Chapter Summaries

Kakuzu learned that Konoha had sent Root to destroy Kusagakure and take its money and ninjutsu. Aburame Shikuroo launched Root’s surprise attack at night, enclosing the village in a barrier and ordering his forces to leave no one alive.

• Gato explained to Kakuzu that Kusagakure’s income now mainly came from taxes, and Kakuzu decided against raising them recklessly.
• Aburame Shikuroo and two Root members surveyed Kusagakure, wondered why Root had so little intelligence about it, and prepared to attack.
• Jin warned Kakuzu that Konoha’s forces had come to destroy Kusagakure and steal its money and ninjutsu.
• At night, Aburame Shikuroo’s forces surrounded Kusagakure with a barrier and began their surprise attack.

Root forces attacked the Money Army, and Aburame Shikuroo fought and poisoned Vander. Kakuzu saved Vander from the poison and faced Shikuroo as the Root ninjas closed in.

• Aburame Shikuroo used poison techniques to kill Money Army ninjas while Root and Money Army forces fought to a standstill.
• Shikuroo clashed with Vander, who cut down an insect clone before being poisoned by Nano Poison Insects.
• Jin watched from above and reflected on Kakuzu’s growing concern for his subordinates.
• Kakuzu used his black threads to remove the poison from Vander, who thanked him.
• Kakuzu warned Shikuroo not to get in his way as the two faced each other.

Uchiha Jin seized control of Root after Aburame Shikuroo refused to submit and was killed, then met with Kakuzu’s allies in Kusagakure. Kakuzu reported that Sunagakure wanted to negotiate a trade partnership in person, leaving Jin to consider the request.

• Aburame Shikuroo prepared to face Kakuzu’s Money Army, but Root ninja turned on one another and killed most of their comrades.
• Uchiha Jin immobilized Aburame Shikuroo, revealed that Root’s remaining members had submitted to him, and demanded that Shikuroo surrender or die.
• Shikuroo refused to betray Konoha, so Jin absorbed his Chakra with the Demonic Heaven Devouring Sutra and declared that all of Root belonged to him.
• Jin praised Gato and invited him to visit their headquarters with Kakuzu, while Kakuzu resented Gato’s groveling.
• Kakuzu told Jin that Sunagakure wanted to sell gold and local specialties through their channels and had requested an in-person negotiation there.

Jin and Kakuzu traveled to Sunagakure after receiving an invitation, while Danzo ordered Root to lie low and sent White Fang to steal Sunagakure’s Puppet Secret Technique. Jin and Kakuzu reached the village and identified themselves, leaving Sunagakure’s guards to notify their superiors.

• Jin decided to accept Sunagakure’s invitation and travel there with Kakuzu alone.
• A Root member reported Kakuzu’s immortality to Danzo, who ordered Root to lie low after its losses.
• Danzo learned that White Fang had accepted a mission to steal Sunagakure’s Puppet Secret Technique and hoped to use it to control Hashirama Senju’s corpse.
• Jin and Kakuzu crossed the desert toward Sunagakure, with Jin choosing to travel on foot.
• Sunagakure’s guards surrounded Jin and Kakuzu, and Jin introduced himself as Kusagakure’s leader and asked them to notify their superiors.

Uchiha Jin and Kakuzu arrived in Sunagakure to discuss a deal, but Jin killed the shinobi who confronted them and warned Chiyo not to provoke him. Sunagakure’s leaders chose to seek a business agreement despite the danger, hoping to ease their financial troubles.

• A Sunagakure shinobi demanded gifts from Jin and Kakuzu, and Jin killed him and the other shinobi who attacked.
• Chiyo arrived and confronted Jin, but she backed down after weighing his strength and Kakuzu’s.
• Chiyo brought Jin and Kakuzu to Sunagakure and arranged for them to stay at an inn, where Jin noticed they were being watched.
• Kakuzu offered to eliminate the watchers, but Jin refused to escalate the conflict and said defeating Sunagakure would still be difficult.
• The Third Kazekage and Sunagakure’s elders discussed the deaths and chose to pursue closer ties with Kusagakure to address their dwindling funds.

Jin and Kakuzu negotiated a business deal with Sunagakure, but a sudden disturbance interrupted talks and revealed White Fang confronting Bunpuku. Jin recognized a power in Bunpuku that he had long feared, leaving the two to face off as Jin watched.

