Chapter Summaries

Yūske told Jiraiya that Nagato and the others had suffered a tragedy, then revealed his theory that Nagato’s Rinnegan had belonged to Uchiha Madara. After asking about Sage Mode, Yūske remained uncertain whether learning it could help him overcome his power bottleneck.

• Yūske summoned Jiraiya and showed him a report about Nagato and the others, leaving Jiraiya grieving and asking whether they could join Konoha.
• Yūske refused Jiraiya’s request and confronted him about Nagato’s parents, the Uzumaki Clan, and the Rinnegan.
• Jiraiya admitted Nagato had shown signs of using the Rinnegan, but Yūske said he had seen Uchiha Madara’s Sharingan transform into the Rinnegan and concluded Nagato’s eyes had belonged to Madara.
• Yūske asked whether Jiraiya had learned Sage Mode, and Jiraiya warned him that senjutsu was dangerous and time-consuming.
• Yūske let Jiraiya leave but continued considering Sage Mode as a way to overcome his bottleneck, while viewing Hashirama Senju’s cells as a risky last resort.

Yūske asked Tsunade to help him reach Shikkotsu Forest so he could try to learn Sage Mode, but she refused because of the danger. He changed the subject and used Flying Thunder God to take her to Aburame Shiho’s residence, where Shiho and their child were heavily guarded.

• Yūske asked Tsunade whether she could send him to Shikkotsu Forest so he could ask about learning Sage Mode.
• Yūske told Tsunade he wanted to become stronger after nearly losing to Uchiha Madara, but Tsunade warned him that Sage Mode training was dangerous and refused to help.
• Yūske comforted Tsunade and changed the subject to Haku and his parents, who had still not awakened.
• Yūske used Flying Thunder God to take Tsunade to the Aburame Clan Grounds to visit Aburame Shiho and their child.
• Yūske and Tsunade arrived at Shiho’s residence, where Aburame jonin and Anbu guarded the area.

Kakashi relived the moment he killed Rin in a mysterious forest before waking from his coma in the hospital. As Tsunade investigated the genjutsu affecting him, Kushina revealed Kakashi’s claim that he had killed Rin.

• Kakashi was taken by a mysterious black figure while he trained at the Hatake Clan residence, and later brought Rin to a secluded forest.
• Kakashi pierced Rin’s chest, then Obito appeared as the Anbu protecting her were killed by branches; Tobi knocked Obito unconscious and took him and Rin away.
• Kakashi woke from his coma, cried that he had killed Rin, and tried to hurt himself before Minato stopped him and Tsunade knocked him unconscious.
• Tsunade said Kakashi’s chakra was chaotic and suspected genjutsu, then sent Minato to find Senior Shinku and an Uchiha who understood genjutsu.
• Kushina told Tsunade that Kakashi had said he killed Rin.

After Kakashi was found trapped in a powerful genjutsu, Yūske suspected that Black Zetsu had manipulated events surrounding Rin’s death and that Obito had awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan. Meanwhile, Obito approached Nagato and Konan in Amegakure, and the chapter ended with Nagato preparing to attack Hanzo as Kurenai struggled to free Kakashi.

• Tsunade reassured Kushina that Kakashi was probably under genjutsu, and Yūske returned with Tsunade and asked Kushina to care for Kakashi until Hatake Sakumo came back.
• Yūske concluded that Black Zetsu had likely arranged Rin’s death and that Obito had taken her body after awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Obito appeared before Nagato and Konan, called himself Tobi and Uchiha Madara, and promised Nagato a world of peace and love.
• Konan attacked Obito with paper shuriken, but they passed through him; before leaving, Obito told Nagato where to find him.
• Nagato ordered Konan to attack Amegakure the next day and make Salamander Hanzo Yahiko’s first step toward godhood, while five more Paths appeared beside Deva Path Yahiko.
• Kurenai told Minato and Yūske that she could not yet break Kakashi’s genjutsu, and Yūske suggested seeking Kurama Murakumo if needed.

Yūske suggested asking Kurama Murakumo to help dispel Kakashi’s genjutsu, then Tsunade confronted him about researching her grandfather’s cells. Yūske explained that he was preparing for the dangers ahead, including Uchiha Madara’s lingering forces and the possibility of an enemy as strong as himself.

