Recaps

After Orochimaru brought infant Hinata Hyuga to Kumogakure, Ziyun took her into his household, where Mei Terumi and the other women welcomed her. Three years later, the ninja world remained outwardly peaceful, but Hiruzen Sarutobi gained a powerful new weapon when Jiraiya completed Impure World Reincarnation.

• Danzo proposed killing Hyuga Hiashi and obtaining Byakugan for Root, but Hiruzen Sarutobi warned him not to harm the Hyuga clan head.
• Orochimaru returned to Kumogakure with Hinata, while Minato Namikaze secretly went back to Konoha to watch over Naruto.
• Ziyun welcomed Hinata and ordered that she be raised at his home; Mei Terumi, Kushina, Mikoto, and Tsunade took to caring for her.
• Three years passed without open war, as the great villages feared Kumogakure might attack their homes if they went to war.
• Jiraiya completed and tested Impure World Reincarnation with Danzo's help, strengthening Hiruzen Sarutobi's position and giving him confidence he could summon Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.

Minato Namikaze revealed himself to Uchiha Fugaku and warned him that Konoha’s leadership was about to move against the Uchiha Clan. He asked what Fugaku planned to do, leaving the clan’s response unresolved.

• Minato Namikaze revealed his face to Uchiha Fugaku and the gathered clansmen, who initially suspected he was an impostor.
• Minato Namikaze proved his identity by using the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Uchiha Fugaku asked how he had survived.
• Minato Namikaze told Uchiha Fugaku that he had come to save the clan from Konoha’s impending attack.
• Uchiha Fugaku described the mistreatment of the Uchiha Clan and apologized for being unable to protect Naruto.
• Minato Namikaze asked Uchiha Fugaku what he planned to do about the Konoha High Command’s coming move against the Uchiha Clan.

Minato Namikaze persuaded Uchiha Fugaku to take the Uchiha Clan to Kumogakure, where the Fourth Raikage had agreed to accept them. As Fugaku prepared to evacuate the clan, Danzo ordered Uchiha Itachi to attack them that night, while Minato warned Fugaku that his son might turn against them.

• Minato Namikaze convinced Uchiha Fugaku that Kumogakure would shelter the Uchiha Clan, and Fugaku agreed to trust him and leave Konoha.
• Uchiha Fugaku decided to evacuate the clan in small groups and summoned Uchiha Itachi to learn what Konoha High Command was planning.
• Danzo ordered Uchiha Itachi to launch a surprise attack on the Uchiha Clan that night, and Itachi warned Danzo to honor their agreement.
• Uchiha Itachi met Madara Uchiha, who was actually Obito Uchiha, and Obito agreed to help with the attack.
• Minato Namikaze warned Uchiha Fugaku that Konoha High Command had turned Uchiha Itachi, so Fugaku planned to lead the clan out through the village's northeast side that night.

Uchiha Itachi and Obito slaughtered the Uchiha Clan as Uchiha Fugaku stayed behind to cover the clan’s escape. Hozuki Mangetsu met the fleeing Uchiha and decided to return to Konoha to rescue Fugaku, whose Mangekyō Sharingan made him important to Kumogakure.

• Uchiha Itachi began killing his clansmen, and Obito joined the slaughter to help wipe out the clan and collect Sharingan.
• Uchiha Fugaku learned that Itachi had betrayed the clan, revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan, and stayed behind with followers while the Grand Elder led the others toward the northeast.
• Uchiha Fugaku confronted Itachi and argued that Konoha High Command had forced the clan into its desperate situation.
• Hozuki Mangetsu met the escaping Uchiha and learned that Fugaku had stayed in Konoha to cover their retreat.
• Hozuki Mangetsu decided to enter Konoha and bring Fugaku to safety, despite having brought few people.

Hozuki Mangetsu and the Uchiha Grand Elder led their forces into Konoha as Uchiha Fugaku fought Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and Itachi. Mangetsu saved Fugaku from a killing blow and warned Konoha that Fugaku had agreed to join Kumogakure, leaving the two sides confronting each other.

