Chapter Summaries

Katsuki went to Root headquarters to challenge Minato, who brought him to a remote beach for their fight. Katsuki's lightning speed could not keep up with Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique, and he began an Earth Release attack as the battle continued.

• Katsuki called Minato out at Root headquarters and challenged him to a fight.
• Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take Katsuki to a secluded beach in the Land of Fire.
• Katsuki attacked Minato with White Lightning Strike, but Minato teleported behind him and dodged.
• Katsuki used Lightning Flash Turn to chase Minato across the beach, destroying sand, reefs, and trees without landing a hit.
• Katsuki slammed his hand into the ground and began Earth Release: Earth Splitting Palm.

Kushina learned that Katsuki and Minato had left to fight, then the two clashed on a beach at the southern tip of the Land of Fire. Katsuki tried to counter Minato’s Flying Thunder God Technique by reshaping the terrain, but Minato found a way to move unpredictably around him.

• A young female ninja told Kushina that Katsuki had called Minato out and that the two had departed using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Kushina asked where they had gone, learned that Minato’s destination was unknown, and worried that they might not get along.
• At the beach, Katsuki destroyed Minato’s marked kunai and used Earth Release techniques to alter the terrain and keep Minato from approaching.
• Minato threw marked kunai in multiple directions and teleported among them, making his movements difficult for Katsuki to track.
• Katsuki acknowledged Minato’s tactic and stopped wasting chakra on attacks he could not land.

Orochimaru learned that Katsuki had taken Minato away from work to spar, while Nawaki told Hyuga Hiashi about their fight. Minato’s Rasengan only left Katsuki with a minor mark, and Katsuki ended the spar before it could become a drawn-out battle.

• Orochimaru heard that Katsuki had challenged Minato at Root and ordered the Anbu to watch for Minato’s return.
• Nawaki told Hyuga Hiashi that Katsuki and Minato had gone to spar, and Hiashi reacted with surprise.
• Minato struck Katsuki with a Rasengan, sending him crashing through stone spears and into a fissure.
• Katsuki emerged from a golden barrier with only a faint red mark on his abdomen and said the attack had hurt.
• Katsuki refused to continue the spar, saying he had no interest in a battle of attrition and needed to return before his sister beat him.

Katsuki told Minato that he wanted to free Kushina from being a Jinchuriki by extracting the Nine-Tails, and Minato said Kushina’s choice had to come first. Minato’s advice helped Katsuki find a way to approach his sister, and Katsuki returned to the village, where he took Otoha’s jacket.

• Katsuki told Minato he wanted to extract the Nine-Tails from Kushina without endangering her life.
• Minato realized Katsuki had kept the previous Five-Tails Jinchuriki for research and asked whether he had studied Fuinjutsu and Medical Ninjutsu for the extraction.
• Minato said he would support Kushina’s choice, and Katsuki admitted he did not know how she would respond.
• Minato told Katsuki that Kushina cared more about her younger brother than herself and that Katsuki needed to find a proper reason to convince her.
• Katsuki returned to the village without clothes or shoes, met Otoha, and took his jacket.

Otoha confronted Katsuki about his plans for Otome, the Nine-Tails, and the Kaguya Clan’s Bloodline Disease, and Katsuki decided which problems to tackle first. At the Hokage Building, Minato described his spar with Katsuki and began answering Orochimaru’s question about Katsuki’s chances of persuading Kushina.

• Otoha told Katsuki that Uchiha from other branches had asked for Otome’s hand and pressed him to explain his plans for her.
• Katsuki said he would settle Otome’s matter first, then investigate the Kaguya Clan’s Bloodline Disease and work toward extracting the Nine-Tails.
• Katsuki considered asking Tsunade to help treat the Bloodline Disease but hesitated over the possibility that the Senju Clan would receive credit for saving the Kaguya Clan.
• Minato met Orochimaru at the Hokage Building and said his chances of defeating Katsuki in a direct fight were close to zero.
• Orochimaru asked Minato how confident he thought Katsuki was about persuading Kushina, and Minato said Katsuki had asked him a similar question.

