Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Enjin returned to Konoha and raised suspicions when he showed little interest in new information about the stolen Sharingan. As Shuji cautiously investigated a hidden barrier near Kumogakure, Itachi considered the threat Enjin and the Uchiha radicals posed to the clan’s improving relationship with the village.

• Uchiha Enjin met a masked man claiming to be Madara Uchiha, who said he wanted to shatter the false peace and create a world for the Uchiha.
• Tsunade gave Enjin a lead about the Sharingan theft and special infiltration ninjutsu, then concluded that his calm, indifferent response was suspicious.
• Tsunade ordered an Anbu squad with a Hyuga Branch House member to surveil Enjin again and told Itachi to watch developments in the Uchiha District.
• Shuji returned to the abnormal barrier near Kumogakure, found no sign that anyone had investigated it, and identified it as a concealment barrier that might hide an entrance.
• Uchiha Izumi told Itachi about clan members discussing new Police Force units, Ninja Academy teaching jobs, and possible openings in other village departments.
• Itachi worried that Uchiha Enjin and the radicals might reignite conflict and undo the progress made between the Uchiha and the village.

Hiruzen and Tsunade discussed whether Uchiha Enjin had ties to Madara Uchiha, while Shuji discovered an abandoned Orochimaru laboratory near Kumogakure and studied scraps of research on the Eight-Tails. The chapter left Hiruzen preparing to investigate Enjin’s connections and Shuji carrying away new research insights without disturbing the hidden base.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Tsunade that Uchiha Enjin’s possible contacts narrowed to Madara Uchiha, and Tsunade agreed to summon Uchiha Shisui for support.
• Shuji used Wood Release roots to find a concealed entrance to an abandoned laboratory near Kumogakure.
• Shuji identified the facility as Orochimaru’s and searched its mostly emptied rooms.
• Shuji found incomplete documents on Orochimaru’s experiments with Eight-Tails tissue and natural energy, then memorized useful observations for his own research.
• Shuji returned the documents, erased traces of his visit, and concealed the laboratory entrance again.

Kumogakure sought to make joint Chunin exams a regular exchange with Konoha after seeing their economic and political benefits. Meanwhile, Flame Blade found Shisui away from the Capital of Fire and began recruiting clan members for a plan to change the Uchiha’s position.

• Samui and Mabui reported the Joint Chunin Exams’ strong revenue and logistical shortcomings to Raikage A.
• Raikage A instructed Samui to ask Konoha about joining its September exam and making future joint exams a lasting arrangement.
• Samui proposed to Shuji that Kumogakure participate in Konoha’s upcoming exam and formalize their joint exams as a long-term exchange.
• Flame Blade, operating cautiously after his recall, traveled to the Capital of Fire to contact Uchiha members who shared his views.
• Flame Blade learned from Uchiha Fierce Flame that Shisui had left on a mission, then asked him to gather clan members to discuss their future.

Shuji explored Kumogakure with Samui and considered the commercial value of ninja combat competitions, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shisui monitored Uchiha Enjin's group in the Capital of Fire. Black Zetsu warned Obito that Enjin had been exposed, leaving Obito to decide how to proceed with the Third Hokage now involved.

• Shuji cautiously deferred Samui's proposal for a fixed joint examination format until he could report to the Hokage, and Samui permitted him to tour non-core areas of Kumogakure.
• Samui escorted Shuji through Kumogakure's commercial district, where a shopkeeper promoted protein supplements certified by the Raikage and offered him a gym membership.
• Uchiha Enjin urged his clansmen in the Capital of Fire to seek a way back to the village, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shisui secretly observed their gathering with Anbu squads.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi assured Shisui that the Uchiha would primarily face imprisonment if they did not resist, and instructed Hyuga Homura to continue watching for threatening chakra signatures near Enjin.
• Black Zetsu reported that Uchiha Enjin seemed exposed, and White Zetsu asked Obito what to do now that the Third Hokage had appeared.

