Chapter Summaries

Kazashiro helped Kushina regain control of the Nine-Tails, and Minato sealed the beast back inside her as Naruto was born. After the battle, Tsunade returned to treat Hiruzen, who suddenly realized that Jiraiya and Sakumo were missing.

• Kazashiro distracted Kurama and urged it to consider whether Naruto was the Child of Prophecy while Minato weakened it with sealing jutsu.
• Kushina woke and bound Kurama with her chains, ending the Nine-Tails' attack.
• Hiruzen mistook Isobu for a rampaging Three-Tails and struck it before apologizing to Kazashiro.
• Kushina and Minato shared a tender moment with newborn Naruto while Danzo left with the Root ninja.
• Tsunade returned, praised Kazashiro, and treated Hiruzen, who then wondered where Jiraiya and Sakumo were.

After surviving the attacks on Konoha, Kazashiro recovered in the hospital while the village’s leaders assessed the damage and debated how to respond. They left the attackers’ escape and the leak of Kushina’s delivery location unresolved, and focused on rebuilding while concealing Konoha’s losses.

• Kazashiro reflected on how to counter the Uchiha’s perception-altering Dojutsu, while Obito and Kakashi waited outside his hospital room and Rin confirmed he was unharmed.
• Kakashi and Obito stayed at the hospital overnight as injured ninja filled the wards and corridors.
• Sakumo told Hiruzen and the others that the Sunagakure attacker had escaped and that Sasori’s puppet was likely the missing Third Kazekage; Jiraiya reported that the immortal attacker had also escaped with help from an Uchiha.
• Hiruzen and Sakumo rejected investigating the Uchiha Clan, but the leaders could not determine how the attackers learned where and when Kushina would give birth.
• The leaders set aside the investigation, prioritized counting casualties and rebuilding, and planned to send lightly injured ninja on missions to hide Konoha’s losses from other villages.

Sakumo and the others discussed the mysterious Puppet Master, Hidan, and Kazashiro’s perfect control of the Three-Tails. Kazashiro led Tokiyoshi Kan, Tokuma Hyuga, and Maruboshi Kosuke on a border patrol, where Kosuke’s tracking and cooking skills helped the team along the way.

• Sakumo described the Puppet Master’s skill and Third Kazekage puppet, and Minato suggested sending Sunagakure a letter before leaving for Konoha Hospital.
• Jiraiya reported what they knew about Hidan, while Hiruzen and the others discussed Kazashiro’s ability to become a perfect Jinchuriki and recalled Madara Uchiha.
• Kazashiro introduced himself as captain and set out with Tokiyoshi Kan, Tokuma Hyuga, and Maruboshi Kosuke for the northeastern border.
• On the fifth day, Kazashiro struggled to identify footprints until Maruboshi Kosuke recognized them as tracks left by Konoha border patrols.
• As night fell, Maruboshi Kosuke gathered food and led the team to a concealed campsite, where Tokiyoshi Kan praised his cooking.

Kazashiro and his team reached the dangerous border and began repairing its traps before a group of roughly thirty disguised ninja launched an attack. Kazashiro charged ahead to meet them, using the Flying Thunder God Technique to strike several enemies, then faced a Water Release trap as the battle continued.

• Tokiyoshi Kan inspected the border traps and estimated that restoring them would take three days, so Kazashiro assigned Tokuma Hyuga to watch while Tokiyoshi repaired them.
• Over dinner, Tokiyoshi asked Kazashiro for a recommendation to take the Chunin Ninja Exams, and Maruboshi Kosuke explained that he had never entered them.
• Kazashiro considered a future trip to Kirigakure with Kakuzu and planned to tell his father and Sakumo before leaving.
• The next day, Tokuma used his Byakugan to spot around thirty approaching enemies, and Kazashiro ordered Maruboshi Kosuke to guard the two genin while he advanced.
• Kazashiro confronted the disguised ninja, used Flying Thunder God Kunai to strike several of them, and threw another kunai when an enemy spread a Water Release marsh in his path.

Kazashiro and his team defeated a thirty-ninja enemy squad, with Kazashiro capturing the last survivor for questioning. He sealed the prisoner in an ice coffin and arranged for Lady Slug to take him to Shikkotsu Forest.

• Kazashiro used the Flying Thunder God Technique and Eightfold Light Wheel to kill several enemies, while the enemy commander lost control of the battle.
• A female ninja ordered her squad to hide behind mist and sent others to attack Kosuke’s group, but Kazashiro froze the mist and identified himself as the White Death God.
• Kazashiro trapped the female ninja in ice and killed her with Torrential Ice Crystal Burial, while Kosuke and the others defeated the attackers sent toward them.
• Kazashiro disarmed and knocked out the lone surviving enemy ninja, then asked Lady Slug to transport the prisoner to Shikkotsu Forest.
• Kazashiro sealed the prisoner inside an ice coffin and thanked Lady Slug for helping him.

