Chapter Summaries

Shihōin Naraku prepared Konoha’s headquarters and field hospital for a Cloud Ninja raid while Shikaku Nara moved the main force into position. Darui’s ten-man raiding squad reached headquarters and charged, where the chapter ended with Konoha’s apparent defenders staring in shock.

• Shikaku Nara led Konoha’s main force toward headquarters as its clans set up surveillance, defenses, poisons, and traps.
• Shihōin Naraku inspected sensory-disrupting puppets and ordered Mitaraishi Anko to defend the evacuated field hospital.
• Ibiki Morino reported that the Cloud Ninja raiding force had crossed the border, and Shihōin Naraku ordered his forces to withdraw.
• Darui led ten Cloud Ninja through the woods to Konoha’s headquarters, believing Shihōin Naraku would die in the raid.
• Darui signaled his squad to attack, and the Konoha Ninja around the building appeared shocked and froze.

Shihōin Naraku lured Darui’s Cloud Ninja squad into an explosive trap, then confronted the surviving Darui and Yugito Nii. After Yugito’s transformation proved she could recover from the blast, Naraku attacked her and clashed with Darui, leaving their fight unresolved.

• Darui led ten Cloud Ninja into an attack on the command post, but discovered the Konoha Ninja there were Shihōin Naraku’s explosive Shadow Clones.
• The clones detonated, badly injuring Darui and two other Cloud Ninja while Yugito Nii survived and began healing with the Two-Tails’ Chakra.
• Shihōin Naraku identified Yugito as the Two-Tails Jinchūriki and ordered Ibiki Morino and eight other Konoha Ninja to follow their battle plan and attack the wounded Cloud Ninja.
• Yugito charged Naraku in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, but he kicked her into the woods before Darui attacked with Storm Release: Laser Circus.
• Naraku revealed the lasers had pierced his vital points without stopping him, then met Darui’s black-lightning blade with Kurikara and countered his next strike.

Shihōin Naraku killed Darui and defeated the Cloud ninja, then faced Yugito Nii after she transformed into Matatabi. He blocked Matatabi’s fireball with one hand and hurled it back as a flaming fist, sending her crashing into the forest.

• Shihōin Naraku used hidden weapons to kill Darui, then kicked his corpse toward Yugito Nii.
• Yugito Nii tore apart Darui’s body and saw that the other Cloud ninja had been defeated and killed by Konoha’s forces.
• Shihōin Naraku ordered his subordinates to notify Shikaku and begin driving the Cloud ninja out of the Land of Hot Water.
• Yugito Nii transformed completely into Matatabi and attacked Shihōin Naraku with a massive fireball.
• Shihōin Naraku stopped the fireball with one hand and returned it as a flaming fist, hurling Matatabi into the forest.

Shihōin Naraku overwhelmed Matatabi with Lightning Release: Kirin and a relentless barrage of attacks. As Yugito Nii and Matatabi discussed fleeing, Naraku summoned the Immovable Wisdom King and began a powerful sword strike.

• Shihōin Naraku used Lightning Release: Kirin to paralyze Matatabi and destroy her unfinished Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Shihōin Naraku slashed Matatabi, severed her two tails, and continued attacking after evading her claws.
• Ibiki Morino told the Konoha trio that Naraku's power resembled that of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.
• Matatabi urged Yugito Nii to escape, but Yugito insisted they could still survive.
• Shihōin Naraku summoned the Immovable Wisdom King, drew the Black Longsword, and brought it down in a fierce slash.

Shihōin Naraku killed Yugito Nii and wounded Killer B, who fled with her remains while Naraku pursued him toward the Land of Hot Water. Their chase reached the front line as Konoha and Kumogakure began a fierce battle, with the Cloud forces rapidly overrunning Konoha’s positions.

• Shihōin Naraku defeated Matatabi, returned Yugito Nii to human form, and stabbed her through the heart with Kurikara.
• Killer B attacked Naraku with Lariat, but Kurikara pierced him and flames engulfed him; B escaped by leaving an octopus tentacle clone behind and carrying Yugito’s remains.
• Killer B fled toward Kumogakure, suffering soul-deep pain as Gyuki warned that Yugito and Matatabi were dead.
• Naraku caught up with Killer B and repeatedly forced him toward the Land of Hot Water with blade-energy attacks.
• Killer B and Naraku reached the front line, where Dodai led Kumogakure’s troops in an assault that quickly overwhelmed Konoha’s prepared defenses.

The Cloud Ninja pushed Konoha back in the Land of Hot Water until Konoha’s reinforcements reversed the battle and forced Dodai to retreat. The fighting paused when Shihōin Naraku and a badly wounded Killer B arrived in the battlefield’s center, with Killer B still protecting Yugito Nii’s remains.

