Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Uchiha clan visited Kagura and Tsunade to meet their newborn son, giving Kagura a chance to see Shisui Uchiha and notice young Uchiha Obito. After a busy day of visitors, Minato, Kushina, and Hiashi arrived as the final guests.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi visited Kagura and Tsunade, admired their newborn, and left gifts before returning to work.
• Fugaku brought Uchiha clan members to visit, and Kagura met Kagami Uchiha's son and learned his baby was named Shisui Uchiha.
• Kagura praised Shisui's potential, and Fugaku said he hoped to have a child who could become a genius like Kagura.
• Kagura noticed young Uchiha Obito among the visitors and wondered what surprises he might bring in this changed world.
• Orochimaru visited and stared at the newborn like an experimental specimen, so Tsunade warned him to keep away from the child.
• After more friends visited, Minato, Kushina, and Hiashi arrived as Kagura and Tsunade's final guests of the day.

Kagura introduced his newborn son, Uchiha Qianyu, to Minato, Kushina, and Hiashi during a family dinner. As the group discussed the young Hatake Sakumo’s son, Kagura realized Sakumo’s death was approaching and resolved to try to change his fate; then an unknown person suddenly appeared in the room.

• Minato, Kushina, and Hiashi visited Kagura and Tsunade, admired the newborn, and learned that Kagura had named him Uchiha Qianyu.
• The group shared dinner and discussed their missions, Minato’s growth, and Hatake Sakumo’s four-year-old son, Kakashi.
• Kagura realized that Sakumo’s death was drawing near and considered using Kotoamatsukami if he could not otherwise prevent it.
• An unknown person suddenly appeared in the room, silencing the dinner guests.

An Anbu member informed Kagura that Uzumaki Mito was near death and summoned him and Uzumaki Kushina to the Hokage Office Building. Kagura brought Tsunade and her newborn son Qianyu as well, and they found Mito waiting inside a sealing array.

• An Anbu member appeared in Kagura's home and said Hiruzen Sarutobi had urgently summoned Kagura and Uzumaki Kushina because Uzumaki Mito might not survive much longer.
• Tsunade asked to go with them, and Kagura agreed, bringing her and baby Qianyu along while his two students stayed behind to watch Yamato.
• Tsunade comforted the frightened Kushina as they followed the Anbu member to the Hokage Office Building.
• Kagura and the others entered a basement, where they found Uzumaki Mito seated in a sealing array with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu beside her.
• Uzumaki Mito calmly looked toward the visitors, then showed a glimmer of light in her eyes when she saw Tsunade and Qianyu.

Uzumaki Mito began the sealing ceremony to pass the Nine-Tails to Kushina, with Kagura standing by to help if anything went wrong. After Kurama emerged from Mito, it recognized Kagura’s Mangekyō Sharingan and angrily called her an Uchiha.

• Mito comforted Tsunade and Kushina, then urged them to live on after she was gone.
• Mito and Kushina took their places in the sealing array while Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura prepared the ceremony.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi relied on Kagura’s Wood Release as a safeguard, and Kagura agreed to help.
• The three Konoha leaders activated the array, drawing the red-and-black Nine-Tails mist from Mito as she collapsed.
• Kurama took shape above the array, threatened Konohagakure, and recognized Kagura’s Mangekyō Sharingan before shouting, “Damn Uchiha!”

Kushina and the others sealed Kurama into her after Kagura stopped Kurama from resisting the formation. Minato learned that Kushina had become the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and vowed to protect her, earning Kagura’s approval.

• Kurama reversed the sealing process with power he had secretly accumulated, but Kagura restrained him with branches and the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Kushina used her chakra chains, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others strengthened the formation, to seal Kurama inside her.
• Kagura caught the unconscious Kushina, and Hiruzen Sarutobi asked him to keep Mito’s death secret while Kushina recovered.
• Minato waited outside Kagura’s home and deduced that Kushina had become the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Minato told Kagura that he liked Kushina and vowed to protect her, and Kagura said he believed him.

