Chapter Summaries

Asuma visited Hatake Sakumo in the Land of Iron and watched him forge a katana, while Sakumo realized how much Asuma’s strength had grown. Their conversation ended with Sakumo looking toward Konoha.

• Hatake Sakumo forged a high-quality katana in his residence’s forge in the Land of Iron.
• Asuma revealed that he had been standing behind Hatake Sakumo for most of the afternoon, and Sakumo apologized for not noticing him.
• Hatake Sakumo sensed Asuma’s refined strength and said he was likely stronger than Kakashi had been a few years earlier.
• Asuma rejected his nickname, “Defiant Blade,” and complained about whoever had given it to him.
• Hatake Sakumo put the katana on its stand and looked toward Konoha.

Asuma visited Hatake Sakumo in the Land of Iron and revealed that he had vowed with Kurenai and Kakashi not to return to Konoha until he found Kou. He asked Sakumo for news, and Sakumo confirmed that he had recently learned something about Kou.

• Hatake Sakumo wondered how Kakashi was doing, and Asuma urged him to visit Konoha or write to his son.
• Hatake Sakumo encouraged Asuma to return to Konoha and see the Third Hokage and Kurenai, but Asuma reacted angrily to the Hokage’s name and blushed when Sakumo mentioned Kurenai waiting for him.
• Asuma told Hatake Sakumo that he, Kurenai, and Kakashi had vowed he would not return to Konoha until he found Kou and brought him back.
• Asuma explained that Sakumo had also stayed in the Land of Iron to search for news of Kou, then asked him whether he had heard anything.
• Hatake Sakumo confirmed that he had recently learned something about Kou.

Hatake Sakumo told Asuma that Sasori had revealed Kou was heading to the Land of Lightning and had lured Sakumo into a meeting by threatening a blacksmith. Sakumo explained that Sasori sought him because Sakumo had killed Sasori’s parents during the Second Ninja World War.

• Asuma asked Sakumo whether Kou had been found and where he was.
• Sakumo said reliable intelligence indicated Kou was headed to the Land of Lightning, based on information from Sasori of the Red Sands.
• Sakumo explained that Sasori had learned about his search for Kou through blacksmiths and had sent him a secret letter.
• Sasori threatened a blacksmith and used the claim that Kou would accompany him on a mission to the Land of Lightning to demand that Sakumo meet him at the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range.
• Sakumo revealed that Sasori’s parents had died at his hands during the Second Ninja World War.

Hatake Sakumo decided to go to the Land of Lightning to rescue the blacksmith Kou from Sasori of the Red Sands, despite Asuma warning that the information could be a trap. Asuma confronted Sakumo over hiding his plans from Kakashi and resolved to accompany him.

• Asuma warned Hatake Sakumo that the report about Kou might be a trap, but Sakumo insisted on going to rescue the blacksmith from Sasori of the Red Sands.
• Sakumo refused to involve Konoha, saying he had killed Sasori's parents and would face him himself, but would not let Sasori endanger innocent lives.
• Asuma realized Sakumo had told him in case he died, so he could explain what happened to Kakashi and dissuade him from seeking revenge.
• Asuma condemned Sakumo for making decisions that could hurt Kakashi and promised to tell Kakashi everything word for word.
• Asuma announced that he would accompany Hatake Sakumo to the Land of Lightning to help ensure Kou's and Sakumo's safety.

Asuma confronted Hatake Sakumo over his willingness to throw away his life, and Sakumo resolved to stop running from the past and live for himself and those who cared about him. He joined Asuma to travel to the Land of Lightning, where they planned to rescue a blacksmith and confront the threat to Kou.

• Asuma told Hatake Sakumo that throwing away his life was irresponsible toward himself and the people who cherished him.
• Hatake Sakumo remembered how Kou had once urged him to live for himself and his family, then vowed to stop running away.
• Hatake Sakumo took up his newly forged katana and resolved to rescue the blacksmith, settle old grudges, and help Kou.
• Asuma waited outside, determined to eliminate Sasori of the Red Sands because he had used Kou's whereabouts as bait and endangered him.
• Hatake Sakumo emerged ready to fight, apologized to Asuma for making him wait, and agreed to head to the Land of Lightning.