• The chapter described how the Land of Hot Water was devastated by wars between Konohagakure and Kumogakure, leaving its own Yugakure ruined and the country unable to stop the fighting.
• Dodai believed the Cloud Ninja were close to victory and ordered his assault teams to rotate as Konoha withdrew toward its main position.
• Konoha reinforcements lit the battlefield with flares and attacked the Cloud Ninja with a massive wave of Fire Release techniques.
• Dodai ordered teams to block Konoha’s advance and retreated with the main force, while the Konoha Ninja crushed the blocking force and recaptured the lost positions.
• Shihōin Naraku and badly burned Killer B arrived in the battlefield’s center, and Killer B refused to abandon Yugito Nii’s remains.

Shihōin Naraku pursued Killer B into the Cloud Ninja forces, turning their effort to rescue their jinchūriki into a decisive defeat. After Konoha drove the Cloud Ninja out of the Land of Hot Water and seized part of the Land of Lightning, Naraku organized defenses and medical support for the territory they had taken.

• Killer B fled toward the Cloud Ninja force, whose soldiers and Dodai rushed to protect him from Shihōin Naraku.
• Naraku charged into the Cloud Ninja, killing and scattering them with Kurikara and Fire Release, while the Konoha Ninja turned back to support him.
• Shikaku Nara, Hyuga Hiashi, and Inoichi Yamanaka identified Naraku on the battlefield, and Konoha's forces split and routed the Cloud Ninja.
• Naraku led the pursuit that drove the Cloud Ninja out of the Land of Hot Water and scattered the Land of Lightning's Border Forces, allowing Konoha to occupy part of the Land of Lightning.
• Naraku and Shikaku arranged frontline strongholds and decided to keep the Field Hospital in the Land of Fire while setting up a temporary treatment facility in the Land of Hot Water.

Tsunade received news that Shihōin Naraku had driven the Cloud ninja from the Land of Hot Water and advanced into the Land of Lightning, prompting Konoha to celebrate. As the village rejoiced, Uchiha Itachi, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku slipped into Konoha under cover of a genjutsu.

• Tsunade read the front-line report and learned that Naraku, Shikaku, and their forces had entered the Land of Lightning after defeating the Cloud ninja.
• Tsunade ordered Shizune to announce the victory and summoned the advisers for a meeting.
• Konoha celebrated the news, and Neji Hyuga and Kakashi Hatake welcomed the Cloud ninja's defeat.
• Uchiha Itachi used his Sharingan to trap the guards at the Konoha Gate in a genjutsu, then entered the village with Zabuza Momochi and Haku.

Uchiha Itachi returned to Konoha with Zabuza Momochi and Haku, where he learned that Shimura Danzō had been blamed for many of the village’s past crimes. Meanwhile, Tsunade’s advisers discussed Konoha’s next steps after Shihōin Naraku’s victory, leaving the decision about whether to fight or negotiate with Kumogakure unresolved.

• Uchiha Itachi returned to Konoha with Zabuza Momochi and Haku, intending to warn Shimura Danzō and check on Sasuke Uchiha.
• Zabuza Momochi and Haku admired Konoha’s peaceful atmosphere and contrasted it with Kirigakure’s brutal policies.
• Uchiha Itachi overheard villagers claim that Shimura Danzō had been responsible for the Wood Release Experiment, the Uchiha Clan’s destruction, and other misdeeds, and he wondered whether the Third had exposed his spy identity.
• Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy appeared outside the restaurant, and Uchiha Itachi and his companions disappeared as someone shouted for them to be pursued.
• Tsunade, Shihōin Harumoto, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura agreed to send Shihōin Naraku only a few chunin squads and direct the remaining ninja to Jiraiya.
• Utatane Koharu asked whether Konoha should keep fighting the Land of Lightning or send diplomats to negotiate with Kumogakure.

Tsunade appointed Shihōin Naraku a senior adviser after his victory over Kumogakure, while the war remained unresolved and an explosion erupted near the Naka River. At the front, Naraku received five draw chances and completed his fourth ten-pull, gaining Amenotejikara and several other rewards.

• Tsunade rejected negotiations because the Fourth Raikage was unlikely to end the war after losing Kumogakure's Jinchūriki and Darui.
• Tsunade appointed Shihōin Naraku a senior adviser, and Shihōin Harumoto supported the decision.
• A huge explosion shook Konoha, where two water dragons collided near a tributary of the Naka River.
• At the Land of Lightning border, Shihōin Naraku learned of his promotion and received five draw chances from the system.
• Shihōin Naraku completed his fourth ten-pull, receiving Amenotejikara, Valstrax, ninjutsu, and other rewards, then burned the Akatsuki nail polish.