After Kushina returned to the group, Kagura spent his month of paternity leave struggling to care for Qianyu and Yamato. On his way to the market, he ran into Kakashi and wondered whether to remove the boy’s mask while they were alone.

• Kushina returned to the group, and Minato showed a trace of heartache whenever he looked at her.
• Kagura fumbled through caring for Qianyu and Yamato, while Tsunade corrected him and the children gravitated toward her.
• Kagura explained that Hiruzen Sarutobi had reluctantly granted him a month of paternity leave.
• Feeling unwanted at home, Kagura left for the market to plan dinner.
• Kagura accidentally knocked Kakashi over near the Ninja Academy, recognized him, and considered taking off his mask.

Kagura had returned to work while limiting missions so he could care for his children, and Hiruzen Sarutobi called him in for a short A-Rank mission. The Five Ninja Swords Kagura had once taken from Kirigakure had been stolen from Konoha, and Kagura set out to recover them.

• Kagura adjusted to life as a stay-at-home father and later resumed accepting only short missions while Tsunade became busy training Medical Ninja.
• Kagura relied on the Tailed Beasts living at his home to help care for his children when he was away.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Kagura and gave him a mission scroll about the theft of the Five Ninja Swords from Konoha's Weapon Vault.
• Kagura complained that Konoha had failed to guard the swords, which he had seized during the Second Great Ninja War.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi said the thief was likely a Kirigakure Chunin and told Kagura he could catch them if he left immediately.

Kagura accepted Hiruzen Sarutobi’s mission, then discovered Tsunade had left on a weeklong trip and left their children in his care. With no safe caretaker available and the target about to leave the Land of Fire, Kagura decided to take the children with him.

• Kagura accepted the mission to pursue a Chunin and returned home.
• Kagura found Qianyu pulling One-Tails’s fur and Yamato riding on Two-Tails, while Four-Tails stood guard.
• Four-Tails gave Kagura a note explaining that Tsunade had left for a weeklong medical exchange and left the children with him.
• Kagura considered leaving the children with the Tailed Beasts or Orochimaru, but rejected both ideas.
• Kagura realized the target might soon reach the Land of Water, then took a large wrapping cloth and made a decision about the children.

A Kirigakure Chunin stole the Ninja Swords from a Konoha warehouse and fled toward the Land of Water, hoping to earn the Mizukage’s praise. A pursuer finally attacked him in the forest, and he turned to see who had caught up.

• The Kirigakure Chunin overheard Konoha guards discussing the Ninja Swords and learned they would be left unattended that night.
• The Chunin followed the guards, slipped into the warehouse, and stole the Ninja Swords.
• The Chunin fled Konoha and raced toward the Land of Water, imagining the honor and promotion he might gain by returning the swords.
• A Shuriken flew at the Chunin from behind, and he turned toward the pursuer in shock.

Kagura pursued a Kirigakure Chunin who had stolen the Five Ninja Swords while carrying Yamato and Qianyu. After Yamato struck the enemy with a dirty diaper and Kagura knocked him unconscious, Kagura recovered the swords and left the Chunin alive, returning toward Konohagakure with the babies.

• Kagura brought Yamato and Qianyu on his mission and used One-Tails to track the thief from the warehouse.
• Kagura caught up with the Chunin and made him wait while he changed Yamato's diaper.
• Yamato threw the dirty diaper at the Chunin, and Qianyu cheered from Kagura's other shoulder.
• The Chunin charged at Kagura, who used his Sharingan to put him under genjutsu and knock him unconscious.
• Kagura searched the Chunin, recovered the Five Ninja Swords, spared him, and headed back toward Konohagakure.

Kagura watched construction begin on a new, larger home for his growing family and confronted Jiraiya when he returned to Konoha. Jiraiya could stay only two days before visiting the Land of Rain, leaving Kagura and the Tailed Beasts to keep caring for Yamato and the children.

