Chapter Summaries

Madara Uchiha returned to the living world for a brief visit and traveled to Konoha to see his descendant become Hokage. After watching Itachi Uchiha's inauguration, Madara left satisfied and planned to ask Yunqing about the Rinnegan.

• Yunqing sent Madara Uchiha and Tobi to Konoha by train, giving Madara money and checks for his visit.
• On the train, Madara met Uchiha Akira, who said he was returning to Konoha for the ceremony where a Uchiha would become Hokage.
• Madara spotted Mina Uchiha in Konoha but continued on without approaching her, while Mina wondered if she had seen Madara.
• Madara watched Itachi Uchiha become the Fifth Hokage and recognized a Rinnegan in Itachi's right eye and a giant windmill Sharingan in his left.
• Shisui Uchiha and Obito Uchiha vowed to guard Itachi, and Madara left happily before deciding to ask Yunqing where the Rinnegan had gone.

The Sage of Six Paths brought Hashirama Senju back and sent him to Konoha after revealing that Madara Uchiha had been revived. Hashirama attended Itachi Uchiha’s Hokage inauguration, sensed Madara nearby, and followed him, but Tsunade and Jiraiya intercepted Hashirama outside the village.

• The Sage of Six Paths told Hashirama Senju that Madara Uchiha had been revived and was traveling to Konoha, so Hashirama asked to be sent there.
• Hashirama met Uzumaki Naruto in Konoha, bought him food, and learned that Itachi Uchiha was about to become Hokage.
• Hashirama watched Itachi’s inauguration and sensed Madara’s presence in Itachi’s Rinnegan and Mangekyo.
• Hashirama detected Madara’s killing intent and left the ceremony to follow its source, while Tsunade and Jiraiya recognized him and departed after alerting Orochimaru.
• Hashirama followed Madara outside Konoha, but Tsunade and Jiraiya blocked his path.

Yunqing drank alone at First Ray of Sky in Sunagakure and questioned what he was living for, reflecting on how his fortunate life and borrowed ambitions had left him without a goal. He decided to keep moving through life slowly, though he considered using his overwhelming power to pursue a more ruthless path.

• Yunqing drank alone and wondered what purpose his life had in Sunagakure.
• Yunqing reflected on Sāmon, Chiyo, and Ebizo's reasons for striving and realized he had no comparable goal of his own.
• Yunqing acknowledged that his work for Sunagakure came largely from gratitude toward those who had treated him kindly.
• Yunqing considered the destructive and domineering actions he could take with his powers but admitted he lacked the motivation to choose them.
• Yunqing concluded that he would continue living slowly and wait for the day he retired, unless he decided to strike at others instead.

Yunqing recovered from his dejection after realizing that his wife, adoptive father, and village gave him reasons to stay and protect them. As Yunqing and Pakura grew closer, Sāmon and Ye Xiu reflected on how they had arranged his marriage and hoped to give him a purpose, while admitting they had never expected Sunagakure to prosper as much as it had.

• Pakura comforted Yunqing in the Kazekage's Office and told him she feared he might leave her a widow.
• Yunqing realized he was no longer alone and decided to wait for Sasori's return, train him, then retire with Pakura.
• Yunqing set up a barrier in the office and drew Pakura close.
• Sāmon told Ye Xiu he feared Yunqing might disappear, and Ye Xiu reminded him of their plan to give Yunqing family responsibilities and a goal.
• Sāmon and Ye Xiu recalled arranging Yunqing's marriage to Pakura and how he had surpassed their modest hopes for Sunagakure.
• Sāmon and Ye Xiu considered Sunagakure's shortages of food, money, and people, which had once made them doubt the village could rise.

Sāmon and Ye Xiu worried that Yunqing was drifting away and searched for a way to keep him tied to Sunagakure. They agreed that Sāmon staying alive would ensure Yunqing did not abandon the village, but they had no real solution for Yunqing’s condition.

• Sāmon and Ye Xiu argued over Pakura and then focused on preventing Yunqing from leaving Sunagakure.
• They considered asking others for help but decided the secret was too dangerous to share.
• Ye Xiu proposed that Sāmon stay alive because Yunqing would support his adoptive father and remain with the village.
• Sāmon accepted that this addressed the immediate risk but doubted Yunqing would fall in love with Pakura.
• Sāmon and Ye Xiu concluded that Yunqing and Pakura respected each other but were unlikely to love each other deeply.