Uchiha Kou met Sasori in the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range for a mission to hunt Orochimaru, then clashed with the late-arriving Uchiha Itachi. Kou noticed Sasori had prepared traps for someone else, leaving the target of the ambush unrevealed.

• Sasori waited in the forest for Uchiha Kou, who arrived late and joked that he had stopped to eat along the way.
• Sasori grew angry at Kou’s teasing and considered killing him alongside the White Fang of Konoha and Orochimaru.
• Uchiha Itachi arrived, and Kou berated him for keeping his two seniors waiting before urging Sasori to join him in teaching Itachi a lesson.
• Itachi asked Sasori where Orochimaru was, but Kou pointed out the traps and puppets Sasori had placed around the forest.
• Kou asked Sasori who the traps were meant for, and Sasori turned toward him with a grave expression.

Scorpion attacked the forest with his puppets, but Sakumo and Asuma emerged from the trees after destroying them. Asuma recognized Kou, whom he had finally found after five years.

• Itachi spotted Scorpion's chakra threads and questioned his intentions while Kou and Itachi prepared to strike.
• Scorpion sent ten puppets to attack the forest, and Kou and Itachi coordinated to block his escape routes.
• Sakumo severed the puppets' chakra threads with a draw slash, and Asuma followed with a powerful triple wind-blade attack that cleared the forest.
• Sakumo and Asuma emerged from the wreckage and focused on Kou.
• Asuma recognized Kou and shouted that he had finally found him.

Kou reunited with Asuma and Hatake Sakumo while standing beside Sasori, who had lured them into a confrontation over the captive Yoshimura Masao. Itachi suspected Sasori was a Sand Village undercover agent using Akatsuki to eliminate rival villages’ elite ninja, and to frame the organization.

• Kou greeted Asuma and Hatake Sakumo, but Sakumo urged Asuma to set aside their reunion because Sasori and Itachi remained a threat.
• Hatake Sakumo demanded that Sasori release Yoshimura Masao, whom Sasori said would be freed only after Sakumo and Asuma were dead.
• Sasori mocked Sakumo for bringing Asuma as a helper and confirmed that Masao was being held safely.
• Itachi wondered why Sasori had leaked Akatsuki intelligence and concluded that Sasori might be a Sand Village agent framing Akatsuki for killing other villages’ elite ninja.

Kou, Itachi, Hatake Sakumo, and Asuma confronted Sasori after learning he had used a blacksmith and information about Kou to lure Sakumo into a fight. Sasori warned Kou and Itachi not to interfere, but Kou rejected the threat and declared he could kill Sasori whenever he chose.

• Itachi considered secretly teaming up with Hatake Sakumo and Asuma to eliminate Sasori, while watching to see whether Kou would help Konoha.
• Kou deduced that Sasori had used Yoshimura Masao and information about Kou to draw Hatake Sakumo into a confrontation for revenge.
• Kou realized Asuma had followed Sakumo after learning about the situation and worried that both men would complicate matters.
• Sasori claimed Hatake Sakumo and Asuma as his prey and warned Kou and Itachi that intervening could make Akatsuki’s leader suspect them of being Konoha spies.
• Kou told Sasori he was furious about the leaked information and threatened to kill him if he felt like it.

Kou left with Itachi to pursue his plan in the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range, while Hatake Sakumo and Asuma remained facing Scorpion. Asuma tried to stop Kou, then stunned everyone by revealing why Kou mattered so much to him.

• Scorpion urged Hatake Sakumo to prioritize the mission to find Orochimaru and offered to hold them off.
• Kou decided to continue toward the southeast with Itachi, where the tomb of Indra's previous reincarnation was hidden.
• Asuma called out to Kou, who told him he could no longer return to Konoha and secretly signaled Hatake Sakumo before vanishing.
• Itachi followed Kou, while Asuma tried to chase after him and Hatake Sakumo held him back.
• Asuma shouted that Kou was someone who could become his father, leaving Hatake Sakumo and Scorpion bewildered.

