Chapter Summaries

While Kushina trained to control the Nine-Tails’ power, she lost control in her Four-Tails state, and Shinichi used Flying Thunder God to help Jiraiya seal the rampage. The chapter left Shinichi reassessing the limits of Shisui’s Sharingan Genjutsu against a fast-moving Tailed Beast.

• Hana arranged for Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji to spend their weekends together at the Hyuga Clan’s home, drawing Minato’s approval and Hiruzen Sarutobi’s political attention.
• Kushina’s attempt to use Four-Tails power overwhelmed her with hatred and rage, transforming her into a small Nine-Tails and putting Yamato in danger.
• Shinichi teleported Yamato away from Kushina’s claw and then used Flying Thunder God to place Jiraiya above her.
• Jiraiya stuck a Sealing Tag to Kushina’s forehead, causing the Eight Trigrams Seal to suppress the Tailed Beast Chakra and return her to normal.
• Kushina recovered and worried that she had endangered everyone, while Jiraiya reassured her and praised Shinichi’s Flying Thunder God.
• Shinichi learned that Shisui had not used Sharingan Genjutsu because Kushina was too fast to meet his gaze, and Shisui asked Shinichi to assist him if it happened again.

After Kushina’s Tailed Beast training goes awry, she takes Shinichi and the others to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode. Meanwhile, Minato learns Orochimaru has been conducting human experiments and informs Hiruzen and the elders, setting a political trap as Hiruzen orders Orochimaru summoned back to the village.

• Jiraiya halts Kushina’s Tailed Beast training and recommends Sage Mode training at Mount Myōboku.
• Kushina persuades Shinichi to accompany her by promising more Sealing Jutsu lessons and a technique from Tsunade, and Jiraiya brings the group to Mount Myōboku.
• Minato receives an Anbu report linking Orochimaru to a laboratory where Konoha and Mist Ninja were used in human experiments, and tells the Anbu to inform Hiruzen.
• Hiruzen reads the report, becomes furious, and orders Minato to summon Orochimaru back to the village.
• Jiraiya leaves Mount Myōboku, while Minato spreads the laboratory information among Hiruzen and the elders to narrow down who might leak it to Orochimaru.

After Orochimaru defected, Minato reshaped Konoha’s leadership and rebuilt the Anbu while the wars ended and the village began recovering. At Mount Myōboku, Shinichi trained with Kushina and steadily grew stronger as several years passed.

• Hiruzen sent Anbu to seal Orochimaru’s laboratory and ordered Orochimaru back to Konoha, but Orochimaru disappeared and defected before he could be captured.
• Minato concealed Orochimaru’s defection from the Front Line troops, stabilized the forces, and issued a wanted order while secretly keeping Danzo under scrutiny.
• Jiraiya learned that Orochimaru had defected and left to find his old friend, after informing Minato about Kushina’s training progress.
• The Mist Ninja conflict eased and the Cloud Ninja withdrew their border forces, allowing Konoha to end its wars and begin rebuilding.
• Minato promoted returning ninja and formed a new Anbu with Kakashi and elites from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans, giving the Uchiha a new path to serve.
• Kushina focused on Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku, where Shinichi became her sparring partner, mastered the fifth Inner Gate, and continued growing stronger over several years.

After Kushina completed her Sage Mode training, she and her companions left Mount Myōboku and returned to Konoha. Minato promoted Shinichi, Shisui, and Yamato to Jonin and invited Shinichi to join the Anbu, but Shinichi postponed his decision to consult his family.

• Kushina finished mastering Sage Mode, while Shinichi and Shisui packed their belongings to leave Mount Myōboku.
• Shinichi sent their packages to the Hyuga Clan with the Flying Thunder God Technique, and the group said farewell to Sage Fukasaku and Sage Shima before departing.
• Kushina reunited with Minato in the Hokage's office, and Minato thanked Shinichi, Shisui, and Yamato for supporting her training.
• Minato announced that Shinichi, Shisui, and Yamato would be promoted to Jonin and revealed that Shinichi had led the classified recovery of the Byakugan.
• Minato invited Shinichi to join the Anbu, but Shinichi said he needed to discuss the decision with his family.

