Chapter Summaries

Danzo discovered that a Tailed Beast Ball had obliterated Root Headquarters, and Orochimaru told him the Third Hokage was ending the dispute over Kushina and Shiraha. The next day, Shiraha explained his view of Sakumo’s suicide to Kakashi, leaving Kakashi to consider seeking the truth himself.

• Danzo and four Anbu escaped from the buried remains of Root Headquarters, where they found a vast crater but later discovered the Root survivors were injured rather than dead.
• Orochimaru told Danzo that Kushina’s Tailed Beast Ball had destroyed Root Headquarters and conveyed the Third Hokage’s order to end the matter; Danzo apologized to Kushina and Shiraha.
• Kushina woke at Shiraha’s house, then she and Shiraha went out and encountered Kakashi on the street.
• Shiraha invited Kakashi to eat with him and Kushina, then walked Kakashi home and answered his questions about Sakumo’s death.
• Shiraha said Sakumo had chosen suicide after his faith in the Will of Fire collapsed, and named the Third Hokage and condemning villagers as responsible; Kakashi wondered whether becoming Hokage could help him uncover the truth.

Shiraha and Kushina left Konoha to pursue Hiruko, while Shiraha explained why rebuilding the Land of Whirlpools would require building strength before declaring independence. On the way, Kakuzu ambushed them for Shiraha’s bounty, but Kushina overwhelmed him with a single punch and charged in to continue the fight.

• Orochimaru told Shiraha that Hiruko had defected after secretly researching ways to fuse multiple Kekkei Genkai, and Shiraha volunteered to pursue him with Kushina.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen approved Shiraha and Kushina’s mission, and they left Konoha for the Land of Rice Fields before planning to visit the Land of Grass.
• Shiraha explained to Kushina that the great countries had destroyed the Land of Whirlpools because its unified military and political power threatened the daimyos, so they needed to build an organization and gather allies before rebuilding it.
• Kurama warned Kushina that Kakuzu was following them, and she identified him as the ninja who had attacked them before.
• Kakuzu claimed Shiraha’s bounty had risen to 40 million ryō and dismissed Kushina as worth little, prompting her to unleash her Chakra and smash through his Earth Style: Earth Spear with a punch.
• Kakuzu was blasted into a trench and realized that Kushina’s power made the 41-million-ryō bounty troublesome, but she charged at him again.

Kushina overwhelmed Kakuzu with her Crimson Dragon Armor and destroyed two of his hearts, but Shiraha stopped her from delivering the final blow. Kakuzu accepted defeat and prepared to move, leaving Shiraha to intervene before Kushina could attack again.

• Shiraha observed Kushina's enhanced strength as she drove Kakuzu into close combat and forced him to rely on his Earth Grudge Fear bodies.
• Kakuzu combined wind and fire ninjutsu, but Kushina joined her Crimson Airflow with Kurama's Chakra and burst through the flames.
• Kushina destroyed two masked monsters and their hearts, then overpowered Kakuzu's Earth Style, Water, and Lightning bodies.
• Shiraha caught Kushina's fist before she could strike Kakuzu, who accepted defeat and regretted never killing the Underground Exchange Market manager.
• Kakuzu reached into his clothes, and Shiraha restrained Kushina as she warned him not to move.

Shiraha recruited Kakuzu into the Infinite Ring to manage its finances and help prepare for rebuilding the Land of Whirlpools. Kakuzu accepted a generous commission and startup funds, while Kushina learned that Shiraha’s advance payment would require Kakuzu to generate enormous profits.

• Kakuzu finished writing in his bounty notebook, and Shiraha returned it after proposing they put their earlier fight behind them.
• Shiraha offered Kakuzu the role of Minister of Finance for the Land of Whirlpools, and Kakuzu agreed to join the Infinite Ring after calculating the proposed commission.
• Shiraha named himself Dragon King, Kushina Crimson Flame, and Kakuzu Pixiu, then gave Kakuzu a bankbook containing one hundred million Ryo for operating funds and an advance on his commission.
• Shiraha instructed Kakuzu to recruit elite members, manage the organization’s finances, meet every six months, and avoid targets marked with a check in his notebook.
• After Kakuzu left, Kushina questioned Shiraha’s trust in him, and Kurama explained that Kakuzu would need to earn one billion Ryo for Shiraha’s fifty-million-Ryo commission advance to amount to five percent.