Orochimaru and Minato discussed Katsuki’s plan to make himself the Nine-Tails’ vessel, weighing the danger of containing two tailed beasts against the difficulty of stopping him. Katsuki visited Kushina afterward, where she worried about Minato and grew flustered when Katsuki teased her about Minato’s proposal.

• Minato told Orochimaru he could not predict how Kushina would react to Katsuki’s plan, though replacing the Nine-Tails’ vessel would not greatly affect Konoha.
• Orochimaru revealed that Katsuki intended to become the Nine-Tails’ vessel despite already being the Five-Tails’ Jinchuriki.
• Minato and Orochimaru worried that the untested plan could endanger Katsuki, but Minato doubted they could stop him because of his strength.
• Katsuki visited Kushina, who grabbed his ear and demanded to know whether Minato had been hurt.
• Katsuki assured Kushina that Minato was fine, then teased her about Minato’s proposal and made her blush.

Otome learned that Katsuki was fighting the Uchiha council at Naka Shrine and rushed there with her family. Katsuki had wrecked the shrine and continued confronting the elders over his demand that Otome marry outside the Uchiha Clan.

• Uchiha Maki urged Otome to accept the clan's marriage rules, but she insisted she would decide her own future.
• Otoha told Uchiha Maki and Otome that Katsuki was fighting the council of elders at Naka Shrine.
• Otome used the Body Flicker Technique to hurry to Naka Shrine, and Uchiha Maki ordered Otoha to follow her.
• Uchiha Maki and Otoha saw that Katsuki had smashed the shrine grounds and injured its elite guards.
• Katsuki rejected the elders' accusations of seeking war and said they had refused to hear him out.
• Katsuki advanced toward the main hall as the Uchiha guards failed to injure him.

Kushina and Uchiha Maki stopped Otome from going to Naka Shrine, where Katsuki clashed with the Uchiha elders after a marriage proposal meeting turned into a fight. Otome trusted Katsuki to handle things and went home, while Katsuki continued to face the clan members and destroyed the shrine’s purification pavilion with a massive fireball.

• Kushina intercepted Otome on the road, and Uchiha Maki arrived with Otoha to urge Otome to stay away from the shrine.
• Otoha went to Naka Shrine, while Otome agreed to return home with Kushina because she trusted Katsuki to keep his promise.
• At Naka Shrine, Katsuki argued with the Uchiha elders after they had brought him and Kushina there before they could meet Uchiha Maki about their marriage proposal.
• An Uchiha youth attacked Katsuki with a Great Fireball Technique, but Katsuki split the flames with wind and then destroyed the purification pavilion with an even larger fireball.

Katsuki fought his way to Naka Shrine’s main hall and confronted the Uchiha elders, while Otoha refused to obey their orders to stop him. Katsuki offered the elders three minutes to agree to stop interfering in his and Otome’s affairs.

• Katsuki knocked down Uchiha guards and Jonin as he advanced toward the shrine’s main hall.
• An Uchiha Jonin trapped Katsuki in a Sharingan Genjutsu, but a roar from within him shattered the illusion, and Katsuki punched the Jonin into a pine tree.
• Otoha arrived and complained about the damage, then stayed still when the elders ordered him to drive Katsuki away.
• The elders regretted underestimating Katsuki, blamed Fugaku and Uchiha Maki for their absence, and grew angry when Otoha disobeyed them.
• Katsuki stopped beneath the shrine steps and gave the elders three minutes to stop interfering in his and Otome’s affairs.

Katsuki gave the Uchiha elders a final three-minute ultimatum after defeating more than two hundred clansmen at the shrine. Fugaku revealed that he planned to use the crisis to weaken the elders, then left to handle the aftermath.

• Katsuki faced the elders at the shrine while more than two hundred Uchiha clansmen lay injured along the approach.
• Otoha refused to help the elders and mocked Sixth Uncle, who was trapped in a pine tree with a broken leg.
• Fugaku dismissed the elders’ plea for help and explained that he would not rescue them from trouble they had caused themselves.
• Fugaku told his aide that he had privately agreed to recognize Katsuki and Otome’s marriage in exchange for Katsuki clearing out the elders.
• Fugaku denied having planned the shrine confrontation and said the elders had brought the disaster upon themselves.
• Fugaku checked the clock and left with his aide to deal with the aftermath.

