Chapter Summaries

Torikaze launched a live broadcast across the Shinobi World so people everywhere could watch Konoha’s performance event. After Chisato suggested adding views from other villages, Torikaze created a ring of Crystal screens above the arena as the audience gathered.

• Torikaze and the other leaders discussed whether the students had been given a fair chance to succeed.
• Torikaze used Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to appear across the Shinobi World and project a Crystal screen over its towns and villages.
• Scorpion and the villagers of Sunagakure realized that Torikaze was broadcasting Konoha’s event to everyone.
• Torikaze introduced the event, showed the Kage greeting viewers, and explained that voting rules would be announced after the first performance.
• Chisato suggested showing views from other villages above the arena, and Torikaze created a ring of Crystal screens displaying them.

Torikaze expanded the broadcast by showing live footage from villages across the Shinobi World, while the Kage and spectators admired the spectacle. As the performances approached, Mei Terumi’s group and the Minazuki siblings prepared for their acts and considered the competition.

• Chisato suggested adding footage from other villages, and Torikaze created a ring of screens above the arena showing the live broadcasts.
• Karatachi Yagura and Ōnoki praised the spectacle, while Chisato said performers needed to get used to performing before large audiences.
• Mifune watched the event but maintained that he would not allow people from the Land of Iron to join the Academy of Arts or star selection.
• Mei Terumi, Kaguya Zhai, and Akeibi discussed their upcoming performance and agreed to rehearse calmly rather than worry.
• The Minazuki siblings prepared to showcase their Ice Release and hoped to spread the Yuki Clan’s name across the Shinobi World.

Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki arrived with Konoha’s clan heads to attend Torikaze’s performance selection event, where Minato met the leaders from the other world. The gathering discussed relations between the two worlds and the other world’s recent conflicts, while Minato delivered messages of support from its nations.

• The Yuki siblings discussed using their Ice Release to make their performance popular, while Mei Terumi’s group and Kaguya Zhai were judged to have little visual appeal.
• Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki entered the arena with Konoha’s clan heads, and Minato arranged seats before joining the viewing platform.
• Ōnoki greeted Namikaze Minato and remarked on his resemblance to the Minato from the other world, then the Kage introduced themselves.
• Minato explained that he had brought the clan heads to show Konoha’s support, and Torikaze welcomed his effort.
• Mifune asked about the Land of Lightning in the other world, and Torikaze explained that it still existed and that he had stopped Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure from annexing the Rain Country.
• Minato changed the subject and handed Torikaze letters and messages of blessing from nations in the other world.

Torikaze announced the voting rules for the Academy of Arts performances and launched the distribution of Cloud Mist Tokens across the Shinobi World. The first group, from Kirigakure, performed dance acrobatics to a warm reception, though Torikaze judged their skills inadequate.

• Torikaze accepted congratulatory letters from the other world and said he would visit its leaders later.
• Torikaze announced that randomly selected viewers who received Cloud Mist Tokens could cast one vote after all performances.
• Torikaze and his Clones distributed Cloud Mist Tokens throughout the villages, while Konoha audience members each received one.
• After half an hour, Kawamura Yamano introduced Otani Yuta and Otani Yuno, and the trio began their dance acrobatics performance.
• The audience applauded the first act, but Torikaze criticized the performers' foundation and suggested removing the subject in the future.

The first act of the performance festival ended, and Xinyu introduced the next group. Ran reconsidered giving up on Xinyu after An'hua advised him to focus on his duties and wait until they were both free to pursue a relationship.

• Kawamura Yamano, Otani Yuta, and Otani Yuno performed an acrobatic dance that earned applause, though Torikaze criticized their foundation.
• Xinyu introduced the first act and asked the audience to vote after all performances, while Ran watched her and resolved not to interfere with her career.
• An'hua told Ran that he and Xinyu might have a chance together in the future, after their responsibilities eased, and Ran thanked her for the advice.
• Ōnoki praised Xinyu's hosting and discussed her abilities with the other Kage.
• Xinyu introduced the second group's instrumental performance and invited the performers from the Land of Fire onto the stage.

Torikaze and the audience watched the festival performances, including a traditional instrumental act that received only polite applause. The eleventh group’s insect performance transformed dragonflies into a young man, then revealed that emerald chrysalises had appeared in the audience’s hands and begun to hatch into brilliant blue butterflies.