Shiraha negotiated with Hiruko over the Chimera Technique, sparing his life in exchange for ongoing access to his research. After arranging a future exchange of experimental data, Shiraha left Hiruko with Cell Transplantation research and the certainty that he would seek Shiraha out again.

• Shiraha and Kushina reached the capital of the Land of Rice Fields, where Kushina visited Sora and Naomi while Shiraha met the Daimyo alone.
• The Daimyo gave Shiraha the location of Hiruko and asked him to resolve the matter without harming civilians or damaging buildings.
• Shiraha found Hiruko, who admitted he had stayed in the Land of Rice Fields to continue his experiments and offered his half-finished Chimera Technique to save his life.
• Shiraha accepted the Chimera Technique and required Hiruko to provide its later development, then proposed regular exchanges of experimental data.
• Shiraha gave Hiruko partial Cell Transplantation research and left, while Hiruko thanked him and recognized how dangerous he was.

Madara learned that Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and prepared to capture her, while Kushina and Shiraha searched for herbs in the Land of Grass. Kushina exposed Tobi’s disguise and faced him and White Zetsu Original, who attacked as she bought time for Kurama to gather Chakra.

• White Zetsu Original reported that Shisui and Obito could suit Madara’s plans, and Madara ordered him to keep watching them.
• After learning that Kushina was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Madara equipped White Zetsu Original with Sharingan and sent him with Tobi to capture her.
• Kushina and Shiraha searched the forest for medicinal herbs and discussed possibly visiting the Land of Hot Water.
• Tobi approached Kushina disguised as Shiraha, but Kurama sensed his hostility and alerted her that the real Shiraha was nearby.
• Kushina attacked the disguised Tobi, who used imitation Wood Release to obstruct her, and White Zetsu Original appeared from underground.
• Kurama warned Kushina that both attackers were dangerous and asked her to hold them off while he gathered Chakra.

Shiraha and Kushina fought Uchiha Madara and Tobi in the Land of Grass, overcoming their powerful techniques and Madara’s attempt to summon Kurama. Kushina drove Madara into retreat, then collapsed from exhaustion as Shiraha carried her away, leaving them to reckon with the revelation that Madara was still alive.

• Shiraha broke free from Madara’s Sharingan illusion and attacked him, but Madara’s Susanoo forced Shiraha onto the defensive.
• Kushina used Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to knock down Tobi’s Wood Golem, split Tobi’s body, and seal part of him in a Storage Scroll.
• Madara used his Summoning Contract to pull Kurama from Kushina’s Sealing Space, but Shiraha entered the space and used Contract Seal to sever the connection.
• Kushina’s power stabilized, and she shattered Madara’s Fourth Form Susanoo with a punch that blew off half his head.
• Madara regenerated and escaped with the Mayfly Technique, while Kushina carried Shiraha away before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Shiraha confirmed Kushina had suffered only slight meridian damage, then carried her out of the Land of Grass, knowing Uchiha Madara had survived.

After Kushina and Shiraha escaped Madara, Madara decided to keep his plans unchanged and recovered the stolen crimson Chakra. While Kushina rested in the Fire Capital, Shiraha assessed the danger and potential of their encounter, then ran into Chiho and Hideto at an izakaya.

• Madara blamed Tobi for their failed attempt to capture Kurama, ordered his allies not to provoke Kushina and Shiraha, and used Yin-Yang Release to release the crimson Chakra from a black sphere.
• Shiraha cared for the exhausted Kushina at an inn in the Fire Capital, feeding her congee and promising to stay nearby while she recovered.
• After leaving Kushina to rest, Shiraha reflected on Madara's survival, the White Creature's Wood Release, and the risks and research opportunities revealed by their fight.
• Shiraha wrote down possible explanations for Madara's limits and considered studying the White Creature, then wandered through the Fire Capital after eating.
• Shiraha entered an izakaya and recognized Chiho and Hideto among the other patrons.

Shiraha learned about the Mangekyō Sharingan and Izanagi from Chiho, then returned to Konoha and spent three months improving the Divine Tree bloodline. His bloodline reached Half Fourth-Level, but Sunagakure launched a massive invasion of Konoha.

