Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi encouraged Orochimaru to restrain his ambitions and offered to place their research under the Hokage’s name to protect him. Several days later, Shimura Danzō brought intelligence about Kakuzu, the holder of Earth Grudge Fear, providing the final piece of a resurrection puzzle.

• Orochimaru told Hiruzen Sarutobi that he wanted to master every ninjutsu, overcome fragile life, and become the rightful Fourth Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Orochimaru’s talent, promised to shoulder burdens for him, and urged him to resist dangerous temptations.
• Orochimaru promised to remember that he was a Konoha shinobi and said he would almost certainly not use Living Corpse Reincarnation unless he reached old age without making progress.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi offered to report their technique under his own name and protect Orochimaru’s research from suspicion.
• Several days later, Shimura Danzō brought crucial intelligence about Kakuzu, the holder of Earth Grudge Fear.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō discussed how to approach Kakuzu, a highly capable bounty hunter whose orderly, money-focused behavior puzzled them. Hiruzen decided Kakuzu might be receptive to the Will of Fire, and the two made a bet over whether he would voluntarily help Konoha.

• Shimura Danzō reported that Kakuzu was a former Takigakure ninja who had stolen Earth Grudge Fear and become a respected bounty hunter.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi questioned the intelligence describing Kakuzu as a dangerous rogue ninja who completed jobs diligently, never betrayed clients, and refunded deposits when missions failed.
• Hiruzen explained why capturing Kakuzu could affect the First Hokage's reputation, while Danzō considered the risks of failure.
• After reviewing Kakuzu's history and habits, Hiruzen concluded that Kakuzu might value the order of equivalent exchange and could be influenced by the Will of Fire.
• Hiruzen and Danzō bet on whether Kakuzu would voluntarily help Konoha, then returned to discussing what to do next.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō planned to lure Kakuzu into selling his Earth Grudge Fear, while Hiruzen assured Danzō that Konoha’s finances would soon flourish. A month later, Uchiha Fugaku welcomed his newborn son Itachi as Uchiha Isshin worried that Konoha would run out of money, unaware that Hiruzen and Danzō were already traveling to the Land of Fire’s capital with the finished Sage Pill.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed posing as an extravagant Noble to lure Kakuzu into a meeting outside the Land of Fire’s capital and buy his Earth Grudge Fear, with force as a fallback.
• Hiruzen told Shimura Danzō that Konoha would have abundant money in the coming years and explained his plans to invest it in research and protections for shinobi.
• Uchiha Fugaku held his newborn son Itachi, named in hopes that he would spot dangers and opportunities for the clan.
• Uchiha Isshin visited Fugaku with gifts and said he expected Konoha’s money to run out and the Uchiha Clan to rise again.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō traveled to the Land of Fire’s capital carrying the finished Sage Pill.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire lamented his lack of power before Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared unexpectedly in his bedchamber. Hiruzen sat beside him on the only bench, leaving the Daimyo uncertain what the visit would bring.

• The Daimyo of the Land of Fire reflected on his limited authority and hoped Konoha’s Healthcare Pills might improve his health.
• Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared in the Daimyo’s bedchamber without warning, frightening him.
• The Daimyo relaxed when he recognized Hiruzen and praised Konoha’s handling of its dispute with Kumogakure.
• Hiruzen explained that he had come secretly because the situation in the Shinobi World had worsened and the matter was important.
• The Daimyo offered Hiruzen a seat on his bench, and Hiruzen sat in the middle as the Daimyo shifted aside.

Hiruzen Sarutobi won the Daimyo’s cooperation by giving him a Sage Pill and proposing that they use the pills to draw wealth from nobles while rewarding good governance. The two declared themselves partners, while Shimura Danzō silently doubted Hiruzen’s sincerity.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi gave the Daimyo a Sage Pill, and the Daimyo felt its restorative effects.
• Hiruzen revealed that Konoha could produce 36,000 pills and proposed selling them to nobles, with future purchases limited to those who governed their lands well.
• Hiruzen asked the Daimyo to oversee eligibility standards, territorial assessments, and distribution, and the Daimyo agreed to cooperate.
• Hiruzen and the Daimyo called each other brothers and clasped hands as they pledged to develop the Land of Fire together.
• Shimura Danzō watched them and wondered how many people Hiruzen had called his strongest partner.

