Chapter Summaries

The Kage discussed how New Ninja and Akatsuki Ninja Village’s Blue Card were undermining loyalty in other villages, while Tobirama Senju saw foreign ninja embracing Akatsuki’s influence firsthand. The chapter left Tobirama worried that Konoha’s female exchange students might also pursue Blue Cards by courting Akatsuki ninja.

• Second Raikage warned that Akatsuki Ninja Village’s promises of free medical care and subsidies were winning over Kumogakure’s Black-Necks and worsening divisions within the village.
• First Kazekage described how Chiyo had begun pursuing happiness after reading New Ninja, and the Kage agreed to resist Akatsuki’s Visa and Blue Card systems.
• Tobirama Senju read a New Ninja story praising Akatsuki Ninja Village’s exam rules and was attacked by foreign ninja when he called the story unbelievable.
• Tobirama Senju watched foreign female ninja pursue Akatsuki men to obtain Blue Cards, while their male companions could only accept the situation.
• Tobirama Senju feared that Konoha’s female exchange students might behave the same way after arriving in Akatsuki Ninja Village.

Tobirama Senju attended Uchiha Makoto’s lavish banquet and observed Akatsuki Ninja Village’s efforts to bind Konoha through young couples and influence other villages through its policies and New Ninja. The four other Kage arrived together ahead of the Six Kage Summit, while small-village leaders began discussing how to imitate Akatsuki’s approach.

• An Akatsuki Ninja Village Anbu reminded Tobirama Senju to attend the banquet, and Tobirama learned that Hashirama Senju had already left with Uchiha Makoto.
• At the banquet, Tobirama noticed Konoha and Akatsuki Ninja Village youths pairing off, while Uchiha Makoto’s matchmaking and plans to attract foreign ninja were revealed.
• Hashirama Senju admired the young couples and reminisced about Madara, prompting Tsubaki Uzumaki to remind him of Mito.
• The four other Kage arrived together, exchanged formal greetings with Uchiha Makoto, and the Second Raikage concealed his resentment toward him.
• A small-village leader used New Ninja’s arguments to urge demilitarization, economic development, and student exchanges with Akatsuki Ninja Village, persuading other leaders as the Kage listened.

The Kage considered how to adapt Akatsuki Ninja Village’s economic reforms and study programs to their own villages. The Second Raikage decided to copy its alliance-building strategy and create a Kumogakure-centered bloc to counter its influence.

• The First Kazekage weighed economic reforms for Sunagakure but planned to use the Six Kage Summit to secure support and agreements from Akatsuki Ninja Village, Konoha, and Kumogakure.
• The First Tsuchikage planned to improve relations with Akatsuki Ninja Village and Konoha while keeping ties with Kumogakure.
• The First Mizukage rejected Akatsuki Ninja Village’s reforms and worried about choosing a successor after losing confidence in Hozuki Gengetsu.
• The Second Raikage decided to adopt Akatsuki Ninja Village’s system, use reformists to weaken the Kinkaku and Ginkaku faction, and attract students from other villages to Kumogakure.
• The Second Raikage resolved to build a Kumogakure-centered alliance with small ninja villages and named it the Kumogakure Mutual Aid Association, or Kumo-Mutual Association.

Uchiha Makoto used a banquet speech to encourage other major ninja villages to pursue reforms, hoping the resulting conflicts with their feudal lords would weaken them. He then saw that his New Ninja story was making Uchiha Madara seem like a likely Hokage, laying groundwork to portray Madara’s future defection as a frame-up.

• Uchiha Makoto watched a small-village leader praise demilitarization and economic reform, while considering how reforms could provoke conflict between major ninja villages and their feudal lords.
• Uchiha Makoto smiled at the Kage’s interest in reform, and Tobirama Senju suspected that he had arranged the speech to set another trap.
• At the banquet, foreign female ninja sought to marry Akatsuki Ninja Village’s single men, while other guests exchanged New Era stories and reflected on their own villages.
• Tobirama Senju heard guests praise Uchiha Madara as a potential Hokage and read a New Ninja story depicting Madara as compassionate toward an orphanage caregiver who had stolen meat for children.
• Uchiha Makoto revealed that he had written the story to build support for Madara and prepare an explanation that he had been framed if he defected and attacked Konoha.

