Chapter Summaries

Naoki Senju traveled through the Land of Wind with Temari and Kankuro, planning to use them to control Sunagakure while pursuing a greater objective. The Akatsuki mobilized its forces to intercept him, with Nagato insisting on joining despite his failing body.

• Naoki Senju entered the Land of Wind with Temari and Kankuro, intending to make them puppets who could lead Sunagakure.
• Pain ordered the White Zetsu in the Land of Wind and nearby shapeshifting bodies to stop Naoki Senju from reaching Sunagakure.
• Deidara and Hidan transformed into Akatsuki peripheral members' bodies, prepared their equipment, and flew toward Naoki Senju on Deidara's Clay Bird.
• Sasori of the Red Sands traveled into the Land of Wind to intercept Naoki Senju if he appeared near Sunagakure or Iwagakure.
• Nagato told Konan to take him to the Land of Wind hideout so he could direct the Six Paths of Pain, despite her concern for his health.

Deidara attacked Naoki Senju, Temari, Kankuro, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu with a massive barrage of clay bombs, while Hidan survived Deidara’s explosion and turned on him. Deidara escaped a Fire Release attack after breaking free of Genjutsu, leaving the elders to wonder whether he belonged to Ōnoki’s elite forces.

• Naoki Senju spotted a dark cloud of clay bombs and warned Temari and Kankuro to cover their ears and flee toward Sunagakure.
• Deidara detonated a series of clay bombs across the area, then attacked Hidan with a clay centipede after Hidan threatened him.
• Hidan survived the explosion with horrific injuries and attacked Deidara from behind, but Deidara blasted away his scythe.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu endured the bombardment with Earth Release and launched a Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique at Deidara.
• Deidara recognized the Genjutsu, broke free, and narrowly evaded the fire dragon while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu suspected he was one of Ōnoki’s elite.

Naoki Senju saved Temari and Kankuro from the explosion, then killed Hidan, while Deidara unleashed C3: No. 18 at him. Temari and Kankuro fled the blast, but Deidara’s clay bombs caught up with them, forcing Kankuro to sacrifice his puppets to protect them.

• Naoki Senju told Temari and Kankuro to run, and Temari used her fan to conceal their escape with a gust of sand.
• Naoki Senju impaled Hidan with splitting wooden trunks, killing him and revealing that he had been a sacrifice for the Shapeshifting Technique.
• Deidara sent clay bombs after Temari and Kankuro, then dropped C3: No. 18 on Naoki Senju.
• Temari and Kankuro ran from the enormous explosion as its blast filled the sky behind them.
• Temari’s Wind Release slowed the pursuing clay bombs but failed to stop them, so Kankuro sent his puppets to intercept the bombs.

Naoki Senju saved Temari and Kankuro from Deidara’s final Clay Bomb, then defeated Deidara and killed Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. With the siblings headed back to Sunagakure, Naoki turned his attention to the Akatsuki.

• Kankuro lost his three puppets while he and Temari sheltered beneath the Three Star Fan from Deidara’s Clay Bombs.
• Naoki Senju blocked the final Clay Bomb and told Temari and Kankuro to run back to Sunagakure.
• Naoki’s Wood Release pierced Deidara, dispelling his Shapeshifting Technique and leaving his real body hidden in a cave with Hidan.
• Naoki found the unconscious Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura and killed them with kunai.

Naoki Senju fought off waves of White Zetsu sent to stall him until Pain arrived, crushing most of them with Water Release and Magnet Release. Black Zetsu ordered the remaining White Zetsu to merge, and the grotesque creatures advanced on Naoki as he dismissed their commander as an idiot.

• A White Zetsu taunted Naoki Senju about killing Konoha shinobi, and Naoki killed it with a kunai.
• More White Zetsu emerged, so Naoki used Water Formation Pillar and Sand Waterfall Funeral to destroy or trap them.
• Black Zetsu ordered White Zetsu to use the Pitcher Plant Technique, and a spore clone relayed the command to the army.
• The White Zetsu merged into grotesque forms, broke free of the sand, and lumbered toward Naoki.
• Black Zetsu expected the merged White Zetsu to delay Naoki until Akatsuki reinforcements arrived, while Naoki judged their commander an idiot.

Naoki Senju used the One-Tail’s chakra to collapse the sand and destroy the White Zetsu army, then faced Sasori of the Red Sands as he arrived. Naoki badly damaged Sasori’s Hiruko puppet, and Sasori revealed that he was about to show the ultimate secret of the Puppet Technique.