After returning to the Hyuga Clan, Shinichi reunited with Hanabi, Mio, and Hana and learned that Hiashi was away handling clan affairs. Hana told Shinichi to begin helping with the family’s responsibilities and visit his great-grandfather Shin Hyuga.

• Shinichi returned home using the Flying Thunder God and caught Hanabi and her vase when she stumbled into him.
• Hanabi told Shinichi she had been bringing fresh flowers to his room, and he carried her to meet their mother.
• Mio greeted Shinichi after recognizing him and welcomed him home.
• Shinichi reunited with Hana, who explained that Hiashi was away inspecting the clan’s losses and maintaining its business ties.
• Hana said Shinichi should start sharing the clan’s responsibilities and visit Shin Hyuga, and Shinichi agreed to help his great-grandfather.

Shinichi returned to the Hyuga Clan and consulted his Great-Grandfather, Shin, about the Fourth Hokage’s offer to join a new Anbu. Shin advised him to stay focused on the clan and assigned him to investigate an attack on one of its Bounty Exchanges, whose description led Shinichi to suspect Akatsuki.

• Shinichi visited his mother and Hanabi, then went to the ancestral hall to see Shin Hyuga.
• Shinichi told Shin that the Fourth Hokage had invited him to join a new Anbu and asked for advice.
• Shin supported Shinichi’s decision not to accept immediately and urged him to serve the Hyuga Clan instead.
• Shin told Shinichi that a black-cloaked attacker with red clouds had robbed the clan’s Southern Bounty Exchange and gave him the investigation dossier.
• Shinichi suspected the attacker belonged to Akatsuki and asked whether there had been only one; Shin confirmed that the information indicated a lone assailant.

Shinichi took charge of the Hyuga Clan’s Bounty Exchanges and deduced that Kakuzu had been attacking them, setting bait and distributing Flying Thunder God Kunai. After more than two months of training Neji and Hinata while waiting, Shinichi received a message and teleported away from the training grounds.

• Shinichi concluded that the Hyuga Clan should use bait to draw out the attacker and distribute his Flying Thunder God Kunai to its Bounty Exchanges.
• Shin Hyuga made Shinichi responsible for the exchanges and sent him their records, staffing information, and reports of the attacks.
• Shinichi identified Kakuzu as the likely attacker and inferred that he had crossed into the Rain Country, so he waited for him to strike again.
• Over the next two months, Shinichi learned to manage the exchanges and trained Neji and Hinata, moving their sparring sessions to the village training grounds after Hinata damaged the courtyard.
• A ninja hawk delivered a message during training, and Shinichi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave immediately.

Shinichi Hyuga investigated the attack on a Hyuga Clan Bounty Exchange and pursued the Akatsuki duo Kakuzu and Sasori. He caught up to them in the forest, where Sasori sent a puppet to attack and Shinichi launched a Flying Thunder God kunai at Kakuzu.

• Shinichi used Flying Thunder God to reach the attacked Bounty Exchange and found its guards dead and its safe emptied.
• Kojihinata Tachi told Shinichi that two men, a Takigakure rogue ninja and a masked, hunchbacked dwarf, had attacked and fled east.
• Shinichi identified the pair as Kakuzu and Sasori, decided to pursue them, and ordered nearby Hyuga Clan Bounty Exchanges to evacuate.
• Shinichi tracked the pair through the forest and caught them as evening approached.
• Sasori sent a puppet at Shinichi, who teleported away from its blade and hurled a Flying Thunder God kunai toward Kakuzu.

Shinichi Hyuga used the Sixth Gate to overwhelm Kakuzu and Sasori, but Sasori escaped destruction by transferring his heart into the Third Kazekage Human Puppet and summoning his Hundred Puppets. As Shinichi fought through the puppet army, Kakuzu and Sasori identified his Byakugan and prepared to claim his heart and body.

• Shinichi used his Sixth Gate speed to escape Kakuzu's monsters and strike Sasori's Hiruko puppet, targeting Sasori's hidden heart.
• Shinichi used Kaiten to repel Hiruko's poisoned iron tail, then smashed Hiruko and the Scorpion Puppet with a powerful punch.
• Sasori detached his heart, transferred it into the Third Kazekage Human Puppet, and summoned the Hundred Puppets Performance.
• Kakuzu joined Sasori, and the two agreed to capture Shinichi for his Lightning-affinity heart and body.
• Shinichi fought through the poisoned puppets, countering attacks from his blind spot with his Byakugan.
• Kakuzu recognized Shinichi's eyes as the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan, and Sasori grew intent on adding a Hyuga ninja to his collection.

Shinichi Hyuga defeated Sasori and drove Kakuzu to flee after the two Akatsuki members failed to overcome his Six Gates and Byakugan. As Shinichi prepared to pursue Kakuzu, White Spores emerged from Sasori’s corpse and attacked him.

• Sasori and Kakuzu coordinated attacks against Shinichi, but he evaded their techniques and used Kaiten to deflect Sasori’s Iron Sand needles.
• Shinichi broke Kakuzu’s underground ambush with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, then used Flying Thunder God to appear beside Sasori and pierce his heart.
• Sasori died, causing his puppets to collapse, and Kakuzu decided to retreat rather than fight Shinichi alone.
• Kakuzu used Smoke Bombs to cover his escape, but Shinichi’s thrown Kunai struck and disabled the Earth Grudge Fear monsters guarding him.
• Kakuzu fled into the forest, and White Spores erupted from Sasori’s corpse and lunged at Shinichi as he tried to pursue.

Shinichi Hyuga eliminated the White Zetsus with a Mini Tailed Beast Bomb after Kakuzu escaped, then returned to the Bounty Exchange and proposed protective Safe Houses. He reported the attack to Shin Hyuga, who urged him to place the Caged Bird Seal on Hinata, but Shinichi said that matter was already decided.

• Shinichi Hyuga destroyed the White Zetsus with a Mini Tailed Beast Bomb and confirmed they were gone, but the blast also reduced Sasori's corpse and puppets to ash.
• Shinichi Hyuga abandoned his pursuit of Kakuzu and used Flying Thunder God to return to the Bounty Exchange, where he told Kojihinata Tachi that one attacker had escaped.
• Shinichi Hyuga left a Flying Thunder God Kunai and planned a barrier-protected Safe House for the Bounty Exchange staff.
• Minato Namikaze and Kushina sensed Shinichi Hyuga's Chakra explosion but chose not to go to the battlefield.
• Shinichi Hyuga told Shin Hyuga that he had killed Sasori but Kakuzu had escaped, and recommended Safe Houses for every Bounty Exchange.
• Shin Hyuga agreed with the Safe House plan, warned that the attackers might retaliate, and urged Shinichi Hyuga to place the Caged Bird Seal on Hinata; Shinichi said the matter had already been decided.

Shinichi learned that Hinata had become exceptionally diligent and powerful, then told his family about killing Sasori and warned Hiashi that Akatsuki would cause trouble. The next morning, he took Hinata to the Ninja Academy, where she proudly introduced him to Iruka as her real brother.

• Shin Hyuga raised the possibility of branding Hinata with the Caged Bird Seal, prompting Shinichi to wonder how she had changed and how she got along with her peers.
• Shinichi found that Hinata and Neji had continued training late at the grounds, then welcomed them home with Hana.
• At dinner, Shinichi told Hiashi, Hinata, and Neji that he had killed Sasori and explained the rogue ninja’s connection to the Third Kazekage’s disappearance.
• Shinichi rejected Hiashi’s offer to publicize his achievement and planned instead to report Akatsuki’s threat to the Fourth Hokage.
• Shinichi took Hinata to the Ninja Academy the next morning, where she introduced him to Iruka as her real brother.

Shinichi Hyuga told Minato about his fight with Kakuzu and Sasori, linking them to the group behind Kushina's attack and revealing their interest in the Bounty Exchange. Minato asked Shinichi to lead an investigation, and Shinichi agreed while choosing a team to join him.

• Shinichi saw Hinata into the Ninja Academy, then went to the Hokage Building to meet Minato.
• Shinichi told Minato that he had killed Sasori and that Kakuzu had escaped, and described the pair's red-cloud robes and a white creature that obstructed his pursuit.
• Shinichi connected the attackers to the group behind Kushina's attack and said they had targeted cash at the Bounty Exchange; he also revealed that Sasori had killed the Third Kazekage and turned him into a Human Puppet.
• Minato asked the Hyuga Clan to lead an investigation into the organization, and Shinichi accepted on the condition that he receive teammates with complementary skills.
• Shinichi requested Shisui Uchiha, Might Guy, and Kakashi Hatake, and Minato agreed to assign them to Shinichi's team under his authority as an Anbu Squad Leader.

Shinichi Hyuga accepted the Fourth Hokage’s appointment as Anbu Squad Leader to investigate the Mysterious Organization and protect the Hyuga Clan’s businesses with the village’s resources. While his squad’s deployment was delayed, he spent time with his family, ending the chapter napping beside Hanabi.

• Shinichi explained to Hyuga Hiashi that he had accepted the appointment willingly, and Hiashi supported him while warning him to be cautious on missions.
• Shinichi considered the dangers posed by Akatsuki and planned to target its members one by one before confronting Nagato and Konan.
• Hinata, Hanabi, and the rest of the household learned Shinichi would leave on a secret mission, and Hinata quietly sulked at dinner.
• Minato delayed the squad’s departure until Shinichi and Shisui’s promised month of leave ended, while Anbu investigators found the battlefield where Shinichi fought Sasori and Kakuzu but lost the enemy’s trail.
• Shinichi spent his free time with Hanabi, reading while she played, and the two eventually fell asleep beside each other.

Shinichi gathered Shisui, Kakashi, and Might Guy to plan an investigation into the criminal organization, using attacks on Bounty Exchanges to identify the Rain Country as their likely starting point. The team left Konoha in disguise, while Shinichi’s family worried about his dangerous mission.

• Shinichi met Shisui, Kakashi, and Might Guy at the Hyuga Clan Compound and explained what they knew about the organization and its members.
• Shinichi dismissed the Anbu’s speculative escape routes and proposed tracing the organization through its attacks on Bounty Exchanges.
• Shinichi showed records indicating that the first reported attack had occurred in the Rain Country, and the team chose to investigate there while traveling disguised as merchants.
• Shinichi told Hinata to train hard before he left, and she hid her worry behind a blunt warning not to die.
• Hiashi and Hana watched Shinichi depart and argued over how dangerous his mission was.
• Shinichi met his companions at Konoha’s gates, and the group left the village together.

Shinichi Hyuga steered his team away from the Land of Rain and toward the Hot Water Country after linking Jiraiya’s whereabouts to a possible lead on Orochimaru and Akatsuki. The chapter ended with Shinichi finding the injured Jiraiya relaxing at a hot spring inn.

• Shinichi slowed the investigation team’s progress through the Land of Fire while Kakashi and Shisui gathered intelligence in towns and underground establishments.
• In Rock Town, Shinichi proposed that Orochimaru might have joined Akatsuki and that finding Jiraiya could lead them to Orochimaru.
• Shisui confirmed that the writer who had skipped out on a brothel bill was Jiraiya and learned his last known location was the Hot Water Country.
• Shinichi rejected Kakashi’s plan to investigate the nearby Land of Rain first and redirected the team toward the safer Hot Water Country.
• After nearly half a month of travel, Shinichi and his team reached a hot spring inn and found Jiraiya recovering from a deep sword wound.

Shinichi Hyuga questioned Jiraiya about his injuries and learned that Orochimaru had defeated him two months earlier. After connecting Orochimaru to the mysterious organization Shinichi’s team was investigating, Jiraiya agreed to guide them to Orochimaru’s base after they rested.

• Shinichi noticed Jiraiya’s old wounds and asked whether Orochimaru had caused them.
• Jiraiya revealed that he had tracked Orochimaru to a secret base in Grass Country, fought him, and lost.
• Shinichi described the organization’s red-cloud robes and its members, leading Jiraiya to recognize Orochimaru’s clothing and suspect he had joined it.
• Jiraiya disclosed that Orochimaru was likely connected to the organization and explained that he had not seen him since their fight.
• Shinichi asked Jiraiya to take the team to Orochimaru, and Jiraiya agreed to lead them after they rested for two days.

Shinichi led Jiraiya and the others through Grass Country to locate Orochimaru’s underground base, while making clear that he preferred capturing or cooperating with Orochimaru over killing him. When a trap summoned a poisonous three-headed serpent to guard the entrance, Jiraiya defeated it with powerful Earth and Fire Release techniques, leaving the group poised to approach the base.

• Jiraiya asked Shinichi what he planned to do about Orochimaru, and Shinichi said he would try to capture him or cooperate with him if necessary.
• As the group crossed Grass Country in the rain, Shinichi used his Byakugan to discover Orochimaru’s underground palace and spot Orochimaru studying a scroll inside.
• Jiraiya led the group toward a concealed entrance, but explosive tags detonated beneath Might Guy and summoned a poisonous three-headed giant snake.
• Kakashi used Wind Release: Breakthrough to clear the poison mist from Guy, while the group retreated from the serpent’s attacks.
• Shinichi stopped Guy from opening the Eight Inner Gates and urged Jiraiya to handle the guardian.
• Jiraiya trapped the serpent in a vast Swamp of the Underworld, then burned it away with Fire Release: Flame Dragon Flame Bullet.

Jiraiya and his allies confronted Orochimaru outside the Underground Palace, where Kimimaro fought Kakashi and Might Guy with his bone Kekkei Genkai. Orochimaru began summoning with Impure World Reincarnation, leaving Jiraiya facing an unknown threat.

• Jiraiya defeated Orochimaru's Three-Headed Serpent with Fire Release, and Orochimaru emerged from the Underground Palace with Kabuto and Kimimaro.
• Jiraiya questioned Orochimaru about his Akatsuki robes, and Orochimaru admitted he had joined Akatsuki while introducing Kabuto and Kimimaro as his subordinates.
• Kimimaro attacked Jiraiya with bone weapons, and Kakashi and Might Guy stepped in to fight him.
• Might Guy struck Kimimaro with Leaf Great Whirlwind, but Kimimaro's Earth Cursed Seal strengthened him and his bone spikes wounded Guy's cheek.
• Orochimaru praised Jiraiya's allies, performed hand seals, and invoked Impure World Reincarnation.

Orochimaru summoned the First and Second Hokage with Impure World Reincarnation to hold off Jiraiya and his allies. Shinichi studied the imperfect technique and blasted Hashirama apart with Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags, leaving him temporarily unable to fight.

• Orochimaru summoned Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju from two coffins, and Jiraiya recognized the First and Second Hokage.
• Orochimaru drove talisman-bearing Kunai into the Hokage, strengthening his control as Tobirama attacked Jiraiya's group with Water Release.
• Hashirama unleashed Wood Release, splitting the battlefield, while Tobirama engaged Kakashi and Orochimaru attacked Jiraiya.
• Hashirama suddenly attacked Shinichi, who evaded with the Flying Thunder God and triggered Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
• The explosion tore Hashirama's body apart, temporarily preventing him from moving while Impure World Reincarnation began restoring him.