• Ōnoki said he was less worried about finding an heir because he had taken on a talented disciple, though he had left the mischievous boy behind.
• Xinyu introduced the second group, whose traditional instruments drew a lukewarm response from the audience and Torikaze.
• Eight more acts performed, and Minato was relieved that none had embarrassed Konoha.
• Xinyu introduced the controversial eleventh performance, and branches rose from a pool onstage as insects climbed them and emerged as dragonflies.
• The dragonflies formed a human figure before revealing a young man in a dark green trench coat and black glasses, who ended the performance by bowing.
• Emerald chrysalises appeared in the audience’s hands and split open, releasing butterflies with brilliant azure wings.

Aburame Tengen dazzled the arena with a performance in which dragonflies and Blue Morpho Butterflies filled the sky, earning thunderous applause and impressing the judges. As Xinyu calmed the audience before the next act, Torikaze prepared to give the gentler Sister Flowers from Kirigakure a chance to perform.

• Aburame Tengen made green cocoons appear in the villagers’ hands, then transformed them into Blue Morpho Butterflies that flew through the arena before returning to the audience.
• Xinyu told the audience that unwanted butterflies should be returned to the Aburame Clan or made into specimens, not released into the wild.
• Torikaze recalled that Tengen had bred the butterflies on Island Mountain despite his clan’s objections, and praised his creativity and performance.
• Torikaze, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki worried that the next act might struggle to follow Tengen’s performance, so Torikaze suggested letting the audience settle first.
• Xinyu made small talk until the audience calmed, preparing the way for the Sister Flowers from Kirigakure to take the stage.

As the arena prepared for the Sister Flowers from Kirigakure, Hogen and Ouyashiro Chinami watched the show together in secret and discussed their relationship. They decided to wait before telling their families, while Hogen mentioned two promising performances still to come.

• Torikaze asked Xinyu to calm the audience before introducing the Sister Flowers from Kirigakure.
• Hogen and Ouyashiro Chinami watched the show from a roadside drink shop while using the Presence Concealment Technique.
• Hogen and Ouyashiro Chinami discussed when to tell their families about their two-month relationship and agreed to wait until life was less busy.
• Ouyashiro Chinami talked about her respect for Torikaze and her father's admiration for him.
• Hogen told Ouyashiro Chinami that the Akeibi trio and the Minazuki siblings still had performances ahead.

Chisato and Hogen watched the performances while Torikaze realized Hogen had fallen in love with the Ouyashiro Clan’s youngest daughter. Torikaze confirmed Sunagakure would receive one hundred Academy of Arts enrollment spots, and Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai prepared to perform as number fifteen.

• Chisato and Hogen discussed the remaining performances, and Hogen said the Akeibi Trio and Minazuki Siblings had excellent acts ahead.
• Torikaze recalled discovering Hogen’s growing relationship with the neighboring Ouyashiro Clan’s youngest daughter and quietly approved of the match.
• Chisato praised the performances and looked forward to recruiting students from Iwagakure after they graduated.
• Rasa asked Torikaze about Sunagakure’s enrollment spots, and Torikaze confirmed the village would receive one hundred.
• Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai reviewed their agreement before their performance, and Akeibi wondered if they might become champions.

Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai prepared to perform in the graduation showcase as villagers watched the preceding acts. In the audience, Nawaki and his fiancée Tomoko Sarutobi looked forward to their performance and discussed their upcoming wedding.

• Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai reviewed their agreements and prepared for their upcoming performance, hoping to win the showcase.
• Hashirama praised the Academy of Arts’ showcase to Nawaki, who credited his teacher Torikaze’s confidence and ideas.
• Tomoko Sarutobi asked when Akeibi and the others would perform, and Nawaki reassured her that their act was coming soon.
• The chapter recounted how Nawaki and Tomoko met through Hiruzen’s introduction, grew close, and decided to marry at the end of the month.
• Hashirama offered to invite the showcase champion to perform at their wedding, while Tomoko worried the celebration might be too extravagant.

Tomoko and Nawaki discussed their wedding plans with Hashirama and Mito, while the Senju and Sarutobi Clans began preparing for the marriage. Torikaze watched the performance as he planned his upcoming trip to the Land of Whirlpools and struggled to choose a wedding gift for Nawaki and Tomoko.