Yunqing asked En Uzumaki to assess psychological problems among Sunagakure’s residents and ninjas, then supplied him with psychology books to support research into a new medical field. En was left to develop the discipline while Yunqing headed home, planning to sort through Hua Ye’s chaotic memories.

• Yunqing gave En Uzumaki cases of psychological problems and asked whether they counted as illnesses.
• En Uzumaki judged the cases to be psychological disorders and said the new field required further study.
• Yunqing decided Sunagakure should establish a psychology department and prioritize screening Sasori.
• Yunqing gave En Uzumaki psychology books he had recovered from Hua Ye’s memories to support the research.
• Yunqing left En’s office in a better mood and resolved to organize Hua Ye’s memories.

Yunqing sorted through Hua Ye’s memories, separating them into “Little Videos,” then gave in to the passion they stirred and went to bed with Pakura. The next morning, he reflected on the appeal of Hua Ye’s Heavenly Palace Order and how it might have spread if Keisha had not opposed him.

• Yunqing used the Void Engine to separate Hua Ye’s memories and name them “Little Videos.”
• Yunqing carried Pakura to their bedroom, and a light barrier rose around his villa.
• Seeing the barrier, Kakuzu grumbled while Senra and Ye Nan each headed home with their spouses, stirring talk of a sleepless night across the neighborhood.
• After spending the night with Pakura, Yunqing considered how Hua Ye’s exploitation and resource gathering had strengthened the male angels.
• Yunqing concluded that Hua Ye’s Heavenly Palace Order might have spread throughout the universe if he had not encountered Keisha.

Yunqing approved funding for the Scientific Corps as the Ninja villages entered an arms race, despite his preference for peace. After Lord Sāmon left, Yunqing wondered whether his growing lustfulness came from gradual influence, his bloodline, or his character template.

• After spending the night with Pakura, Yunqing arrived at the Kazekage's Office refreshed and credited Lord Hua Ye's indulgent ways.
• Lord Sāmon confronted Yunqing about his lustfulness, then presented the Scientific Corps' request for research funding.
• Yunqing approved the request, explaining to Lord Sāmon that he supported the arms race because the other villages were building up their military strength.
• Ebizo signed the application and prepared the financial paperwork, and Yunqing signed the expenditure form so Lord Sāmon could collect the funds.
• After Lord Sāmon left, Yunqing reflected on how his personality had changed and suspected gradual influence, his bloodline, or his character template.

As the Five Great Hidden Villages escalated their secret arms race, Yunqing learned that the Land of Earth had developed new weapons and concluded that its forces were training. The Bounty Hunter's Guild leader ordered his people to retreat and focus on steadily rebuilding the Land of Rain.

• Sunagakure's army and Konoha's local security forces wiped out groups of bandits, and witnesses from other lands saw their weapons in action.
• Rasa reported to Yunqing that the Land of Earth had developed powerful long-range weapons, including explosive projectiles, during a border clash.
• Yunqing explained that the new weapons required coordination and warned Rasa to think more about the people relying on him.
• Rasa returned home to Karura, who tended to him and welcomed him to a meal.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild leader learned from Shadow that the Five Great Hidden Villages' probing was pushing small nations toward collapse.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild leader ordered Shadow to recall their people and keep them in the Land of Rain while they developed steadily.

The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss rejected a plot to provoke the Five Great Hidden Villages and focused on strengthening the Land of Rain while Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan grew stronger. He sent the three to deal with bandits threatening the factories that sustained the country.

• After Kage left, the Bounty Hunter's Guild boss threw away invitations from people plotting to provoke a war among the Five Great Hidden Villages.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss decided to protect the Land of Rain and wait for Nagato's Rinnegan to mature, while keeping enough strength to deter lesser threats.
• He summoned Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan and told them to eliminate bandits damaging the Land of Rain's factories and bases.
• Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan accepted the mission and left with their people to attack the bandits.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss was pleased that the three were eager to defend the factories and resolved to kill those threatening his investments.

The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss decided to kill Black Zetsu and continued building a peaceful, legitimate future in the Land of Rain. Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan gained fame through their victories, while the boss hosted Shimura Danzō for a major transaction and discussed going legitimate.