• Naoki Senju disrupted the ground beneath the White Zetsu army and trapped the fused White Zetsu in quicksand, where they sank as they struggled.
• Black Zetsu learned that Sasori of the Red Sands was approaching and ordered White Zetsu to search for Pain while complaining about Deidara and Hidan.
• Sasori of the Red Sands crossed the quicksand and watched the White Zetsu army fall before identifying Naoki Senju as the One-Tail Jinchuriki who also held the Eight-Tails and Nine-Tails.
• Naoki Senju attacked Hiruko with the Monster Strength Fist and bent the puppet’s steel frame, forcing Sasori to recognize that Hiruko could not defeat him alone.
• Sasori of the Red Sands announced that he would reveal the ultimate secret of the Puppet Technique, speaking in his own voice from inside Hiruko.

Sasori of the Red Sands revealed himself and sent the Third Kazekage Human Puppet to fight Naoki Senju. Naoki’s Monster Strength Fist punched through the puppet’s iron sand defense, forcing Sasori to raise a stronger barrier.

• Sasori of the Red Sands emerged from Hiruko and challenged Naoki Senju, who urged him to begin fighting.
• Sasori summoned his Human Puppet of the Third Kazekage and sent it lunging at Naoki.
• Naoki evaded the puppet and charged Sasori, aiming to destroy his core.
• Sasori used Magnet Release to form an iron sand wall, but Naoki punched a deep crater into it.
• Sasori, shocked by Naoki’s strength, used Magnet Release: Iron Sand Barrier Formation.

Naoki Senju overwhelmed Sasori of the Red Sands by taking control of the Third Kazekage’s iron sand with his mastery of One-Tail chakra. As Sasori burned through his puppets to survive Naoki’s attack, Pain’s Deva Path arrived and intervened.

• Naoki Senju blocked the Third Kazekage’s iron sand attacks with Wood Release, but Sasori of the Red Sands followed up with flames and a second Iron Sand World Method.
• Naoki Senju revealed that his Magnet Release had overpowered the Third Kazekage’s, and he said his strength came from mastering the One-Tail’s chakra.
• Naoki Senju unleashed Iron Sand Shower using more than half of Shukaku’s chakra, forcing Sasori to defend himself with Hiruko and disposable puppets.
• Sasori of the Red Sands deployed his Hundred Puppets technique and used puppet after puppet as shields against Naoki’s iron sand.
• Pain’s Deva Path descended to the battlefield and used Shinra Tensei.

Pain's Deva Path took over the fight against Naoki Senju after Sasori warned that Naoki was far stronger than expected. Meanwhile, Deidara and Hidan got lost on their way to the battlefield, then mistook Sasori for an enemy until his ring proved his identity.

• Pain's Deva Path repelled Naoki Senju's iron sand attack and told Sasori to find Deidara and Hidan while he handled the target.
• Deidara and Hidan argued as they searched the desert, blaming each other for losing their White Zetsu guide.
• Naoki pierced the wing of Deidara's Clay Bird, and Deidara retaliated by dropping Clay Bombs on Sasori.
• Deidara and Hidan failed to recognize Sasori, attacked him, and mistook his Human Puppet form for an impostor.
• Sasori showed Deidara his Virgin Ring, convincing him that he really was Sasori of the Red Sands.

Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori headed to the battlefield while Naoki Senju faced Pain and learned why Nagato was committed to the Akatsuki’s plan. The Six Paths of Pain assembled against Naoki, despite the strain their distance put on Nagato.

• Hidan charged Deidara and Sasori again, but Deidara blasted him and Hidan sat down, daring them to kill him and face Lord Jashin.
• Sasori revealed his identity to Hidan, who mocked his age and appearance, so Sasori hung him upside down from the four-winged clay bird as Deidara carried them toward the battlefield.
• Pain confronted Naoki Senju, cited his Magnet Release and Wood Release, and demanded that the tailed beast be handed over to the Akatsuki.
• Konan warned Nagato that controlling the Six Paths from afar was harming him, but Nagato insisted on continuing to avoid being discovered.
• Nagato summoned the Animal Path, Naraka Path, Asura Path, Preta Path, and Human Path, bringing all Six Paths of Pain together before Naoki Senju.

