Recaps

Tsunade hinted that Sakura could use Ninjutsu she already knew to obtain information for her planned cloning research, while warning that she could wait if she failed. Sakura figured out the method, then went shopping with Hinata for Haku’s birthday present, where Hinata criticized her lack of interest in makeup.

• Tsunade finished treating Sakura and left her to work out the hint about the Ninjutsu she had already taught her.
• Tsunade reflected that Sakura’s plan to establish a cloning-experiment base in the Land of Snow had become possible through her connection to Kazahana Koyuki, and decided she would protect Sakura if she avoided using Konoha’s people as subjects.
• Sakura combined the Ninjutsu she knew and worked out how to get the information she needed, though she still had details to resolve.
• Sakura noticed Haku’s birthday was approaching and went shopping with Hinata for a present.
• At a cosmetics shop, Hinata urged Sakura to buy something more fitting for a girl than the Senbon she had given Haku before and criticized Sakura for going out without makeup.

Sakura and Hinata shopped for Haku’s birthday gift before Sakura’s leave was canceled for a dangerous mission to investigate Orochimaru’s possible bases. Meanwhile, Jiraiya trained Naruto in the Land of Wind and sent Konoha intelligence about the Akatsuki, leaving Naruto frustrated with his Rasenshuriken training.

• Sakura rejected Hinata’s makeup advice, accepted her suggestions for Haku’s gift, and left with two bottles of nail polish after Hinata helped her choose colors.
• Tsunade briefed the Fourteenth Squad on the mission to investigate and destroy Orochimaru’s suspected bases, issued them large sealing scrolls, and ordered them to retreat if Orochimaru appeared.
• In a remote valley, Naruto repeatedly failed to add Wind Release to the Rasengan and destroyed stone pillars while practicing.
• Jiraiya sent a letter containing Akatsuki intelligence to Konoha and told Naruto to keep practicing Wind Release Nature Transformation with Shadow Clones.

The Fourteenth Squad searched Orochimaru's abandoned base, where Sakura used miniature sealing runes on her nails to copy and store cloning research. In Konoha, Tsunade received letters and an intelligence report from Jiraiya, and the Third Hokage's smile faded as he read the report.

• The Fourteenth Squad entered Orochimaru's deserted base and divided up to collect its remaining materials.
• Sakura created Ice Clones to find cloning research and copied useful records into miniature scrolls stored on her nails.
• Sakura covered the runes with nail polish, put away the original documents, and returned to the meeting point.
• Tsunade summoned Hiruzen Sarutobi to read letters and a confidential report sent by Jiraiya.
• Hiruzen read Jiraiya's brief personal letter, then opened the intelligence report and lost his warm smile.

Tsunade and Hiruzen learned that the Akatsuki had been hunting Orochimaru and decided to pursue a lead rather than recall the Fourteenth Squad. The squad encountered Kakuzu and Hidan after finding two of their comrades dead, and Sakura launched the first attack.

• Tsunade and Hiruzen read intelligence revealing Orochimaru had once joined the Akatsuki and that its members had been pursuing him.
• Tsunade suspected Danzo had made a deal with the Akatsuki and chose to keep the Fourteenth Squad in place while sending support.
• Shino discovered Makoto Inuzuka and Kotaro dead when the Fourteenth Squad emerged from the underground base.
• Sakura recognized Kakuzu and Hidan as Akatsuki members and prepared to fight Kakuzu, whom she sensed was a Kage Level ninja.
• Sakura attacked Kakuzu and Hidan with Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm, and Kakuzu raised an Earth Style Wall to block the ice darts.

Sakura Haruno and her teammates faced Kakuzu and Hidan, and Sakura killed Hidan with a single punch after using Ice Release to close the distance. Kakuzu recognized that the available information about Sakura was inaccurate and began preparing another Earth Release technique.

• Kakuzu identified the masked ninja as Sakura Haruno and warned Hidan to watch out for her Ice Release and Wind Release.
• Shino fired a distress signal, and Sakura told Shino and Yugao to focus on taking Hidan out first.
• Sakura used Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals to appear behind Hidan, then struck him with Monstrous Strength Technique: Star Cannon Hammer.
• Sakura's punch shattered Hidan's body and sent him flying, leaving him silent as Kakuzu assessed her abilities.
• Kakuzu studied Sakura's position and the nearby ice darts, then formed hand seals and began an Earth Release technique.