Obito considered how to exploit Uchiha Enjin’s exposure, while Shuji and Tsunade weighed opportunities and clues arising from the Chunin Exams and Enjin’s actions. Enjin returned to Konoha believing his plan was intact, but Tsunade recognized that his new intelligence pointed to someone else behind him.

• Obito decided that revealing Pain’s abilities was not worth the cost and considered recruiting useful people into Akatsuki.
• Shuji gave Hayate Gekko cans of protein powder, and Hayate kept one for himself despite Shuji’s suggestion that it was for Yugao.
• Shuji saw commercial potential in Kumogakure’s Chunin Exams and planned to suggest that Tsunade reform Konoha’s exams.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi waited for Uchiha Enjin to contact a suspicious person, while Enjin believed the Feudal Lord’s forged wishes would help restore “Madara.”
• Enjin returned to Konoha and told Tsunade that a wandering ninja had linked Orochimaru to the Sharingan incident, claiming he had killed the source.
• Tsunade realized Enjin’s information suggested someone else was behind his actions and sent him to report to the Anbu.

Fugaku agreed to hand over the Uchiha involved in using genjutsu on the Feudal Lord, while Shuji finished his work in Kumogakure and received a gift from the Raikage. Itachi then subdued Uchiha Enjin, whose attempt to stir up clan tensions had failed.

• Shisui and Itachi told Fugaku that Fierce Flame and the others had used genjutsu on the Feudal Lord, and Fugaku agreed to follow the Hokage's order to hand them over to Anbu.
• Shuji observed the individual Chunin Exam matches and the surrounding commerce before preparing to leave Kumogakure.
• The Fourth Raikage gave Shuji a canister of protein powder as thanks for guiding Darui and urged him to keep training.
• Uchiha Enjin waited for contact from the masked man, believing the renewed tension among the Uchiha had advanced their plans.
• Itachi confronted Uchiha Enjin and knocked him unconscious with his Sharingan.

After reporting on the Chunin Exams, Shuji proposed reforming the event, and Tsunade assigned him to prepare a detailed plan. Meanwhile, Hiruzen learned from Uchiha Enjin’s interrogation that a Mangekyō user calling himself Madara Uchiha and someone named Zetsu were involved, and Tsunade threw Shuji out after he gave her a two-year-old perfume bottle as a return gift.

• Shuji reported on the Chunin Exams and proposed turning Konoha’s September exams into a competition-style event.
• Tsunade ordered Shizune to bring Shuji records and documents so he could prepare a detailed Chunin Exams reform proposal.
• Hiruzen learned from Uchiha Enjin’s interrogation about Madara Uchiha and Zetsu, then decided to speak with Danzo about Root’s intelligence.
• Tsunade searched Shuji’s travel bag and asked about the gifts he had brought back from past missions.
• Shuji gave Tsunade perfume he had bought two years earlier as a return gift for her kindness at Chujie Port.
• Tsunade threw Shuji out and told him to buy her a new bottle.

Shuji reassured Itachi that resistance to Uchiha reforms was unavoidable and would fade gradually, then put him to work reviewing Chunin Exam documents. Danzo agreed to Hiruzen's earlier proposal while they discussed Madara Uchiha, Zetsu, and a possible connection to Kirigakure.

• Shuji reviewed reports showing that the Chunin Exams usually cost Konoha more than they earned.
• Itachi told Shuji that clan members had grown dissatisfied after Fugaku handed twelve Uchiha, including Fierce Flame, to the Anbu, and worried the reforms would stall.
• Shuji told Itachi that changes in the clan would take time and that conflicts during the process had to be faced; he then asked Itachi to help with the documents.
• Danzo told Hiruzen that he had no leads on the masked man but recalled Zetsu dealing with rogue ninja hired by Kirigakure.
• Hiruzen noted that the Kirigakure lead matched Tsunade's speculation, and Danzo agreed to Hiruzen's previous proposal.

