Chapter Summaries

Shuichi was sent to the eastern front with Tatsuki, Kurenai, and Asuma to reinforce Konoha against Kirigakure’s expected invasion and protect the Byakugan. As the squad traveled toward the coast, Kirigakure’s attack caught Konoha’s forces in a trap involving infiltrators and traitors.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Shuichi that Kirigakure was preparing a large-scale invasion and ordered him to reinforce the eastern front.
• Shuichi accepted command of a squad made up of Ishikawa Tatsuki, Yūhi Kurenai, and Asuma, then set out for the coast.
• Shuichi briefed the squad on their mission, placed tracking formulas on their arms, and established code words to expose impostors.
• Kirigakure forces surrounded Mimura Hamaki, Yamanaka Kyuten, and other Konoha Ninja after exploiting a gap in the Byakugan’s coverage.
• Mimura Hamaki and Yamanaka Kyuten realized that Okita had betrayed Konoha and that enemy infiltrators had helped ambush their forces.

Shuichi arrived to reinforce Konoha squads surrounded by Kirigakure and cut through the Mist Ninja as he searched for his allies. After receiving signals from two locations, he sensed that the squads could hold out and headed toward the closer one.

• Mimura Hamaki and Yamanaka Kyuten prepared to break through until Hyuga Fūta spotted Shuichi’s Ink Bird signal and they decided to hold on for him.
• Shuichi sent an Ink Bird into the mist, then charged into the Kirigakure encirclement while a Shadow Clone led Ishikawa Tatsuki and two others forward.
• Shuichi killed Mist Ninja with his short sword and White Sand armor, then defeated a Jonin who mistook the sand for Shikotsumyaku.
• Shuichi asked the defeated Jonin, “Do you want to go clubbing too?” before crushing his throat.
• After hearing signals from two Konoha squads, Shuichi sensed their positions and chose to head for the closer one.

Takeda Shuichi tore through the Mist Ninja encirclement while Ao learned that Konoha’s reinforcement was the feared Purple Aurora. Shuichi uncovered signs that White Zetsu had infiltrated the enemy ranks and continued fighting as the Mist elites unleashed every attack they could muster.

• Hyuga Makoto defended Sōta and the surrounded Konoha team with Gentle Fist and Heavenly Spin as Shuichi’s arrival raised their hopes.
• Ao learned that Takeda Shuichi had arrived and sent five elite squads to stop him while he watched the battlefield.
• Shuichi spotted two White Zetsu hidden among the Mist Ninja and chose not to reveal his full abilities.
• Shuichi deflected the Mist Ninja’s explosive tools, used Flying Thunder God to kill an attacker, and broke through a Lightning Release attack with Lightning Cutter.
• Shuichi killed the Mist Jonin who charged him and struck down three more Mist Ninja with lightning as the survivors unleashed a barrage of ninjutsu.

Shuichi helped Konoha repel Kirigakure’s attack, then pursued the retreating forces across the sea and inflicted heavy losses with powerful Water Release and firearms. He captured and killed the traitor Okita, revealing him as White Zetsu, and wondered whether Madara had already taken control of Kirigakure.

• Shuichi used Wind Release: Vacuum Wave to defeat Kirigakure’s elite squad as Ao ordered a retreat after Konoha reinforcements arrived.
• Shuichi met Hyuga Makoto and Hyuga Sōta’s team, learned that Okita was a traitor, and pursued Kirigakure to the shore.
• Ao gathered Kirigakure elites to cover the retreat, but Shuichi countered their Water Release attacks and scattered them with powerful water techniques.
• Shuichi chased the fleeing ninja across the rough sea and killed several with Water Release and his guns.
• Shuichi forced Okita out of the sea, killed him, and discovered that he was White Zetsu.

Shuichi helped Konoha shift to a coastal defense strategy that intercepted Kirigakure incursions and weakened their attacks. In Kirigakure, the Third Mizukage planned a surprise assault aimed at capturing Asuma and killing Shuichi by exploiting his need to protect his squadmates.

• Shuichi returned to the battlefield, where Minato briefed Konoha's leaders on new defenses based on ocean currents and assigned Shuichi to guard a key river mouth.
• Konoha rotated its eastern-front troops and stationed squads near strategic landing sites, allowing them to reinforce one another quickly.
• A Konoha lookout spotted a Kirigakure scout team approaching by boat, and Shuichi led the defenders in ambushing them.
• Shuichi defeated the Mist Captain with White Sand and helped his comrades eliminate the remaining scouts.
• After months of successful interceptions, the Third Mizukage gathered Kirigakure's leaders and proposed a surprise attack targeting Asuma and Shuichi.
• The Hozuki Clan Leader agreed to provide fighters after the Third Mizukage promised the clan custody of the recovered ninja swords.

