Chapter Summaries

After Kakuzu and Meichuan escaped, Kakuzu recognized the Akatsuki’s intelligence failures, while Shiro returned to Konoha and continued training his students. A month later, Shiro and the students were summoned to a mission briefing alongside two other teams, where Shiro sensed a major event was beginning.

• Kakuzu questioned Meichuan about his injuries and the Alpha Stigma, then continued toward a place where he could contact Nagato and the others.
• Shiro argued with Gray Snake about their delayed return, then flew back to Konoha and checked that his three students had stayed on track while thinking independently.
• Shiro took the three students back to the village and arranged a wild-beast hunting mission to train their teamwork.
• Over the next month, the three students improved through missions and qualified to take C-rank missions.
• Anbu summoned Shiro and his students to the Hokage’s office, where Mizuki and Hikari’s team and Xiaoyu’s team were already waiting.
• Shiro judged the assembled teams’ strength and suspected that a historic event was about to begin.

Shiro and the other captains received a mission from the Third Hokage to deal with a rebel force led by a supposed missing-nin, while helping their newly graduated students gain experience. As the teams set out, Shiro cryptically warned Shisui to keep his distance from Kurenai Yuhi.

• Shiro greeted Heiichi, Uchiha Tensei, Mizuki, Hikari, and Takeda in the Hokage's office.
• The Third Hokage assigned Shiro, Heiichi, and Tensei's squads to confront a rebel group led by a missing-nin who possessed valuable intelligence.
• Shiro read the mission scroll and learned the students would face bandits and several experienced chunin while the captains handled the leaders.
• Heiichi questioned whether the newly graduated students were ready for combat, but the Third Hokage said the unstable situation required them to grow quickly and trusted the captains to protect them.
• The teams left the village for the Flying Bird boarding point, and Shiro advised Shisui to avoid Kurenai Yuhi because a bearded man might become his enemy.

Shiro and his allies attacked a stronghold, where Shiro killed a missing-nin from long range and helped trap the bandits. He assigned the wandering ninjas to trainees for combat practice, then used an illusion to make the ordinary bandits strangle themselves.

• Shiro spotted a missing-nin patrolling near the stronghold and shot an arrow at him from roughly three thousand meters away.
• Shiro triggered the arrow's explosion, killing the missing-nin, and fired more arrows to block the fleeing bandits.
• Shiro assigned Shisui, Soji, and Ayue to pursue four wandering ninjas, while Tiancheng and Heiichi divided up other targets for their teams.
• Shiro told Mizuki, Hikari, and Takeda that he would handle the ordinary bandits himself.
• Shiro cast Snake Binding Illusion, causing the bandits to believe snakes were choking them and to strangle themselves.

Shiro’s team recovered a sealed scroll, then returned to find Xiaoyu’s group had already won their fight. Meanwhile, Ayue, Shisui, and Soji began using their planned teamwork against four wandering ninja.

• Shiro combined Suggestion Magecraft with genjutsu to create a strange version of Snake Terror that was difficult to break and unaffected by the Sharingan.
• Shiro’s team found and recovered a sealed scroll without opening it, then headed back to check on the younger fighters.
• Xiaoyu’s group had already defeated their opponents, while Ayue’s group caught up to four wandering ninja and prepared to fight according to their plan.
• Ayue used her Mystic Eyes to bind one enemy, and Shisui charged forward under Lightning Release as the others moved to intercept him.
• Soji followed Shisui and struck the approaching enemies with One-Sword Style: Iai - Crescent Moon.

Soji used his Triple Iai to create an opening for Shisui, who killed one of the wandering ninja immobilized by Ayue. Shisui then fought another attacker alone and used the Body Flicker Technique to kill him, while the remaining ninja charged toward his allies.

• Soji's Triple Iai briefly held back three wandering ninja, allowing Shisui to kill the ninja Ayue had immobilized.
• The three remaining wandering ninja abandoned a coordinated attack and charged separately at Shisui, Soji, and Ayue.
• Shisui met one attacker head-on, blocked his katana, and used the Clone Technique to confuse him.
• The wandering ninja misread Shisui's clones and struck behind himself when he sensed Shisui approaching.
• Shisui used the Body Flicker Technique to appear at the attacker's side and pierce his heart with a kodachi.