Katsuki fought his way up the steps to Naka Shrine, provoking the Uchiha elders and their supporters as he aimed to intimidate them over their opposition to his relationship with Otome. After an Elder struck him with the Great Fire Dragon Technique, Katsuki emerged unharmed and left the crowd staring in alarm.

• Katsuki counted down the final seconds, then began climbing the steps as Uchiha reinforcements tried to stop him.
• Katsuki defeated the Uchiha attackers and declared that he would make them fear challenging him again.
• Otoha watched from beneath a pine tree, torn between supporting Katsuki and protecting the shrine's main hall and Uchiha honor.
• Katsuki reached the shrine and taunted the elders before a bald, white-bearded Elder attacked him with the Great Fire Dragon Technique.
• The fire dragon swallowed Katsuki, but he called out that the attack had not hurt him, frightening the watching Uchiha.

Katsuki activated a human-shaped Tailed Beast Cloak using the Five-Tails’ power, leaving the beast baffled by his abilities and knowledge of the Rabbit Goddess. He returned to the Uchiha elders and demonstrated a speed they could barely follow.

• Katsuki questioned the Five-Tails about his unusual five-tailed cloak while the beast admitted it had never seen a human like him.
• The Five-Tails reacted with shock when Katsuki mentioned the Rabbit Goddess and wondered what secrets he knew.
• The Five-Tails assured Katsuki that its suppressed power could not harm him, and Katsuki ended their conversation in the mental realm.
• Katsuki reopened his eyes moments later and told the shocked Uchiha elders that their attacks could not hurt him.
• Katsuki dashed around the elders and returned to his place before most of the watching clan members could follow his movement.

Katsuki used Tailed Beast chakra to inflict severe pain on the Uchiha Elders and threatened to destroy their shrine, while Fugaku arrived to stop the confrontation. Katsuki subdued the last Elder who challenged him and then faced Fugaku to continue their discussion.

• Katsuki revealed that he had injected Tailed Beast chakra into the Elders, causing them intense pain.
• Katsuki sent his crimson tails toward the shrine's main hall as Otoha and other jonin prepared to intervene.
• Fugaku arrived to find the shrine's torii gate destroyed and ordered Otoha to treat the injured.
• Fugaku asked Katsuki to stop before the Uzumaki and Uchiha became mortal enemies.
• Katsuki grabbed the bald Elder with a chakra tail, knocked him unconscious, and turned back to speak with Fugaku.

In Konoha Era 60, Uzumaki Shuyuan tried to manage Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha’s constant arguments at the Ninja Academy while Naruto worried about his skipped classes. The students prepared to head to the training ground, with Shuyuan staying behind with Naruto.

• Iruka discovered Naruto had skipped class again and asked his cousin Shuyuan where he was.
• Naruto returned after class and panicked because Iruka had called roll and threatened a home visit.
• Naruto and Sasuke began arguing, and Shuyuan restrained Naruto and told Sasuke to ignore him.
• Shikamaru and Choji left for the training ground while Shuyuan said he and Naruto would follow.

Kaguya Hibiki disciplined Naruto and Kiba during outdoor training, then sparred with Shuyuan while the class practiced. At the school office, Otoha visited Principal Katsuki and asked about a rumor concerning a ghoul.

• Kiba complained about the heat and was ordered to run thirty laps by Kaguya Hibiki.
• Naruto mocked Kiba for complaining, then joined him in running laps after Kaguya Hibiki overheard him.
• Kaguya Hibiki warned the class that envoys from allied ninja villages would visit the school the next day and started their sparring practice.
• Kaguya Hibiki offered to spar with Shuyuan because he had no suitable partner.
• Otoha visited Katsuki in the principal's office and asked whether he had heard the rumor about the ghoul.

Katsuki learned that ninja graves across several villages had been robbed and worried the culprit might be connected to Madara Uchiha. He and Otoha then discussed the upcoming visit from Sand and Rain envoys, and Otoha hinted that the Sand envoy was someone Katsuki knew.

