Chapter Summaries

Nara Kaikei brought Pakura to the Valley of the End to test her newly mastered Swift Release and Scorch Release. After easily restraining her and blocking her signature attack with the Black Warrior, he challenged her to show him new ninjutsu.

• Nara Kaikei took Pakura to the Valley of the End and restored her stamina with Soldier Pills before their test.
• Pakura used Swift Release to dash behind Nara Kaikei and attack him with her kunai technique, Swift Release: Deer Cutter.
• Nara Kaikei evaded the strike, trapped Pakura with the Flat Shadow Manipulation Technique, and criticized her failure to retreat after missing.
• Pakura escaped into the air and attacked Nara Kaikei with Scorch Release: Over-Vapor Killing.
• Nara Kaikei blocked Pakura's fireball with the Black Warrior and urged her to demonstrate more ninjutsu, including Deer Cutter.

Nara Kaikei told the exhausted Pakura that she had regained jonin-level fundamentals and was likely stronger than Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage, Toroi. He then revealed that Ebizo was among the prisoners other villages had asked Konoha to ransom, and suggested Pakura could return to Sand Village with him.

• Nara Kaikei defeated Pakura, exhausted her Chakra, and suspended her above the water with the Shadow Gathering Technique.
• Pakura questioned Nara Kaikei about his promised good news, and he said Rasa becoming the Fourth Kazekage could let her become the Fifth.
• Nara Kaikei assessed Pakura's combat strength and identified Toroi as Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage, saying Pakura was currently stronger than him.
• Pakura wondered how she compared with Rasa, but Nara Kaikei avoided answering and shifted to another subject.
• Nara Kaikei said the villages had requested the return of their prisoners of war at the Kage Summit, including Ebizo, and proposed that Pakura return to Sand Village with him.

Nara Kaikei explained why Pakura could return to Sunagakure alongside Ebizo without Konoha or the Sand Village knowing she had been captured. He laid out his plan to restore her standing and eventually make her Kazekage, leaving Pakura overwhelmed but inclined to trust him.

• Nara Kaikei brought Pakura back to Kikyo Castle after she stopped questioning him.
• Nara Kaikei told Pakura that Konoha and Sunagakure did not know she was alive or in his custody.
• Nara Kaikei proposed having Pakura leave Kikyo Castle with Ebizo and possibly stage her rescue of him to regain the Sand Village's trust.
• Nara Kaikei explained how Pakura could use her mastery of Swift Release to account for her disappearance and build support for becoming Kazekage.
• Pakura listened to Nara Kaikei's plan and decided she should obediently follow his lead.

After arranging Pakura’s path toward becoming the Fifth Kazekage, Nara Kaikei considered how she could withstand Shukaku and reviewed the Swift Release technique he had obtained from her. He then began investigating the S-rank Shinigami Mask, hoping to uncover how it was made and how it related to the Reaper Death Seal and the Death God.

• Nara Kaikei decided that Pakura would need to endure a rampaging One-Tail Jinchuriki before she could safely become the Fifth Kazekage.
• Nara Kaikei examined Pakura’s B-rank Swift Release: Deer Cutter and added the technique to his ninjutsu database.
• Nara Kaikei picked up the Shinigami Mask in his underground laboratory and wondered why the Uzumaki Shrine held so many of them.
• Nara Kaikei planned to experiment on the masks to discover their forging method and investigate their connection to the Reaper Death Seal and the Death God.

Nara Kaikei decided to use the imprisoned Han to study the Reaper Death Seal, since Han's independently developed Boil Release suggested he had unusual research talent. He gave Han the forbidden jutsu as a supposed chance to escape, intending to make him a test subject and use White Zetsu as a backup scapegoat.

• Nara Kaikei concluded that Han and White Zetsu had little practical value to him, but chose to use Han for research rather than keep him imprisoned without purpose.
• Nara Kaikei entered the prison area, released Han from his cell, and tossed him an S-rank jutsu scroll.
• Han opened the scroll and discovered it contained the Uzumaki Clan's Reaper Death Seal.
• Nara Kaikei told Han to master the forbidden jutsu if he wanted to escape, while planning to use him as a scapegoat in his study of the Death God.

Nara Kaikei left Han with the Reaper Death Seal scroll, expecting him to learn the technique, and learned that Uchiha Obito had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He decided to inform Minato Namikaze and sent Uchiha Shisui on a mission while Minato was away.

