Chapter Summaries

Tsukishiro and Karatachi Yagura agreed to cooperate with Ōnoki and Liusha on fish farming, while Tsukishiro also decided to undermine the Daimyo’s authority in the Land of Water. The four villages’ leaders then joined forces to challenge the Ōtsutsuki Clan in the Trial Tower.

• Torikaze urged Tsukishiro to spread support for the Mizukage, and Tsukishiro agreed to control the Daimyo’s youngest son and place the others under house arrest.
• Ōnoki and Liusha met Tsukishiro and Karatachi Yagura and agreed to invest in their fish-farming plan with technical guidance.
• The four leaders arranged formal talks to settle investment details and shares before leaving Konoha.
• Ōnoki proposed that the Kage join forces against the Ōtsutsuki Clan in the Trial Tower, and Tsukishiro agreed.
• After General Mifune and the Fourth Kazekage arrived, the four villages’ leaders set out for the Trial Tower, warned that Liusha and Ōnoki had been killed by a roar in their previous encounter.

Ōnoki led the Kazekage, Mifune, and the other Kage into the Trial Tower to face its Ōtsutsuki stages and learn about their enemies. After earning rewards in the beginner test, they survived Isshiki’s opening roar and prepared to fight him as he attacked with enormous stone pillars.

• Ōnoki led the four villages’ leaders to the Trial Tower and warned them that the Ōtsutsuki were far beyond their strength.
• The group cleared the beginner test, earning rewards including Sharpness Force for Mifune, Heavy Water Force for Karatachi Yagura, and Precision Force for Rōsha.
• The Kage entered the Ōtsutsuki stage and layered their defenses, but Isshiki’s roar shattered them before fading.
• Ōnoki explained that Isshiki could absorb objects and fire them back after he sent enormous stone pillars crashing down on the group.
• Ōnoki refused to withdraw, and the Kage prepared to fight Isshiki in the virtual trial.

The Kage were crushed by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki’s stone pillars in the Trial Tower, leaving them with a sobering sense of the power gap between themselves and the Ōtsutsuki Clan. Back at Torikaze’s home, Ran explained that he and Xinyu were ordinary friends again and that he intended to understand her and resolve his own concerns before pursuing a relationship.

• Ōtsutsuki Isshiki overwhelmed the six Kage with falling stone pillars, crushing them and ending their Trial Tower challenge.
• Ōnoki, Karatachi Yagura, Tsukishiro, and the others recognized how far their strength fell short of the Ōtsutsuki Clan’s and agreed to keep sightseeing in Konoha during the New Year holiday.
• After reflecting on their defeat, the Kage independently concluded that they should gather and challenge Isshiki again the next day.
• Ran told Torikaze that he and Xinyu had returned to being ordinary friends and that he still had feelings for her, but would first understand her better and address his own identity and circumstances.

Torikaze advised Ran to take his feelings for Xinyu slowly and consider the challenges their future would bring. After Ran left, Torikaze remembered Hiruzen was waiting to hear about a major construction contract and told him about the Mizukage’s plans.

• Torikaze warned Ran that affection might fade and that their different responsibilities and distant homes would make a lasting relationship difficult.
• Torikaze advised Ran to spend the next two months with Xinyu naturally and let their time apart in Another World reveal whether their feelings endured.
• Ran thanked Torikaze and left, and Hiruzen called to ask about the contract Torikaze had promised to discuss.
• Torikaze explained that the Mizukage wanted a grander shinobi village built on land, along with facilities for raising fish, in a project worth four or five hundred million.
• Hiruzen prepared to visit the Mizukage and negotiate the contract, while Torikaze urged him to discuss the work directly with the clients.

Torikaze and Hiruzen arranged for Konoha to build a new shinobi village and fishing equipment for the Land of Water, while the visiting Kage prepared to leave after Spring Festival. Their final challenge against Ōtsutsuki Isshiki ended in defeat, and Ōnoki arranged for them to return next year.