Sakura Haruno’s kick revealed that Kakuzu’s body was made of resilient black threads, while Hidan returned from his apparent death and turned the Fourteenth Squad’s advantage into a dangerous standoff. Shino protected an exhausted Yugao as the squad realized Hidan was immortal and formidable in close combat.

• Sakura Haruno interrupted Kakuzu’s Earth Release attack with a kick, but her strike scattered the black threads in his arm without stopping him.
• Shino’s Genjutsu failed to affect Kakuzu, and Hidan unexpectedly returned to the fight and intercepted Yugao’s Iai Slash.
• Yugao cut deeply into Hidan’s neck, but he healed within seconds, leaving her drained and unable to continue fighting.
• Shino blocked Hidan’s attack and moved to protect Yugao, who told him that Hidan was an immortal monster.
• Shino recognized Hidan’s combination of immortality and strong Taijutsu as a serious threat.

Sakura Haruno separated Kakuzu from the other fight so she could use her Ninjutsu without endangering her allies, then cut him in half with Water Release: Wind Blade Torrent. Kakuzu began stirring despite the fatal blow, leaving Sakura unsure how he had survived.

• Hidan taunted Shino and Yugao, then charged them with his scythe to begin another round of their fight.
• Sakura Haruno smashed Kakuzu’s Earth Spear with her strength and faced him after opening her Yin Seal.
• Kakuzu assumed Sakura relied on close-range attacks and Wind Release, and claimed he would avoid hitting Shino and Yugao with his Ninjutsu.
• Sakura revealed she had separated the battlefields to keep her own Ninjutsu from striking her allies.
• Kakuzu countered Sakura’s prepared Ninjutsu with Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire Technique, but Sakura’s Water Release: Wind Blade Torrent cut through the attack and severed him in two.
• Sakura watched Kakuzu’s body begin to stir and wondered how he could still be alive.

Sakura fought Kakuzu after he restored his body with black threads and unleashed a devastating Fire and Wind Combination Ninjutsu. She avoided the flames by summoning an enormous Ice Release Leviathan and sending a swarm of ice creatures toward Kakuzu, leaving his response unresolved.

• Kakuzu restored his severed body with black threads and transformed, revealing three intact masked masses after Sakura's attack destroyed a fourth.
• Kakuzu attacked Sakura with Fire Style: Searing Migraine and Wind Release: Pressure Damage, which combined into a vast sea of flames.
• Sakura used Ice Release: Leviathan's Wrath to create a gigantic armored ice beast and escaped the flames with Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
• Countless insect-like ice creatures poured from the Leviathan and surged toward Kakuzu as the beast dived at him.
• Sakura considered how Kakuzu might counter the simultaneous attack from above and across the ground.

Sakura Haruno used an Ice Release swarm and leviathan to pressure Kakuzu, but his four masked monsters overwhelmed her techniques. She used the clash as a feint, hurling the leviathan’s horn to create an opening and teleporting beneath it to confront Kakuzu with Monstrous Strength.

• Sakura Haruno judged that Kakuzu’s multiple hearts, powerful elemental techniques, and combat experience made him dangerous despite her Ice Release attacks.
• Kakuzu unleashed Earth Grudge Fear, and he and three masked monsters fired four powerful Release Techniques that destroyed Sakura’s ice insects and leviathan.
• Sakura pulled the leviathan’s horn free and hurled it at Kakuzu while the ice beast drew his attacks.
• Kakuzu dodged the horn with his tentacles, and Sakura used Body Flicker to appear beneath it and close in on him.
• Sakura prepared to strike Kakuzu with the Monstrous Strength Technique.

Sakura used a giant ice sword to devastate Kakuzu, destroying one of his mask monsters and leaving his main body badly weakened. After she broke free from his tentacle ambush, Kakuzu vanished, leaving Sakura unsure where he had gone.

