Chapter Summaries

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru began their final battle as Gamabunta, Manda, and Katsuyu clashed. Tsunade pinned Manda with Gamabunta’s sword, but Orochimaru caught her with his tongue and threatened to tear off her head.

• Lin Mu considered asking Jiraiya about summoning contracts before turning his attention back to the standoff.
• Tsunade declared that the Sannin’s name would end that day, and Katsuyu attacked Manda with acid.
• Manda trapped Katsuyu in his coils, but she split into small slugs and reformed; he then disarmed Gamabunta and hurled the sword at him.
• Jiraiya and Gamabunta combined oil and fire to attack Manda, but Orochimaru escaped inside a shed skin and emerged beneath Gamabunta.
• Tsunade used the fallen sword to pin Manda’s head to the ground, then Orochimaru bound her with his tongue and threatened to tear off her head.

Tsunade pushed herself to her limit and defeated Orochimaru, but he escaped after revealing that he had taken over another body and claimed to be immortal. Exhausted and suffering the side effects of her ninjutsu, Tsunade began to age as she looked at Naruto Uzumaki’s Necklace.

• Tsunade broke free of Orochimaru’s tongue and battered him with her Monster Strength until dizziness made her miss a blow.
• Tsunade used chakra gathered around her fist to strike Orochimaru into Manda, while Kabuto Yakushi helped the badly injured Orochimaru up.
• Manda vanished, and Orochimaru told Tsunade and Jiraiya that he would destroy Konoha before sinking into the ground and escaping with Kabuto Yakushi.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade were left injured on the grass, and Tsunade looked at Naruto Uzumaki’s Necklace while wondering if its curse had been broken.
• Tsunade’s ninjutsu side effects began, causing her to age rapidly, though she told Jiraiya she would look young again after resting.

Lin Mu restored Tsunade’s youthful appearance with Wood Release chakra, and she agreed to become the Fifth Hokage. After Naruto Uzumaki challenged and insulted her, Tsunade sparred with him, encouraged his dream of becoming Hokage, and joined the others on their journey back to Konohagakure.

• Lin Mu shared his Wood Release chakra with Tsunade, restoring her youthful appearance, and she told him to call her the Fifth Hokage.
• Tsunade announced her new role to Naruto Uzumaki, who criticized her temper, spending, and youthful disguise until she challenged him to fight.
• Tsunade dodged Naruto Uzumaki’s punch and flicked away his forehead protector, then kissed his forehead and urged him to grow into a good man.
• Naruto Uzumaki agreed to return to Konohagakure with Tsunade and Jiraiya, while Tsunade thought of him as the child who inherited her loved ones’ dreams.

After returning to Konoha, Tsunade prepared to take up the position of Fifth Hokage while reflecting on her home and the people she had lost. When Ibiki went to announce their arrival to the senior advisors, Tsunade grew impatient and entered the Hokage Building herself.

• Tsunade, Jiraiya, Lin Mu, and Naruto Uzumaki returned to Konoha after half a month of travel.
• Tsunade worried that she might tarnish the Hokage's reputation, while Jiraiya and Lin Mu encouraged her.
• Ibiki Morino recognized Jiraiya and Tsunade at the village gate, then led them toward the Hokage Building.
• Naruto Uzumaki envied Jiraiya's prestige, and Lin Mu reassured him that he would look even more impressive once he became Hokage.
• Ibiki went inside to announce their arrival to the senior advisors, and Tsunade coldly entered the Hokage Building without waiting.

Tsunade confronted senior advisers Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura in the Hokage Office, asserting her authority as Hokage and ordering them to leave. After Tsunade realized she had destroyed the office door, Lin Mu used Wood Release to grow it back.

• Tsunade entered the Hokage Building despite the guards trying to stop her, and Jiraiya led Lin Mu and Naruto Uzumaki after her.
• Tsunade shattered the Hokage Office door with her supposedly gentle knock and challenged Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
• Tsunade ordered both advisers to get out, and Mitokado Homura pulled Utatane Koharu away before she could argue further.
• Lin Mu reflected on the advisers’ past influence over Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade’s determination to keep the Hokage’s authority.
• Tsunade noticed the missing door, and Lin Mu used Wood Release to regrow it.

