Chapter Summaries

Naruto and his allies fought the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path in Amegakure, with Naruto summoning the Thousand-Armed Buddha to overpower it. The statue was driven underground, and Nagato suffered a severe backlash.

• The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path attacked, and Naruto raised a Wood Locking Wall while Karin tried to bind it with Adamantine Sealing Chains.
• Hinata severed the statue's head with a beam of golden light, but the Deva Path made it regenerate.
• Naruto stopped Sasuke from using Susanoo and drew on Hashirama, Kurama, and the others' power.
• Naruto summoned Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, and the enormous wooden Buddha clashed with the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Hinata joined the battle as Naruto filled the Buddha's hands with Rasengan and drove the statue underground, causing Nagato to spit blood.

Naruto defeated Pain and forced the Akatsuki to retreat, then followed Hinata to confront Nagato with Jiraiya. As Amegakure mourned its defeat, Itachi explained the political reality to Sasuke, and the chapter ended with Jiraiya recognizing Nagato.

• Naruto learned from Hinata that Konan had carried the unconscious Pain away and that Nagato was nearby.
• Deidara and Sasori fled, while Itachi told Sasuke that Konoha had won and postponed their fight.
• Naruto dispelled the Thousand-Armed Buddha, then agreed to take Jiraiya to meet Nagato.
• Konan supported the weakened Nagato as he left his hiding place, while Amegakure's people grieved their god's defeat.
• Itachi explained to Sasuke that Amegakure's future depended on village interests, then used Flying Thunder God to join Naruto and the others.
• Jiraiya saw the skeletal red-haired man and asked whether he was Nagato.

Nagato explained how Yahiko’s death and the betrayal by Hanzo and Root drove him toward pursuing peace through pain, but Naruto challenged his choices before Nagato died. Konan revealed the masked Madara Uchiha’s role in the Akatsuki and departed with Nagato and Yahiko’s bodies, while Jiraiya learned he would need to question Orochimaru.

• Nagato recounted the Akatsuki’s original hopes for Amegakure and how Hanzo of the Salamander and Konoha’s Root killed Yahiko and their companions.
• Naruto told Nagato that Yahiko’s death had not erased their ideals, and Nagato asked Naruto to seek true peace for him before dying.
• Konan told Jiraiya how the masked Madara Uchiha had influenced the Akatsuki, and suggested Orochimaru might know more about him.
• Konan chose to bury Nagato and Yahiko in Amegakure and vowed to kill Madara Uchiha if he returned.
• Jiraiya comforted Naruto, and Itachi announced that their group would return to Konoha.

Tenzo and Itachi returned to Konoha from their secret mission, and Izumi confronted them for leaving her behind. Izumi reassured herself that Itachi was safe, then kissed him and went to cook while Tenzo was forced to stay.

• Tenzo and Itachi returned to Training Ground 4, then Tenzo rested at the Root Base while Itachi went to bathe.
• Izumi confronted Tenzo after learning that he and Itachi had disappeared on a secret mission without her.
• Tenzo gave Izumi a muddled account of their mission, and she went to find Itachi in the bathroom.
• Izumi hugged Itachi, kissed him, and teased him before heading to the kitchen to cook.
• Tenzo tried to sneak away from Izumi's cooking, but she ordered him to sit back down.

Hinata told Hiashi that her newly awakened eye ability might let her remove the Caged Bird Seal, shocking him. She explained that her eyes had changed after a battle in Amegakure and seemed able to see souls.

• Hyuga elders criticized Hinata for returning late and spending time with Naruto, but her cold glance silenced them.
• The elders worried that Hiashi and Hizashi’s push for unity between the Main and Branch Families would undermine the ancestral precepts and the Caged Bird Seal.
• Hinata returned home, greeted Hanabi, and sent her back to her homework before speaking with Hiashi.
• Hinata told Hiashi that her eyes had awakened a new ability and that she thought she could remove the Caged Bird Seal.
• Hinata explained that after fighting in Amegakure with Kakashi-sensei and the others, her eyes seemed able to see souls.