Shihōin Naraku tested his new Flying Technique and Senzu Beans, then summoned Gore Magala, the Silverwing Doomstar. He climbed onto the dragon and rode as it blasted through the clouds into the stratosphere.

• Shihōin Naraku tried the Flying Technique, discovered he could hover and maneuver, and considered how his flight speed would grow with his strength.
• Shihōin Naraku ate a Senzu Bean and found that it quickly restored his chakra and stamina while leaving him full.
• Shihōin Naraku left the camp and summoned Gore Magala on a remote hill near the Land of Lightning.
• Gore Magala lowered its head for Naraku to stroke, then smashed a boulder with its tail while he inspected it.
• Shihōin Naraku climbed onto Gore Magala, which launched into the sky and broke the sound barrier before reaching the stratosphere.

Shihōin Naraku flew with Gore Magala from the Land of Grass to Konoha, where he spotted Uchiha Itachi fighting in the village. He concealed himself in a chakra-maintained cloud and approached the battle unseen.

• Shihōin Naraku rode Gore Magala above the clouds, then leapt from its back and raced it through the sky before giving up because Gore Magala was faster.
• Shihōin Naraku and Gore Magala watched Jiraiya’s Konoha forces and Kitsuchi’s Iwagakure forces clash in the Land of Grass, then flew away.
• Jiraiya saw a red-glowing streak in the sky and wondered how Shihōin Naraku’s command was going before returning to the command center.
• Shihōin Naraku decided to visit Konoha and reached it with Gore Magala in less than five minutes.
• Shihōin Naraku recognized Uchiha Itachi in a battle in Konoha, then hid Gore Magala and himself inside a cloud and approached unnoticed.

Shihōin Naraku watched Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy fight Uchiha Itachi, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku in Konoha. The battle escalated as Haku protected Zabuza from Might Guy’s attacks, leaving Zabuza caught in the flames and shock waves of Guy’s Morning Peacock.

• Shihōin Naraku observed the fight from a motionless cloud and realized Zabuza Momochi and Haku had joined the Akatsuki.
• Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake battled Uchiha Itachi, Zabuza Momochi, and Haku near a tributary of the Naka River.
• Zabuza spread mist and attacked Might Guy, while Haku froze Guy’s feet and Uchiha Itachi pressured Kakashi with hidden weapons and a fireball.
• Kakashi’s Shadow Clone countered Itachi’s fireball with a Water Dragon Bullet, and Might Guy broke free of Haku’s ice.
• Haku raised an ice wall to save Zabuza from Might Guy, but Guy shattered it with Morning Peacock and struck Zabuza with flames and shock waves.

Tsunade entered the misty battle and used a secret gesture and code phrase to convince Itachi that she was acting with Hiruzen Sarutobi's trust. After she told Itachi about Sasuke, he used Tsukuyomi to draw her into an illusion.

• Tsunade charged into the mist as Konoha's ANBU surrounded the area, and Tenzo followed her inside.
• Itachi struck Kakashi with genjutsu, but retreated when Tsunade burst through the mist and smashed the ground with her kick.
• Tsunade pursued Itachi, then stopped and gave him the gesture and code phrase that Shihōin Naraku had told her.
• Itachi recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi's code, apologized to Tsunade, and agreed to speak with her.
• Tsunade told Itachi that Kakashi was Sasuke's instructor, and Itachi used Tsukuyomi to draw her into an illusory space.

Uchiha Itachi revealed Akatsuki’s members and plan to capture all nine tailed beasts to Tsunade, while explaining why he could not return to Konoha. He asked Tsunade to arrange time with Sasuke so he could teach him Uchiha secret techniques, then left after she agreed.

• Uchiha Itachi explained his Tsukuyomi and told Tsunade about Akatsuki, its members, and its leaders, Pain and Konan.
• Uchiha Itachi revealed that Akatsuki intended to capture all nine tailed beasts and said his agreement with the organization prevented it from attacking Konoha while he lived.
• Tsunade offered to help Uchiha Itachi return to Konoha, but he refused because he could not escape the guilt of killing his clan.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Tsunade to arrange time with Sasuke so he could teach him Uchiha secret techniques, and Tsunade agreed.
• Uchiha Itachi and Tsunade returned to reality, and Uchiha Itachi disappeared into the mist.

Tsunade ordered Konoha’s forces not to pursue Uchiha Itachi, Haku, and the wounded Zabuza after Haku’s Ice Release helped them escape. Back at the front, Shihōin Naraku learned that the Raikage was advancing and rejected a withdrawal, choosing instead to attack Thunderclap Gorge despite its formidable defenses.

