Chapter Summaries

Obito, Nagato, Konan, and Black Zetsu regrouped in the Land of Rain and compared accounts of their disastrous operation against Lin Ze and Dragon Release Village. They blamed Genbu for betraying them, then agreed to suspend the Eye of the Moon Plan while they recovered, gathered intelligence, and recruited new members.

• Black Zetsu's surviving clone headed for the Land of Rain after discovering that his original body had died and Uchiha Hikari had disappeared.
• Obito, Nagato, Konan, and Black Zetsu met at an underground base and recounted their losses, including the destruction of the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato's lost eye, and the deaths of Sasori and Shinnō.
• White Tiger and Kisame arrived and claimed they had escaped the southern battlefield after fighting Uchiha Itachi and three Snake Princesses from Ryūchi Cave.
• Nagato, Obito, Konan, and Black Zetsu concluded that Genbu was the likely spy, while Hiruko had escaped badly injured.
• Black Zetsu warned that Lin Ze knew too much about their plans and urged the group to rethink its strategy.
• Obito ordered the members to split up, gather intelligence, and recruit powerful people while putting the Eye of the Moon Plan on hold.

Black Zetsu persuaded Obito to continue the Eye of the Moon Plan while secretly planning to survive by hiding until Lin Ze died. Meanwhile, White Tiger and Kisame discussed whether the Akatsuki was still worth serving, and the chapter ended with Kisame questioning his faith in the plan.

• Black Zetsu told Obito to keep Nagato as the Rinnegan's vessel and proposed using Impure World Reincarnation to bring back Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju if needed.
• Obito agreed to avoid confronting Lin Ze and to keep gathering intelligence while Black Zetsu handled Nagato and the resurrection plan.
• After Obito left, Black Zetsu resolved to let Obito and Nagato fight Lin Ze while he stayed hidden and waited for another chance to rescue Kaguya.
• White Tiger and Kisame met in an abandoned mine, where Kisame questioned whether the Akatsuki was worth remaining in after its devastating losses.
• White Tiger asked whether Kisame still believed Madara and Nagato could fulfill the Eye of the Moon Plan, and Kisame fell silent.

White Tiger urged Kisame to remain with the weakened Akatsuki and hinted that Lin Ze might value Kisame’s talent more than Samehada. At the underground laboratory, Lin Ze learned that Black Zetsu had survived and prepared to continue his research while Uchiha Hikari remained sealed in life support.

• White Tiger told Kisame that he could stay in the Akatsuki, observe, and choose again later, while suggesting Lin Ze valued the person wielding Samehada more than the blade.
• Kisame left with White Tiger and reflected on his place in a world where Uchiha Itachi and Lin Ze had grown so powerful.
• Lin Ze placed the sleeping Uchiha Hikari in a sealed life-support device, deciding he would have to wait ten years for Shisui’s eyes to recover enough to undo Kotoamatsukami.
• Chinchilla delivered White Tiger’s scroll, and Lin Ze and Kabuto learned that Black Zetsu had survived their efforts.
• Lin Ze accepted that Black Zetsu had likely used a survival technique, paid Chinchilla for the message, and watched him disappear in a puff of smoke.

After learning that Black Zetsu had survived, Lin Ze warned Kabuto and continued the experiments; five days later, news of Lin Ze’s destructive battle spread through the Shinobi World. Tsunade prepared to establish diplomatic relations with the Dragon Release Village, while Ōnoki and Roshi received reports of the Susanoo sightings.

• Lin Ze told Kabuto to stay within the Dragon Release Village, protect those close to him, and research the Rinnegan cautiously while Lin Ze handled Black Zetsu.
• Five days later, reports of Lin Ze’s immense Azure Dragon form and the devastation in the Land of Water reached the major Ninja Villages.
• Tsunade ordered Jiraiya to lead a delegation to establish relations with the Dragon Release Village, accompanied by Lin Ze’s former ANBU teammates and carrying part of Konoha’s Scroll of Seals.
• Tsunade also asked Jiraiya to privately find out whether Lin Ze would help Konoha in a crisis.
• In Iwagakure, Ōnoki and Roshi received intelligence about Lin Ze’s battle and reports of two Susanoo in the north and an orange Susanoo in the south, believed to be Uchiha Itachi.