Uchiha Makoto used a New Ninja story praising Uchiha Madara and disparaging Tobirama Senju to sway Konoha’s opinion as the next Hokage contest intensified. At a summit banquet, Makoto recruited small ninja factions for Akatsuki, while Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and the Second Raikage pursued their own alliances.

• Uchiha Makoto published a story presenting Uchiha Madara as benevolent and implying Tobirama Senju had unfairly pressured the Uchiha, aiming to lower Tobirama’s support and prepare public blame for Madara’s future defection.
• Tobirama Senju grew furious when a ninja repeated New Ninja’s language about an inferior nature, reclaimed the publication, and watched Uchiha Makoto from the banquet rather than confront him publicly.
• Uchiha Makoto courted leaders from the Land of Rice and the Land of Rivers, while offering Kusagakure a development pact and schooling for its leader’s son; Kusagakure’s leader withheld agreement.
• Tobirama Senju stopped Hashirama Senju from promising aid to small factions before Konoha’s Anbu investigated them.
• The Second Raikage planned to build a Kumogakure-centered alliance by offering aid to ninja factions that Konoha and Akatsuki overlooked, with funding drawn from the opposition Black-Necks.

Tobirama Senju confronted Uchiha Makoto over New Ninja’s stories praising Uchiha Madara, but Makoto refused to stop promoting Madara and threatened to turn the Uchiha Clan against him. Later, Hashirama Senju visited Makoto’s son, Uchiha Taiichi, and offered to teach him Wood Style, while Makoto tried to get Tobirama to promise him the Flying Thunder God Technique.

• Tobirama Senju demanded that Uchiha Makoto remove the story from New Ninja and stop publishing similar pieces, but Makoto defended them as embellishments based on real events and donations.
• Uchiha Makoto admitted he was supporting Uchiha Madara as the next Hokage and threatened to have the Uchiha Clan beat Tobirama if he undermined him at the Six Kage Summit.
• Tobirama Senju swallowed his anger and followed Uchiha Makoto and Hashirama Senju to Makoto’s villa to visit Uchiha Taiichi.
• Two-Tails Matatabi fled from Hashirama Senju, while Taiichi smiled at Hashirama and began crying when Tobirama approached, prompting the two men to argue.
• Uchiha Makoto asked Hashirama to teach Taiichi Sage Mode and Wood Style, and Hashirama offered Wood Style if Taiichi could learn it.
• Uchiha Makoto then demanded that Tobirama compensate Taiichi with the Flying Thunder God Technique for making him cry.

Uchiha Makoto opened the Six Kage Summit and pushed for a shared order among the ninja villages, while the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire secretly met with four other daimyō to discuss the growing power of ninja.

• Tobirama Senju grumbled about Hashirama Senju considering teaching Taiichi Wood Style and Sage Mode, as well as Uchiha Makoto the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Uchiha Makoto brought Tsubaki Uzumaki to the Six Kage Summit, where representatives of the major villages and smaller factions gathered.
• Uchiha Makoto outlined his vision for ninja-led rules and cooperation, then opened the summit with a speech about ending war and hatred.
• Hashirama Senju bowed deeply in gratitude, and Uchiha Makoto and Tobirama Senju urged him to raise his head and preserve Konoha's dignity.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire saw Akatsuki Ninja Village's growing commercial presence in the capital and decided to act against Uchiha Makoto.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire met privately with four other daimyō and invited them to speak about the situation in the Ninja World.

The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire warned the other daimyo that Akatsuki Ninja Village and Konoha had grown too powerful to challenge directly, and proposed preparing for a future war to weaken the ninja villages. The other daimyo resisted restarting conflict, but he believed the Six Kage Summit would eventually force them to act.

• The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning blamed Akatsuki Ninja Village and the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire for allowing ninja power to grow unchecked.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire explained that Akatsuki Ninja Village had become too strong to restrain without risking rebellion and that Konoha was also difficult to control.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire proposed waiting for Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara to die, then provoking a great war to exhaust the ninja villages.
• The daimyo of the Land of Earth, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Water objected that war would devastate their nations and undo the benefits of peace.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire urged the daimyo to prepare for war if ninja influence became uncontrollable, predicting the Six Kage Summit would eventually make them support his plan.