Tsunade assigned Naruto Uzumaki to Jiraiya and kept Lin Mu in Konoha to train him, while she prepared to take charge as Hokage. She ordered Shizune to gather intelligence and summon Sarutobi's former allies as she set out to lead the village into a new era.

• Tsunade told Jiraiya that she could handle becoming Hokage and arranged for him to teach Naruto Uzumaki while Lin Mu stayed with her.
• Jiraiya agreed to leave Lin Mu with Tsunade, then departed Konoha with Naruto Uzumaki.
• Tsunade told Lin Mu to return home and come back the following Monday for Medical Ninjutsu training.
• Tsunade told Shizune to investigate Konoha's situation and summon Teacher Sarutobi's former confidants and subordinates.

Lin Mu discovered a hidden snake inside his chest and rushed to Tsunade for help. After Tsunade removed it, the special mission to foil Orochimaru’s plot and save Tsunade finally registered as complete.

• While refining his chakra, Lin Mu sensed a snake hidden between the ribs on the left side of his chest.
• Lin Mu rushed to Tsunade and asked her to examine the space near his ribs.
• Tsunade used her Chakra Scalpel to cut open Lin Mu’s chest and sever the snake’s head.
• Lin Mu pulled out the snake and crushed it with his chakra, triggering the special mission completion notification.
• Lin Mu and Tsunade realized Orochimaru had planted the snake when his serpentine body had wrapped around Lin Mu.

After surviving Orochimaru’s attack, Lin Mu returned home with his system rewards and absorbed a Senju Hashirama Template Fragment, raising his progress to 45%. He then examined the Wood Release Senjutsu Fragment and began considering how such fragments could be obtained.

• Tsunade told Lin Mu to recover after he regenerated the wound in his chest, and he left to train at home.
• The system awarded Lin Mu a Wood Release Senjutsu Fragment, a Senju Hashirama Template Fragment, permission to purchase Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence, medical ninjutsu mastery, and 5,000 gold coins.
• Lin Mu learned that medical ninjutsu mastery had taught him the fundamentals of chakra application, which he planned to test when Tsunade began teaching him medical ninjutsu.
• Lin Mu used the Senju Hashirama Template Fragment, increasing his template progress to 45% and strengthening his physique and chakra.
• Lin Mu considered the ways he could obtain Wood Release Senjutsu Fragments, then realized there might be another method.

Lin Mu used a Wood Release Senjutsu fragment and considered how to improve his mastery beyond system rewards. He found Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence far beyond his means, so he accepted that Wood Release: Forest Sea Advent and saving for the Wood Golem Technique were more realistic goals.

• Lin Mu used a Wood Release Senjutsu fragment, raising his unlock progress to 15% and deepening his understanding of natural energy.
• Lin Mu considered experimenting with ways to improve his senjutsu mastery without relying on fragments.
• Lin Mu reviewed Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence and its battlefield advantages, but its 50,000 Gold Coin price was far beyond his 5,100 coins.
• Lin Mu reminded himself that Wood Release: Forest Sea Advent was sufficient for his current strength and that he still needed over 4,000 more coins to buy Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique.
• Lin Mu reflected that spending his earlier savings on healing and chakra pills had helped him survive his fight with the Two-Headed Giant Snake.

After his breakthrough against the Two-Headed Giant Snake, Lin Mu regretted missing the chance to buy Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique and decided to earn more gold through missions. He cultivated natural energy, entered Sage Mode, and began wondering how his strength compared with Itachi Uchiha’s at the same age.

• Lin Mu accepted that he had gained valuable rewards despite missing the chance to buy Wood Release: Wood Golem Technique, and planned to earn gold through extra missions.
• Lin Mu refined chakra while sensing natural energy, using his mental strength to cultivate both at once.
• Lin Mu absorbed the surrounding natural energy and completed Sage Mode, then punched the air with enough force to produce a thunderous boom.
• Lin Mu sensed traces of an imposing might and judged that his strength already placed him among the upper ranks of the jonin.
• Lin Mu compared his abilities with the achievements of Itachi Uchiha and wondered which of them had been stronger at age twelve.

