Chapter Summaries

Hikari met with Kazahana Koyuki, who asked for his help improving the impoverished Land of Snow. He proposed building a tourism industry and using her fame to promote the country, leaving them with a potential plan but no mention of whether she accepted it.

• Hikari visited Kazahana Koyuki in her chambers and tried to flatter her about the Land of Snow, but she rejected his praise as nonsense.
• Kazahana Koyuki told Hikari she had come to care about the suffering people of the Land of Snow and asked him to help them.
• Hikari initially refused, claiming he was only an ordinary Hidden Leaf Village Chunin and that even the Hokage could not help an entire country.
• Hikari suggested establishing tourism as a pillar industry and promoting the Land of Snow’s scenery and attractions.
• Hikari proposed that Kazahana Koyuki use her fame to make a movie set in the Land of Snow and hire writers to publicize its geography, customs, and people.

Hikari discussed promoting the Land of Snow’s economy with Queen Kazahana Koyuki, then laid out a plan to develop snow cattle farming through international investment and trade. The chapter ended with Shikamaru recognizing that the plan could attract merchants and help the country develop.

• Kazahana Koyuki asked Hikari to help promote the Land of Snow, and he agreed to discuss his fee after learning Ino had revealed his writing identity.
• Hikari returned to dinner with Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji, where they discussed the costs and potential profits of raising snow cattle.
• Hikari reframed snow cattle farming as a national development project, noting that the Land of Snow’s ordinary people were poor and the country lacked startup funds.
• Hikari proposed inviting the Daimyo and nobles of major countries to invest, while the Hidden Leaf and other ninja villages could handle long-term cargo escort missions.
• Shikamaru concluded that investment and frequent trade could attract merchants and help commerce in the Land of Snow take shape.

Hikari and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio left the Land of Snow, while Tsunade, Onoki, and Ay prepared to settle their dispute in battle. The chapter ended with the three Kage agreeing to fight.

• Kazahana Koyuki watched Hikari and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio depart from the Land of Snow and warned them about tensions involving the Hidden Leaf Village, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure.
• On the boat, Hikari dismissed the idea of becoming Koyuki’s royal consort and hurried off to his room, leaving Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji wondering why he had rushed away.
• At the border between the Land of the Falls and the Land of Grass, Tsunade, Onoki, and Ay met as their villages’ ninja stood ready nearby.
• Tsunade and Ay argued over how to describe responsibility for the conflict, while Onoki felt ignored by both of them.
• Tsunade and Ay agreed to fight first and discuss matters afterward.

Tsunade fought the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki, then revealed Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence and forced them to retreat. As the Hidden Leaf shinobi celebrated, Kakashi and Nara Shikahisa worried that Tsunade’s disappearance meant she was wary of Ōnoki’s Dust Release.

• Tsunade traded attacks with the Fourth Raikage, healed her injuries with Hundred Healings Jutsu, and dodged Ōnoki’s Dust Release.
• Ōnoki urged Tsunade to concede, but the Raikage challenged her to reveal her trump card.
• Tsunade used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, sending trees across the battlefield after the Raikage and Ōnoki.
• The Raikage retreated over a thousand meters, while Ōnoki escaped the wooden branches with Dust Release.
• The Hidden Leaf shinobi celebrated Tsunade’s Wood Release, but Kakashi and Nara Shikahisa questioned why she had disappeared.

Tsunade used Wood Release to overwhelm Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage, forcing them into the air after Ōnoki severed her Wood Golem. The chapter ended with nine Wood Dragons encircling the two while Ōnoki’s Chakra ran low.

• Tsunade summoned a Wood Golem, prompting Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage to join forces against her.
• Ōnoki used Dust Release to cut the Wood Golem in half, and Tsunade summoned Wood Dragons to catch herself and attack the Raikage.
• The Wood Dragon bound the Fourth Raikage and absorbed much of his Chakra, but Ōnoki rescued him with a rock.
• Ōnoki called down to Tsunade, claiming the Raikage wanted a face-to-face duel, but she did not answer.
• Tsunade sent nine Wood Dragons to encircle Ōnoki and the Fourth Raikage as Ōnoki struggled to use Dust Release again.

Tsunade defeated A the Raikage and Ōnoki with Sage Art Wood Release and forced them to concede. She took the two Kage to the Hidden Leaf Village camp to rest and discuss compensation and negotiations.

