Chapter Summaries

Shuji helped Tsunade confront her hemophobia by making her endure the touch and smell of his blood, and she managed to gather chakra despite her fear. Afterward, Tsunade punched Shuji for bringing her back to the village and thanked him stiffly before leaving to wash with Shizune.

• Tsunade agreed that Shuji's plan was feasible but said they first needed to address her hemophobia.
• Shuji cut his hand and pressed his blood onto Tsunade's arm and hand while she fought the urge to flee.
• As Tsunade neared collapse, she asked whether her grandfather's dream still had hope, and Shuji urged her to keep moving toward peace.
• Shizune embraced Tsunade, who pulled herself free and successfully gathered a faint but steady glow of chakra.
• Tsunade punched Shuji in the abdomen, then left with Shizune to wash the blood from her hands.
• Tonton nudged Shuji, who threatened to cook the pig in response.

Shuji returned to Konoha with Tsunade, whose arrival stirred hope and speculation about the village’s leadership. Tsunade took up a post at Konoha Hospital, while Danzo warned Hiruzen that she had returned for the Hokage’s seat and must not be allowed to take it.

• Shuji, Tsunade, and Shizune arrived in Konoha, and word of Tsunade’s return quickly spread through the village.
• Fugaku took Tsunade’s return as a sign that Shuji had begun fulfilling his promise to support cooperation with the Uchiha.
• Tsunade confronted Hiruzen, announced that she would work at Konoha Hospital, and left before discussing the Hokage position.
• Hiruzen confirmed with Shuji that Tsunade’s problem had been resolved, but withheld his plans for the Hokage’s seat.
• Hayami Shigeru and Kachi Onju asked Shuji about Tsunade’s return, and Shuji told them to wait for his instructions.
• Danzo warned Hiruzen that Tsunade had returned for the Hokage’s seat and declared her unfit to become Hokage.

Tsunade returned to Konoha and spoke with Hiruzen about taking over some of his duties, while revealing that Fugaku was willing to compromise. She then told Shuji he would travel to the Fire Capital with Hiruzen’s letter and work missions for her for as long as she held office.

• Tsunade barged into the Hokage Office, and Danzo left after Hiruzen refused to discuss his concerns with her present.
• Hiruzen questioned Tsunade about Shuji’s intentions, and she said she had agreed to fill in for him while he retired.
• Tsunade told Hiruzen that Fugaku was willing to compromise, prompting Hiruzen to ask for details and refuse to put village finances under her control.
• Tsunade visited Grandma Toka at the West Suburbs Old Residence and spoke with her about life outside the village and gambling.
• Tsunade told Shuji she would stay in the village and gradually take over some affairs, then ordered him to deliver Hiruzen’s letter to the Fire Capital and resume missions.

Shuji traveled to the Capital of Fire to deliver a message from the Third Hokage to the Feudal Lord and met the Guardian Ninja. After arranging to collect the Feudal Lord’s reply the next day, Shuji questioned Asuma about the Guardian Ninja and learned that Masamune was the Feudal Lord’s younger brother.

• Shuji learned from the Third Hokage that Tsunade had returned and received a mission to deliver a sealed scroll to the Feudal Lord.
• Asuma met Shuji at the capital’s entrance and escorted him to the Feudal Lord.
• The Feudal Lord praised Shuji’s past diplomatic mission, then redirected Masamune when he began questioning Shuji.
• The Feudal Lord read the scroll and told Shuji to return the next day for his reply.
• Shuji asked Asuma about the Guardian Ninja’s work and origins, and Asuma explained that they came from across the Land of Fire.
• Asuma identified Masamune as the Feudal Lord’s younger brother and urged Shuji to return to the village after completing his mission.

Shuji learned that Masamune and Kazuma were plotting to seize power from the Daimyo with the Twelve Guardian Ninja, and promised the Daimyo that Konoha would protect him. As Shuji returned to Konoha, Kazuma’s men blocked his path while Masamune agreed to begin the coup.

