Chapter Summaries

Danzo sought to buy a vacant plot beside the relocated Uchiha Clan, offering a large donation to Konoha. Hiruzen and the elders considered the purchase and decided to develop rules for commerce, leaving Homura worried about how new regulations might affect his clan.

• Danzo asked Homura and Koharu to approve his purchase of the southern plot, offering Konoha up to two hundred million and saying it would help him monitor the Uchiha Clan.
• Homura and Koharu worried about Danzo's expanding wealth and influence, then agreed to consult Hiruzen about the land.
• Hiruzen arrived and asked the elders whether they had approved Danzo's request; they said they had not.
• Homura proposed selling Danzo the land at a high price and requiring approval for his commercial activities.
• Hiruzen assigned Homura to propose commerce regulations at an upcoming meeting, leaving Homura anxious because his clan also conducted business.

Kazahana Sōsetsu met with Rasa to find a way for the impoverished Land of Snow to profit from trade, and Rasa proposed a seafood processing plant. Meanwhile, Fugaku Uchiha learned that Shimura Danzō had bought land beside the Uchiha compound and wanted to do business with the clan.

• Rasa told Kazahana Sōsetsu that Sunagakure’s existing goods were unsuitable for the poor Land of Snow.
• Rasa proposed processing and exporting the Land of Snow’s seafood through a Sunagakure plant on its coast, and Kazahana Sōsetsu agreed to consider the partnership.
• Rasa suggested the Land of Snow could also develop maritime trade and promote its snowy landscape before turning to the meal.
• Fugaku Uchiha learned from Shisui that Shimura Danzō had bought the neighboring plot by offering more money than the Hokage and Mito had wanted to accept.
• An Uchiha clan member told Fugaku that Shimura Danzō had sent ninja to propose doing business with the Uchiha Clan.

Moomu asked Rasa to let him return from the Land of Rain so he could spend more time with his family, and Rasa approved the transfer. Meanwhile, Shukaku cut Gaara’s training short, and seeing the young boy reminded Moomu of Daimaru.

• Moomu told Rasa he wanted to return from the Land of Rain because he feared Daimaru would replace him with another father.
• Rasa wrote a transfer order for Moomu and urged him to raise Daimaru, whom he called a genius.
• Moomu told Rasa that Daimaru was an ordinary child who could barely throw a kunai accurately.
• Shukaku ended Gaara’s training early, claiming the cold weather made it time to rest.
• Gaara met Moomu and his father on the street and said he had just finished training.
• Moomu looked at Gaara’s flushed face and thought of Daimaru.

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Konoha’s clan heads to consider Mitokado Homura’s proposal to impose a seventeen-percent commercial tax, prompting objections from clans whose businesses would be affected. Danzo unexpectedly supported taxation but said the proposed rate was too high, leaving the meeting to consider a lower one.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi presented Mitokado Homura’s proposal to tax commercial activity in Konoha, and the Kurama Clan Head argued that taxing the clans’ businesses would unfairly burden them.
• Mitokado Homura defended the proposal and accused the Kurama Clan Head of obstructing Konoha’s development, prompting the Kurama Clan Head to reaffirm his clan’s loyalty.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi reassured the Kurama Clan Head that Konoha would not abandon its heroes, then asked the assembled clan heads for their views on the tax.
• Before the clan heads could respond, Danzo supported collecting commercial taxes but said the proposed seventeen-percent rate was too high.

Daimaru complained about his punishing training, while Moomu planned to make him train even harder. Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Danzo intended to work with the Uchiha Clan on a business venture and was stunned to hear it was roast duck.

• Daimaru told Moomu that he would rather race Four-Wheel Drive Cars than train, but Moomu said he would train him every day and had arranged additional teachers.
• Moomu ordered Daimaru to run another ten laps, leaving Daimaru wishing he could ask his mother for a different father.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi thanked Danzo for helping secure Konoha's commercial tax, and Danzo dismissed his business losses as minor.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Danzo why he planned to do business with the Uchiha Clan, and Danzo said it would help him monitor their movements.
• Danzo revealed that the business would be roast duck, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi stunned.

