Recaps

Hiroki studied the copied Lightning Style: Noise Wave and combined its sound-disruption mechanism with Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere to create a new technique. His successful test left Orochimaru convinced that Hiroki had developed a Wind Release technique with astonishing speed and talent.

• Hiroki and the others relocated from the destroyed outpost to a hidden cave, where Orochimaru taught Kushina and Nawaki while Hiroki studied his copied techniques.
• Hiroki realized he could replace Noise Wave's Lightning Release chakra with Wind Release chakra and combine its oscillations with Vacuum Sphere's compression and launch mechanisms.
• Hiroki created Wind Style: Unnamed Sonic Wave and tested it with a Shadow Clone, which fired an invisible attack that pierced and toppled a distant tree.
• Orochimaru recognized that Hiroki had modified Noise Wave into a Wind Release technique and wondered whether Hiroki's talent surpassed the Second Hokage's.

After discovering that Rain Ninja forces were stronger and more widespread than expected, Orochimaru aborted the scouting mission and led the team back toward Konoha. Their retreat was soon blocked by eight Rain Ninja, including two powerful jonin.

• Hiroki judged that his new Wind Release jutsu used too much chakra to become his main attack.
• Orochimaru decided the team could not safely continue scouting because patrol squads had vanished and the enemy was stronger than expected.
• Nawaki protested the retreat, but Orochimaru ordered him to obey, and Kushina urged him to listen.
• Hiroki accepted Orochimaru's decision, and the team rested before setting out toward Konoha.
• Eight Rain Ninja, including two jonin, emerged through the rain and confronted the retreating team.

Orochimaru confronted two Rain Ninja who had entered the Land of Fire and reported Amegakure’s growing activity to Konoha, prompting Sarutobi and Danzo to prepare for war. Meanwhile, Kakuzu accepted bounties on Orochimaru, Kushina, and Hiroki, and set out to hunt them.

• Orochimaru challenged Sanshouo Seiju and Seisei, who claimed they had permission to investigate the border, then let them leave after they completed their mission.
• Sarutobi and Danzo discussed Amegakure’s movements and ordered Jiraiya and Tsunade recalled, Danzo sent to retrieve Orochimaru’s group, and Orochimaru returned to the front.
• Sarutobi told Danzo to assess Hiroki’s abilities before deciding whether to send him back to the front.
• Kakuzu learned that Orochimaru, Uzumaki Kushina, and Sawada Hiroki had bounties and decided to pursue all three.

Orochimaru received the Third's reply and told the children their mission was canceled, then explained to Hiroki how exercise could increase his chakra reserves. Just as Orochimaru announced that Hiroki's muscle-growth experiment had succeeded, a white beam of lightning shot toward them.

• Orochimaru read the Third's letter and said Danzo would escort them back to Konoha because the mission was canceled.
• Nawaki felt frustrated about returning, while Kushina worried about falling behind Hiroki and Hiroki looked forward to continuing to grow stronger in Konoha.
• Hiroki asked Orochimaru how to increase his total chakra, and Orochimaru explained that chakra came from physical and spiritual energy and that exercise built reserves.
• Nawaki and Kushina doubted that exercise would help Hiroki, pointing out his small frame and their own training.
• Orochimaru told Hiroki that the lab's muscle-growth experiment had succeeded, but a beam from Lightning Style: False Darkness suddenly shot toward them.

Orochimaru and his students faced Kakuzu, whose multiple nature transformations and detached limbs overwhelmed their defenses. Hiroki’s Brain Overload stopped one of Kakuzu’s arms but failed to affect Kakuzu himself, and Kakuzu noticed the effect as the battle continued.

• Kakuzu attacked Orochimaru and the three children with Lightning, Fire, and combined ninjutsu, forcing them to retreat.
• Hiroki recognized Kakuzu, while Orochimaru identified him as a powerful rogue shinobi and prepared to fight.
• Kakuzu sent detached tendrils after Nawaki, but Hiroki and Kushina intervened as Orochimaru counterattacked with terrain and sealing jutsu.
• Hiroki activated Brain Overload, which stopped one of Kakuzu’s detached arms but did not affect Kakuzu himself.
• Orochimaru tried to seal Kakuzu’s Fire Release mask, but Kakuzu’s Water Release mask interrupted him.
• Kakuzu noticed Hiroki’s ability had affected him and asked what nature transformations Hiroki could use.

Hiroki discovered that the Brain Overload Attack had affected Kakuzu’s tentacle and reasoned that Kakuzu’s body parts operated through a distributed system. He found Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear protocol and realized it could reveal how to disrupt Kakuzu’s control over his tentacles.

