Chapter Summaries

Nagato and Konan tried to escape Naoki Senju, but Konan stayed behind to stop him with three million explosive tags. Nagato read her farewell letter and turned back to save her, only to be caught in the blast.

• Nagato used Shinra Tensei to destroy nearby Wood Clones, then fled toward Amegakure with Pain's Deva Path.
• Konan remained behind and confronted Naoki Senju, who carried Hidan's severed head and intended to pursue Nagato.
• Konan revealed that she had hidden three million explosive tags and threatened to detonate them if Naoki continued after Nagato.
• Naoki tried to shake Konan's resolve, but she insisted Nagato would not return and that Naoki would not get the Rinnegan.
• Nagato intercepted Konan's paper crane, read her farewell letter, and turned back to rescue her.
• The explosive tags detonated as Nagato cried out for Konan, and the blast sent his weakened body tumbling.

Nagato woke in the Akatsuki base and learned that Zetsu had rescued him on behalf of Obito Uchiha, who intended to take the Rinnegan. After Obito revealed that his attempt to capture the Nine-Tails had failed, Nagato broke free of his genjutsu and attacked him with Shinra Tensei.

• Nagato regained consciousness in the Akatsuki base and worried about Konan, his missing Pain paths, and who had brought him there.
• White Zetsu introduced himself and Black Zetsu, and Black Zetsu revealed that they served Madara Uchiha rather than the Akatsuki.
• Obito Uchiha arrived and told Nagato that he had seen the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in Konoha but had found no chance to capture him.
• Nagato learned that Jiraiya had returned to Konoha to guard the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and taunted Obito over the failed operation.
• Obito used Sharingan genjutsu on Nagato and demanded the Rinnegan, but Nagato broke free and struck at him with Shinra Tensei.

Obito Uchiha tried to seize Nagato’s Rinnegan, but Nagato activated the Asura Path and prepared to destroy the eyes rather than let Obito take them. Obito used Izanagi to protect the Rinnegan, while a mysterious sphere drifted above Amegakure.

• Black Zetsu told Nagato that Amegakure’s ninja had gone to the Land of Lightning, leaving him without reinforcements.
• Obito Uchiha evaded Nagato’s attacks and moved in to take the Rinnegan, hoping to strengthen himself against Naoki Senju.
• The Asura Path attacked Obito with a missile, but Obito’s body remained intangible and the attack destroyed the building around them.
• Nagato activated the Asura Path’s weapons against himself, declaring that no one would get the Rinnegan.
• Obito removed his mask and used Izanagi to protect the Rinnegan, as a tiny sphere of darkness rose above Amegakure.

Naoki Senju rescued Konan from the explosion of three million Explosive Tags, hoping to preserve her valuable Paper Release for Konoha. After the blast, Konan asked why he had saved her and realized he knew about her connection to Jiraiya.

• Konan detonated three million Explosive Tags while trying to stop Naoki Senju from pursuing Nagato.
• Naoki Senju used the Three-Tails Isobu's chakra to shield himself and Konan from the explosions.
• Konan recovered inside the protective chakra, while Naoki Senju considered making her Paper Release an exclusive incentive for Konoha's Anbu.
• After the explosions ended, Naoki Senju and Konan rested and shared water as her chakra began to recover.
• Konan asked why Naoki Senju had saved her, and he said he did not want her to die in the blast.
• Konan compared Naoki Senju to Jiraiya and realized he already knew about her former teacher and Nagato's identity.

Konan learned that Black Zetsu had taken the unconscious Nagato and tried to escape Naoki Senju to reach him. Naoki stopped her and treated her chakra exhaustion, leaving Konan unconscious as he prepared to continue toward Sunagakure.

• Naoki Senju told Konan that he was heading to Sunagakure, then revealed that Black Zetsu had carried Nagato away while White Zetsu held off his Wood Clones.
• Konan realized Nagato was in danger and resolved to return to Amegakure, recalling how hardship had taught her to survive without giving in to despair.
• Konan secretly formed paper cranes and began making Paper Clones so she could flee, but she exhausted her remaining chakra and collapsed.
• Naoki Senju lifted Konan, knocked her unconscious to calm her restless chakra, and placed one of Tsunade's chakra-exhaustion pills beneath her tongue.
• Naoki Senju concluded that Konan would recover after sleeping and accepted that Nagato or Obito might end up with the Rinnegan.

