Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Kagura arrived after Kinkaku defeated Hiruzen Sarutobi and realized that Kinkaku was weakened by earlier injuries. Kagura provoked him with suspicions about Ginkaku and A, then trapped him in a genjutsu, leaving Kagura with a chance to attack the legendary Ninja.

• Kinkaku transformed into the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Cloak and overwhelmed Hiruzen Sarutobi with his speed and strength.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi used a Lightning Water Dragon Bullet against Kinkaku's Tailed Beast Bomb, but the bomb broke through and knocked him unconscious.
• Kinkaku dispersed his transformation and staggered as he prepared to finish off Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Uchiha Kagura arrived and inferred that Kinkaku was still injured from his past battles with Tobirama and the Third Raikage.
• Kagura taunted Kinkaku about Ginkaku and A, and Kinkaku lunged at him but struck only a genjutsu.
• Kagura surrounded Kinkaku with hundreds of illusory figures and celebrated that he might be able to kill him.

Kagura used his Tailed Beast Cloak, Shadow Clones, and Kotoamatsukami to hold off Kinkaku while secretly charging a Chidori. After Kinkaku ran out of Chakra, Kagura struck through his heart with the lightning attack, and Kinkaku fell.

• Kagura entered his Tailed Beast Cloak and attacked Kinkaku with five Shadow Clones, but Kinkaku’s Lightning Release-enhanced body resisted their weapons.
• Kagura and Kinkaku fought to a stalemate, while Kagura suspected Kinkaku was weakened and Kinkaku feared A would catch up.
• Kinkaku tried to use the Basho Fan, but Kagura’s Kotoamatsukami disrupted his movements and the clones forced him to stop.
• Kagura used the clones’ Tailed Beast Bomb preparation as a feint while his Chidori charged unnoticed on a distant mountainside.
• The clones restrained Kinkaku as Kagura’s Chidori struck through his heart, and Kinkaku fell.

Kagura defeated Kinkaku but collapsed from her injuries, and Konoha Jonin brought her and the others back to the village. Two days later, she woke in the hospital, learned Konoha was negotiating with Kumogakure over Kinkaku's corpse, and checked her greatly improved attributes before someone knocked at her door.

• Kinkaku died after admitting he no longer belonged in the era, and Kagura collapsed after celebrating her victory and washing the blood from her hand.
• Konoha Jonin found the unconscious survivors and Kinkaku's corpse, then returned them to the village.
• Kagura woke two days later in Konoha's hospital, where Tsunade explained what had happened and told her that the village was negotiating with Kumogakure over Kinkaku's corpse.
• Kagura checked her System Interface and saw that her Sharingan, taijutsu, Chakra, and Tailed Beast fusion had all progressed.
• Someone knocked at Kagura's hospital room door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi reassured Kagura that he trusted him and valued the bonds between companions, while quietly protecting him by not asking about Kinkaku’s death. After Kagura recovered and attended Hiruzen’s inauguration as the Third Hokage, an unfamiliar person announced they would become his team’s new teacher.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi teased Kagura about Tsunade’s concern for him, then praised his instinctive decision to protect her and expressed his faith in the Uchiha clan and their bonds with Konoha.
• Kagura realized Hiruzen had avoided asking how Kinkaku died and understood that his former teacher was shielding him from unwanted attention.
• Kagura recovered from his injuries in three days, escaped the hospital, and joined Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya for Hiruzen’s inauguration as the Third Hokage.
• As the group wondered who would replace Hiruzen as their team leader, an unfamiliar voice behind them said that person would be their teacher.

Danzo became Team 7’s new teacher and questioned Kagura about Kinkaku’s death, but Kagura hid his role in the battle. Worried that Orochimaru might turn toward darkness, Kagura admitted the truth and ended by suggesting human experimentation as a path for Orochimaru’s research.

• Danzo announced he would lead Team 7 and hinted that Kagura’s attack had killed Kinkaku, but Kagura denied knowing how the enemy died and pointed him toward Hiruzen.
• After the ceremony, Jiraiya left to sort the books he had recovered, while Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Kagura went for a walk.
• Orochimaru asked Kagura whether he had truly passed out during the battle, and Kagura admitted he had ambushed Kinkaku while crediting Hiruzen with the victory.
• Orochimaru asked Kagura to teach him how to train, but Kagura told him to seek his own path and consider Jiraiya’s experience.
• Kagura asked whether Orochimaru had considered human experimentation, startling him.