Ōnoki and Rasa reacted to Lin Ze’s return by strengthening their villages and seeking ties with Dragon Release Village. Mei Terumi ordered Kirigakure to surrender the surviving ninja responsible for destroying Lin Ze’s village, leaving Ao uneasy about the decision.

• Ōnoki ordered Roshi and Han to stay close to Iwagakure, increased ninja training, accelerated Chakra Cannon research, and sent a respectful delegation to Dragon Release Village.
• Ōnoki told Roshi he was preparing to protect Iwagakure and preserve its legacy as the old balance of power broke down.
• Rasa decided Lin Ze’s return could benefit Sunagakure because it had established diplomatic ties with Dragon Release Village early, and he ordered a delegation so he could meet Lin Ze himself.
• Mei Terumi reviewed records showing Kirigakure ANBU had destroyed Lin Ze’s village of Uzumaki survivors and ordered Ao to capture the surviving participants and send them to Dragon Release Village.
• Ao questioned whether Kirigakure should hand over its own ninja for an operation conducted more than ten years earlier.

Mei Terumi and the Fourth Raikage chose to seek reconciliation with Dragon Release Village rather than risk war with Lin Ze. A week later, Lin Ze learned that delegations from all Five Great Shinobi Villages had arrived to meet him.

• Mei Terumi ordered Ao to secretly send Kirigakure's two surviving former mission members to Dragon Release Village with gifts as an apology.
• The Fourth Raikage approved a diplomatic proposal to Dragon Release Village, despite his anger over Lin Ze killing his father, and vowed Kumogakure would someday grow stronger.
• Lin Ze and Kabuto examined Nagato's Rinnegan, while Kabuto explained that extracting its Six Paths power would take time.
• The White Snake Sage told Lin Ze that delegations from all Five Great Shinobi Villages had arrived, including Jiraiya and three ANBU from Konoha.
• Lin Ze left to meet the delegations and encouraged Kabuto to leave the laboratory and visit Dragon Release Village with Tagitsuhime.

Lin Ze met with Jiraiya and Konoha’s delegation to establish diplomatic relations between Konoha and Dragon Release Village. He promised to prevent Konoha’s destruction once if it faced an existential crisis, then agreed to meet the other villages’ delegations.

• Miyamoto Ichirō welcomed Jiraiya and three former ANBU members while they waited for Lin Ze.
• Lin Ze greeted Jiraiya, Fox, Night Owl, and Gray Wolf, then accepted Konoha’s proposal to establish diplomatic relations as equals.
• Jiraiya asked whether Lin Ze would help Konoha in a future crisis, and Lin Ze promised to intervene once to ensure the village was not destroyed.
• Lin Ze welcomed Fox, Night Owl, and Gray Wolf to join Dragon Release Village if they could no longer remain in Konoha.
• After Jiraiya’s delegation left, Miyamoto Ichirō told Lin Ze the other villages’ delegations were waiting, and Lin Ze agreed to meet them all.

Lin Ze accepted Kirigakure’s apology for its role in destroying the village of Uzumaki survivors and used the two Kirigakure ninja it sent, along with ten criminals, to replenish his soul. Three years later, still hunting Obito’s group, he headed for the ruins of Roran to investigate the Ryūmyaku.