Naoki Senju arrived in Sunagakure and arranged for Temari to take charge while Konan recovered. Konan urged him to save Nagato, but Temari revealed that Amegakure had been lifted into the sky and reduced to a crater.

• Naoki Senju entered Sunagakure with the unconscious Konan and asked where Temari was.
• Naoki Senju told Temari he would leave Sunagakure in her hands after learning she had obtained intelligence on the Akatsuki.
• Konan woke and pleaded with Naoki Senju to go to Amegakure and save Nagato.
• Temari told Naoki Senju and Konan that Amegakure had been destroyed, with its buildings and land pulled into the sky.
• Naoki Senju and Konan recognized the destruction as Nagato's Chibaku Tensei.

Naoki Senju questioned Konan about the Masked Man’s battle with Nagato and offered her a mission once she recovered. After leaving her room, he confronted Temari about who in Sunagakure had approved her imprisonment.

• Temari told Konan that Amegakure had been sealed off and Sunagakure’s intelligence ninja could not approach, while the disaster seemed unlikely to have left survivors.
• Konan worried that Nagato might have died and asked Naoki Senju what she had to do to be released; Naoki said she needed to heal before handling an important mission.
• Naoki Senju left Konan with Temari and asked Temari who in Sunagakure had tacitly approved of imprisoning her.
• Naoki Senju reflected on his past political maneuvering, including absorbing Root and the destruction of the Shimura Clan, while the Sarutobi Clan remained at risk.

Temari told Naoki Senju who held power in Sunagakure, and he promised to resolve the village’s problems while demanding her personal submission. After surveying Sunagakure and finding it economically unsustainable, Naoki prepared to replace it with a Konoha branch in the Land of Wind.

• Temari named Ebizo and the council elders as Sunagakure’s real power brokers, while Naoki considered Chiyo a threat to Temari’s succession.
• Naoki told Temari he would deal with Sunagakure’s problems and demanded she prove her loyalty that night; Temari agreed.
• Naoki left the recovering Konan in Temari’s care and spent the day inspecting Sunagakure, including infiltrating its Anbu.
• Naoki concluded that Sunagakure was economically unsustainable but strategically useful because of its location.
• The next day, Konan said she had fully recovered and asked Naoki to keep his promise, and he declared that Sunagakure would be replaced by Konoha Village’s Land of Wind branch.

Naoki Senju sent Konan to destroy Sunagakure’s elders’ council hall, and her explosive attack killed or buried many of the village’s leaders. As Chiyo arrived to help Ebizo, her puppets began drawing the raging explosions and debris into their formation.

• Temari asked Naoki Senju whether he had decided to move against Sunagakure’s elders, and Naoki gave Konan a scroll of thirty thousand Explosive Tags and ordered her to leave none alive.
• Konan flew to Sunagakure’s elders’ council hall and leveled the century-old building with explosions, burying many senior officials.
• Ebizo recognized Konan as an Akatsuki member, sent for Chiyo, and attacked with his Seven Puppets, but Konan’s explosive paper attack destroyed the puppets and engulfed him.
• Chiyo arrived, saw Ebizo’s puppet fragments, and summoned the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets to fight Konan.
• Chiyo’s Three Treasures Suction Crush pulled flames, rubble, puppet fragments, and unexploded Explosive Tags toward the three puppets.

Konan fought Chiyo in Sunagakure, overwhelming her defenses while Chiyo tried to protect the village. Naoki Senju intervened, captured Konan, and declared the fighting over, leaving Sunagakure under the control of its pro-Konoha faction.

• Chiyo used puppet wires to attack Konan, but Konan's paper body passed through them unharmed.
• Chiyo defended Sunagakure's residents with the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets' Dust Light Shield Seal as Konan drained her chakra with explosions.
• Konan and Chiyo both seized an opening, but Naoki Senju's giant Wood Release figure captured Konan and interrupted Chiyo's counterattack, damaging her puppets.
• Chiyo collapsed from exhaustion, and Naoki told Sunagakure's ninja that the fighting had ended and Konan had been captured.
• Naoki's Wood Clones had eliminated the remaining opponents, leaving Sunagakure's survivors as the pro-Konoha peace faction.

Temari became the Fifth Kazekage and pledged Sunagakure’s war reparations to Konoha in exchange for its support, while Naoki Senju prepared her for the coming Fourth Shinobi World War. Kirigakure also mobilized as Mei Terumi warned that war could begin at any moment.