• Hiroki picked up Kakuzu’s disabled tentacle and fled with Kushina and Nawaki, telling them not to involve Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru tried two genjutsu techniques against Kakuzu, but Kakuzu resisted them and attacked with Lightning Release.
• Hiroki found that Kakuzu’s tentacle lacked the usual system folders and memories, then suspected Kakuzu used a distributed architecture with a central controller.
• Hiroki opened [Earth Grudge Fear Protocol.dll], studied its communication and control framework, and concluded he had found a way to deal with Kakuzu.

Hiroki discovered that Kakuzu’s severed Earth Grudge Fear tentacle contained a key he could use to control it. He used it to make the tentacles shield him from Kakuzu’s flames, leaving Kakuzu and the others stunned.

• Hiroki realized he could exploit the key in Kakuzu’s severed tentacle to issue it commands.
• Kakuzu questioned Hiroki about the poison and ordered his Fire Release mask to attack.
• Hiroki sent a command through the tentacle as Kakuzu’s flames shot toward him.
• Hiroki commanded “Earth Grudge Fear: Umbrella,” and the tentacles formed a shield that blocked the flames.
• Kakuzu, Orochimaru, Kushina, and Nawaki stared in disbelief as Kakuzu’s own tentacles defended Hiroki.

Hiroki used Kakuzu’s severed hand to control his masks and turn them against one another, while Orochimaru helped destroy and seal Kakuzu’s hearts. After Kakuzu was sealed, Hiroki discovered that he could still connect to Kakuzu through the Chakra Communication Protocol.

• Hiroki took control of Kakuzu’s severed hand and used it to redirect Kakuzu’s attacks.
• Hiroki made Kakuzu’s Fire, Water, and Lightning Release masks destroy one another, while Orochimaru sealed the remaining Lightning Release mask.
• Orochimaru sealed Kakuzu, leaving only a piece of his skin behind.
• Hiroki touched Kakuzu’s remaining skin and received a prompt to open Kakuzu’s files.

Hiroki sealed Kakuzu and began copying his Earth Grudge Fear files while Orochimaru led the team toward a Root safe house. They met Shimura Danzō there, who demanded to know what had happened.

• Hiroki accessed Kakuzu’s files and started copying Earth Grudge Fear after Kakuzu was sealed.
• Orochimaru ordered Hiroki, Kushina, and Nawaki to erase traces of the battle and head to the meeting point Danzo had arranged.
• Nawaki felt shaken by his weakness, while Kushina resolved to work harder so Hiroki would not leave her behind.
• The group reached a Root safe house, and Shimura Danzō arrived with several figures.
• Danzō noticed Hiroki carrying Kakuzu’s remains and asked Orochimaru to explain what had happened.

After Hiroki and Orochimaru sealed Kakuzu, they returned to Konoha with evidence of his defeat, shocking Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo. Hiruzen then offered Hiroki a place in a mission to confront Hanzo of the Salamander in the Land of Rain.

• On the journey back to Konoha, Hiroki reviewed the Earth Grudge Fear techniques and Black Market Exchange information he had copied from Kakuzu, and installed the Muscle Automation Script in himself.
• Danzo brought Hiroki and Orochimaru to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was stunned by Kakuzu’s sealed body and masks.
• Danzo told Sarutobi Hiruzen that only they knew about Kakuzu’s capture and that Root’s Cursed Seal of Rōshō would keep the other Root shinobi silent.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen considered the implications of capturing Kakuzu and wondered how to assign Hiroki, whose abilities seemed sufficient for Special Jōnin despite his young age.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Hiroki whether he wanted to join his three students on a mission to the Land of Rain to fight Hanzo of the Salamander and halt his border expansion.

Sarutobi Hiruzen proposed using Hiroki’s unknown ability to immobilize Hanzo of the Salamander, while Shimura Danzō objected to risking the child. Hiruzen laid out protections and rewards for the mission, leaving Hiroki with a month to decide whether to take part.

• Shimura Danzō angrily challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen for considering sending Hiroki against Hanzo, and Hiruzen explained that Hiroki’s concealed ability could create an opening.
• Hiroki asked what he would gain by joining the mission and what would happen if he refused.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen said Hiroki would have at least a month to consider the plan and prepare.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen described a plan to use Hiroki’s mind-blanking genjutsu against Hanzo, supported by Konoha ninja, armor, and antidotes.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen offered Hiroki Jonin promotion, access to three jutsu from the Scroll of Sealing, a guard position, and access to the Second Hokage’s laboratory.

