Chapter Summaries

After returning to Konoha, Uchiha Itachi found Sasuke changed and saw Uchiha Cheng training relentlessly while helping Konohamaru recover from his grandfather’s death. The villages discovered Orochimaru had caused their battle, and the chapter ended with Asuma and Kurenai encountering Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki.

• Uchiha Itachi returned to Konoha and found Sasuke distant, then learned Sasuke still could not let go of the clan’s destruction.
• Uchiha Cheng kept training to protect Konoha, while Konohamaru joined the school repairs to move past his grandfather’s death.
• Konohamaru told Uchiha Cheng he was feeling better, and Uchiha Cheng stopped worrying as much about him.
• The villages discovered Orochimaru had killed Fengyin, impersonated him, and provoked their battle.
• Asuma and Kurenai encountered Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki, and both sides prepared to fight.

Uchiha Cheng joined Asuma and Kurenai in their fight against Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, defeated Itachi, and learned that Itachi had come to seek the Fourth Hokage's legacy. He returned to Jiraiya, and the two set out to find the Fifth Hokage, with Cheng eagerly asking Jiraiya about training along the way.

• Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki fought Asuma and Kurenai, and Uchiha Cheng arrived and joined the battle.
• Uchiha Itachi trapped Uchiha Cheng in a genjutsu, but Cheng escaped and turned the fight against him.
• Uchiha Itachi told Uchiha Cheng that he had come to search for the Fourth Hokage's legacy, but Cheng refused to be distracted and defeated him.
• Asuma and the others thanked Uchiha Cheng, who returned to Jiraiya and prepared to leave with him to find the Fifth Hokage.
• Uchiha Cheng questioned Jiraiya about cultivation during their journey, and Jiraiya agreed to explain it to pass the time.

Jiraiya compared Uchiha Cheng to the Fourth Hokage while sharing stories of past training, as Cheng traveled in search of a way to protect Konoha. Second Pillar and the others set out to find Cheng after hearing Uchiha Itachi was hunting her, but Itachi reached her first and tried to take her away.

• Jiraiya told Uchiha Cheng stories about earlier training and said she resembled the Fourth Hokage, encouraging her ambitions.
• Second Pillar heard a rumor that Uchiha Itachi had returned to the village and was looking for Uchiha Cheng, so he followed Cheng's trail alone.
• Uchiha Cheng continued searching for a way to resolve Konoha's crisis without asking Naruto or Sakura to share the danger.
• Minato Namikaze, Sakura, and Naruto found Second Pillar and joined his search for Cheng.
• Uchiha Itachi found Uchiha Cheng before Second Pillar and confronted her, intending to take her away by force.

Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar faced Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, who suppressed their powers, until Jiraiya arrived and rescued them. Jiraiya then prepared to confront the two enemies while Cheng and Second Pillar recovered.

• Uchiha Itachi tried to take Uchiha Cheng away, but Second Pillar appeared and challenged him.
• Second Pillar attacked Uchiha Itachi with Chidori, but Itachi overpowered him, and Kisame suppressed Uchiha Cheng's Chakra.
• Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar struggled to resist, hoping Naruto and the others would find them.
• Jiraiya arrived in time to rescue Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar, then said he would handle Uchiha Itachi and Kisame himself.

Jiraiya tried to keep Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar out of the fight with Uchiha Itachi and Kisame, but they joined the battle anyway. Uchiha Itachi overpowered Second Pillar and used Tsukuyomi to make him relive his parents’ murder, leaving him collapsed and unable to fight.

• Jiraiya told Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar to rest while he handled Uchiha Itachi and Kisame alone.
• Uchiha Cheng and Second Pillar appeared and attacked despite Jiraiya’s warning, insisting the matter was theirs to resolve.
• Uchiha Itachi quickly overwhelmed Second Pillar, while Uchiha Cheng challenged his taunts.
• Second Pillar refused to give up even as Uchiha Itachi pressed his advantage and decided to use Tsukuyomi.
• Uchiha Itachi made Second Pillar relive his parents’ murder, leaving him mentally shattered and collapsed on the ground.

