With Konoha in complete darkness, the village struggles to defend against the four attackers who have sealed the entire village behind a barrier. The entire village is in a state of emergency. Asuma, commanded by Tsunade to follow Sora and Naruto, finally catches up to them. Asuma realizes that the four invaders plan to annihilate the entire village using the lightning powers of the corpses that they stole. The revelation shocks Sora. As Asuma leaves to help hold off the attackers, he instructs Naruto to continue pursuing Sora.

The struggle between Naruto and Sora continues. Asuma and Kazuma fight. Sai arrives, having snuck out of hospital, and binds Kazuma with an ink snake. Kazuma breaks out of Sai's jutsu and charges Asuma, but is killed. Naruto eventually reaches Sora, who manages to release the Nine Tails's chakra. Sora then leaves the village to travel the world. Asuma and Shikamaru play shogi and discuss who the king of Konoha is. Elsewhere, two Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu, appear chasing the Two Tails Jinchūriki.

Asuma’s team reaches the bounty station and ambushes Hidan. Izumo and Kotetsu attack Hidan, but are unable to kill him despite stabbing his vital organs. Asuma tells his teammates that if they retreat they will be killed and Konoha will be endangered. Shikamaru realizes that Asuma is considering sacrificing himself to help defeat the enemy, based on what he knows of Asuma's shogi strategy. Asuma begins fighting Hidan, while Shikamaru distracts him by forcing him to dodge Shadow Sewing. Hidan cuts Asuma on the cheek and steps into a circle of blood as Asuma uses a jutsu to engulf Hidan in a cloud of ash. Asuma then sets the cloud ablaze, supposedly killing Hidan.

While Akatsuki discusses the true goals of their organization, Naruto continues his training. Meanwhile, Tsunade receives the tragic news.

Darui manages to seal away Ginkaku. Fueled by the rage of losing his brother, Kinkaku transforms into a monster that resembles a jinchuriki’s Tailed Beast State.

Taking place in the aftermath of the Kage Summit, Team Kakashi is sent out on a mission by Tsunade to a location known as "The Hole" to investigate an incident where its people were killed.

The reborn Team Kakashi continues to investigate the recent attack by Kabuto and the reincarnated shinobi when Naruto gets swallowed by a giant snake, but manages to escape using shadow clones, and accidentally ingests snakes that were present in the pond which Kabuto uses to summon Hidan.

The Nine-Tailed Naruto clone tries to attack Dokku and the orphans, when Might Guy and Rock Lee arrive to repel it.

The reanimated shinobi appearing before Gaara and Ohnoki is revealed to be none other than Madara Uchiha himself…which raises the question of who the masked man claiming to be Madara really is.

Kakashi holds on to the hope that Obito can return to being the young man that he remembers. But Obito has abandoned the present as well as the memories of his friends and is determined to end the world!

Kiba and his team are in pursuit of Hidden Grass Ninja who have stolen their scroll!