• Han considered the Reaper Death Seal scroll his last chance and began studying it as Nara Kaikei left him in the prison.
• Nara Kaikei returned to Kikyo Orphanage and received Hyuga Kiyoshi's report that Uchiha Obito's ocular meridian system was unusually complex.
• Nara Kaikei concluded that Uchiha Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan could be used repeatedly because his White Zetsu-modified body eased its physical strain.
• Nara Kaikei decided to tell Minato Namikaze about Obito's Mangekyō and rely on him to monitor and suppress Obito if necessary.
• Nara Kaikei summoned Uchiha Shisui for a mission and ordered him to bring the Flame Fan.

After the Kage Summit ended, Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha and met with Nara Kaikei to discuss prisoners, captured weapons, and negotiations with other villages. Konoha planned to trade for one of the Seven Ninja Swords, while Kumogakure sought to redeem Killer B before the Eight-Tails.

• The Kage Summit concluded, and Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha before summoning Nara Kaikei to the Hokage's Office.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Nara Kaikei that Sand Village intended to pay to redeem Ebizo, and Kaikei revealed that he had given Ebizo's Wind Release-enhancing fan to someone else.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed exchanging with Nara Kaikei for [Lightning Blade Kiba], and Kaikei asked Nara Shikaku to handle the four captured Kirigakure swords.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked whether Nara Kaikei could extract the Eight-Tails without killing its jinchuriki, and Kaikei said he could attempt it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi said Kumogakure planned to redeem Killer B before seeking the return of the Eight-Tails.

Nara Kaikei helped Hiruzen Sarutobi and Nara Shikaku realize that selling Killer B separately would leave Konoha with a wild Eight-Tails, so they postponed the deal until a buyer emerged. He then warned Minato Namikaze that Uchiha Obito had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and left to deal with the upcoming Fourth Hokage election.

• Nara Kaikei understood that Kumogakure wanted Killer B back because it could not safely handle a wild Eight-Tails without him.
• Nara Shikaku proposed keeping Killer B and the Eight-Tails together until a village was ready to buy the beast, and Hiruzen Sarutobi suspended the transaction with Kumogakure.
• Nara Shikaku worried that Nara Kaikei had planned to turn the Eight-Tails into a Summoning Beast, but Kaikei told him to go home and headed to Konoha Hospital.
• Nara Kaikei told Minato Namikaze that Uchiha Obito had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, then left Obito's situation in Minato's hands and called Uchiha Shisui away from monitoring him.
• Nara Kaikei turned his attention to the election for the Fourth Hokage.

After Uchiha Obito was discharged from the hospital, Minato Namikaze took his students to celebrate, while remaining wary of the influence Uchiha Madara might have over Obito. The Third Hokage summoned Minato and asked him to become the Fourth Generation, leaving Kushina Uzumaki stunned.

• Minato Namikaze invited Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, and Nohara Rin to dinner after Obito received his hospital discharge.
• Minato Namikaze reflected on Obito's newly awakened Mangekyō Sharingan and suspected Uchiha Madara might be connected to it.
• An Anbu shinobi summoned Minato to see the Third Hokage, and Minato left his students to continue to his home with Kushina Uzumaki.
• Minato returned home and told Kushina Uzumaki that the Third Hokage wanted him to become the Fourth Generation, shocking her.

Konoha announced the Fourth Hokage election, and the Nara clan prepared to back Nara Kaikei in the Jonin Class vote against Minato Namikaze and other candidates. Under pressure from the clans, Hiruzen Sarutobi abandoned his plan to appoint Minato directly, and the election entered the voting stage.

• Nara Shikano and Nara Shikaku discussed Hiruzen Sarutobi's apparent intention to appoint Minato Namikaze as Fourth Hokage without a Jonin Class vote.
• Nara Shikano insisted the Jonin Class vote could not be bypassed, and the Nara clan relied on its alliances and Wood Release and Boil Release methods to win support for Nara Kaikei.
• Princess Tsunade arrived at the Nara compound and joined the Nara Hokage Chat Group, opposing Hiruzen Sarutobi's plan to choose Minato Namikaze alone.
• Minato Namikaze, Nara Kaikei, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Princess Tsunade, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi emerged as candidates for Fourth Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi yielded to pressure from Konoha's ninja clans, and the Fourth Hokage election proceeded to the Jonin Class vote.