• Lin Ze read Mei Terumi’s letter identifying two Kirigakure ninja as survivors of the force that destroyed the village of Uzumaki survivors, then ordered Tagitsuhime to bring them and ten convicted wandering ninja to the laboratory.
• Lin Ze used the Soul-Devouring Spirit Refinement Technique to strip the twelve men’s souls and absorb their soul origin while Kabuto recorded the results.
• Three years passed, and Lin Ze’s search with Ryūchi Cave had failed to locate Obito, Nagato, Black Zetsu, and Konan, who kept moving between hidden bases.
• Lin Ze reasoned that holding the Two-Tails would eventually force Obito’s group to act, then traveled toward the ruins of Roran to investigate the Ryūmyaku and its possible time-space travel.

Miyamoto Ichirō accepted Konoha’s invitation for the Dragon Release Village to enter the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams and chose five young ninjas to compete. Itachi agreed to lead them to Konoha, where old wounds between the villages and the Uchiha remained unresolved.

• Nara Suzaku invited the Dragon Release Village to send genin teams to the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams, and Miyamoto Ichirō accepted.
• Miyamoto Ichirō summoned Kimimaro, Haku, Karin, Jūgo, and Sasuke and selected them to represent the village.
• The five agreed to participate, while Nara Suzaku noted how formidable the young ninjas seemed.
• Miyamoto Ichirō appointed Itachi as their jōnin leader, and Itachi accepted the assignment.
• Miyamoto Ichirō arranged for Itachi and the Konoha delegation to leave for Konoha the following morning, while Nara Suzaku reflected on the lingering hostility tied to Fugaku Uchiha’s death.

Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke returned to Konoha with Dragon Release Village’s team for the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams, determined to find a way to restore Naruto’s memories and bring him home. The team registered and settled into a secluded courtyard as other exam participants watched their arrival.

• Sasuke vowed that he and Itachi would bring Naruto home after finding a way to undo the seal, and Itachi promised they would; Itachi then quietly coughed blood.
• Five days later, Uchiha Itachi led the Dragon Release Village team, including Sasuke, Kabuto, and Tagitsuhime, to Konohagakure’s gate.
• Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane checked the team’s documents and admitted them to Konoha for the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams.
• The Dragon Release Village team drew curious and wary attention in the reception hall, where they briefly crossed paths with Gaara’s Sunagakure team.
• The team completed registration and received a secluded Japanese-style courtyard near the exam center.

Itachi and Sasuke encountered Naruto in Konoha, where Naruto felt an unexplained familiarity despite his sealed memories. After ANBU reported that the seal was loosening, Tsunade considered the danger and uncertainty surrounding Naruto’s situation.

• Itachi told Kimimaro and the others to stay within the lodging area, then took Sasuke for a walk through Konoha.
• Passersby reacted warily to Itachi and Sasuke’s Uchiha attire as the brothers walked through the village.
• Naruto saw Sasuke near Ichiraku Ramen, asked his name, and said that he and Itachi felt familiar.
• ANBU stopped Naruto from approaching the brothers and ordered him not to speak to them again.
• A tanuki-masked ANBU reported Naruto’s reaction to a companion and recommended closer monitoring and possibly reinforcing the seal.
• Tsunade read the report and told Shizune that Naruto’s memory seal had loosened after his encounter with Itachi and Sasuke.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Nara Suzaku discussed Naruto's loosening memory seal and the danger that he might remember his Uchiha family and leave Konoha. Tsunade ordered the seal reinforced during the exams, while Suzaku proposed plans to strengthen Naruto's attachment to the village and, as a last resort, keep the Nine-Tails from leaving with him.

• Jiraiya read the report about Naruto's loosening memory seal and agreed that it was only a matter of time before it weakened.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya feared Naruto would seek out the Uchiha and reject Konoha if he recovered memories of his family.
• Nara Suzaku recommended that the Yamanaka Clan reinforce Naruto's seal during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Suzaku proposed giving Naruto more attention and recognition so he would develop a genuine sense of belonging to Konoha.
• Suzaku advised preparing to extract the Nine-Tails or cause Naruto's death if he tried to leave, and Tsunade ordered him to arrange the seal reinforcement.