Ayue summoned Tuantuan to help her fight a wandering ninja, but she struggled to break their stalemate even after replenishing her magical energy. After Shisui and Soji finished their opponents, Shiro arrived and prepared to end Ayue’s fight while showing her how.

• Shisui and Soji defeated their opponents, while Ayue remained locked in a difficult battle with a wandering ninja.
• Ayue summoned Tuantuan, whose armor helped it hold off the ninja while she replenished her magical energy with Xiao Yu.
• Ayue used low-consumption magecraft to assist Tuantuan but could not turn the fight in her favor.
• Shisui and Soji offered to help, but Ayue refused because she wanted to defeat her opponent herself.
• Shiro arrived beside Ayue, told her the fight was over, and instructed Xiao Yu to enter Amplification Mode.

Shiro and his team returned to Konoha, where Sunagakure's declaration of war prompted a strategy meeting that assigned Orochimaru to lead the war effort. Orochimaru told the Third Hokage that he had chosen to pursue his own dream rather than become Hokage.

• Shiro demonstrated how Xiao Yu could enhance Tuantuan's speed and advised Tuantuan to find a suitable role in a team.
• Shiro and the others returned to Konoha, turned in their mission, and trained by reflecting on their recent battle.
• Sunagakure declared war on Konoha over the Third Kazekage's disappearance and alleged Konoha spies, prompting Konoha to organize its response.
• The Third Hokage's meeting chose Orochimaru to lead the war against Sunagakure, while Minato's team was told to coordinate with the village.
• After the meeting, the Third Hokage asked Orochimaru whether he had decided to give up the Hokage position, and Orochimaru said he wanted to pursue his dream.

Orochimaru told the Third Hokage he no longer wanted to become Hokage, prompting Sarutobi to reflect on change and Danzo’s Root. Shiro confronted Danzo over the Akatsuki and Root, then demonstrated the power of the snakes of Ryūchi Cave before disappearing.

• Orochimaru told the Third Hokage that the world had changed and that he wanted to pursue his own discoveries rather than become Hokage.
• The Third Hokage accepted Orochimaru’s choice but warned him not to betray the village, then wondered whether Danzo and Root had changed.
• Danzo challenged Shiro about comparing the Akatsuki to roots, and Shiro argued that an overgrown root system harmed the tree and should be cut away.
• Danzo warned Shiro that the Akatsuki could target his family and friends, but Shiro said the Police Force and the Hokage would protect them.
• Shiro summoned Gray Snake, trapping Danzo in an illusion until Danzo disrupted his own Chakra, then vanished and left Danzo fearing his power.

Shiro left Danzo under a temporary genjutsu and decided against learning Sage Art, judging it too difficult and uncertain to be worth his time. Back at his Workshop, he checked on Azu and began testing a Mystic Code’s defenses while continuing to work on its unfinished flight function.

• Shiro and Gray Snake discussed Gray Snake’s limited Sage Art and its brief control over Danzo, then Gray Snake returned to training.
• Shiro reasoned that Sage Art was difficult to master and unlikely to improve his system enough to justify the effort, so he chose to focus on Mystic Codes instead.
• Shiro returned to the Workshop and asked Azu about his training; Azu said he had no questions and remained committed to training to repay Shiro.
• Shiro activated a device he had developed to simulate attacks and gather defensive data for the Mystic Code.
• Shiro continued working on the Mystic Code’s flight function, which could not be developed through automated testing.

Shiro continued training Shisui, Soji, and Ayue while preparing to take them to the Land of Wind front. The team captured a berserk summoned wild boar with Ayue’s barrier, and Shisui realized he could have used his Sharingan genjutsu instead.

• Shiro stayed behind to train Shisui, Soji, and Ayue while Orochimaru led the main force toward the Land of Wind.
• Shisui, Soji, and Tuantuan drove a berserk wild boar toward Ayue’s prepared barrier without seriously injuring it.
• Ayue’s barrier trapped the boar in a strange woodland and helped it regain its senses before it fell unconscious.
• Shisui realized he could have used Sharingan genjutsu to stop the boar and regretted overlooking that tactic.
• Shiro praised the team’s coordination and promised to apply for missions they would enjoy.