Kou rejected Itachi’s questions about Asuma and fell from a tree branch when Asuma shouted that Kou could become his father. Asuma vowed to bring Kou back to Konoha, while Hatake Sakumo revealed Kou had passed along intelligence about Scorpion’s weakness; Scorpion then summoned a puppet revealed to be the Third Kazekage.

• Kou told Itachi that their different positions meant there was nothing more to say about Asuma.
• Asuma shouted that Kou could become his father, startling Itachi and making Kou fall from a branch.
• Asuma insisted to Hatake Sakumo that he would find out why Kou left Konoha and bring him back.
• Hatake Sakumo told Asuma that Kou had given them intelligence related to Scorpion’s weakness.
• Scorpion summoned a puppet, and Hatake Sakumo recognized it as the Third Kazekage.

Asuma and Hatake Sakumo confronted Scorpion over his murder of the Third Kazekage and the lives lost when the Third Ninja World War began early. Scorpion attacked with iron sand, but Sakumo demonstrated that a true powerhouse did not need a sword.

• Asuma recognized the Third Kazekage puppet, and Sakumo explained how the Kazekage's disappearance had accelerated the Third Ninja World War.
• Scorpion argued that war would have come regardless and claimed that turning people into puppets preserved them as eternal art.
• Sakumo condemned Scorpion for bringing the war forward and sacrificing lives, then vowed to kill him.
• Scorpion unleashed Iron Sand Drizzle, and its magnetic field disrupted Asuma's chakra blades and rendered Sakumo's katana useless.
• Sakumo used chakra-coated pine branch to deflect the iron sand and returned unharmed, leaving Scorpion wary.
• Sakumo told Asuma that a true powerhouse did not need a sword.

Asuma faced Sasori’s enormous Iron Sand attack while Hatake Sakumo charged at Sasori, and Asuma revealed his confidence that he could handle the danger. As the cube rushed toward him, Asuma entered a focused stance and recalled Kou’s home in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

• Sasori recognized Hatake Sakumo’s precise chakra control, then formed a massive Iron Sand cube and launched it at Hatake Sakumo and Asuma.
• Asuma stepped in front of Hatake Sakumo and explained that Sasori’s weapons and Iron Sand were likely coated in deadly poison, insisting they needed to end the fight quickly.
• Hatake Sakumo entrusted the Iron Sand attack to Asuma and rushed toward Sasori.
• Sasori accelerated the Iron Sand cube toward Asuma and sent his remaining Iron Sand after Hatake Sakumo.
• Asuma withdrew his chakra, assumed a taijutsu stance, and saw a memory of Kou’s home in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Asuma used the technique he developed from Kou’s research to evade Scorpion’s Iron Sand and destroy his massive Iron Sand cube. He created an opening for Hatake Sakumo to attack the Third Kazekage puppet, leaving Scorpion’s defense too late.

• Asuma remembered Kou’s old praise and credited Kou’s guidance and notes for helping him complete his technique.
• Asuma used Wind Release: Ultimate Art: Calm to pass through Scorpion’s Iron Sand spikes without being touched.
• Asuma shattered the Iron Sand cube from within with Wind Release: Mountain-Shattering Strike.
• Asuma called out to Hatake Sakumo, who appeared beside Scorpion and thrust his chakra-wrapped pine branch toward the Third Kazekage puppet.
• Scorpion tried to retreat the puppet and gather Iron Sand into a defense, but Hatake Sakumo was already moving faster.

Hatake Sakumo crippled Scorpion's puppets and forced him to reveal his true body, a young-looking human transformed into a puppet. Scorpion unleashed his Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets against Hatake Sakumo and Asuma.

• Hatake Sakumo pierced the Third Kazekage puppet's iron-sand mouthpiece and cut Scarlet Amber in half, forcing Scorpion to escape from its shell.
• Asuma recognized Scorpion as a red-haired youth, and Hatake Sakumo identified the Regeneration Core in his left chest as his weakness.
• Scorpion revealed his puppet body and declared that he had transformed himself into an immortal work of art.
• Scorpion released hundreds of puppets from a scroll and sent them diving at Hatake Sakumo and Asuma.

