Chapter Summaries

Nara Kaikei received the S-Rank [Creation Rebirth] jutsu and considered how to combine it with his existing abilities. After resting in Nara Forest, he woke to an invitation to dinner with the Nara Squad.

• Nara Kaikei read [Creation Rebirth] and wondered how Hashirama Senju had died despite the many surviving Hashirama Cells.
• Nara Kaikei compared [Creation Rebirth] with his [Blood Pool] and [Cellular Regeneration Jutsu].
• Nara Kaikei considered how [Creation Rebirth] might help his clones improve [Yang Release Chakra Mode], then decided to take an extended vacation.
• Nara Kaikei napped on the Five-Tails King while the blonde little girl stopped training and read The Will of Fire Burns Without End.
• Nara Kaikei woke at night and received an invitation to dinner with the Nara Squad.

Nara Kaikei reunited with his squadmates and asked what they planned to do after the war. After Hyuga Kiyoshi grew dispirited over her uncertain future, Kaikei changed the subject and revealed that he planned to run for Fourth Hokage.

• Nara Kaikei met Uchiha Shisui, Hyuga Kiyoshi, and Shizune at a yakitori restaurant and caught up on village gossip.
• Kaikei asked his teammates about their futures, and Hyuga Kiyoshi said she would follow her family's arrangements but admitted she did not know what that meant.
• Shizune comforted Kiyoshi while Kaikei discussed the Police Force with Uchiha Shisui to lift the mood.
• When Uchiha Shisui asked about Kaikei's plans, Kaikei announced that he intended to run for Fourth Hokage.

Nara Kaikei revealed to his squad that he planned to run for Fourth Hokage and gained Uchiha Shisui’s support despite the competition from their clans. After the squad parted, Shizune gave Kaikei an S-Rank Spirit Transformation Technique scroll, which he accepted.

• Nara Kaikei told Uchiha Shisui, Hyuga Kiyoshi, and Shizune that he planned to run for Fourth Hokage.
• Uchiha Shisui enthusiastically supported Kaikei and promised to vote for him, while Hyuga Kiyoshi revealed that her clan head also planned to run.
• The squad discussed the candidates’ prospects, including Uchiha Fugaku and Kaikei, whose battlefield reputation was formidable.
• After the squad ate, Uchiha Shisui and Hyuga Kiyoshi left, while Shizune stayed to walk with Kaikei.
• Shizune gave Kaikei a scroll containing the S-Rank Spirit Transformation Technique, and he accepted it.

Nara Kaikei mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique after reading its scroll, then struggled to choose a suitable gift in return for Shizune. He settled on giving her edited Chinoike Clan blood research materials and began examining the technique’s capabilities.

• Nara Kaikei mastered the Spirit Transformation Technique as soon as he examined its scroll, and wondered whether its soul could travel to the Pure Land.
• Nara Kaikei agonized over repaying Shizune because he considered the S-Rank technique far more valuable than what he had given her before.
• Nara Kaikei judged that Shizune’s limited talent made powerful ninjutsu and medical techniques unsuitable gifts.
• Nara Kaikei decided to give Shizune an edited Study of Blood scroll based on the Chinoike Clan research materials he had seized from Valley of Hell.
• Nara Kaikei reviewed the Spirit Transformation Technique and recognized that it overcame many weaknesses of the Yamanaka Clan’s spiritual techniques.

Nara Kaikei returned to Kikyo Orphanage, reunited with Yakushi Nonō, and met Chiyo before leaving to pursue his political plans. As the Fourth Hokage election drew closer, he learned that the Third Lord appeared to favor Minato Namikaze, but entrusted the Nara Clan with handling his campaign.

• Nara Kaikei returned to Kikyo Orphanage and embraced Yakushi Nonō, where he met the young Chiyo.
• Nara Kaikei and Yakushi Nonō spent the night together before he left the orphanage the next day.
• Nara Kaikei returned to Konoha to reassure his parents, then met with Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku to discuss his Fourth Hokage campaign.
• Nara Shikaku reported that the Third Lord had appointed Minato Namikaze as an attendant at the Kage Summit, suggesting he favored Minato for Fourth Hokage.
• Nara Kaikei entrusted the campaign work to Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku.