Hiruzen Sarutobi persuaded the Daimyo Kujo Gen to fund and promote the Sage Land Pill as part of a broader plan to strengthen Konoha and expand its influence. He gave Kujo a jade pendant as a token of their alliance, then tasked Shimura Danzō with planning an audit of the payment.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained how Sage Land products could build Noble support, generate revenue, and prepare Konoha for wartime production.
• Kujo Gen agreed to buy thirty-six thousand Sage Land Pills for one hundred thousand ryo each and promised to pay immediately.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi promised Kujo one percent of the pills’ profits for as long as Konoha existed and gave him a jade pendant made by Hashirama and Mito Uzumaki.
• Kujo swore to devote himself to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Hiruzen privately planned to have Anbu inspect the arrangement.
• Hiruzen gave Shimura Danzō the last replica necklace and ordered him to draft a plan for auditing the payment, leaving Danzō awake that night working on the task.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kujo Gen finalized their alliance through the Sage Land Pill deal and an engagement between their families, while Hiruzen explained his plans for investing Konoha’s profits. Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō prepared to meet Kakuzu, leaving in black cloud-patterned robes that made them look like members of an underground organization.

• Kujo Gen and Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to an engagement between Shinnosuke and Kujo Rei, and Kujo Gen proposed naming their future grandchildren after the Sage Land Pill.
• Shimura Danzō told Hiruzen Sarutobi that their people had arranged to meet Kakuzu the next day near an old pavilion southwest of the capital.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that Konoha’s more than three billion ryo would fund security, research, production, and population growth, with future profits from cosmetics and tobacco supporting further plans.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō dressed in black robes with red cloud patterns and conical hats before setting out to meet Kakuzu.

Kakuzu prepared to kill the buyers seeking Earth Grudge Fear, only to discover they were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō. After Hiruzen demonstrated he could exploit Kakuzu’s weakness, he proposed negotiating for the technique, leaving Kakuzu wary and confused.

• Kakuzu waited at a pavilion near the Capital of the Land of Fire, deciding he would kill anyone who tried to take Earth Grudge Fear from him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō arrived disguised in black robes and straw hats, and Kakuzu threatened them before they revealed their faces.
• Kakuzu recognized the Hokage and his advisor, accused Danzō of damaging Hashirama’s reputation, and prepared to fight or escape.
• Hiruzen asked whether Earth Grudge Fear could be removed without permanent harm, then exposed Kakuzu’s hidden Earth Spear hardening with Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• Kakuzu accepted Hiruzen’s show of restraint and sat down to negotiate, while Danzō bristled at Kakuzu’s assumptions about him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi negotiated a deal to buy Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear and hire him to gather intelligence for Konoha. Kakuzu then asked to test Hiruzen’s strength, and Hiruzen agreed to face him.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi cited Mito Uzumaki’s connection to Kakuzu and offered to buy Earth Grudge Fear for treating injured Konoha shinobi.
• Kakuzu explained the technique’s limits and offered its most active portion for thirteen million ryō; Hiruzen agreed to pay twenty million.
• Hiruzen gave Kakuzu the remaining ten million ryō as a deposit and employment fee, hiring him to gather intelligence for Konoha at a premium over Bounty Office rates.
• Kakuzu asked Hiruzen to exchange a move with him, offering to deduct three million ryō from his intelligence fees.
• Hiruzen agreed to face Kakuzu and said he wanted to witness the might of Earth Grudge Fear.

Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Kakuzu in a Five Elements clash, then hired him and invited him to visit Mito Uzumaki. As Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō headed back to Konoha, Hiruzen advised Danzō to manage his reputation, but Danzō said he could not.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi overpowered Kakuzu in their Five Elements contest, then helped him up and lent him a cloak.
• Kakuzu restored his Earth Grudge Fear and gave Hiruzen a packed block of it in exchange for payment and intelligence fees.
• Hiruzen hired Kakuzu for future deliveries and invited him to visit Mito Uzumaki, saying she and Senju Hashirama had remembered him.
• Shimura Danzō threatened Kakuzu, who mocked him for not being Hokage; Hiruzen called Danzō away before the quarrel escalated.
• Kakuzu reconsidered Konoha and resolved to do the work he had been paid for, while Hiruzen advised Danzō to manage his reputation on their way back.
• Shimura Danzō told Hiruzen that he understood his intentions but could not follow his advice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō discussed Danzō’s role and their trust before returning to Konoha. Hatake Sakumo then reported that Uzumaki clan members were in Kusagakure and in danger, prompting Hiruzen to react grimly.