• The Daimyo told Shuji that Masamune and Kazuma had grown suspiciously close to the Guardian Ninja and that their actions threatened his rule.
• The Daimyo asked Shuji whether Konoha would protect him, and Shuji affirmed that Konoha’s stance had not changed.
• The Daimyo sent Shuji to Konoha to report the danger and request reinforcements.
• Two Guardian Ninja, Iron Soldier and Flame Warrior, confronted Shuji in a forest and demanded that he return to the palace.
• Kazuma urged Masamune to seize the Daimyo’s throne, revealing that he had preserved Nine-Tails chakra in the Fire Temple to distract Asuma and Chiriku.
• Masamune agreed to proceed with the coup after Kazuma and the other Guardian Ninja knelt and pressed him to act.

Shuji killed the Guardian Ninja ambushing him and raced toward the Capital of Fire to stop En Masamune’s coup, while a crisis at the Fire Temple drew Chiriku and Asuma away from the Daimyo. Kazuma then attacked the Daimyo Palace, where he confronted the Daimyo after his men killed Nauma and Seito.

• Shuji countered the long-haired Guardian Ninja’s Fire Release with Water Severing Wave and killed him, then crushed the masked Guardian Ninja with a chakra-powered punch.
• Shuji decided to protect the current Daimyo or stop the rebel before he could take the throne, and continued toward the Daimyo Palace despite a surge of evil chakra from the Fire Temple.
• After learning that the Fire Temple’s Sealing Iron Wall had been breached, Chiriku and Asuma received the Daimyo’s permission to leave and address the crisis.
• The Daimyo ordered Beizi, Nauma, Seito, and Higashi U to guard the palace while he waited for Konoha’s squad to arrive.
• Kazuma led a surprise attack on the Daimyo Palace, and his men killed Nauma and Seito as Beizi and Higashi U fought back.
• The Daimyo faced Kazuma at the open bedchamber doors and urged him to abandon his coup, warning that he and Masamune would bring destruction.

Shuji returned to the Daimyo Palace in time to stop Kazuma’s coup, while Chiriku and Asuma subdued Sora’s Nine-Tails chakra at the Fire Temple. Kazuma escaped, and Asuma returned to find the Feudal Lord safe but was redirected to help secure the Capital of Fire.

• Shuji arrived during Kazuma’s attack, and he, Beizi, and Higashi U protected the Feudal Lord and killed the remaining rebel Guardian Ninja, but Kazuma escaped.
• Shuji learned that Asuma and Chiriku had gone to the Fire Temple after receiving an urgent message, and he chose to prioritize the Feudal Lord’s safety and the Capital of Fire.
• At the Fire Temple, Chiriku, Asuma, and the monks trapped Sora in the Evil-Breaking Formation and suppressed the Nine-Tails chakra consuming him.
• Asuma left Sora in Chiriku’s care and hurried back to the Daimyo Palace, where Beizi told him Kazuma had escaped.
• Asuma began to confess his connection to Kazuma, but Shuji urged him to assist Beizi, and the Feudal Lord ordered him to help stabilize the situation.

The Feudal Lord confronted En Masamune over Kazuma’s failed plot and ordered Higashi U to deal with him. At the Fire Temple, Shuji learned that Sora had vanished after the Nine-Tails chakra inside him disappeared, and he and Asuma began searching for clues.

• The Feudal Lord explained to En Masamune why the daimyo and Kage had to keep their powers separate, then told Higashi U to make his brother’s end quick.
• Asuma told Shuji that Kazuma had sought to unite the Land of Fire under the Feudal Lord and revealed that Kazuma’s son Sora carried Nine-Tails chakra.
• Shuji hurried back to the hall and asked the Feudal Lord for permission to investigate the Fire Temple, then left with Asuma.
• Chiriku told Asuma and Shuji that Sora had gone missing while unconscious and that the chakra inside him had vanished.
• Asuma blamed Kazuma for taking Sora, and Shuji urged them to search nearby routes and report the disappearance to the village if they found no clues.

