Chapter Summaries

Genma entered Iwagakure under disguise to protect Kabuto Yakushi from a suspected attack by Yakushi Nonō. After fighting through the stone forest, he neared a clash between two figures and spotted another person lying in wait.

• Genma learned that Yakushi Nonō had entered the Land of Earth and prepared to intervene before she and Kabuto turned against each other.
• A Chiqian Village ninja disguised Genma as an Iwagakure patrol ninja and led him to a stone forest where Kabuto might be attacked.
• After an explosion lit the night, Genma sent his escort away and rushed toward the disturbance, but his Shadow Clones were destroyed by hidden attackers.
• Three Iwagakure ninja trapped Genma in an Earth Release stone prison, but he broke free and killed them.
• Genma hurried deeper into the stone forest, passed two figures fighting with Kunai, and spotted a concealed figure preparing to strike from a hilltop.

Genma arrived as Kabuto Yakushi fought Yakushi Nonō and took the injured pair to Tsunade’s residence for treatment. Shizune and Kana arrived to help Nonō as her condition worsened.

• Genma reached Kabuto and Nonō after Kabuto had wounded her, then revealed his identity to Kabuto.
• Genma treated Nonō while explaining that Danzo had manipulated Kabuto and Nonō into fighting.
• Genma used the Flying Thunder God Technique to bring Kabuto and Nonō to Tsunade’s residence.
• Genma left to fetch help while Kabuto continued treating Nonō and struggled with her failure to recognize him.
• Shizune and Kana arrived, and Shizune urged Kana to use a technique as Nonō’s eyes began to lose focus.

Genma rescued Kabuto and Nonō from Danzo’s plot, and Shizune, Kana, and Genma healed Nonō while Kabuto recovered. Over a late-night meal, Shizune questioned Genma about his far-reaching trade association, which he admitted had spread through the five great nations and seven small nations.

• Genma reassured Kabuto and explained to Shizune that Kabuto and Nonō had risked their lives as Konohagakure spies.
• Genma took over treating Nonō when Kabuto became too distraught to continue, and promised Kabuto that Nonō would recover and he could live freely.
• Genma, Shizune, and Kana healed Nonō, while Kabuto fell asleep as he waited for her to wake.
• Shizune stopped Genma from leaving and took him to a restaurant, where she questioned his motives and his influence across the ninja villages.
• Genma told Shizune that his trade association had spread through the five great nations and seven small nations, prompting her to scold him for hiding its scale from the village.

Genma explained to Shizune that his commercial empire, medical experts, and support for Tsunade were part of a long-term plan to develop profitable pharmaceutical businesses. Shizune misunderstood his explanation of reproductive medicines and angrily accused him of sending Kana and her mother to Tsunade for that purpose.

• Shizune challenged Genma over his merchant association's profits, and Genma claimed most of its funds were needed for expansion while Tsunade received fifty million ryo each month.
• Shizune accused Genma of deliberately arranging for Kana and her mother to learn medical ninjutsu and questioned his motives for supporting Tsunade.
• Genma admitted he had hoped to develop their abilities, but offered to take them away while continuing Tsunade's monthly payments.
• Genma defended his intelligence network, armed protection, and medical experts as sensible parts of business growth, then explained that he had long planned to make money from pharmaceuticals.
• Genma connected pharmaceutical demand to medicines used in adult industries, and Shizune blushed before angrily accusing him of sending Kana and her mother to Tsunade for that purpose.

Genma brought Kabuto and Nonō to the Capital of the Land of Fire after Kabuto reconciled with her, hoping they would settle into their new lives. Kabuto revealed that Nonō wanted to return to Konohagakure to care for the orphanage children, and Genma went to speak with her.

• Genma learned that Kabuto and Nonō had reconciled, then brought them to the Capital of the Land of Fire and left Shizune a Flying Thunder God Kunai.
• Genma visited Kabuto and found him uneasy despite his comfortable new home.
• Kabuto told Genma that Nonō was worried about the children at the orphanage and wanted to return to Konohagakure.
• Genma reassured Kabuto that he would handle Nonō's concerns, and Kabuto cried as Genma comforted him.
• Genma went to Nonō's residence, where she admitted that she could not stop worrying about the orphanage children.

