Chapter Summaries

Hada Kazune declined to choose among Konoha’s proposed aid plans, instead trusting Konoha to decide how best to help Kusagakure. After receiving a brief message by dove, Watanabe Kensei asked Kazune for the alliance agreement, leaving the meeting’s next step unclear.

• Watanabe Kensei presented three plans for Konoha to assist Kusagakure and urged Hada Kazune to choose quickly.
• Hada Kazune pushed the scrolls back and said Kusagakure would accept any plan, trusting Konoha to decide.
• Hada Ichiba understood that Kazune’s answer gave Konoha discretion while showing Kusagakure’s confidence and resolve.
• A white dove delivered a message to Watanabe Kensei, whose expression turned grave after he read it.
• Watanabe Kensei asked Hada Kazune to give him the alliance agreement.

Hada Kazune and Hada Ichiba learned that Konoha had revised the alliance treaty to officially recognize Kusagakure as an ally, removing Konoha’s three-day withdrawal clause. Hada Ichiba then raised a separate concern and asked Kazune to show Konoha Kusagakure’s surrounding routes and terrain, saying he had a better plan.

• Watanabe Kensei burned a message from Konoha and reviewed Kusagakure’s alliance treaty.
• Watanabe Kensei revised the treaty, and Hada Kazune discovered that Konoha had removed its three-day withdrawal clause and formally recognized the alliance.
• Hada Kazune and Watanabe Kensei exchanged bows of thanks and apology over Konoha’s concessions.
• Hada Ichiba said there was a problem, then asked Hada Kazune to draw out Kusagakure’s major routes and surrounding terrain.
• Hada Ichiba told Hada Kazune and Watanabe Kensei that he had a better plan.

Watanabe Kensei reviewed Hada Ichiba’s strategy for defending Kusagakure and was struck by how closely its quality and style resembled Taki Chiba’s. The plan would use ambushes along enemy routes to turn defense into offense, leaving Kensei increasingly suspicious that Ichiba was connected to Chiba.

• Watanabe Kensei recalled receiving a fresh letter from Taki Chiba, which convinced him that Hada Ichiba and Chiba were separate people despite their strikingly similar strategic style.
• Hada Kazune showed Kensei Kusagakure’s military map and key positions after Ichiba proposed a new strategy.
• Hada Ichiba argued that the great shinobi villages would attack Kusagakure with small elite teams to prevent other small villages from rallying behind Konoha.
• Ichiba predicted that enemy forces would arrive separately, with Iwagakure and possibly Sunagakure first, followed later by Kirigakure and Kumogakure.
• Kensei concluded that Ichiba’s ambush plan surpassed Konoha’s three proposals and recognized it as resembling Taki Chiba’s strategic style.

Watanabe Kensei sent Watanabe Kensei’s strategic plan to Lord Chiba and the Third Hokage while considering the risks Hada Ichiba could pose if Kusagakure ever became Konoha’s enemy. At the Kusagakure guesthouse, Hada Kazune questioned Ichiba about sharing the plan and began asking him something personal before a white pigeon interrupted them.

• Watanabe Kensei sent a scroll to Lord Chiba and another to the Third Hokage.
• Watanabe Kensei considered Hada Ichiba’s strategic and political abilities, but left the potential danger to Lord Chiba and the Third Hokage to handle.
• Hada Kazune asked Hada Ichiba why he had given Watanabe Kensei two copies of the strategic plan, and Ichiba replied that Watanabe Kensei’s eyes had asked for them.
• Hada Kazune questioned whether Ichiba had revealed the strategy too soon, and Ichiba assured her it would benefit Kusagakure so long as it did not betray Konoha.
• Hada Ichiba sincerely thanked Hada Kazune, who began asking him a serious question before a white pigeon landed on her shoulder and interrupted them.

Hada Ichiba and Hada Kazune received Konoha’s notice that the Chunin Exam preliminaries had ended, then sent Kusagakure’s ambush strategy to Yu Ze. Kazune pressed Ichiba to explain his relationship with Chiba, while Orochimaru’s agent ordered a Sound shinobi to pressure Sasuke during the final exam, only for an unseen speaker to warn him that he would die if he obeyed.

