Chapter Summaries

Ay decided to travel to Konoha to negotiate with Ronglin over reparations and Killer B, despite his secretary’s fears that it could be a trap. Ronglin arrived at the heavily guarded courtyard where Killer B was being held and heard him singing.

• Ay’s secretary warned him against going to Konoha, but Ay insisted he would negotiate with Ronglin in person.
• Ay ordered preparations for his departure the next day and told his secretary to replace the desk he had damaged.
• Ay chose to risk the journey because Killer B was vital to Kumogakure and he feared Konoha might gain control of the Eight-Tails.
• Ronglin reached the courtyard holding Killer B and heard him singing strange lyrics.

Ronglin teased Killer B by writing ridiculous lyrics in his notebook, leaving Killer B earnestly trying to sing them while Ronglin and the women laughed.

• Ronglin visited Killer B in the courtyard and offered to improve his lyrics.
• Killer B reluctantly handed Ronglin his notebook and pen.
• Ronglin wrote risqué lyrics and returned the notebook to Killer B.
• Killer B sang the lyrics seriously, while Mei Terumi and Uchiha Diqin laughed with Ronglin.
• Killer B wondered why they found the song so funny, unable to communicate with the Eight-Tails because of Ronglin's seal.

Ronglin decided to have Uchiha Diqin sing songs from his previous life and began teaching her lyrics. Meanwhile, Obito and Black Zetsu remained wary of Ronglin and considered him the greatest obstacle to the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan.

• The Eight-Tails watched helplessly as Killer B kept singing after Ronglin tricked him.
• Ronglin asked Mei Terumi and Uchiha Diqin which of them could sing, and Uchiha Diqin volunteered.
• Ronglin took the two women to the Hokage's Office and wrote down lyrics from songs he remembered from his previous life.
• Ronglin began teaching Uchiha Diqin to sing because he was tone-deaf himself.
• Obito and Black Zetsu continued guarding against Ronglin despite his promise not to interfere, fearing he could use his Rinnegan to summon and control the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

Black Zetsu and Danzo gathered leaders from small countries to propose an alliance against the Five Great Nations, using Kirigakure’s apparent support to distract attention while Akatsuki expanded its control over the Land of Water. The chapter ended as their plan to exploit the meeting and infiltrate Kirigakure was set in motion.

• Black Zetsu decided to provoke a major political incident to divert Ronglin while Akatsuki avoided targeting the Nine-Tails.
• Black Zetsu persuaded leaders of small countries to unite and demand a greater voice from the Five Great Nations, warning that their lands could become battlefields again.
• Black Zetsu used his control of Yagura and the Land of Water’s Daimyo to make Kirigakure appear to support the small countries’ proposal.
• Orochimaru and Danzo worked with Black Zetsu, and Danzo believed he could use Akatsuki to advance his own ambitions.
• Black Zetsu and Danzo planned to use the meeting to distract the great nations while Akatsuki infiltrated and gradually took over Kirigakure.

Ronglin reduced his Hokage workload by establishing a Mission Department, then learned that Ay had arrived in Konoha ahead of schedule. Ay worried about Kumogakure’s recovery and the costs of securing Killer B’s return as he was taken to meet Ronglin.

• Ronglin established a Mission Department to handle ordinary missions and reduce his daily paperwork.
• Ronglin ordered that Ay be taken to the conference room after hearing of his arrival.
• Uchiha Diqin went to arrange Ay’s reception.
• Ay walked through Konoha and compared its recovery with Kumogakure’s struggles.
• Ay worried about Kumogakure’s war losses, its compensation payments, and the price of exchanging for Killer B.

Ronglin met Ay to discuss Killer B’s release and demanded Kumogakure’s iron ore for three years. Ay rejected the demand, leaving negotiations at an impasse.

• Ay arrived at the Hokage’s Office Building and waited for Ronglin.
• Ay asked Ronglin what conditions Kumogakure had to meet to get Killer B released.
• Ronglin demanded that Konoha receive Kumogakure’s iron ore production for three years.
• Ay was shocked and declared the demand impossible.

Ronglin demanded Kumogakure's mineral resources as compensation for returning Killer B, aiming to supply Konoha's craftsmen and strengthen the village. Ay objected to giving up the ore, but Ronglin rejected Ay's offer of one year's output and left the negotiations unresolved.

• Ronglin decided Konoha should obtain Kumogakure's ore to forge and sell Ninja Tools.
• Ay recognized that Konoha wanted Kumogakure's minerals to support its craftsmen and grow stronger.
• Ronglin gave Ay a list of demanded materials and money and threatened to collect them if Kumogakure did not comply.
• Ay tried to negotiate, explaining that he could not approve the demand alone and offering one year's mineral output.
• Ronglin rejected the offer, insisting that one year was not enough compensation for Killer B.