• Hashirama suggested inviting the champions to perform at Nawaki and Tomoko's wedding, but Mito insisted that the couple choose their own venue.
• Tomoko said she and Nawaki would choose a scenic location in the Land of Fire, ruling out Cloud Palace because she was afraid of heights.
• The Senju and Sarutobi Clans began making extensive wedding preparations, and the other great clans started selecting gifts.
• Torikaze planned how to promote the champion and arrange tours for the leading contestants, while considering which Land of Fire performers to retain at the Academy of Arts.
• Torikaze prepared to travel with Ran to the Land of Whirlpools, where he expected bloodshed and considered killing the Prince if necessary.
• Torikaze tried to think of a practical wedding gift for Nawaki and Tomoko, but dismissed giving them Chakra Herbs as too perfunctory.

Torikaze worried over his many obligations, but Chisato offered to handle the Land of Whirlpools’ problems for Ran so he could focus on the touring performances. The chapter ended as Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd.

• Torikaze struggled to choose a suitable wedding gift for Nawaki and sighed while watching the performances.
• Chisato offered to take Torikaze’s place in dealing with the Land of Whirlpools, and he accepted her help.
• Torikaze explained that Ran was waiting in a VIP section and would meet the major clan heads after the performances.
• Chisato asked Torikaze to find her a suitable sword, and he promised to look for one.
• Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai appeared onstage, drawing loud cheers from the audience.

Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai performed a song and dance using mist, rain, and water effects, earning a roaring response from the audience. Their performance left Karatachi Yagura convinced they had secured at least second place as the competition’s strongest groups prepared to contend for the top spots.

• Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai appeared onstage to thunderous applause and introduced their performance.
• The trio sang as mist spread across the arena, then danced in light rain as the fog cleared.
• At the song’s peak, the three girls summoned water dragons and suspended a crashing wave above the audience stands.
• The girls disappeared into thickening mist, and Xinyu returned to the stage as the audience erupted in applause.
• Ōnoki praised the performance’s mist-themed beginning and ending, while Karatachi Yagura judged it nearly perfect.
• Torikaze praised the group’s use of stage effects, and Karatachi Yagura identified Akeibi’s group, the Minazuki siblings, and Aburame Tengen’s trio as the likely top three.

During the competition’s lunch intermission, the Kage and other dignitaries left the arena for a meal using their own abilities. The story ended with Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito heading home to eat and buy vegetables.

• Xinyu announced a one-and-a-half-hour intermission so the audience and contestants could rest and eat.
• Minato invited the Kage and other guests to lunch at Konoha’s usual hotel, and Kushina said Naruto was playing with Sasuke at the Uchiha Compound under Mikoto’s care.
• Torikaze departed first, followed by Rōsha flying on Gold Dust and Ōnoki using the Super-Lightened Boulder Technique.
• Minato opened a space-time route for Kushina, the Mizukage, Mifune, and Chisato, but Chisato left on her own in a fiery phoenix display.
• Hashirama praised Chisato’s growing strength, while Tobirama argued that Hashirama had been stronger than Madara Uchiha.
• Mito told Hashirama and Tobirama to go home for lunch and pick up vegetables.

After a fiery display in Konoha, Chisato discovered that Hogen was secretly dating Chisato of the Ouyashiro Clan and approved of the match. She and Torikaze began discussing marriage and betrothal gifts at a banquet, just before the food arrived.

• Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito set off to buy vegetables and go home to eat.
• Hogen hid himself when he saw his mother Chisato’s fiery phoenix, while Chisato worried whether the Windcloud Clan would approve of their relationship.
• Chisato sensed Hogen with Oyakashiro Homura’s daughter and welcomed the pairing, while Torikaze had already detected them too.
• At the hotel banquet, Chisato and Torikaze agreed that the girl was suitable and discussed seeking the Ouyashiro Clan’s approval and offering generous betrothal gifts.
• The hotel manager announced that the dishes were being served, and Karatachi Yagura struggled to conceal his excitement.

Torikaze and the Kage discussed the touring routes for the performance groups, settling on three separate circuits to avoid competition between them. The tour was set to begin in about half a month, while the groups still had to decide their champion, runner-up, and third-place winner.