Uchiha Cheng decided to seek out the Fifth Hokage and prepared to leave after Rock Lee gave him a gift. Meanwhile, Tsunade and Shizune returned to a casino, and Uchiha Cheng’s search later brought unexpected difficulties for him and Jiraiya.

• Uchiha Cheng resolved to seek out the Fifth Hokage, and Rock Lee praised him for understanding the mission.
• Rock Lee gave Uchiha Cheng a set of clothes modeled after his own, which Uchiha Cheng enthusiastically accepted before preparing to leave.
• Tsunade and Shizune entered a casino, where other gamblers recognized Tsunade as the losing regular they called Fat Sheep.
• Shizune warned Tsunade about the gamblers’ comments, but Tsunade ignored them and joined another round.
• Uchiha Cheng encountered difficulties during his search for the Fifth Hokage, creating trouble for himself and Jiraiya.

Uchiha Cheng asked Jiraiya to teach him the Rasengan so he could use his skills to earn money, then struggled through the water-balloon training exercise. After injuring his hands and making no progress, Cheng remained determined to train, while Jiraiya stopped trying to dissuade him.

• Uchiha Cheng complained that he and Jiraiya were running short of money, but Jiraiya told him not to worry about finding work.
• Uchiha Cheng saw a street performance demonstrating the Rasengan and persuaded Jiraiya to teach him the technique.
• Jiraiya began training Uchiha Cheng with the water-balloon exercise, and Cheng repeatedly failed despite diligent practice.
• Jiraiya spent less time checking on Cheng, who continued training alone and eventually asked his teacher for advice.
• Uchiha Cheng overworked his hands until he could barely hold chopsticks, but insisted he wanted to become stronger.
• Jiraiya warned Cheng against forcing a breakthrough, then stopped advising him as Cheng remained set on training.

Uchiha Cheng overcame his training bottleneck with help from a cat, reconciled with Jiraiya, and began learning a new method for condensing Chakra. Meanwhile, Jiraiya searched for Tsunade as Orochimaru and Kabuto pursued powerful experts, and Yihuaquan voiced suspicions about his own strange circumstances.

• Uchiha Cheng burst the water balloon after a cat gave him the inspiration he needed, then excitedly told Jiraiya about his progress.
• Jiraiya explained that Cheng's worries had kept him from concentrating and that he had left him to overcome the bottleneck himself; the two spoke openly and Cheng thanked him.
• Jiraiya taught Cheng to use a coordinate system to condense Chakra, and Cheng continued practicing on his own.
• Jiraiya searched Konoha for news of Tsunade while Orochimaru and Kabuto continued looking for powerful experts.
• Yihuaquan and another person remained uneasy about their situation, and Yihuaquan wondered why he had won an award despite feeling like a failure.

Tsunade and Shizune investigated Tsunade’s inexplicable gambling wins while Uchiha Cheng advanced to the final stage of Rasengan training with Jiraiya’s advice. Orochimaru found Tsunade before Jiraiya did, and Tsunade asked why he had sought her out.

• Tsunade and Shizune suspected someone was behind Tsunade’s sudden winning streak and agreed to investigate.
• Uchiha Cheng reached the final stage of Rasengan training and asked Jiraiya what to expect.
• Jiraiya told Uchiha Cheng to combine his Chakra with the method he had used to burst the water balloon.
• Uchiha Cheng began shaping Chakra into a sphere while Jiraiya continued searching for Tsunade.
• Orochimaru found Tsunade, and Shizune identified him before Tsunade asked what he wanted.

Orochimaru offered to heal Tsunade’s hands in exchange for her help reviving two people she loved, and she asked for time to decide. Jiraiya and Uchiha Cheng found Tsunade and asked her to become the Fifth Hokage, but she refused, leaving her conflicted as Shizune questioned her decision.

• Orochimaru offered Tsunade a deal: heal his hands and he would revive the two people most important to her; Tsunade asked for several days to think it over.
• Jiraiya discovered signs that Orochimaru was searching for Tsunade, and he and Uchiha Cheng hurried onward to find her.
• Jiraiya and Uchiha Cheng found Tsunade at a tavern, where Jiraiya asked her to become Konoha’s Fifth Hokage.
• Tsunade rejected the offer, saying she was not suited to the role, though she weighed Orochimaru’s promise against the demands of becoming Hokage.
• Shizune asked Tsunade why she had refused Jiraiya and Uchiha Cheng’s offer.