Shuichi and his squad were ambushed by a large Kirigakure force targeting him and Asuma. Shuichi arrived to protect Ishikawa Tatsuki, but the attackers pressed their assault from the river and both banks.

• Shuichi received Minato's warning that Konoha planned to weaken Kirigakure's naval strength and suspected the operation might be a diversion for Madara.
• Ishikawa Tatsuki, Asuma, and Yūhi Kurenai were ambushed during their river patrol, and Kurenai fired a signal flare for help.
• Kirigakure attackers drove the squad into the river, where more enemies surfaced and surrounded them.
• Shuichi used Flying Thunder God to block Juzō Biwa's Kubikiribōchō strike and created Shadow Clones to protect Asuma and Kurenai.
• A Shadow Clone teleported Kurenai to safety, while another used Chidori Stream to break the Water Whips restraining Asuma before it vanished.
• Suikazan Fuguki and other Kirigakure Ninja attacked Shuichi from multiple directions as a Hozuki Ninja threatened him and Ishikawa Tatsuki.

Shuichi used smoke, flashbangs, and his Flash ability to devastate the Kirigakure force and rescue Asuma. He left Hozuki Mangetsu gravely wounded as the surviving Mist Ninja were wiped out.

• Shuichi shoved Ishikawa Tatsuki aside, rescued Asuma from the attacks, and obscured the battlefield with Smoke Bombs and Flashbangs.
• Shuichi used Water Severing Wave to kill Suikazan Fuguki, Juzō Biwa, and many Mist Ninja hidden in the smoke.
• Shuichi’s Shadow Clone distracted Hozuki Mangetsu, allowing the original Shuichi to attack him with Lightning and Explosion Release and severely injure him.
• Hozuki Mangetsu escaped into the river with a clansman while Shuichi killed the two Mist Ninja who stayed behind to protect their retreat.
• After the smoke cleared, Shuichi finished off the remaining Mist Ninja as Ishikawa Tatsuki and the survivors saw the battlefield’s heavy casualties.

Shuichi defeated Kirigakure’s ambush, helped Konoha repel the eastern front, and learned that Rin had died protecting the village, leaving Kakashi devastated. With the war nearing its end, Shuichi returned to the Hokage’s Office as Hiruzen and Danzo argued over peace terms with Iwagakure.

• Shuichi killed the Kirigakure elites who ambushed his squad, while Tatsuki and Asuma recovered the Kubikiribōchō and Samehada.
• Shuichi found Kakashi unconscious among the bodies of nearly fifty Mist Anbu and learned that Rin was missing.
• Konoha publicized Shuichi’s victory and Kakashi’s battle, while Minato’s attacks on Water Country ports weakened Kirigakure and its war effort.
• Shuichi comforted Kakashi after learning Rin had sacrificed herself to protect the village, and Konoha’s captains began arranging their withdrawal as peace drew near.
• Shuichi reported to Hiruzen, then heard Danzo oppose making peace with Iwagakure without reparations; Shuichi said he would follow the village’s decision.

Konoha and Kirigakure signed a non-aggression treaty after bargaining over war reparations and the missing Thunder Swords. Shuichi joined Orochimaru at Ryūchi Cave to test the newly developed Earth Curse Mark, then left the experiment with the mark removed and its effects recorded.

• Shuichi convinced the Third Hokage that he had melted down Kirigakure’s Thunder Swords, and Konoha and Kirigakure later signed a treaty requiring yearly payments for ninja swords.
• Shuichi and Orochimaru left Anko behind and traveled to Ryūchi Cave to study Jugo’s sage transformation and test the Earth Curse Mark.
• Orochimaru injected the research fluid into Shuichi, whose strong constitution handled the Natural Energy without difficulty.
• Shuichi tested the mark’s effects, finding that it increased his Wind Release strength by less than thirty percent and his Explosion Release strength by more than forty percent before its Sage Chakra ran out.
• After further tests, Shuichi forced the Cursed Seal out of his body, and Orochimaru used a White Snake to remove it.

After returning from Ryūchi Cave with an improved Earth Curse Mark, Shuichi helped Orochimaru begin research on First Hokage Cells using a White Zetsu specimen. Konoha’s postwar discontent then became a succession crisis, as Danzo backed Orochimaru for Fourth Hokage and the Third Hokage nominated Namikaze Minato, leaving Shuichi to realize how his own achievements had reshaped the village’s politics.