• Torikaze told Hiruzen to discuss the Land of Water's construction needs and design with the Mizukage, while Hiruzen focused on securing benefits for his team.
• Konoha and the Land of Water reached a preliminary construction agreement, and the Land of Water finalized separate cooperation deals with Iwagakure and Sunagakure.
• Tomohiro and his family thanked Torikaze for hosting them and left, while Torikaze reflected on the end of the Spring Festival gatherings.
• Torikaze sensed the Kage heading to the Trial Tower for one last challenge against Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.
• The challengers were defeated by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, and Ōnoki agreed with the others to return for another attempt next Spring Festival.

The Kage left Konoha after agreeing to challenge Ōtsutsuki Isshiki again next New Year, while Torikaze reflected on Tsukishiro’s fading influence and unchanging youth. Torikaze then spoke with Xinyu about her decision to remain friends with Ran, leaving their future open to fate.

• Several Kage-level challengers went to the Trial Tower and were defeated by Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, so Ōnoki and the others agreed to return next New Year.
• The leaders of the four great nations departed Konoha, and Torikaze offered to help Tsukishiro if he ever faced difficulties.
• Torikaze reflected that Tsukishiro would gradually fade from view as the new Mizukage led Kirigakure, while Ōnoki promised to speak with him next time.
• Torikaze met Xinyu on the street and learned she had chosen her career and family over following Ran to the Land of Whirlpools.
• Torikaze told Xinyu that neither she nor Ran was wrong and suggested they remain friends and see whether their relationship could develop.

Torikaze discussed Ran and Xinyu’s relationship with Xinyu, who chose to keep things cautious while considering her feelings for Ran. After leaving her to make her own decisions, Torikaze turned his attention to recruiting teachers and students for the Academy of Arts.

• Xinyu told Torikaze she valued her Hokage Secretary position and believed she and Ran should take time apart while he prepared for an internship in another world.
• Torikaze advised Xinyu to make her own choice, and she said she liked Ran but thought their circumstances made a deeper relationship unwise.
• Torikaze returned to the Cloud Clan Grounds, saw Ran sweeping the courtyard, and decided not to interfere in their relationship.
• Torikaze reviewed Minato’s information and approved the Academy of Arts’ proposed style after its site selection and demolition were completed.
• Torikaze began drafting advertisements to recruit teachers and students throughout Konoha and the Land of Fire.

Torikaze arranged a Land of Fire-wide recruitment drive for Konoha’s Academy of Arts, which opened enrollment to a thousand students and over a hundred teachers. As Ran prepared to leave for an internship in another world, he chose to put his country before his growing affection for Xinyu.

• Torikaze planned advertisements and recruitment across the Land of Fire, and Minato arranged for Anbu to find and screen prospective students and teachers.
• Two months later, Konoha had completed the Academy of Arts and recruited one thousand students and more than a hundred teachers ahead of its opening ceremony.
• Ran decided to leave for his internship the next morning, despite his warm friendship with Xinyu and his reluctance to leave the Windcloud Clan.
• Torikaze praised Ran’s abilities and told him he would send him back to the Land of Whirlpools after the internship, having temporarily stabilized the country himself.
• Ran asked Torikaze whether the internship had a specific time limit.

Ran prepared to leave Konoha for Another World, where he would complete Torikaze’s internship tasks before returning to the Land of Whirlpools. At the portal, Ran and Xinyu acknowledged their feelings but accepted that neither could abandon their homeland for the other.

• Torikaze told Ran he would have to complete his internship tasks or lose Konoha’s cooperation with the Land of Whirlpools, and Ran vowed to restore his country.
• Ran prepared to leave for Another World, believing he could finish his tasks, including choosing a successor for the Uzumaki Clan.
• The Windcloud Clan and Ran’s friends gathered to say goodbye, and Ran promised Kushina, Minato, Yahiko, and Konan that he would visit again.
• Xinyu came to the portal to see Ran off and explained that they cared for each other but could not give up Konoha or the Land of Whirlpools.
• Ran accepted that he had been selfish to expect Xinyu to leave everything behind and follow him.

Ran and Xinyu said goodbye because neither could abandon their responsibilities to the Land of Whirlpools or Konoha. After Ran left, Torikaze welcomed a group of students from Kirigakure, brought by Karatachi Yagura.

