Chapter Summaries

Shin visited Kushina to ask for help with Sealing Jutsu research and studied the Double Four Symbols Seal on her abdomen. He left with an Uzumaki scroll, then encountered Minato on his way to see Kushina.

• Kushina trained Rin in controlling Tailed Beast Chakra and helped Rin work toward subduing the Three-Tails.
• Shin asked Kushina how Sealing Jutsu could direct Chakra through a human body, and she gave him a scroll containing an Uzumaki predecessor's insights.
• Shin asked to examine Kushina's Double Four Symbols Seal, and she allowed him to touch it while he sensed its Chakra circulation.
• Kushina told Shin to keep the encounter to himself and reminded him to pay more attention to his pregnant wife, Ayari.
• Shin left Kushina's house carrying the scroll and met Minato, who was on his way to help Kushina cook.

Shin accepted Yugito’s invitation to dinner after suspecting the three Kumogakure women had a scheme. He arrived at their home and found Mabui in a maid outfit and Samui in a revealing cheongsam, apparently setting a honey trap.

• Shin woke late and kept Ayano beside him while Ayari waited outside their bedroom.
• Ayari fed Sibi Shin’s breakfast, and Shin asked Ayano to make him something else.
• Ayari grew irritated with Ayano while Ayano continued her household chores.
• An Anbu told Shin that Yugito wanted to invite him to a meal, and he checked that her seal remained intact before agreeing.
• Shin followed Yugito to her residence and found Mabui serving food in a maid outfit and Samui carrying dishes in a red cheongsam.

Yugito, Samui, and Mabui tried to win Shin over with a lavish meal, hoping to secure the Raikage’s rescue and their return to Kumogakure. Shin asked Samui to become his assistant, leaving her worried about her future in Konoha, though she accepted that she had few other choices.

• Yugito hosted Shin for dinner with Samui and Mabui, and Samui served a meal of Land of Lightning specialties.
• Shin flirted with Samui during tea and praised her cooking, while Yugito believed their plan was working.
• As he left, Shin told Samui to come work as his assistant the next day.
• Samui worried that Shin would keep her in Konoha and make use of her as a prisoner from an enemy village.
• Mabui admitted she felt distressed about Samui bearing the burden of their plan, and Yugito later found Samui resting in her room.
• Samui told Yugito she was willing to do this for their friends because they had no better choice.

Shin tested a Fire Release scroll and began researching techniques engraved directly onto the body, while Orochimaru revealed his advances in reincarnating souls into White Zetsu and creating a powerful body for himself. Shin left with an intelligent White Zetsu for his experiments, keeping his plans for Sage Engraving secret.

• Shin created a single-use Fire Release scroll, and Kamado tested it successfully before agreeing to serve as Shin’s test subject.
• Orochimaru told Shin that he had used the soul-stabilizing method from Impure World Reincarnation to keep souls permanently in White Zetsu bodies.
• Orochimaru showed Shin a young man made with First Hokage cells, a Byakugan, and White Zetsu flesh, calling the creation his future body and offering to make one for Shin.
• Shin asked Orochimaru for an intelligent White Zetsu to use in his Ninjutsu Engraving experiments and kept his plans for Sage Engraving hidden.

With Sunagakure stabilized under Pakura and the shinobi world settling into peace, Shinichi prepared for his wedding to Ayari while making plans involving Ayano. The wedding day arrived, and the chapter also revealed that Yahiko’s Akatsuki had begun using military force to deter nearby powers.

• Pakura became the Fifth Kazekage after Rasa and Sasori died, and Shinichi helped end the war between Sunagakure and the Hidden Mist Village.
• Shinichi and Ayari argued about his interest in Ayano and whether he would marry her, while Ayari kept him under close watch before the wedding.
• Shinichi’s clan prepared the elaborate wedding, and Yahiko sent a congratulatory gift from Amegakure.
• Shinichi learned that Yahiko’s Akatsuki had shifted from negotiation toward using military force to deter neighboring powers.
• Shinichi spent the night with Ayari, and the day of their wedding arrived.

