Hotaru is brought back to the fort in Mount Katsuragi. Naruto, outraged to learn the forbidden jutsu was embedded inside Hotaru, demands an explanation from Tonbei. But it was none other than Hotaru herself who wished for this.

Naruto and Utakata successfully enter the Tsuchigumo village thanks to help from Sakura, Sai, and Yamato. Utakata senses the chakra filling the atmosphere and terrain behaving oddly, and together with Naruto, they enter the cave where the anomaly is originating.