Tsunade rejected the offer to become Konoha’s Hokage and considered Orochimaru’s promise to fulfill the wishes of the two people most important to her. Uchiha Cheng pressed her for a duel, but Tsunade proposed a bet: if he learned the Rasengan within a week, she would fight him.

• Shizune warned Tsunade not to accept Orochimaru’s proposal, while Tsunade said she had temporarily refused Uchiha Cheng and the others.
• Uchiha Cheng confronted Tsunade over rejecting their proposal and challenged her to a duel.
• Tsunade dismissed Uchiha Cheng’s chances, but he insisted he would not leave without an answer.
• Tsunade offered to duel Uchiha Cheng if he learned the Rasengan within a week.
• Tsunade privately decided that if Uchiha Cheng later defeated her, she would give him her treasured necklace.

Shizune warned Uchiha Cheng that everyone who had won Tsunade’s pendant wager had died, but he refused to withdraw and trained for the contest. Shizune then tried to stop Tsunade from seeking Orochimaru, and Tsunade considered using illegal means when Shizune vowed to stop her.

• Shizune visited Uchiha Cheng and warned him that everyone who had obtained Tsunade’s pendant had eventually died.
• Uchiha Cheng dismissed Shizune’s warning, insisted he would win the wager, and trained hard for a week.
• Someone struck Jiraiya and put him into a deep sleep, which Uchiha Cheng did not notice.
• Shizune confronted Tsunade about her plan to visit Orochimaru, warning that he was deceiving her about resurrecting the dead.
• Tsunade refused to abandon her plan, and Shizune vowed to stop her even if it cost her life.
• Tsunade feared she might have to use illegal means to get past Shizune.

Tsunade left to bargain with Orochimaru for the resurrection of the two people most important to her, despite Shizune trying to stop her. After Shizune told Jiraiya what had happened, he and Uchiha Cheng set out to find Tsunade, who hesitated when Orochimaru pressed her to complete the deal.

• Tsunade knocked Shizune unconscious and went to meet Orochimaru.
• Shizune found Jiraiya and explained that Tsunade had accepted Orochimaru's offer to resurrect two important people.
• Jiraiya promised to help Shizune stop Tsunade and went to find Uchiha Cheng.
• Uchiha Cheng agreed to help, and he, Jiraiya, and the others set out toward Orochimaru's location.
• Tsunade met Orochimaru to make the deal but began doubting whether his resurrection method was real and would bring back the people she wanted.

Tsunade confronted Orochimaru after realizing he had deceived her, then fought Kabuto when he intervened. She exposed Kabuto’s mistake and disrupted his nerves, but the confrontation continued as she learned they had secretly observed her fear of blood.

• Tsunade demanded that Orochimaru prove his claims, then became furious when he admitted he had deceived her and challenged him to fight.
• Tsunade and Orochimaru moved their battle to the plains, while Kabuto became the only one able to fight on Orochimaru’s side.
• Kabuto used Chakra-based tactics and Tsunade’s fear of blood to gain an advantage, but Tsunade spotted his mistake and disrupted his nerves.
• Tsunade accused Kabuto and Orochimaru of secretly watching her to learn her weakness, and Kabuto defended their actions as necessary for their goals.

Uchiha Cheng, Jiraiya, and Shizune arrived to rescue Tsunade from Kabuto and Orochimaru. With Tsunade exhausted and both Jiraiya and Uchiha Cheng impaired by the medicine, Jiraiya charged at Orochimaru while Uchiha Cheng faced Kabuto.

• Tsunade told Kabuto she would never agree to his request, and he threatened to exploit her fear of blood.
• Uchiha Cheng and the others reached Tsunade, who admitted she regretted coming but had resisted Orochimaru and Kabuto.
• Tsunade was too exhausted to fight, while Jiraiya discovered the medicine had limited his techniques and left him able to summon only Gamagichi.
• Uchiha Cheng tested his abilities and found that his Summoning Technique was only half-functional, as Jiraiya rushed to confront Orochimaru.
• Kabuto challenged Tsunade and her companions, and Uchiha Cheng stepped forward to fight him.