Nagato sent the Six Paths of Pain to fight Naoki Senju, who targeted the Naraka Path to prevent it from reviving the others. The Naraka Path turned out to be a decoy, while Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki continued watching Kumogakure.

• Nagato ordered the Six Paths of Pain to attack Naoki Senju in formation and used their shared vision to coordinate them.
• The Asura Path launched homing missiles, and the Animal Path summoned a giant bull that pierced Naoki's wooden barricade.
• Naoki appeared behind the Naraka Path and struck it with Wind Release: Wind Cutter Blade, but it broke apart like a puppet.
• Nagato realized Naoki might know the Six Paths of Pain's secrets and suspected Uchiha Itachi had revealed them.
• Uchiha Itachi considered killing Kisame Hoshigaki while they scouted Kumogakure, but Kisame remained unaware and reported that the Two-Tails Jinchūriki had become acting Raikage.

Naoki Senju summoned a colossal portion of Katsuyu during his battle with the Six Paths of Pain, dwarfing Pain’s summoned beasts and forcing Nagato to reconsider his countermeasures. Meanwhile, Itachi agreed to help Kisame lure the Two-Tails Jinchūriki out of Kumogakure.

• Itachi agreed to assist Kisame in luring the Two-Tails Jinchūriki outside Kumogakure, despite recognizing the danger this posed to her.
• The Animal Path summoned the Hell Crab and Chameleon alongside the bull as Pain’s forces prepared to stop Naoki.
• Naoki completed a summoning before Pain’s attacks could interrupt him, and Katsuyu emerged large enough to stop the bull and absorb the Asura Path’s laser without injury.
• Katsuyu crushed the bull and prepared to attack, while Nagato doubted that the Hell Crab’s planned foam and salt-water countermeasure could work against her enormous size.

Nagato used Super Shinra Tensei to protect the Six Paths of Pain from Katsuyu’s acid, while warning Konan not to trust the Masked Man. After Katsuyu returned to Shikkotsu Forest, Naoki Senju attacked the depleted Pain with Wood Release, forcing Nagato to spend even more Chakra.

• Nagato used the Deva Path to push the other Paths of Pain out of Katsuyu’s acid and warned Konan that he did not trust the Masked Man.
• Pain’s Deva Path rose above the acid and unleashed Super Shinra Tensei, leaving several of the other Paths drained and vulnerable.
• Naoki Senju recognized that Katsuyu was the Katsuyu Sage and sent her back to Shikkotsu Forest.
• Naoki Senju used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence to challenge Shinra Tensei and drain more of Nagato’s Chakra.

Nagato pushed Pain to the brink with Super Shinra Tensei, but Naoki Senju remained ready to fight as the Akatsuki rushed to the battlefield. Pain attempted a surprise attack on Naoki, and Sasori of the Red Sands sacrificed his Human Puppet to block it.

• Nagato spent his remaining life force to unleash Super Shinra Tensei, flattening Naoki Senju's Deep Forest Emergence and blasting Naoki across the desert.
• Sasori of the Red Sands, Deidara, and Hidan headed toward the crater, while Sasori explained that Hidan's immortality let him survive a fall from the Clay Bird.
• Naoki Senju entered the crater and confronted the exhausted Pain's Deva Path, who declared that the Akatsuki had to capture the Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki.
• Pain's Deva Path feigned weakness and used Banshō Ten'in to send a black chakra rod toward Naoki's heart.
• Sasori of the Red Sands intercepted the chakra rod with his Human Puppet, which was pierced and badly damaged, and reminded his leader to reimburse him.

Naoki Senju used Space-Time Ninjutsu to turn aside Pain's Deva Path's attack, then fought the Akatsuki members in the desert while transformed with the power of a Tailed Beast. He left Deidara badly wounded, and Sasori of the Red Sands rescued him as Pain's Deva Path's counterattack failed to catch Naoki.

• Deidara taunted Pain's Deva Path, while Sasori of the Red Sands explained that Naoki Senju had used Space-Time Ninjutsu to evade the Chakra rod.
• Konan and Nagato suspected Naoki Senju might be the Masked Man, but Nagato dismissed the theory because of their apparent difference in age.
• Naoki Senju entered an eight-tailed Partial Tailed Beast Transformation and swept Deidara from the sky with Wind Release: Wind Killing Formation.
• Deidara tried to detonate a Clay Bomb at close range, but Naoki Senju severed his left arm and suppressed the explosion with Tailed Beast Chakra.
• Pain's Deva Path used Shinra Tensei, but Naoki Senju dodged, while Sasori of the Red Sands used the Third Kazekage to rescue the bleeding Deidara.

