Chapter Summaries

Taiichi and Minato learned from Kakashi that Obito had apparently defeated the Rock Ninja before disappearing, while Rin survived but remained in critical condition. Suspecting a hidden force had interfered with the mission and destroyed the Flying Thunder God Kunai, they brought their concerns to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Taiichi received permission to investigate the scene.

• Taiichi told Minato that Kakashi and Rin were out of danger, though Rin would take at least a day to wake, and Minato worried aloud that he had failed as their guiding Jonin.
• Kakashi woke, learned Rin was alive, and told Taiichi and Minato that Obito had killed the Rock Ninja before vanishing.
• Taiichi and Minato noticed that the team’s actions and damaged Ninja Tool Pouch were suspicious, and Minato confirmed he could no longer sense the Flying Thunder God Kunai.
• Minato reported Kakashi’s account and their suspicions to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who agreed that a hidden force might have interfered.
• Taiichi volunteered to investigate the scene, and Hiruzen Sarutobi granted permission.

Obito woke in Madara Uchiha’s secret base and, shattered by Rin’s death, was drawn toward Madara’s promise of an eternal dream. Meanwhile, Taiichi tracked the signs of Obito’s abduction to where the trail vanished, leaving him unable to locate Madara’s hideout or reach Obito before he might become an enemy.

• Obito woke in Madara Uchiha’s cave, remembered Rin’s death, and violently reopened his wounds in grief.
• Madara told Obito the world was built on suffering and tempted him with a perfect dream in which Rin would never leave him.
• Obito collapsed after Madara’s words overwhelmed him, and Madara ordered the White Zetsu to watch and treat him.
• Taiichi reached the destroyed Kannabi Bridge and used Sage Art: Chakra Perception to follow traces of Obito’s flight and the pursuers’ interference.
• Taiichi found his Flying Thunder God Kunai tangled in branches, but Obito’s trail disappeared where he had fallen, leaving Taiichi unable to find Madara’s cave.

Taiichi and Hiruzen planned to use Rin’s survival to draw out the enemy targeting Obito’s Mangekyō Sharingan, while Taiichi prepared his Flying Thunder God technique for the trap. Madara ordered Black Zetsu to kill Rin, and an impostor nurse entered her guarded ward.

• Taiichi told Hiruzen that Obito had likely awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and that a hidden enemy had taken him.
• Taiichi proposed using Rin’s survival to lure the enemy into an assassination attempt, and Hiruzen assigned two Anbu squads to guard her.
• Taiichi brought Kakashi to see Rin and explained that her will to die was keeping her body near collapse.
• Taiichi raised Flying Thunder God to its maximum level and gained the ability to leave talismans casually.
• Black Zetsu told Madara that Rin was alive, and Madara ordered him to kill her personally.
• A disguised nurse passed the Anbu’s checks and entered Rin’s ward.

Taiichi stopped Black Zetsu from assassinating Rin at Konoha Hospital, but Black Zetsu escaped after revealing his Wood Style. Taiichi pursued him with Chakra Perception and Lightning Style, then lost his trail near the Land of Fire border, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Advisors considered what the enemy's abilities meant.

• Taiichi caught Black Zetsu disguised as a nurse when he tried to stab the fake Rin, then fought him as Anbu squads surrounded the room.
• Black Zetsu used Wood Style: Cutting Technique, killing an Anbu and creating an opening to escape through the window.
• Taiichi tracked Black Zetsu underground with Chakra Perception and chased him by air, using Lightning Style attacks to disrupt the Mayfly Technique.
• Black Zetsu escaped Taiichi near the Land of Fire border and headed for his base in the Land of Earth to inform Madara that the mission had failed.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura about the third party behind the Kannabi Bridge incident, and they discussed the enemy's Wood Style and the Mangekyo Sharingan.