Shiro discovered that the wild boar had been driven berserk by a drug from the Land of Wind, then tested his students’ teamwork and prepared protections for Kakashi’s team as they were about to become ninja. He left Kakashi, Obito, and Rin together despite the danger, relying on Kakashi’s strength and two sealed life-saving Noble Phantasms.

• Shiro praised Tuantuan, gave it a pill to improve its constitution and Chakra extraction, and sent it back.
• Shiro explained to Shisui and Soji that the wild boar’s rampage had been caused by a drug from the Land of Wind and described how civilians could infiltrate enemy territory.
• Shiro inspected Ayue’s barrier work, then returned to the village with the students and the captured boar.
• At Training Ground 17, Shiro used a Shadow Clone to test the three students’ teamwork and pointed out their coordination and individual weaknesses.
• Shiro noted that Kakashi, Obito, and Rin would be assigned to the same team, and prepared two sealed life-saving Noble Phantasms for them.

Shiro attended Kakashi’s graduation ceremony and gave him gifts meant to honor his past while leaving his future path open. The chapter ended with Shiro presenting Kakashi with a huge scroll containing nearly all the ninjutsu he knew.

• Shiro explained that his sealed medical Noble Phantasms could only save lives and that he had given them to close friends rather than the village.
• Shiro arrived at the Hokage Office Building, where Minato, Rin, Kakashi, and Obito had finished the graduation formalities.
• Shiro gave Kakashi his father Sakumo’s short blade and urged him to decide for himself whether to pursue kenjutsu or ninjutsu.
• Shiro presented Kakashi with a massive scroll of ninjutsu, claiming it contained most of the techniques in the Shinobi World.

Shiro gave Kakashi a vast, restricted ninjutsu scroll and saw him commit to restoring the Hatake Clan’s glory. The next day, Shiro took Shisui, Ayue, and Soji on an escort mission that would serve as a decoy for Konoha’s real supply convoy.

• Shiro insisted Kakashi accept the ninjutsu scroll, which could be unlocked only with a lengthy sealing technique, and advised him to choose his path carefully.
• Kakashi vowed to restore the Hatake Clan’s glory, and Shiro was glad to see that Kakashi had come to terms with Sakumo’s death.
• Shiro and the others joined Minato, Kushina, and their companions for a meal, where Shiro teased Kakashi about his manners.
• The next day, Shisui, Ayue, and Soji waited for Shiro to return from the Hokage Office Building with a mission.
• Shiro said their escort mission would carry supplies toward the front line and might encounter Sunagakure, then explained that they were bait covering the real convoy.
• Shisui recognized the danger and the decoy plan, and Shiro warned the three young ninja to stay alert on the battlefield.

Shiro learned from an experienced chunin squad while escorting a transport toward the battlefield, and chose to delay his own deployment so he could gain more mission experience. As the group approached the front, Shisui spotted a Sunagakure ambush and counterattacked, only to discover that his target was a puppet.

• Shiro and the three younger ninja asked the seasoned chunin for mission advice while Shiro taught them ways to use Chakra more efficiently.
• Shiro decided to take more escort missions with experienced chunin before heading to the battlefield.
• As the group neared the battlefield, they stopped seeking guidance and focused on guarding against attacks on land transports.
• Shiro reassured Shisui and the others about their nerves, but let them adjust to the danger through experience.
• Shisui detected Sunagakure's ambush and attacked a Suna Ninja with his short sword and Body Flicker.
• The target burst apart like a puppet, and Shisui's eyes widened as he saw the Sharingan.

Shiro’s team defeated an ambush by Suna Ninja, reached the front-line camp, and returned to the village. As the Third Shinobi World War made Shiro increasingly uneasy, he took on more special assignments for Gray Snake, then asked the Hokage to send him to the front line.

• Shisui, Ayue, and Soji destroyed the attacking puppets while Shiro survived a blast and struck down another puppet.
• Shisui revealed the Suna Ninja controlling the puppets, and Shiro and Ayue helped defeat them.
• Shiro sealed a captured Suna Ninja for questioning, but the prisoner had no useful intelligence.
• Shiro’s team reached the front-line camp and soon returned to the village without transfer orders.
• Over the next month, Shiro led more escort missions and gave Gray Snake more special orders.
• Shiro arrived at the Hokage’s office and asked to go to the front line.

Orochimaru fought Chiyo on the battlefield, overcoming her puppets and surviving her poison and Pakura's Scorch Release. As Orochimaru challenged someone to reveal themselves, a winged figure descended and complained that he had spoiled their entrance.