The daimyo agreed to prepare for war by courting ninja clans and undermining village alliances, while a black Ninja Cat overheard their plans. At the Six Kage Summit, Uchiha Makoto and Tobirama Senju negotiated with the First Kazekage, who accepted compensation for signing the charter.

• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire urged the daimyo to fund and win over ninja clans and to sow discord between villages, and the other daimyo agreed.
• A pure-black Ninja Cat overheard the daimyo's discussion and said it would report the news to Makoto.
• The four visiting Kage demanded benefits before signing the Six Kage Summit charter, and Tobirama Senju proposed distributing the tailed beasts in exchange for funds.
• The First Kazekage demanded fertile land and a share of tailed-beast purchase funds, while the other ninja factions condemned his terms.
• Tobirama Senju told the First Kazekage to leave the summit, but Uchiha Makoto eased the confrontation and offered funding, twenty percent of tailed-beast sales, and at least two billion ryō for mineral rights.
• The First Kazekage accepted the terms and praised Uchiha Makoto, leaving Tobirama Senju frustrated that Makoto had undercut his attempt to play the villain.

At the Six Kage Summit, Uchiha Makoto secured agreements on tailed-beast distribution, Bird Dropping Island, and student exchanges, then defended Akatsuki Ninja Village’s visa and Blue Card policies against the other Kage. His speech about improving village conditions challenged their objections, while Tobirama Senju privately doubted Makoto’s promise to compensate defectors.

• After the First Kazekage withdrew from the tailed-beast distribution, the First Tsuchikage chose the Four-Tails and Five-Tails, the First Mizukage chose the Three-Tails and Six-Tails, and the Second Raikage accepted the Eight-Tails.
• Uchiha Makoto and the First Mizukage agreed to jointly develop part of Bird Dropping Island, and Kirigakure signed a large, multiyear canned-food order.
• Uchiha Makoto supported proposals for ninja student exchanges and for treating study at Akatsuki Ninja Village as a significant qualification in visa and Blue Card reviews.
• The Second Raikage and other Kage demanded that Uchiha Makoto change the visa and Blue Card system, arguing that it attracted ninjas from other villages.
• Uchiha Makoto defended accepting screened wandering ninjas and argued that the other villages should improve their treatment of ninjas instead of blaming Akatsuki Ninja Village.
• Hashirama Senju applauded Uchiha Makoto’s speech, while Tobirama Senju doubted that Makoto would actually pay a defector one million ryo.

At the Six Kage Summit, Uchiha Makoto won support for Akatsuki Ninja Village’s visa and Blue Card system, and the six Kage signed a charter before departing. He then used private meetings with the other Kage to advance Akatsuki’s interests, while Chiyo became an admirer of the village and its ideals.

• Tobirama Senju reluctantly applauded Uchiha Makoto’s speech as planted supporters and other attendees joined in, and the six Kage agreed to uphold the visa and Blue Card system before signing the summit charter.
• After the summit, foreign delegations left Akatsuki Ninja Village, while the Visa Processing Office received a surge of applications, mostly from small villages and forces.
• The First Mizukage introduced a squinty-eyed successor candidate to Uchiha Makoto, who expected Kirigakure to descend into civil war and planned to exploit the turmoil.
• The First Tsuchikage privately told Uchiha Makoto he intended to ally with Konoha, and Uchiha Makoto chose not to interfere with the plan.
• At a banquet, the First Kazekage asked Uchiha Makoto how to develop Sunagakure, and Uchiha Makoto proposed buying land in an uninhabited zone where he suspected a Chakra Vein Mine lay.
• Uchiha Makoto reassured the First Kazekage that he would accept the risk of the purchase, while Chiyo resolved to promote New Ninja and Akatsuki Ninja Village’s values in Sunagakure.

After the Six Kage Summit, Uchiha Makoto secured the Chakra Vein Mine while Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju returned to Konoha. Makoto considered how to secretly mine the vein and recognized that a Ninja World-wide grain famine was approaching.