Rin, Kurenai Yuhi, and Anko attended Shin and Hyuga Ayari’s wedding, where guests gathered to celebrate the prominent couple. As the newlyweds appeared, Rin watched them with troubled feelings and silently compared herself to Ayari.

• Rin hesitated outside the Hyuga Clan Compound until Kurenai Yuhi and Anko arrived and went inside with her.
• The three girls joined Asuma, Genma, Ebisu, and others, while Kakashi and Obito discussed their wedding gifts.
• Asuma revealed that Hyuga Ayari was already pregnant, surprising the guests and making Rin lose herself in thought.
• Might Guy praised the unlimited wedding food and joked that Shin should get married a few more times.
• Shin and Hyuga Ayari appeared in their wedding clothes, and Rin watched them as Kurenai Yuhi admired Ayari’s beauty.

Hyuga Shin and Ayari celebrated their wedding, while Rin confronted Kakashi about his evasive rejection and returned without an answer. After the guests left, Ayari and Shin discussed their relationship and her sister Ayano, and Shin ended the night by heading toward Ayano on their wedding night.

• Orochimaru attended Hyuga Shin and Ayari's wedding and offered his blessings, then told Ayari to give Shin a good child.
• Rin left the wedding and later met Samui and Mabui in the village, before Kakashi found her near the village gate.
• Rin demanded that Kakashi clearly reject her, but he only said that Obito liked her, leaving Rin angry and Kakashi confused.
• Shin and Ayari spent the evening together beneath the stars, where Ayari recalled when she had fallen for him and teased him about being a husband and father.
• Ayari asked Shin whether he loved her and whether he wanted to visit her sister; Shin admitted he did, and Ayari called him a scumbag.
• Shin left the bedroom to take a shower and saw Ayano in the living room as he thought about their wedding night.

Obito became captivated by Zhen’s secretary, Samui, while visiting the Hokage’s office, and learned that she worked closely with Zhen. Zhen continued his studies and considered plans for the children in Nonō’s care before noticing Guy’s guard duty was interfering with his training.

• Obito saw Samui in the Hokage’s office, asked Zhen who she was, and learned she was his secretary.
• Obito encountered Samui again and left feeling envious of how much time she spent with Zhen.
• Zhen enjoyed Samui’s massage and reflected on his Ninjutsu Engraving research, his Sage Engraving studies, and plans for Kabuto and Itachi.
• Zhen noticed Guy had fallen asleep while on guard and told him to rest for two days before coming to see him.

Shin successfully entered Sage Mode and tested his newfound control over Natural Energy across the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain. Back in Konoha, he warned Guy about his training injuries and offered him a new path: Sage Taijutsu.

• Shin used his practice with Jugo to successfully condense Sage Chakra and enter Sage Mode.
• Shin tested his expanded senses and direct control over Natural Energy by flying at high speed and manipulating flames, clouds, and a waterfall.
• Shin briefly visited Amegakure, where Jiraiya sensed his presence but saw no one in the courtyard.
• Shin returned to Konoha and told Kamado to send Jugo back, then met with Guy in the Hokage's Office.
• Shin warned Guy that overtraining had caused hidden injuries and severe strain, then offered to teach him Sage Taijutsu.

Shin trained Guy to control and fight with Chakra released from his body, promising to teach him Sage Taijutsu once he could match Kamado. Afterward, Shin planned Sage Engravings tailored to Guy’s changing Chakra reserves and began considering how to adapt the Hyuga Clan’s Caged Bird Seal to control those he empowered.

• Shin tested Guy’s Chakra control by asking him to knock over a book from a distance, but Guy scattered the documents on the desk instead.
• Shin brought Guy and Kamado to the Hokage’s Office rooftop, learned that Guy could open six Gates, and ordered them to spar using only Chakra released from their bodies.
• Kamado knocked Guy down with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, while Shin told Guy to keep training until he could match Kamado and earn instruction in Sage Taijutsu.
• Shin returned to his office and planned seven Sage Engravings for Guy to match the different Chakra levels caused by the Eight Gates.
• Shin considered giving Sage Engravings to Kamado, Guy, Kakashi, and Nonō’s children, and thought about modifying the Caged Bird Seal to keep them under control.