Lin Mu relaxed after a night of Senjutsu training and treated Naruto Uzumaki to ramen at Ichiraku. Naruto recounted how he used the Rasengan against Kabuto, leaving Lin Mu to hear the details of Naruto’s recent battle.

• Lin Mu finished cultivating, decided to take the day easy, and went to Ichiraku Ramen.
• Naruto Uzumaki joined Lin Mu, who ordered two large bowls and treated him to a meal.
• Ayame served the ramen and offered Lin Mu a discount if he visited more often.
• Naruto Uzumaki complained that Jiraiya had taken his money, leaving him unable to eat at Ichiraku for a while.
• Lin Mu asked about Naruto Uzumaki’s Rasengan training, and Naruto described using the jutsu to defeat Kabuto after grabbing his kunai.

Naruto Uzumaki invited Lin Mu to spar at the Ninja Academy so he could show off his recent improvement and Rasengan. Their friendly match began before Iruka and a group of young students, and Lin Mu quickly took the advantage.

• Naruto Uzumaki finished his ramen and challenged Lin Mu to a match.
• Naruto Uzumaki brought Lin Mu to the Ninja Academy and asked Umino Iruka to referee.
• Umino Iruka gathered his students to watch, and Konohamaru Sarutobi cheered Naruto Uzumaki on.
• Umino Iruka started the friendly spar and reminded Naruto Uzumaki and Lin Mu to pull their blows.
• Lin Mu struck Naruto Uzumaki with a fast punch and followed with a roundhouse kick, forcing Naruto to retreat and realize Lin Mu was stronger.

Lin Mu and Naruto Uzumaki escalated their battle, with both using clones to overwhelm the other. Naruto surprised Lin Mu with a Rasengan, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Naruto Uzumaki used the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and sent dozens of clones rushing at Lin Mu.
• Lin Mu created a heavy wooden sword, swept away many clones, and fought off Naruto's attacks.
• Lin Mu countered with the Multiple Wood Clone Technique and his clones began attacking Naruto's clones.
• Lin Mu destroyed many of Naruto's clones but failed to identify the original, who briefly attacked from beneath the ground.
• Naruto Uzumaki appeared behind Lin Mu with a shadow clone and formed a Rasengan, astonishing Lin Mu.

Lin Mu and Naruto Uzumaki fought with their strongest techniques until a Rasengan explosion knocked them both down. Lin Mu called the match a draw, and the children applauded as Naruto asked Umino Iruka whether he had seen the results of his training.

• Naruto Uzumaki drove a Rasengan into Lin Mu's Tree World Wall while a shadow clone formed a stronger Rasengan in his other hand.
• Lin Mu stopped reinforcing the wall and prepared his strongest attack, Wood Style: Explosive Spear Tree.
• Naruto Uzumaki broke through the wall with his first Rasengan, then clashed his second Rasengan against Lin Mu's enormous fist.
• The Rasengan burst apart, and the resulting shock wave sent both fighters flying to the ground.
• Lin Mu helped Naruto Uzumaki up and declared the match a draw, which Umino Iruka confirmed to the applauding children.
• Konohamaru Sarutobi praised Naruto Uzumaki and quietly told Lin Mu that he was amazing too.

After battling Naruto Uzumaki, Lin Mu went to see Tsunade and asked her to order Konoha’s talented ninja to accept his challenges. Tsunade advised him to challenge them directly and began explaining the major clans’ abilities, leaving Lin Mu to consider the risks before choosing his opponents.

• Naruto Uzumaki said goodbye to Iruka and headed home while Lin Mu went to the Hokage Office.
• Lin Mu asked Tsunade to issue an order requiring Konoha’s talented ninja to accept his challenges.
• Tsunade said Lin Mu could challenge the geniuses by name because their pride would make them accept.
• Tsunade explained the Inuzuka Clan’s bond with ninja dogs and its strength in combat.
• Tsunade described the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara clans’ abilities and warned Lin Mu that they acted together as the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance.