Hinata told Naruto that her new ability could remove the Hyuga Clan’s Caged Bird Seal, giving them a way to fulfill their promise to free the clan. Naruto and Hinata began planning their approach and sought Itachi’s help through Tenzo.

• Naruto ate breakfast while waiting at home, and Hinata came to visit him.
• Hinata told Naruto that her eyes could let her see souls and remove the Caged Bird Seal.
• Naruto and Hinata agreed to fulfill their promise and called Sasuke and Karin to help plan.
• Naruto and his friends decided to pressure the Hyuga elders, with a harsher plan if they refused to yield.
• The group cornered Tenzo and asked him to bring Itachi into their plan, and Tenzo agreed to pass along the request.

Itachi reported that Hinata and the Hyuga Clan were preparing to revolt against the clan’s system, and Tsunade eagerly decided to go help Naruto and the others. She arrived at Training Ground 4, where Itachi left her outside the large wooden house.

• Tenzo told Itachi to report Hinata and the Hyuga Clan’s plans to the Hokage, and Itachi used Flying Thunder God to reach the Hokage Building.
• Tsunade stopped working on her paperwork when Itachi told her about the planned revolution, then ordered him to take her to Naruto and the others.
• Tsunade left the Hokage Office with Itachi before Shizune arrived with more documents and realized Tsunade had run away again.
• Itachi brought Tsunade to Training Ground 4, where she praised him and invited him inside the wooden house.
• Itachi declined Tsunade’s invitation and vanished using Flying Thunder God, leaving her outside.

Tsunade joined Naruto, Hinata, Karin, and the others as they discussed removing the Hyuga Clan’s Caged Bird Seal, warning that conservative elders could threaten Branch Family members with the seal. At Hiashi’s residence, she revealed that the youngsters had considered teaming up with Root to kill the elders, leaving Hiashi and Hizashi shocked and relieved she had intervened.

• Tsunade arrived at Training Ground 4 and agreed to support Naruto’s plan.
• Tsunade warned that Hyuga elders might activate the Caged Bird Seal against Branch Family members, and she took the group to meet Hiashi.
• Tsunade, Naruto, Hinata, Karin, and the others reached Hiashi’s residence, where Hiashi and Hizashi were waiting.
• Tsunade told Hiashi and Hizashi that the youngsters had planned to join forces with Root and kill the conservative elders and their subordinates.
• Hiashi and Hizashi realized how close the clan had come to disaster and were grateful Tsunade had arrived.

Hinata used her Tenseigan to remove Hizashi’s Caged Bird Seal and restore a fragment to his soul, freeing him from its control. The successful test left the Hyuga’s plan to liberate the branch family within reach.

• Hiashi explained the plan to remove the branch family’s Caged Bird Seals without alerting the elders, and Tsunade asked whether Hinata’s eyes could truly do it.
• Hizashi volunteered as Hinata’s first test subject, insisting the risk was worth it for Neji and the rest of the branch family.
• Hinata saw the seal attached to Hizashi’s soul, pulled it free despite his pain, and reshaped its remains into a fragment she returned to his forehead.
• Hizashi reported that the pain had passed and that he felt more refreshed and free than ever.

Tsunade asked Hinata about souls, then confirmed with Hiashi that the Hyuga would gather Branch Family members to prepare for removing the Caged Bird Seal. Back at the Hokage Building, she discovered that an exhausted Jiraiya had secretly handled most of her paperwork and began working through what remained.

• Tsunade questioned Hinata about souls and jokingly asked to borrow her eyes, but Hinata only described what a soul looked like.
• Hiashi told Tsunade that the Hyuga would gather Branch Family members in batches before removing the Caged Bird Seal.
• Tsunade returned to the Hokage Building and encountered a drained Jiraiya, who said he had finished what he came to do and went to Naruto's home.
• Tsunade found that most of her paperwork had been completed and recognized Jiraiya's handwriting on the documents.
• Tsunade understood that Jiraiya had used Shadow Clones to help her, then began working on the remaining documents.

Hiashi and Hizashi revealed their plan to free the Branch Family from the Caged Bird Seal and removed Neji’s seal with Hinata’s help. As the elders suspected Hiashi was moving against them, they went to confront him.