Tsunade and Jiraiya challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen’s plan to send Sawada Hiroki against Hanzo, but the Third Hokage wagered that Hiroki would prove his strength within a month. Orochimaru then revealed that Hiroki had agreed to the plan himself and offered to demonstrate his abilities to Jiraiya’s students.

• Tsunade returned to Konoha, met Jiraiya, and angrily questioned the plan to make ten-year-old Sawada Hiroki the centerpiece of an operation against Hanzo.
• Jiraiya reported that Kumogakure’s kidnapping attempt had been an independent action, while Tsunade warned that the Land of Earth was preparing for an all-out war.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen said Konoha had to strike before its enemies attacked, and Tsunade argued that battle-hardened Jonin should lead instead of a child.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen bet that Sawada Hiroki would earn Tsunade’s approval within a month, wagering that he would abandon the plan and step down as Hokage if he lost.
• Orochimaru told Tsunade and Jiraiya that Hiroki could change beyond recognition in a week and revealed that Hiroki had agreed to the plan of his own accord.
• Orochimaru proposed bringing Jiraiya’s three students together so Hiroki could give them pointers.

Jiraiya showed Tsunade and Orochimaru how astonishingly fast Minato had become, but Orochimaru brought them to his laboratory to see Hiroki’s abilities for themselves. After witnessing Hiroki’s seal-less techniques, use of Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear, and automatic healing, the stunned group heard him ask to begin the next stage of training.

• Minato demonstrated his extraordinary speed and chakra-infused weapons, leaving Tsunade and Orochimaru impressed while Nawaki worried about his own talent.
• Tsunade dismissed Hiroki’s abilities as borrowed power and criticized the Third Hokage for sending him after Hanzo, but Orochimaru challenged her assumptions and invited everyone to his laboratory.
• At Orochimaru’s laboratory, the group watched Hiroki’s Shadow Clones perform seal-less basic jutsu and wield Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear to defend against and destroy steel puppets.
• Tsunade recognized that Hiroki was healing injuries automatically with a method resembling her unfinished Creation Rebirth technique.
• Hiroki stopped his training, greeted the group, and asked them to teach him as many more ninjutsu as possible over the coming month.

After Hiroki demonstrated seal-less ninjutsu, Tsunade opposed sending him to fight Hanzo and challenged him to prove he could survive her attacks. Hiroki agreed to a match in one week and asked to copy ninjutsu first; touching Jiraiya then triggered a temporary connection to him.

• Hiroki’s seal-less ninjutsu demonstration shocked Jiraiya, Tsunade, Nawaki, and Minato.
• Tsunade refused to let Hiroki join the plan against Hanzo, arguing that he was too young and inexperienced.
• Tsunade challenged Hiroki to evade all her attacks without a scratch, promising to teach him combat and Medical Ninjutsu if he succeeded.
• Hiroki accepted the test for one week later and asked to copy ordinary ninjutsu from Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru by touching them.
• Jiraiya agreed to let Hiroki copy his techniques, and a temporary Chakra Communication Protocol connection to Jiraiya appeared.

Hiroki copied ninjutsu files from Jiraiya and Tsunade to prepare for his fight with Tsunade in seven days. As Tsunade questioned his confidence and Jiraiya worried about the match, Orochimaru offered to teach Hiroki ninjutsu himself.

• Hiroki chose Jiraiya's restraining, ranged, and defensive techniques to help him fight Tsunade despite his limited chakra and lack of an Earth nature.
• Jiraiya stayed in contact with Hiroki for an hour while Hiroki copied his ninjutsu files, and Tsunade watched closely.
• Tsunade held Hiroki's hand for an hour as he copied her files, though she sensed no chakra fluctuations and felt uneasy.
• Hiroki said he would prove himself to Tsunade in seven days, and Tsunade insisted she would fight him seriously to protect him from Hanzo.
• Orochimaru told Hiroki that he would teach him ninjutsu himself.

Hiroki comforted Kushina by using his Passive Physical Activation Technique on her, then asked her to help him change the Shinobi World. Kushina renewed her determination to become Hokage and agreed to work with him.

