Recaps

After the Nine-Tails’ attack, Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha pursued their own plans while Konoha endured political tensions and a war with Kumogakure. When the Cloud leader tried to steal Hinata’s Byakugan, Zou’s deception and Oto’s suspicions set off a confrontation that left the leader attacking civilians under unseen control.

• The Fourth Hokage broke the Masked Man’s control over the Nine-Tails, but an unseen attacker injured him before the Masked Man escaped with Zetsu.
• Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha helped Kushina and Minato reach Naruto before the Fourth Hokage sealed the Nine-Tails, and Zou extended the couple’s lives briefly so they could speak to their son.
• After Minato and Kushina survived in an unconscious state, Zou and Oto joined the ANBU, while Danzo’s proposal to move the Uchiha compound was rejected by the Third.
• Zou developed experiments involving natural chakra and recruited people for a secret organization, while Oto advanced within the Uchiha and trained with him in pseudo-Sage Mode.
• Zou agreed to protect Hinata at Hiashi’s request and later saw Naruto defend her from children who insulted her.
• During the Kumogakure peace talks, the Cloud leader entered the Hyuga compound to abduct Hinata, but Zou stopped Hiashi from killing him and disguised himself as Hinata to conceal the clan’s involvement.
• Oto detected suspicious activity, found a Lightning Clone, and alerted Shisui, while the Cloud leader fled with Zou disguised as his captive.
• The Cloud leader began attacking civilians with lightning and realized an unseen ninja was controlling his body as Konoha’s forces surrounded him.

Oto Uchiha and Zou Hyuga faced a crisis with Kumogakure, then joined Konoha’s fight against Orochimaru and Sasori before returning to village politics. The arc ended with Zou leaving Konoha alongside two visitors from the moon after one attacked Hiashi.

• Oto rescued Hinata from the Cloud Ninja Leader, and after his death the Cloud delegation demanded that Konoha surrender Oto as the village prepared for war.
• Oto and Zou went to the front with Kakashi and Yamato, where their squad found a massacre by Orochimaru and Sasori and fought them alongside Shisui.
• The squad drove Orochimaru and Sasori away, and after a month of clashes Kumogakure accepted a peace treaty.
• Danzo challenged Shisui over his Mangekyō Sharingan, but the Third accepted Shisui’s explanation and prevented Danzo from pressing him further.
• The Third approached Itachi about graduating early as a bridge between the Uchiha and the village, while Hiashi considered Oto as a teacher for Hinata.
• Hiashi received a Lunar Ōtsutsuki elder and Toneri, who demanded Zou and cooperation from the Hyuga Clan.
• The elder drained most of Hiashi’s chakra, and Zou left Konoha with him and Toneri to keep the village from being alerted.

Zou Hyuga fought a lunar Hyuga and recruited Kisame before joining a mission to seal Moryo, absorbing much of the demon’s chakra in the process. After returning to Konoha, Oto worried about Zou’s changed behavior, and he secretly told Cat Granny that he was deceiving Oto because he could no longer protect her.

• Zou Hyuga drove back the lunar Hyuga’s attacks, while Toneri and the old man escaped to the moon and Konoha classified the fighters as S-Rank threats.
• Zou helped Taro Utada regain control of the merchant association, then recruited Kisame to guard Utada and gather kekkei genkai orphans.
• Zou’s ANBU squad traveled to the Land of Demons, where Miroku revealed her connection to Moryo and warned that she had foreseen Oto’s death.
• The squad escorted Miroku toward Mount Shūfū, where Moryo’s influence controlled ninja and its puppets attacked the group.
• Zou entered the lava cavern with Oto and Miroku, absorbed Moryo’s chakra, and weakened the demon enough for Miroku to seal it as Mount Shūfū erupted.
• Zou discovered that his markings could store chakra, while Oto noticed his changed behavior after the mission and sought Cat Granny’s help.
• Zou and Oto captured a runaway ninja cat in Cat Village, and Zou privately told Cat Granny that he was deceiving Oto because he could no longer protect her.

Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha survived Obito’s attack, and Oto awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan while Zou concealed Moryo’s influence. Zou then protected the Tailed Beast Merchant Association, clashed with Akatsuki members, trained Haku, and returned to Konoha, where he brought Oto to the Valley of the End to test an idea.

• Cat Granny revealed that Moryo’s evil chakra was inside Zou Hyuga, while Oto Uchiha and Zou grew distant on their return to the Shinobi Village.
• Obito abducted Zou and attacked Oto, but Shisui arrived to help her fight him, and Zou struck Obito from inside the Kamui Dimension.
• Moryo took control of Zou and tried to force Oto to surrender her body, but Oto awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan and defeated him.
• Zou and Oto concealed Moryo’s chakra and Oto’s Mangekyō from the village, then reported the Masked Man’s return to the Third Hokage.
• Zou visited Kisame’s mountain base, took Haku with him, and learned that Akatsuki members were hunting Taro Utada for a bounty.
• Zou fought Kakuzu and two Kirigakure missing-nin while Haku used Ice Release to protect Utada and the guards, then Zou forced the Akatsuki to pay four million ryō to leave.
• Zou experimented with natural chakra and Haku’s Ice Release, returned to Konoha, and told Oto about his encounter with Akatsuki.
• Zou suggested that Obito might be the Masked Man, then led Oto to the Valley of the End and took her hand so she could focus on what she felt.