Recaps

Kazuhiko and Shizune discussed how to treat Tsunade’s hemophobia, but Shizune doubted Tsunade would accept help. Kazuhiko reassured Shizune and promised to cure Tsunade and bring them both back to Konoha, while Shizune grew to trust him.

• Kazuhiko explained his plan to use genjutsu and psychological counseling to treat Tsunade, but he and Shizune agreed that her resistance made the mission difficult.
• Shizune suggested paying off Tsunade’s gambling debts, then admitted she knew no way to persuade Tsunade except bringing the dead back to life.
• Kazuhiko comforted Shizune, took her hand, and raised her favorability to Friendly, unlocking her exclusive trait card pool and a jonin trait draw chance.
• Kazuhiko implied that he had been waiting for Shizune and Tsunade to return to Konoha, and Shizune blushed but said they should abandon the mission if Tsunade refused treatment again.
• Kazuhiko vowed to cure Tsunade and bring Shizune and Tsunade home, raising Shizune’s favorability to Trust and earning another jonin trait draw chance.

Kazuhiko learned that treating Tsunade required either paying her gambling debts or lending her money, so he persuaded Kakashi to seek funds by earning money themselves. They traveled to Yugakure, where Kazuhiko found a mission to eliminate Jashin Cult followers that could provide a bloodthirsty target for Tsunade’s treatment.

• Kazuhiko told Kakashi that Shizune could get Tsunade to accept treatment if they paid off her gambling debts, and Kakashi explained that Tsunade owed hundreds of millions of ryō.
• Kazuhiko suggested earning money through the underground black market, and Kakashi submitted a report requesting approval to pursue the plan.
• After the Third Hokage approved Kakashi’s report, Kazuhiko and Kakashi traveled to Yugakure to look for high-paying work.
• Kakashi found a posting to exterminate Jashin Cult followers near Sulfur Mist Valley, and Kazuhiko chose the mission despite Kakashi’s concerns about its low reward.

Kazuhiko and Kakashi infiltrated Sulfur Mist Valley to eliminate Jashin Cultists, hoping the mission would help cure Tsunade's hemophobia and strengthen their position in Konoha. After finding a blood-soaked sacrificial altar and assessing the cultists, Kazuhiko claimed he would handle the kill.

• Kazuhiko and Kakashi detected two Genin in the fog, and Kazuhiko silently killed them with Storm Release-enhanced shuriken controlled by Chakra Threads.
• Deep Blue unlocked Akiyama and Taiseki's independent trait pools and granted Kazuhiko two Genin trait draw chances for the kills.
• Kazuhiko ordered Kakashi to disarm the traps and prepare a retreat route before they continued into the valley.
• Kazuhiko and Kakashi entered a cave and found Jashin Cultists sacrificing victims at a blood-covered altar.
• Kazuhiko counted five Chunin and seven Genin among the cultists, identified two weakened leaders near the altar, and said he would kill them himself.

Kazuhiko avenged the Jashin Cult’s victims by killing its followers with Sharingan genjutsu, but his brutal executions pleased Jashin and trapped him inside a crimson barrier. Kakashi could not break through, and the two remaining cult leaders prepared to attack Kazuhiko.

• Kakashi accepted Kazuhiko’s decision to make the Jashin Cultists suffer and promised to ensure nothing went wrong.
• Kazuhiko used genjutsu and precise attacks to kill the cultists around the altar, earning numerous trait draw chances.
• Jashin’s favor toward Kazuhiko increased, unlocking a God-Tier trait chance and granting him Death Controlling Blood.
• A crimson barrier blocked Kakashi from reaching Kazuhiko, while Jashin urged Kazuhiko to kill everyone.
• The two remaining ritual leaders recognized Kazuhiko inside the barrier and resolved to kill him for Jashin.

Kazuhiko discovered that the Jashin followers revived through the Crimson Barrier even after he killed and burned them, while Kakashi searched for a way to help him escape. Kazuhiko suspected Jashin wanted him to inflict greater suffering on the followers, but he remained wary of what Jashin might demand in return.

• Kazuhiko used Sharingan Genjutsu and Storm Release to kill the two Jashin followers, but their wounds healed as the Crimson Barrier revived them.
• Kazuhiko burned the followers and then cut off their heads, while Kakashi warned him to conserve chakra and suggested destroying the blood pool.
• Kazuhiko used Fire Release to scorch the blood pool, but the Crimson Barrier remained intact.
• Kazuhiko reasoned that his Hypnotic Illusion had made the ritual succeed by subjecting the followers to extreme pain before their sacrifice.
• The headless Jashin followers taunted Kazuhiko, claiming Jashin had blessed them and that he would suffer when his chakra ran out.