Maruboshi Kosuke and Kazashiro’s squad continued their mission after defeating disguised attackers, while Konoha’s leaders discussed the rising threat of enemy spies and a shortage of Anbu. Hiruko reported that the corpse-controlling technique used against the Fourth Hokage required fresh corpses, and that Orochimaru had developed a way to resist it.

• Maruboshi Kosuke recalled serving alongside the Sannin, and Kazashiro explained that using Water Release alone did not prove an attacker was from Kirigakure.
• Patrol reports showed that most squads had encountered enemies, prompting Sakumo, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen Sarutobi to discuss Konoha’s lack of manpower and possible counterespionage by the Uchiha Clan.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya bickered over Jiraiya’s crystal ball as Sakumo considered training a successor so he could retire.
• Hiruko arrived at the Hokage’s Office and reported that the corpse-controlling technique worked like an Illusion Technique, required fresh corpses that still contained Chakra, and could be resisted using a method Orochimaru had developed.

Kazashiro handed a captured ninja over to the Torture Department, then visited Minato’s home hoping to get close to Naruto. He was pulled into Kushina and Minato’s quarrel and ended up babysitting Naruto.

• Tokiyoshi Kan tried to persuade Kazashiro to recommend him, but Kazashiro refused and left him behind.
• Kazashiro delivered a ninja frozen in an ice coffin to the Torture Department after removing the Fuinjutsu, and the department’s ninjas carried the prisoner toward the incinerator.
• Kazashiro went to Minato’s home, where Kushina was angrily demanding an explanation about a book.
• Minato stopped Kazashiro from leaving, and Kushina handed Naruto to him before dragging Minato back inside.
• Kazashiro soothed Naruto when he started to cry, then let the baby pull his hair to keep him calm.
• Kushina made Minato tear The Story of the Snow Woman into scraps, while Minato insisted he had not bought the book.

Kazashiro returned from his mission and entered Kushina’s mindscape to persuade the Nine-Tails, Kurama, to trust his warning about Madara Uchiha and the Ten-Tails. Kurama began to take Kazashiro seriously but remained silent as Kazashiro left the mindscape.

• Kushina and Minato discussed Kazashiro’s mission, his status as the Three-Tails’ Jinchuriki, and the danger that other countries might learn about it.
• Kushina took Kazashiro into her mindscape so he could speak with Kurama, bringing Isobu along for support.
• Kazashiro told Kurama that the Sage of Six Paths had revealed his name, the prophecy, and information about the Ten-Tails.
• When Kurama raged, Kushina restrained and whipped him with her chains, while Isobu confirmed Kazashiro’s claims.
• Kazashiro warned Kurama that Madara Uchiha was plotting to revive the Ten-Tails and urged him to observe Kushina and judge the truth for himself.
• Kurama reacted to Madara’s name but did not answer, and Kazashiro returned to Isobu as Kushina prepared to leave the mindscape.

Hiruzen, Sakumo, and Jiraiya discussed the brief Nine-Tails Chakra leak and the Curse Mark formula before Hiruzen proposed opening the Military Police Force to other clans and civilian shinobi. Sakumo decided to negotiate with Fugaku, then left Jiraiya to handle paperwork while he considered Orochimaru's request for more Research Bureau funding.

• ANBU reported a brief Nine-Tails Chakra leak, and Jiraiya explained that Kazashiro had gone to Minato's house after returning from a mission.
• Sakumo praised Hiruzen's Curse Mark formula for blocking the effects of Illusion Techniques on controlled corpses.
• Hiruzen proposed letting other clans and civilian shinobi join the Military Police Force, and Sakumo agreed to negotiate the change with Fugaku.
• Jiraiya raised Orochimaru's request for a larger Research Bureau budget, and Sakumo postponed a decision because Konoha's finances were strained.
• Sakumo left to meet Fugaku and ordered Jiraiya to handle the documents and consider candidates for the new Vice Captain.

Sakumo visited the Uchiha compound and proposed reforming the Military Police Force by expanding it, recruiting ninja from outside the clan, and opening other village departments to Uchiha members. Fugaku agreed to the plan and prepared to persuade his clan, while Sakumo urged him to deal with stubborn radicals.

• Sakumo entered the Uchiha compound, observed its members, and waited for Fugaku in a dango shop.
• Fugaku arrived, and Sakumo thanked him and the Military Police Force for limiting the damage during the attack by the unknown Uchiha.
• Sakumo proposed doubling the Military Police Force, recruiting ninja from outside the clan, appointing a Vice Captain, and assigning the force counterintelligence work.
• Sakumo offered to let Uchiha join departments such as the Research Bureau, Medical Unit, and Anbu, and Fugaku agreed to the proposal.
• Fugaku decided to call a clan meeting that night and said he would punish radicals under clan rules if they refused to change.