• Kakuzu argued with Sunagakure's representatives over profit shares while Jin ignored the negotiations.
• The Kazekage demanded that Jin answer for Sunagakure Ninja he had killed, and Jin showed evidence that they had provoked him.
• The Kazekage accused Jin of selling Sunagakure techniques, and Jin proposed settling the dispute by force before Kakuzu offered to fight instead.
• A powerful tremor interrupted the talks, and Chiyo tried to keep Jin and Kakuzu in the conference room.
• Jin and Kakuzu escaped to a sand wall and saw White Fang facing the One-Tails Jinchūriki, Bunpuku.
• Jin recognized a power in Bunpuku that he had always feared and watched the confrontation with grave concern.

Bunpuku and White Fang transformed into colossal Dharma Bodies and fought over the Puppet Secret Technique, devastating Sunagakure. As the battle continued, Kakuzu and Jin watched the village’s destruction and discussed the immense power of Third Layer Inner Cultivation.

• Bunpuku apologized to Shukaku and asked White Fang to leave, but White Fang insisted he had to obtain the Puppet Secret Technique for Konoha.
• Bunpuku and White Fang agreed they would fight for their villages and transformed into the Yellow Buddha and White War God Dharma Bodies.
• Jin explained to Kakuzu that the fighters used Natural Chakra through Basic Inner Cultivation and had not yet reached their full potential.
• The White War God and Yellow Buddha clashed, and their attacks sent buildings and debris flying through Sunagakure.
• The White War God wounded the Buddha, then drove it into the ground with a powerful strike as Kakuzu concluded Sunagakure was finished.

White Fang gained the upper hand against Bunpuku and shattered the Yellow Buddha, leaving the Third Kazekage unable to save Bunpuku. Just as White Fang’s blade was about to finish the fight, Chiyo threatened the lives of two captured Konoha comrades.

• After Sunagakure was destroyed, Sasori swore revenge on White Fang, and the Third Kazekage pulled him back from the battlefield.
• White Fang exploited Bunpuku’s lack of combat experience, cut the Yellow Buddha in half, and then severed all four of its arms.
• The Third Kazekage restrained White Fang long enough for Bunpuku to recover, but White Fang broke free and struck the Yellow Buddha with his Light Blade.
• The Yellow Buddha shattered, and Bunpuku fell as White Fang’s blade descended toward him.
• Chiyo appeared with ten white figures aiming weapons at two captured Konoha comrades, and White Fang stopped his blade.

White Fang accepted the Kazekage’s terms and left the Land of Wind with the two Konoha ninja he had been forced to abandon. With Sunagakure destroyed, the Kazekage and Chiyo turned to rebuilding, while Jin arrived to resume negotiations and proposed financing construction with a large loan.

• Chiyo and the Kazekage demanded that White Fang leave the Land of Wind for ten years, threatening the two captured Konoha ninja if he refused.
• White Fang accepted the terms, and the Kazekage planted iron sand inside the hostages as a three-month safeguard against his returning.
• White Fang rescued the two Konoha ninja and vanished, leaving Chiyo and the Kazekage to lament their defeat and resolve to rebuild Sunagakure.
• Jin and Kakuzu appeared beside the Kazekage and Chiyo, and Jin challenged them to try to kill him.
• The Kazekage postponed their deal because Sunagakure had lost its supplies, and Jin offered Wood Release construction and a large loan.

Jin forced Sunagakure to accept a high-interest loan secured by Shukaku, then used Wood Release to build its new village. Back in Kusagakure, he suspected the crisis had set in motion the mission that would kill White Fang and vowed to kill Sakumo Hatake himself.

• Jin presented the Kazekage and Chiyo with a construction loan charging thirty percent monthly interest and demanded Shukaku as collateral if they failed to repay.
• After Chiyo and the Kazekage objected, Jin pressured them into signing by pointing out that Sunagakure had no other source of funds.
• Jin used his Byakugan and Wood Release: Village Construction Technique to rapidly build Sunagakure's new village.
• When Jin began extracting Shukaku from Bunpuku, Chiyo promised Sunagakure would pay, and Jin stopped and left with Kakuzu.
• Back in Kusagakure, Jin wondered whether Sunagakure's crisis was the mission that would kill White Fang and swore that Sakumo Hatake would die by his hand.

Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi allowed White Fang’s reputation to be damaged after his failed mission in Sunagakure, while Jin prepared to leave Konoha. Jin planned to kill White Fang before departing, leaving the village’s future in his sights.

• Danzo learned White Fang’s mission had failed after he saved hostages, and ordered the two rescued ninjas to blame White Fang and then die.
• The two ninjas publicly blamed White Fang at Konoha Hospital before committing suicide, turning many villagers against him.
• White Fang heard people criticizing his decision while shopping with Kakashi, and led his son away without responding.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi chose not to stop the criticism, fearing White Fang might threaten his position as Hokage.
• Jin returned to his home, confirmed that people were discussing White Fang, and told his clone to prepare to leave Konoha after he killed White Fang.

Uchiha Jin examined the Uchiha stone tablet with Fugaku and named Uchiha Hachidai as his successor if Jin was no longer clan head. He spent the day with Minato Namikaze and Kushina, then ended the night by telling Minato he would kill him if they became enemies.

• Jin summoned Fugaku to Naka Shrine and learned that the stone tablet revealed the Uchiha’s history and methods for awakening the Mangekyo and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, but no ninjutsu.
• Jin told Fugaku that Uchiha Hachidai would inherit the clan head position if Jin was no longer there, and Fugaku promised to help Hachidai.
• Jin took Minato Namikaze and Kushina out for a day of fun, acting unusually cheerful while keeping his reasons to himself.
• That night, Jin asked Minato what he would do if they became enemies, and Minato said he would bring Jin back even if it cost his life.
• When Minato asked what Jin would do if Minato became his enemy, Jin said he would kill him.

Kakashi met Uchiha Jin at a training ground, where Jin overwhelmed him and took him captive to lure out his father, White Fang. White Fang found Jin’s message demanding a meeting at the Valley of the End and dismissed it as childish.

• Kakashi arrived at a secluded training ground and found Uchiha Jin practicing with a sword.
• Jin used Demonic Illusion: Heavenly Waterfall on Kakashi, then struck him with a wooden sword and challenged him to get past.
• Kakashi repeatedly tried to evade Jin but was beaten until he gave up.
• Jin tied up Kakashi and said he wanted to meet White Fang.
• White Fang returned home, found a letter saying Kakashi was in Jin’s hands and ordering him to come to the Valley of the End, then called the message childish.

At the Valley of the End, Jin confronted White Fang about years of dangerous tests and challenged him to a fight. White Fang proposed that Jin become Hokage if he lost, and their battle began with both refusing to back down.

• Kakashi escaped his bonds and tried to attack Jin, but Jin stopped his Kunai with a photograph of White Fang.
• White Fang arrived, and Jin announced that he was leaving Konoha.
• White Fang explained that he had watched Jin because he feared Jin’s ambition and wanted to change him, though he never intended for him to die.
• Jin rejected White Fang’s explanation and demanded that they settle things in a fight to the death.
• White Fang offered to give Jin’s life to Jin if Jin defeated him, but asked Jin to compete for Hokage if Jin lost.
• Jin and White Fang clashed swords at the Valley of the End.

Uchiha Jin and White Fang fought fiercely across the lake, matching each other with swordsmanship, ninjutsu, and taijutsu. After White Fang tried to persuade Jin that he could still be saved, the two paused at a distance as dark and pale forms began appearing behind them.

• Uchiha Jin struck White Fang with his demonic sword, sending him crashing into the lake while Kakashi and Kiyoshi Hyuga watched from Madara Uchiha's statue.
• White Fang told Jin that he had sensed Jin's reluctance to kill him and believed Jin could still be saved.
• Uchiha Jin attacked with Moon Breathing, but White Fang countered with Thunder Breathing and sent Jin flying back.
• Uchiha Jin used the Dark Dragon Technique and Moon Breathing against White Fang, who escaped the attacks and closed in again.
• Uchiha Jin and White Fang exchanged genjutsu, sword strikes, punches, and kicks before separating after a minute of fighting.
• Uchiha Jin and White Fang recognized that their physical combat was evenly matched, as darkness appeared behind Jin and a pale phantom emerged behind White Fang.

