Chapter Summaries

Konoha and Iwagakure fought a brutal battle as Kitsuchi’s forces pushed Konoha toward defeat. Jiraiya’s clash with Kitsuchi began as the battle reached its fiercest point.

• Kitsuchi’s Explosion Corps helped Iwagakure overwhelm Konoha, while Kakashi and Asuma fought off thirteen Iwa Shinobi.
• Might Guy led reinforcements onto the battlefield, using Morning Peacock to disrupt the enemy and relieve pressure on Kakashi and Asuma.
• Kurenai Yuhi joined the fight, but Konoha’s reinforcements only brought the battle to a stalemate.
• Kitsuchi ordered Iwagakure’s remaining units to join the battle and planned to crush Konoha with their superior numbers.
• Iwa Shinobi emerged from underground behind Konoha and attacked from both sides, but Jiraiya trapped many in a swamp and struck them with flames.
• Kitsuchi charged at Jiraiya, bringing the commanders of both sides to the brink of a clash.

Jiraiya and Kitsuchi fought fiercely as Iwagakure’s numerical advantage threatened to overwhelm Konoha. Jiraiya began entering Sage Mode while the Konoha ninja waited for Naraku, whose arrival was heralded by a red comet crashing onto the battlefield.

• Jiraiya and Kitsuchi traded powerful attacks, and Kitsuchi struck Jiraiya, who had used a shadow clone as a decoy.
• Jiraiya summoned Gamahiro, whose twin swords Kitsuchi blocked with rock fists before countering with Earth Release techniques.
• Jiraiya asked Gamahiro to hold Kitsuchi off while he entered Sage Mode, hoping to prevent Konoha’s heavy losses.
• Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Aoba Yamashiro, and the other Konoha ninja struggled against Iwagakure’s encirclement.
• A red comet streaked across the sky and crashed into the center of the battlefield.

Shihōin Naraku arrived on the battlefield with a devastating comet strike, then cut down Iwagakure Ninja and rallied Konoha’s forces into a counterattack. As the battle turned in Konoha’s favor, Naraku targeted the elite Demolition Corps and set his sights on Gari.

• A comet struck the Iwa Shinobi’s position, killing and injuring many and leaving the battlefield in ruins.
• Shihōin Naraku emerged from the dust and killed an Iwa Shinobi who confronted him.
• Naraku evaded the Iwa Shinobi’s attacks and killed thirty-seven of them with a lightning-fast sword strike.
• Naraku called on the Konoha Ninja to counterattack, and they charged the weakened Iwagakure forces.
• Naraku began hunting the Iwagakure elites, killing a Demolition Corps Ninja before turning toward Gari.

Shihōin Naraku killed Explosion Release Gari and wiped out Iwagakure's Explosion Corps, then broke the Iwa Shinobi's morale and helped Konoha defeat their force. With the battlefield cleared, Jiraiya continued fighting Kitsuchi as Naraku descended nearby.

• Explosion Release Gari attacked Shihōin Naraku with an explosive strike, but Naraku appeared behind him, wounded him, and killed him with Kurikara.
• Shihōin Naraku charged through the Explosion Corps and killed its remaining members, crushing a Cloud Ninja's explosive clay before decapitating him.
• Shihōin Naraku used Conqueror's Haki to overwhelm the Iwa Shinobi, then urged the Konoha Ninja to finish them off.
• The Konoha Ninja defeated the remaining Iwa Shinobi while Jiraiya kept Kitsuchi occupied and struck him with a Rasengan.
• Jiraiya dismissed Gamahiro, and Shihōin Naraku descended beside the battlefield as Jiraiya and Kitsuchi continued their final fight.

Kitsuchi used the Mountain Earth Technique in a last attempt to kill Shihōin Naraku, but Naraku escaped unharmed and killed him. After Konoha celebrated its victory, Naraku questioned why the battle had unfolded differently than planned, then reacted to something in the distance.

• Kitsuchi trapped Shihōin Naraku between two massive rock hemispheres with the Mountain Earth Technique, but Naraku burst free and struck Kitsuchi through the heart with a spear of flame.
• Naraku extinguished the flames on Kitsuchi’s nearly charred body and sealed his corpse in a scroll for the Corpse Disposal Unit to examine.
• Might Guy praised Naraku while Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Aoba Yamashiro recovered from the battle.
• The exhausted Konoha ninja celebrated their victory, and Jiraiya thanked Naraku for arriving in time to save them.
• Naraku questioned Jiraiya about why the battle had not followed their plan, then looked into the distance after his expression suddenly changed.