Orochimaru learned that the Danzo he remembered had become a respected distributor and tournament leader, and decided to see for himself. After Sunagakure updated the arcade games and the Konoha Arcade Hall reopened, Kakashi and Asuma tried the improved game while Danzo asked whether the Hokage had seen it; then Root reported that Orochimaru wanted to meet him.

• Orochimaru heard about the Ninja Emperor arcade game and played it, then discovered that Danzo was now a generous food-export magnate and chief distributor.
• Orochimaru resolved to go see Danzo for himself after learning how different his reputation was from the Danzo he knew.
• Sunagakure's technician finished updating the arcade machines, and the Konoha Arcade Hall reopened to eager players.
• Kakashi and Asuma played the updated game and wondered why the old man's character still looked old while the others looked younger.
• Danzo asked whether the Hokage had seen the updated game, and a Root ninja arrived to report that Orochimaru wished to meet him.

Obito and Black Zetsu discussed the stalled plan to obtain the Rinnegan and recruit allies, with Obito deciding to seek powerful people and investigate Sasori. In Konoha, Fugaku Uchiha worried over the clan’s new business arrangement with Danzo, unsure whether it was safe to trust him.

• Black Zetsu gave Obito intelligence files on Shinobi and explained that Nagato Uzumaki had not fallen into darkness after Sunagakure rescued the Akatsuki leader.
• Obito decided to leave Nagato alone for now and focus on recruiting powerful allies and collecting the Tailed Beasts.
• Black Zetsu suggested Sasori as a potential partner, and Obito ordered the White Zetsus to search for him.
• Obito asked Black Zetsu about Ninja Emperor 52, then resolved to investigate it himself.
• Fugaku Uchiha reflected on Danzo’s offer to employ Uchiha as farm guards and Fire Style workers, and questioned whether Danzo could be trusted.

Danzo prepared to expand his food business and planned an annual party to rival Sunagakure's. Meanwhile, Orochimaru returned to Konoha in disguise, explored its changes, and decided to stay cautious before revealing himself.

• Danzo learned the Uchiha Roast Duck Restaurant had a location and arranged for the Inuzuka clan to test duck feed.
• Danzo agreed to hold an annual party after a subordinate described Sunagakure's celebrations.
• Orochimaru arrived in Konoha disguised as a merchant, declined to meet Danzo immediately, and set out to explore the village alone.
• Danzo went to the Grand Sail Hotel and sensed something familiar from a black-haired woman who passed him.
• Danzo told his senior employees to invite the Uchiha Clan and insisted that the annual party be better than Sunagakure's.

Moomu pushed Daimaru through punishing desert training while Daimaru doubted his abilities and learned how Shira had stayed at the Academy. In Konoha, Danzo’s extravagant annual gathering became village-wide news, and Kakashi confirmed he would attend.

• Moomu made Daimaru and Shira train intensely, while Daimaru complained that Temari and Kankuro were rarely seen practicing.
• Daimaru explained that Shira lacked ninjutsu talent, preferred fighting with his fists, and had been allowed to remain at the Academy by the Kazekage.
• Moomu described the Will of Sand as self-reliance, self-respect, courage, honesty, and keeping one's word, then ordered Daimaru back to training.
• News spread through Konoha about Danzo’s annual gathering, its lavish bonuses, gifts, and preparations at the Grand Sail Hotel.
• Asuma asked Kakashi whether he would attend the gathering, and Kakashi confirmed that he would.

The Root Group held its annual meeting, where Nonō won the ten-million-yen grand prize and Naruto admired Danzo’s popularity and wealth. When Naruto won an incentive prize, he chose a handcrafted doll for Sakura, leaving Kakashi and Choji without the prizes they had urged him to pick.