Genma persuaded Yakushi Nonō not to return to the orphanage immediately and proposed working together against Danzo. Nonō agreed to stay for now, asking Genma to keep her informed about the children.

• Genma warned Yakushi Nonō that Danzo might target her again if she returned, but she insisted she had to protect the children at the orphanage.
• Genma argued that returning could endanger Nonō and suggested they find another way to protect the children and retaliate against Danzo.
• Genma urged Nonō to question Danzo's loyalty to Konohagakure and reminded her how Root had stayed out of the Nine-Tails attack.
• Nonō asked how confident Genma was about eliminating Danzo, and he admitted his information was limited but said her knowledge could improve their chances.
• Nonō agreed to stay with Genma for now and asked him to tell her regularly how the children at the orphanage were doing.

Genma gathered intelligence and allies for a counterattack against Danzo while persuading Nonō to remain with Kabuto instead of returning to Konohagakure. A month later, the campaign began by turning the major ninja villages against Danzo, and the chapter ended with a meeting underway in a hidden basement in Sunagakure.

• Genma persuaded Nonō to stay at the guesthouse for a few days and invited her to help plan the counterattack against Danzo.
• Nonō gave Genma information about Danzo’s misdeeds, and Genma’s subordinates investigated his victims, assassination targets, and children taken into Root.
• Genma used the orphanage news and his arguments to convince Nonō to abandon her plan to return to Konohagakure.
• After a month of preparations, Genma launched the counterattack by spreading repeated negative claims about Danzo through an informant network across the major ninja villages.
• Four people gathered around a table in a hidden basement in Sunagakure.

Four Sunagakure faction leaders discussed reports blaming Danzo for attacks across the ninja villages and considered how Konohagakure’s internal turmoil could benefit them. They began planning to expand their faction and demand concessions, while similar secret meetings took place in other villages.

• The four Sunagakure leaders reviewed reports implicating Danzo in assassinations and debated whether the accusations were a trap or part of Konohagakure’s internal conflict.
• The lean man and the old man reasoned that the Third Hokage might be exposing Danzo to weaken a rival and consolidate power.
• The lean man urged the faction to use the turmoil to gain benefits from Konohagakure and expand its influence within Sunagakure.
• The four leaders agreed to devise demands for the Kazekage’s approval, while similar meetings unfolded secretly in other villages.

Danzo responded to the villages’ pressure by sacrificing Root members and presenting their deaths as proof of Konoha’s loyalty. Genma recognized Danzo’s plan and prepared a response as Konoha’s negotiations with the other villages stalled.

• Danzo read intelligence reports about the great villages’ plans and told a masked ninja that Root might have to make sacrifices for Konoha.
• Several days later, dozens of young people in Konoha died, leaving letters expressing guilt and willingness to sacrifice themselves for the village.
• Genma learned what Danzo was doing and returned to Baoduoduo’s headquarters to issue orders and monitor developments.
• The Third Hokage offered compensation to the major villages after reporting Konoha’s casualties, but they demanded greater benefits and the negotiations reached a deadlock.

Genma’s campaign turned Konoha’s praise of Danzo into fear and pity for Root, while rumors worsened the major villages’ compensation demands. Genma prepared the next stage of his plan, convinced Danzo was unfit to rule Konoha alone.

• Genma’s side redirected Konoha’s rumors from Danzo’s achievements toward the suffering of Root members, while the major villages grew more suspicious of Konoha’s compensation offer.
• Rumors spread that Root members were forced to kill one another and that some Konoha ninja who died by suicide might have belonged to Root.
• Konoha’s villagers and children began fearing Danzo, who preferred their fear to their earlier praise.
• Danzo arranged to investigate suspicious people, but interrogation and memory examinations found no proof of wrongdoing.
• Genma remained cautious and directed his subordinates to begin the next stage of the plan against Danzo.
• Genma concluded that Danzo could serve alongside the Third Hokage but was unfit to become Hokage himself.

Genma’s rumor campaign turned Konoha’s fear of Danzo into concern that he might become Hokage, while Danzo ordered Root to hunt those spreading the stories. As Genma shifted tactics and circulated pointed accounts of Danzo’s conduct during Nine-Tails Night, Danzo found himself unable to stop the rumors.

