi slammed the envoy into the ground, and Naruto broke a samurai’s katana before ordering the group to leave.
• Unable to sleep, Naruto told Nine-Tails she was worried about the Daimyo and asked whether she should kill him.
• Nine-Tails advised Naruto to discuss the matter with Orochimaru and Kakuzu before acting.

Naruto visited Orochimaru’s base to discuss the Daimyo of the Land of Rice, but discovered that Orochimaru had reincarnated into the body of a three-year-old girl. She left stunned and questioning why Orochimaru had reincarnated so early.

• Naruto told Yakushi Nonō she planned to meet Kakuzu and Orochimaru about the Daimyo’s envoy and warned that she might use force.
• Naruto left Kin Tsuchi in charge of Otogakure for two days and kissed her forehead before departing.
• The Sound Four initially blocked Naruto from entering Orochimaru’s base, but a voice from inside ordered them to let her pass.
• Naruto found Orochimaru in a cultivation tank, appearing as a three-year-old girl with black hair and white eyes.
• Naruto repeatedly left and reentered the room before accepting that the child was Orochimaru, then asked why she had reincarnated so early.

Naruto found that Orochimaru had reincarnated into a little girl whose body was rapidly changing her personality, and Orochimaru expected Naruto to take over the Konoha Crush Plan. Naruto left to handle the Daimyo of the Land of Rice and seek help from Shisui Uchiha, but Orochimaru clung to her and began crying.

• Naruto confronted Orochimaru about abandoning the Konoha Crush Plan after reincarnating into a little girl, and Orochimaru said the body would have to grow naturally.
• Orochimaru told Naruto to disguise herself as her and carry out the plan using prepared documents, shadow clones, and Orochimaru's forbidden techniques.
• Orochimaru admitted the new body was rapidly making her more childish, so Naruto considered leaving her with the Sound Four before returning to the laboratory.
• Naruto rejected Orochimaru's plan as too risky and said she would seek help from Shisui Uchiha and deal with the Daimyo of the Land of Rice.
• Orochimaru grabbed Naruto's leg and wailed that Naruto was abandoning her, leaving Naruto to comfort her.

Naruto settled Orochimaru’s former base staff in Otogakure and discovered that Yoru, Orochimaru’s new body, had awakened the Shikotsumyaku as well as possessing the Byakugan. Naruto then traveled to Uba Village with Yoru, Kimimaro, and Jugo to meet Shisui Uchiha, leaving the two leaders staring at Yoru’s Byakugan.

• Naruto ordered the Sound Four and Orochimaru’s subordinates to abandon the old base and move to Otogakure, where they were assigned to the Ninja Academy and laboratory.
• Naruto introduced Orochimaru’s new body as her adopted daughter Yoru, and Yakushi Nonō recognized the girl’s Byakugan.
• Naruto discovered that Yoru had awakened the Shikotsumyaku and asked Yakushi Nonō to examine Kimimaro for signs of illness.
• Yoru’s bone blades and nighttime antics kept Naruto busy, and Naruto took her along when she insisted on joining the trip.
• Naruto gave Kakuzu instructions, then traveled with Yoru, Kimimaro, and Jugo to Uba Village and met Shisui Uchiha.

Naruto secured Uba Village's agreement to an alliance with Otogakure and requested an Uchiha skilled in Sharingan genjutsu to help deal with the Daimyo of the Land of Rice. Meanwhile, Kakuzu accepted the Fuma Clan into Otogakure, and Mikoto volunteered to accompany Naruto to the Land of Rice.

• Naruto explained that Yoru was her adopted daughter, then arranged for Jugo and Kimimaro to raise a barrier before proposing an alliance between Otogakure and Uba Village.
• Shisui Uchiha agreed to the alliance, and Naruto asked to borrow an Uchiha to help control the Daimyo of the Land of Rice, promising not to implicate Uba Village.
• Kakuzu escorted Fuma Ran and the Fuma Clan into Otogakure, agreeing to provide housing and basic supplies while ordering them to find work and contribute to the village.
• Kakuzu threw Hidan out of his office when Hidan interfered with his paperwork.
• Shisui agreed to Naruto's request, and Mikoto volunteered to accompany Naruto to the Land of Rice.

Naruto used Mikoto Uchiha’s genjutsu to neutralize the greedy daimyo of the Land of Rice and accepted the Grass Sword before returning to Otogakure. As the village grew and Kakuzu managed its expanding work, trouble broke out at a newly opened restaurant.

• Naruto told Mikoto Uchiha to try negotiating with the daimyo before resorting to genjutsu.
• The daimyo tried to take control of Otogakure’s industries, so Mikoto Uchiha trapped him and an official in genjutsu at Naruto’s order.
• Mikoto Uchiha declined Naruto’s invitation to visit Otogakure, gave her the Grass Sword, and accidentally kissed her before fleeing.
• Otogakure admitted the children of new residents to its Ninja Academy for free and assigned Fuma clan ninja to teach them.
• Kakuzu ordered his staff to refuse goods to people causing trouble at a new restaurant, and an angry man confronted him.