Kou and Itachi watched Sasori unleash his puppet army against White Fang before encountering Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone in the forest. Orochimaru attacked with a swarm of snakes and fled, leaving Itachi startled and Kou amused.

• Kou and Itachi heard an explosion and saw Sasori deploy hundreds of puppets against White Fang.
• Itachi realized Sasori’s puppet army made him a battlefield-level threat and wondered whether Kou had anticipated his strength.
• Kou mocked Itachi for dawdling, then pretended to notice Orochimaru lurking nearby.
• Itachi said Orochimaru would not dare face him directly and began to say he had questions for him.
• Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone unleashed a swarm of snakes at Kou and Itachi, then escaped into the forest.
• Itachi watched the snakes swallow his words and showed rare embarrassment, while Kou smiled at his reaction.

Kou and Itachi burned through Orochimaru’s swarm of snakes, then resumed their pursuit after Kou rebuked Itachi for letting Orochimaru escape. They caught up with Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone, which Kou secretly urged to flee into a concealed cave, leaving Itachi stopped at its entrance.

• Itachi and Kou used simultaneous Great Fireball Techniques to incinerate the snakes surrounding them.
• Kou confronted Itachi over his failure to capture Orochimaru, and Itachi admitted his mistake and accepted that he deserved punishment.
• Kou told Itachi to continue pursuing Orochimaru, and the two raced through the forest after him.
• When Itachi began forming seals to attack Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone, Kou secretly ordered the clone to speed up and change direction.
• Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone entered a vine-hidden cave, and Itachi stopped at its dark entrance.

Kou persuaded Itachi to follow him into the cavern by provoking him and accusing him of underestimating Kou. As they entered, Kou revealed that he was leading Itachi toward the tomb of Itachi’s ancestor to dig it up.

• Itachi warned Kou that Orochimaru had likely lured them into the cavern, where darkness and unfamiliar terrain would give him an advantage.
• Kou argued that his sensory abilities could track Orochimaru and accused Itachi of judging the fight only by his own abilities.
• Kou told Itachi that he had excluded Kou from his calculations and treated him as inferior, then walked into the cavern.
• Itachi stood in silence before following Kou into the darkness.
• Kou privately celebrated that his taunts had worked and apologized to the Uchiha ancestor whose tomb he planned to raid.

Kou and Itachi pursued Orochimaru through a dark cavern, where Kou’s attack exposed a hidden tomb. Itachi recognized the Uchiha clan crest behind the coffin, revealing the chamber as the resting place Kou had sought.

• Kou and Itachi walked through the cavern while Kou confirmed Itachi did not know the tomb’s location and prepared to begin the next phase of his plan.
• Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone attacked Itachi with Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, and Itachi destroyed the snakes with flaming shuriken.
• Itachi considered using Amaterasu against Orochimaru but hesitated because doing so would reveal the technique to Kou, who belonged to Madara.
• Kou struck the fleeing Orochimaru with a fiery blade, dispelling the Shadow Clone and smashing through the concealed stone wall.
• Kou pointed out the newly exposed secret chamber, and Itachi recognized the Uchiha crest behind its ancient coffin.

Itachi and Kou discovered that the remote tomb belonged to Uchiha Itachi, the Warring States-era ancestor who inspired Itachi’s name. After Kou taunted Itachi over his past, Itachi realized Orochimaru had lured them there to find the Totsuka Blade.

• Itachi recognized the Uchiha crest in the cavern and followed Kou into the tomb, suspecting Orochimaru had led them there for a reason.
• Itachi examined the ancient inscriptions but found no trace of Orochimaru in the burial chamber.
• Kou read the coffin’s inscription identifying it as the tomb of Uchiha Itachi, the twelfth Uchiha clan head.
• Kou described the ancestor’s history and mocked Itachi over his role in his father Fugaku’s death, stirring painful memories in Itachi.
• Itachi concluded that Orochimaru’s target was the Totsuka Blade.