Chapter Summaries

Tokugawa assigned Shuji’s squad an S-rank mission, then set out alone to hunt Sunagakure squads near their camp. Meanwhile, the Eighth Kazekage prepared to leave the battlefield and asked Yayoi to oversee Sunagakure.

• Tokugawa visited Shuji’s dormitory and ordered his squad to cooperate with him on an S-rank mission after eight that night.
• Hiashi and Nawaki eagerly accepted the mission, unaware that Tokugawa intended to act alone.
• The Eighth Kazekage told Yayoi that Chiyo could no longer serve as commander and asked her to oversee Sunagakure while he replaced her.
• Tokugawa left the Konoha camp, appeared in a forest near Sunagakure, and began targeting squads traveling outside the camp.

Tokugawa learned that the Kazekage’s squad was approaching and prepared to ambush them, while Minato encouraged Kushina to seek help with whatever trouble she faced. The chapter ended with Tokugawa striking the Kazekage’s squad in the Land of Rain.

• The Kazekage showed Yayoi Chiyo’s letter and said he might take Bunpuku with him, leaving Rasa to assist Yayoi.
• Shinai reported that the Kazekage’s squad was nearing the halfway point from the Sunagakure camp, and Hiashi identified a position for a surprise attack.
• Tokugawa returned to Konoha’s camp, consulted Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzō, then vanished to join the operation.
• Minato told Kushina that her family was worried about her and urged her to seek help from him or Linggui.
• Tokugawa used Lion’s Roar to stun a Sunagakure Jonin, then hit him and the eight squad members behind him with a golden-streaked Rasengan.

Kushina sank into despair after learning she would become the Nine-Tails' vessel, and Minato followed her until he found a strand of her red hair near the empty street. As Konoha prepared to intercept the Kazekage, Shinai told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Kushina had been taken toward the Land of Hot Water, where Kumogakure was suspected to be involved.

• Kushina left Minato and walked alone, overwhelmed by the thought that she would become a monster and a tool for the village.
• Minato followed Kushina toward the Senju residence, then found one of her red hairs caught on grass and branches after she disappeared.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Sarutobi Shuichi to help suppress Shukaku and intercept the Kazekage with Shinai.
• Shinai told Sarutobi Hiruzen that someone was moving toward the Land of Hot Water while another person pursued, and Minato's Flying Thunder God marks were moving north.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others concluded that Kumogakure might be involved in Kushina's disappearance.

Shuji and the allied shinobi launched a coordinated assault on Shukaku and the Kazekage in the desert. The Sand Flow Wall held despite their attacks, leaving Shuji to face the gathering sand while Hiruzen and the others engaged the enemy.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen sent Tokugawa with Tsunade and told Hiashi, Hinagiku, and the other Genin to hide and observe.
• Shukaku and the Kazekage raised a massive Sand Flow Wall, while Jiraiya, Tsunade, Hiruzen, Shuji, and Katsuyu attacked it with fire, kunai, and acid.
• The attacks opened a gap in the wall and exposed the Kazekage's Iron Sand, but Shukaku and the Kazekage stopped the assault.
• Shuji used Flying Thunder God and a Giant Rasengan to confront Shukaku as sand swept toward him.
• Bunpuku transformed into Shukaku, and Hiruzen advanced toward the Kazekage while the battle continued.

Shuji, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and their allies fought the Kazekage and Shukaku as Konoha’s counterattack threatened to turn the battle. Shuji used Byakugan: Pressure to send the Kazekage crashing toward the ground, and Sarutobi Hiruzen moved in to strike as the Kazekage Guard remained engaged.

• Shukaku unleashed a raging wind attack, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, Katsuyu Sage, and the others evaded it while launching counterattacks.
• The Kazekage used Sand Flow Wall to blunt the attackers’ volley, then formed iron-sand wings and attacked Shuji and Sarutobi Hiruzen with Iron Sand: Drizzle.
• Orochimaru dragged a Kazekage Guard member underground while Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the summoned beasts fought the remaining guards and Shukaku.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen shattered the Sand Flow Wall with Enma, but the Kazekage sent iron-sand needles at the Konoha fighters and hurled a spear toward Shuji.
• Shuji struck the Kazekage with Mountain Breaker, severing one wing and arm, then used Byakugan: Pressure to weigh him down and make him fall.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen leaped after the falling Kazekage and brought down Enma’s staff as Shuji’s azure energy beam shot into the sky.