Black Zetsu returned to Madara Uchiha with a Flying Thunder God Mark that Taichi Matsushita had placed on him, exposing the secret base. Taichi arrived and fought Madara after rejecting his offer to join him, and the battle escalated when Madara summoned his third-stage Susanoo.

• Black Zetsu reported that Taichi Matsushita had thwarted his mission to kill Rin, and Madara discovered a Flying Thunder God Mark on his body.
• Madara ordered Black Zetsu to evacuate Obito and the important items to a backup base while he stayed behind to face Taichi.
• Taiichi appeared in the cavern, killed White Zetsu, and confronted Madara, who revealed his identity and offered him a place in his plan for a perfect world.
• Taiichi rejected Madara's offer and demanded to know where Obito Uchiha was, so Madara declared them enemies and attacked.
• Madara and Taiichi exchanged Taijutsu and ninjutsu without either gaining the advantage.
• Madara activated Susanoo and formed its third-stage armored warrior.

Taiichi fought Madara Uchiha in the Land of Earth, forcing him to retreat before returning to Konoha with a White Zetsu corpse and news of Madara’s survival. He reported the encounter to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the advisors, who realized the threat Madara posed to Konoha.

• Madara collapsed the underground cavern and battled Taiichi with Susanoo, while Taiichi answered with powerful ninjutsu and Sage Art.
• Madara unleashed his Fourth Stage Susanoo, but Taiichi met its attack with two Sage Art: Wind Style: Rasenshuriken, leaving Madara weakened and his Susanoo damaged.
• Madara used a Wood Human Clone to cover his escape through the earth, and Taiichi destroyed the clone before hiding the battle’s traces and recovering a White Zetsu corpse.
• Taiichi returned to Konoha, reassured Itachi, Jiangtai, and Yami, then went to the Hokage's Office to report his mission.
• Taiichi showed Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura the White Zetsu corpse and revealed that he had encountered Madara Uchiha.

Taiichi reported his battle with Madara Uchiha to Konoha’s leaders, who agreed to limited surveillance of the Uchiha and an investigation of the battlefield. He then pushed Kakashi to recover and help Rin, while Black Zetsu waited anxiously for Madara to return to their hideout.

• Taiichi told Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Advisors that Madara Uchiha was alive, had restored his youth at the cost of his remaining lifespan, and had escaped after using Susanoo and Wood Style.
• Taiichi opposed putting the entire Uchiha Clan under surveillance, and Hiruzen ordered an Anbu team to watch them while Mitokado Homura sent Root to inspect the battlefield.
• Taiichi delivered the White Zetsu corpse to the Intelligence Department and visited Rin, where he told Kakashi that Obito remained in enemy hands and urged him to recover before joining the search.
• Kakashi began rehabilitation exercises and told stories to Rin, while Taiichi listened outside and left after hearing him regain his resolve.
• Black Zetsu kept watch over the injured Obito in the Land of Earth and hurried to greet Madara when he returned, but was shocked by the figure he saw.

Madara used his remaining strength to overwrite Obito’s mind after Obito chose to return to Konoha, then died after giving Black Zetsu his final instructions. Obito awoke as “Uchiha Madara,” while Stone Village’s supply crisis worsened until Kitsuchi arrived at Higashishinin’s command tent.

• Madara showed Obito that Rin was alive, but Obito rejected Madara’s plan and declared that he wanted to return to Konoha.
• Madara overwhelmed Obito’s Mangekyo in their mental battle and implanted the belief that Infinite Tsukuyomi was the only salvation.
• Madara ordered Black Zetsu to guide Obito, remove one of his eyes, and advance plans involving Nagato, then died from his injuries and overexertion.
• Black Zetsu sealed Madara’s corpse, and Obito awoke the next day, renounced his former identity, and called himself Uchiha Madara.
• Stone Village’s frontline ran critically short of food, weapons, and medical supplies as Konoha’s western forces counterattacked under Minato.
• Higashishinin faced calls to withdraw when Kitsuchi arrived at the command tent as an envoy from the village.