Uchiha Jin and White Fang escalated their duel from Zanjutsu to colossal armored forms, devastating the lake and surrounding forest. After their final clash, both constructs vanished, and Jin knelt with a shallow wound on his neck, roaring White Fang's name.

• Uchiha Jin and White Fang exchanged powerful Zanjutsu attacks that split the lake as Kakashi and Kiyoshi Hyuga watched.
• The two fighters summoned half-bodied giants and clashed with enormous blades, forcing Kakashi and Kiyoshi to retreat to a distant forest.
• Jin summoned the colossal Heavenly Demon, and White Fang enlarged his White War God and spread its wings to meet him.
• Their clash sent a tidal wave toward Kakashi and Kiyoshi, whom Kiyoshi protected with Revolving Heaven.
• The Heavenly Demon kicked the White War God through the forest, and the fighters charged for a final strike that destroyed the statues of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.
• The White War God and Heavenly Demon vanished, leaving White Fang standing and Jin kneeling with a shallow neck wound as he roared, "Sakumo Hatake!!!"

White Fang defeated Uchiha Jin at the Valley of the End, but Jin was enraged that White Fang had spared him and vowed there would be no rematch. As White Fang left with Kakashi, he explained why he wanted Jin to become Hokage, then asked what would happen if he were no longer there.

• White Fang defeated Uchiha Jin and told him to honor their wager by pursuing the Hokage position.
• Jin condemned White Fang for holding back, while Kiyoshi Hyuga stepped between them and Kakashi joined his father.
• White Fang left with Kakashi, who asked whether he had won; White Fang confirmed the victory and noticed his clan sword had been destroyed.
• Jin rejected Kiyoshi Hyuga's confidence that he would win next time and swore there would be no next time.
• White Fang told Kakashi that making Jin Hokage could bind him to Konoha, since Jin might otherwise destroy the village and was too powerful to restrain.
• Kakashi said White Fang was still in Konoha to stop Jin, but White Fang asked what would happen if he were no longer there.

Jin awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan after his battle with White Fang and resolved to compete for the Hokage position. Meanwhile, Kakashi returned home in the storm and found his father lying dead in a pool of blood.

• Jin discovered that his Mangekyo Sharingan had awakened and learned his Eight Generals God eyes could absorb Yang and Yin energy to repair his body and soul.
• Jin calculated that he could rebuild his chakra reserves, considered the possibility of awakening the Rinnegan, and vowed to compete for Hokage despite Hiruzen Sarutobi's opposition.
• Might Guy and Obito Uchiha argued over who would challenge Kakashi, but both ran home when Kakashi warned that rain was coming.
• Kakashi hurried home through the rain, entered his father's bedroom, and found his father's corpse on the floor beside a pool of blood.

After Sakumo Hatake’s suicide, Konoha’s leaders suppressed the news while Tsunade decided to leave the village with Shizune. Minato questioned Uchiha Jin about Sakumo’s death, and Jin hinted that the dead might be resurrected.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo ordered Konoha’s forces to conceal Sakumo Hatake’s suicide, fearing the news would weaken the village and invite war.
• Tsunade told Kushina she would leave Konoha with Shizune, worried that war would put Shizune in danger.
• Minato Namikaze visited Uchiha Jin and asked whether Jin had caused Sakumo’s death, but Jin denied it.
• Minato invited Jin to Sakumo’s funeral, but Jin refused, saying that death did not erase the past.
• Jin asked Minato what would happen if the dead could be resurrected, leading Minato to think of Tsunade’s research.

At White Fang’s funeral, Kakashi questioned whether a ninja should abandon a mission to save comrades, and Uchiha Jin explained that White Fang died after the village betrayed and blamed him. Jin left Kakashi with a harsh account of his father’s choices, while Kakashi remained at the grave in the rain.

• Konoha held White Fang’s funeral in secret, and Kakashi and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before his grave as the ninja mourners left.
• Hiruzen offered Kakashi condolences and privately blamed himself for failing to stop the rumors that had driven White Fang to death.
• Kakashi stayed at the grave in the rain and asked Uchiha Jin whether protecting comrades justified abandoning a mission.
• Jin comforted Kakashi awkwardly, then said White Fang had died because the village betrayed him and his trusted comrades blamed his principles.
• Jin accused White Fang of choosing death as a foolish and arrogant form of resistance, leaving Kakashi staring blankly at him.