• Nonō attended the Root Group annual meeting, where Danzo and Hiruzen gave speeches before the lucky draw began.
• Nonō won the ten-million-yen grand prize and planned to spend it on new beds, clothes, and food for the orphanage children.
• Naruto told Shikamaru Nara that he wanted to become the richest Hokage because Danzo seemed so admired.
• Kakashi and Choji Akimichi urged Naruto to choose a cash voucher or the latest collector’s edition of Paradise for Kin.
• Naruto asked Sakura Haruno what she wanted, then chose a handcrafted Sunagakure wooden doll after she admired it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi considered whether Konoha should target Danzo’s wealth, but learned that Danzo’s business ties and support for the Land of Fire made him politically difficult to challenge. Later, Kakashi reunited with Yamato, who invited him and Asuma and Kurenai to a new restaurant.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Mitokado Homura whether the Shimura Clan had done anything harmful to Konoha and considered confiscating its wealth.
• Mitokado Homura explained that Danzo’s businesses provided jobs and aid to impoverished villages, and that Danzo had given the Daimyo several hundred million and refused an offer to become Fifth Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi approved revised commercial taxes and decided against holding a costly annual gala, preferring to spend the money on education and ninja training.
• Kakashi met Yamato, who said he had been away on a mission, trained his Wood Release, and investigated his origins.
• Yamato offered to treat Kakashi to a meal at a new restaurant, then invited Asuma and Kurenai to join them.

Yamato learned that Danzo had become wealthy and was hiring him for a construction project, while Danzo sought Orochimaru’s help to uncover Sunagakure’s Sakura formula. The chapter ended with Orochimaru tasting the crop-growing substance.

• Yamato’s seniors ordered nearly every dish on the menu, and Shiranui Genma explained that Danzo had become enormously wealthy.
• Yamato told the others that Hokage had assigned him to help build Danzo’s roast duck chain stores, and they said his Earth Release skills were the reason.
• Danzo explained that his hotel shares helped him identify Orochimaru, who had been staying at the Great Sail in Konoha.
• Orochimaru asked why Danzo no longer wanted to become Hokage, and Danzo said he enjoyed making Hiruzen beg him for money.
• Danzo asked Orochimaru to crack Sunagakure’s Sakura formula, and Orochimaru opened the package and licked the substance.

Rasa inspected Sunagakure’s game development and considered creating a company for consoles and games. Meanwhile, Orochimaru accepted Boss Tuan’s well-funded soil research project and decided to copy Sunagakure’s arcade machines to make money.

• Rasa visited the Technology Research Center, watched testing of Ninja Brawl, and suggested Ninja Glory as a more suitable name.
• Rasa reviewed the toy division’s success and told researchers to continue working on portable game consoles despite technical obstacles.
• Rasa considered separating game development from toys and naming the new company Suna Heaven.
• Orochimaru began researching the strange soil after Boss Tuan offered generous funding and a completion payment.
• Orochimaru ordered his lackey to take apart the base’s arcade machine and study how to imitate it.

Yamato worked an exhausting construction job for Danzo, then discovered that Danzo’s workers received generous New Year’s gifts and bonuses. Meanwhile, Danzo ended Sakura’s local research project and invited Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura to his New Year’s Eve banquet.

• Yamato helped build Danzo’s project and learned that orphanage children worked there for wages, meals, and construction experience.
• Yamato received a New Year’s gift that included meat, liquor, and a ten-thousand-yuan Great Sail voucher, and regretted switching jobs.
• Danzo shut down the local Sakura research project after it produced no results and entrusted Sakura’s research to Orochimaru.
• Danzo invited Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura, along with their families, to his New Year’s Eve banquet.

Sunagakure began a new year of road construction and Rasa renewed the village’s Will of Sand, while Orochimaru sold Danzo five hundred pirated arcade machines. Orochimaru planned to expand sales to the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth as pirated machines began spreading across the Shinobi World.

• Sunagakure resumed road construction, with Jonin overseeing projects in the Land of Rain while Ebizo remained away.
• Rasa introduced an expanded Will of Sand emphasizing confidence, self-reliance, self-respect, self-discipline, self-motivation, and self-love.
• Orochimaru told Danzo that he had failed to reproduce Sunagakure’s Sakura but had learned something useful for crops.
• Orochimaru offered Danzo five hundred arcade machines at half Sunagakure’s price, and Danzo agreed to buy them for more than two hundred million ryo.
• Orochimaru arranged to make more machines for the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth as pirated arcades began spreading through the Shinobi World.

Hiruzen grew jealous of Danzo’s wealth and planned to take Naruto to dinner, while Rasa developed plans to expand and monetize Sunagakure’s arcade business. Rasa left the factory manager with instructions to finish Ninja Glory and improve player information systems.