Stone Village accepted peace negotiations with Konoha after Kannabi Bridge's destruction left its forces short of supplies, allowing Konoha to redirect troops toward the northern front. As the Third Raikage realized Stone Village might encircle his forces, he ordered an attack to break through before the trap closed.

• Kitsuchi delivered Stone Village's ceasefire order, and he persuaded the angry commanders that Ōnoki had chosen negotiations to protect the village and its people.
• Higashishinin ordered Stone Village units to shrink their defensive line and request peace negotiations from Konoha.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed the chance to end the western fighting, ordered Konoha to draft peace terms, and prepared to focus on the threat of Madara Uchiha.
• Minato Namikaze watched Stone Village troops withdraw from the Land of Grass as both sides began peace negotiations and reduced their attacks.
• Konoha redirected forces to the northern front, where Orochimaru advanced against Cloud Village into the Land of Moon.
• After Karui warned that Stone Village could encircle Cloud Village's forces, the Third Raikage refused to retreat and ordered his elite units to smash through the Stone Village troops ahead.

Taiichi searched the Land of Earth for signs of Madara Uchiha while working as the feared bounty ninja Ryunosuke at the Exchange Shop. He delivered another corpse and demanded his payment, leaving the other bounty hunters wary of him.

• Taiichi found no trace of Madara Uchiha or his forces and continued investigating in the Land of Earth under the name Ryunosuke.
• Taiichi entered the Exchange Shop through a hidden passage behind a public toilet, carrying a corpse and frightening the people inside.
• Taiichi recalled how he had established Ryunosuke's reputation by killing a Mist Village Rogue Ninja who tried to steal his bounty.
• Taiichi delivered the current corpse at the counter, gave its serial number, and demanded his bounty.

Taichi Matsushita, disguised as the bounty hunter Ryunosuke, joined Iwagakure’s war against Cloud Village to exploit the conflict and reach the main battlefield. After arriving with a squad near Cloud Village’s camp, he used a Shadow Clone to conceal that his real body had slipped away toward the battlefield.

• Ryunosuke collected a bounty at the Black Market Exchange and learned that Iwagakure was recruiting bounty hunters to fight Cloud Village.
• Ryunosuke accepted the war mission and traveled to Iwagakure’s camp, where Kitsuchi promised large rewards and threatened anyone who disobeyed orders or deserted.
• Kitsuchi led the bounty hunters toward a battlefield where four Tailed Beasts and the Third Raikage, A, were fighting.
• Iwagakure dispersed the bounty hunters into squads for flanking and sabotage, assigning Ryunosuke’s squad to operate near Cloud Village’s main camp.
• Ryunosuke’s Shadow Clone defeated a Cloud Village squad while the real Taichi used Earth Style to reach the main battlefield unnoticed.

Taiichi watched Stone Village lure the Third Raikage and Cloud Village’s elite into a canyon ambush, then secretly sabotaged both sides as the battle turned desperate. As the Raikage held back Stone Village’s forces and Taiichi’s Shadow Clone sabotaged Cloud Village’s escape, Taiichi disrupted the chakra core of Stone Village’s Combined Ninjutsu.

• The Third Raikage broke through Stone Village’s defenses, and the routed Rock Ninja retreated with Cloud Village in pursuit.
• Stone Village trapped the pursuing Cloud Village forces in a canyon, where Ōnoki offered surrender and the Third Raikage ordered his elites to escape while he held off the attackers.
• Taiichi’s Shadow Clone led fleeing Cloud Ninja toward a cliff passage, collapsed it, and repeatedly hindered their escape as Stone Village closed in.
• Ōnoki ordered hundreds of Rock Ninja to use Combined Ninjutsu: Earth Style: Earth Flow River against the Third Raikage.
• Taiichi found the Combined Ninjutsu’s chakra node and disrupted its flow, causing the earthen wave to stall and destabilize.