Nara Kaikei assessed Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru as rivals in the Fourth Hokage election, then learned that Orochimaru had seemed like something wearing human skin to Ibiki Morino. The Nara family finalized its election plan and turned to the matter of the Empty Zone.

• Nara Kaikei argued that accompanying Hiruzen Sarutobi to the Kage Summit did not guarantee Minato Namikaze would become Hokage.
• Nara Shikaku reported that Orochimaru had rarely appeared in public and had visited the Interrogation Department four days earlier.
• Nara Shikaku said Ibiki Morino described Orochimaru as something wearing human skin, prompting Nara Kaikei to suspect a problem with Orochimaru's soul.
• Nara Shikano concluded Orochimaru's alarming condition could cost him support in the Jonin Class vote.
• The Nara family finalized its general election plan, and Nara Shikano asked Nara Kaikei how he would handle the Empty Zone.

Nara Kaikei explained his plans to redevelop the Empty Zone as a new economic center for Konoha, leaving Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku impressed by the prospect of shared prosperity. He then went to the underground laboratory and asked Pakura what she had decided to do about the Kazekage.

• Nara Kaikei explained why he had claimed the Empty Zone and said its reconstruction needed to wait.
• Nara Kaikei told Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku that he wanted to make the Empty Zone Konoha’s new center and economic hub.
• Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku realized that Nara Kaikei hoped to enrich both the clan and the village if he became Fourth Hokage.
• Nara Kaikei went to the underground laboratory and asked Pakura what she had decided about the Kazekage.

Nara Kaikei urged Pakura to pursue the Kazekage position, but argued that Rasa would have to die for her to take power safely. Pakura accepted that she could only become the Fifth Kazekage after Rasa took the Fourth-generation seat, and Kaikei ended by restraining her and asking whether she could put herself in the right position.

• Pakura declared that she was ready to fight for the Kazekage seat and restore Sand Village's glory.
• Nara Kaikei proposed eliminating Rasa so Pakura could become Kazekage, but Pakura argued that Sand Village needed to keep Rasa alive.
• Kaikei explained that Sand Village's leaders might betray Pakura again and insisted Rasa had to die if she wanted to become Kazekage.
• Kaikei told Pakura that she would first need to escape him and prove her strength, and that she could only become Fifth Kazekage after Rasa became Fourth Kazekage.
• Kaikei wrapped a shadow tentacle around Pakura and asked whether she could put herself in the right position.

Nara Kaikei brought Pakura to Nara Forest and told her she would need the strength to suppress a tailed beast to become Kazekage. After seeing her poor combat skills and unfinished Swift Release, he reconsidered his plan to support her.

• Nara Kaikei flew Pakura from Kikyo Castle to Nara Forest instead of taking her back to the Land of Wind.
• Five-Tails Kokuō approached, and Nara Kaikei sent it away while telling Pakura she would have chances to face it later.
• Nara Kaikei explained that Pakura needed to be able to suppress or confront a tailed beast to serve as Kazekage, especially with Sunagakure's One-Tail in mind.
• Pakura admitted she had not mastered Swift Release, and Nara Kaikei tested her in a fight.
• Nara Kaikei defeated Pakura easily and decided he needed to adjust his plan after judging her skills inadequate.

Nara Kaikei put Pakura through intense training to restore her strength and help her master Swift Release, while he and Tsunade discussed the Fourth Hokage election. Tsunade then asked Kaikei to accompany her to see Orochimaru about her progress with Wood Release.

• Nara Kaikei gave Pakura a demanding training regimen and his Swift Release Chakra Creation Method, and Pakura went to train in the underground laboratory.
• Tsunade visited Nara Kaikei and learned that Pakura was training to recover her strength, while he joked about sending her to become the next Kazekage.
• Nara Kaikei reviewed the Hokage election plan with Tsunade and told her that the old man planned to take Minato to the Kage Summit.
• Tsunade discussed the election plan with Nara Kaikei until evening, then asked him to accompany her to see Orochimaru about her Wood Release training.