• The Uchiha Grand Elder agreed to accompany Hozuki Mangetsu into Konoha while sending the clan’s noncombatants toward Kumogakure.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō ordered Anbu and Root to attack Uchiha Fugaku, who used his Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo to fight back.
• Uchiha Itachi shielded Danzō from Fugaku’s attack, and the combined assault of Konoha’s forces shattered Fugaku’s Susanoo.
• Hozuki Mangetsu arrived with Kumogakure ninja and Uchiha clansmen, blocking Root’s attack and rescuing Fugaku.
• Mangetsu told Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō that Fugaku had agreed to join Kumogakure and warned them that the Raikage could hold Konoha responsible if Fugaku died.
• Danzō challenged Mangetsu, but Hiruzen rebuked him and urged restraint because Konoha was not ready to risk angering Kumogakure.

Hozuki Mangetsu brought the Uchiha Clan from Konoha to Kumogakure, where Ziyun welcomed them and Mikoto reassured them that they could live there safely. As other villages prepared for a possible war, Hiruzen Sarutobi sought to use Impure World Reincarnation against Ziyun, but an unexpected visitor offered a suitable vessel.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi let Hozuki Mangetsu leave Konoha with Uchiha Fugaku and the Uchiha Clan, while Danzo criticized his decision.
• Hozuki Mangetsu brought the Uchiha Clan to Kumogakure, where Ziyun gave them land beside the Senju Clan's compound and Fugaku pledged their loyalty.
• Mikoto reassured the Uchiha Clan that her grudge was only with its former leaders, and the clan began settling into its new home.
• Ōnoki and Rasa judged Konoha weak and prepared their villages for a possible war against it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Danzo to serve as the vessel for Impure World Reincarnation, but Danzo refused.
• An Anbu told Hiruzen Sarutobi that someone had arrived claiming to have the perfect vessel for Impure World Reincarnation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi met Obito Uchiha, who claimed to be Madara Uchiha and offered Konoha help against Kumogakure in exchange for a portion of the Nine-Tails Chakra and the method for undoing Impure World Reincarnation. Jiraiya used White Zetsu as vessels to summon Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, who recognized Hiruzen and questioned why they had been summoned.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to meet the masked man, and Obito Uchiha introduced himself as Madara Uchiha and proposed joining forces against Kumogakure.
• Hiruzen refused to hand over the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and ordered the Anbu to seize Obito, but Obito used Kamui to evade their attacks.
• Obito settled for a portion of the Nine-Tails Chakra and asked for the method to undo Impure World Reincarnation, which Hiruzen agreed to provide after the deal was complete.
• Jiraiya used White Zetsu as vessels and successfully summoned Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju before Konoha's leaders.
• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Tobirama asked why Hiruzen had used his jutsu to summon them.

After resurrecting Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, Konoha’s leaders convinced them that Kumogakure threatened the village and declared war. Iwagakure and Sunagakure prepared to attack Konoha, while Kumogakure received Minato Namikaze’s warning that the two Hokage had been revived near their peak strength.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi blamed Konoha’s decline on Kumogakure, and Danzo falsely claimed that the Uchiha Clan had plotted a coup with Kumogakure.
• Hashirama Senju agreed that Kumogakure had to be dealt with, and Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo prepared to declare war.
• Konoha assembled around eight thousand ninja and declared war on Kumogakure, shocking the other villages.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to prepare to move against Konoha, hoping to support Kumogakure and gain territory.
• Rasa followed Chiyo’s advice and organized Sunagakure’s ninja to attack Konoha.
• Minato Namikaze’s intelligence informed Kumogakure that Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju had been resurrected near their peak strength.

Ziyun prepared Kumogakure to fight Konoha after Hiruzen Sarutobi revived Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, while Sunagakure and Iwagakure’s attempts to curry favor with Kumogakure collapsed. Hiruzen forced the two villages into an alliance against Kumogakure, and Kushina’s forces inflicted heavy losses on them as Konoha delayed sending support.