Shuji and the Konoha forces killed the Kazekage during the ambush, leaving Sunagakure facing a devastating defeat. After Shuji withdrew to recover, Sarutobi Hiruzen charged at the One-Tail, Shukaku.

• Hiashi recognized Shuji’s Byakugan technique as a dojutsu and eagerly considered its potential for the Hyuga clan.
• A Kazekage Guard member rushed to protect the Kazekage, but Orochimaru exploited the opening while the other guards remained pinned down.
• Shuji and Enma’s Adamantine Staff struck the Kazekage with dozens of Rasengan, and Shuji confirmed that the Kazekage had died.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Shuji to recover and support Kushina when ready, and Shuji vanished from the battlefield.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen charged at the One-Tail, Shukaku, determined to test whether ninjutsu could defeat it.

Shuji returned after killing the Third Kazekage and rested while Sarutobi Hiruzen and his allies fought Shukaku. They killed Shukaku and prepared to leave the battlefield, as Hiruzen anticipated that conflict with other villages was beginning.

• Hinagiku checked on Shuji, who boasted that he had killed the Third Kazekage and asked her to wake him in five minutes so he could support Kushina.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen pinned Shukaku with Adamantine Staffs while Tsunade, Orochimaru, Sarutobi Shuichi, Jiraiya, and the summoned beasts joined the fight.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen and his allies unleashed a combined attack that killed Shukaku, while Bunpuku's body survived the blast but fell lifeless to the ground.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Sarutobi Shuichi to collect the bodies and wait for Shuji near Hiashi.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded that the war was nearly over but that other villages would challenge Konoha, which was why he had chosen to kill Shukaku instead of sealing him.

Minato followed Kushina’s trail and used Shuji’s Flying Thunder God kunai to summon him when three Kumogakure ninja cornered her. Shuji defeated all three and reunited Minato and Kushina, then led them off to finish one more task.

• Minato found Kushina being escorted through the forest by three Kumogakure ninja and decided to use Shuji’s kunai to call for help.
• Shuji teleported to the kunai and struck down the first ninja before the others attacked Kushina.
• Shuji blocked one ninja’s lightning technique, hit another with Rasengan, and defeated Hiroyuki with a blue beam.
• Minato thanked Shuji, and Kushina apologized for causing trouble after Shuji reassured her that she had helped by leaving clues.
• Shuji took Minato and Kushina by the hand and said they still had one task left.

Shuji returned from his mission with Minato and Kushina, and Sarutobi Hiruzen promised Minato a personal teacher after graduation. At the camp, Mikoto awakened her Three-Tomoe Sharingan when she thought Shuji had been hurt, but it vanished once she saw he was safe.

• Shuji met Sarutobi Hiruzen in the Land of Wind, and Hiruzen praised his mission while Shuji urged him to reward Minato.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen promised Minato that he would personally assign him a teacher after graduation and sent the group back to the Konoha camp.
• Hiashi carried the exhausted Shuji to the dormitory while Sarutobi Hiruzen sent Minato and Kushina to their assigned quarters and dismissed the other ninja to rest.
• Mikoto saw Shuji being carried and, fearing he was injured, awakened her Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Shuji woke and assured Mikoto he was only tired, and her Sharingan disappeared after she realized he was unharmed.

Mikoto helped the exhausted Shuji back to the dormitory and watched over him as he slept, keeping her feelings hidden. Outside the Medical Department, Hiashi told Minato and Kushina that Shuji had suppressed the Third Kazekage, leaving them amazed at his strength and Hiashi newly convinced of the Byakugan’s combat potential.

• Mikoto supported Shuji to the dormitory, where he fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Mikoto watched Shuji sleep and resolved to keep working hard before confessing her feelings.
• Minato asked Hiashi what mission Shuji had been on, and Hiashi revealed that Shuji had intercepted and killed the Kazekage.
• Hiashi explained that Shuji had used the Byakugan to suppress the Third Kazekage, impressing Minato and Kushina and inspiring Hiashi to question the Uchiha’s standing above the Hyuga.
• Hiashi invited Nawaki, Minato, and Kushina to rest; Nawaki left with Hiashi, while Minato stayed behind and Kushina thanked him.

