Naruto Chapter 416 Summary

The chapter opens in media res with a blonde familiar-looking shinobi battling against an enemy of an unknown village. The blonde shinobi is apparently cornered by this enemy and uses various ninja tools to attempt to turn the tide. The enemy tells the blonde shinobi to give up. The blonde shinobi refuses, revealing his kagebunshin-based tactics to gain the upper hand and handily defeat the enemy. As the enemy crumples to the ground, he sneers, telling the blonde shinobi that shinobi are all cursed with a lack of peace. The blonde rejects his statement, resolutely stating that he'll change the world and that he will nevergive up. As the blonde is about to give his name, the scene shifts to Naruto at Mount Myoboku, reading Jiraiya's story, "The Legend of the Gutsy Ninja." Naruto was apparently reading the aforementioned scene. As Naruto finds Jiraiya's picture at the end of the book, he remembers... FLASHBACK Naruto, training with Jiraiya, vents to his teacher about the suffering he'd endured with Sasuke in their final battle, specifically how Sasuke had told Naruto that he couldn't understand Sasuke's feelings. Naruto inquires about Jiraiya and Orochimaru's friendship and why Orochimaru would betray Konoha. Jiraiya sorrowfully tells Naruto that Orochimaru's motives were jumpstarted by his desire to see his dead parents once more or perhaps revenge on Konoha for their deaths, and thus he became obsessed with forbidden techniques. Jiraiya makes the parallel between his and Naruto's situation, noting that Jiraiya too was told that he didn't understand anything about his friend's feelings. Jiraiya muses aloud that hatred is spreading and that he wants to put an end to it. He's not sure how, but he has faith that humans will understand each other eventually. Naruto remarks that it seems difficult. Jiraiya declares that should he not find the solution, the task would fall to Naruto, who joyously accepts. Jiraiya laughs, to Naruto's confusion, stating that he feels Naruto's smile is his salvation, and moreover that he's very glad he took Naruto as his apprentice. Naruto is visibly touched. Just then, Jiraiya confidently asserts that he'll change the world with his books, to which Naruto skeptically notes that no one buys those books. Jiraiya maintains that the books will be tremendously successful, that Naruto will be begging for an autograph. Naruto remarks that he wouldn't want that, and as the flashback ends, he thinks to himself that, after all, he has something more important. Meanwhile, the exhausted Sasuke brings the defeated Killerbee to Madara, with Juugo, carrying the inert Suigetsu and Karin, in tow. Madara congratulates him on a task well completed. As Sasuke walks away, Madara asks where he's going. Sasuke answers that first they will heal their wounds, after which they will go to Konoha. Madara remembers... FLASHBACK In a private meeting between Sasuke and Madara, Madara asks of Sasuke's intentions, wondering whether Sasuke will follow with Itachi's purpose of protecting Konoha. Sasuke states that Itachi's death was more significant than Konoha, that as Itachi considered Sasuke the most precious, so does Sasuke for Itachi. He says that despite what he said in front of his team, his goal is to completely crush Konoha, not just the elders, denouncing the village as vile. Sasuke tells Madara that though he may be seen as a child ruled by his emotions, Sasuke will continue regardless, that if he kills all those precious to those who get in his way, maybe they'll understand... his hatred. END FLASHBACK Madara, watching Sasuke's back, thinks that love has the risk of begetting hatred. Meanwhile, in the Hidden Cloud village, Cloud shinobi alert their leader, the Raikage, that his brother, Killerbee, has been captured by Akatsuki, one of which was of Konoha's Uchiha clan. The Raikage, enraged, declares that he will not let Akatsuki go unpunished.