As One's Friend

Jugo and Suigetsu try to slip out of the hideout dressed as samurai and are spotted at once. Elsewhere, Sai's ink duplicate warns Kakashi, Naruto, and Yamato that the rest of the Konoha 11 mean to end Sasuke's life themselves and head off a wider war. Naruto refuses to accept that Sakura agreed, sure of her feelings, but Sai insists it is precisely her love that pushed her to consent, and he privately suspects she means to strike the blow herself.

Sai reveals that Sakura's earlier confession was meant to release Naruto from his old vow, and that his own harsh words back in the village had guilted her into this course. Shaken to the edge of breaking, Naruto is interrupted by the Sand Siblings, who arrive with urgent news. On the Samurai Bridge, Madara faces Danzo, who sets Fu and Torune against him while he unlocks his Sealing Arm Braces. Slipping through every attack with his intangibility, Madara baits the pair so that Torune's poison insects strike Fu by mistake, then warps both away, praising Danzo's choice of Yamanaka and Aburame subordinates.

Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro brief the Leaf trio on the summit and note that Kakashi is being weighed as the sixth Hokage. Gaara urges Naruto to think hard about what friendship truly means before deciding Sasuke's fate, recalling that Naruto once taught him the word. Inside Kamui's dimension, Karin finishes mending Sasuke just as Madara appears and warps the three to the bridge as a gift for the waiting Danzo, who peels back his bandages to expose rows of implanted Sharingan and vows to claim Sasuke's and Madara's eyes as well. A trivia note points out that the shattered Team 7 photo differs from the version usually shown.