• Ziyun dismissed Orochimaru’s warnings about Impure World Reincarnation and prepared several thousand Kumogakure shinobi to march against Konoha.
• Sunagakure and Iwagakure attacked Konoha, but surrendered after Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju overwhelmed them.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded a Tailed Beast and ten billion ryō from each village, then offered to spare their Tailed Beasts if they allied with Konoha against Kumogakure.
• Ōnoki and Rasa agreed to lead their forces against Kumogakure, and Kushina led Kumogakure’s main force against them.
• Kushina inflicted heavy casualties on Sunagakure and Iwagakure while Hiruzen delayed sending Konoha’s promised support, prompting Rasa to curse him.

Ziyun and Hashirama fought after Hiruzen brought the reincarnated Hokage to battle Kumogakure, and Ziyun countered Hashirama’s powerful Wood Release techniques. Their clash continued with both entering Perfect Sage Mode, and Hashirama began unleashing True Several Thousand Hands.

• Hiruzen told Hashirama and Tobirama that Kumogakure was responsible for Konoha’s suffering, and Hashirama agreed to confront Ziyun.
• Hashirama attacked Kumogakure’s forces with Deep Forest Emergence, but Ziyun destroyed the trees with lightning.
• Hashirama used Flower Deep Forest Emergence, and Ziyun’s 1 Billion Volts: Thunderous Might shattered the trees and struck Konoha Ninja.
• Hashirama and Ziyun entered Perfect Sage Mode and fought fiercely, leaving the watching ninja astonished.
• Hashirama began using Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands.

Ziyun matched Hashirama Senju’s Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands with his own giant form, then revealed his Ten-Tails power and overwhelmed Hashirama. Hashirama’s Impure World Reincarnation body stopped regenerating after a Truth-Seeking Orb struck him, leaving him facing defeat.

• Ziyun combined nearby inorganic matter with his body, grew to over a thousand meters tall, and met Hashirama Senju’s strongest attack head-on.
• Ziyun and Hashirama Senju’s attacks clashed evenly, and both sides retreated from the devastation.
• Hashirama Senju used Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands again, hoping to wear Ziyun down with his unlimited Chakra.
• Ziyun released his Ten-Tails Chakra, gained a Sage of Six Paths-like appearance, and attacked Hashirama Senju with a Truth-Seeking Orb.
• Ziyun pinned Tobirama Senju to the ground with black rods, while the Truth-Seeking Orb destroyed half of Hashirama Senju’s body and prevented it from regenerating.

Ziyun defeated Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, then tried to expose the Konoha High Command’s treatment of the Senju and Uzumaki Clans. When the Konoha F4 denied the accusations, Minato Namikaze appeared and offered to reveal the truth, leaving Hashirama and Tobirama stunned by his return.

• Hashirama Senju accused Ziyun of luring the Senju and Uzumaki Clans to Kumogakure and taking Tsunade by force, but Ziyun said they had joined willingly to escape the Konoha High Command’s attempts to destroy them.
• Ziyun captured Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado and brought them before Hashirama and Tobirama.
• Shimura Danzō denied Ziyun’s accusations, while Hashirama rejected Ziyun’s account and insisted that Kumogakure had wronged Konoha.
• As Ziyun prepared to kill them, Minato Namikaze emerged from hiding and said he knew the whole truth.
• Minato told Hashirama and Tobirama that he was the Fourth Hokage and had faked his death after the Nine-Tails' Attack.

Minato Namikaze exposed the Konoha leadership’s abuses to Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, and Tobirama turned against Hiruzen Sarutobi. As Hashirama prepared to question Jiraiya, Hiruzen ordered him to release the Impure World Reincarnation, and the two Hokage began to disappear.