Shuji returned from the Fire Temple investigation, reported the mission, and delivered the Feudal Lord’s sealed reply to the Third Hokage. After Tsunade took him for a meal, she told him to rest for a few days and arrange a meeting with Uchiha Fugaku at the West Suburbs Old Residence.

• Shuji ended the fruitless search near the Fire Temple and sent Asuma back to Konoha to report on the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
• Shuji reassured the Feudal Lord that the unrest had been suppressed, and the Feudal Lord decided to reduce the Guardian Ninja and free Chiriku to rebuild the temple.
• Shuji learned that Asuma had been kept in Konoha and assigned to a border outpost, then carried the Feudal Lord’s sealed letter back to the village.
• Shuji reported the mission to the Third Hokage and Tsunade, who dragged him from the office and took him to a restaurant.
• Tsunade told Shuji to rest for a few days and arrange a meeting with Uchiha Fugaku at the West Suburbs Old Residence.

Shuji gathered with Anko and Itachi before arranging a meeting between Tsunade and Uchiha Fugaku to discuss the Uchiha’s possible connection to past attacks and the clan’s role in Konoha. The meeting ended with Fugaku agreeing to provide an Anbu squad, while Shuji and Tsunade considered how the arrangement might affect the Uchiha.

• Shuji and Anko made dango together, and Anko told him that the Cursed Seal Orochimaru left on her still reacted when she encountered signs of him.
• Itachi joined them for dango, then Shuji asked him to tell Fugaku to meet at the West Suburbs Old Residence two mornings later and to continue investigating Police Force members.
• Tsunade questioned Fugaku about the Fourth Hokage’s death and the Kumogakure Envoy Incident, and Fugaku said the Nine-Tails attack was connected to the Uchiha but not to the clan in Konoha.
• Fugaku named Uchiha Madara as a possible suspect, and Tsunade ordered the Uchiha to provide four candidates for an Anbu squad in exchange for one squad’s Police Force allocation.
• After Fugaku left, Shuji told Tsunade that the Uchiha wanted genuine power within Konoha rather than its destruction, and he noted that Anbu duties could keep the Police Force occupied.

Danzo tried to recruit Itachi and undermine Shuji’s plan to integrate the Uchiha into the village, but Shisui intervened and Itachi reported the encounter to Shuji. Reviewing Fugaku’s proposed Anbu candidates, Shuji saw that the list favored Fugaku’s loyalists over the clan’s hardliners and planned to ask Tsunade for a broader selection.

• Danzo pressured Itachi to join Root and abandon Shuji’s side, but Shisui arrived and accompanied Itachi to see Shuji.
• Shuji advised Itachi to refuse Danzo’s requests, warned him and Fugaku to stay vigilant, and said he would inform Tsunade.
• Itachi reviewed Fugaku’s six proposed names and identified several influential Uchiha hardliners who were missing from the list.
• Shuji decided to have Tsunade reject Fugaku’s list and request more candidates so the Anbu intake could reduce the influence of the Uchiha radicals.
• Itachi reported that some Uchiha opposed joining the Anbu while capable Police Force members welcomed the opportunity, and Shuji saw potential support for future reforms.

Shuji helped Tsunade review village paperwork before she assigned him to secure Sunagakure’s participation in an expanded Chunin Selection Exam and sound out Kusagakure. The chapter ended with Tsunade sending him away and promising to arrange his team the next day.

• Shuji walked Itachi partway home with Shisui, and Shisui pledged to help Shuji work toward a better future for the village and the Uchiha.
• Shuji told Tsunade that Fugaku’s proposed list needed to be expanded and that Danzo had tried to pressure Itachi; Tsunade ordered a new list and complained that she could not yet move against Danzo.
• Tsunade fell asleep and left Shuji to review her paperwork, so he checked the figures and marked issues in the village’s postwar reports.
• Tsunade explained that Konoha planned to expand the Chunin Selection Exam and invite major hidden villages to support the new generation and help justify increased mission quotas.
• Tsunade assigned Shuji to secure Sunagakure’s participation and visit Kusagakure for an answer, while Shizune would lead the invitation to Kumogakure.