• Xinyu and Ran acknowledged their feelings but agreed they could not give up their homes and responsibilities, then Ran entered the portal and left.
• Xinyu returned to Konoha, while Torikaze told Kushina that Ran and Xinyu would likely have to remain apart and ordered Ran's room kept for him.
• Torikaze reassured Kushina that Ran could help the Land of Whirlpools rise again, then learned that Kirigakure's students were nearing Konoha.
• Torikaze and Minato waited at Konoha's gates, where Karatachi Yagura arrived with Kirigakure's selected young men and women.
• Torikaze praised the students' qualities, promised they would learn useful skills, and Karatachi Yagura went to rest.

Torikaze welcomed forty students from Kirigakure and explained that their studies at Konoha’s new art school were tied to cooperation between the villages. He brought them to temporary apartments before their school began the next morning, leaving them nervous about competition and the attention they received.

• Torikaze praised the forty students selected by Karatachi Yagura and accepted responsibility for them.
• Torikaze warned the students that they would compete with Konoha’s students and one another, and that Kirigakure’s cooperation could be canceled if none became stars.
• The students promised to study hard, and Torikaze told them to move into temporary apartments until the dormitories were ready.
• Villagers praised the students as Torikaze led them through Konoha, and he told them to get used to receiving attention.
• Torikaze brought the students to the apartment district, where they were amazed by the buildings.

Torikaze settled the visiting youths into Konoha’s apartments, while Mei and her best friend discussed Mei’s secret identity and plans to become stars. The chapter ended with the two girls meeting a cold-faced Yuki Clan girl downstairs.

• Torikaze showed the youths to gender-separated apartments and told them to attend class the next day.
• Torikaze noticed several promising children and wondered whether one girl’s clan would agree to let her stay.
• Mei’s best friend warned her that Torikaze might have seen through her disguise and urged her to reveal her identity.
• Mei learned that Boil Release was not unique to the Terumi Clan and argued with her best friend about their clans’ reputations.
• Mei joked about becoming a star or defecting from Kirigakure, and her best friend reluctantly agreed to look after her.
• A cold-faced Yuki Clan girl asked whether Mei and her best friend needed help unpacking, and Mei said her friend would take care of her.

Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai left their apartment to explore Konoha, where the advanced city and its curious crowds impressed them. Kaguya encouraged Mei to embrace the attention as a chance to become a star.

• Mei Terumi told Kaguya Zhai she had brought no luggage or money, and Kaguya agreed to cover her expenses.
• Mei Terumi and Kaguya left the apartment and headed into Konoha’s Core Area.
• Mei Terumi warned Kaguya not to talk about Lord Torikaze’s son because they had come to study.
• Mei Terumi and Kaguya marveled at Konoha’s screens, giant structures, arena, and bicycles.
• Villagers praised Mei Terumi and Kaguya and gathered around them, making Mei uncomfortable while Kaguya responded enthusiastically.
• Kaguya urged Mei to treat the crowd’s attention as practice for becoming a star, and Mei asked how she knew so much about it.

Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai explored Konoha and prepared to pursue their dream of becoming stars, while Torikaze and Minato finalized arrangements for the Academy of Arts opening. The chapter ended with the girls at the Morning Market, where Kaguya Zhai challenged Mei Terumi to control her appetite and warned she might fail to meet the requirements.

• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai toured Konoha, attracted attention from villagers, and spent the evening eating barbecue.
• Torikaze and Minato reviewed the Academy of Arts preparations, including student arrivals, dormitories, and teacher recruitment.
• Torikaze told Minato that a genius girl from the Terumi Clan with three Kekkei Genkai had entered Konoha in disguise, and Minato agreed to inform Mizukage.
• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai visited the Morning Market, where Kaguya Zhai forbade Mei from eating the tempting food to test her self-control.
• Mei Terumi insisted that they would become stars together, and Kaguya Zhai suggested Mei might not meet the requirements.

Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai enjoyed the Morning Market before Torikaze caught them hiding their identities and questioned Mei about joining Konoha’s school. He told them to attend class and seek Lord Mizukage’s approval to stay, leaving Mei worried about how her family would react.

• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai put their mission to revitalize Kirigakure aside and ate their way through the Morning Market.
• Kaguya Zhai spotted Torikaze, and he surprised the girls after Mei Terumi remarked that important people had servants prepare their meals.
• Torikaze asked why Mei Terumi had come to Konoha under a false identity, and she confessed that she wanted to become a celebrity and earn money for Kirigakure.
• Torikaze told Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai to attend class and have Mei persuade Lord Mizukage to let her stay, adding that he would address the traded admission spot with him.
• After Torikaze left, Mei Terumi worried about facing her family, while Kaguya Zhai reminded her that they had been watching over her because of her talent.

Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai attended the opening ceremony of Konoha's new Academy of Arts, where Torikaze and Minato welcomed the first students. Minato promised to cover the students’ living expenses for three months, lifting Mei and Kaguya’s immediate financial worries.

• After Torikaze left, Mei Terumi worried about her family’s interference, while Kaguya Zhai warned that Torikaze might have noticed her plans long ago.
• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai returned to their apartment, and Kaguya told the other students about Konoha’s Morning Market.
• Kaguya Zhai led the students to the Academy of Arts, where Mei Terumi was surprised by its elaborate new buildings and grounds.
• Torikaze opened the ceremony before one thousand new students, and Minato Namikaze welcomed them as Konoha’s Hokage.
• Minato Namikaze promised to provide the students with food, clothing, housing, and travel expenses for their first three months, delighting Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai.

Minato and Torikaze welcomed the first students to Konoha Art Academy and explained its support, classes, and star-training goals. Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai chose dance with singing as a secondary subject, while a Yuki Clan girl and her younger brother chose singing.

• Minato opened the ceremony and promised Konoha would cover the students’ living expenses for their first three months.
• Minato encouraged the students to study hard and pursue their own ambitions, including becoming stars.
• Torikaze explained that students would be assigned to classes by specialty and could change their choice within three months before special training began.
• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai agreed to study dance together and take singing as a secondary subject.
• Mei told Kaguya Zhai that a girl from the Yuki Clan had chosen singing with her younger brother.

Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai began their studies at the Academy of Arts, while Torikaze returned home after its opening ceremony. In another world, Ran started training three Uzumaki children as Tomohiro watched and considered traveling the Shinobi World once Ran had trained a successor.

• Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai discussed studying dance together and hoped to become famous without giving up their ninja ambitions.
• Mei Terumi decided to study hard in Konoha and pursue stardom, which she believed could help her revive Kirigakure and compete for the position of Fifth Mizukage.
• Torikaze watched the students begin classes at the Academy of Arts, then returned home and wondered whether Kakashi would want to study there.
• Ran trained three children he had selected in the Uzumaki Clan's territory, while Tomohiro praised Ran's growth and planned to travel after Ran trained a successor.

Ran trained three Uzumaki children and worked to strengthen the clan, while arranging for Uzumaki ninja to join Konoha’s Military Police Force. After realizing the clan still lacked a stable source of income and influence, he told his students he might leave the clan soon.

• Ran trained three children and told them to study, observe his work, and prepare to help lead the Uzumaki Clan.
• For nearly a month, Ran taught the children while seeking ways to improve the clan’s finances and standing in Konoha.
• Ran secured places for capable Uzumaki ninja in the Uchiha Clan’s Military Police Force, and Uchiha Fugaku opened recruitment to other Konoha ninja.
• Ran recognized that cooperation with the Uchiha Clan had improved the Uzumaki Clan’s reputation but had not brought lasting status or stable income.
• Ran told his students that he might leave the clan for a while and instructed them to complete their practical assignments on their own.

Ran prepared to seek partnerships in other countries to give the Uzumaki Clan a stable source of income, while Torikaze's World’s Academy of Arts continued to grow. Its students faced mounting pressure to master their fields, and Mei Terumi and Kaguya Zhai recommitted themselves to studying so they could help Kirigakure prepare for a war expected in ten years.

• Ran told his three students he planned to visit other countries to find cooperation opportunities for the Uzumaki Clan and instructed them to keep practicing while he was away.
• Torikaze allowed Academy of Arts students to transfer majors up to three times within their first three months of study.
• The Academy of Arts became a popular topic in Konoha, and its students studied intensely after realizing their one-year course could not cover everything they needed to learn.
• Mei Terumi complained to Kaguya Zhai about their exhausting schedule, but Zhai reminded her that the forty Kirigakure students had to succeed to help their village face the coming war.
• Mei Terumi resolved to work harder, fearing she would regret it if Kirigakure were destroyed ten years later.