• After Sunagakure’s elders and other leaders were killed, Naoki Senju installed Temari as the Fifth Kazekage.
• Temari promised to pay Konoha’s reparations by taking resources from the Land of Wind’s nobles and accepted Naoki’s chakra crystal as a sign of Konoha’s acceptance.
• Naoki ordered Temari to recall Sunagakure’s Jonin and watch Iwagakure, saying the Fourth Shinobi World War would begin in one month.
• Naoki reflected that he had chosen to unleash the war to disrupt Obito and Black Zetsu’s plans and seize control of events.
• Chōjūrō and Ao followed Mei Terumi’s instructions to stabilize Kirigakure, while her latest secret letter ordered the village to recall its Jonin and watch Kumogakure.

Obito confronted Kisame and Uchiha Itachi after their failed attempt to capture the Two-Tails, but Itachi escaped after exploiting Obito’s Kamui. The Akatsuki extracted chakra from the Two-Tails’ severed tail and sent Kisame to capture the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.

• Obito rebuked Kisame for returning with only the Two-Tails’ severed tail and an arm after the capture mission went wrong.
• Obito used the Rinnegan to pull Uchiha Itachi toward him, but Itachi and Kisame trapped Obito in a Water Prison and created a chance for Itachi to escape.
• Kisame threatened to let Samehada devour the Two-Tails’ chakra, forcing Obito to let Uchiha Itachi flee.
• Obito broke Uchiha Itachi’s genjutsu on Kisame and ordered the remaining Akatsuki members to focus on Naoki Senju.
• Obito and the others used the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to extract the Two-Tails chakra from its severed tail.
• Obito ordered Kisame to capture the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, and Kisame accepted while concealing his own intentions.

Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki attacked Kumogakure to capture the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, but they escaped after Kisame wounded her and Itachi stopped her with Tsukuyomi. Kisame learned that Uchiha Itachi planned to leave the Akatsuki and allowed him to control his body with genjutsu.

• Uchiha Itachi used genjutsu to infiltrate Kumogakure with Kisame Hoshigaki, who destroyed a ninja tool factory to draw out their target.
• Yugito Nii confronted the pair and fought Kisame Hoshigaki, whose Samehada drained her chakra and cost her an arm.
• Uchiha Itachi used Tsukuyomi to immobilize Yugito Nii as he and Kisame Hoshigaki escaped Kumogakure.
• Kisame Hoshigaki asked whether Uchiha Itachi planned to leave the Akatsuki, and Uchiha Itachi confirmed that he did.
• Kisame Hoshigaki let Uchiha Itachi use genjutsu on him and asked him not to make his body do anything too dangerous.

Naoki Senju discovered that the Masked Man had taken Nagato’s Rinnegan and seized Pain’s Deva Path from Amegakure. He escaped with Konan and headed for Takigakure to capture the Seven-Tails before the Akatsuki could.

• Konan recognized that the figure posing as Pain’s Deva Path was not controlled by Nagato, and realized the Masked Man had taken Nagato’s Rinnegan.
• Konan refused to leave Yahiko’s body behind, so Naoki Senju used Wood Release to seize Pain’s Deva Path and told her to run.
• Obito learned that Pain’s Deva Path had been taken while he and the Akatsuki sealed the Two-Tails’ chakra.
• Naoki Senju and Konan fled the Land of Rain with the Deva Path and traveled toward the Land of Waterfalls to target the Seven-Tails.

Konan explained the Akatsuki’s tailed beast weapon plan to Naoki Senju, who argued that it could not bring lasting peace. He left her confronting the possibility that the plan would either lead to renewed war or require mass killing.

• Konan mourned Yahiko and vowed to avenge Nagato before Naoki Senju interrupted her and invited her to discuss the Akatsuki.
• Konan explained that Yahiko and Nagato sought to end war by gathering the Tailed Beasts into a weapon that would deter the Five Great Nations.
• Naoki Senju asked Konan to consider the plan’s chances of success and then argued that the villages would unite against the Akatsuki if it possessed such a weapon.
• Naoki Senju warned that the Five Great Nations would keep seeking the weapon and eventually attack again, unless the Akatsuki killed everyone who resisted.
• Konan recognized that the plan’s supposed peace would bring more deaths than war.

Naoki Senju challenged Konan to rethink Akatsuki’s Tailed Beast Weapon Plan and explained his own belief in deterrence through personal strength. As they reached Takigakure to pursue the Seven-Tails, the beast escaped and village shinobi confronted Naoki and Konan.