• Shimura Danzō defended his methods to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who promised to record his contributions while warning him not to cross the Will of Fire.
• Shimura Danzō interpreted Hiruzen’s assignments and their trip to meet the Daimyo as signs of support in his rivalry with Orochimaru.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Shimura Danzō, who said he aspired to follow Lord Tobirama’s example.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō returned to Konoha after discussing village affairs.
• Hatake Sakumo reported that spies from Kusagakure, hired by Kumogakure and Iwagakure, had revealed that Uzumaki clan members were in Kusagakure and in a dire situation.

Hatake Sakumo reported that Kusagakure had imprisoned an Uzumaki survivor and other captured shinobi, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to weigh a rescue against a larger strike. Hiruzen ordered Anbu to investigate Kusagakure thoroughly as Konoha prepared a forceful response.

• Hatake Sakumo told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Kusagakure had captured an Uzumaki woman whose Chakra could heal injuries, along with shinobi from several villages.
• Hatake Sakumo explained that Kusagakure's spies preyed on isolated or weakened targets and gathered intelligence while serving as agents for the major villages.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi considered rescuing the Uzumaki survivor and using Kusagakure's kidnapping operations to support his plans for Senju Tobirama's revival.
• Shimura Danzō proposed a secret Anbu rescue and a cautious approach, but Hiruzen Sarutobi argued that Konoha needed to strike Kusagakure hard to protect its economic expansion.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Anbu to shift resources and investigate Kusagakure thoroughly, and Shimura Danzō and Hatake Sakumo agreed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to let the Uchiha Clan join a coming special military operation and named Uchiha Fugaku a Konoha Committee Member. He then entered Senju Tobirama’s secret laboratory, where he was preparing to resurrect his former teacher and intended for the Uchiha to help discover Tobirama’s location.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Uchiha Fugaku for the Police Force’s work keeping Kusagakure ninjas out of Konoha.
• Fugaku asked Hiruzen to let the Konoha Police Force serve on the battlefield, and Hiruzen agreed to include it in an upcoming special operation.
• Hiruzen told Fugaku he was a Konoha Committee Member, leaving Fugaku pleased and eager to report the decision to Uchiha Isshin.
• Fugaku cast a genjutsu on a groaning Kusa-nin and reflected that Konoha’s Patrol Force had not been created solely to target the Uchiha.
• Hiruzen brought a Kusa-nin and research materials into Senju Tobirama’s secret laboratory, planning to involve the Uchiha in finding Tobirama as part of his resurrection preparations.

Hiruzen Sarutobi used Impure World Reincarnation to summon his teacher, Senju Tobirama, and discussed Konoha’s difficult relationship with the Uchiha. The chapter ended with Hiruzen asking Tobirama to become the Izuna of the present-day Uchiha, leaving Tobirama stunned.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Senju Tobirama with Impure World Reincarnation, and Tobirama immediately asked whether the Uchiha Clan had rebelled.
• Hiruzen told Senju Tobirama that Konoha had survived a Shinobi World War and was developing well in Year 43 of Konoha.
• Senju Tobirama praised Hiruzen for researching techniques and accepted that his disciple had struggled with the Hokage’s burden before improving.
• Hiruzen explained that the Uchiha’s unstable emotions, history, and resentment made them difficult to control and a danger to the village.
• Senju Tobirama urged Hiruzen to take responsibility if the Uchiha had to be dealt with, but Hiruzen clarified that he wanted Tobirama to become the Izuna of today’s Uchiha.

Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed using a cultivated body based on Izuna to resurrect Senju Tobirama, and presented techniques and materials to make the process viable. After examining them, Tobirama began to see the logic in Hiruzen’s plan as Hiruzen told him he had missed him.