Tsunade taught Lin Mu about Konoha’s clans and warned him not to underestimate any opponent. When Naruto reminded her about Sasuke, she took him and Lin Mu to the hospital, where she used Medical Ninjutsu on the unconscious Sasuke, whose eyelashes began to flutter.

• Tsunade explained the Aburame Clan’s insect-control techniques and the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan and Gentle Fist to Lin Mu.
• Lin Mu reflected on Konoha’s other clans, including the Uchiha, Sarutobi, Senju, and Uzumaki, and recognized that his own Senju bloodline was unusually pure.
• Tsunade warned Lin Mu that talented ninja without clan techniques or kekkei genkai could still become powerful.
• Naruto Uzumaki interrupted Lin Mu and reminded Tsunade that she had promised to visit Sasuke, so Tsunade left the Hokage Office with Naruto and Lin Mu.
• At the hospital, Tsunade examined the unconscious Sasuke Uchiha and used pale green Medical Ninjutsu chakra on him.
• Sasuke’s eyelashes fluttered after Tsunade’s chakra faded.

Tsunade healed Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake, then examined Rock Lee and concluded that his injuries meant he should give up being a ninja. Might Guy refused to accept her diagnosis and accused her of being an impostor.

• Sasuke Uchiha woke up, and Sakura Haruno embraced him while Naruto Uzumaki quietly left the room.
• Tsunade examined Kakashi Hatake and revived him, teasing him about being defeated by Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki.
• Naruto Uzumaki prompted Might Guy to ask Tsunade to examine Rock Lee, and they found Lee struggling to walk on crutches.
• Tsunade examined Rock Lee and found bone fragments near his main nerve pathways, advising him to give up being a ninja.
• Might Guy angrily called Tsunade a fraud and impostor, and Tsunade turned toward him with an icy stare.

Tsunade explained that Rock Lee's only chance to return to ninja life was a dangerous operation with a 50% chance of success, while giving it up was the safest choice. Lin Mu offered to use his wood release chakra to improve the operation's odds, then explained that he had made the chakra-restoring pills Tsunade asked about by infusing Military Ration Pills.

• Tsunade warned Rock Lee and Might Guy that the operation could kill Rock Lee, and Rock Lee left to think over his choices.
• Naruto Uzumaki asked Tsunade for another way to save Rock Lee, but she said she had no other option besides the operation.
• Lin Mu offered to use the life energy in his wood release chakra to improve Rock Lee's chances during surgery.
• Tsunade agreed Lin Mu's vitality could help but said they had to wait for Rock Lee to decide before proceeding.
• Tsunade asked Lin Mu how his blue pill had restored her chakra, and Lin Mu said he had infused wood release chakra into Military Ration Pills to make Chakra Pills.

Tsunade tried to recruit Lin Mu to produce chakra-restoring pills for Konoha’s shinobi, but their negotiations revealed that Lin Mu had recently won thousands of ryo. The chapter ended with Tsunade crushing a hospital bed rail and wondering whether she was the real pauper.

• Tsunade realized Lin Mu’s pills could help wounded shinobi and asked whether he could produce them in bulk.
• Lin Mu said mass-produced pills would be weaker but that he could make about a hundred a day, and Tsunade requested fifty daily.
• Tsunade offered to cover the Military Ration Pills and pay Lin Mu one ryo per pill, but Lin Mu called the offer stingy.
• Lin Mu revealed that he had won eight thousand ryo gambling with Jiraiya, who had given him only two thousand.
• Naruto Uzumaki complained that Jiraiya still owed him money, and Tsunade crushed the hospital bed rail in frustration.

Lin Mu agreed to supply Konoha with Chakra Pills for a month in exchange for Military Ration Pills, easing Tsunade’s financial and political burdens. He treated Tsunade and Naruto Uzumaki to ramen, then got scolded by Tsunade for teasing Ayame.

• Lin Mu offered Konoha its first month of Chakra Pills for free in exchange for Military Ration Pills, and Tsunade accepted.
• Lin Mu, Tsunade, and Naruto Uzumaki left the hospital and went to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch.
• Lin Mu flirted with Ayame, making her blush and flee into the kitchen.
• Tsunade worried Lin Mu might grow up like Jiraiya, hit him on the head, and made him quietly eat his ramen.