Ronglin pressured Ay into accepting a two-year limit for Killer B and a deal in which Konoha would take three-fifths of the profits from forging Kumogakure’s ore. Ay left after agreeing, and Ronglin ordered Kisame to return Killer B while sending Kumogakure’s negotiation team to the Hyuga clan as a gift.

• Ronglin threatened to offer Killer B to Sunagakure and Iwagakure, prompting Ay to accept two years as the final limit for the prisoner’s release.
• Ronglin proposed that Kumogakure provide ore while Konoha forged ninja tools and supplies, then demanded three-fifths of the proceeds.
• Ay accepted the deal despite his anger and left the meeting room without mentioning the negotiation team.
• Ronglin ordered Kisame to take Killer B to the village entrance and hand him over to Ay.
• Ronglin told Kisame to send Kumogakure’s negotiation team to the Hyuga clan as a gift from Uchiha Ronglin.

Ay took Killer B back to Kumogakure after reaching a quick deal with Konoha over ore and forged goods. Ronglin resumed studying the Hyuga Clan’s techniques, but his experiments showed no reaction before Minato arrived to meet him.

• Ay left Konoha with Killer B and his escort after settling the matter with Ronglin.
• Kumogakure approved the ore-for-forged-goods agreement with Konoha, which helped the village recover and saved the Land of Lightning’s Daimyo money.
• Ronglin studied the Hyuga Clan’s taijutsu and Gentle Fist in a secluded spot, but his Byakugan showed no reaction.
• The Nine-Tails sensed Minato approaching, and Ronglin removed his seals and let him enter.
• Minato came before Ronglin, half-kneeled, and took out a scroll.

Ronglin received little useful intelligence from Minato’s investigation into cult organizations, then hurried back to the village after urgent word arrived. A document from Kirigakure left Ronglin stunned as he read it.

• Minato reported that the cult organizations had gone quiet during his investigation and might have been warned by spies in Konoha.
• Ronglin reassured Minato that the limited intelligence was understandable and sent him to rest.
• An Anbu operative summoned Ronglin back to the village to deal with an urgent matter.
• Ronglin returned to the Hokage’s Office, took tea from Uchiha Diqin, and froze while reading a document from Kirigakure.

Ronglin laughed at a communiqué announcing that small countries had united and demanded recognition from the major ninja villages, suspecting Akatsuki had engineered the move. He decided to wait for the villages’ responses, while Ōnoki dismissed the alliance as a joke.

• Ronglin read Kirigakure’s communiqué recognizing an alliance of small countries that sought acknowledgment from the major ninja villages.
• Ronglin suspected Akatsuki had manipulated people behind the alliance, though he could not determine who was responsible.
• Uchiha Diqin told Ronglin that the other villages had not yet responded and expected news within two days.
• Ronglin set the document aside, chose to wait, and asked Uchiha Diqin to sing for him.
• Ōnoki heard about the alliance and contemptuously dismissed the small countries’ demand for autonomy.

Small countries united under Kirigakure’s lead and challenged the great ninja villages, alarming Ōnoki and prompting him to call a meeting of the Four Great Ninja Villages. Ronglin considered supporting the small villages and ended the chapter by observing that Ōnoki was getting anxious.

• Rasa, Ay, and Ōnoki dismissed or condemned the small countries’ alliance, while Ronglin watched from the sidelines.
• The allied small countries confronted Ōnoki, and he threatened them with war.
• The small countries gathered their ninja forces, making the great villages hesitate over the danger of a wider war.
• Ōnoki invited the leaders of the Four Great Ninja Villages to meet and discuss the crisis.
• Ronglin said Ōnoki was getting anxious and considered withholding Konoha’s support or backing the small villages.

Ronglin explained to Uchiha Diqin why Ōnoki could not risk starting a war against the small countries despite Iwagakure’s military strength. The chapter left Diqin understanding that a war could draw in other villages and send refugees flooding into the Land of Fire.

• Uchiha Diqin questioned why Ōnoki treated the small countries’ coalition so seriously and suggested Iwagakure should simply defeat them.
• Ronglin explained that a war would leave Iwagakure vulnerable to attacks from the other great villages, including Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha.
• Ronglin said Ōnoki also could not predict Kirigakure’s position, making a war too risky to start casually.
• Ronglin warned that war would drive displaced people into the Land of Earth and, especially, the prosperous Land of Fire.
• Uchiha Diqin realized the Land of Fire could not easily defend its borders or manage a massive influx of refugees.

Ronglin agreed to attend a meeting with the other village leaders in Iwagakure, intending to support Ōnoki while avoiding direct involvement in the growing conflict. After leaving the Third Hokage in charge of Konoha, Ronglin departed for the Land of Earth with Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi.