• Villagers discussed Danzo’s past bid for Hokage and worried that he might pursue the position again.
• After Genma confirmed that villagers understood Danzo’s ambitions, Danzo had Root seize and interrogate people who had whispered about him.
• A Root ninja told Danzo that the rumors’ sources were scattered among people outside the village, so Danzo ordered Root members to follow villagers leaving Konoha and kill suspicious targets.
• Genma changed the rumor spreaders and circulated accounts accusing Danzo of hiding during Nine-Tails Night and pursuing the Hokage position for himself.
• Danzo’s subordinates returned with kunai and papers containing sharp questions about his actions, leaving him furious as ambiguous discussions resumed in Konoha.

Danzo blamed the four great villages for spreading rumors and bounties against him, then decided to target Yakushi Nonō through the orphanage she ran. When Genma learned of Danzo’s threat to the children, he worried about hiding it from Nonō and Kabuto, though he had already prepared measures to make the orphanage self-sufficient.

• Danzo discovered that enemy ninja and Rogue Ninja were spreading rumors and that a bounty on him had appeared at underground offices.
• As fear of Danzo, Root, and Anbu grew among Konoha’s villagers, Hiruzen Sarutobi discussed the campaign with Danzo in the Hokage’s Office.
• Danzo suspected Yakushi Nonō had defected and proposed using the orphanage’s children to pressure her, while Hiruzen warned him not to go too far.
• News that Danzo was using the children as leverage reached major bounty offices, and Genma learned of the threat.
• Genma worried that Nonō and Kabuto would discover the truth, but reminded himself that he had already made the orphanage self-sufficient.

Villagers rallied at the Hokage Building to demand the orphans’ safety, and Hiruzen Sarutobi publicly promised to protect them before ordering Danzo to release them. Danzo wrongly concluded that Hiruzen was secretly undermining him, then ordered the orphans freed and Root recalled.

• Genma stirred up villagers’ sympathy by spreading rumors that Danzo had taken the orphanage children for his organization.
• Villagers surrounded the Hokage Building and pressed the guards to bring out the Third Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi reassured the villagers that the children would be safe, then privately ordered Danzo to release them.
• Danzo investigated how the orphanage children had become independent and blamed Hiruzen Sarutobi for secretly weakening his control.
• Danzo ordered all the orphans released, every Root member recalled, and all ongoing missions canceled.

Genma continued training Yana, who improved enough to nearly defeat one of his Shadow Clones, and decided to teach her Earth Release after she worried about falling behind Itachi. He gave her a scroll to test her talent, but Yana fell for its Genjutsu and Genma had to release her from it.

• Genma set aside his plans to eliminate Danzo and kept Yakushi Nonō and Kabuto busy with medical training, experiments, and medicinal research.
• Yana improved her basic ninjutsu and weapons skills, then exhausted one of Genma's Shadow Clones during a fight.
• Yana demanded powerful ninjutsu because Itachi had become a Chunin, so Genma teased her into agreeing to study harder.
• Genma handed Yana a scroll containing a Genjutsu, and she froze after falling for the trap.
• Genma tapped Yana's forehead and called out Release, freeing her from the Genjutsu as she complained about the scroll.

Genma tested Yana’s Chakra natures to determine which ninjutsu she could learn. Yana displayed Water, Fire, and a third nature, leaving Genma stunned as he waited to see what the final test paper would reveal.

• Yana complained that Genma had not warned her about the Genjutsu trap in the scroll, and Genma showed her its tiny warning mark.
• Genma gave Yana five Chakra test papers and asked her to test her Chakra natures.
• Yana’s first test paper became damp, revealing that she possessed Water Style Chakra.
• Yana’s second paper showed no reaction, so she insisted she would have more natures than Genma and Itachi.
• Yana’s third paper burst into flames, revealing Fire Style Chakra, and her fourth paper shrank inward, surprising Genma.

Yana confirmed she had four chakra natures, and Genma promised to teach her a rare, seal-less growth-type ninjutsu after she built a solid foundation. He demonstrated his Spiral Cone in the courtyard, leaving Yana doubtful of its power when it first appeared small.