• Tsunade used Wood Release to seize A the Raikage and attack Ōnoki as he tried to flee.
• Tsunade summoned True Several Thousand Hands, and Ōnoki exhausted himself using Dust Release against the Buddha statue.
• A the Raikage conceded defeat after Tsunade's Wood Release endured Ōnoki's attack and captured both Kage.
• Tsunade said she wanted to settle things peacefully and brought A the Raikage and Ōnoki to the Hidden Leaf Village camp.
• The Kumogakure and Iwagakure ninja stopped fighting as A the Raikage and Ōnoki told them to return to their forces.

Darui and Kurotsuchi worried over the captured Raikage and Tsuchikage, but found the two leaders safe and content in the Hidden Leaf camp. Ōnoki’s words and Shikaku’s reaction left Kurotsuchi wondering whether Tsunade was recovering or deliberately keeping the Kage waiting.

• Shikaku reassured Darui and Kurotsuchi that the Raikage and Tsuchikage were safe, then a Chunin reported that the two leaders planned to stay for a few more days.
• Darui and Kurotsuchi threatened the Chunin, but Kakashi warned them not to attack Hidden Leaf ninja.
• Shikaku led Darui and Kurotsuchi to A the Raikage and Ōnoki, whom they found relaxing in the sun.
• Kurotsuchi told Ōnoki that Iwagakure was worried and that some villagers wanted him dead so they could choose a new Tsuchikage.
• Ōnoki said he and A were enjoying their stay and would wait for Tsunade, prompting Kurotsuchi to suspect that Tsunade might be recovering or deliberately delaying them.
• Shikaku left the Kage unattended, and Darui and Kurotsuchi were stunned by his apparent lack of concern.

Ōnoki and A the Raikage struggled against Tsunade’s Wood Release, prompting Ōnoki to destroy her giant pollen-spreading tree with Dust Release. As Tsunade weakened, a mysterious spiritual entity within her took control and offered to help her master Wood Release.

• Ōnoki and A the Raikage fought off Tsunade’s wooden dragons while searching for her real body.
• Tsunade transformed the intertwined dragon trunks into a giant flowering tree that scattered dangerous pollen.
• Ōnoki used Dust Release: Limit Separation Technique to erase the giant tree.
• Tsunade coughed blood and felt a warning from the light between her brows, but insisted she had to defeat the Raikage and Tsuchikage.
• A mysterious spiritual entity revealed itself to Tsunade, joked about spying on her, then said it would use its power to help her control Wood Release.

Ōnoki and the Raikage accepted that they had to remain at the Hidden Leaf Village camp until negotiations, while Kurotsuchi and Darui returned to their villages. Tsunade confronted the lingering Hikari inside her body, who remained after the battle and continued to provoke her.

• Ōnoki explained to Kurotsuchi that he and the Raikage stayed because they could not return after losing to Tsunade, while the Hyuga monitored them.
• Ōnoki sent Kurotsuchi back to manage Iwagakure, and the Raikage dismissed Darui.
• Ōnoki and the Raikage discussed their successors, agreeing that Kurotsuchi and Darui needed further training to become Kage.
• Tsunade asked the Tsunade in her mirror why Hikari had not disappeared after the battle, and he teased her about sharing her body.
• Tsunade smashed the mirror in anger and cursed Hikari for leaving part of his spirit inside her.

Hikari returned to the Hidden Leaf Village camp with Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, where Shikaku tasked him with getting Tsunade out of her tent. He found Tsunade angry and confused about the spiritual mark he had placed on her, and explained that her Sage Mode mark had shattered after she overused it.

• Hikari and the three children arrived at the camp and identified themselves to the guards.
• Shikaku welcomed Hikari back, then brought him to Tsunade’s tent and offered an A-Rank mission if he could get her to come out.
• Tsunade greeted Hikari with shifting delight and anger, then questioned him about the spiritual mark on her body.
• Hikari explained in his thoughts that he had given Tsunade a Sage Mode support mark and activated her Wood Release genes.
• Tsunade said she had lost control of Sage Mode after fighting A the Raikage and Ōnoki, and Hikari said she had overused it and shattered the mark.
• Tsunade touched the spot between her brows and found the mark gone, while Hikari wondered whether his spiritual mark was still there.