• Sakura turned an enormous ice horn into a giant blade and used Sword Drawing Slash against Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu's tentacles and remaining masks tried to stop the strike with attacks, but the ice sword cut through them and destroyed his Lightning Release mask.
• Sakura prepared to finish the weakened Kakuzu with ice blades, conserving her chakra for the possibility of facing Hidan afterward.
• Kakuzu's underground tentacles caught Sakura by surprise and wrapped around her body.
• Sakura used Frost Battle Armor to freeze and shatter the tentacles, then discovered that Kakuzu had vanished.

Sakura Haruno and Kakuzu struggled to find an opening against each other as they traded underground feints and rapid attacks. Sakura survived Kakuzu’s chained ambushes and stood atop his Earth Spears, facing his next Wind Release Ninjutsu.

• Sakura sensed Kakuzu hiding underground and realized his earlier attack had concealed his escape beneath the battlefield.
• Kakuzu assessed Sakura’s defenses and stamina, then dodged her punches as she tried to track and strike him through the earth.
• Sakura cut through Kakuzu’s tendrils with Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm, but recognized they were a feint when Kakuzu attacked her from behind with Fire Style: Flame Bullet.
• Sakura evaded the Flame Bullet with Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, while Kakuzu anticipated her movement and struck at her landing point with Earth Release: Earth Spear.
• Sakura protected her feet with new ice shoes, stood atop the stone pillars, and looked up as Kakuzu’s third Wind Release Ninjutsu came toward her.

Sakura Haruno and Kakuzu weighed their dwindling options after Sakura survived his combined attacks and her Water Gun struck only an Earth Clone. Sakura recognized she could not defeat Kakuzu alone, but Konoha’s approaching reinforcements made retreat more urgent for him, and she ended the chapter by summoning ice clones.

• Kakuzu combined Earth Spear and Wind Release, but Sakura used the rock pillar to shield herself from the wind blast.
• Sakura fired a Super Water Gun Technique through the dust and split Kakuzu’s Earth Clone instead of Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu realized Sakura was conserving Chakra and stalling for Konoha’s reinforcements, so he began considering retreat.
• Sakura acknowledged that Kakuzu had the advantage in a prolonged fight, while the incoming reinforcements put him at risk.
• Sakura formed hand seals and used Ice Release: Legion Ice Clone Technique.

Sakura used Legion Ice Clones to pressure Kakuzu and attack him with a surprise Body Flicker strike, but he evaded her blows with quick substitutions and defensive techniques. Her Ice Clone Explosion Technique failed to seriously injure him, and Kakuzu declared that their battle would end there.

• Sakura summoned more than a hundred Legion Ice Clones, and Kakuzu tried to burn them away with Great Flame Bullet.
• Kakuzu used Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere and Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spears to destroy many clones, while several others reached him and discovered that Earth Spear hardened his body.
• Sakura used Body Flicker and Eight Slashing Blades to strike Kakuzu, but she cut through an Earth Substitute instead of his real body.
• Sakura dodged Kakuzu's pursuit by flashing to a surviving Ice Clone as their close-range exchange continued.
• Kakuzu trapped several Ice Clones with black tendrils, but Sakura detonated five of them and blasted the bindings apart.
• Kakuzu emerged with only minor wounds, dismissed Sakura's attacks as inadequate, and said their battle would end.

Sakura abandoned her fight with Kakuzu when she sensed Yugao had been gravely wounded, only to discover that Hidan had torn out Yugao’s heart. Unable to save Yugao with her Medical Ninjutsu, Sakura faced the apparently immortal Hidan as he taunted her.

• Kakuzu told Sakura their fight was ending and pointed out that Yugao and Shino’s battle with Hidan was about to be decided.
• After hearing Yugao scream and sensing her Chakra fade, Sakura drove Kakuzu back and used her ice mirror Body Flicker Technique to reach Shino and Yugao.
• Sakura found Yugao with a gaping hole in her chest and used Medical Ninjutsu to stop the bleeding, but realized Yugao’s heart was missing and she was still dying.
• Hidan laughed at Sakura’s efforts and declared Yugao beyond saving.
• Sakura recognized Hidan and was shocked that he was alive and vigorous despite having previously been badly injured and having a blade through his heart.

Hidan and Kakuzu withdrew after Shino explained that Hidan’s Secret Technique transferred his injuries to Yugao, leaving Sakura unable to attack him while treating her. With Yugao’s condition worsening, Sakura proposed using Ice and Water Release to create a temporary heart for her.