Tsunade and Shuji settled the village’s response to Danzo and the Uchiha, while discussing the threat surrounding Kirigakure’s Mizukage. In Iwagakure, Ōnoki decided to hold Chunin Exams in September to compete with Konoha and Kumogakure.

• Tsunade told Shuji that Danzo had agreed to retire and handed over a list of Root spies and the location of a secret intelligence warehouse.
• Tsunade and Shuji discussed whether Madara had controlled Karatachi Yagura, then Tsunade decided Uchiha Fierce Flame and the others could eventually be transferred to the Police Force’s prison while Uchiha Enjin would remain under Anbu control.
• Shuji informed Fugaku of Tsunade’s decision, and Fugaku felt relieved that Uchiha Fierce Flame and the others might one day return to the clan.
• Ōnoki learned that Kumogakure’s competition had drawn eight thousand people and brought in substantial revenue.
• Ōnoki decided Iwagakure would hold its Chunin Exams in September and pressure nearby villages to send teams, hoping to see how Konoha and Kumogakure responded.

Shuji continued cultivating trees with Wood Release as Iwagakure announced its own Joint Chunin Exams, creating competition with Konoha for participants. After Shuji advised Tsunade on how to handle the villages’ responses, Tsunade chose to deepen cooperation with Kumogakure and make Sunagakure wait.

• Shuji prepared a seedling grown through Wood Release for a future experiment with Tailed Beast chakra.
• Ōnoki invited several shinobi villages, including Sunagakure, to Iwagakure’s Joint Chunin Exams, while Konoha had already announced its own exams.
• Tsunade told Shuji that Kusagakure would publicly attend only Konoha’s exams but had secretly sent two genin teams toward Iwagakure’s exams.
• Shuji argued that Sunagakure was unlikely to accept Iwagakure’s invitation because it depended on Konoha for essential supplies, and advised Tsunade not to yield to unreasonable demands.
• Shuji proposed closer cooperation with Kumogakure, and Tsunade agreed to invite its representatives to discuss the upcoming exams while letting Sunagakure wait.

Rasa considered whether Sunagakure could host its own large Chunin Exams, while Konoha prepared for Kumogakure’s delegation and Shuji continued experimenting with Tailed Beast chakra. The chapter ended with Tsunade explaining Kumogakure’s proposal for annual combat exchanges that could become a gladiatorial arena.

• Rasa asked Ebizo whether Sunagakure could independently host large Chunin Exams, and Ebizo said the village could not accommodate enough visitors.
• Dodai led Kumogakure’s delegation into Konoha, where they saw a massive arena under construction and met Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
• Shuji’s experiments with Four-Tails and Five-Tails chakra destroyed the saplings he had cultivated.
• An Anbu summoned Shuji to the Hokage Office, where Tsunade told him Kumogakure had arrived and its initial talks with Konoha had gone smoothly.
• Tsunade told Shuji that Dodai had proposed annual month-long combat exchanges involving core personnel and outstanding genin, and she said the matches could resemble gladiatorial contests.

Shuji advised Tsunade on negotiating Kumogakure’s proposed combat exchange event, and she assigned him to receive the visiting delegation. Afterward, he reunited with Anko and invited her to a dinner gathering with Itachi.

• Shuji recommended treating the event as an official mission and negotiating over the venue, profit sharing, expenses, and participant selection.
• Tsunade approved pursuing Kumogakure’s proposal and appointed Shuji to handle reception and liaison work for its delegation.
• Shuji met Anko outside the Hokage Building after she returned from training and ended her leave.
• Anko told Shuji that her training had stalled but that she had mastered Twin Snakes Mutual Death, and he warned her against relying on the dangerous technique.
• Shuji told Anko that the Kumogakure delegation would be formally welcomed the next day and invited her to dinner with Itachi.

Kumogakure prepared to negotiate with Konoha over a regular practical combat exchange, while Shuji escorted Samui through the village and heard her ask about Konoha’s position. Meanwhile, Genji decided to send Kirigakure representatives to investigate the Chunin Exams and seek permission to participate.