• Shuichi gave Orochimaru White Zetsu’s corpse, and Orochimaru found that its cells could greatly advance his Wood Release research.
• After two months in Ryūchi Cave, Shuichi returned to Konoha with an improved Earth Curse Mark and invested a point in his Physical Enhancement skill.
• Ishikawa Tatsuki told Shuichi that Konoha’s peace terms with the Land of Earth had sparked rumors and anger over the lack of war reparations.
• The Third Hokage announced his resignation, and Danzo publicly nominated Orochimaru for the position of Fourth Hokage.
• The Third Hokage nominated Namikaze Minato, prompting village-wide debate as Shuichi recognized that his wartime accomplishments had strengthened Orochimaru’s faction and destabilized Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha’s leaders secured Namikaze Minato’s appointment as the Fourth Hokage, while Shuichi refused to help Orochimaru’s faction disrupt the decision. After Minato passed the Jonin confidence vote and took office, Shuichi visited Orochimaru at his laboratory and reaffirmed his loyalty to his teacher.

• At the Daimyo’s Mansion, Sarutobi Hiruzen backed Namikaze Minato for Hokage, and the Daimyo appointed him the Fourth Hokage over Danzo’s objection.
• Shuichi told Jonin and clan representatives that Orochimaru would not resist Minato’s appointment, then assured Minato’s gathered supporters that he would support the village’s decision.
• Shuichi informed the Hokage’s Office that Orochimaru had left on an urgent mission and might miss the Jonin confidence vote, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others troubled.
• Namikaze Minato passed the Jonin confidence vote and officially became the Fourth Hokage while Shuichi stayed with Orochimaru at his underground laboratory.
• Shuichi told Orochimaru that he considered him the best Hokage candidate and would remain loyal to him.

Shuichi reviewed his abilities and planned to train Flying Thunder God, improve his shooting, study Fuinjutsu, and pursue Sage Mode while delaying experiments with First Hokage Cells until adulthood. After the Fourth Hokage took office, Konoha celebrated its victory and reopened its mission system, leaving the understaffed village overwhelmed with work.

• Shuichi assessed his combat abilities and decided to focus on Flying Thunder God, shooting proficiency, Fuinjutsu, and Natural Energy training.
• Shuichi asked Orochimaru about Uzumaki sealing techniques, but Orochimaru explained that they could not be obtained through ordinary means.
• Orochimaru reported that a white human body had helped his research into First Hokage Cells and might have been capable of using Wood Release.
• Shuichi decided to postpone implanting First Hokage Cells until he was an adult and stronger, rather than pursue Wood Release research immediately.
• After the Fourth Hokage took office, the Land of Fire held a celebration for the war’s victors and Konoha’s prestige rose.
• Konoha reopened its mission system, and its depleted ninja forces struggled to handle the flood of commissions.

Shuichi led Kakashi and Guy on a mission to destroy a bandit stronghold in the Land of Fields. To train Kakashi and Guy, he proposed a taijutsu contest using nunchucks, and the three charged into battle in matching bodysuits.

• Shuichi met Kakashi and Guy at Konoha Gate, and the three set out for the Land of Fields to eliminate a bandit gang harboring escaped ninja.
• The team reached the hidden entrance to the bandits’ forward base, which Shuichi located with help from a scouting bird.
• Shuichi proposed that the three compete to defeat the most enemies using only taijutsu and nunchucks, explaining that the contest would train Kakashi’s Sharingan stamina and their physical coordination.
• Shuichi transformed into a yellow bodysuit, Guy wore green, and Kakashi reluctantly chose blue.
• Shuichi blasted open the base entrance, and Guy led the trio into the attack.

Shuichi, Kakashi, and Might Guy raided a bandit hideout and defeated Tōkō’s gang with Nunchucks and taijutsu. With the survivors incapacitated, Shuichi brought Himèyú to Kakashi to see if he could use genjutsu for interrogation.

• Tōkō and Himèyú decided to split the bandits’ stolen goods and move their hideout after worrying Konoha might hunt them down.
• Might Guy charged into the cave and attacked the bandits, while Shuichi sent a Shadow Clone to cover him.
• Shuichi and Kakashi fought through the bandits with Nunchucks, defeating most of them in a coordinated assault.
• Tōkō attacked with Earth Release and Himèyú launched Senbon, but Kakashi and Shuichi evaded their techniques and knocked Tōkō unconscious.
• Himèyú tried to escape, but Shuichi struck him into a rock wall and captured him.
• Shuichi asked Kakashi whether his Sharingan could use genjutsu for interrogation, and Kakashi said it apparently could not yet.

After completing their mission, Shuichi took Kakashi and Might Guy to a hot spring and outlined possible paths for Kakashi to develop his abilities. On the journey back to Konoha, Shuichi convinced Might Guy that taijutsu and the Eight Gates could harm his manhood, until Kakashi revealed he was being teased.

• Shuichi confirmed that the mission was complete after interrogating Himèyú and identifying Tōkō as the target to report.
• Shuichi led Kakashi and Might Guy on a weighted run to a hot spring inn in the Land of Hot Springs.
• At the inn, Shuichi presented Kakashi with three development paths: broaden his ninjutsu, focus on Lightning Release swordsmanship, or learn Explosion Release.
• On the return trip, Shuichi falsely warned Might Guy that excessive taijutsu and the Eight Gates could damage his manhood.
• Kakashi told Might Guy that Shuichi was lying and said Guy had simply been born that way.