• Konan reflected on how conflicts of interest made lasting peace impossible, while Naoki urged her to consider maintaining peace through deterrence.
• Konan questioned whether Naoki’s plan to use his strength differed from Nagato’s Tailed Beast Weapon Plan, and realized Akatsuki had ignored the Jinchūriki’s wishes.
• Naoki asked Konan to locate Takigakure, then declared that he could seal another Tailed Beast and save the world.
• The Seven-Tails tore through the jungle as Takigakure shinobi chased it and called for a barrier formation.
• Takigakure shinobi spotted Naoki and Konan and demanded to know who they were.

Naoki Senju and Konan encountered Takigakure ninja and the Seven-Tails, which Naoki subdued with Wood Release. As Naoki began sealing the tailed beast, Konan went to confront the Takigakure ninja outside.

• Takigakure ninja attacked Naoki Senju and Konan, but Naoki trapped them in vines without letting them fight back.
• Naoki and Konan discovered the Seven-Tails overhead, and Naoki used Wood Release to overwhelm it with pollen and bring it crashing down.
• Naoki asked Konan to deal with the Takigakure ninja outside while he sat down to absorb and seal the Seven-Tails' chakra.
• Takigakure ninja shouted threats from the forest's perimeter, angering Konan, who used Dance of the Shikigami.

Naoki Senju sealed the Seven-Tails and decided to let Obito Uchiha gather the remaining tailed beasts for him. In Iwagakure, news of Sunagakure's political shift and Amegakure's destruction convinced Ōnoki that a dangerous conspiracy was unfolding, so he prepared his village for war.

• Naoki Senju sealed the Seven-Tails, gained the ability to fly, and left the flowering forest with Konan.
• Naoki Senju said he would let the Masked Man gather the other tailed beasts so he could take them from him.
• Ōnoki reviewed reports about the recent upheavals and wondered why the Shinobi World had become so peaceful.
• An Iwagakure ninja reported that Temari would become Fifth Kazekage and that the Akatsuki had killed Chiyo and Ebizo.
• The Iwagakure ninja reported that Amegakure had been destroyed by a powerful ninjutsu.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to recall its Special Jōnin and Jonin, suspend A- and S-rank missions, prepare for war, and activate its spies.

After the Two-Tails sealing, Black Zetsu brought Obito Uchiha to meet Orochimaru, who proposed an alliance backed by the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu. Obito’s position weakened when Orochimaru revealed Nagato’s power and hinted that Madara Uchiha could be revived at his peak.

• The Akatsuki took nearly ten hours to seal the Two-Tails' chakra, and Black Zetsu sent the exhausted Kisame Hoshigaki after the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.
• Black Zetsu led Obito Uchiha into a secret chamber, where Orochimaru revealed that he knew Obito’s identity and offered to work together.
• Obito attacked Orochimaru with Banshō Ten'in, but Orochimaru used an even stronger Banshō Ten'in to break free.
• Nagato emerged, and Orochimaru explained that the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu could revive the dead in their strongest state.
• Black Zetsu revealed a coffin bearing the Uchiha Gunbai, and Orochimaru warned that it could contain Madara Uchiha.
• Kabuto Yakushi gave Obito a box of control tools, and Nagato demonstrated his obedience by blasting away the chamber door with a blue laser.

Orochimaru offered Obito an army of reincarnated shinobi in exchange for the hidden Rinnegan, then used Rin Nohara’s revival to secure Obito’s agreement. After Obito left with Rin’s coffin, Orochimaru and Kabuto trapped Black Zetsu inside a giant Ryūchi Cave snake and launched an operation to capture him.

• Orochimaru offered Obito reincarnated Jinchūriki, Kage, Kekkei Genkai users, and dead Akatsuki members in exchange for the other Rinnegan.
• Orochimaru began reviving Rin Nohara, and Obito agreed to his terms, ordered White Zetsu to gather the Jinchūriki’s cells, and took Rin’s coffin into the Kamui Dimension.
• Black Zetsu confronted Orochimaru over reviving Rin, but Orochimaru revealed that Kabuto Yakushi had completed a Summoning Technique.
• Orochimaru and Kabuto trapped Black Zetsu inside a giant Ryūchi Cave snake’s digestive tract, where the snake crushed the coffins and White Zetsu could not escape underground.