• The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss rejected Black Zetsu's vision and resolved to gather allies to kill him when he appeared again.
• Yahiko used Water Release—Rain Thousand Needles to rout wandering ninja, while Nagato and Konan fought alongside him.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss promoted the trio's victories, and Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan became famous across the Ninja World.
• The Bounty Hunter's Guild boss received Shimura Danzō in Amegakure, with Kage and his personal guard standing behind him.
• Danzō taunted Kage about leaving the shadows, and the boss said he planned to follow Mr. Kakuzu's example and live properly in the sunlight.

Shimura Danzō visited Ayu’s Rain Country storage depot to inspect and collect Konoha’s goods, but Ayu and the workers’ fear of him made clear how notorious he was. Danzō left with the goods and a bruised sense of pride.

• Shimura Danzō tried to congratulate Ayu, but Ayu hurriedly changed the subject and urged him to inspect Konoha’s goods.
• Ayu explained that Danzō had helped purge hundreds of Bounty Hunter’s Guild bases across the Land of Fire, and Danzō admitted he had acted for Konoha.
• Danzō watched the workers load the goods and praised Ayu’s management of the Rain Country depot.
• Danzō stopped the spot checks and ordered the cargo loaded, relying on Konoha’s military strength to ensure the handover went smoothly.
• Danzō overheard workers say they were rushing because he had arrived, and Ayu quietly snickered as Danzō realized ordinary people feared his reputation.

Shimura Danzō’s supply convoy came under attack at the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Fire, with attackers striking from three directions using weapons associated with Sunagakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. Danzō’s forces held out behind a barrier and counterattacked until Hatake Sakumo arrived with reinforcements, driving the attackers away.

• As the convoy left the Land of Rain, Shimura Danzō complained inwardly about the people there, while Shikaku Nara cautiously asked whether he was all right.
• Attackers struck the supply convoy from three directions, and Danzō ordered his forces to form up and use full firepower instead of conserving Chakra.
• Danzō ordered the barrier team to activate a formation made from the marked vehicles, and it survived three heavy attacks that nearly broke it apart.
• After the smoke cleared, Danzō ordered a counterattack, and Choza Akimichi unleashed heavy-firearm barrages while Inoichi Yamanaka helped locate the attackers.
• Hatake Sakumo arrived with reinforcements, and the attackers retreated; Danzō praised Sakumo and admired the Akimichi Clan’s firepower.

Hatake Sakumo rescued Shimura Danzō and brought him back to Konoha, where Danzō reported on the Land of Rain and the Bounty Hunter's Guild. The Hokage's council concluded that Ayu had gone legitimate, though Danzō revealed that he had two Quasi-Kage experts beside him.

• Hatake Sakumo destroyed a barrage of attacks aimed at Shimura Danzō and escorted him back to Konoha.
• Shikaku Nara watched Sakumo tactfully give Danzō a way out after Danzō's boast was immediately followed by an attack.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi questioned Danzō about his trip to the Land of Rain, and Danzō identified Sand, Cloud, and Stone as the likely attackers.
• Danzō told the council that Ayu had genuinely gone legitimate and that the Land of Rain was improving, so Ayu was unlikely to be behind the Ninja World's unrest.
• Danzō said he had not seen Ayu's divine eyes but had sensed two Quasi-Kage experts with him.

After Iwagakure failed to kill Shimura Danzō, Ōnoki discussed the growing impact of Sunagakure’s new weapons and ordered Iwagakure to equip its ninjas. He grew resentful of Sunagakure’s strength and took out his frustration on Kitsuchi, whose cries rang through the village.

• Iwagakure’s elders accepted that Shimura Danzō had been too well guarded to kill and asked Kitsuchi to report on the new weapons.
• Kitsuchi said the weapons strengthened genin and shifted battles toward ranged and group combat, prompting the elders to recognize that ninja warfare had changed.
• Ōnoki ordered elite ninjas and all genin to be equipped with the new weapons.
• Kitsuchi offered to command the new-weapon unit, but Ōnoki ignored him while worrying that Sunagakure had surpassed Iwagakure.
• Ōnoki beat Kitsuchi, and the village’s residents pretended not to notice as Kitsuchi’s cries echoed throughout Iwagakure.