• Yurui, Samui, and Dodai discussed Konoha’s tournament profits and agreed that Kumogakure should prioritize establishing a cooperative tournament channel and practical combat exchanges.
• Dodai assigned Samui to handle an informal meeting with Konoha, and Shuji met her outside the delegation’s inn the next day.
• Shuji took Samui through Konoha’s mask shops, where she examined a fox mask before they continued along a quiet ginkgo-lined path.
• Samui asked Shuji whether Konoha had formed a preliminary view on Kumogakure’s proposal for regular practical combat exchanges.
• Genji ordered Zabuza and Gonbei to visit Konoha as Kirigakure’s representatives, ask to join the Chunin Exams, and investigate how Konoha organized them.

Shuji discussed Konoha’s proposed Chunin competition terms with Samui and gave her a fox mask before Sunagakure and Kirigakure sent delegations to Konoha. As the arrival of the major villages heightened security concerns and Shuji’s diplomatic workload, he delegated routine tasks and turned his attention to Sunagakure’s envoy, Baki.

• Shuji told Samui that Konoha wanted to discuss the venue, profit-sharing, and eligible participants, then said chunin should be the upper limit.
• Shuji gave Samui a fox mask as a return gift, and she accepted it before he left.
• Sunagakure sent Baki as an envoy, while Kirigakure arrived with Zabuza Momochi, bringing four major shinobi villages into the Joint Chunin Exams discussions.
• Tsunade and the advisers discussed village security, Hiruzen Sarutobi urged them to trust Kakashi and the Anbu, and Tsunade ordered Jiraiya to return.
• Tsunade assigned Kotetsu Hagane, Izumo Kamizuki, and Anko to help Shuji receive the delegations, while Shuji continued advising Konoha on negotiations.
• Shuji delegated Kirigakure’s routine exchanges and tours, then focused on handling Baki and the Sunagakure delegation.

Shuji and Baki negotiated Sunagakure’s participation in Konoha’s Joint Chunin Exams, with Kirigakure’s unexpected involvement strengthening Konoha’s position. Shuji ended the meeting by asking Sunagakure for a concrete proposal, while considering a broader framework for cooperation among the great shinobi villages.

• Baki told Shuji that Sunagakure wanted to renegotiate its agreement with Konoha, arguing that it should be free to limit its participation and host its own Chunin Exams.
• Shuji pointed out that Kirigakure had agreed to participate in this year’s exams, weakening Sunagakure’s leverage.
• Baki considered withdrawing Sunagakure but decided that doing so without stronger leverage could provoke economic retaliation from Konoha.
• Shuji acknowledged Sunagakure’s concerns and asked Baki to return with a specific proposal before ending the meeting.
• Anko asked Shuji why he had eased up, and Shuji explained that the current circumstances favored Konoha but that the villages would eventually need an orderly framework for sharing the exams’ profits.

Shuji used Konoha’s agreement with Sunagakure to pressure Kumogakure’s envoy Samui while hosting her in the village. Meanwhile, Kakashi investigated Root’s handover and reported to Tsunade and Shuji that Danzō had kept its most important secrets and intelligence networks.

• Shuji took Samui to Ichiraku Ramen and mentioned Konoha’s agreement with Sunagakure as she considered what it meant for Kumogakure’s negotiations.
• Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai arrived at the ramen shop, and Shuji shifted the conversation toward them while making casual small talk with Samui.
• Samui finished her meal and returned to the inn with Shuji, while Asuma admitted to Kurenai that he felt awkward because he had previously complicated one of Shuji’s missions.
• Kakashi used Tenzo’s Locator Technique to check Root’s intelligence warehouse and confirmed that Danzō had retained its core archives and intelligence network.
• Kakashi reported his findings to Tsunade and Shuji, concluding that Root had a deeper layer.

Konoha prepared for the four-village Chunin Exams as Tsunade approved a path for former Root children to enter the Ninja Academy and Shuji proposed Tenzo as a candidate. The plan left Ōnoki struggling with Iwagakure’s exclusion after Kirigakure joined the exams.