Minato reassured Kushina, while Sunagakure and Amegakure weighed how to respond to Konoha’s encirclement. In the Konoha camp, Mikoto served Shuji a new meal and flirted with him as he woke.

• Minato promised to stay by Kushina, but she dismissed him and went into the dormitory.
• Chiyo debated whether Sunagakure should attack Amegakure or wait for the Kazekage, fearing the consequences of either choice.
• Hanzo rejected Muyu’s suggestion to attack Konoha and ordered tighter security and more traps around Amegakure.
• Mikoto served Shuji porridge and tea eggs after he woke, then gently massaged his shoulders and teased him.

Shuji left breakfast after Sarutobi Shuichi summoned him, and Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered him to return Kushina and Minato before allowing him only three days to recover. Hiruzen planned to shift Konoha’s campaign from strategic offense to defense, preparing for either Sunagakure’s retreat or a desperate attack while keeping Amegakure surrounded.

• Mikoto teased Shuji over breakfast, but Sarutobi Shuichi interrupted and summoned him to the office.
• Shuji told Sarutobi Hiruzen that replenishing the chakra in his Yin Seal would take ten years, but Hiruzen limited his rest to three days.
• Hiruzen ordered Shuji to send Kushina and Minato back, and Shuji left immediately.
• Hiruzen considered how the Kazekage’s and Shukaku’s deaths might affect Sunagakure and decided Konoha should avoid unnecessary risks.
• Hiruzen planned to keep Amegakure surrounded while Danzo and Sakumo built a defensive line, allowing Konoha to counter either a retreat or an attack by Sunagakure.

Shuji revealed that his Byakugan had awakened an ability called Coercion and gave Hiashi a false explanation for how to obtain it. After brawling with Nawaki and Hiashi, Shuji returned Minato and Kushina to Konoha and encouraged Kushina to seek help with her troubles.

• Shuji explained that Coercion used the Byakugan to release mental energy and suppress an opponent's mind.
• Shuji told Hiashi that danger while hunting Sunagakure ninja had awakened the ability, and advised him to train and rely on luck.
• Nawaki and Hiashi argued about whether Hiashi could awaken the technique, then Hiashi and Shuji attacked Nawaki.
• Shuji sealed Nawaki's Chakra points, then used his ability to take Minato and Kushina back to Konoha.
• Kushina thanked Shuji, who urged her to stay safe and tell others about her problems so they could help.

Shuji reassured Kushina that he would help her face her troubles, then joined her and Minato for a meal before asking whether she feared becoming the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Kushina confirmed his guess, and Shuji began probing what frightened her most about the change.

• Shuji encouraged Kushina to face her troubles and promised to help if she needed him.
• Kushina invited Shuji and Minato to a meal that day, and Shuji accepted after saying he had taken three days off.
• At the barbecue restaurant, Kushina asked whether Shuji liked Mikoto, and he admitted he did, though his interest was not specific to her.
• Shuji asked Kushina whether her recent fear came from the village planning to make her the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and she was shocked that he knew.
• Shuji explained that he had guessed from Uzumaki Mito's status and asked whether Kushina feared the sealing process or life afterward.

Shuji explained to Kushina why the village had chosen her as the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki, describing her Uzumaki chakra, the risks, and the power she could gain. Kushina became less afraid and seemed willing to accept the role, just as Hyuga Kiyosada appeared at the barbecue restaurant.

• Shuji told Kushina that her Uzumaki chakra could suppress Tailed Beasts, making her especially suited to become the Nine-Tails’ Jinchuriki.
• Shuji explained that Kushina’s fate would be bound to the Nine-Tails and that she could become one of the village’s strongest ninja if she learned to control it.
• Shuji warned Kushina that the village would restrict her freedom at first, but offered to try to persuade the Hokage to choose someone else if she refused.
• Kushina thanked Shuji and said becoming the Jinchuriki no longer seemed so frightening, partly because she wanted to keep pace with her companions.
• Hyuga Kiyosada appeared at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, drawing Shuji’s attention.

Shuji visited his parents during a three-day leave and discussed joining the Anbu after the war. Chinatsu accepted his decision and offered the Hyuga clan’s support for Tsunade’s medical system, then asked Shuji about his future plans.