Naoki Senju used his teleportation technique to evade Pain's Deva Path and Sasori of the Red Sands while charging a Tailed Beast Bomb. He sent the attack toward Sasori, who threw Deidara clear and was left facing the blast.

• Sasori of the Red Sands used iron sand to stop Deidara's bleeding and urged him to endure the pain.
• Pain's Deva Path attacked Naoki Senju, but Naoki struck him and teleported Sasori's poisoned iron sand spikes away before they could hit.
• Pain's Deva Path realized Naoki could teleport nearby objects and prepared to interrupt his Tailed Beast Bomb with taijutsu.
• Naoki teleported the nearly completed Tailed Beast Bomb to Sasori of the Red Sands, who flung Deidara away with his Chakra Threads.
• Sasori of the Red Sands was left facing the Tailed Beast Bomb after its chakra disrupted his Chakra Threads.

Naoki Senju fought Pain's Deva Path while trying to reach Deidara, who was badly injured and grieving Sasori's death. Deidara began his ultimate art by preparing to self-destruct, leaving the battlefield on the brink of a massive explosion.

• Deidara mourned Sasori, who had sacrificed himself to save him from the Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Hidan arrived late after performing his prayers and charged into the battle, eager to be hit by another Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Naoki Senju used a Tailed Beast Bomb as a feint, then rushed toward Deidara, but Pain's Deva Path interrupted him with Shinra Tensei and fought him off.
• Naoki Senju activated Sage Mode with help from Wood Release and resisted Pain's Deva Path's Banshō Ten'in.
• Deidara, gravely wounded by his own Clay Bombs, removed the stitches over his chest and began chewing explosive clay with the mouth on his heart, preparing to self-destruct.

Deidara completed his ultimate art by turning his body into a massive explosion, while Naoki Senju tried to slow Pain's Deva Path as they fled. The blast engulfed them, and Nagato decided to move closer to Pain's Deva Path despite Konan's concerns, agreeing not to use a dangerous ninjutsu.

• Deidara's body turned black and began cracking as the Explosive Clay inside him reached the final stage of his ultimate art.
• Naoki Senju and Pain's Deva Path fled, while Naoki attacked the Deva Path with wooden spikes and a forest to slow him down.
• Deidara shouted "Explode! Katsu!" and unleashed a vast blast that swallowed Pain's Deva Path, Hidan, and Naoki Senju.
• Black Zetsu watched the explosion from afar, while Nagato and Konan saw the Six Paths of Pain deteriorating through the Rinnegan.
• Nagato decided to move closer to Pain's Deva Path despite Konan's warning, and he agreed not to use the ninjutsu she feared.

Naoki Senju survived Deidara’s explosion and discovered that Nagato’s weakened Deva Path was regaining strength because Nagato had come nearby. Naoki tried to draw the fight toward Nagato, while wood clones pursued Nagato and Konan as they fled.

• Naoki Senju, Pain's Deva Path, and Hidan struggled to their feet after Deidara’s explosion, which destroyed the other five Paths of Pain.
• Naoki Senju confronted Pain's Deva Path and declared that he would take Nagato’s Rinnegan.
• Nagato supplied Pain's Deva Path with chakra, restoring his fighting strength enough to resume battling Naoki Senju.
• Naoki Senju realized Nagato was nearby and decided to move the fight outward to prevent him from escaping.
• Pain's Deva Path used Shinra Tensei to stop Naoki Senju from shifting the battlefield, while Naoki's wood clones pursued Nagato and Konan.

Naoki Senju cornered Nagato and Konan, who fought back with Konan’s explosive paper techniques. Nagato summoned Pain’s Deva Path, leaving the confrontation poised to turn as the battle continued.

• Naoki Senju’s Wood Clones pursued Nagato and Konan, while Naoki urged Nagato to surrender the Rinnegan.
• Konan left a Paper Clone to carry Nagato toward Amegakure and turned back to attack the pursuing Wood Clones with explosive paper.
• Naoki’s hidden Wood Clone captured Konan, and Nagato returned with a kunai held near the Rinnegan to force Naoki to release her.
• Naoki released Konan and offered to let them leave if Nagato surrendered the Rinnegan, but Konan attacked again with Explosive Tags.
• Nagato used the Summoning Technique to call Pain’s Deva Path from afar.