The Third Raikage died after fighting Iwagakure for three days and nights, while Taiichi’s covert interference helped weaken the Rock Ninja’s combined jutsu. As news of the Raikage’s death spread, A remained pinned down by Orochimaru on Konoha’s front as a messenger raced toward them.

• Taiichi’s interference weakened Iwagakure’s combined jutsu, allowing the Third Raikage to break through its earth-and-stone wave and fight the Rock Ninja for three days and nights.
• The Third Raikage exhausted his chakra and strength and died, while Iwagakure suffered far heavier casualties than planned.
• Taiichi, posing as Ryunosuke, demanded payment for a sack of Cloud Ninja headbands, and Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to pay his enormous bounty to protect the village’s reputation.
• Taiichi left with the bounty, and Iwagakure publicized the Third Raikage’s death across the Ninja World.
• Orochimaru intensified Konoha’s attacks on the Cloud front and kept A occupied, preventing him from returning to the village after his father’s death.
• A messenger ninja raced toward the front lines as A remained caught in the standoff with Orochimaru.

After Konoha and the Cloud Village signed a ceasefire, Taiichi told Orochimaru that Madara Uchiha had died and that artificial life-forms could use Wood Style. Obito, posing as Madara, set out with Black Zetsu to recruit Nagato, but his arrival in Amegakure was met with Konan’s paper defense and Pain’s Shinra Tensei.

• Konoha and the Cloud Village signed a ceasefire agreement, and A returned to Kumogakure to prepare to become the Fourth Raikage.
• Taiichi told Orochimaru that Madara Uchiha had died and that an artificial life-form could use Wood Style, prompting Orochimaru to eagerly await examining its body.
• Obito trained with Black Zetsu, mastered Intangibility and improved his Wood Style, then decided to meet Nagato and advance their plan.
• Black Zetsu reported that Nagato had killed Hanzo of the Salamander and become the leader of Amegakure, while Nagato continued pursuing peace through pain and power.
• Obito appeared before Pain and Konan, challenged Nagato’s ability to rule the Ninja World, and passed unharmed through Konan’s paper shuriken.
• Pain raised his hand and used Shinra Tensei against Obito.

Obito approached Pain and Konan in Amegakure, offered cooperation, and explained his plan to use the Rinnegan and Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to gather the Tailed Beasts. Pain agreed to work with him for now, while Obito and Black Zetsu plotted to claim the Ten-Tails and Rinnegan for themselves and found that the Ninja World offered few opportunities to capture Tailed Beasts.

• Pain stopped Konan from attacking Obito and questioned his claim to be Madara Uchiha.
• Obito described the Sage of Six Paths’ descendants, the Rinnegan, and his plan to gather the Tailed Beasts and cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
• Pain agreed to cooperate with Obito, who explained that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path could alleviate Nagato’s physical weakness.
• Konan questioned the alliance, but Pain said he wanted the ultimate weapon so the world could understand pain, not to create Obito’s false peace.
• Obito met Black Zetsu outside Amegakure and admitted that Pain only partly believed him and wanted the Ten-Tails for his own purpose.
• Black Zetsu reported that fighting had mostly subsided, leaving Obito frustrated that he had missed the best chance to capture Tailed Beasts.

After the war, Hiruzen Sarutobi announced that he would step down as Hokage, and Minato Namikaze emerged as the expected successor. Back at Konoha's research base, Taiichi Matsushita questioned Orochimaru about whether he had abandoned his own bid for the position.

• Mitokado Homura warned Hiruzen Sarutobi that villagers blamed him for the war's losses, and Hiruzen said he would step down and accept responsibility.
• News spread that Konoha was preparing to choose the Fourth Hokage, with Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Minato Namikaze discussed as candidates while Taiichi Matsushita was considered too young.
• At the Eastern Battlefield, Jiraiya told Tsunade that he no longer planned to pursue the Hokage position and urged Minato to do his best in the final battle.
• Orochimaru dissected the White Zetsu corpse with Taiichi and speculated that it had been mass-produced through a secret technique.
• Taiichi asked Orochimaru whether he had stopped competing for Hokage after finding him absorbed in research.