After Anko pursued enemy ninja alone and was nearly captured, Shuichi rescued her and killed the attackers with his gun. On the way back, he teased her about his “Gun Technique” and challenged her to master two Chakra attributes before he would teach it.

• Shuichi and Orochimaru took Anko on a B-rank escort mission to give her real combat experience.
• Anko pursued the enemy leader alone, was wounded, and became trapped by a chain-wielding ninja.
• Shuichi intervened, killed the attackers with a close-range counter and a gunshot, and freed Anko.
• Shuichi scolded Anko for rushing into an ambush, while she asked him to make her performance sound better to Orochimaru.
• Anko asked Shuichi about his final attack, and he called it Gun Technique and claimed she could not learn it because she was female.
• Shuichi told Anko he would teach her the technique if she mastered two Chakra attributes to a level close to S-rank.

Shuichi worried about Naruto’s impending birth while planning to watch Kakashi and the Uchiha. In the Hokage’s Office, Minato and Hiruzen discussed recruiting Anbu candidates and struggled to decide how to integrate Uchiha ninjas into the village’s forces after Shisui’s talent was reported.

• Shuichi considered how to approach Naruto’s birth and decided to monitor Kakashi and visit the Uchiha Compound.
• Minato told Hiruzen that Kushina was expecting a boy named Naruto, then discussed building his own Anbu team.
• Sanada Tomohisa delivered the list of qualified graduates and identified Gekko Hayate, Tada Iwaishi, Uzuki Yugao, and Uchiha Shisui as promising candidates.
• Minato and Hiruzen discussed a proposal to restructure the Security Force and allow Uchiha graduates to join the Anbu, despite Danzo’s opposition and the advisers’ uncertainty.
• Minato and Hiruzen weighed the risks and unresolved questions surrounding Uchiha participation in the Anbu and village forces, but found no foolproof solution.

Shuichi taught Kakashi Explosion Release before leading an Anbu mission to eliminate Missing-nin in the Land of Rain. After collecting the commission from Amegakure, Shuichi suspected Hanzo had hired Konoha to draw it into conflict with Nagato and the Rinnegan.

• Minato and the Third Hokage agreed to let Shisui develop normally before considering his future role in the Anbu.
• Shuichi demonstrated his techniques to Kakashi, who chose to train in Explosion Release after being transferred into the Anbu.
• Hanzo forced Nagato to choose between killing Yahiko and losing Konan, and Yahiko sacrificed himself to save them.
• Nagato's Rinnegan unleashed a monstrous creature that devastated the battlefield, while Hanzo and his forces fled.
• Two months later, Kakashi and Shuichi's Anbu squad eliminated their assigned Missing-nin and returned to Amegakure for payment.
• Shuichi collected the commission and suspected Hanzo had used Konoha to target Nagato while concealing information about the Rinnegan.

Shuichi reported his Rain Country mission, obtained the Four Symbols Seal and medical training materials from Orochimaru, and studied both techniques. After checking on Kakashi’s health, he decided to focus his surveillance on the Uchiha Compound to learn how information about the Nine-Tails might have leaked.

• Shuichi reported that Hanzo had heavily guarded himself, and the Hokage concluded that a dangerous rebel force might be active in the Land of Rain.
• Shuichi visited Orochimaru, shared what he knew about the Rain Country, and received scrolls on the Four Symbols Seal and the Mystical Palm Technique.
• Shuichi studied the Four Symbols Seal’s chakra-suppressing structure and the medical knowledge required to use the Mystical Palm Technique safely.
• Shuichi encountered Kakashi and warned him that training Explosion Release alongside the Sharingan could strain his body; Kakashi said he felt well and would seek help if needed.
• Shuichi reasoned that Madara and White Zetsu’s network was the likelier source of information about the Nine-Tails and decided to stake out the Uchiha Compound.

Shuichi tracked down the pregnant Kushina and learned that her child was due in about two months, then visited Fugaku to discuss Konoha’s planned Security Force reforms. He warned Fugaku that the changes could divide the Uchiha Clan and leave its leader caught between the village and his family.

• Kushina and Mikoto discussed their approaching births as Shuichi used a Shadow Clone and his abilities to confirm that Kushina was about eight months pregnant.
• Shuichi found Fugaku outside the Konoha Military Police Force, and Fugaku invited him to the Uchiha home.
• After greeting Mikoto and congratulating her and Fugaku, Shuichi heard that the Fourth and Third Lords had proposed changes to the Security Force.
• Shuichi opposed the reform and urged Fugaku to hold a clan meeting, warning that the plan could provoke the Uchiha and put Fugaku in danger of alienating both the village and his clan.