Tsunade and Jiraiya approved reinforcing Naruto's seal and prepared to keep him under control, even if it meant killing him. Meanwhile, Nagato and Konan left their lunar hideout to resume collecting the Tailed Beasts, while Black Zetsu plotted from the shadows.

• Tsunade told Jiraiya that Konoha could not afford to lose Naruto or let him turn against the village, and Jiraiya agreed to arrange for the Yamanaka Clan to reinforce Naruto's seal.
• Tsunade signed the report approving the seal reinforcement, leaving Naruto's fate settled without his knowledge.
• On the Moon, Nagato told Konan that he had mastered his remaining Rinnegan and remade the Six Paths of Pain.
• Nagato decided that he and Konan would return to the Shinobi World and secretly collect the Tailed Beasts while avoiding Lin Ze.
• Black Zetsu watched Nagato and Konan leave, then considered using Obito, Otsutsuki Toneri, and the Giant Tenseigan to advance its plans.

Sasuke faced Neji in the Chunin Ninja Exams’ third round, demonstrating the training he had received in Dragon Release Village as the two clashed with taijutsu and ocular jutsu. After Neji struck Sasuke’s shoulder and disrupted his chakra flow, Sasuke counterattacked with his Lightning Release: Lightning Fist.

• All six genin from Dragon Release Village passed the earlier rounds, and the electronic screen matched Sasuke Uchiha against Neji Hyuga.
• Sasuke and Neji began their match by trading rapid kunai and Gentle Fist strikes.
• Sasuke threw a kunai, followed with a punch, and then used Great Fireball Technique, but Neji blocked the attacks with Rotation.
• Sasuke activated his Sharingan, while Neji launched Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms and forced Sasuke onto the defensive.
• Neji struck Sasuke’s left shoulder and impeded the chakra flow through his arm, but Sasuke advanced and attacked with Lightning Release: Lightning Fist.

Sasuke and Neji traded powerful techniques in a closely contested match, with Sasuke ultimately winning by piercing Neji’s hastily formed Rotation with Chidori Sharp Spear. The victory stunned the spectators, while Neji was left injured but conscious.

• Sasuke used clones and fire techniques to pressure Neji, then caught him off guard with Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu.
• Sasuke attacked Neji in midair with Chidori, but Neji countered with Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms and forced the lightning back.
• Both fighters landed exhausted, and Sasuke prepared a final lightning technique as Neji rushed to stop him.
• Sasuke dodged Neji’s Vacuum Palm and struck with Chidori Sharp Spear, piercing Neji’s chest only shallowly through his incomplete Rotation.
• Genma Shiranui declared Sasuke Uchiha the winner, and the crowd erupted as Hinata worried over Neji and Hizashi acknowledged his effort.

Sasuke defeated Neji but spared his life, deepening Naruto’s strange sense of familiarity with Sasuke. The Chunin Exam’s final match began as Kimimaro faced Gaara, and Kimimaro cut apart Gaara’s first sand attack with a bone spike.

• Sasuke told Neji he had held back because the Uchiha owed the Hyūga three lives, and the two shook hands after the match.
• Sasuke noticed Naruto staring at him, while Naruto wondered where he had met Sasuke before.
• Karin, Jūgo, and Haku won their matches, while Kabuto suffered a deliberate-looking defeat.
• The exam screen paired Kimimaro of the Dragon Release Village against Gaara of Sunagakure, a jinchūriki.
• Gaara attacked Kimimaro with Sand Binding Coffin, but Kimimaro drew a bone spike and severed every stream of sand.

Gaara fought Kimimaro in the arena, but after Kimimaro wounded him, Gaara began losing control to Shukaku. Kimimaro activated Ryūchi Cave Sage Art and challenged Gaara to continue fighting as Shukaku’s influence intensified.