• Kiyosada welcomed Shuji home and urged him to protect himself when he returned to the battlefield the next night.
• Chinatsu told Shuji that the Hokage had proposed he join the Anbu after the war, and Shuji said he had already agreed.
• Chinatsu warned that the Hyuga clan might oppose the plan because Anbu service put the Main Family’s bloodline at risk.
• Shuji said he could return home with the Flying Thunder God Technique and would abandon any mission that threatened his life.
• Shuji explained that he wanted to join the Anbu to help Tsunade establish a complete medical system, and Chinatsu offered to persuade the clan head to support her.
• Chinatsu asked Shuji what he planned to do next.

Shuji shared his postwar training plans with his parents, while Chiyo grew suspicious that the Kazekage had not reached the Sunagakure camp. In Amegakure, Hanzo faced a worsening supply crisis and considered a desperate attack; the chapter ended with Sarutobi Hiruzen asking Shuji and Tsunade how to keep a ninja alive but permanently unable to fight.

• Shuji told Chinatsu he planned to join the Anbu, train in chakra transformations and the Eight Inner Gates, and later study Sage Arts, while noting that Anbu seniors had agreed to help him.
• Chinatsu and Kiyosada encouraged Shuji to invite his Anbu friends and seniors to their home after the war.
• Chiyo questioned why the Kazekage and Bunpuku had not arrived at the Sunagakure camp, despite having departed three days earlier.
• Muyu warned Hanzo that Amegakure was cut off from supplies and intelligence, and Hanzo weighed waiting against launching a risky attack on Konoha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Shuji and Tsunade whether medical ninjutsu or chakra-point techniques could leave a person alive but unable to be a ninja again.

Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to release Iki and Rokugatsu to undermine Chiyo’s standing in Sunagakure, while Shuji argued they should be returned unharmed. Hiruzen agreed after Shuji offered to mark the couple with Flying Thunder God, and Shuji began considering where to place the marks so they could not remove them.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen considered using Iki and Rokugatsu’s return, alongside news of the Kazekage’s death, to turn Sunagakure’s ninja against Chiyo.
• Shuji and Tsunade concluded that disabling Iki and Rokugatsu would also leave them seriously impaired.
• Shuji urged Sarutobi Hiruzen to send the couple back intact, arguing that doing so gave the plan its best chance.
• Shuji proposed placing Flying Thunder God marks on Iki and Rokugatsu so he could kill them if they threatened Konoha, and Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted.
• Shuji studied the unconscious couple and decided the marks needed to go somewhere they could not discover on each other; he approached Rokugatsu.

Shuji met with Iki and Rokugatsu near the Sunagakure camp and tried to persuade Sunagakure to withdraw from the war or join Konoha in dividing Amegakure’s wealth. He left Iki considering the proposal while warning him that Sunagakure and Konoha were not the only powers in the Shinobi World.

• Shuji served tea to Iki and Rokugatsu and explained that he had brought them back under Lord Hokage’s orders.
• Shuji asked Iki to tell Lady Chiyo that he hoped Sunagakure would withdraw to the Land of Wind.
• Shuji argued that continuing the war would cost Sunagakure more than it could gain, and Iki silently acknowledged his point.
• Shuji proposed that Konoha and Sunagakure attack Amegakure together and split its wealth, while saying Konoha would not offer more than half.
• Shuji told Iki that Konoha could defeat Amegakure without Sunagakure’s help and warned that the Shinobi World contained more than Sunagakure and Konoha.

Iki and Rokugatsu returned to Sunagakure believing Konoha’s proposal could benefit both villages, unaware that Shuji planned to use their arrival to provoke a decisive battle. Shuji revealed the bodies of Bunpuku and the Kazekage Guard before vanishing, leaving Chiyo, Iki, and Rokugatsu under the scrutiny of the Sunagakure forces.

• Iki told Shuji he would relay Konoha’s proposal to Chiyo, and Shuji concealed his plan to destroy Sunagakure’s remaining forces.
• On the journey back, Iki told Rokugatsu that the proposal seemed beneficial, though Chiyo would make the final decision.
• Iki and Rokugatsu reached the Sunagakure camp and went to Chiyo’s office to report what had happened.
• Chiyo was relieved to see Iki and Rokugatsu alive but immediately suspected Konoha had a hidden motive.
• Shuji threw out a Sealing Scroll, revealing Bunpuku’s corpse and the bodies of the Kazekage Guard, then vanished as the Sunagakure ninjas focused on Chiyo, Iki, and Rokugatsu.