Naruto returned to Otogakure, dismissed a troublesome merchant, and joined Yoru and Orochimaru in testing an improved Transformation Jutsu. The technique worked even when its user was attacked, and Naruto considered its steady Chakra cost manageable for her.

• Naruto slapped the merchant who demanded to see Otogakure's boss, ended his caravan's business with the village, and ordered him thrown out.
• Kakuzu updated Naruto on the village's affairs and the Fuma Clan's defection, and Naruto asked whether Mayfly belonged to the clan.
• Kin Tsuchi greeted Naruto as her personal puppy, and Naruto pushed her away.
• Naruto trained with Yoru and Orochimaru, learning forbidden techniques while Yoru used the Byakugan to help improve the Transformation Jutsu.
• Yoru pinned Naruto, transformed as C.C., to a wall with the Grass Sword to test the jutsu, and concluded that the improvement had succeeded.

Naruto met with the Fourth Kazekage as Orochimaru to finalize the Konoha Crush Plan, while her Shadow Clone trained under Yoru. Naruto mastered Triple Rashōmon but failed to use the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, and Yoru realized the Fourth Hokage’s soul was trapped in the Death Reaper’s belly.

• Naruto learned that Yoru’s childlike body was increasingly assimilating her, then discussed the Fourth Kazekage and Gaara with her.
• Naruto asked the Nine-Tails for his name, learned it was Kurama, and irritated him by calling it awful.
• Naruto, disguised as Orochimaru, met the Fourth Kazekage with Kimimaro and Jugo in the Land of Wind and finalized the Konoha Crush Plan.
• While Naruto was away, her Shadow Clone mastered Triple Rashōmon and studied the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu under Yoru.
• Naruto tested the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu on a criminal, but the technique failed when it could not summon the Fourth Hokage’s soul.
• Yoru identified the Death Reaper Seal as the reason the Fourth Hokage’s soul could not be summoned, and Naruto’s Shadow Clone disappeared.

Naruto learned that he could not use Impure World Reincarnation to restore the Fourth Hokage or the Nine-Tails’ other half, but he and Yoru identified the Uzumaki Clan’s records as a possible lead. At an Akatsuki meeting, Naruto opposed Pain’s plan to capture the Tailed Beasts and argued that the organization should rescue and welcome the Jinchuriki instead.

• Naruto told the Nine-Tails that the Fourth Hokage’s soul was trapped in the Reaper’s belly, and promised to find a way to free the Nine-Tails’ other half.
• Yoru suggested searching Uzushiogakure’s ruins or Konohagakure for Uzumaki Clan scrolls that might explain how to release souls sealed by the Reaper Death Seal.
• Naruto took the hungry Yoru to eat, teased her about staying small forever, and laughed when she believed him before she grew bone spikes in anger.
• Naruto arrived at Akatsuki’s Amegakure base, greeted Kisame, Obito, and Sasori, and assured Sasori that Kinzamoku was fine.
• Pain announced that Akatsuki would capture the Tailed Beasts to suppress wars, and Naruto objected to capturing the Jinchuriki as part of the plan.
• Naruto urged Akatsuki to save the Jinchuriki and offer them a home, startling Obito and prompting Black Zetsu to decide that Naruto must not be allowed to live.

Naruto persuaded Nagato to let her recruit other tailed beast Jinchuriki into Akatsuki, while secretly planning to enlist the tailed beasts' help if the organization turned against her. After fighting another group of ninja seeking revenge, she encountered Tsunade gambling in the Land of Rice and began playing in her place.

• Naruto convinced Nagato that Akatsuki should shelter ostracized Jinchuriki, and Nagato assigned her to recruit them.
• Naruto agreed to handle the recruitment while privately asking the Nine-Tails to help persuade the other tailed beasts.
• Naruto defeated a group of Takigakure and Rock Ninja seeking revenge, then took valuables from their bodies.
• Naruto transformed into C.C., changed out of her Akatsuki cloak, and approached Tsunade at a gambling house.
• C.C. offered to gamble in Tsunade's place and won several rounds, doubling Tsunade's remaining one hundred thousand ryo in the first round.

C.C and Tsunade drank together after winning money at a gambling house, and both woke with no memory of getting undressed and sleeping beside each other. Tsunade discovered the bird-shaped red mark on C.C’s forehead, and C.C woke as Tsunade touched it.