Konoha’s jonin began voting for the Fourth Hokage, with Minato Namikaze and Nara Kaikei emerging as the leading candidates. As the votes were counted, support for Nara Kaikei grew, and he held a clear lead when the chapter ended.

• Nara Shikaku opened the Jonin Class vote and instructed the jonin to cast their ballots in registration-number order.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura voted for Minato Namikaze on behalf of Hiruzen Sarutobi’s faction.
• Nara Shikano, Torifu Akimichi, and Yamanaka Ijin endorsed Nara Kaikei for the Fourth Hokage.
• Jiraiya voted for Minato Namikaze, while Tsunade publicly supported Nara Kaikei.
• Nara Shikaku tallied the ballots as more jonin repeatedly voted for Nara Kaikei.

Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui cast their votes in Konoha’s Fourth Generation election, where Nara Kaikei held an overwhelming lead over Minato Namikaze. Nara Shikaku announced Kaikei as the winner, then carried the voting board to report the result to the Third Hokage.

• Hatake Kakashi voted for his teacher, Minato Namikaze, despite Nara Kaikei’s large lead.
• Uchiha Shisui voted for his captain, Nara Kaikei, drawing surprised and angry looks from nearby Uchiha.
• Nara Shikaku ended the Jonin Class vote and announced Nara Kaikei as the winner of the Fourth Generation election.
• The assembled ninja cheered for Kaikei, and Nara Shikaku took the voting board to the Third Hokage’s office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted the jonin vote that made Nara Kaikei the leading candidate for Fourth Hokage and sent Konoha’s appointment documents to the Land of Fire’s Daimyo. After the Daimyo approved them, Nara Kaikei was inaugurated as the Fourth Hokage.

• Nara Shikaku brought Hiruzen Sarutobi the record board showing Nara Kaikei had won the jonin vote by a wide margin.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted the result and told Nara Shikaku to prepare documents notifying the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
• A team led by the Pig Deer Butterfly trio carried the documents to the Land of Fire’s capital, where the Daimyo stamped his approval.
• The team returned to Konoha, and the village celebrated throughout the following week.
• Nara Kaikei put on the Hokage hat before the village and declared himself the Fourth Hokage.

Nara Kaikei began his tenure as the Fourth Hokage with an order to replace his office furniture, then followed Hiruzen Sarutobi to Konoha’s hidden archive for his Hokage handover. Hiruzen entrusted him with the village’s secrets and the complete Scroll of Seals.

• Nara Kaikei ordered the Hokage’s desk and chair replaced with a coffee table and sofa, and Nara Shikaku sent Shadow Clones to carry out the order.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Nara Kaikei to explain the Hokage’s duties, but Tsunade declined to help him avoid the handover.
• Nara Kaikei used Yin Release Chakra to form a Shadow Deer and followed Hiruzen Sarutobi out of the office as Nara Shikakus brought in the new furniture.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi led Nara Kaikei through concealed passages and security barriers to a secret chamber beneath the Hokage Building.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi showed Nara Kaikei the chamber’s records and the complete Scroll of Seals, then told him to memorize its contents and entrusted the village to him.

Nara Kaikei secretly learned every jutsu in the Scroll of Seals, raising his overall evaluation to S-rank and Super Kage-level. Hiruzen Sarutobi then hinted that previous Hokage had added their own signature techniques and inventions to the scroll.

• Nara Kaikei unrolled the complete Scroll of Seals and began reading its jutsu records.
• Nara Kaikei used the panel to learn every jutsu recorded in the scroll while Hiruzen Sarutobi watched him read.
• Nara Kaikei's Sage Wisdom rose from S- to S, and his overall evaluation increased from A+ to S-, reaching Super Kage-level.
• Nara Kaikei closed the scroll and considered how Sage Mode and new ninjutsu might further improve his attributes.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Nara Kaikei that previous Hokage had added signature techniques and new jutsu to the scroll, then asked if he understood his meaning.

Nara Kaikei decided to add the Wood Release Chakra Manufacturing Method to the Scroll of Seals, and Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to learn it. When Hiruzen tried to hand over the Kage Summit agreements, Kaikei persuaded him to keep handling them, leaving Kaikei free to rest and study the Scroll of Seals.