• Yūske told Kurenai Yūhi to take responsibility for dispelling Kakashi’s genjutsu and left the hospital room.
• Tsunade dragged Yūske to her office and demanded to know why he had asked Orochimaru to research her grandfather’s cells.
• Yūske denied the accusation and warned Tsunade not to interfere with Orochimaru’s work, then explained that he wanted to gain strength because Rin’s death had been staged by Uchiha Madara’s forces to awaken Obito’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Yūske told Tsunade that Uchiha Madara had warned him they would meet again and explained that awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan required both aptitude and immense sorrow.

Yūske learned that Tsunade was pregnant, promised to take her to Shikkotsu Forest after Kakashi recovered, and arranged for her to rest. As he managed Konoha’s affairs, Sunagakure ninja arrived outside the village, and Yūske wondered what they wanted.

• Tsunade agreed to take Yūske to meet Great Sage Katsuyu once Kakashi recovered, then told him she was pregnant.
• Yūske celebrated the news, ordered Tsunade to suspend her duties, and returned to his office to dismiss the Anbu investigating Kakashi’s case and summon the Hokage Assistants.
• Yūske confirmed Hiruzen Sarutobi’s appointment as Ninja Academy principal despite Uchiha Fugaku’s objections.
• An Anbu reported that a group of Sunagakure ninja had openly gathered outside Konoha, and Yūske questioned their purpose.

Yūske assigned Konoha officials and clan leaders roles in opening a new Commercial Street and preparing the village for visitors. He then revealed that Tsunade was probably pregnant, prompting Senju Taichi and Luzhen to argue that the news should be publicized.

• Yūske ordered Uchiha Fugaku and Senju Taichi to recruit merchants and set rules for the Commercial Street.
• Yūske assigned Hyuga Hiashi to oversee patrols and security, and Luzhen to review visitors and prospective residents.
• Yūske offered clans storefronts and discounts for contributing or disabled shinobi.
• Yūske told Senju Taichi to maximize security at the Senju Clan Compound because Tsunade had said she was probably pregnant.
• Senju Taichi wanted to return and observe the proper customs, while Yūske urged restraint and Luzhen argued that the pregnancy should be publicized as a major matter for Konoha.

Rasa visited Konoha disguised as a Sunagakure ninja, but the Hokage did not meet him immediately. During a tour, he learned about Konoha’s planned Commercial Street and opening of the village to outsiders, leaving him eager to bring Sunagakure businesses there.

• Rasa revealed his identity to his Sunagakure companions and decided to tell Konoha’s Anbu that the group wanted to stroll through the village.
• Konoha sent Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi to guide Rasa’s group after receiving their request.
• Shikaku explained that the Hokage was busy with reforms and led Rasa to the nearly completed Commercial Street.
• Rasa questioned the risks of opening Konoha to outsiders, and Shikaku said the village no longer had an Elder Council.
• Rasa asked to meet the Hokage and expressed interest in bringing Sunagakure cuisine and related businesses to the Commercial Street.

After learning that Tsunade was pregnant, Shikaku Nara and his friends rushed to congratulate her, while Rasa visited Yūske at the Senju Clan Compound. Rasa asked about Konoha’s Commercial Street, and Yūske reflected that it was only one part of a broader plan to attract residents and grow Konoha.

• Teuchi told Shikaku Nara that Tsunade was pregnant and gave him an Ichiraku Ramen discount coupon for her child.
• Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi hurried to the Senju Clan Compound, while Rasa asked to visit Yūske and offer congratulations.
• Rasa toured the Senju Clan Compound, admired Konoha’s prosperity, and resolved to secure benefits for Sunagakure.
• Yūske welcomed Rasa as a friend, declined to discuss work after hours, and heard Rasa ask about Konoha’s Commercial Street.
• Yūske considered the Commercial Street only one part of his plan to attract outsiders, develop tourism, and build new residential districts around Konoha.

Rasa tried to secure a stake in Konoha’s planned Commercial Street, but Yūske refused and offered Sunagakure preferential terms as an ally instead. Rasa left to consult his village, while Yūske revealed that the Commercial Street was only the beginning.

• Rasa told Yūske that Sunagakure had supported Konoha in the war and promised to remain its ally while he was Kazekage.
• Yūske refused Rasa’s request for a stake in the Commercial Street, offering Sunagakure up to twenty storefronts and special terms instead.
• Yūske introduced Mizuki Yuki as one of his wives and said he wanted the Commercial Street to bring the villages together.
• Yūske told Rasa that the Commercial Street was only the beginning, and Rasa said he would send his answer after returning to Sunagakure.
• Rasa instructed Yashamaru to send generous gifts for the first child of the Fourth Hokage and Senju Tsunade, then reflected on Yūske’s refusal to discuss work after hours.