• Hiashi asked Neji if he wanted to be free of the Caged Bird Seal, and Neji said that he did.
• Hiashi and Hizashi explained their plan to Neji, and Hinata removed the seal from his forehead.
• Neji returned home with Hizashi, who told him the time to act was almost there.
• The elders noticed that many Branch Family members had visited Hiashi and feared the Caged Bird Seal had been removed.
• The Elder questioned a Branch Family member, accused him of lying, and led the elders toward Hiashi’s residence.

Hiashi confronted the Hyuga elders over the Caged Bird Seal, backed by Branch Family members and Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Karin. After the elders were defeated and Hizashi’s seal-free forehead proved the seal could be removed, Hiashi declared that the Hyuga would become a new clan.

• Hiashi ordered his plan begun as the elders arrived and insisted that abolishing the Caged Bird Seal was impossible.
• Hiashi revealed that Branch Family members had turned against the elders, then Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Karin appeared in the courtyard.
• Hizashi and Neji joined the gathered Branch Family, and the Elder discovered that the seal no longer worked on Hizashi.
• Sasuke cut off the Elder’s fingers, Hinata overwhelmed the Hyuga onlookers with her power, and Karin bound the elders.
• Hiashi told the elders to surrender, and he and Hizashi announced that the Hyuga would be a new clan.

Karin organized a gathering for Naruto and Hinata, while Naruto’s family teased him about their relationship and future children. After removing the remaining Caged Bird Seals, Hinata prepared for a secret outing with Naruto and hinted she had a plan of her own.

• Karin sent Shadow Clones around the village to gather everyone for Naruto and Hinata, while Naruto fretted over their relationship and Kurama reassured him.
• Kushina asked Naruto when he would have a baby with Hinata, and Kurama defended him before fleeing from Kushina’s chains with Minato pursuing him.
• Hinata used nearly all her chakra to remove the Caged Bird Seals from the remaining Hyuga Branch Family members.
• Hanabi returned home, joked with Hinata, and hurried off to do her homework and practice punches.
• Hinata said she had somewhere to go that night, then hinted to Meiko that she had a plan of her own.

Naruto arrived at the Akimichi BBQ Restaurant, where Karin had arranged a surprise gathering for him and Hinata. Hinata kissed him, confessed her feelings, and exchanged gifts with him, leaving the two together as their friends celebrated.

• Karin led Naruto to private room A-520, where Hinata and their friends were waiting.
• Naruto entered the dark room and saw Hinata in a white dress; she approached and kissed him.
• Naruto embraced Hinata as Karin switched off the lights, while Sasuke’s Sharingan glowed in the darkness.
• Hinata told Naruto she had always liked him, and Naruto confessed that he liked her too.
• Naruto gave Hinata a necklace containing his chakra, and Hinata gave him a bracelet engraved with their chibi likenesses.
• Ino and Sakura scattered flower petals and Sasuke played music as the lights came on, while Karin reflected that the evening had turned out close to what she expected.

Jiraiya questioned Akado Yoroi about his work for Orochimaru, then offered to forgive him and his teammate if he helped arrange a conversation. Akado Yoroi sent Orochimaru a message, and Orochimaru received it in his underground laboratory in the Land of Birds.

• Jiraiya questioned Akado Yoroi about being Orochimaru’s informant and asked whether Kabuto Yakushi was his accomplice.
• Akado Yoroi denied knowing about Kabuto Yakushi’s actions and explained that Orochimaru’s modifications had given him his strength.
• Jiraiya offered to let Akado Yoroi and his teammate go if he helped arrange a conversation with Orochimaru.
• Akado Yoroi sent a note to Orochimaru using a little white snake from Ryūchi Cave, then returned home under ANBU watch.
• Orochimaru received the note in his underground laboratory in the Land of Birds and read that Jiraiya wanted to speak with him.

Orochimaru sent a shadow clone to meet Jiraiya after deciding to hear what he wanted, while Kabuto watched the White Zetsu in the laboratory. Naruto celebrated his relationship with Hinata and teased Jiraiya about Tsunade, leaving Jiraiya flustered by Naruto’s direct question about whether he had ever liked her.