• Gaara used sand attacks against Kimimaro, who broke free of Sand Binding Prison and fought him to a standstill with bone spikes.
• Kimimaro provoked Gaara, who unleashed Sand Waterfall Funeral, while Kimimaro countered with Dance of the Young Fern and wounded him.
• Gaara reacted to his injury as Shukaku urged him to take control, prompting Temari and Kankuro to fear he was going berserk.
• Tsunade ordered the ANBU to ready the Sealing Squad, but Kimimaro told them not to interfere and activated Ryūchi Cave Sage Art.
• Kimimaro challenged Gaara to keep fighting, while Shukaku’s chakra seeped from Gaara and reminded him of their defeat by Genbu.

Kimimaro fought Shukaku after the One-Tail erupted from Gaara, using Ryūchi Cave senjutsu to defeat the raging beast. Shukaku’s body collapsed and Gaara was left unconscious, while Kimimaro’s nearly complete Sage Mode was revealed to the watching Kage and envoys.

• Shukaku recalled Genbu’s past Sage Art: Ice Release attack and raged as Gaara transformed into his complete form.
• Tsunade ordered the ANBU to raise the Four Violet Flames Formation, trapping Shukaku inside the arena.
• Kimimaro dodged Shukaku’s attacks, blocked his Drilling Air Bullet with a Sage Art: Bone Wall, and struck him with senjutsu-enhanced bones and needles.
• Shukaku began forming a Tailed Beast Bomb as Kimimaro revealed the complete form of Ryūchi Cave Sage Art and created an All-Killing Ash Bones Spear.
• Kimimaro pierced and dispersed the Tailed Beast Bomb, then struck Shukaku through his sand shield and chest, causing his body to collapse and revealing unconscious Gaara.
• Kimimaro pulled the spear from Gaara’s chest, and it turned to ash as Gaara’s shallow wound began to heal.

Kimimaro defeated Gaara with senjutsu, leaving the Chunin Exam spectators and village representatives shocked by Dragon Release Village’s strength. After the crowd dispersed, Naruto admitted to Jiraiya that Kimimaro and Sasuke were stronger than him, then vowed to surpass them and become Hokage.

• Kimimaro defeated Gaara without harming him, and Genma Shiranui declared Kimimaro the winner.
• Karin, Haku, Jūgo, and Itachi praised Kimimaro as he returned to his seat to recover from the strain of using natural energy.
• Village representatives discussed reassessing Dragon Release Village’s threat, while Tsunade worried that Konoha could not match its fighters.
• Genma Shiranui announced that the practical assessments were over and that the advancing candidates would be revealed the next day.
• Naruto watched Gaara being carried away and admitted to Hinata that Kimimaro was incredibly strong before the two parted ways.
• Jiraiya found Naruto alone, encouraged him not to give up, and took him to Ichiraku Ramen after Naruto vowed to surpass Kimimaro and Sasuke.

At Ichiraku Ramen, Jiraiya questioned Naruto about Konoha and his strange familiarity with Sasuke, while hiding what he knew about Naruto’s past. Teuchi’s memories of Lin Ze and Kurenai left Jiraiya brooding over the powerful people who had left Konoha and the memories Naruto had lost.

• Jiraiya asked Naruto what he thought of Konoha, and Naruto said it was his home and that he hoped to earn the village’s acknowledgment as Hokage.
• Naruto told Jiraiya that Sasuke and Itachi felt familiar, especially Sasuke, and that thinking about him caused pain; Jiraiya connected the feeling to the Yamanaka Clan reinforcing Naruto’s seal.
• Jiraiya told Naruto that the Uchiha Clan had left Konoha for Dragon Release Village five years earlier and suggested Naruto might have met Sasuke as a child.
• Jiraiya urged Naruto to make more friends in Konoha, but Naruto remained silent as he considered how most villagers feared or hated him.
• Teuchi and Iris recalled Lin Ze and Kurenai eating at Ichiraku, and Naruto learned that Lin Ze had once sat in his seat as a Konoha ninja.
• Jiraiya reflected on Dragon Release Village’s powerful young fighters and wondered what Naruto would have become if his memories of growing up with the Uchiha had not been sealed.