Nagato tested Orochimaru’s artificial eyes and discussed the group’s plans to reconnect with their companions. Meanwhile, news that Kusagakure ninjas had attacked Konoha led Sakumo to convene a meeting, where Danzo and Hiruzen clashed over how to respond.

• Nagato reported that the artificial eyes let him use Five Release Ninjutsu but consumed far more Chakra, while Orochimaru and Hiruko continued studying them.
• Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato discussed inviting Obito, Jiraiya, and Kazashiro to dinner and planned to say goodbye to Jiraiya after Nagato’s eyes were adjusted.
• Kazashiro returned home to Danzo after leaving Minato’s house and found Shisui working in the front yard.
• Yamanaka Inoichi informed Jiraiya that the prisoner Kazashiro had sent back was from Kusagakure and that he had uncovered another serious concern.
• Sakumo gathered Konoha’s leaders after learning of the attack, but Danzo demanded action against Kusagakure and argued with Hiruzen over the risks of war.

Sakumo led a meeting that addressed Kusagakure’s attack and the fate of an Uzumaki descendant, then pushed through reforms to the Military Police Force and Danzo’s Anbu Training Department. Hiruzen supported Sakumo’s plan and offered to become Danzo’s deputy, while Danzo accepted the changes with visible displeasure.

• Yamanaka Inoichi reported that Kusagakure held an Uzumaki descendant called a “Medicine Person,” and Sakumo proposed negotiating for her guardianship.
• Hiruzen and the other advisors backed Sakumo, while Danzo argued that Kusagakure’s border attack should not go unpunished.
• Shikaku proposed negotiating first and rescuing the woman if Kusagakure refused; Sakumo assigned him to lead the mission with an elite escort.
• Sakumo’s Military Police Force reorganization passed without clear opposition from Danzo.
• Sakumo proposed restricting the Anbu Training Department to training Anbu and assessing Danzo’s ninja for reassignment, while keeping Danzo as head with a deputy.
• Hiruzen agreed to the reforms and volunteered to become Danzo’s deputy, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura also supported Sakumo.

After the Fourth Hokage sent Anbu to take over Root, Asuma urged Kazashiro to lead the Root members and oppose the decision. Kazashiro went to inspect the Root base, where Jiraiya allowed him past the Anbu guard.

• Asuma and several Root members interrupted Kazashiro's bath to tell him that the Fourth Hokage had ordered Anbu to take over Root.
• Asuma asked Kazashiro to lead Root and persuade the Fourth Hokage to revoke the decision, but Kazashiro questioned Asuma's authority and headed for the Root base.
• Yamato and the Root members followed Kazashiro through the tunnel, while Shisui watched them pass as he repaired a light bulb.
• Jiraiya led the Anbu inventorying Root's records and assets, wary of uncovering a scandal.
• Anbu guard Elephant stopped Kazashiro at the Root base, but Jiraiya told him to let Kazashiro through.

Kazashiro watched Asuma leave Konoha after Hiruzen and Danzo backed the order to reorganize Root, then learned that Sakumo had assigned him to escort Shikaku to Kusagakure for negotiations. The party set out with Kazashiro as its sole elite ninja, and he questioned Shikaku about their apparent lack of strength.

• Jiraiya explained that Root was being reorganized into the Anbu Training Department, and Kazashiro stopped Asuma from arguing with him.
• Hiruzen and Danzo arrived, and Hiruzen ordered Asuma to obey the reorganization order.
• Asuma denounced Konoha and left the Root base after Danzo told him to obey.
• Sakumo assigned Kazashiro to escort Shikaku to Kusagakure because the Three Ninja were unavailable.
• Kazashiro encountered Tokiyoshi Kan and complained to Shikaku that their group included a Genin instead of more elite ninja.

Kazashiro and Nara Shikaku’s squad reached Kusagakure and found it devastated by an attack that Shikaku recognized as the work of the Uchiha who had struck Konoha. After Kazashiro killed a wounded Kusagakure survivor, he proposed taking the Uzumaki clansmen by force, leaving Shikaku startled by how closely Kazashiro’s thinking resembled his father’s.

• Kazashiro and Dole scouted Kusagakure, and Kazashiro reported its unusual condition to Shikaku.
• Shikaku’s squad arrived at Kusagakure and found the gate split apart and the village littered with corpses.
• Shikaku’s group rescued a wounded Kusagakure ninja, who said two masked attackers and several strangely moving ninjas had struck the village hours earlier.
• Shikaku recognized the attackers’ method but kept his suspicion to himself, while the survivor refused to let the Konoha squad enter further into the village.
• Kazashiro killed the survivor with an Ice Senbon after interpreting Shikaku’s look as an order to act.
• Kazashiro suggested that Konoha seize the Uzumaki clansmen Kusagakure was sheltering, leaving Shikaku to consider the possibility of taking them without witnesses.