• Kagura decided to build a spacious new house because his family and the four Tailed Beasts had outgrown their current home.
• Kagura watched the construction with Yamato, Qianyu, and the Tailed Beasts when Jiraiya arrived in Konoha.
• Jiraiya greeted Yamato and explained that he had found Kagura at the construction site after failing to find the family at home.
• Kagura challenged Jiraiya to take more responsibility for Yamato, but Jiraiya said he could stay for only two days before visiting the Land of Rain.
• Jiraiya gave toys to Yamato and Qianyu, and Qianyu nearly called him a strange uncle before correcting himself.
• Jiraiya said Yamato's stay gave Qianyu a playmate, while the Tailed Beasts silently resented Kagura's daily childcare burden.

Kagura and Jiraiya went to watch Hatake Kakashi graduate, and Jiraiya said he planned to take Yamato traveling rather than send him to the Ninja Academy. Kagura reflected on Yahiko’s growing Amegakure and Nagato’s possible return to the Land of Rain, where the three seemed destined to reunite.

• Jiraiya suggested that Kagura join him to watch Hatake Kakashi graduate from the Ninja Academy, and Kagura agreed.
• Kagura told Jiraiya that Yamato might become a Genin as young as Kakashi, and Jiraiya said he planned to teach Yamato himself and travel with him next year.
• Jiraiya confirmed that he planned to visit the Land of Rain soon to see his disciples Yahiko and Konan.
• Kagura recalled that Yahiko had unified much of the Land of Rain, rebuilt Amegakure, and called for former residents to return.
• Kagura learned that Nagato might answer Yahiko’s call and return to the Land of Rain, and he thought the three were destined to come together.

Kagura and Jiraiya attended Kakashi’s Ninja Academy graduation, where Kagura gave him a durable mask and Jiraiya gave him a copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Jiraiya planned to visit Yahiko and the others discreetly, while Kakashi left the ceremony with an unexpectedly adult book.

• Kagura warned Jiraiya to be discreet when visiting Yahiko and the others, and Jiraiya agreed to avoid diplomatic trouble.
• Kagura and Jiraiya visited the Ninja Academy and found Kakashi celebrating his graduation with his mother while Hatake Sakumo was away on a mission.
• Kagura congratulated Kakashi on becoming Konoha’s youngest genin and gave him a specially made, durable mask.
• Jiraiya tried to find a graduation gift, then gave Kakashi his book, Icha Icha Paradise.
• Kakashi thanked Jiraiya and accepted the book, while Kagura silently realized what it was.

Kagura received a System Mission to rescue Hatake Sakumo and prevent his suicide, then hurried to the Hokage Office Building after an urgent summons. There, she read a scroll about Sakumo’s situation and demanded an explanation from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu.

• Kagura watched Might Guy and Might Duy encourage each other before leaving Konoha to run fifty laps.
• A System Mission appeared, ordering Kagura to rescue Hatake Sakumo, bring him safely back to Konoha, and prevent his suicide.
• An Anbu summoned Kagura to the Hokage Office Building, where she learned the Sakumo crisis had arisen earlier than she expected.
• Kagura found Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu together in the Hokage’s office.
• Kagura read the intelligence scroll about Hatake Sakumo and demanded that the three leaders explain themselves.

Kagura learned that Konoha's leaders had concealed mission intelligence from Hatake Sakumo so he would fail, because they considered his upright nature unsuitable for Hokage. The leaders explained that the Land of Fire's Daimyo saw Sakumo as a strong successor, leaving Kagura to confront their effort to keep him from becoming the Fourth Hokage.

• Kagura read Sakumo's mission scroll and inferred that Konoha's leaders had hidden crucial intelligence from him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi admitted that the leaders had concealed information to make Sakumo fail the mission, not to kill him.
• Mitokado Homura explained that Sakumo's fame had reached the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
• Kagura realized the leaders wanted to prevent Sakumo from becoming the next Hokage.
• Utatane Koharu said they acted because the Daimyo viewed Sakumo as a good successor, while Hiruzen argued that Sakumo's uprightness made him unfit to lead.