• Orochimaru confronted Chiyo as Konoha distributed medicine that countered Sunagakure's poison.
• Orochimaru cut Chiyo's Chakra threads, but Chiyo adapted by detonating them and deploying Chikamatsu Ten Puppets.
• Orochimaru attacked Chiyo with a flaming tornado and a swarm of snakes that spat swords, forcing her puppets to defend her.
• Pakura arrived and used Scorch Release to destroy Orochimaru's snakes, but Orochimaru reformed from white snakes after appearing to die.
• Orochimaru asked someone to come out, and a winged figure descended, calling him Senior Orochimaru and complaining about the spoiled entrance.

Shiro secured the Third Hokage’s approval to take Ayue, Shisui, and Soji to the front lines, despite Kushina’s concerns. After saying their goodbyes, the three students joined Shiro, and Team Shiro officially entered the Third Shinobi World War.

• Shiro persuaded the Third Hokage to let him take his students to the battlefield, citing the situation at the front, his own responsibilities, and Sakumo’s grudge against Sunagakure.
• Shiro told Kushina and the others that Ayue needed to accompany him and could protect herself with preparations, though they would temporarily bring her close to death.
• Ayue said goodbye to Xiaoyu, gave her a Craft Essence amulet, and promised to return alive.
• Shisui said goodbye to his parents, while Soji left a letter for his ordinary parents instead of meeting them.
• Shiro, Ayue, Shisui, and Soji gathered to depart, officially joining the Third Shinobi World War.

Shiro confronted Chiyo and Pakura, using taunts and a sudden burst of speed to demonstrate his strength before taking on Pakura. After Orochimaru moved to fight Chiyo, Shiro blocked Pakura’s attacks and pressed forward, leaving her wary of his swordsmanship.

• Chiyo mistook Shiro for White Fang and attacked him, but Shiro blocked her weapons and provoked her until Pakura calmed her down.
• Shiro taunted Pakura and Chiyo, then used Reinforcement Magecraft and Mana Burst to appear behind Pakura with Kanshou at her neck.
• Pakura detonated a Scorch Release flame and escaped with Chiyo; Shiro survived the blast with only disheveled clothes and gathered more Scorch Release data.
• Orochimaru joined Shiro and charged at Chiyo, while Shiro intercepted Pakura’s fireball and cut it apart with his twin blades.
• Pakura fired more Scorch Release fireballs as she retreated, but Shiro sliced through them, convincing her that ordinary Scorch Release would not stop him.

Shiro drove Pakura back with a powerful Wind Release technique, then recruited Orochimaru to help with his Tailed Beast capture plan. After collecting Shisui, Soji, and Ayue and bringing them to camp, Shiro learned that Sunagakure’s poison was troubling the Konoha commanders.

• Shiro overwhelmed Pakura with Great Breakthrough, and she retreated after receiving the withdrawal signal.
• Shiro proposed that Orochimaru help with his Tailed Beast capture plan, offering him access to knowledge and materials, and Orochimaru agreed.
• Shiro gave Orochimaru part of the plan, then flew to collect Shisui, Soji, and Ayue and brought them to camp.
• Shiro assigned Ayue to treat the wounded and sent Shisui and Soji to help around camp before reporting to the command tent.
• Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Nara Shikaku discussed the map, and Tsunade told Shiro that Sunagakure’s poison was their current difficulty.

Shiro demonstrated that his Noble Phantasm could suppress poison long enough for Tsunade to prepare antidotes, and Tsunade assigned Shikaku to organize its use. Orochimaru then gave Shiro a mission and led him back to the main tent.

• Shikaku explained that Chiyo's poisons were dangerous because cracking them took time, and Orochimaru argued that killing the enemy now could prompt Sunagakure to deploy a Tailed Beast.
• Shiro offered a secret technique that could protect around a hundred people from poison, and Tsunade took the group to her medical area to test it.
• Shiro invoked “I shall eradicate all toxins,” which nullified the poison's effects in Tsunade's test fish without removing the toxin itself.
• Tsunade confirmed the technique's usefulness and tasked Shikaku with arranging its deployment, then returned to preparing medicine.
• Orochimaru told Shiro he had a mission for him and directed him to return to the main tent.