Tsunade asked Hikari how to handle the captured A the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki, hoping to ransom them while keeping half the money. Hikari and Kakashi shifted the blame for eavesdropping onto Shikaku, who accepted responsibility and asked Tsunade to visit the prisoners.

• Tsunade confirmed that Hikari's Sage Mark had vanished, then asked him what to do with A the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki.
• Hikari suggested demanding ransom from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, and Tsunade considered splitting the money with the village.
• Tsunade and Hikari settled on Shikaku as the person to voice the ransom demand, but Tsunade knocked Hikari out of the tent when he refused to help.
• Hikari found Kakashi and Shikaku outside and persuaded Kakashi to pin the eavesdropping charge on Shikaku.
• Shikaku accepted responsibility and asked Hikari to have Tsunade visit A the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki, and Hikari agreed on her behalf.

Tsunade visited the captured Ōnoki and A the Raikage, who were being held comfortably in the Hidden Leaf Village, and told them negotiations with their villages would begin the next day. The two leaders realized they would have to bargain over their release and hoped to limit their losses.

• Shikaku dragged Kakashi away from Tsunade, and Kakashi reluctantly went along after Shikaku teased him about his interests.
• Tsunade confronted Hikari, who apologized after she touched his kidney, then took him to visit Ōnoki and A the Raikage.
• Hikari and Tsunade found Ōnoki and A the Raikage relaxing in the courtyard without seals restricting them.
• Ōnoki and A the Raikage discussed their accommodations with Tsunade, who joked about arranging wind or thunder for them.
• A the Raikage asked Tsunade what she planned to do with them, and she said negotiations with their villages would start the next day.
• Ōnoki accepted that Iwagakure would have to pay a ransom and asked Tsunade to show mercy, while Tsunade left the details to Shikaku.

Kurotsuchi and Darui negotiated with Shikaku and Hikari over the ransom for Ōnoki and the Raikage, while the Hidden Leaf demanded an enormous payment. Hikari proposed a combined price of five hundred million, and Darui urged the parties to accept it.

• Shikaku and Hikari demanded one billion and two million for the two Kage, explaining that the extra two million covered their guest services.
• Kurotsuchi offered one hundred million, and Darui raised the offer to two hundred million, but Shikaku rejected both.
• Kurotsuchi asked Shikaku to name a figure, and he reduced the demand to nine hundred million.
• Darui countered with three hundred million per village and argued that the Raikage's black-market bounty made Shikaku's seven-hundred-million price unreasonable.
• Hikari proposed five hundred million for both Kage, and Shikaku pretended to accuse him of accepting a bribe.
• Darui intervened and urged the Hidden Leaf to accept Hikari's five-hundred-million price.

Shikaku secured Kumogakure and Iwagakure's agreement to pay for their captured leaders, while Obito infiltrated the Land of Snow's palace and questioned Kazahana Koyuki about Hikari. The chapter left Koyuki under Obito's genjutsu as he intensified his questioning.

• Shikaku agreed with Darui on a ransom of five hundred million, split between resources and cash, plus two million in expenses, and Darui accepted the terms.
• Kurotsuchi also agreed to return and prepare payment and resources for Iwagakure after Shikaku refused to lower the price.
• Hikari left Shikaku to continue handling the negotiations, and they agreed that the hostages would ensure the villages paid.
• Obito and White Zetsu found Kazahana Koyuki in the Land of Snow's palace as she worked to restore her impoverished country.
• Obito controlled Kazahana Koyuki with his Sharingan and asked about Hikari and the person who defeated Kakuzu, but she did not answer.

Kazahana Koyuki’s mysterious spiritual imprint warned Obito that its true owner was in the Hidden Leaf Village, prompting him to go there. Hikari learned Obito was coming and prepared to return home, while Tsunade discovered Hikari’s bizarre thoughts about Asuma.

• Kazahana Koyuki’s spiritual imprint recognized Obito, revealed that its owner was in the Hidden Leaf Village, and told him to remove White Zetsu before seeking them out.
• Obito concluded that the mysterious person belonged to one of the Hidden Leaf Village’s Kamizuki families and decided to visit the village.
• Hikari learned through his connection to the imprint that Obito was coming, and Tsunade offered him permission to return to the village with Shikamaru and the other two.
• Tsunade asked Hikari about Asuma, then heard his thoughts about Yakumo making Asuma mate with a female monkey and reacted in shock.