Kazuhiko defeated the Jashin followers at the altar and gained the gold-ranked negative trait Jashin Immortality, which granted him true immortality at the cost of bloodlust and human sacrifices. With the Crimson Barrier gone, he and Kakashi gathered the bodies and left to report back to Yugakure and claim their bounty.

• Kazuhiko trapped the two Jashin followers in a brutal genjutsu, then slit their throats while the Crimson Barrier allowed them to die.
• Kazuhiko earned four Jonin trait draw chances, and the fading barrier poured its energy into him as the negative gold trait Jashin Immortality.
• Kakashi checked that Kazuhiko was unharmed, then gathered the Jashin followers' bodies as evidence for the bounty.
• Kazuhiko closed the eyes of a young girl killed in the ritual and joined Kakashi in preparing to report the purge to Yugakure.

Kazuhiko argued with Yugakure over the Jashin cultists’ bounty, then discovered new trait-draw options and equipped the gold Jashin Immortality trait. As Jashin began speaking to him, Kazuhiko realized the god had noticed him.

• Kazuhiko tried to prove that five Jashin followers were Chunin-level, but Yugakure refused to pay more without official certification.
• Kazuhiko collected the bounty and returned to the inn with Kakashi, who quickly fell asleep while Kazuhiko relaxed in the hot spring.
• Kazuhiko inspected Deep Blue and found new God-Level and Six Paths trait-draw categories among its options.
• Kazuhiko equipped the gold Jashin Immortality trait and felt strange knowledge and blood-red runes appear throughout his mind and body.
• Kazuhiko sensed Jashin watching him, and Jashin urged him to kill those around him and seek suffering.

Kazuhiko began a Jashin ritual to gain power, but Deep Blue replaced his Jashin Immortality trait and restored his sanity before he could attack Kakashi. He returned to the hot spring, drew traits from Jashin followers, and ended with a Chunin ten-pull that included several sealing and blood-related traits.

• Kazuhiko cut his wrist and started a Jashin sacrifice ritual, deciding Kakashi would make a suitable offering.
• Remembering Deep Blue, Kazuhiko replaced Jashin Immortality and recognized the ritual's doctrines as insanity.
• Kazuhiko washed away the blood, returned to the hot spring, and resolved to focus on completing his mission and drawing Bloodthirsty traits.
• Kazuhiko used his Genin draws and selected Pain Desensitization, Confusion, and Inscription Technique from the results.
• After exhausting his remaining Genin draws, Kazuhiko made a Chunin ten-pull and received traits including Blood Curse Seal, Fanatic Bloodlust, Binding Sealing Technique, and Blood Sacrifice.

Kazuhiko tried to give Tsunade the Fanatic Bloodlust trait to help with her hemophobia, but she became furious when she caught him using his Sharingan to cheat at cards. He assigned her the trait during their struggle, leaving the treatment’s effect unconfirmed.

• Kazuhiko selected several traits, including Fanatic Bloodlust, and decided to save Blood Sacrifice for later.
• Kazuhiko, Kakashi, and Shizune found Tsunade gambling in a casino, where she blamed them for her losses and refused to discuss their mission.
• Kazuhiko sat beside Tsunade and used his Sharingan during a card game to provoke physical contact.
• Tsunade caught Kazuhiko cheating, threatened him, and unlocked an independent trait pool and a Kage Level trait draw opportunity for him.
• Kazuhiko grabbed Tsunade’s hand and assigned her Fanatic Bloodlust.

Kazuhiko won a gambling match against Tsunade and discovered that his Fanatic Bloodlust trait suppressed her hemophobia. Tsunade and Shizune realized she could face blood again, leaving Shizune hopeful that they could return to Konoha.

• Tsunade accused Kazuhiko of cheating, but he kept calling her bets without looking at his hole card.
• Kazuhiko raised the stakes until the other gamblers folded, then beat Tsunade and took her remaining money.
• Outside the casino, Kazuhiko deliberately exposed blood on his wrist, but Tsunade showed no fear and touched it.
• Tsunade realized her hemophobia had vanished, while Shizune remembered Kazuhiko's promise to cure her and take them home.
• Shizune's favorability toward Kazuhiko rose to Best Friend, and he received another Jonin trait draw opportunity.