• Nara Kaikei chose the Wood Release Chakra Manufacturing Method as the first technique he would add to the Scroll of Seals.
• Nara Kaikei offered to record the method and invited Hiruzen Sarutobi to learn it, and Hiruzen accepted because Wood Release could restrain tailed beasts.
• Nara Kaikei considered adding his Rasengan techniques to the Scroll of Seals as Master Gate developed more of them.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Nara Kaikei to oversee the agreements made at the Kage Summit.
• Nara Kaikei argued that Hiruzen should continue handling the agreements because they were his achievement, and Hiruzen agreed.
• Nara Kaikei left to rest and study the Scroll of Seals.

Nara Kaikei settled into his new role as Fourth Hokage and considered how to reshape Konoha's power structure. He left the Third Hokage in charge of the Kage Summit agreements and told Nara Shikaku to shift routine mission matters to the Jonin Class.

• Nara Kaikei enjoyed the Hokage's Office before Tsunade, Nara Shikano, Yamanaka Ijin, Torifu Akimichi, and other supporters gathered to greet him.
• Nara Kaikei considered abolishing Root, cleaning out the Anbu, retiring the elders, and placing trusted aides in village departments, while recognizing that broad changes to Konoha would have to wait.
• Nara Kaikei told the gathered ninjas that the Third Hokage would remain responsible for the agreements made at the Kage Summit and asked them to follow his instructions.
• Nara Shikano led most of the supporters out, while Nara Kaikei asked Nara Shikaku and Tsunade to stay behind.
• Nara Kaikei told Nara Shikaku that the Jonin Class should handle the village's missions and that routine matters should no longer disturb him.

On his first day as Hokage, Nara Kaikei delegated the Kage Summit’s aftermath to the old man and proposed giving the Jonin Class control over mission commissions. He explained to Tsunade that he wanted Konoha’s ninja to stop relying solely on missions for the village’s livelihood, but she thought he was just trying to slack off.

• Nara Shikaku agreed to inform the Jonin Class and organize a squad to oversee Konoha’s commission requests.
• After Nara Shikaku left, Tsunade teased Nara Kaikei for delegating his duties and relaxing in the Hokage’s Office.
• Nara Kaikei explained to Tsunade that he considered Konoha’s dependence on mission commissions and bounties a serious problem.
• Tsunade remained confused by his explanation and accused him of wanting to slack off, so Nara Kaikei began undoing his belt.

After becoming Hokage, Nara Kaikei spent his time with Tsunade before turning to the village’s affairs in the new year. Nara Shikaku brought him reports about Kirigakure and a joint request for aid from the Land of Wind and Rōran, ending with the rogue ninja’s name: Sasori of the Red Sands.

• Nara Kaikei and Tsunade spent time together in the Hokage's Office, then traveled to Kikyo Castle's underground laboratory, where he obtained the Wood Release Chakra Manufacturing Method.
• Nara Kaikei returned to the office, cleared the lingering scent, and reviewed forbidden jutsu from the Scroll of Seals.
• After Konoha Year 50 began, Nara Shikaku reported that the Third Mizukage had died and asked whether Konoha should send a squad to Kirigakure.
• Nara Shikaku told Nara Kaikei that the Land of Wind and Rōran had jointly requested aid against a powerful rogue ninja who had fled into Rōran.
• Nara Kaikei asked for the rogue ninja's name, and Nara Shikaku identified him as Sasori of the Red Sands.

Nara Kaikei learned that Rōran and its Dragon Vein were connected to rogue ninja Anrokuzan, whose real name was Mukade, and became interested in investigating the Dragon Vein's power. He instructed Nara Shikaku to handle Konoha's formal response to the Third Mizukage's death and gather intelligence on Rōran and Sasori of the Red Sands.

• Nara Kaikei dismissed the Third Mizukage's death as a minor matter and focused on the report about Rōran.
• Nara Kaikei recalled that Rōran's Dragon Vein held chakra comparable to a tailed beast and might aid his Natural Energy research.
• Nara Kaikei remembered that Anrokuzan was Mukade, a rogue ninja from the future who had traveled through the Dragon Vein.
• Nara Kaikei told Nara Shikaku to arrange a modest tribute for the Third Mizukage and send a squad carrying ninja swords to Kirigakure.
• Nara Kaikei asked Nara Shikaku to bring Konoha's intelligence files on Rōran and Sasori of the Red Sands, planning to use the opportunity to trouble Sasori.