Recaps

Shunren ended his battle against Hashirama, Tobirama, and the Raikage after declaring his chakra nearly depleted, though he proved he could still incapacitate the Raikage. Hashirama and Tobirama decided to return to Konoha and seek a way to improve their Impure World Reincarnation bodies, while Shunren went back to the hot spring bathhouse.

• Hashirama and Tobirama realized the caster had been targeted, but Tobirama noted that Impure World Reincarnation would persist without its caster as the Kage continued to be overwhelmed by Shunren's flying swords.
• Shunren ended the sword-filled illusion and told the Kage that his chakra was almost exhausted and he was stopping the battle for the day.
• When the Raikage charged at him, Shunren used the Kusanagi Sword to cut the Raikage's throat and claimed he had enough power left to kill him thirteen times.
• Shunren warned Hashirama and Tobirama to stand down or risk having their souls destroyed, then walked away as they recognized they could not defeat him in their current state.
• Hashirama and Tobirama chose to return to Konoha to question the current Hokage and investigate improving their Impure World Reincarnation bodies.
• Shunren returned to the hot spring bathhouse and dispersed the Senbonzakura Kageyoshi blade formation.

Shunren returned to Konoha after abandoning his travels, remaining independent of both the village leadership and the Uchiha. Hashirama and Tobirama then returned and told Konoha’s leaders that Orochimaru had been killed by Shunren, while Danzo turned them against Shunren and the Uchiha.

• Shunren opened the Anywhere Door and brought his group back to Konoha.
• Hashirama and Tobirama infiltrated Konoha and contacted the village leadership two days later.
• Hiruzen questioned Danzo about Orochimaru learning Impure World Reincarnation, and Tobirama revealed that Shunren had killed Orochimaru.
• Tobirama and Danzo claimed Orochimaru had acted to stop Shunren from betraying Konoha and accused the Uchiha of seeking the Hokage Position.
• Danzo urged Hashirama and Tobirama to eliminate the Uchiha, but Tobirama said they first needed to rebuild their Impure World Reincarnation bodies.

After Orochimaru’s death disrupted Konoha’s succession plans, Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku became the leading candidates for Hokage. Fugaku visited Shunren’s lavish residence, where Yashiro and Tekka questioned the need to approach him.

• Orochimaru’s concealed death left the other villages focused on recovering from the war while Konoha’s political balance shifted.
• Hiruzen and Danzo joined forces to support Minato Namikaze against Uchiha Fugaku in the Hokage race.
• The Uchiha considered seeking support from the Yamanaka, Aburame, Hyuga, and Inuzuka clans, and turned their attention to Shunren.
• Yashiro and Tekka criticized Shunren’s extravagant residence and questioned Fugaku’s visit.
• Fugaku judged Yashiro and Tekka shortsighted and recalled Madara Uchiha’s belief that power was everything.

Fugaku visited Shunren with Yashiro and Tekka to seek his help, but struggled to find anything that might appeal to him. After Yashiro grew angry at being kept waiting and stormed into the backyard, Fugaku and Tekka followed to prevent a conflict.

• Fugaku arrived at Shunren's home with Yashiro and Tekka, and Hezi welcomed them while explaining that Shunren was occupied in the backyard.
• Yashiro insulted Hezi for being blind, and Fugaku reprimanded him.
• Fugaku observed Hezi's skill and the household's decor, then concluded that money, seduction, fame, and power were unlikely to win Shunren over.
• Hezi served tea with the traditional phoenix-nods gesture, and Fugaku offered Shunren Starry Night Tea after learning that Shunren liked it.
• Yashiro became impatient when Hezi would not summon Shunren, slammed the table, and rushed toward the backyard.
• Fugaku followed Yashiro with Tekka, who warned that Yashiro might provoke a conflict with Shunren.

Shunren demonstrated his sword training by deflecting an array of powerful weapons while Fugaku, Yashiro, and Tekka watched. Afterward, he welcomed Fugaku as an equal and shared Starry Night tea with his guests.