Shihōin Naraku discovered that an Iwagakure force was approaching and stayed behind to delay it while Jiraiya led the exhausted Konoha Ninja into retreat. Naraku destroyed the advancing force with his Great Spiraling Ring, then returned briefly to the Konoha camp before heading back to the Land of Lightning’s border.

• Shihōin Naraku spotted an approaching Iwagakure force of roughly a thousand Ninja and warned Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya ordered the exhausted Konoha Ninja to retreat while Naraku flew out to confront the reinforcements.
• Naraku identified the young Kurotsuchi among the Iwagakure force and launched his Great Spiraling Ring at them.
• The Great Spiraling Ring caused a massive explosion that engulfed most of the Iwagakure force.
• Jiraiya and the retreating Konoha Ninja witnessed the distant blast, and Jiraiya wondered whether Naraku was the Child of the Prophecy.
• Naraku returned to the Konoha camp, spoke with Jiraiya, Kakashi, and the others, then departed for the Land of Lightning’s border.

Shihōin Naraku destroyed Kitsuchi’s Iwa Shinobi unit and forced Kumogakure to conclude peace negotiations. After the ceasefire was signed, Dodai asked Naraku to extinguish the enormous fire near Thunderclap Gorge.

• Kurotsuchi and the surviving Iwa Shinobi struggled through the aftermath of Naraku’s devastating attack, and the survivors sent messengers to Iwagakure and searched for Kitsuchi’s unit.
• Naraku returned to the Land of Lightning’s border and told Shikaku Nara that he had killed Kitsuchi and wiped out the Iwa Shinobi unit.
• Naraku ordered Konoha to give Kumogakure three days to sign a peace treaty and began sending wounded ninja and medical personnel back to Konoha.
• Kumogakure and Konohagakure signed a peace agreement two days later, with Naraku and Dodai signing and exchanging the documents.
• Dodai asked Naraku to extinguish the sea of fire near Thunderclap Gorge before it caused irreparable damage.

Shihōin Naraku refused Dodai’s request to extinguish Flame Mountain, and the Konoha forces returned home after the war with Kumogakure ended. In the Land of Grass, Ōnoki accepted a ceasefire with Jiraiya after learning that Kitsuchi had died and Iwagakure’s frontline forces had been wiped out, leaving Konoha’s prestige unrivaled.

• Dodai asked Shihōin Naraku to extinguish Flame Mountain for the sake of the Land of Lightning, but Naraku refused and led his group away.
• The Konoha forces crossed the Land of Lightning’s border and returned through the Land of Hot Water to the Land of Fire.
• Ōnoki arrived in the Land of Grass and learned that the Iwa Shinobi frontline had been destroyed, Kitsuchi had died, and Kurotsuchi had been badly injured.
• Ōnoki offered Konoha a ceasefire, and he and Jiraiya agreed on terms that included Iwagakure paying to ransom captured Iwa Shinobi.
• News of Konoha’s victories over Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure spread throughout the Shinobi World.

Shihōin Naraku returned to Konoha after the wars, and his victories made him famous across the Shinobi World as the Phoenix and a contender for its strongest shinobi. The chapter ended with Konoha’s elders realizing that other nations feared and courted Konoha because Naraku was an unknown power no one could restrain.

• Shihōin Naraku returned to Konoha to a jubilant welcome and reported to Tsunade after the ninja forces’ victories.
• Konoha’s civilians debated whether Naraku or Jiraiya was stronger as news spread of their victories over Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
• People throughout the Shinobi World gave Naraku fearsome titles, with Phoenix becoming the name most widely accepted.
• Naraku’s reputation brought Konoha and the Land of Fire greater prestige and hidden benefits as other nations sought their favor.
• Mitokado Homura explained that other countries feared Naraku because he was neither Hashirama Senju nor Madara Uchiha, and no one could predict or restrain him.

Shihōin Naraku’s date with Uzuki Yugao was interrupted by a drunken Tsunade, and after Jiraiya returned to Konoha, the group found Naruto Uzumaki training in despair over his failure to save a comrade. Jiraiya prepared to leave again, while Kakashi Hatake blamed himself for Naruto’s distress.

• Shihōin Naraku and Uzuki Yugao ate in a private room while villagers’ attention and jealous stares followed them.
• Tsunade and Shizune burst into the room, and Tsunade drank heavily and complained about the pressures of being Hokage before Shizune took her away.
• Jiraiya returned to Konoha with his troops, then chose to resume his travels rather than stay for the celebrations.
• At the training ground, Tsunade, Shihōin Naraku, Kakashi Hatake, and Jiraiya watched Naruto Uzumaki repeatedly strike the ground with Rasengan.
• Tsunade explained that Naruto blamed himself for failing to bring back his comrade, and Kakashi admitted he had failed to teach Naruto properly.