• Ronglin told Uchiha Diqin that Konoha would attend the meeting and could help Ōnoki keep the fighting going.
• Uchiha Diqin worried about Ronglin traveling to Iwagakure, but Ronglin assured her he could summon the Nine-Tails if needed.
• Ronglin decided that Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi would accompany him, rather than bringing a larger group.
• Ronglin asked the Third Hokage to temporarily manage Konoha's affairs, and the Third Hokage agreed.
• Ronglin left Konoha with Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi for the Land of Earth.

Ronglin, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Ay traveled through the barren Land of Earth toward Iwagakure, where Ronglin called out the ninja secretly following them. After the Stone Ninja escorted them into the village, they arrived to meet with Ōnoki.

• Rasa set out from Sunagakure for Iwagakure while Ay prepared to travel there again after his brief return from Konoha.
• Ronglin, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Ay crossed the Land of Earth, and Ronglin explained its resources and sparse population.
• Ronglin sensed Iwagakure ninja tailing the group and challenged them to stop sneaking around.
• Three Stone Ninja emerged and asked the group to follow them because Ōnoki had been waiting.
• The Stone Ninja led Ronglin and his companions into Iwagakure, a village built almost entirely from stone.

Ronglin, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Mei Terumi arrived in Iwagakure, where villagers recognized Ronglin and admired him. The group reached the Earth Shadow's Office Building, which Ronglin thought was ugly and plain.

• Ronglin and his companions entered Iwagakure and drew the attention of the villagers.
• Several young women admired Ronglin, and he smiled and nodded back at them.
• An Iwagakure jonin welcomed the group and remarked on Ronglin's popularity.
• Ronglin agreed that he was popular because he was handsome, leaving the Stone Ninja awkward and speechless.
• Ronglin, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Mei Terumi arrived at the Earth Shadow's Office Building, and Ronglin judged its bare stone exterior ugly.

Ronglin arrived late to a meeting in Iwagakure, where Ōnoki explained that neighboring small countries had united with Kirigakure’s backing to challenge the major ninja villages. The meeting began with tensions eased by Ay, but Ōnoki declared that Iwagakure would not compromise.

• Ronglin arrived last at the conference room and greeted Rasa and Ay casually.
• Ronglin teased Ōnoki by suggesting he wanted Ronglin as his granddaughter Kurotsuchi’s husband, embarrassing Ōnoki and startling Rasa.
• Ay redirected the conversation and urged everyone to begin the meeting.
• Ōnoki told Ronglin, Ay, and Rasa that neighboring small countries had united under mysterious instigators and Kirigakure’s influence to provoke the major ninja villages.
• Ōnoki angrily insisted that Iwagakure would not compromise with the united small countries.

Rasa, Ay, Ōnoki, and Ronglin discussed Kirigakure’s surprising support for the Small Nations Alliance and the lack of intelligence on the small villages. They remained unable to explain the alliance, and Ay ended the meeting’s discussion by slamming his hand on the table.

• Ay cursed the people involved and questioned why Kirigakure had supported the Small Nations Alliance.
• Rasa, Ay, and Ōnoki agreed that both Kirigakure and the small countries were acting unusually, while Ay wondered if someone was guiding them.
• Rasa asked the Kage to share useful intelligence, but Ay, Rasa, and Ōnoki said their villages had few leads.
• Ronglin explained that Konoha had also failed to investigate the small villages, having focused its Anbu on cult organizations instead.
• Ay slammed his hand on the table in frustration, leaving Ōnoki speechless.

Ronglin explained why the four great villages could not simply attack the allied small villages, warning that war would send displaced civilians and rogue ninja fleeing into their lands. Ay understood the political and humanitarian fallout and fell silent, leaving Ōnoki with his sympathy.

• Ay and Rasa urged the four great villages to attack the smaller villages with overwhelming force.
• Ōnoki warned that starting a war could plunge the world into chaos like the Warring States period.
• Ronglin asked what would happen after victory and pointed out that nearly every country had united.
• Ronglin explained that defeated ninja and displaced civilians could flee into the four great countries, creating problems their Daimyo would have to handle.
• Ay realized the consequences of his proposal, blushed, and stopped arguing.

Ronglin and the other Kage discussed the threat posed by the small countries’ alliance and the prospect of refugees and Rogue Ninjas overwhelming the great nations. After arriving at Iwagakure’s accommodations, Ronglin told Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi that they should let Iwagakure handle the crisis while he watched events unfold.

• Ōnoki ended the discussion after the Kage found no immediate solution to the small countries’ alliance.
• Ronglin inspected Iwagakure’s accommodations with his Sharingan and Byakugan and confirmed they were safe.
• Kisame Hoshigaki asked Ronglin whether the crisis was truly so difficult to resolve.
• Ronglin explained to Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi that they should remain observers and leave the problem to Iwagakure.
• Ronglin suspected Ōnoki was concealing his true intentions while waiting to see which village lost its composure first.