Kagura persuaded Orochimaru to pursue Human Experiment through careful, staged research, but Tsunade misunderstood their close interaction before Kagura cleared things up. Two months later, Team 7 had grown through Danzo’s training and new summon-related abilities, and Kagura declined a gathering because he had an important funeral to attend.

• Kagura proposed animal testing, then carefully controlled trials on death-row prisoners and volunteers, and Orochimaru eagerly embraced the idea.
• Tsunade returned and mistook Orochimaru holding Kagura’s hands and thanking him for a romantic encounter, but Kagura explained the misunderstanding.
• After Hiruzen Sarutobi had served as Hokage for two months, Kagura’s hand healed and Team 7 continued training and taking D-rank missions under Danzo.
• Tsunade studied Healing Jutsu and repeatedly healed Jiraiya after beating him, while Orochimaru gained the ability to elongate parts of his body through his summon’s Blessed Land.
• Tsunade invited Kagura to a gathering at his home, but Kagura refused because he was going to attend an important funeral.

Kagura attended Kagami Uchiha’s funeral, then celebrated his ninth birthday with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. After summoning and feeding the One-Tails, he was awakened by Danzo and ordered to prepare for an urgent A-Rank Mission.

• Kagura attended Kagami Uchiha’s funeral and remembered how Kagami had cared for him.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru surprised Kagura with a birthday celebration, and he thanked them for their kindness.
• After his companions left, Kagura resolved to grow stronger so he could change their tragic fates.
• Kagura summoned the One-Tails, fed it a piece of cake, and returned it to his body before going to bed.
• Danzo woke Kagura and ordered him to gather at the Village Gate in fifteen minutes for an emergency A-Rank Mission.

Kagura joined Danzo and Team 7 on an A-Rank mission to recover the stolen Scroll of Seals, and the group pursued the thief into the Land of Rain. The chapter ended with Amegakure Ninja attacking them, leaving Kagura wary that the mission was more dangerous than expected.

• Kagura watched the Konohagakure Main Gate to confirm Team 7 had arrived before joining them and Danzo for the mission.
• Danzo explained that Shota Futa, a Chunin and suspected Sunagakure spy, had stolen the Scroll of Seals and was fleeing west with other spies.
• After pursuing the fugitives for two days, Danzo learned that Shota Futa had entered the Land of Rain and urged the group to catch up with the teams ahead.
• Danzo's group encountered dozens of Amegakure Ninja emerging from puddles and prepared for battle.
• Danzo and Team 7 defeated the attackers, but Danzo realized Amegakure's involvement made the pursuit more dangerous.

Danzo and Team 7 rested before pushing through an Amegakure ambush in a stone forest, while Konoha’s pursuit of Shota Futa closed in. Danzo escaped the final blockade, but Jiraiya was struck in the chest.

• Konoha stationed Jonin along the border after Sunagakure denied responsibility for Shota Futa, and Danzo learned that Anbu had located the fugitive’s likely hiding place.
• Danzo told Kagura he might leave him behind to delay any pursuers, and Kagura agreed before the team resumed their journey.
• Amegakure Ninja trapped the team in a stone forest with long-range attacks, so Kagura sent Shadow Clones in four directions while the others tried to break through.
• Tsunade knocked down enemies with Heavenly Foot Kick, Orochimaru blew aside a barrage of weapons, and Jiraiya shielded Danzo from water blades with his silver hair.
• Danzo killed one enemy and escaped the stone forest, but Jiraiya cried out as blood burst from his chest.

Kagura rescued Jiraiya and Orochimaru from Amegakure Ninja with Chidori Stream, then collapsed from chakra exhaustion after driving them away. While the group recovered in a cave, Kagura sensed a powerful figure approaching through the rain.

• Danzo dodged a Kunai, which struck Jiraiya in the chest and left him badly injured.
• Kagura used Chidori Stream to knock down the attackers surrounding Jiraiya and Orochimaru, then threatened the remaining Amegakure Ninja until they carried off their companions.
• Kagura exhausted most of his Chakra and collapsed after the battlefield cleared.
• Tsunade treated Jiraiya, and the group took shelter in a cave to recover while Kagura stood guard.
• Tsunade brought Kagura food and offered to take over the watch, but Kagura sensed a dangerous figure approaching through the rain.