• Hada Kazune received Konoha’s notice listing the Genin who passed the Chunin Exam preliminaries, including Hada Ichiba, Hada Anna, and Hada Ryuhiko.
• Hada Ichiba reflected on Konoha’s alliance with Kusagakure and suspected the Third Hokage intended to reshape the Shinobi World under Konoha’s influence.
• Hada Kazune sent the strategic map to Yu Ze through a summoned mole-like ninja beast so Kusagakure could prepare for the coming crisis.
• Hada Kazune asked Hada Ichiba what his relationship with Chiba was, and Ichiba grew solemn as he prepared to answer.
• Orochimaru’s white-haired agent ordered a Sound shinobi to pressure Sasuke during the official third test so Orochimaru could develop his Cursed Seal.
• The Sound shinobi welcomed the chance to target Sasuke, but an unseen voice warned him that obeying the order would get him killed.

Dosu met the shadowy lord who had secretly guided and protected him, but chose to follow Kabuto Yakushi’s orders despite the warning about Second Pillar. Their cooperation ended, and the lord explained that he liked Dosu’s nature because he would have become like him if he had grown up in Dosu’s circumstances and never met her.

• Dosu recognized the shadowy lord’s warning and apologized for questioning him.
• The lord praised Dosu’s willingness to do anything to survive and gain strength, while warning him not to get involved in the matter between Orochimaru and Second Pillar.
• Dosu insisted he would follow Kabuto Yakushi’s orders, confident that his hidden abilities and plans would help him survive.
• The lord accepted Dosu’s decision and declared their cooperation over.
• Dosu asked why the lord liked his nature, and the lord said he would have become like Dosu if he had been born in the same place and had not met her.

Dosu's mysterious lord warned him to flee if he encountered Gaara, then let him go, while the Third Hokage reviewed Konoha's security and approved Hada Ichiba's strategy for Kusagakure. The Hokage mistook Hada Ichiba for a trusted disciple of Chiba and endorsed the plan as a way to strengthen Konoha's position.

• Dosu dismissed his lord's claim that he had once been like him as an attempt to offer comfort and promised to keep the lord's existence secret.
• Dosu's lord warned him to run if he encountered Gaara, and Dosu left to check on Zaku despite doubting the warning.
• After Dosu departed, his lord said Dosu's survival or death could help support a deduction and chose to let events unfold.
• An Anbu Ninja reported that Konoha had seen no unusual activity but that Orochimaru remained missing, and the Third Hokage confirmed that Chiba had begun taking over coordination of the departments.
• The Third Hokage read Watanabe Kensei's report on Hada Ichiba's strategy, concluded that Hada Ichiba was likely Chiba's disciple, and stamped his approval on the plan.

Hada Ichiba explained his connection to Taki Chiba, easing Kazune’s suspicions, and began to understand why Chiba had sent him to Kusagakure. Kazune affirmed that Ichiba remained a friend of the Hada Clan, and they agreed to announce the Konoha alliance before dinner.

• Hada Ichiba told Kazune how he had come to know Taki Chiba, and Kazune asked why Chiba had never mentioned their relationship.
• Ichiba admitted he did not know Chiba’s reason, then suspected Chiba had placed him with the Hada Clan to protect and support them.
• Kazune accepted Ichiba’s explanation and chose to trust Chiba despite her earlier doubts.
• Kazune asked Ichiba when Kusagakure should announce its alliance with Konoha, and Ichiba said she should not ask him as a village representative.
• Kazune told Ichiba that the Hada Clan still regarded him as a friend, and they agreed to announce the alliance before dinner.

Hada Kazune returned to the Kusagakure group and announced that the Chunin Exam preliminaries had ended and the third test would begin in a month. She placed a scroll on the table to deliver her second piece of important news, leaving the group waiting to hear what it was.

• While Hada Kazune and Hada Ichiba were away, the Kusagakure Genin speculated that Kazuha had caused trouble and that Konoha's hidden sentries meant Kusagakure was in danger.
• Hada Kazune returned and frightened the group after overhearing their complaint that she had failed to think things through.
• Hada Kazune let Hada Anna continue playing with the suspended Hada Ryuhiko before turning to address the group.
• Hada Kazune announced that the preliminaries had ended and that the official third test would begin in one month.
• The Kusagakure Genin discussed why the exam had a month-long break, and Hada Kazune placed a scroll on the table to announce her second piece of news.

He Yin revealed a written alliance treaty between Kusagakure and Konoha, stunning the Kusagakure shinobi as they read its terms. Meanwhile, Baki told Sunagakure’s team that Konoha had postponed the exam by a month, leaving him to reconsider a plan that now seemed to be under threat.