• Minato Namikaze told the Konoha F4 he had joined Kumogakure and accused them of ruining Konoha and mistreating Naruto.
• Minato Namikaze recounted the Konoha leadership’s actions to Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, including the persecution of the Uzumaki, Senju, and Uchiha clans.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi denied Minato’s accusations, but Tobirama Senju broke free and slapped him, condemning his rule of Konoha.
• Jiraiya arrived with Konoha shinobi to rescue Hiruzen, but Hashirama Senju stopped them and asked Jiraiya to answer questions.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Jiraiya to release the Impure World Reincarnation, and Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju began to disappear.

Jiraiya undid the Impure World Reincarnation, but Hashirama and Tobirama returned and exposed Hiruzen Sarutobi’s scheme to silence them. Hashirama ordered a reckoning with the Konoha High Command, while Ziyun secured permission for Kumogakure to observe.

• Jiraiya canceled the Impure World Reincarnation and attacked Minato Namikaze after Hiruzen Sarutobi called him an impostor.
• Hashirama Senju reassembled, shielded Minato from Konoha’s attacks, and revealed that the Third Hokage’s scheme had not controlled him.
• Hashirama accused Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Konoha High Command of persecuting Konoha’s loyal people and driving major clans to Kumogakure.
• Hashirama ordered Jiraiya to summon the major clan heads so they could discuss Sarutobi’s crimes, and Jiraiya persuaded them to gather evidence.
• Ziyun asked to witness the decision on the Konoha High Command, and Hashirama agreed to let Kumogakure attend.

Hashirama Senju held a public hearing in Konoha and sentenced Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other members of the Konoha F4 to life imprisonment after the clans exposed their crimes. With Hiruzen removed as Hokage, Hashirama proposed Jiraiya as his successor.

• Hashirama Senju convened Konoha's clan heads and put Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other Konoha F4 members on trial.
• Hyuga Hiashi and other clan heads accused the Konoha High Command of years of abuses, including handing Hinata Hyuga over to Kumogakure.
• The Hatake clan head revealed that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō had manipulated public opinion against Hatake Sakumo, and Kakashi Hatake tried to attack them before Jiraiya stopped him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi blamed Shimura Danzō, but Danzō produced evidence tying Hiruzen to the crimes, including the destruction of the Senju clan and Senju Nawaki's death.
• Hashirama Senju stripped the Konoha F4 of their positions and sentenced all four to life imprisonment as S-rank prisoners.
• Tobirama Senju asked who would become Hokage, and Hashirama Senju named Jiraiya as his choice.

Jiraiya refused to become Hokage and could not find a suitable candidate, while Ziyun spread news of the Konoha F4’s life sentences and led a group from Kumogakure to visit them. Ziyun planned to make Tsunade Hokage and bring Konoha and the Land of Fire under Kumogakure’s control, and the group reached the imprisoned leaders.

• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju asked Jiraiya to become Hokage, but he refused and failed to find another suitable candidate.
• Ziyun spread news of the Konoha F4’s imprisonment and their actions against Konoha’s clans, prompting mockery and celebration across the Shinobi World.
• Ziyun invited Tsunade and Kushina to visit Konoha and told Tsunade he planned to make her Hokage so Kumogakure could take over Konoha and the Land of Fire.
• Ziyun gathered more than a hundred people, including Orochimaru and Mei Terumi, while Pakura stayed behind to seek revenge on Rasa.
• Ziyun’s group arrived in Konoha, and Izumo and Kotetsu led them to the cells holding Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and the two elders.
• Uchiha Fugaku greeted the imprisoned Konoha leaders and laughed at their changed circumstances.

Uchiha Fugaku used Tsukuyomi to torment the Konoha F4 before Konoha guards rushed them to the hospital. Ziyun then brought Tsunade and the Senju Clan Members to meet Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, where he proposed Tsunade as Fifth Hokage and threatened war if Konoha refused.