Uchiha Kazuhiko temporarily suppressed Tsunade’s hemophobia and used the sacrifice he claimed to have made to ask her to return to Konoha. Tsunade understood that he wanted her to improve relations between the village and the Uchiha Clan, but the chapter ended before she answered.

• Kazuhiko claimed his Sharingan ocular technique could suppress Tsunade’s fear of blood, then deliberately withdrew the effect to demonstrate it.
• Tsunade’s hemophobia returned, so Kazuhiko restored the suppression and gained her gratitude and favor.
• Kazuhiko suggested that Tsunade’s thanks should be repaid with action, then asked her to return to Konoha and clear the Uchiha Clan’s name over the Nine-Tails Incident.
• Kazuhiko explained that surveillance and repression had worsened the rift between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
• Tsunade recognized that Kazuhiko wanted her to improve the Uchiha Clan’s situation and mend its relationship with the village.

Kazuhiko persuaded Tsunade to help clear the Uchiha Clan’s name and teach him Taijutsu and Medical Ninjutsu, and they agreed to return to Konoha. The chapter ended with Kazuhiko asking to hold Tsunade’s treasured necklace, prompting her to tense and threaten him.

• Tsunade agreed to help clear the Uchiha Clan’s name by restarting the investigation into the Nine-Tails Incident.
• Kazuhiko asked Tsunade to end Konoha’s suppression of the Uchiha and disband Danzo’s Root organization, but she said she lacked the authority to do so.
• Kazuhiko asked Tsunade to teach him Taijutsu and Medical Ninjutsu, and she agreed to train him as her student.
• Tsunade and Kazuhiko prepared to set off for Konoha.
• Kazuhiko asked to hold Tsunade’s necklace, and Tsunade tensed, ready to attack unless he gave her a good reason.

Kazuhiko persuaded Tsunade to let him keep Hashirama's Necklace while he treated her hemophobia, raising her favorability and earning a Kage-level keyword draw chance. The Third Hokage learned Tsunade was returning to Konoha, while Danzo feared her return would ruin his chance to become Hokage.

• Kazuhiko claimed Hashirama's Necklace would hinder Tsunade's treatment and convinced her to entrust it to him.
• Tsunade gave Hashirama's Necklace to Kazuhiko, and his favorability with her rose to Friendly.
• The Third Hokage received an Anbu report that Kazuhiko had suppressed Tsunade's hemophobia and that she and Shizune were returning to Konoha.
• The Third Hokage approved of Kazuhiko's treatment and welcomed the prospect of Tsunade returning.
• Danzo heard that Tsunade was coming back and blamed Sarutobi Hiruzen for threatening his dream of becoming Hokage.

Shimura Danzō plotted to eliminate Tsunade before she could threaten his bid for the Hokage Position. During the Anbu practical test, Uchiha Shota defeated Hyuga Yizu by exploiting the Byakugan’s blind spot.

• Danzō brooded over losing the Hokage Position to Sarutobi Hiruzen and ordered a Root ninja to take out Tsunade.
• Shota faced Hyuga Yizu in the Anbu practical test, and the two began fighting with Taijutsu.
• Yizu used his Byakugan and Gentle Fist techniques to pressure Shota, while Shota used his Sharingan to read Yizu’s movements.
• Shota baited Yizu into a decisive palm strike, then countered with a Shuriken Manipulation Technique aimed at Yizu’s blind spot.
• Yizu admitted defeat.

Kurenai Yuhi told Mitaraishi Anko how Uchiha Kazuhiko had pursued and kissed her, while admitting she had fallen for him. Back at camp, Kazuhiko saw their favorability rise and turned his attention to Shizune.

• Kurenai Yuhi welcomed Mitaraishi Anko to her home for dinner and sake.
• Anko pressed Kurenai about Kazuhiko, and Kurenai admitted she liked him and had asked Sarutobi Asuma to stop sending personal letters.
• Kurenai recounted Kazuhiko's confession and forced kiss, and Anko declared that Kurenai had fallen in love.
• Kazuhiko received favorability increases for Kurenai and Anko while keeping watch outside the camp.
• Shizune offered to take over Kazuhiko's watch, and he walked toward her instead of going to rest.

Kazuhiko comforted Shizune after helping Tsunade, then kissed her in a moonlit grove. Shizune’s affection for him deepened, though it had not yet reached the Bond level, and Kazuhiko considered how many more draws he needed to become stronger.