• Sakura began forming a Ninjutsu attack against Hidan, but Shino stopped her and explained that Hidan’s injuries were transferred to Yugao.
• Kakuzu emerged from underground and urged Hidan to leave before reinforcements arrived; Hidan argued with him and threatened Sakura and Shino before departing with Kakuzu.
• Sakura considered attacking Hidan after his Secret Technique ended but stayed focused on using Medical Ninjutsu to treat Yugao.
• Shino said Yugao’s chakra response was extremely weak, and Sakura proposed creating a temporary heart with Ice Release and Water Release.

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Sakura used Ice Release and Medical Ninjutsu to keep Yugao alive after Hidan destroyed her heart, while Shino and the reinforcements regrouped and returned to Konoha. Sakura handed Yugao over to Tsunade for treatment, then fell asleep outside the treatment room as she waited for news.

• Sakura created a temporary Ice Release heart for Yugao, restarted her blood flow with Water Release, and stabilized her vital signs with Medical Ninjutsu.
• Anbu reinforcements arrived, and Shino explained that Akatsuki members Hidan and Kakuzu had attacked; Hidan had destroyed Yugao's heart.
• The reinforcements carried the exhausted Shino, Sakura, and Yugao back to Konoha through the night.
• At dawn, the Fourteenth Squad was taken to Konoha Hospital, where Tsunade began treating Yugao.
• Sakura waited outside Treatment Room One and fell asleep from exhaustion.

Tsunade and the medical-nin saved Uzuki Yugao by growing her a replacement heart from stem cells derived from her hair. Sakura learned that Yugao could survive ordinary life but would have to leave Anbu and retire from field missions, leaving the Fourteenth Squad to be reorganized.

• Tsunade led the medical-nin in an operation to grow a new heart for Uzuki Yugao from stem cells derived from her hair.
• Yuki Haku woke Sakura and told her that Yugao’s life was no longer in danger.
• Tsunade told Sakura that Yugao had briefly regained consciousness and spoken with Gekko Hayate.
• Tsunade explained that Yugao’s replacement heart could not withstand battle, so she would leave Anbu after recovering.
• Tsunade told Sakura that the Fourteenth Squad would have to be reorganized.

Sakura Haruno asked Tsunade to let her pursue stem cell and cloning research so Yugao could receive a new heart, and revealed she had already secured supplies and a plan to work from the Land of Snow. Tsunade accepted Sakura’s resolve while warning that her abilities had been exposed to Akatsuki.

• Tsunade explained that stem cell research could eventually grow Yugao a new heart, but she could not conduct forbidden human experiments as Hokage.
• Sakura told Tsunade she had gathered research materials and equipment and would establish a base in the Land of Snow with Kazahana Koyuki’s help.
• Sakura promised to limit her work to stem cell and cloning research and not experiment on living people.
• Tsunade suggested using enemies as test subjects, but Sakura rejected Hidan as an unsuitable subject and recalled how close she had come to losing against Kakuzu.
• Tsunade noted that the fight had revealed information about both Akatsuki and Sakura, while Sakura said she would keep improving regardless of what Akatsuki learned.

Tsunade discussed the Akatsuki threat and Sakura’s progress, then told her that Yugao and Gekko Hayate planned to marry and have a child. Sakura left the office unsettled by the news and her packed schedule, while planning to work on Yugao’s heart problem during a brief mission to the Land of Snow.

• Tsunade judged that Sakura had advanced in combat and that Konoha still needed time to prepare for the Akatsuki.
• Tsunade told Sakura that Yugao and Gekko Hayate had decided to marry and start a family, and that Yugao would be away for at least a year.
• Sakura hesitated over the news because she feared her team would be reorganized just after she had grown close to her teammates.
• Tsunade gave Sakura at most a month and a half for her Land of Snow mission and listed her Special Jōnin assessment, Chunin Exams preparations, and ninjutsu training as other obligations.
• Tsunade asked Sakura to learn the Summoning Technique and told her that Shino was recovering in room 017.
• Sakura left Tsunade’s office and leaned against the wall, lost in thought.

Sakura visited the recovering Shino, then explained to Sasuke that she had found research on stem cells and human cloning at Orochimaru's base. She sought Sasuke's support for establishing a base in the Land of Snow and began preparing to explain the research.