• Torikaze and Karatachi Yagura discussed Hogen’s choice of a suitable match for their family and the need for generous betrothal gifts.
• Torikaze summoned Ran to join the Kage and other guests for a banquet.
• Torikaze raised the question of which country should host the performance groups’ first stop, and Ōnoki proposed beginning in the Land of Earth before continuing to the Land of Wind.
• Karatachi Yagura warned that sending all three groups along the same route could cause them to compete for audiences, so Torikaze proposed three separate circuits through different countries.
• Torikaze and the Kage agreed the groups would return to the Land of Fire between routes and travel without electric trains.
• Minato Namikaze and Chisato remarked that the graduation performance had become competitive, and Chisato said the performers had to earn their opportunity through hard work.

After the intermission, Torikaze returned the Kage to the arena and reassured Xinyu that her hosting had gone well. In the waiting room, Akeibi worried that contestants who performed before the break had an unfair advantage, and Xinyu agreed the issue needed to be reported to Torikaze.

• Ōnoki and the others agreed that the young performers needed discipline and should understand that their success came from their own efforts.
• Torikaze teleported the Kage back to the arena, where Xinyu asked him for guidance and he praised her hosting.
• Xinyu smiled at Ran, who decided he would speak with her before leaving Konoha and settle his feelings.
• The waiting contestants discussed how the long break might benefit earlier performers, and Mei argued that an hour could not erase the others’ preparation.
• Akeibi proposed raising the fairness concern with the organizers, then found Xinyu and asked her to pass it to Torikaze.
• Xinyu agreed the matter should be reported for instructions so it would not create conflict among the contestants.

Akeibi asked Xinyu to report that the morning contestants had been disadvantaged by the afternoon groups’ extra preparation time, and Torikaze approved a possible score adjustment. The afternoon performances began with a muscular duo’s fire-wheel act as the audience and leaders watched.

• Akeibi told Xinyu that the morning contestants wanted the unfair advantage of extra preparation time addressed, and Xinyu agreed to report it to Torikaze.
• Torikaze proposed adding the average score difference to the morning contestants’ scores if afternoon performers scored noticeably higher.
• Xinyu returned and explained Torikaze’s policy to Akeibi, Mei, and the others, who accepted it.
• The audience gathered for the afternoon performances and discussed the Minazuki siblings’ Ice Release.
• Two muscular boys began the afternoon program with a weapon act involving blazing fire wheels.
• Ōnoki and Mifune reminisced about their youth, while the Kazekage remarked that Torikaze had returned after fifty years still looking twenty.

Torikaze and the Kage watched the graduation showcase as performances continued for audiences across the Shinobi World. A student group’s song fell flat before the tired crowd, and the chapter left the Kage reflecting on the vitality such entertainment could bring to Iwagakure.

• Mifune reminisced about his difficult youth, while Torikaze and the Kage joked about Torikaze’s unchanged youthful appearance.
• The audience praised a flashy stage performance, and the program moved toward the Minazuki siblings’ upcoming act and a later Seven Ninja Swordsmen of Kirigakure performance.
• Torikaze considered how livestreaming could entertain people across the Shinobi World, including those in small countries struggling with tension between Daimyos and shinobi villages.
• A student group performed a passionate song, but the tired audience responded weakly and left the performers doubting themselves.
• Ōnoki judged that the students needed more practice, while a Kage remarked that Iwagakure lacked the showcase’s vitality.

Torikaze and the Kage discussed how the Star Plan could ease stress and create new work while keeping performances affordable and focused on the people. Ran worried that the Land of Whirlpools’ citizens had lost their enthusiasm for life, but resolved to keep trying to help them.

• Torikaze judged the students’ alliance performance as promising but lacking, and the group agreed their skills still needed work.
• Rasa and Karatachi Yagura discussed how stars could relieve people’s stress and provide new careers, while warning that fees must not burden the public.
• Torikaze approved reframing the Star Plan as a way to promote spiritual relaxation, and Mifune watched the performances while receiving the group’s respect.
• Torikaze asked whether the Land of Whirlpools wanted to join, and Ran explained that its isolated citizens were apathetic and unlikely to take interest in stars.
• Ran accepted that the Land of Whirlpools’ problems would take time to fix and vowed to keep trying for its people.