• Hiruzen heard that Danzo’s Arcade Hall was expanding and worried about Naruto’s admiration for Danzo, so he resolved to reinforce the Will of Fire and limit Naruto’s contact with him.
• Hiruzen decided to take Naruto to the Great Sail for dinner and complained that Danzo had replaced his photograph.
• Rasa directed the Toy Factory manager to expand Ninja Emperor 52’s roster and keep its ninja information updated.
• The manager reported that arcade production had stabilized, player information could be stored in rings, and long-distance data transmission remained unavailable.
• Rasa planned to release six free Ninja Glory characters and sell additional characters through players’ rings, while adding information ports to older machines.
• Rasa ordered older arcade machines discounted through a Sunagakure clearance sale, kept new machines at one million, and told the manager to complete Ninja Glory and research data transmission.

Sunagakure discovered that bootleg merchants were cutting into sales of its arcades and other products, prompting Rasa to assemble the village leadership and plan a response. He ordered stronger anti-piracy measures and faster product updates while the bootlegs’ superior technology left Sunagakure racing to defend its gaming business.

• Sunagakure merchants reported that sales of arcades, Four-Wheel Drive Cars, and Battle Tops had fallen because the market was saturated.
• White Zetsu and Sand shinobi intelligence revealed that bootleg merchants were producing and selling counterfeit goods across the Shinobi World.
• Rasa rejected a simple crackdown as ineffective and suspected that one of the great ninja villages might be behind the operation.
• A technician told Rasa that a bootleg arcade had better graphics, smoother controls, and improved hardware and programs than Sunagakure’s official model.
• Rasa ordered the technology department to strengthen anti-piracy protections, study the bootleg technology, update existing arcades, accelerate Ninja Glory, and promote official products.
• Rasa approved franchise arrangements so buyers could obtain arcades with a partial deposit and repay the rest from their earnings.

Orochimaru’s bootleg arcade business grew, but Sunagakure’s expanding franchise halls and new rewards began reclaiming the market. Danzo inspected his genuine Arcade Hall and prepared to add a prize to its first player-ranking event.

• Orochimaru celebrated the profits from bootleg toys and arcade machines, then worried that the market would soon saturate and turned back to Boss Tuan’s task.
• Sunagakure expanded its Arcade Halls, added new games and ticket prizes, and drew customers away from bootleg shops.
• Danzo visited an Arcade Hall that he owned on both the genuine and bootleg sides and saw how much the official hall had improved.
• Danzo learned that the weekly player rankings were nearly settled and decided to add another prize to the first ranking event.

Sunagakure continued battling counterfeit arcade goods while expanding its seafood business. At Konoha’s arcade competition, the leading players—including Director Danzo, Uchiha Clan Leader, and Hyuga Clan Leader—were suspended over suspected vote rigging.

• Sunagakure’s legitimate arcade machine sales declined as counterfeit machines gained ground, especially in poorer regions, while the counterfeits also spread awareness of Sunagakure’s toys.
• In April, fish ordered by the Land of Snow and locally processed seafood products began shipping, and Great Sail Restaurants introduced seasonal seafood meals.
• Asuma and Kakashi watched the arcade competition leaderboard at Director Danzo’s arcade hall, where Light of Konoha, Uchiha Clan Leader, and Hyuga Clan Leader held the top three positions.
• Asuma suspected the leaders were rigging votes, and Kakashi pointed him toward the screen after the leaderboard disappeared.
• A notice announced that Light of Konoha, Uchiha Clan Leader, and Hyuga Clan Leader had been suspended pending an investigation into suspected vote rigging.

After Danzo lifted the ban on Hiruzen’s arcade account, he was summoned by the Uchiha and Hyuga clan heads. Meanwhile, Obito searched for powerful recruits and confronted Kakuzu in the Land of Snow.

• Hiruzen summoned Danzo and indirectly raised the issue of his arcade account being banned.
• Danzo declared that Light of Konoha had not cheated and lifted the ban, then left the Hokage building.
• Ninja from the Hyuga and Uchiha clans invited Danzo to their clan compounds for a chat.
• Obito visited an arcade, learned about the Shinobi World’s new games, and headed to the Land of Snow to recruit Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu finished his work in the Land of Snow, dodged a kunai, and faced Obito, who recognized him as the rogue ninja who had fought the First Hokage.