Shin removed Kamado’s Caged Bird Seal and gave him the first Sage Engraving, which boosted his strength and Byakugan enough to cross into the Kage class. After Kamado tested the power, Shin discovered that the engraving could cause breathing trouble when its user’s Chakra ran low, leaving him with a dangerous flaw to address.

• Shin completed Kamado’s Sage Engraving and removed his Caged Bird Seal.
• Kamado activated the seal, felt a dramatic increase in power and perception, and said he could defeat ten Kakashis.
• Shin warned Kamado to use the power sparingly and keep it secret, even from the Hokage.
• Kamado used Natural Energy to turn his Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm into a powerful strike, which Shin named Forty Divine Sky Strike.
• Kamado struggled to breathe as his Chakra ran low, so Shin told him to deactivate the seal and leave Sage Mode.
• Shin realized the Sage Engraving needed a safeguard to shut down when the user lacked sufficient Chakra.

As Ayari’s pregnancy advanced, Shin realized he would soon become a father, while Kushina and Minato both struggled with their wish to marry. After Orochimaru refused Minato’s request because Kushina was a Jinchuriki, Minato decided to ask Shin for help.

• Ayari’s growing pregnancy kept her mostly at home, and Shin supported her with gifts, care, and help walking.
• Shin wondered whether Ayari’s unborn child might be the Neji from the original story, then teased Kushina about marrying Minato.
• Kushina privately wished Minato would propose, while Minato felt guilty because he knew her Jinchuriki status made marriage difficult.
• Minato asked Orochimaru for permission to marry Kushina, but Orochimaru refused, citing the risks of pregnancy and childbirth for a Jinchuriki.
• Shikaku advised Minato to seek Shin’s help in securing Orochimaru’s approval, and Minato resolved to approach him.

Minato asked Shin to persuade the Hokage to approve his marriage to Kushina, but Shin made no promises. After reconsidering the dangers and possibilities surrounding Kushina’s Jinchuriki status, Shin agreed to speak on their behalf, and Kushina came to his office to ask for help.

• Minato asked Shin to help convince Orochimaru to approve his marriage to Kushina, and Shin agreed only to try.
• Shin told Ayari about Minato’s request, and Ayari urged him to help Kushina and Minato.
• Shin considered Kushina’s future as a Jinchuriki and wondered what gift he should give his unborn child.
• Kushina visited Shin’s office after learning her marriage to Minato had been refused, and she asked Shin to intervene.
• Kushina offered to make Shin’s child her godchild in return, and Shin told her he would keep his promise to help.

Kushina tried to persuade Shinichi to help her and Minato with the Hokage, inviting him home under the pretense of showing him Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu. Shinichi accepted the book but pressed Kushina about what else she wanted, leaving her trembling as they both held it.

• Kushina asked Rin whether Shinichi was serious and lecherous, and Rin admitted she thought he might be.
• Kushina met Shinichi at the Hokage's Office and invited him to her home to look at Sealing Jutsu texts.
• At Kushina's home, she showed Shinichi rare Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu, but he focused on her and then asked to take the book with him.
• Shinichi started to leave, prompting Kushina to ask him to make more effort to persuade the Hokage on behalf of her and Minato.
• Shinichi returned the book, saying he could not keep it if he failed to help, while Kushina anxiously tried to push it back to him.

Kushina let Shin pressure her by promising further help for her and Minato, while Minato and his allies discussed how he might marry her. Shikaku urged Minato to seek the Hokage position rather than wait for it, leaving Minato to consider a political struggle against the Fourth Hokage.

• Kushina panicked after bringing Shin home, but Shin followed her to the restroom and used her need for help as leverage to ask to inspect her Four Symbols Seal again.
• Kushina asked whether Shin could truly help her and Minato, and Shin said it depended on how much she could give him.
• At the Nara Clan, Minato told Shikaku and Inoichi that Shin probably could not help them, and the three discussed Orochimaru's reasons for opposing Minato's marriage to Kushina.
• Shikaku argued that Minato should pursue the Hokage position instead of waiting decades, warning that Hyuga Shin could become a rival.
• Minato was left wondering whether he would lose both the village he loved and Kushina.