• Senju Tobirama objected when Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed that he take the role of Izuna Uchiha using a cultivated body.
• Hiruzen explained that he had studied Tobirama’s Forbidden Jutsu Notes and showed him the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique.
• Tobirama judged the technique to be a brilliant but sinister Forbidden Technique and confirmed it could work in an Impure World Reincarnation Body.
• Hiruzen presented Hiruko’s cell-fusion secret technique, sealing materials from Mito Uzumaki, and Earth Grudge Fear as ways to improve compatibility with the body.
• Tobirama examined the preparations and concluded they were feasible, then began to consider Hiruzen’s plan as Hiruzen said he had missed him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed resurrecting Senju Tobirama in Izuna Uchiha’s identity so they could reshape the Uchiha Clan and integrate it into Konoha. Tobirama embraced the idea, and Hiruzen revealed that Tobirama’s first mission after resurrection would involve Kusagakure.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Senju Tobirama that he wanted to make amends by giving him a new identity and a life with more freedom for research.
• Hiruzen explained that the Uchiha Clan’s distrust and instability threatened Konoha, and that he wanted to integrate the clan rather than destroy it.
• Hiruzen proposed that Tobirama become Izuna Uchiha and work with him to reshape the Uchiha Clan around the Will of Fire.
• Tobirama considered his knowledge of Izuna and his research into their cells, then became eager to take on the plan.
• Hiruzen showed Tobirama a scroll about Kusagakure and said it concerned his first mission after resurrection.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Senju Tobirama planned a cover identity that would let Tobirama infiltrate Kusagakure and later join the Uchiha Clan. Tobirama agreed to try to help the Uchiha integrate into Konoha, and Hiruzen left him to prepare for his new life.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi asserted his authority as Hokage while inviting Senju Tobirama to advise him as a consultant.
• Hiruzen proposed that Tobirama take on the identity of a talented Uchiha descendant rescued by Konoha, go undercover in Kusagakure, and protect an Uzumaki woman.
• Tobirama rejected the idea of claiming descent from Izuna Uchiha and instead devised a cover story involving Izuna's lingering Chakra and his own Chakra passing into the same young man.
• Hiruzen warned Tobirama not to let the scheme turn into an effort to destroy the Uchiha Clan, and Tobirama promised to do his best to help them integrate.
• Hiruzen left after Tobirama called him Monkey one last time, and Tobirama warned he would impeach him if he failed as Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi completed a modified Yin Seal and discussed Kakuzu’s wager and the planned operation against Kusagakure with Shimura Danzō. The chapter ended with Hiruzen proposing that the Uchiha Clan join the attack, prompting Danzō to warn him against it.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi worked on his Yin Seal and showed Danzō the faint golden pattern on his forehead.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi teased Danzō about the wager over Kakuzu and urged him to organize the Smile and Check the Village event.
• Danzō agreed to raise the stakes, promising to admit defeat if Kakuzu worked for Konoha once without payment.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Danzō to gather intelligence on Kusagakure and capture its leaders within an hour during the planned operation.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed his modified Yin Seal and proposed that the Uchiha Clan participate in the attack on Kusagakure.
• Shimura Danzō warned Hiruzen Sarutobi that he would regret involving the Uchiha Clan.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo debated how to handle the Uchiha under the Konoha Committee System, and Danzo proposed taking a gifted Uchiha as his disciple to bring the clan under his influence. Hiruzen praised the plan and gave Danzo new work, while privately hoping Tobirama would reject the idea and take the Uchiha disciple himself.

• Danzo argued that the Uchiha were dangerous, but Hiruzen said excluding them from the Konoha Committee System would undermine its credibility.
• Danzo accepted that the system had benefits and suggested strengthening Konoha against the possibility of a powerful Uchiha emerging.
• Danzo proposed taking a future Mangekyō Sharingan wielder or influential Uchiha as his disciple and shaping him into a loyal agent of Konoha.
• Hiruzen praised Danzo's proposal, framed it as a buffer against Uchiha ambitions, and urged Danzo to take the disciple despite his heavy duties.
• Hiruzen gave Danzo documents and instructed him to have Koharu and Hono investigate issues and help establish the Konoha Committee System.

Hiruzen Sarutobi convened Konoha’s new Committee Members to discuss how to spend 3.2 billion ryo in annual village funding. The committee approved substantial support for households whose ninja breadwinners had died or become unable to serve, and Homura began presenting the next item.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed the twenty Committee Members and explained the village’s new funding agreement with the Daimyo.
• Hiruzen credited Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and several clans for helping develop popular products that secured about 3.2 billion ryo in yearly funding.
• Utatane Koharu proposed annual subsidies of 500,000 ryo for roughly one thousand households without active-duty ninja, including orphans and families of disabled ninja.
• Hatake Sakumo and the other Committee Members applauded the proposal, and Hiruzen declared it approved.
• Mitokado Homura began presenting the next budget item while Danzō reflected on Hiruzen’s growing prestige.