• Kazuhiko took Shizune into a small grove and told her that treating Tsunade’s Hemophobia had exhausted his Sharingan power.
• Shizune worried that using too much of his Sharingan could make Kazuhiko go blind, and asked him not to overexert himself for her sake.
• Kazuhiko held Shizune’s hands and kissed her; she closed her eyes and fell into his arms.
• Shizune reluctantly sent Kazuhiko back to camp when Kakashi was about to return, and Kazuhiko received Maiden’s First Kiss +1.
• Back in his tent, Kazuhiko thought about Shizune’s affection and how many more draws he needed for the Jonin and Kage-level ten-pulls.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō agreed to appoint Tsunade commander-in-chief after Hiruzen revealed that Uchiha Kazuhiko had temporarily suppressed her Hemophobia. Meanwhile, Kazuhiko trained with Tsunade and reflected on his progress and the rewards from the [Deep Blue] system.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura that Tsunade would return, then announced his plan to appoint her commander-in-chief against Kumogakure.
• Shimura Danzō entered the meeting and supported appointing Tsunade, and Hiruzen revealed that Uchiha Kazuhiko had suppressed her Hemophobia and proved the Uchiha's loyalty.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura changed their minds and endorsed Tsunade's appointment after learning she was well enough to lead.
• Kazuhiko lost focus while training under a waterfall and was swept into the pool, prompting Tsunade to end their morning session.
• Kazuhiko reviewed his progress with Strength of a Hundred, admired his improved physique, and considered how the system's favorability notifications affected his rewards.

Tenzo and other Root shinobi prepared a forest ambush on Danzo’s orders, targeting Tsunade, Kakashi, and Kazuhiko. The attack split the group apart, and Tsunade was left alone in the clearing as she called her attackers out.

• Tenzo used Wood Release to create a dense forest for Root’s ambush, while questioning Danzo’s order to assassinate fellow Konoha shinobi and capture Kazuhiko.
• Kakashi sensed danger as the team traveled through the forest, and Kazuhiko persuaded Tsunade to stop and make camp.
• Root shinobi launched a barrage of weapons, forcing Kazuhiko and Kakashi to fight while Shizune defended herself with a chakra barrier.
• Kazuhiko pursued an attacker who had targeted Shizune, while Kakashi and Shizune were pinned down by coordinated enemies.
• Tsunade unleashed her chakra, smashed a towering tree with one punch, and challenged the hidden attackers to face her.

Tenzo and Root ninja ambushed Tsunade, but her hemophobia no longer weakened her, and Kazuhiko rescued her with a Storm Release-boosted Body Flicker. The Root ninja tried to retreat after their assassination attempt failed, while Tsunade demanded to know how Tenzo could use Wood Release.

• Tenzo and Root ninja triggered Tsunade’s hemophobia with animal blood, then attacked her with Wood Release and a combined Fire and Wind technique.
• Shizune struggled to reach Tsunade, while Kakashi broke free from his opponent and rushed to help her.
• Kazuhiko activated his Storm Release trait, smashed through the Four-Pillar Prison, and carried Tsunade out of the flames at extraordinary speed.
• Tsunade questioned the black-clad ninja about his identity and his Wood Release, while the Root ninja recognized the mission had failed and tried to withdraw.
• Kazuhiko stopped the Root ninja from escaping.

Kazuhiko pursued the Root ninja and defeated their leader, then spared Tenzo and urged him to consider whether Root truly protected Konoha. Tenzo returned to the darkness, still intending to report to Root, while Kazuhiko’s actions left the future Yamato alive.

• Tsunade, Kakashi, and Shizune pursued the Root ninja as Kazuhiko used Phantom Body Flicker and Storm Release to overtake them.
• Kazuhiko blocked the Root ninja’s escape with fire and shuriken, but Tenzo and the others used Wood Release and combined Wind and Fire techniques to scatter the pursuers.
• Kazuhiko used Shadow Clones to chase the fleeing Root ninja, killed Suzuki and Kurokawa, and unlocked their independent trait pools.
• Kazuhiko recognized Tenzo but spared him, telling him that Konoha ninja were comrades and questioning whether Danzo’s Root protected Konoha by ordering their assassination.
• Tenzo reflected on Kazuhiko’s words, then disappeared into the darkness to return to Root and report to Danzo.