Shuji and his team visited Sunagakure to invite it to Konoha’s Joint Chunin Selection Exams, but Advisor Ebizo questioned the benefits and risks for Sunagakure. The chapter ended with Ebizo demanding a valuable incentive before Sunagakure would agree to participate.

• Shuji led Anko, Kotetsu Hagane, and Izumo Kamizuki into Sunagakure, where Yura received them and arranged their lodging.
• Ebizo met the Konoha envoys and Shuji invited Sunagakure to the Joint Chunin Selection Exams.
• Shuji probed Sunagakure’s reduced defenses and pressure from Iwagakure, prompting Ebizo to react angrily before inviting the team to dinner.
• Ebizo challenged the value of sending Sunagakure’s genin to exams held in Konoha and asked what compensation Sunagakure would receive.
• Ebizo insisted that Sunagakure would not participate unless Konoha offered something worth the risk.

Shuji pressured Sunagakure to agree to participate in Konoha’s Chunin Exams without promising immediate aid, and Ebizo eventually accepted. On the night before the Konoha team’s departure, the One-Tail, Shukaku, suddenly went berserk.

• Shuji refused to let Sunagakure’s urgent need for resources become a bargaining chip and left Ebizo’s banquet without making promises.
• Shuji stayed at the inn and refused Ebizo’s invitation, prompting Ebizo to personally escort him around Sunagakure.
• Shuji observed signs of hardship in the village and later suggested Sunagakure could gain commissions by distinguishing itself at the Chunin Exams.
• Ebizo agreed to send Sunagakure representatives to the exams, and Shuji said they could discuss the remaining matters in Konoha.
• On the night before their scheduled departure, Shuji and his teammates saw the One-Tail, Shukaku, roaring beneath the night sky.

Rasa considered whether Sunagakure could escape its worsening financial and military predicament by pursuing richer territory, while Shukaku’s rampage revealed how routinely the village handled the One-Tail. Shuji’s team left Sunagakure and planned to report its situation to Konoha, while A agreed to send Kumogakure shinobi to the Chunin Exams on the condition that the next exams be held in Kumogakure.

• Rasa reflected on Sunagakure’s dwindling resources and briefly considered taking the Land of Rivers, but concluded they would need greater power and Konoha to be distracted.
• Shukaku broke loose in Sunagakure, but Rasa restrained the One-Tail with his gold dust technique.
• Shuji’s team left Sunagakure without meeting Rasa and decided to return to Konoha to report the village’s agreement and the situation involving Shukaku and the Kazekage.
• A declined Shizune’s invitation to the Joint Chunin Selection Exams at first, then agreed after considering the prospect of a more stable relationship with Konoha under Tsunade.
• A stipulated that the next Joint Chunin Selection Exams must take place in Kumogakure and that Konoha must participate.

Shuji investigated Kusagakure after noticing its unusually heavy patrols and discovered that the village was exploiting Karin’s mother’s healing ability. He left Karin a hidden chance to escape with her mother, then vanished into the night.

• Tsunade and Hiruzen Sarutobi discussed the danger posed by Sunagakure’s unstable situation, and Shuji’s team traveled to Kusagakure.
• Shuji noticed Kusagakure’s oppressive atmosphere and unusually frequent patrols, then decided to investigate secretly that night.
• Shuji followed Kusagakure ninja carrying an injured person and discovered they were using Karin’s mother to heal their wounded.
• Shuji watched Karin’s mother return home exhausted and heard Karin plead with her to leave Kusagakure.
• Shuji approached Karin in disguise, left her a wooden chip bearing the Flying Thunder God formula, and told her to stay alive if she wanted to escape with her mother.

Shuji uncovered Kusagakure’s effort to capture shinobi alive and learned that its leaders planned to use the Box of Ultimate Bliss, then arranged to rescue Karin and her mother. The chapter left Shuji teleporting back toward Kusagakure while Anko waited in hiding and his teammates carried a report to Konoha.