• The First Kazekage left Akatsuki Ninja Village with Sunagakure's delegation after thanking Uchiha Makoto for buying the mine site, while Chiyo resolved to tell Sunagakure's female ninja about life in the village.
• Hashirama Senju asked Uchiha Makoto what had changed Uchiha Madara, and Makoto hinted that Tobirama Senju bore some responsibility; Hashirama vowed to find a way to resolve the conflict.
• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju departed for Konoha after a farewell drinking party, as New Ninja spread across the Ninja World and strengthened Akatsuki Ninja Village's reputation.
• Uchiha Makoto planned small-scale secret mining of the Chakra Vein Mine and considered using Impure World Reincarnation, but realized he did not know the jutsu and decided not to involve Konoha yet.
• Uchiha Makoto reviewed grain-market intelligence and concluded that poor harvests and covert grain buying pointed to an approaching famine across the Ninja World.

Grain shortages and merchant speculation threatened the Land of Rain and Sunagakure, while the First Kazekage struggled to protect his village’s supplies and finances. In Kumogakure, the Second Raikage pushed through a military-budget cut as part of reform, provoking Kinkaku and Ginkaku to walk out.

• Grain merchants in the Land of Rain coordinated to hoard supplies, and panic buying drove prices higher.
• The First Kazekage reviewed the confiscation of New Ninja, then learned that rising grain prices and export restrictions were threatening Sunagakure’s food supply.
• Kinkaku and Ginkaku challenged the Second Raikage’s proposal to cut Kumogakure’s military budget, while Black-Neck and other reform supporters defended it.
• Kumogakure’s officials voted, and two-thirds supported the budget cut.
• The Second Raikage declared that he was the Raikage after Kinkaku and Ginkaku threatened him, and the brothers stormed out.

Akatsuki Ninja Village began enrolling impoverished villages in Uchiha Makoto’s Agricultural Association, offering loans and agricultural support to improve food production and villagers’ livelihoods. The Akatsuki ninjas secured one village’s agreement and left rice behind, while the broader reform continued to face resistance from powerful nobles.

• Akatsuki ninjas visited a poor Land of Fire village and explained that the Agricultural Association would offer loans, roads, and farming supplies in exchange for following its regulations.
• The old village chief signed the cooperation agreement, and the villagers lined up to press their fingerprints despite their doubts.
• Akatsuki ninjas gave the village children milk candy, easing the tense atmosphere as the village was registered.
• Akatsuki ninjas left dozens of bags of rice for the villagers, who knelt to thank them as the ninjas reflected on the Will of Light.

Uchiha Makoto used Akatsuki Ninja Village’s famine relief to build popular support and planned to spread a flattering article about its humanitarian work. He targeted Sunagakure next, intending to smuggle New Ninja into the village and recruit Pro-Akatsuki Faction members.

• Uchiha Makoto assessed the food crisis and saw it as a chance for Akatsuki Ninja Village to win the Land of Fire’s people while preparing for future wars.
• Uchiha Makoto selected a photograph of refugees approaching Akatsuki Ninja Village’s relief station and wrote a story praising its ninja for feeding and sheltering them.
• Uchiha Makoto considered how the article could contrast Akatsuki Ninja Village’s relief efforts with Sunagakure’s involvement in grain smuggling and looting.
• Uchiha Makoto planned to smuggle New Ninja into Sunagakure to find Pro-Akatsuki Faction members there.

Kensuke’s Sunagakure squad began stealing grain during transport missions and found that the village’s commanders tolerated the scheme. Chiyo remained disillusioned by Sunagakure’s ban on New Ninja, and Ebizo offered to take her on a transport mission.

• Sunamaru persuaded Kensuke and the squad to falsely report grain losses and keep some of the smuggled grain.
• Kensuke reported the losses to the deputy commander, who approved and hinted that Kensuke could be promoted to Chunin.
• Kensuke’s squad celebrated their profit and agreed to claim larger losses on future deliveries.
• Chiyo reflected on Sunagakure’s ban on New Ninja and wished she could join Akatsuki Ninja Village.
• Ebizo warned Chiyo to keep her rebellious remarks private and offered to take her on a grain transport mission.