• Orochimaru decided to meet Jiraiya and sent a shadow clone toward Konoha, while asking Kabuto to monitor the White Zetsu.
• Orochimaru continued experimenting with White Zetsu cells and kekkei genkai, despite suspecting the White Zetsu might be Madara’s spies.
• Naruto told Kushina that he and Hinata were together, and Kushina began imagining their future wedding.
• Jiraiya returned and told Naruto that he had found a lead concerning Orochimaru’s subordinate and expected Orochimaru to agree to meet.
• Naruto asked Jiraiya whether he had ever liked Tsunade, and Jiraiya turned away, flustered.

Orochimaru arrived at Konoha’s gate as a shadow clone, where Jiraiya and Tsunade confronted him. Jiraiya revealed the Akatsuki’s origins and Nagato’s fate, leaving Orochimaru asking where Nagato’s body was.

• Orochimaru approached Konoha’s gate, and Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane recognized him and alerted the village.
• Jiraiya went to meet Orochimaru, while Naruto transformed into an orange cat and secretly eavesdropped at the gate.
• Orochimaru greeted Tsunade before turning to Jiraiya, who asked about his time in the Akatsuki.
• Jiraiya told Orochimaru that his former students founded the Akatsuki, that Nagato used the Rinnegan to kill Hanzo, and that Yahiko’s body became the Deva Path.
• Jiraiya explained that Minato’s contingency had stopped the Akatsuki and that Nagato died in the battle, prompting Orochimaru to ask where his body was.

Jiraiya and Tsunade questioned Orochimaru about the Akatsuki’s Madara, and Orochimaru agreed to share what he knew after Jiraiya begged him. His account left Jiraiya and the others wondering about Madara’s successor and his true plans.

• Jiraiya warned Orochimaru not to target his students, then asked whether he knew Madara Uchiha.
• Orochimaru recognized Madara as a historical Konoha founder, but Jiraiya clarified that he meant the man operating within the Akatsuki.
• Orochimaru teased Jiraiya before Tsunade offered to rescind his wanted notice, and he demanded that Jiraiya beg him for information.
• Orochimaru told Jiraiya that Madara had White Zetsu, sought the location of Ryūchi Cave, and pursued him after he left the Akatsuki.
• Jiraiya wondered whether Madara’s goal was revenge against Konoha, while Tobirama argued that Madara’s plans were likely more ambitious and Hashirama speculated that he had found a successor.

Obito entered Amegakure disguised as one of Pain’s followers and found the village still mourning its absent god while Lady Angel handled its affairs. He confronted the overworked staff in the administrative building and forced them to answer him, leaving the purpose of his visit unresolved.

• A bun seller recalled Pain’s defeat and Lady Angel’s claim that he had returned to the Divine Realm as Obito and Tagitsuhime arrived in Amegakure.
• Obito told the bun seller that things would improve and reflected that the Infinite Tsukuyomi would make everything wonderful.
• Obito sensed that the rain contained no chakra and teleported with Tagitsuhime into Amegakure’s administrative building.
• The staff said Lady Angel was absent and complained about the mountain of paperwork and requests she had left them to handle.
• Obito used Wood Release to injure a staff member, while Tagitsuhime sealed off the floor, and demanded that the workers answer his question.

Obito interrogated Amegakure workers for information about Pain’s body and forced them to signal Konan. Konan gathered her allies for a mission to kill Madara Uchiha, despite the strain the transplanted Rinnegan was already putting on her life.

• Obito questioned the workers about Pain’s body, and one man attacked him before Tagitsuhime returned the kunai and killed the attacker.
• The supervisor revealed that the workers could summon Konan with a signal flare, and Obito forced another worker to launch it.
• Konan saw the flare and summoned Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori for a mission to kill Madara Uchiha.
• Konan had transplanted Nagato’s Rinnegan and was already developing white hair as she practiced its powers.
• Konan chose not to contact Zetsu or Kisame because she believed they were loyal to Madara.