• Hiroki reviewed the ninjutsu he had copied and assessed his strengths and weaknesses, noting his limited chakra and movement speed.
• Kushina visited Hiroki late at night, worried about his bet with Tsunade and discouraged by her struggles to learn Fuinjutsu from Grandma Mito.
• Hiroki used the Passive Physical Activation Technique on Kushina and asked her to teach him the Uzumaki Clan's Fuinjutsu in return.
• Kushina regained her confidence and renewed her promise to become a great Fuinjutsu master.
• Hiroki asked Kushina to help him change the Shinobi World, and she agreed while declaring she would become Konoha's first female Hokage.

Hiroki fought Tsunade in Orochimaru's underground laboratory and stunned the observers by unleashing Ninjutsu without Hand Seals. Tsunade healed from his opening strike but continued the fight, now taking him seriously.

• Tsunade and Hiroki prepared to fight while Jiraiya doubted Hiroki could last more than a few seconds against her.
• Tsunade charged at Hiroki with overwhelming speed and strength.
• Hiroki cast Fire Release: Flame Bullet without Hand Seals, then followed it with Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
• The attacks pierced Tsunade and left the observers, especially Jiraiya, shocked by Hiroki's hand-seal-free Ninjutsu.
• Tsunade healed her wound and continued the fight, but no longer treated Hiroki with contempt.

Tsunade attacked Hiroki with thrown stone and a high-speed charge, while Hiroki used Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear to defend and weave a web of hardened tendrils. Tsunade broke through the web, and the chapter ended amid a sudden rumble whose cause was not yet clear.

• Tsunade healed her wounds, smashed the floor, and hurled chunks of stone at Hiroki.
• Hiroki blocked the stones with an umbrella of Earth Grudge Fear tendrils.
• Tsunade dashed around Hiroki, but Hiroki spread the tendrils into a steel-like web around himself.
• Tsunade shattered a concrete slab against the web, then coated her hands with chakra and charged through it.
• Tsunade snapped the tendrils as Minato, Nawaki, and Kushina watched, and a tremendous rumble followed.

Hiroki and Tsunade continued their fierce battle in Orochimaru’s laboratory, with Tsunade testing the ten-year-old’s limits. When she unleashed one final devastating punch, Hiroki escaped beneath the floor with a precisely controlled Earth Release technique, leaving his chakra exhausted.

• Tsunade used Strength of a Hundred and Chakra Scalpel to cut through Hiroki’s combined Earth Grudge Fear and Wild Lion’s Mane Technique.
• Tsunade questioned Hiroki’s remaining chakra, and he admitted he had enough for one more Flame Bullet and one Vacuum Sphere but could keep fighting with other techniques.
• Tsunade insisted on one last attack, then unleashed a powerful punch that split the laboratory floor.
• Hiroki used Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld without hand signs to open a pit beneath himself and evade Tsunade’s punch.
• Orochimaru realized Hiroki had controlled the swamp’s size and used Wind Release to propel himself, while Hiroki’s remaining extractable chakra fell to zero.

Hiroki defeated Tsunade in their spar, prompting Sarutobi Hiruzen to gather Konoha’s jonin to help him copy their techniques. The chapter ended with Uchiha Togashi volunteering to teach Hiroki while the other clans objected, and Hiruzen taking Togashi aside.

• Hiroki emerged from the mud unharmed after evading Tsunade’s strongest attack, and Tsunade admitted that she had lost.
• Kushina checked on Hiroki, and he told Tsunade and Jiraiya that he had already copied most of the jutsu he wanted from them and wished to train with other jonin.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Konoha’s jonin to Training Ground No. 7 and asked volunteers to show Hiroki their signature jutsu.
• The clan-affiliated jonin refused to volunteer because they feared Hiroki would learn their secret techniques.
• Uchiha Togashi volunteered on behalf of the Uchiha Clan and criticized the other clans, prompting angry arguments.
• Hiruzen accepted Togashi’s offer and told the other jonin to leave.

Uchiha Togashi discovered that the ninjutsu-copying genius he had agreed to train was not an Uchiha, while Senju Tokuma and Senju Ryosuke realized Sawada Hiroki might be far more dangerous than they had thought. As Hanzo prepared to invade the Land of Fire, the Third ordered Konoha’s forces to ready themselves to march into the Land of Rain as soon as Hatake returned.

• Uchiha Togashi announced that the Third had chosen him to train a ninjutsu-copying genius, but the Uchiha found no such child in their clan records.
• Senju Tokuma and Senju Ryosuke learned that Kakuzu was missing, Nawaki had returned safely, and their Konoha informants investigating Sawada Hiroki had disappeared.
• Tokuma and Ryosuke suspected Hiroki had defeated the Cloud Village squad and driven Kakuzu away, and they feared he might seek revenge for the assassination attempt.
• Hanzo ordered Rain Ninja forces to continue infiltrating the Land of Fire, declaring that he would attack despite Konoha’s reinforced border defenses.
• The Third received word that Hatake had killed Sunagakure’s two youngest puppeteers and ordered the invasion preparations to begin when Hatake returned to Konoha.