• Uchiha Fugaku trapped the Konoha F4 in Tsukuyomi, leaving them badly injured before Konoha guards took them to the hospital.
• Kushina reassured the Kumogakure group that she would handle any backlash from Konoha.
• Ziyun brought Tsunade and the Senju Clan Members to meet Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju, and Hashirama accepted Tsunade's decision to leave Konoha.
• Ziyun recommended Tsunade for the vacant Hokage Position, but Tobirama objected because she belonged to Kumogakure.
• Ziyun warned that Kumogakure would eventually take Konoha and threatened war if the brothers refused his proposal; Hashirama and Tobirama rejected the threat.

Ziyun forced Hashirama Senju to agree that Tsunade could run for Fifth Hokage, then ordered Orochimaru to investigate and pressure Konoha’s major clans. Mei Terumi asked Ziyun to help Kirigakure and proposed marrying him, leaving him surprised.

• Ziyun destroyed half of Tobirama Senju’s body and threatened to destroy Konoha unless its leaders accepted Tsunade as a candidate for Fifth Hokage.
• Hashirama Senju agreed to hold an election within three days and summoned Konoha’s major clans and eligible voters.
• Ziyun ordered Orochimaru to investigate the clans and deal with those who opposed Tsunade, while warning him not to target anyone for their secret techniques.
• Mei Terumi told Ziyun that Kirigakure was in crisis under the Fourth Mizukage and asked him to help; Ziyun agreed.
• Mei Terumi embraced Ziyun and suggested marrying him because she considered him the best match among the men she knew.

Mei Terumi secured Ziyun’s agreement to pursue a relationship with him, while Konoha’s clans accepted Tsunade as Fifth Hokage under Kumogakure’s protection. After Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju departed, Ziyun arranged Kumogakure’s personnel to support Tsunade, who promptly headed for a casino.

• Mei Terumi embraced and kissed Ziyun after he agreed to her proposal, telling her to discuss it with Mikoto, Kushina, and Tsunade.
• Konoha’s major clans unanimously agreed to Tsunade’s nomination as Fifth Hokage because becoming Kumogakure’s vassal would protect them from annexation.
• Hashirama Senju handed Tsunade the Hokage’s robe, and he and Tobirama Senju released themselves from Impure World Reincarnation and departed.
• Ziyun recommended Samui, Mabui, Darui, and Kakashi Hatake for Tsunade’s administration and arranged to replace Konoha’s Anbu with his own trusted forces.
• Tsunade accepted Ziyun’s help, then announced she was going to visit Konoha’s casino.

Ziyun tightened Kumogakure’s control over Konoha and agreed to let Orochimaru infiltrate the Akatsuki under the guise of defecting. Obito, shaken by Kumogakure’s control of four Tailed Beasts, renewed his resolve to pursue the Eye of the Moon Plan and prepared to recruit Orochimaru.

• Ziyun ordered Yotsuki A to suppress any clans that opposed Tsunade, while Yotsuki A warned that resistance might return.
• Orochimaru told Ziyun about the Akatsuki leader’s Rinnegan and proposed infiltrating the organization to seize it, and Ziyun approved the plan with a staged defection.
• Obito despaired over Kumogakure controlling the Four-Tails, Eight-Tails, Two-Tails, and Nine-Tails, but Black Zetsu reminded him of his purpose and Obito reaffirmed the Eye of the Moon Plan.
• Ziyun and Orochimaru staged Orochimaru’s defection, convincing Black Zetsu that it was genuine.
• Obito ordered Black Zetsu to recruit Orochimaru and had Nagato go meet him while Obito remained hidden.

Nagato recruited Orochimaru into the Akatsuki and decided to attack Kumogakure to capture its Tailed Beasts and rescue Konan. After Orochimaru warned Kumogakure, Ziyun prepared to confront Nagato and offered Mikoto the Rinnegan, leaving Konan alarmed by her friend's plan.

