Arc 2Chapters 26–50
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Madara returned from Ryūchi Cave and devastated the battlefield at Greenleaf Cliff, forcing the Senju to retreat. Hashirama began awakening Wood Release but became too exhausted to fight, while Madara recognized him as a future rival and was summoned by Uchiha Tajima.
After reflecting on the battle at Greenleaf Cliff, Madara returned to the Uchiha clan grounds and reunited with Izuna and Jing Xiu. Madara revealed that he had recovered from severe injuries and developed unusual chakra, leading Jing Xiu to suspect a connection to senjutsu.
Madara told Jing Xiu and Izuna about Ryūchi Cave, and Jing Xiu explained the Three Great Sage Lands and proposed researching Sage Mode together. Months later, the Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga clans were weakened by war, while seven other clans formed an alliance, leaving Madara to consider how the Uchiha should respond.
Butsuma Senju sent Tobirama Senju to support Hashirama Senju at the Seven-Clan Alliance ceremony, while Madara Uchiha decided the alliance could benefit the Uchiha and traveled toward Kinzawa Castle with Jing Xiu, Izuna, and the Fourth Uchiha Elder. At the castle, the seven clan leaders debated how to handle smaller clans and the three superclans.
The Uchiha, Senju, and Hyuga heirs tried to understand the seven clans’ political maneuvering in Kinzawa Castle. Madara decided to speak with the Shimura clan leader, while Izuna’s collision with Tobirama ended in a furious argument over Jing Xiu.
Jing Xiu escalated the confrontation between the Uchiha and Senju in Kinzawa Castle, then secretly led Madara and Izuna to recruit the Nara Clan. He explained that the Nara’s secret techniques and support would make the Uchiha far stronger, and Nara Takamoto began to grasp his reasoning.
Jing Xiu and Madara negotiated with Nara Takamoto, who agreed to let his younger son join the Uchiha brothers and explained the strategic value of the Nara Clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance. He said the clans were not unwilling to cooperate more broadly, but unable to do so.
Jing Xiu and Madara negotiated alliances that kept the Land of Fire clans balanced, while Jing Xiu trained the allied clans’ young guards and withheld his training methods from Uchiha Tajima. After a year of uneasy peace and dangerous missions, Jing Xiu received another mission document and wondered why Tajima kept targeting him.
Jing Xiu traveled to the Land of Crafts, where he worked with Qingming to develop the Four Symbols Divine Artifacts. After realizing he needed a living core to create his own Body Tempering Furnace, Jing Xiu thought of possible candidates but doubted he was strong enough to obtain one.
Jing Xiu learned that Uzushio Village was searching for something while the Uchiha and Senju weighed their next moves. He questioned the captured Uzumaki Qingzhi about whether his clan had noticed his disappearance and begun a search.
Jing Xiu used Uzumaki Qingzhi’s memories to learn that the Uzumaki Clan’s complete Sealing Jutsu compendium had been stolen. He then gave Kurama Natsuki a dangerous mission and prepared to seal her chakra.
Jing Xiu and Hatake Ryuichi disguised themselves as Land of Lightning ninja and slaughtered a fishing village in the Land of Whirlpools, leaving evidence for the Uzumaki Clan to find. Mito Uzumaki tracked the attack to the village and prepared to confront the killers, while Ashina insisted on joining her.
Mito Uzumaki's team found Uzumaki Qingzhi dead and rescued the injured Kurama Natsuki from a cellar in a massacred fishing village. After learning Tobirama Senju planned to kill Uchiha Izuna, Jing Xiu left the Land of Crafts in secret, while the chapter ended at the guarded Tenshu Pavilion in the Land of Hot Water.
Izuna and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio delayed their mission to the Land of Hot Water while Yoshihiro investigated signs that it was unusually dangerous. Meanwhile, Jing Xiu maintained a decoy in the Land of Crafts, and a black-robed ninja recruited the mysterious one-eyed ninja, setting them on a bloody road.
Jing Xiu and Wolf hunted Uzumaki squads along the coast while Uzushio Village struggled to understand the disappearances and the theft of its Sacred Relic. Tobirama Senju mistook a civilian for an Uchiha pawn, and Madara Uchiha opened an S-rank report that left him frightened.
Madara rushed toward the Land of Whirlpools after learning that Jing Xiu and Izuna were in danger, while Black Zetsu moved to keep the brothers alive for his plans. Izuna reached the Land of Hot Water and secured a cooperation agreement, but Nara Yoshihiro warned that their return journey would be more dangerous.
Izuna arranged for the Jashin Cult’s high priest and thirty followers to escort his party toward the Land of Fire, while Mito Uzumaki took command of the Uzumaki Clan’s operation against the Uchiha. Tobirama Senju led a small force to the Uzumaki Sea to set a trap, and Mito was horrified when he brought a little girl onto the island.
Uchiha Izuna and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were ambushed by Uzumaki forces on the coast of the Land of Whirlpools and fought desperately to escape. The trio split up to draw pursuit away from Izuna, while a red-haired observer headed after the fleeing companions.
Nara Yoshihiro sacrificed himself to help Uchiha Izuna escape Uzumaki Xiangnong, dying with faith that Izuna could bring peace to the shinobi world. Izuna and his companions were then cornered on Whirlpool Island by Tobirama Senju and the Evil God High Priest.
On Whirlpool Island, Akimichi sacrificed himself to unleash a devastating explosion, awakening Izuna’s Three-Tomoe Sharingan and prompting Uzumaki Ashina to protect him. As Ashina and Tobirama Senju clashed over Izuna, Uchiha Tajima and Butsuma Senju faced off outside Uzushio Village, where a massive blast suddenly erupted.
Jing Xiu summoned the Three-Tails to devastate Uzushio Village, then killed Uzumaki Changshou and the pursuing ninja. He left Black Wolf to face Uzumaki Ashina and set off after Madara Uchiha.
Jing Xiu reached the Uzumaki Sea and fought through Mito Uzumaki and Tobirama Senju to rescue Izuna and Kurama Natsuki. He escaped with both of them, but Tobirama’s enigmatic smile left the rescue’s outcome uncertain.
Jing Xiu survived Kurama Natsuki’s poisoned attack, killed her, and joined Madara as they raced toward the devastated Uzushio Village. There, Uchiha Tajima fought Butsuma Senju and trapped him with a powerful genjutsu.
Uchiha Tajima used Izanagi to recover from a potentially fatal blow and resumed his fight with Butsuma Senju, leaving their clans’ fate undecided. Meanwhile, Jing Xiu reached Hoshigakure with Madara and Izuna, where he explained why Kurama Natsuki’s loyalty differed from that of his other subordinates.
Jing Xiu and Izuna defeated Hoshigakure's leaders and sealed the Star from Beyond the Heavens, which Madara kept as a possible source of power. The three returned toward their home by the Naka River, unaware that a major crisis was brewing there.