Recaps

Naoki returned to Konoha, joined Team Guy, and helped expose Danzo’s Root as the force behind attacks on the team. He then intervened in Naruto and Sasuke’s lives, weakened the Nine-Tails, and set out to collect the tailed beasts before the Akatsuki, while Danzo launched another assassination attempt.

• Naoki Senju returned to Konoha with Tsunade, moved into the Senju Clan Compound, and joined Team Guy for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Naoki Senju, Might Guy, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten traveled to the Fire Temple, where Sai and Root ninja ambushed them under Danzo’s orders.
• Naoki Senju and Team Guy defeated the Root attackers, and Might Guy reported the ambush to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who confined Danzo and ordered an investigation.
• Naoki Senju promised Guren he would arrange a way for her to leave Konoha, while Might Guy demonstrated the Eight Gates and Rock Lee chose to train in the technique.
• Naoki Senju took Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha to Ichiraku Ramen, told Sasuke that Itachi was in the Akatsuki, and asked Hiruzen to make the Senju Clan Naruto’s guardian.
• Naoki Senju entered Naruto’s sealed space, bound the Nine-Tails with Wood Release, drained its chakra, and declared that he would collect the remaining tailed beasts before the Akatsuki.
• Danzo sent Hyūga Hoheto, Ryūhei Akimichi, and O Inuzuka to kill Naoki Senju, who blocked most of their linked Explosive Tags with Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin.

Naoki Senju helped draw Konoha’s clans toward Tsunade while working with Orochimaru on the Cursed Seal and the Konoha Crush Plan. As rival villages prepared for war, the Chunin Ninja Exams began, and Naoki’s team faced their first tests.

• Naoki Senju killed three Jonin during the fight, then used Naruto Uzumaki’s promise to bring clan students and their families to the Senju compound to help build an alliance.
• Naruto brought young clan representatives to meet Tsunade, while Shimura Danzō ordered Orochimaru to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan within six months.
• Orochimaru enlisted Naoki Senju’s help to improve the Cursed Seal, and Naoki protected a test subject from natural energy before the experiment ended in the subject’s death.
• Naoki returned to Konoha as war tensions grew, while Mei Terumi prepared to use the joint Chunin Ninja Exams to infiltrate the village.
• Naoki helped Naruto regain his confidence, and Konoha’s leaders quietly prepared for war while welcoming Kirigakure’s delegation to the exams.
• Orochimaru and Kimimaro killed the Fourth Kazekage, and Orochimaru continued toward Konoha disguised as him.
• Naoki, Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee entered the Chunin Ninja Exams and solved the genjutsu door test before Ibiki Morino began the written exam.
• Neji and Tenten cheated during the written test, while Naoki decided to sleep rather than answer, expecting the final question to test courage.

Naoki Senju helped bring down Hiruzen Sarutobi, became central to Konoha’s defense, and sealed Shukaku while Tsunade took office as Fifth Hokage. As Konoha faced threats from rival villages and Akatsuki, Tsunade moved against Root, where Kakashi confronted Danzo.

• Ibiki Morino announced the Forest of Death as the second exam, and Naoki Senju’s team secured both scrolls before advancing to the third round.
• Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush Plan, and Naoki Senju used Wood Release to seize control of the battle while Hiruzen Sarutobi died after the Shinigami took his soul.
• Naoki Senju and Orochimaru bound the Shinigami and claimed Futsunomitama, while Tsunade organized Konoha’s defense and was chosen as Fifth Hokage.
• Naoki Senju proposed using the Nine-Tails to lure Kirigakure’s elite forces, then led the plan to draw out Shukaku by provoking Gaara’s transformation.
• Naoki Senju weakened and sealed Shukaku, gaining Magnet Release, then ordered Gaara killed and sent his body to Sunagakure.
• Obito Uchiha and Pain agreed that Akatsuki would target Naoki Senju after the war, while Naoki increased the Nine-Tails’ chakra in Sora and Tsunade moved against Root.
• Danzo resisted Tsunade’s order to dissolve Root and threatened Konoha with planted explosive tags as Kakashi Hatake confronted him.
• Kakashi Hatake apparently killed Danzo with Lightning Blade, but Danzo survived by using Izanagi and attacked Kakashi before Kakashi used Kamui against him.

Naoki Senju killed Danzo, repelled Kirigakure’s invasion, and captured Mei Terumi, while Konoha’s war with Kumogakure intensified. The arc ended with Naoki fighting the Fourth Raikage as Jiraiya used Frog Song to save Gamabunta from the Eight-Tails.

• Kakashi and Inoichi confronted Danzo, but Naoki Senju took over the fight and repeatedly tortured him until Danzo used Kotoamatsukami to control Naoki.
• Naoki’s Wood Clone exposed Danzo’s genjutsu, and Naoki pursued him as he fled Konoha, ultimately killing him with Futsunomitama and taking Shisui Uchiha’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Naoki prepared Sora to draw out Kirigakure’s forces, then suppressed the fake Nine-Tails and defeated Mei Terumi as Kirigakure attacked Konoha.
• Naoki captured Mei Terumi and helped secure Kirigakure’s surrender, then pressured her to serve him in exchange for releasing captured Kirigakure ninja.
• After Kumogakure’s forces broke through Konoha’s defensive line, Tsunade named Naoki supreme commander and Konoha sent reinforcements to the front.
• The Fourth Raikage attacked Jiraiya’s defensive line with Killer B, and Naoki arrived on a Wood Dragon to confront him.
• Naoki shattered the Fourth Raikage’s Lightning Release Armor and blocked his counterattack with a Tailed Beast Cloak, while Jiraiya and the two sages used Frog Song to save Gamabunta from Killer B.