• He Yin announced that Kusagakure had a written alliance treaty with Konoha, and Hada Ichiba confirmed it was real.
• The Kusagakure shinobi reached for the treaty and were stunned when they read its first line.
• Baki told Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara that Konoha had postponed the exam by a month and instructed them to behave cautiously.
• Gaara left for his room, while Temari and Kankuro followed Baki’s orders and went to rest.
• After his subordinates left, Baki considered how Konoha’s delay and improved support for Kusagakure could undermine Sunagakure’s plan.

Baki weighed Konoha’s month-long delay and decided Sunagakure could not abandon the Konoha Crush Plan, while recognizing that the delay might be a trap designed to expose hostile forces. Elsewhere, Dosu waited with Kin beside the injured Zaku and struggled with his unwanted concern for him.

• Baki concluded that Sunagakure could withdraw without immediate consequences, but its fear of Konoha’s future strength made retreat unacceptable.
• Baki realized Orochimaru’s plan to disperse Sunagakure’s forces along the Land of Fire’s border would let them remain hidden during the delay, and he recognized that Konoha might be using the postponement to expose its enemies.
• Baki suspected Konoha would strictly monitor communications and left to find Orochimaru’s help in sending orders to the scattered squads.
• Dosu returned to the Sound Village guesthouse, where Kin told him Zaku was temporarily stable and that Orochimaru had arranged for a medical ninja.
• Dosu worried that Kabuto Yakushi might be coming for more than Zaku’s treatment, then tried to dismiss his concern and think about Gaara instead.
• Dosu failed to stop wondering why he could not calmly watch Zaku die.

Dosu realized he truly regarded Zaku and Kin as companions and grew determined to save Zaku from a danger he suspected involved Kabuto Yakushi. He and Kin began to discuss how to respond, but an unexpected knock interrupted them.

• Dosu recognized that his concern for Zaku came from seeing him as a companion, not from needing him for a mission.
• Dosu asked Kin what she thought of Kabuto Yakushi and Zaku, then tested whether she would risk herself to save Zaku.
• Kin inferred that Dosu suspected Kabuto Yakushi intended to harm Zaku and asked what he wanted her to do.
• Dosu began explaining his plan to Kin, but a sudden knock at the door startled them both.

Dosu and Kin feared Kabuto Yakushi had overheard their plans, but a message from Konoha instead announced that the third test was delayed by a month. Dosu realized the delay might make Orochimaru keep the injured Zaku alive, just as a medical ninja arrived.

• Dosu opened the door and found a Konoha message scroll instead of Kabuto Yakushi.
• Dosu and Kin learned that the third test had been delayed by one month.
• Dosu reasoned that Konoha’s delay meant Orochimaru would avoid killing Zaku and risking an investigation.
• Dosu told Kin that Zaku could be saved, then a medical ninja knocked at the door.

Hada Kazune explained that Kusagakure’s alliance with Konoha came with a month-long delay before conflict, but the village still faced difficult choices about defending itself and intercepting enemy forces. Meanwhile, two unidentified figures arrived atop Hokage Rock and considered what to do next.

• Kusagakure’s officials confirmed that Konoha’s alliance treaty and its generous terms were genuine, though they questioned the reason behind them.
• Hada Kazune explained that Kusagakure had one month before the conflict and might need to intercept forces from the major shinobi villages, despite its limited strength.
• Hada Kazune said she had asked Kusagakure’s leader to decide how to handle the village’s defenses and the risks of the plan.
• Hada Kazune told the assembled Kusagakure shinobi to enjoy themselves for the month and avoid causing trouble.
• Two unidentified figures appeared atop Hokage Rock, looked out over Konoha, and one asked what they should do next.

Two black-clad men investigated Konoha and learned that Orochimaru was active there, with Uchiha Nobuhiko likely helping him. The chief decided to go to the Hokage building while his companion went into hiding at a contact point.

• The chief and his companion discussed why they had hurried to Konoha and whether the village could be trusted.
• A tightly wrapped ninja reported the Chunin Exams’ results, the one-month delay, and traces of Orochimaru in Konoha.
• The chief concluded that Uchiha Nobuhiko was likely aiding Orochimaru and that the Chunin Exams could become a major conflict.
• The chief inferred that Orochimaru and Nobuhiko might seek revenge against Konoha and decided to go to the Hokage building.
• The chief sent his companion to hide at Konoha’s contact point, and the two departed in different directions.

The Third Hokage read Chiba’s warning that delaying the Chunin Exams might fail to expose Konoha’s enemies, but decided the month-long postponement could still buy the village time and should not be reversed. He approved Kusagakure’s proposal, then met a wary young man in a black robe who had entered the Hokage’s Office.