Yunqing advised Rasa to grow through combat and develop a fighting style of his own, then decided that Sunagakure needed localized conflicts to train its next generation. The chapter ended with Yunqing resolved to stir up smaller wars while preserving the larger peace.

• Yunqing asked Rasa what he had learned from trying to intercept Shimura Danzō, and Rasa said he admired Danzō’s crisis judgment and instincts.
• Yunqing urged Rasa to leave the village, gain experience in conflicts, and stop relying on Suke’s fighting style.
• Yunqing tested Rasa’s Gold Dust Armor and advised him to forge a path of his own rather than imitate Suke.
• Rasa left after Yunqing compared his combat ability with Suke’s and explained Sunagakure’s ruthless battlefield methods.
• Yunqing concluded that Rasa lacked the resolve that came from carrying responsibility and decided to provoke localized conflicts to temper Sunagakure’s next generation.

Yunqing suspected someone was deliberately stirring up conflict to temper the Ninja World, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Nara Clan Head drew lessons from the attack on Shimura Danzō. The chapter left Shikaku Nara facing the prospect of being sent into future local wars to gain experience.

• Yunqing suspected that someone was manipulating the rise of conflicts and worried that he might be used as a whetstone like Shimura Danzō.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi read Shimura Danzō's account, blamed Ōnoki and Yunqing for the attack, and ordered Jiraiya to garrison the Land of Waterfalls with Minato Namikaze ready to support him.
• A clerical ninja delivered Root ninjas whom Shimura Danzō had sent to Hiruzen Sarutobi to be tempered.
• The Nara Clan Head told Shikaku Nara that intelligence alone could not replace battlefield experience and urged him not to underestimate his comrades.
• The Nara Clan Head predicted more controllable local wars and told Shikaku Nara to take part, leaving Shikaku convinced his father was risking his life without asking him.

After Shikaku Nara’s mother got angry about his battlefield deployment, his father retaliated by sending him to the front lines, and Shikaku reluctantly prepared to survive it. Jiraiya accepted Shikaku’s name on the suicide-squad list, believing he had volunteered, while the chapter left the consequences of the mistaken assumption unresolved.

• Shikaku Nara’s mother learned that the Nara Clan Head had signed their son up for a battlefield deployment class and made him sleep in the living room.
• The Nara Clan Head realized Shikaku had set him up, then took him to Hiruzen Sarutobi and passionately requested that he be sent to the front lines.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi worried about the risks and precedent of sending the Nara Clan’s young head into the fiercest fighting, while Shikaku resigned himself to preparing weapons and trying to return alive.
• Jiraiya saw Shikaku Nara near the top of the battlefield assignment list and assumed he had volunteered to gain experience, not knowing his father had forced him onto it.

After Jiraiya’s deployment to the Land of Waterfalls was publicized, Konoha’s clans sent their young clan heads and other notable youths to the front lines. Jiraiya received the growing roster and wondered why so many clan leaders were sending their own heirs into danger.

• Konoha’s morning news announced that Jiraiya had led two thousand ninja to the Takigakure region, prompting rumors among the clans.
• Fugaku Uchiha asked his father what the news meant, and the Uchiha Clan Head concluded that the clans needed to send members to the battlefield.
• The Uchiha Clan Head ordered Fugaku to lead Uchiha members to the front lines, and Fugaku left reluctantly.
• The news spurred more clans to enlist their young clan heads and outstanding youths for the front lines.
• Jiraiya arrived in the Land of Waterfalls and received a list of Konoha’s young clan heads, then questioned why they were all being sent into battle.

Jiraiya tested the second-generation heirs and left them exhausted, then made Minato handle both their care and the Land of Waterfalls’ administrative documents. He explained that their failure to conserve Chakra and stamina made them a liability on the front line.

• Jiraiya defeated the second-generation heirs in training and mocked their weakness before assigning them to Minato.
• Minato arranged for the exhausted heirs, including Fugaku Uchiha and Shikaku Nara, to be carried back to rest.
• Jiraiya handed Minato the Land of Waterfalls’ administrative documents to review while he relaxed.
• Jiraiya asked Minato how the heirs had returned, and Minato realized they had wasted their Chakra and stamina despite being on the front line.
• Jiraiya told Minato that battlefield challenges must not leave them unable to act.