After Kakuzu's death, Pain gathered the Akatsuki and introduced Hidan to the group, then heard Zetsu's report about Tsunade's newfound power. Pain ordered the organization to continue its Tailed Beast mission and sent Zetsu to find Kakuzu's ring.

• Pain asked the Akatsuki members about Kakuzu's death, while Hidan mocked the organization and argued with Sasori and Deidara.
• Pain pinned Hidan to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path with black rods after Hidan insulted him.
• Zetsu warned Pain that Tsunade had awakened Wood Release and possessed Sage Mode, and had defeated the Fourth Raikage and Ōnoki.
• Konan urged the Akatsuki to leave Konoha for last, but Pain declared that no one could stand in his way and ordered the mission to continue.
• Pain told Zetsu to search for Kakuzu's ring, while Black Zetsu privately mocked Pain.

Mei Terumi and Kirigakure's leaders assessed reports that Tsunade had used Wood Release to defeat powerful opponents. Mei decided Kirigakure should restore diplomatic relations with the Hidden Leaf Village and arrange a personal visit.

• The Anbu Captain confirmed that Tsunade had suppressed Onoki and Ay and that investigators found Wood Release creations filling a crater caused by Dust Release.
• Genji urged Kirigakure to seek friendship with the Hidden Leaf Village, warning that it could not be opposed by force.
• Ao questioned whether Mei could contend with Tsunade, but Genji compared Mei's strength with the First and Second Mizukage and explained how far Hashirama Senju had surpassed the other Kage.
• Mei ordered Ao to send the Hidden Leaf Village a letter proposing restored diplomatic relations and said she would visit if the response was favorable.

Hikari and Kakashi returned to the Hidden Leaf Village and reported their mission, while Shizune and Kakashi spent time working together. Hikari then met Yakumo, who summoned him to Kurenai's house, as he prepared for Obito's impending arrival.

• Hikari returned to the Hidden Leaf Village with Kakashi and the Ino-Shika-Cho children, then went with Kakashi to report their mission.
• Hikari and Kakashi met Hyuga Hiashi outside the Hokage's Office, and Shizune explained that Hiashi had been helping her manage the village's work.
• Hikari submitted his mission report, while Kakashi told Shizune that Tsunade had defeated Ōnoki and Ay and concluded negotiations with their villages.
• Hikari left the office so Shizune and Kakashi could talk, and Kakashi offered to help her with her workload.
• Yakumo used a genjutsu image clone to invite Hikari to Kurenai's house, and Hikari sent a shadow clone toward Brother Izumo's house before heading there himself.
• Hikari considered the trouble Obito could cause when he came to the Hidden Leaf Village and resolved to handle him carefully.

Yakumo Kurama reassured Hikari that she wanted Kurenai Yuhi's sincere affection rather than a relationship created by genjutsu, then flirted with him while he gave her a massage. The chapter ended with Hikari sealing his hearing to resist her teasing.

• Yakumo Kurama stayed home with Kurenai Yuhi, who offered to take her shopping, and asked her to buy dango instead.
• After Kurenai Yuhi left, Hikari confronted Yakumo about deceiving her with genjutsu, and Yakumo insisted she was not controlling Kurenai's feelings.
• Yakumo explained that genjutsu could not provide the sincere affection she wanted and teased Hikari about falling in love with him.
• Hikari began massaging Yakumo with skincare oil and Yang Release Chakra while she flirted with him.
• Hikari sealed his hearing to resist Yakumo's teasing, and Yakumo continued enjoying the massage.

Hikari told Yakumo that Obito was coming to the Hidden Leaf Village and asked her to use genjutsu to control him. Yakumo demonstrated an ability that could deceive even the environment, leaving Hikari impressed and wary.

• Kurenai brought Yakumo dango, then left to check on Team 8’s training.
• Yakumo asked Hikari to dry her hair while she ate dango, and he told her that someone from the Akatsuki was coming to the village after he killed one on a mission in the Land of Snow.
• Yakumo realized Hikari wanted her to try controlling the enemy with genjutsu, though she warned she could not guarantee success.
• Yakumo used genjutsu to make the water on her hair believe it had evaporated, and Hikari recognized how powerful her ability was.