Kazashiro and Nara Shikaku confronted Kusagakure over its attack and demanded the return of an Uzumaki woman. Kazashiro’s Ice Release threat forced the village to reveal a swaddled newborn, but after he identified the child as a girl, Kusagakure brought out the real Karin.

• Shikaku rejected Kazashiro’s suggestion to silence a Kusagakure prisoner and returned the corpse to the pile.
• Shikaku confronted Kusagakure’s acting village chief, who claimed the attack had been the work of rogue ninjas.
• Kazashiro summoned an ice giant, frightening Kusagakure’s forces until the acting village chief surrendered and offered to meet Konoha’s demands.
• The acting village chief said the Uzumaki woman had been taken by the attackers, and Kazashiro asked about her child.
• Kusagakure produced a newborn in a swaddle, but Kazashiro recognized that the child was a girl and made them bring out the real Karin.

Kushina welcomed the infant Karin into her family, making Naruto an older brother, while Konoha’s reconstruction and the Medical Unit’s opening brought the former classmates together at a hot spring inn. The gathering ended with the group wondering why Asuma had left the village without explanation.

• Konoha’s leaders discussed raising infant Karin in the village, and Kushina took her in after learning that her mother was missing.
• Kushina declared Karin’s birthday to be that day, and Naruto became her older brother.
• Tsunade completed the Medical Unit headquarters with her own money and accepted Sakumo’s appointment as its commander-in-chief, with Shizune at her side.
• Rin asked to join the Medical Unit, and Obito reacted angrily when he heard the hospital director had tried to keep her at the hospital.
• Kazashiro gathered his former classmates at a hot spring inn, where Ebisu was stopped from peeping and Guy began exercising.
• Anko mentioned that Asuma had missed the gathering, and the group learned he had left the village without telling anyone.

Fugaku agreed to help Sakumo remove the Uchiha radicals opposing the Military Police Force reforms. After the radicals were captured, Konoha replaced the force's emblem while preserving a plain Uchiha fan insignia beneath it.

• Aburame Shikuroo urged Fugaku to act against the radicals before their opposition caused more harm to the Uchiha Clan.
• Fugaku secretly invited Uchiha Yao Mei and the other radicals to meet in the forest beyond the Naka River.
• Fugaku and Aburame Shikuroo confronted the unarmed radicals, while Danzo appeared with ANBU lying in ambush.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Fugaku that the radicals would be isolated rather than harmed, and accepted blame for letting the dispute continue.
• Konoha captured the radicals and replaced the Military Police Force emblem with Konoha's symbol, hanging a plain Uchiha fan insignia beneath it.

Kazashiro woke late and reluctantly went with Obito to help Rin Nohara with her transfer paperwork at Konoha Hospital. They entered Director Nobisuke’s office, where Nobisuke dismissed Kazashiro by rank and prepared to humiliate him, leaving Obito and Rin worried about how the confrontation would unfold.

• Kazashiro dreamed of inheriting Kakuzu’s fortune before Obito woke him and reminded him they had promised to help Rin with her transfer paperwork.
• Kazashiro got dressed, hurried Obito along, and brought him to Rin so they could go to Konoha Hospital.
• Nobisuke planned to arrange a meeting between his son and Rin while she was away from work, convinced his son was destined for success.
• Kazashiro, Obito, and Rin reached Nobisuke’s locked office while Anbu Training Department instructors kept the hospital security ninja occupied.
• Kazashiro opened the office door with ice-nature Chakra, and Nobisuke sent his subordinate away before telling the visitors that Kazashiro’s rank did not qualify him to discuss matters with the director.
• Obito bristled at Nobisuke’s disdain, while Rin worried that her transfer request might provoke a violent confrontation.

Kazashiro used his connection to Danzō to pressure Hospital Director Nobisuke into approving Rin Nohara’s transfer. As Kazashiro, Rin, and Obito headed back to the hot springs, Kazashiro asked Obito to do something that might not serve Konoha’s interests, and Obito immediately agreed.

• Kazashiro offered twenty unassigned medical ninja to ease the hospital’s staffing shortage, then told Nobisuke that his father was Shimura Danzō.
• Nobisuke recognized Kazashiro’s connections and abruptly changed his attitude, but Kazashiro teased him by offering to add two more Anbu.
• Nobisuke claimed the staffing shortage had been resolved and signed Rin’s transfer application.
• Kazashiro gave the application to an Anbu to deliver to Tsunade, then left for the hot springs with Rin and Obito.
• Kazashiro asked Obito to prove his gratitude by doing something that might not benefit Konoha, and Obito agreed without hesitation.