Kagura and his companions encountered Hanzo while pursuing their mission target, Shota Futa, and were swiftly defeated. Hanzo let them live under orders to keep Shota alive, leaving Kagura to wonder why they had been spared and what would happen next.

• Tsunade alerted Orochimaru and Jiraiya to an approaching Amegakure Ninja and Shota Futa, the target of their mission.
• Kagura told his companions to flee, then attacked Hanzo with Chidori and Kotoamatsukami, but neither technique worked.
• Hanzo effortlessly defeated Kagura and the other three, sending them crashing into the cave wall.
• Shota Futa ordered Hanzo to kill the Konoha Ninja, but Hanzo said he had been ordered to keep Shota alive and threatened the others against fleeing.
• Kagura and his companions entered the cave after Hanzo and Shota, and Kagura considered why Hanzo had spared them.

Uchiha Kagura and the others learned that Hanzo planned to keep them captive temporarily while delivering Shota Futa, who revealed that the stolen Forbidden Book had only been bait in a Konoha purge of spies. Hanzo extinguished the fire and prepared to take the group onward with him.

• Hanzo asked Uchiha Kagura about his Lightning Style technique, and Kagura claimed he had created it.
• Hanzo said he would keep the Konoha group with him for two days and release them after delivering Shota Futa, while Shota Futa urged him to kill them.
• Tsunade treated Jiraiya, and Kagura warned Shota Futa that he would have captured him if Hanzo were not present.
• Shota Futa revealed that the stolen item was not the Forbidden Book but bait used by the newly appointed Hokage to expose spies in Konoha.
• Hanzo extinguished the fire, stood up, and told the Konoha group they would have to accompany him.

Hanzo escorted Kagura, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Shota Futa through the Land of Rain, then stopped to rest. Danzo ambushed Hanzo during the night, using the clash to reach Shota Futa and stab him.

• Kagura carried the injured Jiraiya as Hanzo led the group through the rain until they stopped beneath a tree for the night.
• Hanzo told the group he would let them leave by noon the next day, and everyone settled down to rest.
• Danzo attacked Hanzo with an explosive-tagged kunai, prompting Kagura, Orochimaru, and Tsunade to retreat with Jiraiya.
• Danzo revealed himself and fought Hanzo, trapping him with wired shuriken and detonating their explosive tags.
• Danzo used the explosion to rush past Hanzo and plunged his kunai into Shota Futa.

Shota Futa took Jiraiya hostage, and Danzo attacked despite the danger to him. Kagura awakened his Three Tomoe Sharingan, stopped Danzo, and rejected Danzo’s views on ninja duty before offering Hanzo a deal.

• Shota Futa used Jiraiya as a hostage to keep Kagura and Danzo at bay.
• Hanzo emerged unharmed and charged Danzo, who attacked Shota Futa and struck Jiraiya with darts.
• Kagura awakened his Three Tomoe Sharingan and used Chidori to knock Danzo away before he could stab Jiraiya.
• Kagura told Danzo that Jiraiya was his companion and rejected Danzo’s belief that missions came before comrades.
• Kagura turned to Hanzo and asked whether he wanted to hear a deal.

Kagura negotiated Jiraiya’s release from Hanzo, then faced Danzo alone and revealed his newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He trapped Danzo in Tsukuyomi and began torturing him in an illusion where three days would pass.

• Kagura warned Hanzo that Danzo had summoned nearby Anbu and offered to help hold him off in exchange for Jiraiya’s release.
• Hanzo ordered Shota Futa to release Jiraiya, and Tsunade treated Jiraiya’s injuries as Hanzo and Shota Futa fled.
• Danzo confronted Kagura and deduced that Kagura’s Lightning Style technique had killed Kinkaku.
• Kagura revealed his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and trapped Danzo in Tsukuyomi, where Danzo’s attempt to dispel the illusion failed.
• Kagura bound Danzo to a cross in the illusion and repeatedly stabbed him, explaining that he would remain conscious for three days.

