Kurama (inside Naruto) briefly stirs. In a rare moment, Kurama’s voice echoes in the mental link: “They were never shown kindness. Only chains and hatred.” Kabuto, watching from his control room, is furious. He tightens the talisman control over the jinchuriki. Their eyes go dark again, and they attack Naruto ferociously. Naruto takes several hits but refuses to fight back lethally.
“They weren’t monsters. None of them were.”
Yagura: “Tell the tailed beasts… we’re sorry. We couldn’t free them in life.” Naruto: “I’ll free them. Every last one. I promise.” Yagura (smiling): “Then you are the true link—the chain that becomes a bridge.” One by one, they fade away. Utakata’s bubbles float upward. Fū waves goodbye. Rōshi bows. Han gives a thumbs up. Yagura vanishes last, whispering, “Thank you, jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.” Final Scene – The Aftermath Naruto stands alone in the crater, exhausted and tear-streaked. Yamato and the others arrive. Naruto says nothing for a long moment, then quietly:
“Let us repay your kindness, child.”
Kabuto has resurrected the corpses of deceased jinchuriki (specifically – the 4th Mizukage, Rōshi – 4-tails, Han – 5-tails, Utakata – 6-tails, Fū – 7-tails) and is using a modified version of the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei) to control them. He also holds a young boy named Muku captive. Muku is a special clone-like creation designed to host a massive amount of chakra.
The central conflict: Kabuto forces Naruto into a sealed arena to fight the resurrected jinchuriki. Naruto refuses to hate them, instead trying to understand their pain—mirroring his own experience as a jinchuriki. Opening – The Link is Formed The episode opens mid-battle. Naruto, in his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode (Version 1), is surrounded by the five Edo Tensei jinchuriki. They attack without emotion, but Naruto notices something strange: their eyes, though dead, flicker with faint recognition when he mentions Kurama.
“I almost was. But someone reached out to me. Now I’m reaching out to you.” The Turning Point – Muku’s Sacrifice While Naruto holds the jinchuriki in place, Kabuto decides to activate his trump card: Muku , the artificial human infused with the chakra of the dead Gedo Statue. Muku transforms into a giant, mindless creature (reminiscent of a pseudo-Ten-Tails).
This overwhelms the Edo Tensei’s programmed hatred. One by one, the jinchuriki’s eyes return to their original, living color—no longer the black sclera of the reanimation.