Rasa asked Yūske to send Konoha troops to help Sunagakure against Kirigakure, but Yūske refused to disrupt Konoha’s plans and instead negotiated a discounted ore deal. The chapter ended with Rasa accepting a prepared contract for Sunagakure to sell Konoha ore at half price.

• Rasa urged Yūske to honor the alliance by sending Konoha troops to drive back Kirigakure.
• Yūske refused, citing Konoha’s Commercial Street project and its other priorities, and blamed Ōnoki for Sunagakure’s predicament.
• Rasa pleaded for tangible support, while Yūske said Konoha could not immediately commit resources to Sunagakure’s war.
• Rasa offered to provide Sunagakure’s ore at half price in exchange for Konoha’s support, but Yūske proposed a contract for future ore purchases instead.
• Yūske had Haruna produce a prepared contract, and Rasa accepted the half-price ore agreement.

Rasa prepared to leave with a contract that drew Konoha into the conflict, while Karatachi Yagura called for a ceasefire and decided to visit Konoha. Yūske then joined Uchiha Fugaku for a meal at the Uchiha Clan Compound, where he met three-year-old Itachi Uchiha.

• Nara Haruna delivered Yūske's orders to send a thousand shinobi, and Yūske teased her before she left.
• Rasa packed to return to the battlefield, while Jiraiya arrived at his residence.
• Karatachi Yagura ordered Kirigakure to seek a ceasefire and said he would personally visit Konoha.
• Uchiha Fugaku invited Yūske to the Uchiha Clan Compound for food and wine, and the two traveled there together.
• Yūske greeted three-year-old Itachi Uchiha by calling him the Little Rebel, then told him not to answer when he had not been asked.

Uchiha Fugaku asked Yūske to take his three-year-old son Itachi as a disciple, hoping to give the Uchiha Clan a chance at producing a Hokage. Yūske considered the request without committing, leaving Itachi’s future mentorship undecided.

• Yūske teased Itachi before joining Fugaku, Mikoto, and the child for dinner.
• Fugaku praised Shisui Uchiha’s battlefield achievements and revealed that he had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Fugaku asked Yūske to take Itachi as his disciple so the Uchiha Clan could compete for the Hokage position.
• Yūske pointed out that Shisui had not yet passed his test and questioned whether Fugaku expected Itachi to surpass Yūske’s own son.
• Fugaku assured Yūske he understood the Hokage position was not inherited, while Yūske weighed the Uchiha Clan’s prospects.

Yūske questioned Itachi Uchiha about his goals and whether the village or clan mattered more, then ordered Uchiha Fugaku to take him to the border with two Uchiha squads. After returning to Konoha, Hatake Sakumo learned that Kakashi would enter the Anbu Training Institute and went to see him at the hospital.

• Yūske asked Itachi Uchiha whether becoming his disciple was his own choice and what he hoped to do with his strength, and Itachi said he wanted to protect the village and his family.
• When Yūske asked whether the village or the clan mattered more, Itachi admitted he did not know, and Yūske told him to seek the answer.
• Yūske told Uchiha Fugaku to take two Uchiha Clan squads and Itachi to the border in two days to lead the thousand shinobi being sent to support Sunagakure.
• Hatake Sakumo returned to Konoha, and genjutsu masters freed Hatake Kakashi, who refused to speak about what had happened.
• Yūske ordered Hatake Kakashi to join the Anbu Training Institute and warned Hatake Sakumo not to mention Uchiha Obito or Nohara Rin.
• Hatake Sakumo went to Konoha Hospital, where Minato Namikaze and Kushina left him alone with Kakashi.

Karatachi Yagura arrived in Konoha with Kirigakure’s delegation and was escorted by Hatake Sakumo after Mei Terumi challenged Konoha’s treatment of them. In the Hokage’s Office, Yūske watched the delegation through Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Telescopic Jutsu, which accidentally revealed Jiraiya spying on the women’s bathhouse.

• Yūske accepted Kirigakure’s entry application and agreed to meet Karatachi Yagura, despite Konoha’s promise to assist Sunagakure.
• Karatachi Yagura and two squads of elite ninja reached Konoha after surviving two ambushes on the way.
• Hatake Sakumo welcomed the delegation but warned that the Hokage was occupied, and Mei Terumi objected to Konoha’s treatment of them.
• Karatachi Yagura rebuked Mei Terumi and followed Hatake Sakumo into the village.
• Yūske watched the delegation at the gate through Hiruzen Sarutobi’s Telescopic Jutsu, which shifted to the women’s bathhouse and showed Jiraiya spying there.
• Yūske called the guards after spotting Jiraiya, while Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to conceal his embarrassment.