Uchiha Cheng battled Kabuto to protect Tsunade while Jiraiya fought Orochimaru, whose advantage grew as Jiraiya’s strength failed. Cheng struck Kabuto with a Rasengan but was critically injured by Kabuto’s Chakra technique, leaving Tsunade to treat him and Shizune to face Kabuto.

• Uchiha Cheng taunted Kabuto into fighting, while Jiraiya and Orochimaru began their own battle.
• Orochimaru gained the advantage over Jiraiya and suspected that Jiraiya was weakened, but Jiraiya charged at him again.
• Uchiha Cheng stopped Kabuto’s final tactic and hit him with a Rasengan, but Kabuto cut the muscles near Cheng’s heart with his Chakra technique.
• Tsunade rushed to Cheng as Shizune stepped in to fight Kabuto and asked Tsunade to treat him.
• Tsunade examined Cheng’s critical injuries, while Cheng accepted that he had been hurt protecting her.

Tsunade overcame her fear of blood and protected Uchiha Cheng, then prepared to fight Orochimaru alongside Jiraiya. As the battle began, Orochimaru charged at Xiao Zhang, but Toad Sage suddenly arrived.

• Orochimaru tried to stab Uchiha Cheng, but Tsunade blocked his blade and declared she would protect her friends.
• Tsunade overcame her fear of blood, confronted Orochimaru, and prepared to fight him with Jiraiya while Uchiha Cheng stayed back.
• After the stalemate broke, Orochimaru charged at Xiao Zhang, but Toad Sage suddenly arrived just as Orochimaru was about to bite him.

Uchiha Cheng and his allies defeated Orochimaru, and Tsunade treated Uchiha Cheng before inviting everyone to a hot spring. After thieves stole Tsunade’s pendant, Uchiha Cheng learned they were trying to recover money Tsunade owed them and promised to help collect the debt.

• Toad Boss joined Uchiha Cheng and the others, and they fought Orochimaru until the battle ended.
• Tsunade thanked everyone, treated Uchiha Cheng’s injuries, and suggested they relax at a nearby hot spring.
• Two thieves stole the pendant Tsunade had given Uchiha Cheng, so he chased them down and demanded an explanation.
• The thieves said Tsunade owed them money and they had stolen the pendant to recover their debt.
• Uchiha Cheng apologized for Tsunade’s actions and promised to help the thieves collect what she owed.

Uchiha Cheng helped Tsunade settle the thieves’ debt, and Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, treated several villagers, and examined Rock Lee. She found his injuries had worsened until he could no longer be a ninja, then proposed a risky operation as a possible cure, leaving the group to consider whether Rock Lee should decide for himself.

• Uchiha Cheng persuaded Tsunade to repay the two thieves, and Konoha returned to peace as Tsunade took up the role of Fifth Hokage.
• Konohamaru ran away in anger after learning Tsunade had become Hokage, but Uchiha Cheng persuaded him to accept her appointment.
• Tsunade treated Second Pillar and Kakashi-sensei, then examined Rock Lee and found that his continued training had made his injuries severe and threatened his ability to be a ninja.
• Tsunade researched Rock Lee’s condition and proposed a high-risk operation that might cure him but could also kill him.
• Uchiha Cheng supported trying the operation, while Xiao Zhang argued that Rock Lee should make the decision himself.

Tsunade took up the duties of Fifth Hokage while Konohamaru, grieving his grandfather, barricaded himself in the Hokage's office. After Tsunade persuaded him to leave, Konoha prepared for her inauguration, and she continued seeking ways to improve Rock Lee's chances of surviving surgery.

• After Konoha's leaders urged her to take the position, Tsunade accepted the Hokage's duties and discovered Konohamaru had locked himself inside the Hokage's office.
• Tsunade demanded that Konohamaru leave, but he refused to accept anyone replacing his grandfather as Hokage.
• Uchiha Cheng intervened to stop Tsunade from using force and tried to persuade Konohamaru to come out.
• Tsunade confronted Konohamaru, and he eventually left the office and returned home after recognizing that Konoha needed a new leader.
• Konoha began preparing for Tsunade's inauguration while she continued searching for ways to improve Rock Lee's chances in surgery.