• C.C spotted the dealer’s trick, stopped gambling after winning 1.2 million ryo, and left the money with Tsunade.
• Tsunade invited C.C to eat, then secretly mixed baijiu into C.C’s juice at the barbecue restaurant.
• C.C realized the drink was alcoholic, challenged Tsunade, and drank until she and Tsunade were both unconscious; Shizune helped them back to the inn.
• The next morning, C.C learned from the Nine-Tails that nothing had happened between her and Tsunade, then went back to sleep beside her.
• Tsunade woke, found herself naked beside the clothed C.C, and touched the bird-shaped mark on C.C’s forehead.
• C.C woke and asked Tsunade, “Have you touched enough?”

C.C. and Tsunade parted after an awkward encounter, and Naruto learned that Gato had appeared in the Land of Waves and set out to recruit Zabuza Momochi and Haku. On the way, Naruto exposed an attacker disguised as a boatman, but the person who sent him revealed themself at the end.

• C.C. teased Tsunade after waking in her room, and Tsunade attacked her before Naruto dropped the disguise and gave Tsunade her clothes.
• C.C. exchanged names with Tsunade and left; Shizune arrived and helped clean up the damaged room.
• Naruto received a report that Gato had opened a shipping company in the Land of Waves and was smuggling goods and dealing drugs, then sent a message to Otogakure.
• Naruto headed for the Land of Waves to recruit Zabuza Momochi and Haku, but the old man rowing her rented boat accidentally sank it.
• Naruto carried the old man back toward shore, recognized he was an impostor when he attacked her, and struck him with a Rasengan.
• The captured attacker said that the person who sent him was present.

Naruto escaped Gato’s attack at sea, then learned how Gato’s control of trade kept the Land of Waves’ fishermen impoverished. As he headed toward town, an unseen attacker ambushed him, but his body was revealed to be a substitution log.

• Gato threatened Naruto into accepting a shipping deal, but Naruto deflected a cannonball back into the cargo ship and forced Gato to flee.
• Gato hired Zabuza Momochi to kill Naruto, offering him three million ryo; a masked figure followed Zabuza.
• Naruto escaped the sinking ship and sharks, then kicked several stranded sharks back into the sea before frightening nearby fishermen.
• Naruto found a poor village, stayed with a family, and learned that Gato monopolized shipping and seafood trading in the Land of Waves.
• On the road to town, Naruto wondered why no one had killed Gato, then dodged a great sword before a substitution revealed that the attacker had struck a log.

Naruto fought Zabuza and White, provoking them to expose the bond between them. White trapped Naruto in his ice mirrors to help Zabuza escape, but Zabuza realized his feelings for White and stayed; Naruto then shattered the prison and carried the unconscious White.

• Naruto defeated Zabuza in battle and drew White out by pretending to threaten him.
• White fought Naruto to protect Zabuza, but Zabuza called him merely a tool and prepared to continue fighting.
• White used Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals to trap Naruto and buy Zabuza time to flee.
• Naruto taunted White and unleashed enough Chakra to make him fear the ice prison would fail, while White kept fighting despite his worsening injuries.
• Zabuza remembered his time with White and realized he had formed deep bonds with him, so he chose not to run away.
• Naruto shattered White's ice mirrors with Wind Release: Pressure Damage and carried the motionless White as Zabuza remained nearby.

Naruto stopped Zabuza from killing himself, defeated Gato and his men, and brought Zabuza and Haku into Otogakure. Back in the village, Zabuza became a Genin instructor while Haku built a career as a seamster, and Naruto praised the expensive clothes Haku made for him.

• Naruto stopped Zabuza from stabbing himself and fought off Gato's men before killing Gato.
• Naruto used the Nine-Tails' Chakra to heal Haku, then invited Zabuza and Haku to join Otogakure.
• Zabuza accepted Naruto's offer, and Naruto, Kakuzu, Hidan, Zabuza, and Haku left the Land of Waves after Naruto sponsored Tazuna's bridge project.
• In Otogakure, Zabuza became an instructor for an elite Genin class, while the Four Heavenly Kings taught ordinary classes.
• Haku mastered advanced sewing and became Sound Ninja Apparel's only male senior seamster, making Zabuza an outfit worth several million Ryo.

Naruto spoke with Zabuza about his students and learned that Haku was settling in at the tailoring workshop, then defended herself when Mayfly attacked her. Yoru saved Naruto with Triple Rashōmon, and Mayfly collapsed after her attack failed, while Black Zetsu escaped after being spotted.

• Naruto discussed Zabuza’s teaching duties and the students’ poor health before reminding him that he was about to be late for a mission.
• Naruto told Qin that Haku was a boy, then their playful moment was interrupted by a kunai thrown through the window.
• Naruto pursued the attacker and recognized the hunchbacked man as an associate of Mayfly, who emerged from a sand shell and attacked with her Chakra wings.
• Yoru summoned Triple Rashōmon to shield Naruto, and Mayfly collapsed as her wings withered.
• Black Zetsu watched the failed attack, noticed that Yoru appeared to be from the Hyūga clan, and fled after Nine-Tails detected him.