Kagura, Tsunade, and Orochimaru covered up how Danzo was injured by claiming he had bravely protected them, and Tsunade persuaded the Anbu to accept the story. After Kagura recovered, Hiruzen Sarutobi questioned him, but Kagura defended Danzo and refused to change his account.

• Kagura used a chakra-consuming technique that left him and Danzo unconscious, then told Tsunade and Orochimaru what explanation to give the Anbu.
• Tsunade tearfully told the arriving Anbu that Danzo had risked his life to protect his students from a powerful enemy, and the Anbu took the survivors back to Konohagakure.
• Two days later, Kagura woke in Konoha Hospital, and Tsunade assured him she had explained how Teacher Danzo saved them.
• After leaving the hospital, Kagura met Hiruzen Sarutobi, who questioned him about Danzo's injuries and challenged the story.
• Kagura insisted that Hiruzen Sarutobi stop slandering Teacher Danzo.

Shota Futa recalled how his brutal upbringing in Sunagakure shaped him into a spy, then followed his long undercover mission in Konoha and the failed attempt to steal the Forbidden Book. Rescued by Hanzo after Konoha’s trap wiped out his team, he traveled toward a target location and encountered Konoha children while struggling to contain his hatred.

• Shota Futa grew up in Sunagakure’s harsh orphanage and killed his closest friend during the graduation exam, then became a Genin.
• Shota Futa joined the Assassination Unit, became a Chunin, and went undercover in Konoha, where he spent ten years as a Ninja Academy teacher.
• Shota Futa discovered the Forbidden Book’s location and helped lead a group of spies in an attempt to steal it.
• Shota Futa and the other spies opened the scroll during their escape and found it blank, realizing Konoha had set a trap.
• Hanzo rescued Shota Futa from Konoha’s Anbu and escorted him toward a target location.
• Shota Futa encountered Konoha children and wanted to kill them, but Hanzo stopped him.

Team 7 rescued an abducted girl from Kirigakure Ninja in the Land of Water and returned her safely to the Land of Whirlpools. On their way back to Konohagakure, Kagura urged the team to hurry so they could take part in the Chunin Exam.

• Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Kagura cornered a group of Kirigakure Chunin who had abducted a red-haired girl.
• Kagura and the others defeated the fleeing Ninja, and Tsunade confirmed that the girl was unharmed.
• Team 7 brought the girl back to the Land of Whirlpools, where she reunited with her family.
• The Land of Whirlpools staff praised Team 7's strength and noted Kagura's growing reputation as Konohagakure's "monster."
• Tsunade asked Kagura to explore before returning, but Orochimaru reminded them not to miss the Chunin Exam.
• Kagura agreed that Team 7 should hurry back to take part in the Chunin Exam.

Kagura and his teammates returned to Konoha in time to register for the Chunin Exam after missing the previous two. After meeting Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy, and Dan Katō, Kagura and Tsunade teased each other as they walked home.

• Kagura explained that the team remained Genin because missions had kept them from registering for the last two Chunin Exams.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya resolved to take the upcoming exam, while Kagura reflected on his growing abilities and his Tailed Beasts, including the newly released white puppy that was One-Tails Shukaku.
• Kagura, Tsunade, and their teammates returned to Konoha and registered for the Chunin Exam before the deadline.
• The group met Hatake Sakumo, Might Duy, and Dan Katō, who encouraged them and discussed the exam with them.
• Kagura felt unsettled seeing Dan Katō with Tsunade, but Tsunade teased him about hiding something and walked ahead with him following.

Kagura prepared for a multinational Chunin Exam while leaders in Kumogakure and Kirigakure made their own preparations. The chapter ended with Uchiha Madara deciding to begin carrying out his plan.

• Kagura learned that Konoha, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure would jointly host the Chunin Exam, and Team 7 paused missions to prepare.
• Third Raikage A selected Dodai as Kumogakure’s representative and reflected on the damage caused by Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s rebellion and the village’s Jinchuriki troubles.
• Karatachi Yagura formally named seven Kirigakure shinobi the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and warned them to prepare for the joint exam.
• Karatachi Yagura considered finding a new Jinchuriki candidate after Kagura’s team had defeated the squads sent to capture one from the Land of Whirlpools.
• Uchiha Madara watched the Land of Water from his underground hideout and decided it was time to begin his plan.