• Tsunade stopped Might Guy and the others from pursuing Uchiha Itachi, Haku, and Zabuza, and sent Guy and Kakashi to the hospital.
• Shihōin Naraku left Konoha and returned to the Konoha camp near the Land of Lightning’s border.
• Shikaku Nara told Naraku that the Raikage had assembled a force and was expected to reach the border by noon the next day.
• Shikaku Nara proposed retreating to the Land of Hot Water because Konoha’s border defenses and supply lines were vulnerable.
• Shihōin Naraku rejected the retreat and pointed to Thunderclap Gorge as his intended target, while Shikaku warned that its defenses made it extremely difficult to capture.

Shihōin Naraku planned to use a feint against Thunderclap Gorge to draw out the Raikage, then ambush the Cloud Ninja supply units inside the Land of Lightning. He led Konoha’s force to the gorge and approached its formidable pass alone, but his strikes only scarred its walls.

• Shihōin Naraku explained his plan to Shikaku Nara: feint at Thunderclap Gorge, infiltrate the Land of Lightning, and attack the Cloud Ninja logistics units.
• Naraku, Shikaku, and the other staff officers finalized the operation, and Konoha’s force marched to Thunderclap Gorge.
• Naraku ordered the Konoha Ninja to stay back while he approached the fortified pass alone.
• Cloud Ninja guards sounded the alarm and fired crossbow bolts at Naraku, but he walked through the barrage unharmed.
• Naraku drew Kurikara and struck the pass repeatedly, leaving slash marks but failing to breach its sturdy walls.

Shihōin Naraku ignored the feint plan and demolished Kumogakure’s mountain fortress with the Immovable Wisdom King and a fiery phoenix. As Konoha’s commanders reacted to his overwhelming strength, Gore Magala returned to the summit with something it had found, and Naraku’s allies arrived to check on him.

• Shihōin Naraku summoned the Immovable Wisdom King, tore a boulder from the mountainside, and hurled it into the fortress, crushing the Cloud Ninja defending it.
• Shihōin Naraku cleaved the fortress apart with the giant’s blade, then unleashed a phoenix whose repeated dives engulfed the peak in flames.
• Inoichi Yamanaka questioned whether the attack still counted as a feint, while Shikaku Nara and the others recognized Shihōin Naraku as a fighter who could change the war by himself.
• Shihōin Naraku wondered whether Matatabi’s chakra had strengthened the flames and worried that he had destroyed the fortress despite the plan being only a feint.
• Gore Magala returned to the summit after finding something, and Shihōin Naraku calmed it when it roared at the approaching allies.
• Shihōin Naraku’s allies reached the summit and asked whether he was all right.

Shihōin Naraku shaped the summit’s flames into a defensive choke point for Konoha and led a small team into the Land of Lightning to ambush a supply convoy. As Naraku watched the approaching Cloud forces, Fourth Raikage A marched toward the front, still furious over his losses and unaware that Thunderclap Gorge had fallen.

• Shihōin Naraku realized the summit’s flames continued burning without chakra and shaped them into a blazing barrier with a single winding route up the mountain.
• Shikaku Nara recognized the tactical advantage, and Naraku ordered the main Konoha force to take positions while they revised their battle plan.
• Shihōin Naraku left with a small team to ambush the Cloud ninja supply convoy, while Shikaku Nara remained to oversee the defenses.
• Shihōin Naraku and Hyuga Hiashi’s team crossed the Cloud defenses undetected, and Naraku watched the advancing Cloud force from Gore Magala’s back.
• Fourth Raikage A led his forces cautiously toward the front despite his fury over Yugito Nii’s death and Killer B’s injuries.

After Shihōin Naraku breached Thunderclap Gorge, the Fourth Raikage rushed to organize reinforcements and reclaim it. Naraku then helped Hyuga Hiashi’s Ambush Squad intercept and destroy a Cloud supply unit, leaving Konoha poised to disrupt the advancing army’s provisions.

• The Fourth Raikage received reports that Konoha had captured Thunderclap Gorge and learned that Shihōin Naraku had breached the stronghold.
• A ordered Dodai’s defenders to hold or retreat to favorable terrain, summoned reinforcements and supplies, and directed Cloud units behind the gorge to attack and retake it.
• As the Cloud main force hurried toward the front, its formation stretched out and its supply unit fell behind.
• Shihōin Naraku alerted Hyuga Hiashi to the passing Cloud army, and Hiashi used his Byakugan to locate and assess the seventeen-member supply squad.
• Hyuga Hiashi’s Ambush Squad killed the Cloud supply squad without losing any Konoha Ninja, though a few were injured.