• Shuji overheard Kusagakure shinobi complain that they were capturing missing-nin alive and sending prisoners to Hozuki Castle, then confirmed that multiple squads were conducting such missions.
• Kusagakure’s leaders agreed to join Konoha’s Chunin Exams while secretly preparing to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss using chakra and life-energy sacrifices.
• Tsugawa ordered Kusagakure to accelerate its plan after learning that a pursuit squad had found Kazuma, a former Guardian Ninja traveling with a child.
• Hayami informed Shuji that Kusagakure would participate in the exams, and Shuji led his squad out of the village while leaving concealed Flying Thunder God markers along the way.
• Near the Land of Fire border, Shuji sent Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane to report to Tsunade, then asked Anko to stay behind and support his plan to bring Karin and her mother to Konoha.
• After Anko hid nearby, Shuji sensed the marker he had placed on Karin and teleported away.

Shuji investigated Kusagakure’s preparations to capture powerful ninja while Hagi and Karin faced the threat of being used as medicine. Elsewhere, Kazuma unleashed Sora’s Nine-Tails chakra during a losing battle with Kusagakure, and Tsugawa killed him while deciding Sora could help open the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

• Kusagakure mobilized squads for its plan, and Hagi feared that increased casualties would mean more chakra draining for her and eventually Karin.
• Karin searched the departing ninja for Shuji, remembered his advice to survive, and clung to hope that she could escape someday.
• Shuji infiltrated Kusagakure and overheard Hayami and an elder order preparations accelerated, Hagi preserved, and Karin given basic ninja training.
• Tsugawa’s Kusagakure forces cornered Kazuma and Sora as they fled through the Land of Grass, and Kazuma unleashed Sora’s dark red chakra.
• Tsugawa recognized Sora’s power as a possible key to opening the Box of Ultimate Bliss, killed Kazuma, and watched Sora cry out as his chakra surged.

Tsunade and Hiruzen learned that Kusagakure was secretly collecting living ninja and might possess the fabled Box of Ultimate Bliss, so Hiruzen sent Danzo and Root to disrupt its operations. Meanwhile, Shuji abducted Karin and her mother from Kusagakure and used the Flying Thunder God to escape toward Konoha, leaving their pursuers searching the forest.

• Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane's report prompted Tsunade to ask Hiruzen about Kusagakure's activity, and Danzo revealed the rumor of the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• Hiruzen ordered Danzo to send Root to disrupt Kusagakure's operations while Tsunade focused on the Chunin Exams and awaited Shuji's report.
• Shuji entered Uzumaki Hagi's house, knocked her unconscious, and took Karin with him using the Flying Thunder God.
• Shuji told Karin they were going to Konoha, then knocked her unconscious when Kusagakure ninja began pursuing them.
• Kusagakure's ninja arrived at the forest where Shuji had vanished and expanded their search.

Shuji took Uzumaki Hagi and Karin from Kusagakure and brought them to Konoha, where he explained to Tsunade that Hagi had been exploited for her healing chakra. Tsunade went to see the mother and daughter after learning what had happened.

• Shuji carried Hagi and Karin away from Kusagakure, telling Hagi he had robbed her and ordering her to follow him.
• Anko joined Shuji, and he took Karin while Anko supported Hagi as they crossed into the Land of Fire and headed for Konoha.
• Hayami’s search teams failed to find the missing mother and daughter, and he suspected there might be a traitor in Kusagakure.
• Shuji registered Hagi and Karin as suspicious individuals at Konoha’s gate and left Anko to guard them while he reported to Tsunade.
• Shuji told Tsunade that Hagi was used as a living medicine because her chakra healed injuries, and that Karin might have inherited the ability.
• Tsunade prepared to visit Hagi and Karin, asking whether Shuji had left witnesses in Kusagakure; they argued over whether his act counted as theft or robbery.