• Shuji reported that Kumogakure wanted to host the practical exchange tournament but that Konoha needed to negotiate a larger share of the ticket revenue.
• Kakashi told Tsunade that Danzo had retained Root’s core secrets and forces, and Tsunade postponed further investigation until after the Chunin Exams.
• Tsunade approved moving Root’s youth and children into the Ninja Academy after their backgrounds and circumstances were checked.
• Tsunade considered Maruboshi Kosuke for the Forest of Death assessment, but Shuji suggested that Tenzo could participate because his official records lacked a formal Chunin Exams step.
• Tsunade decided Tenzo would take part and recognized that other Root-trained ninjas might also need formal Chunin Exams procedures.
• Ōnoki worried that Iwagakure had been left out after Kirigakure joined the Chunin Exams, but feared canceling the already-publicized event would make Iwagakure a joke.

Shuji asked Samui about legends from the Land of Lightning and learned of a cursed tree whose sap caused illness and early death. Meanwhile, Konoha’s leaders assessed the Akatsuki threat, and Obito sought allies who could help him strike Konoha.

• After Konoha and Kumogakure’s negotiations were nearly complete, Shuji accompanied Samui around Konoha and asked whether the Land of Lightning had legends about the Sage of Six Paths.
• Samui described a legendary tree whose sap brought unusually abundant harvests but caused those who ate the crops to fall ill and die young, until a sage destroyed it.
• When Samui asked Shuji for a story from the Land of Fire, he suggested Icha Icha Paradise, prompting her to criticize it as vulgar.
• Jiraiya reported to Tsunade, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura that Zetsu and Kakuzu belonged to Akatsuki and that 'Madara' was behind Zetsu.
• Konoha’s leaders discussed protecting Naruto Uzumaki during September and monitoring Uchiha Enjin, while Hiruzen said 'Madara' had likely abandoned him.
• Obito found that Shisui and the Byakugan’s surveillance made it too difficult to act in Konoha, so he sought a force willing to oppose the village without restraint.

Orochimaru joined Akatsuki as he sought new resources for his research, while Shuji asked Tsunade to help analyze Sora’s remains for his Wood Release experiments. The chapter left Tsunade demanding an apology from Shuji and Orochimaru considering potential recruits for Akatsuki.

• Orochimaru accepted Black Zetsu’s invitation to join Akatsuki after Danzo’s defeat threatened his access to resources.
• Shuji asked Tsunade to let him study Sora’s remains and the traces of Nine-Tails chakra within them.
• Tsunade explained the unusual sealing and mutation involved in Sora’s condition, then questioned whether Shuji could analyze it himself.
• Shuji admitted he could not handle the analysis alone and asked Tsunade for help.
• Tsunade demanded that Shuji recite an apology before she agreed to help him.
• Black Zetsu asked Orochimaru to identify powerful people who might join Akatsuki, and Orochimaru named several possible candidates.

Tsunade explained how Kazuma used scattered Nine-Tails chakra to try to transform Sora into a vessel, while Ōnoki decided Iwagakure would hold its Joint Chunin Exams. In Amegakure, Konan told Pain that Ōnoki had secretly asked Akatsuki to sabotage Konoha’s exams.

• Tsunade explained that sealing a Tailed Beast reverses its chakra-built form and requires a strong vessel.
• Tsunade said Kazuma implanted scattered Nine-Tails chakra in Sora and used his consciousness and sealing formulas to cultivate and suppress it, risking the creation of an uncontrollable monster.
• Ōnoki decided to proceed with Iwagakure’s Joint Chunin Exams and adjust his strategy later.
• Takigakure followed the Land of Grass’s lead by publicly joining Konoha’s exams while secretly sending a team to Iwagakure.
• Konan told Pain that Ōnoki had sent a secret envoy asking Akatsuki to sabotage Konoha during the exams.