• A liaison Anbu Ninja read Chiba’s letter and panicked at its warning that the delay might not deter Konoha’s enemies or reveal their weaknesses.
• The Third Hokage explained that retracting the announced delay could make Konoha appear guilty, while the postponement might keep other villages at home and give Konoha time to prepare.
• The Third Hokage ordered the liaison to destroy the information and withdraw, then considered how Kusagakure’s improved treatment and Hada Ichiba’s plan might help resolve Konoha’s crisis.
• The Third Hokage stamped approval for Kusagakure’s proposal and noticed an unknown visitor waiting at the office window.
• A young man in a black robe entered, and the Third Hokage told him that Konoha’s Barrier had detected his approach and offered him the approved document.

Haneda Yu Ze met the Third Hokage in Konoha and signed a revised alliance agreement, while both leaders carefully assessed each other and the risks of the pact. Yu Ze then revealed that he had come to discuss two matters, beginning with the Hada Clan.

• The Third Hokage handed Haneda Yu Ze intercepted intelligence, and Yu Ze accepted it without showing his unease.
• Haneda Yu Ze introduced himself as Kusagakure's leader and thanked the Third Hokage for Konoha's trust.
• The Third Hokage presented revised alliance agreements, and Haneda Yu Ze signed and sealed them.
• Haneda Yu Ze clarified that the alliance agreement was not the reason for his visit and said he wanted to discuss two matters, starting with the Hada Clan.

Haneda Yu Ze told the Third Hokage about the Hada Clan, a group of war orphans who had taken a shared surname after joining Kusagakure. When he revealed that Chiba had saved them and taught them to find food and use ninjutsu, the Third Hokage eagerly asked to hear the story, and Haneda Yu Ze began recounting how they had met.

• Haneda Yu Ze offered to explain the Hada Clan as a gesture of trust after Konoha signed the alliance agreement.
• The Third Hokage formed stone chairs without Haneda Yu Ze noticing any hand seals, prompting Yu Ze to reconsider the Hokage's abilities.
• Haneda Yu Ze explained that the Hada Clan had no blood ties and consisted of war orphans who had fought together during the Third Great Ninja War.
• Haneda Yu Ze said Konoha had helped the Hada Clan survive because Chiba had taught them how to find food and use ninjutsu.
• The Third Hokage reacted with excitement and asked Haneda Yu Ze to tell him what had happened with Chiba.
• Haneda Yu Ze began recounting how he had met Chiba.

Haneda Yu Ze recounted how Chiba had saved the Hada Clan, prompting the Third Hokage to thank him and treat Kusagakure as a close ally. They negotiated expanded trade and ninja-tool deals, and Haneda Yu Ze left the Hokage’s Office late that night.

• The Third Hokage listened to Haneda Yu Ze explain that Chiba had saved the Hada Clan and that they had later saved Chiba.
• The Third Hokage thanked Haneda Yu Ze for the Hada Clan’s role in saving Chiba, and Haneda Yu Ze replied that Chiba had saved them too.
• The Third Hokage proposed additional support and trade, including Grass Cattle imports and a quota of ninja tools.
• Haneda Yu Ze offered Kusagakure’s upcoming cattle supply and agreed to accept Konoha’s ninja-tool quota.
• The Third Hokage offered about one hundred standard ninja tools and three thousand ryō in exchange for the cattle.
• The Third Hokage and Haneda Yu Ze discussed further business until late at night, when Haneda Yu Ze left through the Hokage’s secret passage.

Haneda Yu Ze reflected on how invoking Chiba had secured Konoha’s trust and extensive cooperation with Kusagakure, then went to meet He Yin and the others. In the Hokage’s Office, the Third Hokage revealed that he had recognized Yu Ze’s tactic but had accepted the alliance because it also served Konoha’s interests.

• Haneda Yu Ze left the Anbu Ninja and considered how discussing the Hada Clan and Chiba had strengthened Konoha’s trust and secured extensive cooperation.
• Haneda Yu Ze decided to visit He Yin, Kazuha, and the family members who had prepared to sacrifice themselves for Kusagakure, then disappeared into the darkness.
• An Anbu Ninja questioned the Third Hokage’s decision to establish comprehensive cooperation with Kusagakure so quickly and doubted the Hada Clan’s ties to Chiba.
• The Third Hokage explained that Haneda Yu Ze had used Chiba to gain his trust, but said the cooperation benefited Konoha as well.
• The Third Hokage said Konoha’s orders and agreements would pressure Haneda Yu Ze to support Konoha if trouble arose.