Kushina kept Minato from entering after his drunken visit, leaving their relationship strained and unresolved. At Orochimaru’s laboratory, Shin proposed replacing Kushina as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and Orochimaru agreed to Minato and Kushina’s marriage on the condition that Shin’s unborn child become the new Jinchuriki.

• Minato visited Kushina while drunk, but she resisted letting him into her home and closed the door on him.
• Kushina slid down against the closed door, overwhelmed by what had happened between them.
• Orochimaru showed Shin a group of White Zetsu disguised as civilians and planned to place them throughout the village.
• Shin suggested replacing Kushina as Jinchuriki to reduce the risks of her marriage and pregnancy, and Orochimaru asked who could take her place.
• Orochimaru asked when Shin’s child would be born and declared that he wanted to take the child as his disciple.
• Orochimaru told Shin to inform Minato that he approved the marriage once Shin’s child was born and made the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Shin visited Shikaku after receiving an invitation from the Nara Clan and discussed Minato and Kushina with him. Shin revealed that Orochimaru planned to extract the Nine-Tails from Kushina and choose a new jinchuriki, leaving Shikaku alarmed about her survival.

• Ayari teased Shin about their unborn child as they sat together, then a servant delivered an invitation from the Nara Clan.
• Shin went to Shikaku's home, where Shikaku warmly praised Shin's abilities and suggested he might become the next Hokage.
• Shin asked Shikaku about Minato and Kushina, then revealed that Minato had asked him to plead with Orochimaru on their behalf.
• Shin told Shikaku that Orochimaru intended to remove the Nine-Tails from Kushina and choose another jinchuriki, while promising only to do his utmost to keep her safe.
• Shikaku realized that extracting the tailed beast could kill Kushina and grew deeply concerned.

Rin found Kushina haggard and helped her eat and get out of the house, while Kushina struggled with guilt and worry about Minato. After learning that the Hokage had relented, Kushina’s mood lifted, though she still wondered when Minato would come see her.

• Rin visited Kushina and found her exhausted, hungry, and unwilling to explain what was troubling her.
• Rin made Kushina instant noodles, helped clean the house, and took her to buy groceries for dinner.
• Kushina and Rin ran into Zhen and Ayari, and Ayari told Kushina that the Hokage had relented.
• Kushina realized Minato had already heard the news from Zhen and wondered why he had not come to see her.
• Zhen teased Rin with a flirtatious look, leaving her angry and frustrated as she followed Kushina home.

Kakashi, Guy, and Kamado trained in a demanding chakra-based fighting style as they prepared for Shin’s promised instruction. On the way home, Shikaku hinted that Shin effectively ruled Konoha, leaving Kakashi wary about the purpose of his invitation.

• Kamado made Guy stop training before he overstrained himself, while Kakashi praised Guy’s effort but criticized his technique.
• Kakashi reflected on his former teammates’ training as he, Guy, and Kamado headed back from the training ground.
• Shikaku invited Kakashi to his house and remarked that Shin valued him highly.
• Shikaku suggested that Shin could effectively be called the Hokage, and Kakashi grew suspicious of why Shikaku had sought him out.

Shikaku urged Kakashi to question Orochimaru’s fitness as Hokage, citing his obstruction of Minato and Kushina’s marriage and his neglect of village duties. After Kakashi began to consider what action he might take, Orochimaru summoned him to the laboratory and asked whether Kakashi thought he had been a qualified Hokage.

• Shikaku told Kakashi that Orochimaru had blocked Minato and Kushina from marrying unless Kushina’s tailed beast was removed, which would kill her.
• Shikaku criticized Orochimaru’s leadership and suggested that Kakashi and others could act for Minato; Kakashi asked what they should do.
• The next day, Kakashi arrived for Anbu duty exhausted after a sleepless night and reflected on how Hyuga Shin effectively handled much of Konoha’s leadership.
• Anko summoned Kakashi into Orochimaru’s laboratory, where he saw a corpse on an operating table as Orochimaru mixed a reagent.
• Orochimaru asked Kakashi whether he thought the Anbu suited him, then asked whether he had been a qualified Hokage.