Tsunade brought Nara Kaikei to confront Orochimaru, determined to attack him with her newly progressing Wood Release. She surprised Orochimaru with Wood Style: Forest Creation, unleashing a flood of plants as he watched in shock.

• Tsunade told Nara Kaikei she wanted to beat up Orochimaru with Wood Release and explained she brought him along in case the fight went badly.
• Nara Kaikei agreed to back Tsunade up, and they traveled to the forest outside Kikyo Castle where Orochimaru was waiting.
• Tsunade launched a powerful stomp at Orochimaru, but he escaped with Earth Style: Earth Replacement.
• Orochimaru questioned why Tsunade was forming hand seals, and she answered by using Wood Style: Forest Creation to send plants surging toward him.

Tsunade used Wood Release to overwhelm Orochimaru, but he exploited her hemophobia to weaken her and move in for her cells. As Orochimaru approached, Tsunade called for Nara, who descended from above with a powerful kick.

• Tsunade trapped the area around Orochimaru with Wood Release, then detected him underground and shook him out with her Heavenly Pain Kick.
• Orochimaru emerged unharmed and questioned Tsunade about her Wood Release, while considering using her cells to study Hashirama's power.
• Tsunade bound Orochimaru with the Silent Killing Restraint Technique, but he stretched his neck free and lunged at her.
• Tsunade punched Orochimaru's head aside, but he cut himself with the Kusanagi Sword and used her hemophobia to break her concentration.
• Tsunade called out to Nara as Orochimaru approached, and Nara dropped from the sky with a Tsunade Style: Heavenly Pain Kick.

Nara Kaikei arrived in time to save Tsunade from Orochimaru, then revealed that he could use Wood Release. Orochimaru escaped Kaikei’s first attacks, and Kaikei summoned a towering wooden golem as the fight continued.

• Nara Kaikei struck at Orochimaru with a devastating kick, and Orochimaru used the Body Flicker Technique to evade it.
• Nara Kaikei reunited with Tsunade, then asked whether she wanted to see Wood Release or Steel Fist Style Taijutsu.
• Nara Kaikei bound Orochimaru with the Thorn Killing Technique and attacked him with the Great Cloth Bag Technique.
• Orochimaru escaped the wooden restraints using the Orochimaru-Style Substitution Technique and sent his Kusanagi Sword toward Nara Kaikei and Tsunade.
• Nara Kaikei increased his Wood Release Chakra and summoned the Wood Golem Technique.

Nara Kaikei used a wooden golem to attack Orochimaru, who summoned Manda to stop it. Kaikei killed Manda with Wood Release techniques, leaving Orochimaru facing the loss of his powerful summon.

• Nara Kaikei drove his wooden golem toward Orochimaru, leaving Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword embedded in its body.
• Orochimaru summoned Manda and ordered the giant snake to wrap around the wooden golem.
• Nara Kaikei transformed the golem's bitten arm into a wooden dragon that entered Manda's body.
• Nara Kaikei used the Wood Style: Impaling Technique to grow spikes through Manda's organs and pierce its heart, killing it.

Nara Kaikei and Tsunade battled Orochimaru as Kaikei’s Wood Release overwhelmed Manda and withstood Orochimaru’s attacks. After Manda died and its corpse returned to Ryūchi Cave, a towering black Susanoo emerged from the wooden defense.

• Nara Kaikei’s Wood Dragon pierced Manda’s heart, and the snake’s death throes broke apart the Wood Dragon and damaged the Wood Golem.
• Orochimaru trapped the Wood Golem in a swamp and attacked Nara Kaikei and Tsunade with Earth Dragon Flame Stream.
• Nara Kaikei used Wood Style: Rank Tree Technique to form the Bansho Technique, which blocked Orochimaru’s compound attack.
• Manda died, and its corpse was sent back to Ryūchi Cave, leaving Orochimaru to realize his Summoning Beast had been killed.
• The Bansho Technique opened, and Susanoo: Black Warrior leaped out instead of Nara Kaikei and Tsunade.