• Yana tested the fifth chakra paper, which shattered and confirmed she possessed four natures.
• Genma told Yana to train on her own and fight his full-force Shadow Clones, then offered a B-rank ninjutsu as a reward.
• Genma explained that the technique he had developed could grow to A-rank with Nature Transformation and warned Yana it was dangerous.
• Yana said she distrusted brothers because of Sasuke's brother, leaving Genma discouraged about changing her nickname for him.
• Genma demonstrated the Spiral Cone, first forming a small cone in his palm and then enlarging it to show its size could change.

Genma used the Spiral Cone to entice Yana into training, presenting its elemental variations as several powerful techniques. He then continued his own sword training in the Land of Iron, where he was nearing a breakthrough in senjutsu and Man-Blade Unity.

• Genma demonstrated a fiery red Spiral Cone to Yana, who complained that its attack on the dirt showed too little power.
• Genma claimed the Spiral Cone could become three elemental techniques without hand seals, convincing Yana to take a C-Rank ninjutsu scroll and train on her own.
• Genma traveled to the Land of Iron and persuaded the old masters to spend less time chatting and more time sparring.
• Genma neared successful senjutsu cultivation, with the prospect of entering the Dao Fusion realm of Man-Blade Unity by comprehending the will of Heart's Ninjutsu.

Genma endured increasingly difficult sparring in the Land of Iron while continuing his hidden senjutsu training, and his swordsmanship grew strong enough to match two elders. As the elders escalated to fighting him in groups of three, exhaustion drove him to rely increasingly on Divine Concealment, and he dreamed of endlessly battling enemies.

• Genma secretly trained his mindset on a balanced platform and practiced maintaining it while doing everyday activities.
• Genma’s progress with Divine Concealment led the Land of Iron’s elders to spar with him in pairs, and he fought them using Blade Momentum without relying on the sword’s special abilities.
• After months of harsh training, Genma’s physical condition and strength improved, but the elders responded by intensifying their beatings and lessons.
• Yana learned a C-Rank Ninjutsu, defeated one of Genma’s Shadow Clones, and began practicing Chakra Control on her own.
• Genma reached an even match against two elders, but they started fighting him in groups of three and defeated him more quickly.
• Exhausted and increasingly dependent on Divine Concealment for support, Genma dreamed that he fought endless enemies without a chance to rest.

After a dreamlike battle, Shiranui Genma awoke with enhanced senses and what he suspected was Sage Mode, while Divine Concealment had disappeared. He demonstrated a powerful new ability and went to Gozan Sanban for help, but remained worried about how to safely deactivate Sage Mode.

• In a dream, Shiranui Genma fought endless enemies until his decaying blade became Divine Concealment and the scene transformed.
• Genma awoke with dark circles, dark-red pupils, and vastly expanded sensory abilities, but could not find Divine Concealment.
• At a secluded training ground, Genma gathered Blade Momentum and sent an invisible force through a distant tree, then worried that Nature Energy might harm him.
• Genma used Flying Thunder God to visit Gozan Sanban in the Land of Iron and asked him about his changes.
• After hearing Genma describe the dream, Gozan Sanban suspected Sage Mode, and Genma began to understand how he had awakened it but still did not know how to deactivate it.

Shiranui Genma consulted the six elders about Divine Concealment, his unexplained Sage Mode, and how to undo it. Yagyū Uchijō proposed that Genma help the elders attempt Sage Mode themselves, while guiding away Nature Energy if they lost control.

• Mifune gathered the elders, and Genma asked them to stop teasing him and help find a way to handle Divine Concealment and deactivate Sage Mode.
• Mifune suggested Divine Concealment had let Genma train in senjutsu through dreams, and Tokugawa Banjō and Hokushin Shinryō proposed it had merged with his body or spirit.
• Ito Genshō speculated that Divine Concealment had entered the place where power gathered, while Miyamoto Hachizō urged the elders to collect more information and run targeted tests.
• Yagyū Uchijō recalled a detail from Genma's dream and said he had an idea that might separate Divine Concealment and deactivate Sage Mode.
• Yagyū Uchijō explained that the elders wanted Genma to control the Nature Energy in their bodies as they tried to enter Sage Mode, guiding it to their hands or fingers if they lost control.