Konoha kept Karatachi Yagura’s Kirigakure delegation waiting, and a confrontation erupted when one of Yagura’s subordinates insulted the Fourth Hokage. Yūske arrived and claimed the speaker was not a Kirigakure ninja, leaving both delegations demanding proof.

• Hyuga Reon escorted the Kirigakure ninja and told them they could leave if they were unhappy with Konoha’s treatment.
• A Kirigakure subordinate insulted the Fourth Hokage, prompting Konoha ninja to surround the delegation and Kirigakure ninja to protect Karatachi Yagura.
• Karatachi Yagura apologized and offered to leave as Yūske arrived, explaining that he had overslept.
• Yūske identified the subordinate who had spoken as someone who did not appear to be a Kirigakure ninja.
• The suspected impostor denied Yūske’s accusation, while Karatachi Yagura and the other Kirigakure ninja demanded evidence.

Yūske exposed a White Zetsu infiltrator among Karatachi Yagura’s Kirigakure delegation, preventing an attack on Mei Terumi and clearing up the confrontation with Konoha. Karatachi Yagura apologized, and Mei Terumi thanked Yūske.

• Yūske summoned Isobu and intimidated Karatachi Yagura’s group, while Isobu identified an infiltrator by the unusual scent of his chakra.
• The infiltrator attacked Mei Terumi, but Yūske restrained him with threads and revealed him as a White Zetsu.
• Yūske explained that Konoha’s barrier had been set to detect White Zetsu, and mocked Karatachi Yagura for thinking Konoha had targeted Kirigakure.
• Karatachi Yagura apologized to Konoha, and Mei Terumi thanked Yūske.

Yūske refused to discuss Kirigakure’s request during his vacation and left the Mizukage to wait until the next day. Back at their lodging, Karatachi Yagura’s delegation considered offering Mei Terumi as a marriage alliance, but Mei resisted.

• Yūske ordered an Anbu member to take White Zetsu’s corpse to Orochimaru, then declined to meet Karatachi Yagura until he returned to work.
• Karatachi Yagura ended the Kirigakure delegation’s tour and returned with his ninja to their lodging.
• Karatachi Yagura’s group set up a barrier and discussed what to do if Yūske refused to meet them.
• A Kirigakure ninja proposed using a woman to improve relations with Konoha, noting that Yūske had taken Mizuki Yuki and a former Anbu member as lovers.
• The Kirigakure ninja suggested Mei Terumi as a possible marriage offering, and Mei angrily asked what would happen if she refused.
• Karatachi Yagura said Mizuki Yuki was too difficult to approach, while the others urged Mei to consider the proposal.

Yūske took Tsunade, Aburame Shiho, Mizuki Yuki, Haku, and a team of ninjas on a fishing and cookout outing. After the day trip, Karatachi Yagura proposed a political marriage between Yūske and Mei Terumi, leaving Yūske stunned.

• Yūske led the group to a plain with a stream and assigned the accompanying ninjas to gather food and firewood and set up tents.
• Tsunade sat beside Yūske as he fished, while Aburame Shiho rested and Mizuki Yuki helped prepare the ingredients.
• Yūske invited the interested ninjas to make their own fishing rods, and the group caught fish and prepared a cookout together.
• After the outing, Yūske met with Karatachi Yagura in his office.
• Karatachi Yagura proposed a political marriage with Mei Terumi, and Yūske reacted in disbelief.

Yūske reacted with disbelief when Karatachi Yagura proposed marrying Mei Terumi to him as part of Kirigakure’s peace efforts. After Yūske left the office to check on soup for Tsunade, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Karatachi Yagura discussed the proposal and Kirigakure’s need to survive.

• Karatachi Yagura proposed marrying Mei Terumi to Yūske, who objected because he already had a wife.
• An Anbu reported that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to meet Yūske, and Yūske ordered the Anbu to refuse him before Hiruzen entered anyway.
• Karatachi Yagura admitted that news of the peace treaty and the marriage proposal had leaked.
• Yūske claimed he had forgotten to turn off the heat on soup for Tsunade and hurried home; Tsunade then ran after him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Karatachi Yagura discussed Kirigakure’s support for peace, and Karatachi clarified that he wanted Mei Terumi to marry the Fourth Hokage, not Konoha.