• Fugaku, Yashiro, and Tekka arrived in the courtyard and saw Shunren facing a formation of swords aimed at him.
• The swords attacked from every direction, and Shunren used projections, sword techniques, and barehanded strikes to knock them aside.
• Shunren deflected the final six attacking swords with Triple Crane Wings, landed safely, and ended his training.
• Shunren greeted Fugaku and led him, Yashiro, and Tekka to the living room, where Fugaku offered him Starry Night tea.
• Shunren accepted Fugaku's offer, while Yashiro remained resentful of Shunren's equal standing with Fugaku.

Shunren refused Fugaku’s invitation to support the Uchiha in the contest for Hokage, then made clear that he would remain neutral while defending his home. After Fugaku and the others left, Shunren flew across Konoha and headed toward the Yuhi Clan residence to see Kurenai.

• Fugaku invited Shunren to join the Uchiha’s effort to claim the Hokage position, but Shunren refused to take part in the political struggle.
• Yashiro insulted Shunren for rejecting the invitation, and Shunren’s killing intent forced Yashiro to his knees until Fugaku asked him to stop.
• Shunren told Fugaku he would remain neutral but would not let anyone invade the place where he lived.
• Fugaku and Tekka left with the still-immobilized Yashiro, and Fugaku said he would entrust the Uchiha Clan to Shunren if their struggle failed.
• Shunren flew aimlessly over Konoha, spotted the Yuhi Clan residence, and dropped toward it to see Kurenai.

Sarutobi Kokonoe visited Yūhi Shinku to ask him to support Minato Namikaze, while Asuma tried to persuade Kurenai to join him in training at the Fire Temple. Shunren suddenly appeared beside Kurenai, leaving her to greet him with mixed feelings.

• Kokonoe asked Shinku to support the Yellow Flash on behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi, but Shinku hesitated to join a political faction.
• Asuma told Kurenai he planned to train with the Twelve Guardian Ninja and wanted her to go with him.
• Kurenai dismissed Asuma's ambitions and asked how the Twelve Ninja compared to Shunren.
• Shunren descended in a streak of golden light and greeted Kurenai from behind.
• Kurenai told Shunren that he always appeared when she was unprepared.

Shunren visited Kurenai and openly took her hand, angering Asuma, while Kokonoe pressed Shinku to answer the Third Hokage’s request. When Uchiha representatives Yashiro and Tekka arrived to recruit Shinku and clashed with Kokonoe, Shunren ordered them both to leave.

• Shunren arrived at the Yuhi Clan’s home and ignored Asuma while speaking warmly with Kurenai.
• Shinku greeted Shunren, and Kurenai defended him from her father’s praise of the Uchiha clan.
• Shunren took Kurenai’s hand, leaving her blushing and Asuma furious.
• Kokonoe again asked Shinku to respond to the Third Hokage’s wishes, but Shinku resented the pressure to choose a side.
• Yashiro and Tekka arrived with other Uchiha and argued with Kokonoe over recruiting Shinku.
• Shunren released his killing intent and told the Uchiha and Sarutobi visitors to get lost.

Shunren drove the Uchiha and Sarutobi visitors away from the Yuhi Clan courtyard, then invited Kurenai to the beach. He used an Anywhere Door to take her to a beach in Kumogakure, in the Land of Lightning.

• Yashiro accused Shunren of betraying the Uchiha, so Shunren shot him with a summoned crossbow and knocked him unconscious.
• Tekka carried Yashiro away, and Kokonoe took Asuma and left after Shunren looked toward them.
• Shunren apologized to Shinku, who thanked him for restoring peace to the Yuhi Clan and then left the courtyard.
• Shunren teased Kurenai and suggested they go to the beach, and she questioned how they could leave Konoha without a pass.
• Shunren opened an Anywhere Door with Chakra and took Kurenai through it to a beach he identified as Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning.