Chapter Summaries

Yahiko and Nagato investigated why Iwa had reduced its Healing Tag orders, learning that Kumogakure might have a competing source. At the training ground, Itachi demonstrated Kagetsu’s Fire Release: Red Fire Cannon and discovered that it absorbed Natural Energy after release.

• Yahiko reviewed intelligence showing that Iwa’s Healing Tag orders had decreased, and Nagato said Iwa had found another source, possibly technology stolen from Konoha and held by Kumogakure.
• Yahiko agreed that Nagato should investigate the potential competitor because Amegakure still depended on the profits from Healing Tags.
• Shisui brought Itachi to Kagetsu so the boy could demonstrate the Fire Release ninjutsu he had recently mastered.
• Itachi fired Red Fire Cannon, which expanded and destroyed its target in a powerful explosion.
• Itachi told Kagetsu that the technique seemed to absorb another kind of power after release, and Kagetsu confirmed it was Natural Energy, making the ninjutsu an incomplete Sage Art.

Kagetsu explained that Itachi’s new Fire Release technique was meant to help him sense Natural Energy and promised to teach him its advanced applications when he mastered it. Kagetsu then led reinforcements back to the front lines, where he left Itachi with Tsunade and revealed that he had strengthened his own soul while planning to improve a soul-related Forbidden Technique.

• Kagetsu told Itachi that mastering the technique meant freely mixing Natural Energy into it and reassured him that there was no need to rush.
• Kagetsu warned Itachi and Shisui that they would soon return to the front lines because Iwa’s movements had changed and Orochimaru had requested reinforcements.
• Kagetsu led the young reinforcements through battles with Mist Village and Iwa ninja so the newly graduated Genin could gain combat experience before reaching the front lines.
• Tsunade complained when Kagetsu arrived, and Kagetsu left Itachi in her care before vanishing with Shisui and Anko.
• Orochimaru sensed that Kagetsu’s soul had changed, and Kagetsu admitted that he had strengthened it while preparing to improve a soul-related Forbidden Technique from the Book of Seals.

Kagetsu revealed his plan to create a conscious, independent clone using a body cultivated from the God Tree and the First Hokage’s tissue, while Orochimaru called him and Shisui to help bring the war with Iwa to an end. As the decisive battle began, Shisui confronted Roshi on the battlefield.

• Tsunade objected to Kagetsu splitting his soul, but agreed to help after he explained the clone project and its connection to reviving Nawaki and her lover.
• Kagetsu said the project required a body as powerful as the First Hokage’s and proposed cultivating one from the God Tree and the First Hokage’s tissue.
• Orochimaru postponed the clone project and told Kagetsu and Shisui he needed their strength to end the war with Iwa.
• Orochimaru assigned Namikaze Minato to destroy Kannabi Bridge while he held back Iwa’s forces.
• The decisive battle erupted, with Orochimaru engaging Ōnoki and Tsunade supporting Konoha’s ninja with her Slugs.
• Roshi attacked Konoha’s ranks with Lava Release, but Shisui’s arrows forced him to defend himself and Shisui struck him at close range.

Shisui used his Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo to confront Roshi, while Ōnoki recognized the threat of another Uchiha with Mangekyō. Shisui then spread a powerful genjutsu across the battlefield, leaving Roshi watching Iwa shinobi attack one another.

• Roshi searched for Nara Kagetsu to avenge Han, and Shisui challenged him with an arrow.
• Roshi charged Shisui, but Shisui's Susanoo blocked his magma-coated punch.
• The Four Tails warned Roshi about Shisui's eyes, and its chakra drove the genjutsu from Roshi's consciousness.
• Ōnoki recognized Shisui's Susanoo and worried that Konoha had produced another Mangekyō user.
• Tsunade attacked Ōnoki, but Kitsuchi shielded him with a Rock Giant.
• Shisui infused his Susanoo with Hogyoku Power, spreading genjutsu that made Iwa shinobi attack one another.

Roshi fought Shisui while Iwa shinobi attacked one another under Genjutsu, believing his Lava Release had badly wounded Shisui and freed them. Shisui then revealed that Roshi had been trapped in Genjutsu since seeing his Mangekyo, which could sever Roshi's connection to the Four Tails.

• Shisui stopped Roshi from interfering with the Iwa shinobi and kept their fighting under Genjutsu.
• Roshi used Lava Release Chakra Mode and struck Shisui's Susanoo, then unleashed Flower Fruit Mountain across the battlefield.
• Roshi believed he had defeated Shisui when the Iwa shinobi regained their senses and the Genjutsu appeared to end.
• Shisui shot Roshi from behind, and Roshi saw the unharmed Uchiha standing away from the Susanoo that had supposedly sunk into the lava.
• The Four Tails told Roshi that Shisui's Mangekyo had trapped him in Genjutsu and made it difficult to reach Roshi or disrupt his Chakra.

Roshi and the Four Tails fought Shisui after Shisui’s Genjutsu made Roshi believe his attacks had devastated Iwa’s forces. The Four Tails unleashed its full power, but Shisui’s Susanoo defeated and pinned it, revealing that Shisui’s Mangekyo power could distort opponents’ senses through attacks and movements.

• Roshi realized he could not safely fight Shisui with his eyes open, so he trusted the Four Tails to share its senses with him.
• The Four Tails expanded into its full form and unleashed Scorching River Great Eruption, devastating a wide section of the battlefield.
• Shisui summoned Susanoo and countered the Four Tails’ Tailed Beast Ball with Yasaka Beads.
• The Four Tails struck Susanoo, but Shisui evaded its follow-up and wounded it with Susanoo’s twin blades.
• Shisui pinned the Four Tails to the ground, and the beast realized that Shisui’s arrows and blades had carried the Genjutsu that deceived its senses.
• Shisui reflected that Kagetsu’s power had transformed his Mangekyo ability from long-term mind control into Genjutsu that could activate through attacks, weapons, movements, or sounds.

Shisui defeated Roshi and the Four Tails, while Orochimaru and Tsunade fought Ōnoki and Kitsuchi. Kagetsu arrived to help, and the chapter ended as he intercepted Ōnoki’s Dust Release with his strange blade.

• Shisui disrupted the Four Tails’ connection to Roshi, defeated the beast, and captured Roshi.
• Orochimaru and Tsunade forced Ōnoki and Kitsuchi to retreat, but Ōnoki flew toward Shisui as Orochimaru and Tsunade pursued them.
• Ōnoki and Kitsuchi exchanged blows with Tsunade, whose injuries rapidly healed beneath a Chakra cloak.
• Iwa Jonin joined Ōnoki as Shisui and Kagetsu arrived, and Tsunade questioned Kagetsu’s decision to enter the battle.
• Ōnoki fired Dust Release at Orochimaru, but Kagetsu rushed in and swung his strange long blade toward the attack.

Kagetsu used a mysterious sword to split Ōnoki’s Dust Release, then attacked the Iwa forces with powerful Fire Release techniques. Ōnoki and Kitsuchi faced a badly depleted force as Kagetsu’s assault left only a handful of Iwa ninja standing.

• Kagetsu’s sword split Ōnoki’s Dust Release into three streams, astonishing Ōnoki, Kitsuchi, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
• Ōnoki assessed Iwa’s losses and, after Kitsuchi asked whether they should retreat, prepared another Dust Release attack.
• Ōnoki unleashed a building-sized Detachment of the Primitive World Technique, and Orochimaru, Tsunade, Shisui, and Kagetsu dodged it.
• Kagetsu fired a Red Fire Cannon that shattered an Iwa Jonin’s Earth Flow Wall.
• Kagetsu and his shadow clones launched five Multiple Red Fire Cannons, piercing Iwa’s layered walls and blasting most of the remaining Iwa ninja off their feet.
• Kitsuchi shielded Ōnoki from the flying rubble, while Orochimaru recognized that Kagetsu’s technique used Natural Energy to enhance its power.

Ōnoki ordered a retreat as Orochimaru, Tsunade, and their allies pressed the Iwa forces, and the two sides clashed as the Iwa shinobi escaped. Ōnoki and Kitsuchi got away, while Orochimaru expected that Namikaze Minato’s attack on Kannabi Bridge could force Iwa to consider Peace Talks.

• Ōnoki ordered a retreat and used Earth Clones and Healing Tags to help the wounded Iwa shinobi withdraw with Kitsuchi.
• Kitsuchi raised the terrain with Earth Movement Core, but Orochimaru split the ground with Earth Flow Divide and exposed the retreating Iwa group.
• Iwa shinobi fired Rock Iron Cannons, and Kagetsu’s shadows destroyed the projectiles with Multiple Red Fire Cannon.
• Kitsuchi hurled a massive boulder at Orochimaru’s group, and Shisui’s Susanoo split it before firing arrows at Ōnoki and the others.
• Ōnoki used Dust Release to block Shisui’s attacks and escaped into the sky with Kitsuchi and the Iwa shinobi.
• Orochimaru told his allies not to pursue Ōnoki and reasoned that Namikaze Minato’s destruction of Kannabi Bridge and the Iwa supplies could lead Ōnoki toward Peace Talks.

After Iwagakure proposed peace talks, Hiruzen Sarutobi weighed the village’s war-weakened position against Ōnoki’s demands and new intelligence that Kumogakure might reenter the war. He sent Mitokado Homura to negotiate, authorizing the return of the two captured Jinchuriki only in exchange for compensation.

• Ōnoki sought peace talks after Namikaze Minato destroyed Iwagakure’s supplies at Kannabi Bridge and the war’s losses made victory seem unattainable.
• Utatane Koharu, Shimura Danzō, and Mitokado Homura argued over Iwagakure’s demands for compensation and the return of its two Jinchuriki.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed intelligence that Kumogakure might rejoin the war and had traded with Earth Country for Healing Tags.
• Hiruzen decided to negotiate with Iwagakure and assigned Mitokado Homura to represent Konoha, allowing the Jinchuriki’s return only for negotiated compensation.

Orochimaru and Kagetsu discussed the return of Iwa’s captured Jinchuriki while Tsunade worked on cloning research and a treatment plan for shinobi who had lost limbs. Tsunade considered making Orochimaru Hokage so he would approve funding for her plans.

• Orochimaru told Kagetsu that the Third had agreed to peace talks and that the Tailed Beast Jinchuriki would return to Iwa.
• Kagetsu said he had researched the Tailed Beasts’ bloodlines and bodies, while Orochimaru lamented that the Jinchuriki had not been killed.
• Tsunade rebuked Orochimaru for wanting to weaken Iwa and continued preparing a healthy clone for the Resurrection Ritual.
• Tsunade developed a plan to clone replacement limbs and organs for injured shinobi, then combine the technology with Medical Ninjutsu.
• Tsunade suggested Orochimaru become Hokage after World War III so he could approve funding for her research.

Kazekage Rasa refused Kumogakure's offer to join the war against Konoha, deciding Sunagakure could not risk another conflict. He sent Baki to escort the envoy away and warn Konoha, while the chapter ended with a masked man fighting the Eight-Tails in Kumogakure.

• Rasa rejected Dodai's proposal for Sunagakure to join Kumogakure's war against Konoha because his village lacked the strength to fight again.
• Baki questioned Rasa's refusal, and Rasa explained that Sunagakure could not afford the risks of war and that Konoha still had powerful shinobi in reserve.
• Rasa ordered Baki to escort Dodai beyond Wind Country and then inform the Hokage that Kumogakure might enter the war.
• In Kumogakure, a masked muscular man used lightning-fast attacks against the Eight-Tails and brought his leg down toward its head.

A defeated the Eight-Tails in a punishing spar, then urged Killer B to undergo Hollowfication so he could grow stronger. The chapter ended with A’s explanation of how Cloud Shinobi had developed the technique and the Waterfall of Truth could help users reconcile with the mask’s power.

• The Eight-Tails wrapped itself in its tails and spun up a devastating storm, astonishing Yugito and Mabui as they watched.
• A summoned a thunder dragon from the storm clouds and struck the Eight-Tails with a pillar of lightning.
• The Eight-Tails surrendered, and A shattered the mask before helping Killer B to his feet.
• A scolded Killer B for being slack, while B complained that A had improved too quickly.
• A urged Killer B to undergo Hollowfication and explained how Cloud Shinobi had developed the technique to control the mask’s power.

Killer B warned A that Hollowfication was especially dangerous for Jinchuriki, while A received news that Sunagakure had refused an alliance and Iwa was beginning peace talks with Konoha. Yugito persuaded A to let her train in Hollowfication so she could face Nara Kagetsu and reclaim the Two-Tails' power he had stolen.

• Killer B told A that Jinchuriki could not safely control Hollowfication until they became Perfect Jinchuriki, but promised to work toward it if A wanted.
• Mabui reported that the Kazekage had rejected an alliance against Konoha and that Iwa and Konoha had begun peace talks.
• Yugito asked A to let her learn Hollowfication because she wanted to confront Nara Kagetsu and take back the Two-Tails' power he had stolen.
• A warned Yugito that Hollowfication training carried grave risks for a Jinchuriki, then assigned her to train with Killer B.

Itachi returned to the village with Orochimaru and learned from Fugaku that opposition to Hiruzen’s wartime decisions and peace terms had made his position precarious. In Root, Danzo investigated Orochimaru’s Hogyoku and considered how to obtain its power if Orochimaru became Fourth Hokage.

• Itachi noticed the sorrow beneath the villagers’ cheers as he and Orochimaru returned to the village.
• Itachi asked Fugaku why the village was eager to choose a Fourth Hokage, and Fugaku explained that ninja and Land of Fire nobles opposed Hiruzen’s wartime decisions and concessions to Iwa.
• Fugaku told Itachi to focus on studying and training with Kagetsu, then assessed Itachi’s Active Static Blood Armor and Red Fire Cannon.
• Danzo asked Aburame Ryoma whether the Hogyoku was real and learned that Orochimaru had used it to strengthen ninja under his command.
• Danzo rejected stealing the Hogyoku and said Root had a better method if Orochimaru became Fourth Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Orochimaru much of the Hokage's authority and secrets, telling him he would become the Fourth Hokage if nothing unexpected happened. Orochimaru accepted the prospect while discussing Root's history and future, and Hiruzen watched him leave, wary of the forces behind him disrupting Konoha.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Orochimaru that he planned to make him the Fourth Hokage after returning from the Land of Fire Daimyo.
• Orochimaru asked about Minato, and Hiruzen explained why he had chosen Orochimaru over the more widely trusted candidate.
• Hiruzen recounted how he and Danzo had created Root to take control of the Anbu, and how Root later grew beyond his control.
• Orochimaru said he would tolerate Danzo and Root as long as they did not cross his bottom line, while Hiruzen advised him to address Root after the war.
• After Orochimaru left, Hiruzen worried that the forces behind him could destabilize Konoha during a period of military weakness.

Orochimaru’s selection as Fourth Hokage was welcomed by the village, while the Uchiha celebrated the prospect of improved relations and greater access to power. Fugaku revealed Orochimaru’s reforms and gave the clan its new assignment: monitor Root and Shimura Danzō.

• Jiraiya and Orochimaru discussed Minato’s disappointment and his future role as a Hokage advisor at a gathering with Tsunade.
• Uchiha clansmen celebrated Orochimaru’s selection and speculated about the clan’s future, including Itachi’s prospects.
• Fugaku said Orochimaru would open the Uchiha Military Police Force and important village departments to other clans and Uchiha ninja.
• Fugaku announced that Orochimaru had tasked the Uchiha with keeping a close eye on Root and Shimura Danzō.
• The Uchiha responded to the assignment with excitement and activated their Sharingan.

After completing the Hokage succession, Orochimaru consolidated his authority through personnel changes and curbed Shimura Danzō and Root, while Namikaze Minato reflected on why Orochimaru could take control so quickly. Orochimaru assigned a Wind Country mission to hunt the rogue shinobi Mukade to Kagetsu, leaving the mission ready to begin.

• Orochimaru completed the Hokage handover, then began replacing personnel and preparing to remove Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu from power.
• Nara Shikaku replaced Nara Shikaji as Hokage's assistant and became head of the Jonin Corps, while Uchiha shinobi kept Shimura Danzō and Root under surveillance.
• Shimura Danzō confronted Orochimaru in the Hokage's Office, but Orochimaru asserted his authority, and Uchiha Fugaku escorted Danzō out.
• Orochimaru appointed Fugaku as assistant to Tsunade, who had agreed to serve as an advisor and help him displace the conservative faction.
• Namikaze Minato considered how Orochimaru's allies and clan support enabled him to seize power more swiftly than Minato could have.
• Orochimaru reviewed a Wind Country mission to pursue the rogue shinobi Mukade and assigned it to Kagetsu with a team.

Kagetsu, Itachi, Asuma, and Baki reached Rōran to search for the rogue ninja Mukade and discovered signs of an unknown energy within the city. They secretly entered through the ground, passing through an invisible barrier that only Kagetsu and Itachi noticed.

• Kagetsu and Baki waited out a sandstorm and discussed their mission to find Mukade in Rōran.
• Kagetsu, Itachi, Asuma, and Baki reached Rōran and saw that its walls and buildings seemed far more prosperous than the intelligence reports had described.
• Kagetsu sensed a powerful energy in Rōran, and Itachi identified it as unusually active Natural Energy.
• Baki proposed that he and Kagetsu infiltrate Rōran while others stayed behind or carried word to their villages, but Kagetsu brought Itachi and Asuma inside as well.
• The four entered using Earth Release Ninjutsu and passed through an invisible barrier, which Kagetsu and Itachi alone noticed.

Kagetsu and his team entered Rōran, where they encountered an extensive sensory barrier and Mukade’s regenerative Clay Puppets. After escaping into the shadows, Kagetsu confronted Baki about the information he had withheld, and the chapter ended with him demanding an explanation in a hidden drainage channel.

• Baki and the others were astonished by Rōran’s advanced buildings and defenses as they entered the country.
• Kagetsu noticed approaching Clay Puppets, and Itachi identified the barrier protecting the area.
• Itachi and Asuma fought the puppets while Baki warned that they could regenerate unless the Puppet Master was found.
• Kagetsu pulled Itachi and Asuma into a building’s shadow, and the group escaped the puppets by traveling through the shadows.
• Mukade watched the team on screens and considered taking Kagetsu’s body to improve his Puppet Secret Manual.
• Kagetsu led the group to a drainage channel and demanded that Baki reveal what he knew about the mission.