Recaps

After Chiyue and Orochimaru trigger the Eight-Tails’ rampage, Chiyue returns to Konoha and clashes with the Hokage over another dangerous assignment. His threatened retirement exposes conflict among the village’s leaders and draws support from his friends, while Tsunade prepares to return to Konoha.

• Orochimaru’s medicine loosened the Eight-Tails’ seal and unleashed it on Kumogakure, where the Third Raikage fought it until both collapsed, and Chiyue and Orochimaru escaped with the broken horn.
• Sunagakure assassinated the Land of Rivers’ daimyo and officials, while Chiyue returned to Konoha and learned that Nawaki had been injured by an Explosive Tag.
• Chiyue planned a mission through the Land of Rain and the Land of Iron for his students, while Danzo’s failed attempt to negotiate with Hanzō left Konoha seeking another representative.
• Chiyue refused the Third Hokage’s mission to negotiate with Hanzō, accused the village of targeting him, and declared that he would retire.
• Chiyue’s retirement news spread through Konoha, and Orochimaru and Jiraiya confronted the Third Hokage over his treatment of Chiyue and the failed Hanzō negotiations.
• The Third Hokage stripped Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura of their authority and ordered Root merged into the Anbu, while Chiyue submitted a retirement application that remained unapproved.
• Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, Minato, and Nawaki supported Chiyue, while Minato warned that Chiyue might leave Konoha if the village continued targeting him.
• Tsunade learned that Chiyue was preparing to retire, decided to return to Konoha, and the Third Hokage sent Orochimaru and Jiraiya back to the front lines after one day of rest.

Chiyue helped Tsunade gain control of Konoha’s Logistics Department while they confronted the village leadership over his retirement and the Uchiha. Later, Chiyue, Minato, and Nawaki escorted merchant ships, killed Suikazan Fuguki, and sent his corpse and evidence back to Konoha, where Danzo took an interest.

• Chiyue revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan to Tsunade and warned that Konoha’s attempts to control him could drive him to oppose the village, so Tsunade confronted the Third Hokage over his retirement and the leadership’s treatment of its shinobi.
• Tsunade took control of the Logistics Department after bargaining with the Third Hokage, then used her authority to reform its personnel while the Second Shinobi World War ended with Sunagakure’s surrender.
• Chiyue and Tsunade attended Uchiha Fugaku’s wedding, where Chiyue advised Fugaku to deal with Uchiha who would not respect him and warned that Danzo wanted the Sharingan.
• Chiyue, Minato, and Nawaki left on a mission to protect merchant ships from attackers near the Land of Water, and Chiyue assigned himself to confront Suikazan Fuguki when the enemy appeared in the fog.
• Chiyue trapped Fuguki in a Genjutsu and killed him with the Raijin Sword, while Minato defeated Fuguki’s subordinates and the pair recovered Samehada and evidence of stolen goods.
• Chiyue warned the merchants and the outpost at the Ruins of the Land of Eddies away from the dangerous route, then showed Minato how Samehada absorbed Chakra as Minato discussed seeking a Tailed Beast’s power.
• Jiraiya opened Minato’s scroll in a restaurant, revealing Fuguki’s corpse, and the Third Hokage ordered the Interrogation Department to extract intelligence from it as Danzo came to see him.

After Chiyue seized Samehada, Konoha and Kirigakure clashed over its return and Hatake Sakumo’s intelligence mission, bringing both villages close to war. Konoha appointed Orochimaru to lead its coastal force, while Chiyue Squad remained behind as Tsunade guarded the Logistics Department.

• Chiyue refused to return Samehada, and Kirigakure’s negotiations with Konoha failed to resolve the dispute.
• Danzo enlisted Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura in an effort to undermine Hatake Sakumo, then sent him to gather intelligence in Kirigakure.
• Hatake Sakumo attacked the Third Mizukage during their encounter in the restroom, escaped Kirigakure, and returned to Konoha.
• Konoha called Sakumo’s mission intelligence-gathering, but Kirigakure rejected the explanation and threatened war unless Konoha handed him over.
• At Konoha’s war meeting, Sakumo volunteered for the border force, but the Third Hokage kept him in the village and chose Orochimaru to lead instead.
• Orochimaru selected a force to guard the coastline without Chiyue Squad, while Tsunade stayed to oversee the Logistics Department.

As Konoha struggled against Kirigakure’s naval blockade, Chiyue led an aggressive campaign across the island chain with Jiraiya and Minato. Orochimaru then sent Chiyue and Minato on a more dangerous mission to infiltrate Kirigakure itself, with Minato tasked with their escape.

• Orochimaru and Jiraiya led Konoha’s forces to the Land of Eddies as Kirigakure declared war, while Orochimaru prepared to compete with Danzo for the Fourth Hokage position.
• Chiyue joined the third batch of reinforcements, confronted Uchiha Fugaku about his leadership, and reached the coastal camp with Minato and Nawaki.
• Orochimaru assigned Chiyue Squad and Jiraiya’s jonin to break Kirigakure’s island blockade, and Chiyue proposed using Minato’s Flying Thunder God markers to raid and retreat between islands.
• Jiraiya accepted Chiyue’s plan, and Chiyue destroyed a Kirigakure fortress with Lightning Burst as the squad began clearing the enemy’s island bases.
• Yagura faced criticism from Kirigakure’s commanders over his strategy, then ordered the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to cut Konoha’s supply lines.
• After Jiraiya’s team cleared seven islands, Orochimaru ordered them to withdraw, and Minato evacuated the groups while Chiyue and Jiraiya covered their retreat.
• Orochimaru revealed that Chiyue and Minato would infiltrate Kirigakure, with Chiyue causing destruction and Minato handling their escape, and Chiyue promised Jiraiya he would bring Minato back safely.