• Otoha told Katsuki that graves in several villages, including Sunagakure, had been excavated and that people suspected a powerful grave robber codenamed Ghoul.
• Katsuki considered possible suspects, ruled out Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi, and worried the robber might be connected to Madara Uchiha.
• Otoha said the village had found few clues about Madara Uchiha, which continued to trouble Fugaku and those who knew about the search.
• Otoha asked whether Katsuki had prepared for the Sand Ninja and Rain Ninja envoys visiting the Ninja Academy the next day.
• Katsuki and Otoha traded complaints about their work and income before Otoha hinted that the Sand Ninja envoy was an acquaintance of Katsuki's.

Sand Ninja envoy Rasa arrived in prosperous Konoha and learned that Konan was leading the Rain Ninja delegation, while he considered reforms for Sunagakure. Orochimaru reviewed the envoys’ arrival, Kimimaro’s work, and preparations at the Ninja Academy, then remained wary that Konoha’s cemetery guards might not stop the grave robber.

• Rasa entered Konoha with the Sand Ninja delegation and reflected on the village’s prosperity and Sunagakure’s financial troubles.
• Rasa learned that Konan led the Rain Ninja delegation and resolved to push for reforms to Sunagakure’s ninja training system.
• An ANBU reported to Orochimaru that Konan had visited Minato’s home with her daughter and that Rasa had shut himself away.
• Orochimaru confirmed that Kimimaro had handled his embassy duties without trouble and told the ANBU to leave surveillance to Minato.
• The ANBU reported that the Ninja Academy was preparing for the envoys’ visit and that extra guards were protecting the cemetery.
• Orochimaru questioned whether the cemetery guards could catch the grave robber who had dug up Sand Ninja graves.

After Naruto finished his punishment laps, he dragged Shuyuan to the Namikaze home to avoid Kushina’s anger. There they found Konan visiting with her daughter, and Shuyuan recognized her as Jiraiya’s disciple.

• Shuyuan waited with Naruto as Naruto finished his extra sixty laps, then urged him to hurry home before Kushina got angry.
• Naruto pleaded until Shuyuan agreed to come to the Namikaze home with him.
• Naruto and Shuyuan entered and found a girl sitting in the living room while Kushina prepared dinner.
• Konan came in and greeted the boys, and Kushina introduced her as their father’s and uncle’s junior fellow disciple.
• Shuyuan recognized Konan as Lord Jiraiya’s disciple, while Naruto struggled to understand the connection.

Shuyuan and Naruto met their cousin Suzuran, Konan’s shy daughter, and helped her feel comfortable during her first visit to Konoha. The children bonded over travel and flower language while Konan told Kushina she hoped the visit would help Suzuran make friends.

• Kushina introduced Suzuran as Konan’s daughter and the boys’ younger cousin, and Naruto announced his ambition before Kushina scolded him for putting his foot on the coffee table.
• Shuyuan started a conversation with Suzuran about her visit to Konoha, and she gradually relaxed as they talked about travel.
• Naruto asked Suzuran about her surname, and Shuyuan explained that her name meant the return of happiness in the language of flowers.
• Suzuran excitedly asked to borrow Shuyuan’s mother’s guide to flower language, and Shuyuan promised to bring it to her the next day.
• Konan told Kushina that Suzuran had struggled to make friends and had spent much of her time at home, and Kushina offered comfort.

Kushina tried to persuade Konan to let Suzuran stay in Konoha and attend the Ninja Academy for two months, hoping she would make friends. Later, a mysterious man collected a file from a mustached informant and evaded Root surveillance, but a hostess found someone dead in the tavern.

• Kushina suggested that Suzuran join Naruto and Shuyuan's class at the Ninja Academy, and Konan considered letting her stay for two months.
• At the Cloud Dwelling tavern, a hooded man met a mustached informant and received a file containing years of collected information.
• The man in black paid the informant, declared that they would have no further contact, and left the tavern.
• Two Root members searching for the man failed to find him.
• A hostess screamed that someone had been killed inside the tavern.