After learning that Danzo and Root were behind the attempt on Tsunade’s life, Kazuhiko fueled her anger and encouraged her to seek justice. He then used ten Jonin draws and obtained the gold trait Kamui, though he questioned whether his Two-Tomoe Sharingan could use it.

• Kazuhiko hinted that Root’s Wood Release ninja had attacked Tsunade, and Kakashi confirmed that Root had such a ninja.
• Tsunade realized the assassin came from Konoha and vowed to settle the score with Danzo.
• Kazuhiko accused Danzo of targeting the Uchiha and urged Tsunade to make the Third Hokage hold him accountable.
• Kazuhiko’s gains included increased favorability from Tsunade and Kakashi, a Bond with Shizune, and another Jonin Trait Draw chance.
• Kazuhiko performed ten Jonin draws and received the gold trait Dojutsu: Kamui, then wondered how he could use it with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

Kazuhiko equipped Kamui, awakened its power in his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and explored his own Kamui Dimension. After testing its costs and abilities, he considered his growing combat options and weighed future draws for Fugaku’s Mangekyo dojutsu or Tsunade’s Senju bloodline.

• Kazuhiko equipped Kamui and felt its power strengthen his Sharingan as he activated the dojutsu inside his tent.
• Kazuhiko opened a passage into his own desolate Kamui Dimension, then returned to the tent and assessed the chakra and ocular power required to use it.
• Kazuhiko concluded that Kamui and Phantom Body Flicker made him exceptionally difficult to kill, and he boasted that he could face Hashirama.
• Kazuhiko noticed the Konoha: White Fang Blade Technique and considered it an efficient close-combat option that would conserve chakra.
• Kazuhiko wondered whether to use a Kage-level Ten-pull to seek Fugaku’s Mangekyo dojutsu or draw the Senju bloodline from Tsunade.

Danzo’s failed assassination attempt on Tsunade exposed Tenzo’s Wood Release and Kazuhiko’s abilities, while the Third Hokage arranged Tsunade’s return to Konoha. Tsunade arrived to a massive welcome, with Kazuhiko noticing that the ceremony seemed larger than a greeting for a returning student.

• Root shinobi reported the failed mission to Danzo, who blamed Kazuhiko for curing Tsunade and learning the Strength of a Hundred, Phantom Body Flicker, and an unknown Kekkei Genkai.
• Tenzo questioned Danzo about Root’s mission to kill fellow Konoha shinobi, and Danzo insisted that Root members’ only comrades were other Root members.
• The Third Hokage deduced that Danzo had ordered Tsunade’s assassination to protect his ambition to become Hokage, then ordered an escort and a welcoming ceremony for her.
• Tsunade returned to Konoha the next day and was greeted by villagers, shinobi, clan heads, and the Medical Corps.
• Kazuhiko followed Tsunade to the Hokage Building and wondered why the welcome seemed more elaborate than one for a returning student.

Tsunade returned to Konoha, where Sarutobi Hiruzen welcomed her and named her a Hokage candidate. She agreed to stay while Kazuhiko treated her Hemophobia, leaving Kazuhiko to suspect that Hiruzen and Danzō had already settled the matter between them.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen thanked Kazuhiko for helping bring Tsunade back, and Kazuhiko received a Kage-level keyword draw chance.
• Tsunade reunited with Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura, and said she would stay in Konoha as long as her treatment could continue.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen offered Kazuhiko advance mission rewards and asked him to keep treating Tsunade and report her progress.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen announced that Tsunade would be a Hokage candidate and would serve as acting Hokage if he died before an election.
• Tsunade hesitated but did not object, while Shimura Danzō remained silent, leading Kazuhiko to suspect Hiruzen had already reached an understanding with him.

After Tsunade returned to Konoha as a Hokage candidate, Kazuhiko and Kakashi encountered villagers who criticized her and blamed the Uchiha. Kakashi led Kazuhiko away from the brewing confrontation, where Guy challenged him to a fight.

• Konoha villagers celebrated Tsunade's return, while others denounced her candidacy and accused the Uchiha of causing trouble.
• Kazuhiko grew angry at the villagers' insults, and Kakashi covered his Sharingan to avoid drawing their attention.
• Guy appeared and challenged Kakashi, giving Kakashi an excuse to leave Kazuhiko behind, but Guy blocked his way.
• When the villagers moved to confront Kazuhiko, Kakashi took him to a rooftop, and Guy followed them.
• Guy lamented that the Hokage had refused to let him join Anbu, then resumed challenging Kakashi while Kazuhiko doubted Guy's suitability for Anbu.