Nara Kaikei used his upgraded [Black Warrior] to overpower Orochimaru, bind him with [Shadow Binding Technique], and sever both his hands. Tsunade watched as Orochimaru was left broken among the wreckage, unable to rise.

• Nara Kaikei switched from [Wood Release] to his upgraded [Black Warrior] and blocked Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword with its armor.
• Nara Kaikei used [Shadow Binding Technique] to bind Orochimaru and immobilize him with curse-mark power.
• Nara Kaikei followed with [Shadow Stitching Technique] and severed Orochimaru's hands and the Kusanagi Sword fell to the ground.
• Tsunade felt shocked by Nara Kaikei's action but also satisfied that Orochimaru had been punished.
• Nara Kaikei struck Orochimaru with [Black Warrior], sending him crashing through trees, then saw that he could no longer get up.

Nara Kaikei defeated Orochimaru, took the Kusanagi Sword, and burned Orochimaru’s severed arms to prevent him from recovering them. Tsunade declared that the three of them would no longer be known as the Sannin.

• Nara Kaikei dismissed [Black Warrior] and noticed Tsunade’s discomfort at the sight of Orochimaru’s blood.
• Nara Kaikei used [Contract Seal] to take Orochimaru’s Kusanagi Sword and considered how to prevent Orochimaru from reclaiming his arms.
• Orochimaru gave up hope of getting his arms back, then conceived the idea of developing a soul-transfer technique.
• Nara Kaikei burned Orochimaru’s severed hands with [Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique], tossed the charred remains onto him, and secretly marked him with Flying Thunder God.
• Tsunade told Orochimaru that they would no longer be known as the Sannin.

After severing ties with Orochimaru, Tsunade took Nara Kaikei to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi and report Orochimaru’s crimes. She revealed that Orochimaru had used fellow Konoha ninja in human experiments and desecrated the First Hokage’s corpse.

• Tsunade left Orochimaru behind, while he summoned snakes to retrieve his withered arms and fled toward the mountains outside Kikyo Castle.
• Tsunade and Nara Kaikei sent away a Konoha squad investigating the battle, then flew toward Konoha on a Shadow Creature.
• Tsunade smashed her way into the Hokage’s Office and asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to speak with her at Hokage Rock.
• Tsunade told Hiruzen Sarutobi that she had fought Orochimaru because he had used Konoha ninja for human experiments and desecrated the First Hokage’s corpse.

Tsunade confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi over his knowledge and approval of Orochimaru’s Hashirama Cell experiments, condemning him for allowing the First Hokage’s corpse to be desecrated. She revealed that she and Nara Kaikei had cut off Orochimaru’s hands and warned that Shimura Danzō would be their next target, threatening to use Wood Release against him.

• Tsunade accused Hiruzen Sarutobi of knowing about Orochimaru’s experiments and using Hashirama Senju’s cells, and his silence confirmed her suspicions.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled that he had tacitly approved Hashirama Cell research during the Third Shinobi World War before ordering it stopped.
• Tsunade condemned Hiruzen Sarutobi for betraying Hashirama Senju’s trust and challenged him to imagine his own father’s grave being desecrated.
• Tsunade told Hiruzen Sarutobi that she and Nara Kaikei had cut off both of Orochimaru’s hands and would next target Shimura Danzō.
• Tsunade threatened to use Wood Release to force Shimura Danzō to kneel before Hashirama Senju and beg forgiveness, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi stunned.

Hiruzen Sarutobi investigated the battle between Tsunade and Orochimaru and mistakenly concluded that Tsunade had awakened Wood Release and overcome her fear of blood. He began considering her as the Fourth Hokage, then remembered that Tsunade had said she was going after Danzo.

• Tsunade left Hokage Rock without explaining how she obtained Wood Release, and Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected she had awakened it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi headed to the forest outside Kikyo Castle after intelligence arrived, where he found a devastated battlefield and a wooden dragon.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi mistook the battlefield evidence for proof that Tsunade had mastered Wood Release and cured her hemophobia.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi reconsidered Tsunade as a candidate for Fourth Hokage, judging her more suitable than Minato Namikaze.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly remembered that Tsunade had said she was going after Danzo.