Taiichi welcomed Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune back to Konoha after they left the Eastern Front in Minato Namikaze’s hands. Tsunade reunited with Hiruzen Sarutobi at the Hokage’s Office, where she reported that the front was stable.

• Orochimaru told Taiichi he no longer wanted the Hokage position and preferred to focus on research.
• Taiichi waited at Konoha Gate and greeted Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune as they arrived from the Eastern Front.
• Tsunade agreed to stay at Taiichi’s home temporarily, while Jiraiya was turned away.
• The returning Sannin drew an excited crowd, so Taiichi led Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune through the village to the Hokage’s Office.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed Tsunade back, and she reported that Minato Namikaze had taken over the Eastern Front and that the situation was stable.

Tsunade returned to Konoha, accepted the role of Konoha Hospital director, and came home to find Taiichi had prepared a place for her. She questioned his decision to take Uchiha Itachi as a disciple, then began the hospital handover and faced the work of training Medical Ninjas.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi appointed Tsunade director of Konoha Hospital and reassigned Taiichi from Anbu to work under her.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi made Jiraiya agree to stay in Konoha as an advisor to Minato, who was about to become the Fourth Hokage.
• Taiichi brought Tsunade home, where Mizuki and the Mist Village Medical Ninjas welcomed her; Jiraiya stayed the night as a guest.
• Tsunade met Yami, Jiangtai, and Uchiha Itachi, then questioned Taiichi about taking Itachi as his disciple; Taiichi said he wanted the boy to see Konoha as a whole.
• Tsunade and the others shared a welcome banquet at Yeqi Restaurant, and Tsunade later worked through the hospital handover documents with Taiichi.
• Taiichi asked Tsunade how she planned to train Medical Ninjas, and Tsunade realized she had not yet made a plan.

Taiichi helped Tsunade secure approval from Hiruzen Sarutobi to create Medical Ninja courses at the Ninja Academy, then persuaded her to teach them. The story shifted to Rōran, where Queen Seraam questioned Anrokuzan about the disappearance of dozens of men, unaware of his sinister reaction.

• Tsunade ordered Taiichi to gather proposals for training more Medical Ninjas, and he compiled the hospital staff's suggestions.
• Tsunade and Taiichi brought the plan to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who approved specialized Medical Ninja courses at the Ninja Academy.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi assigned Tsunade responsibility for teachers and teaching materials, and Tsunade pushed the work onto Taiichi.
• Taiichi persuaded Tsunade to teach the small graduating class herself, and they returned toward the hospital together.
• Queen Seraam asked Anrokuzan about dozens of missing men, and he promised to uncover the truth within two days.
• Anrokuzan left the audience with Queen Seraam and dropped his courteous smile, revealing a chilling expression.

Taiichi was assigned a covert mission to investigate disappearances in Rōran and protect Queen Seraam, with the Dragon Vein at the center of the threat. He traveled with Kakashi and Rin into the Land of Wind, and the chapter ended as they approached Rōran and sensed unusual energy.

• Taiichi taught a medical ninjutsu class until an Anbu messenger summoned him to the Hokage's Office.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi briefed Taiichi on Queen Seraam's request for aid, the disappearances in Rōran, and the Dragon Vein, then approved Kakashi and Rin as his teammates.
• Taiichi recruited Kakashi and Rin, and the three set out for Rōran on a covert mission.
• The team crossed the Land of Wind, and Taiichi told Kakashi that he still had no news of Obito.
• At dusk on the sixth day, Taiichi, Kakashi, and Rin reached Rōran, sensed unusually active energy, and crept toward the city.