• Sakura visited Shino in the hospital and left without telling him about Yugao or the Fourteenth Squad's disbandment.
• Sakura asked Dr. Terumi Ijin to make sure Shino recovered fully before leaving the hospital.
• Sakura encountered her neighbor Yuzuki Terumi, then returned home and slept through the night.
• The next day, Sakura took Sasuke to her laboratory and told him about her plan to build a base in the Land of Snow.
• Sakura showed Sasuke documents on stem cells and human cloning from Orochimaru's base, and Sasuke questioned whether she intended to conduct forbidden experiments.
• Sakura insisted she understood the research as a medical-nin and began to explain her intentions to Sasuke.

Sakura explained her cloning plans to Sasuke and argued that clones without consciousness were not people, comparing them to specialized Clone Techniques. Sasuke remained uncertain about whether a mindless clone with a human body deserved to be treated as a person.

• Sasuke challenged Sakura over whether she would raise her clones as daughters or use them for dangerous experiments.
• Sakura created an Ice Clone without a mind and cut open its abdomen to show Sasuke that it had no human reactions.
• Sakura argued that a brain alone did not create thoughts or emotions, which developed through experience and interaction.
• Sakura described her plan to grow unconscious physical clones and project her mind into them to test dangerous Ninjutsu.
• Sasuke could not decide whether a clone with a body but no mind counted as a person.

Sakura persuaded Sasuke to help establish a secret base in the Land of Snow and use Genjutsu to protect its secrets. She then offered him a Lightning Release technique, explaining the principle behind the Super Electromagnetic Cannon and why she believed a ninja could develop it.

• Sakura explained that she wanted to grow stronger to protect Naruto and create a suitable new heart for Yugao, and Sasuke reluctantly agreed to help her establish a base in the Land of Snow.
• Sakura said Kazahana Koyuki would approve the base, but Genjutsu would make her forget its confidential details and keep ordinary people from wandering inside.
• Sakura asked Sasuke to cast the necessary Genjutsu, since she trusted him and knew little about Genjutsu herself.
• Sakura offered Sasuke a new Lightning Release technique and claimed it had been used by Mikoto Misaka, a fictional one-year-old Kage Level expert.
• Sasuke questioned Sakura's story, so she explained how an electromagnetic cannon worked and argued that Lightning Release could overcome the engineering problems that prevented its use in her previous world.
• Sakura admitted she had not developed the technique herself and decided Sasuke and Kakashi would be better suited to learn the Super Electromagnetic Cannon.

Sakura explained the power of Lightning Release - Super Electromagnetic Cannon and offered to teach it to Sasuke and Kakashi during their trip to the Land of Snow. She also prepared Sasuke’s reply to Naruto, adding a huge bundle of training notes that Naruto would have to read.

• Sakura described how the Super Electromagnetic Cannon’s speed and power depended on its user, and said it could be a devastating long-range technique.
• Sakura told Sasuke the technique would strengthen his combat system, and agreed to teach it to him and Kakashi because they were Team 7.
• Sasuke gave Sakura his completed reply to Naruto, who had written about his training and struggles with adding Nature Transformation to Rasengan.
• Sakura packed Sasuke’s letter with about 608,000 characters of material and personal Ninjutsu insights for Naruto, leaving Sasuke worried about how much he would have to read.

Sakura Haruno completed preparations for a future Land of Snow mission and underwent an assessment for promotion to Special Jōnin. After Yuichi Taketori assigned her to examine new Anbu recruits, she prepared to take Kenichi’s place, but Katsura U arrived with another newcomer.

• Sakura Haruno sent a letter to Kazahana Koyuki through Asama Takehiko and expected to wait about ten days for a mission request.
• Sakura submitted her application for promotion to Special Jōnin, and Yuichi Taketori reviewed her combat record before beginning her assessment.
• Yuichi Taketori brought Sakura to the Anbu courtyard and appointed her to examine the new recruits as part of her practical tests.
• Sakura spotted Shino outside the hospital and silently threatened to report his unauthorized outing to his girlfriend.
• Kenichi told Sakura to change into Anbu gear, but she lacked a spare cat-face mask when Katsura U arrived with a new Anbu recruit.