• Nagato defeated Orochimaru in a duel, accepted him into the Akatsuki, and mistook his harmless research details for valuable Kumogakure intelligence.
• The Akatsuki members discussed Orochimaru's escape from the Fourth Raikage, while Nagato grew confident that he could defeat Ziyun and attack Kumogakure.
• Obito confronted Nagato about the planned attack, but Nagato insisted he would capture Kumogakure's four Tailed Beasts and rescue Konan.
• Orochimaru sent Ziyun intelligence about the Akatsuki's plans, and Ziyun decided to take Nagato's Rinnegan for Mikoto.
• Ziyun told Konan that Nagato intended to attack Kumogakure, and she reacted with alarm.

Konan persuaded Nagato to abandon his plan to attack Kumogakure, while Naruto asked Ziyun for permission to take revenge on the Konoha F4. After two years of training, Naruto demonstrated his new strength and received Ziyun’s approval to challenge them.

• Ziyun agreed to spare Nagato if Konan could convince him not to attack Kumogakure, and Konan traveled to the Land of Rain.
• Naruto told Ziyun he wanted revenge on the Konoha F4 after learning from Minato about their role in his childhood suffering, and Ziyun directed him to train with Killer B and Minato.
• Konan returned a month later and reported that Nagato had given up his attack, so Ziyun agreed to let him go.
• Over the next two years, Ziyun brought Kirigakure under his control and Mei Terumi became its Fifth Mizukage and Ziyun’s wife.
• Naruto trained with Killer B and Minato, mastering Nine-Tails Mode, Sage Mode, and the Rasengan, then asked Ziyun if he was ready to challenge the Konoha F4.
• Ziyun approved Naruto’s challenge, and someone said they were going with him.

Ziyun brought Naruto and his companions to Konoha and offered the imprisoned Konoha F4 release if they defeated Naruto in a one-on-one revenge battle. He turned the match into a widely publicized spectacle, leaving the four elders to train for a month under Anbu surveillance.

• Ziyun, Tsunade, Kushina, Mikoto, Naruto, and the others arrived at the prison where Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado were held.
• Ziyun offered the Konoha F4 a chance at release if they defeated Naruto Uzumaki, and they agreed after confirming that no one else would join the fight.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked for a month to recover, and Ziyun allowed the four to train in a designated area watched by more than a hundred Anbu.
• Ziyun publicized Naruto's revenge battle, drawing nobles and daimyō to Konoha's stadium and pushing ticket prices above ten million ryō.
• Shimura Danzō grew furious about being advertised as part of a spectacle, while Hiruzen Sarutobi urged him to focus on recovering and defeating Naruto.

Naruto faced the Konoha F4 in a public revenge battle arranged by Ziyun, as Konoha’s villagers condemned the former leaders and welcomed Naruto. The chapter ended with the F4 realizing Naruto’s Sage Mode made him a formidable opponent and that any choice—fighting together or separately—would further damage their reputations.

• Danzo backed down when Kumogakure Anbu confronted him and prepared to face Naruto.
• A month later, villagers apologized to Naruto and cursed the Konoha F4 as they walked to the arena.
• Ziyun had Anbu escort the Konoha F4 to the arena, where Minato warned he would stop any unfairness against Naruto.
• Naruto entered the battle and activated Sage Mode, shocking Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado.
• Minato told the Konoha F4 they could fight Naruto together or one at a time, and Hiruzen regretted agreeing to the battle.

The Konoha F4 entered the arena together to fight Naruto Uzumaki, hoping to win their freedom, but Naruto’s Sage Mode overwhelmed them. After Naruto defeated Utatane Koharu, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided their best chance was to outlast Sage Mode.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to have the Konoha F4 fight Naruto together, and Danzo supported the decision because he feared facing Naruto alone.
• The Konoha F4 summoned Enma and attacked Naruto, but Naruto held them off even while outnumbered five to one.
• The Konoha F4 used coordinated Ninjutsu, and Naruto countered with Sage Art: Rasenshuriken, destroying their attacks.
• Naruto used Frog Kata to take down Utatane Koharu, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others struggled to break through his Sage Mode defenses.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Naruto’s presence weakening and urged the others to hold out until Sage Mode ended.