After learning that Konoha’s leaders had sabotaged Sakumo’s mission to undermine his Hokage candidacy, Kagura accepted a rescue mission despite condemning their methods. Minato and Hiashi joined him, and the three set out to bring their companions home.

• Kagura learned that the Konoha higher-ups had planned to make Sakumo fail his mission so they could damage his reputation as a Hokage candidate.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that the mission had proved more dangerous than expected and asked Kagura to rescue Sakumo and the others.
• Kagura condemned the leaders for using their companions but accepted the mission and promised to bring them back safely.
• Kagura found Minato and Hiashi waiting outside the Hokage Office, ready to accompany him.
• Kagura and his disciples set out to rescue their companions, while Kushina remained in the village as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Kagura, Minato, and their companion reached the Land of Earth after a nonstop journey on Kirin to search for Hatake Sakumo’s missing squad. They arrived at the canyon where Sakumo’s last message had come from, but the squad’s fate remained unknown.

• Kagura summoned Kirin to carry the group toward the Land of Earth, and they traveled for more than thirty hours with only a brief stop for food.
• Kirin brought Kagura, Minato, and their companion to a clearing near the mission site, then returned to rest.
• The group identified a canyon as the place where Hatake Sakumo’s squad had last sent information about investigating the Five-Tails.
• The Konoha higher-ups had concealed the true strength of the defenses at two possible Five-Tails locations, expecting Sakumo to abandon his mission and rescue his companions.
• Sakumo found his companions, but the squad vanished, and his final note asked for an urgent rescue.

Kagura, Minato, and Hiashi entered the canyon to rescue Sakumo’s team and found the six Konoha shinobi standing motionless under an unknown enemy’s control. Kagura recognized the enemy and was startled by the encounter.

• Kagura assured Minato and Hiashi that Sakumo was still alive and led them toward the canyon.
• Hiashi used his Byakugan and detected seven chakra signatures, including one more than the six expected members of Sakumo’s team.
• The trio prepared a rescue plan, with Hiashi scouting, Kagura confronting the enemy, and Minato using Flying Thunder God to evacuate their companions.
• Kagura, Minato, and Hiashi rushed into the canyon and found Sakumo and the other five shinobi standing blankly with unfocused eyes.
• Kagura spotted the seventh figure, who greeted him as an old acquaintance, and he realized he was facing someone familiar.

Kagura and his companions encountered Uchiha Madara, who explained that he had used Sakumo and the other Konoha ninja as subjects for an experiment while gathering intelligence on the Five-Tails. When Kagura realized Madara had come alone and challenged him, Madara used his Rinnegan to put Kagura, Hiashi, and Minato to sleep.

• Kagura recognized Madara Six Paths and nervously greeted him while Hiashi and Minato realized who he was.
• Madara said he had chosen Sakumo and the other Konoha ninja for a small experiment, and Kagura identified the technique as a form of Infinite Tsukuyomi.
• Madara revealed in his thoughts that he had come to the Land of Earth for the Five-Tails but had postponed his attempt after learning of Iwagakure's defenses.
• Kagura confirmed with Hiashi that only seven people were present and concluded that Madara had come alone, then drew a kunai to face him.
• Madara warned Kagura not to look into his Rinnegan, and Kagura, Hiashi, and Minato saw a crimson Rinnegan in the sky before falling unconscious.

Hiashi and Minato found themselves in a Konoha that appeared to match their memories, but the sight of a younger, unfamiliar version of the Sannin convinced Minato that they were trapped in a genjutsu. The chapter ended with the two still inside the illusion, unsure what danger awaited them.

• Hiashi and Minato regained consciousness at the Konohagakure Main Gate and waited cautiously for ten minutes.
• Minato suggested exploring, and the two entered Konoha to search for clues.
• Hiashi recognized familiar shops and people, while Minato began to doubt that the village was an illusion.
• Minato and Hiashi saw Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru in unfamiliar attire, arguing as they walked through the village.
• After the three passed by, Minato declared that he and Hiashi were definitely under a genjutsu.