Orochimaru’s team prepared a plan to use Hiroki against Hanzo, despite the Jonin’s doubts about the ten-year-old. When they moved to intercept Hanzo, they discovered the apparent opportunity was a trap, and Salamander Ibuse unleashed poisonous mist on the Konoha squad.

• Nara Ruzan questioned whether Hiroki could be trusted with the mission, but Tsunade defended him by revealing that he had beaten her in a fight.
• Orochimaru assigned Jiraiya and Tsunade to draw Hanzo toward Outpost 84, while Hatake Sakumo was to protect Hiroki and help him get close enough to touch Hanzo.
• A Hyuga shinobi reported that Hanzo had split from his main force near Outpost 84 and appeared to be heading toward Outpost 61, prompting Orochimaru to order the team to move out.
• Hatake Sakumo carried Hiroki as the Jonin squad rushed toward the gorge, where Hanzo and Salamander Ibuse ambushed them.
• Hanzo declared that the Konoha shinobi had fallen into his trap, and Salamander Ibuse poured poisonous purple mist toward them.

Hanzo of the Salamander overwhelmed Konoha’s jōnin with his speed, scythe, poison, and ability to move through rainwater, killing two of them and driving Tsunade and her allies back. Underground, Hatake Sakumo and Hiroki analyzed Hanzo’s habits while Hiroki asked when they would join the fight.

• Orochimaru, Jiraiya, an Akimichi jōnin, and Nara Ruzan coordinated attacks against Hanzo, but Hanzo escaped using the Water Body Flicker Technique.
• Hanzo appeared behind the Yamanaka jōnin and killed him with his scythe, then evaded Jiraiya’s swamp and Aburame Torune’s insects.
• Hanzo taunted the Konoha ninja and killed a Hyuga jōnin, while Jiraiya realized Hanzo could move anywhere connected by rainwater.
• Hanzo struck at Jiraiya, but Jiraiya blocked with Needle Jizō; Tsunade counterattacked, and Hanzo’s fire technique briefly engulfed her before she healed herself.
• Tsunade attacked Ibuse, but Hanzo blocked her punch with his scythe and knocked her backward, displaying strength and swordsmanship that stunned the Konoha ninja.
• Underground, Hatake Sakumo explained that Hanzo sensed his surroundings through water and targeted support ninja, and Hiroki asked when they would enter the fight.

Hatake Sakumo and the Konoha jonin struggled to hold off Hanzo while Hiroki prepared underground to strike. Sakumo drew Hanzo’s attention, and Hiroki emerged to grab him just as the system established a temporary connection to Hanzo.

• Hanzo used water clones, poison, and surprise attacks to kill Konoha jonin while the team searched for him.
• Hanzo realized Konoha had sent an unusually large group and suspected that a hidden trump-card ninja was waiting underground.
• Hatake Sakumo told Hiroki to emerge after he created an opening, warning that the rising water would soon make their escape difficult.
• Sakumo attacked Hanzo with Lightning Release, drawing his attention as the masked swordsman clashed with Hanzo’s sickle.
• Hiroki burst from the ground and grabbed Hanzo’s ankle, and the system announced that it had established a temporary connection to Hanzo.

Hiroki's Brain Overload briefly disrupted Hanzo of the Salamander, but Hanzo escaped after his poison sac was ruptured. Hanzo warned Amegakure's forces about Hiroki and ordered a retreat as the Konoha forces pursued him.

• Hatake Sakumo attacked Hanzo while Hiroki's Brain Overload briefly flooded Hanzo's mind, but Hanzo resisted it and escaped by kicking Hiroki away and tangling Sakumo's blade with his sickle chain.
• Hanzo used Water Style: Murky Rain to cover his retreat, and Hiroki warned the Konoha forces that Hanzo's damaged poison sac would soon paralyze him.
• Hiroki explained how the poison sac worked, then wondered whether Hanzo had overcome Brain Overload through willpower or because of the injury.
• Hiroki caught up with the Konoha forces, and Aburame Clan ninjas found Hanzo stopped near Amegakure.
• Hanzo told the Amegakure ninjas to beware Hiroki's mind-disrupting ability, ordered them to retreat, and prepared to face the pursuing Konoha forces with the jonin.