After Sasuke Uchiha defected with Orochimaru, Tsunade returned Naruto Uzumaki to Konoha, where he began training obsessively. At a meeting about Jiraiya taking Naruto away to train, Shihōin Naraku argued that learning to control the Nine-Tails outside the village would limit the damage if Naruto lost control.

• Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi intercepted the pursuit team, but Tsunade badly wounded Kabuto before leaving to search for Naruto; Kabuto later escaped despite being buried underground.
• Tsunade fought Orochimaru and his subordinates, but Orochimaru still persuaded Sasuke Uchiha to leave with him, and Tsunade brought the unconscious Naruto Uzumaki back to Konoha.
• Naruto began training obsessively, while Kakashi left to visit the Memorial Stone and Tsunade, Shihōin Naraku, and Jiraiya went to the Hokage's Office.
• Jiraiya proposed taking Naruto away to train, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura opposed the plan because they considered Naruto the village's emergency trump card.
• Shihōin Naraku argued that Naruto should learn to control the Nine-Tails outside Konoha, where a loss of control would cause less damage.

Tsunade approved Jiraiya taking Naruto Uzumaki away to train, then shared Uchiha Itachi’s intelligence about the Akatsuki with Jiraiya and Naraku. After Naraku reassured her that Itachi remained loyal and Sasuke Uchiha was safe from Orochimaru for the time being, Jiraiya and Naruto left Konoha to travel.

• Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Naraku settled that Jiraiya would take Naruto Uzumaki away to train, with Naraku reminding Jiraiya to improve Naruto’s fundamentals.
• Tsunade told Jiraiya and Naraku that Uchiha Itachi had revealed intelligence about the Akatsuki, and Jiraiya considered visiting the Land of Rain before Tsunade warned him not to investigate.
• Tsunade asked Naraku whether Uchiha Itachi could be trusted, and Naraku said Itachi was loyal to Konoha and expected Sasuke Uchiha to kill him one day.
• Tsunade worried that Orochimaru had taken Sasuke Uchiha, but Naraku assured her Orochimaru would not be able to take Sasuke’s body for at least three years.
• Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki departed through the Konoha Gate, accompanied by farewells from Tsunade, Naraku, and Kakashi Hatake.

Shihōin Naraku presented Tsunade and Shikaku Nara with a huge set of proposals to reorganize Konoha, hoping to secure more positions and rewards. Shikaku suggested presenting all the plans together at a meeting, giving Tsunade and Naraku a way to win approval for the changes they valued most.

• Sakura Haruno arrived after Naruto Uzumaki had already left and asked Kakashi Hatake where he was.
• Shihōin Naraku brought Tsunade and Shikaku Nara a large collection of proposals for restructuring Konoha's departments and forces.
• Tsunade complained about the workload and admitted that the plans could benefit Konoha, though she could not approve them all herself.
• Shikaku Nara suggested presenting the proposals together at a meeting so that some of them would be easier to approve.

Konohagakure’s leaders debated Naraku’s proposals for sweeping village reforms, approving more than half after two days. Tsunade appointed Naraku Barrier Team Leader, and he began planning to use new posts to gain more system rewards.

• Konohagakure’s senior officials and clan heads argued over Tsunade’s proposed reforms, especially changes to the barrier and Defense Force.
• After two days of debate, the leaders rejected some of Naraku’s proposals and confirmed more than half of them.
• Tsunade appointed Naraku Barrier Team Leader, and the system rewarded him with two draw chances.
• Naraku focused on rebuilding Konoha’s barrier while relying on his subordinates and Shihōin Harumoto to manage the Medical Department.
• Naraku planned to resign from his posts after completing the barrier work, keeping only his Konoha High Command Advisor position so Tsunade could assign him elsewhere.

Shihōin Naraku oversaw preparations for Konoha’s new barrier and discussed its component sites with Tsunade, who ordered one location changed to preserve Sasuke Uchiha’s home. The story then shifted to Turtle Island, where a Kumogakure elder learned that Killer B remained unconscious and angrily berated the medical ninja.

• Shihōin Naraku managed Konoha’s barrier preparations while the village gathered supplies and produced talismans.
• Shihōin Naraku showed Tsunade his proposed sites for the barrier’s components, and she told him to preserve Sasuke Uchiha’s home by changing the sixth site.
• Shihōin Naraku considered whether Sakura Haruno’s future as a medical ninja could affect his plans, then decided it did not matter to him.
• The elder and Dodai arrived at Turtle Island and found Killer B unconscious in a newly built medical facility.
• A Cloud ninja reported that every attempt to awaken Killer B had failed, and the elder called the medical ninja useless fools.