Chiyo and Ebizo joined Yaji’s food-smuggling operation in the Land of Rivers and were sent to intercept Amegakure ninja who were plundering a village for grain. After the Sand ninja seized the grain, Chiyo questioned what would happen to the starving villagers, but her comrades insisted that the Land of Wind needed the food too.

• Yaji welcomed Chiyo and Ebizo to his camp and arranged for them to support an important grain-transport mission the next day.
• Transport captains gave Chiyo and Ebizo packages of money disguised as tea, and Ebizo explained that the smuggling missions brought in illicit profits.
• Yaji sent Chiyo, Ebizo, and several squads to repel Amegakure ninja who were raiding villages for grain; on the way, Chiyo found a starving girl who soon died.
• The Sand ninja arrived as the Amegakure force loaded grain taken from a village, defeated them, and seized the grain carts.
• Yaji celebrated the haul, but Chiyo asked what would happen to the villagers whose grain they had taken, and the Sand ninja argued that their own people needed it.

Chiyo read about Akatsuki Ninja Village’s humanitarian relief and resolved to act against Sunagakure’s corruption, while the Second Raikage began building the Kumo-Mutual Association by aiding small ninja villages. As Konoha enjoyed an unusually peaceful year, Tobirama Senju grew uneasy about Uchiha Madara’s plans.

• Chiyo investigated Akatsuki Ninja Village, read its humanitarian article in New Ninja, and decided to act against Sunagakure’s grain profiteering.
• The Second Raikage proposed using Kumogakure’s funds to aid small ninja villages and establish the Kumo-Mutual Association, overruling Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s objections.
• Kumogakure’s leaders approved the Second Raikage’s plan, while Kinkaku and Ginkaku suppressed their anger and endured the decision.
• Tobirama Senju reflected on Konoha’s prosperity, Uchiha Makoto’s activities, and Uchiha Madara’s growing reputation, then worried that Konoha had become unnaturally quiet.

As Uchiha Makoto reviewed intelligence, he saw rival villages growing unstable and considered how Akatsuki Ninja Village could exploit the trouble. In Konoha, Tobirama Senju convened a year-end meeting to celebrate the village’s prosperous reforms, leaving him basking in praise and his old sense of control.

• Uchiha Makoto read reports that Kirigakure’s First Mizukage was gravely ill and that Kumogakure was trying to recruit allies, then welcomed the prospect of Kinkaku and Ginkaku turning against the Second Raikage.
• Uchiha Makoto learned that Sunagakure ninja were raiding neighboring countries during grain smuggling and considered suppressing the news so the trade could grow and divide Sunagakure.
• Tobirama Senju held Konoha’s year-end meeting while Hashirama Senju represented the village in disaster relief across the Land of Fire.
• Konoha’s leaders discussed the profits from reforms, and Shimura Danzō envied Kagami Uchiha’s growing influence while Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered how Danzō had advanced so quickly.
• Tobirama Senju enjoyed the meeting’s praise and believed Konoha was thriving under his leadership, recalling his former title of Shadow Hokage Nine Thousand Years Old.

Tobirama Senju presented Konoha’s economic gains and reforms at the year-end meeting, then secured approval for his plans and appointments. Afterward, the Uchiha elders debated replacing Uchiha Madara as their candidate for Hokage, but their plan to support Tobirama Senju now in exchange for Kagami Uchiha becoming Third was threatened by Uchiha Makoto’s designs for Konoha.

• Tobirama Senju reported on Konoha’s economic growth and announced next year’s plans and personnel changes, which the upper ranks approved.
• The Uchiha upper ranks returned to their clan grounds and argued over Uchiha Madara’s decision to leave Konoha and abandon his chance to become Hokage.
• The Uchiha Great Elder said Madara could no longer be persuaded and proposed choosing a new candidate to represent the clan.
• The elders backed the Great Elder as a candidate, while younger reformists argued for Kagami Uchiha; neither choice seemed likely to succeed.
• The Great Elder proposed that the Uchiha support Tobirama Senju for Second Hokage in exchange for his backing Kagami Uchiha for Third.
• Uchiha Makoto and Tobirama Senju both opposed Kagami becoming Third, fearing Makoto would use an Uchiha Hokage to bring Konoha under Akatsuki Ninja Village.