Kumogakure's leaders struggled to find a way to heal Killer B's soul damage and decided to seek out Orochimaru, while also preparing to choose a Fifth Raikage. In Iwagakure, Ōnoki grieved the village's losses and began considering retirement after seeing Kurotsuchi in the hospital.

• Kumogakure's medical ninja reported that Killer B's unconsciousness came from soul damage, but they had no way to cure it yet.
• Dodai and the Kumogakure council discussed the village's weakened forces, Killer B's condition, and whether to release the Eight-Tails, then agreed to focus on waking Killer B.
• Kumogakure's intelligence chief suggested that Orochimaru might know how to address the soul damage, so the council sent people to find him and ordered Killer B brought back from Turtle Island.
• Kumogakure's leaders continued their meeting to discuss candidates for the Fifth Raikage.
• Ōnoki mourned Iwagakure's heavy losses, Kitsuchi's death, and Kurotsuchi's injuries, then considered retiring as Tsuchikage.

Han became Iwagakure’s Fourth Tsuchikage as Ōnoki retired, while Konoha prepared to replace its sensory barrier. Shihōin Naraku oversaw the new barrier’s successful formation and ordered the Barrier Team to begin testing it.

• Han accepted the Tsuchikage Hat from Ōnoki and became Iwagakure’s Fourth Tsuchikage.
• Tsunade told Shihōin Naraku that Ōnoki would visit Konoha in about a week, and Naraku reported the barrier replacement was nearly ready.
• Two days later, Tsunade and Konoha’s shinobi guarded the village while Naraku ordered the old barrier deactivated.
• Naraku watched as the new sensory barrier formed and closed without an enemy attack.
• Naraku ordered the Barrier Team to inspect the barrier’s key nodes and test its ability to detect unfamiliar chakra.

Former Tsuchikage Ōnoki arrived in Konoha with his granddaughter Kurotsuchi, who needed urgent medical care. As Naraku was summoned to Konoha Convalescent Hospital, he considered his next assignment after the sensory barrier tests ended.

• Tsunade welcomed Ōnoki, who explained that he had retired and was visiting privately with Kurotsuchi, who was gravely ill.
• Tsunade and Ōnoki entered Konoha together while Kurotsuchi was carried on a guard's back.
• Naraku used Observation Haki to detect Ōnoki's arrival and Kurotsuchi's weak life force.
• An ANBU member told Naraku that Tsunade had summoned him to Konoha Convalescent Hospital, so he left the Barrier Team's testing in his subordinates' hands.
• Naraku headed to the hospital and considered resigning from the Barrier Team once its work was complete.

Shihōin Naraku encountered Kurotsuchi in the hospital, where she reacted to him with terror, while Tsunade treated her badly injured left leg. After the Sensory Barrier mission ended successfully, Naraku asked to resign as team leader, and Tsunade considered how best to use Konoha’s strongest asset.

• Kurotsuchi recognized Naraku and panicked, while Ōnoki tried to calm her; Naraku left the ward and argued that Iwagakure and Ōnoki were responsible for the war.
• Tsunade told Naraku that she could repair Kurotsuchi’s left leg but not restore her severed right leg, and said only Naraku could do that.
• Ōnoki paid Tsunade generously, and she successfully operated on Kurotsuchi’s left leg; as it healed, Ōnoki began worrying about how to persuade Naraku to restore her right leg.
• Naraku’s Barrier Team completed its testing of the Sensory Barrier without problems.
• Naraku asked Tsunade to let him resign as Barrier Team leader, and she agreed that Konoha could not afford to leave him idle.

Naraku tried to resign as Medical Department Director, but Tsunade refused and decided to review the department before reconsidering. During his time off, Ōnoki found him and offered terms in exchange for treating Kurotsuchi’s severed leg, leaving Naraku wary of the opportunity.

• Naraku told Tsunade he wanted to resign as Medical Department Director, but she forbade him from bringing it up again until she had assessed the Medical Department.
• Tsunade began considering whether the department could manage without Naraku, while Naraku took three days off after leaving the Barrier Team captaincy.
• Ōnoki stopped Naraku in Konoha, bowed, and apologized for Kurotsuchi’s rude behavior.
• Ōnoki asked Naraku to treat Kurotsuchi and offered compensation plus free trade access to Iwagakure’s medicinal herb market for the Shihōin Clan.
• Naraku questioned whether Ōnoki understood the risks of allowing the Shihōin Clan to expand into Iwagakure.