• Shiraha reunited with Chiho, Hideto, and their teammates in the Fire Capital, shared drinks with them, and walked with Chiho to ask about the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Chiho explained how the Sharingan and Mangekyō awakened, described Susanoo, and revealed that the Uchiha secret technique Izanagi could reverse fatal injuries.
• Shiraha escorted Chiho to the Daimyō's Mansion, then stayed in the Fire Capital until Kushina recovered and traveled with her to the Land of Hot Water.
• Shiraha and Kushina failed to find Tsunade and paid off forty million Ryo of her gambling debts before returning to Konoha.
• Shiraha spent three months in his laboratory, where adding White Creature cells raised the Divine Tree bloodline's purity to 90% and advanced it to Half Fourth-Level.
• Intelligence reached Shiraha that Sunagakure had launched a massive invasion of Konoha.

Sunagakure prepared to hold Kikyō Castle and use the war against Konoha to secure support from the daimyo, while Konoha assembled its Western Front under Orochimaru. At home, Mito released much of Kurama’s power for Kushina but left him contained by a cage, and Kurama then manifested a small form outside it.

• Chiyo explained Sunagakure’s political reasons for starting the war early and placed Rasa in command of the forces at Kikyō Castle, with Pakura as his assistant.
• Orochimaru took command of Konoha’s Western Front as its main force assembled, while Shiraha stayed home to help Kushina increase her use of Kurama’s Chakra.
• Mito appeared in the Sealing Space, embraced Kushina, and released Kurama’s chains while reshaping them into a cage to prevent him from taking control of Kushina.
• Mito asked Kushina to promise not to attack Konoha unless its people harmed her or those she cherished, and Kushina agreed.
• After Mito’s Chakra faded, Kurama formed a small orange Chakra body outside the cage, leaving Kushina stunned.

Shiraha and Kushina obtained Takigakure’s Hero’s Water and developed a potion that improved Shiraha’s mental power before news arrived that Mōryō had invaded the Demon Country. Shiraha and Kushina set out to answer the Priestess’s request for aid, and Shiraha hoped the demon might reveal a path to another plane.

• Kurama explained that Mito had removed Kushina’s seal to earn her trust, then warned Kushina that she needed his help to master his Chakra and learn Sage arts.
• Shiraha and Kushina left Konoha, met Kakuzu, and secretly took Hero’s Water from Takigakure without harming its ninja.
• Shiraha spent nearly half a year refining the water into Hero Potion, which raised his Mental Power to 10.81 before losing its effect after a second dose.
• The Priestess requested help after Mōryō invaded the Demon Country, while the neighboring nations failed to respond.
• Shiraha and Kushina hurried toward the Demon Country as Shiraha considered capturing Mōryō to learn about its otherworldly plane and the Priestess clan’s powers.

Shiraha and Kushina reached Demon Country and agreed to help Priestess Miroku seal Mōryō at the altar in Swamp Country. When Miroku left the palace barrier with them, an army of regenerating Stone Golems surrounded the palace, and Shiraha began testing how to destroy them.

• Shiraha and Kushina arrived at Demon Country’s palace and identified themselves to Taraho as Konoha ninja.
• After learning Shiraha was Orochimaru’s disciple, Taraho brought the pair to meet Miroku, who explained Mōryō’s threat and the plan to seal his soul at the altar in Swamp Country.
• Miroku said she could not foresee Shiraha’s death and agreed to trust him and Kushina; she left Taraho and the Samurai to guard the palace.
• As Miroku crossed beyond the palace barrier, Stone Golems emerged from the ground and surrounded them.
• Shiraha used Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique and Shadow Touch to smash the Stone Golems, but they quickly regenerated, prompting him to test whether their Energy Particles could be depleted.

Shiraha and Kushina helped Miroku seal Mōryō, then Shiraha agreed to study the Priestess’s power. Miroku’s blessing raised Shiraha’s Luck and Charm, but her claim that they would have a daughter in three years left him scrambling to explain himself to Kushina.

• Shiraha and Kushina carried Miroku to Swamp Country while the Undead Legion pursued them, and Yomi’s forces attacked the altar barrier.
• Mōryō appeared and attacked them, but Kushina fought him while Shiraha brought Miroku to the underground altar.
• Miroku used the altar to separate Mōryō’s shadow from his body, then returned with Shiraha to Demon Country and sealed his empty body beneath the palace.
• Kushina went to capture the fleeing Yomi, while Miroku explained the Priestess’s power and agreed to help Shiraha study Mōryō.
• Miroku gave Shiraha the Priestess’s Blessing, increasing his Luck Value by six and his Charm Value by 0.5, then said their daughter would be born in about three years.
• Kushina returned carrying Yomi and questioned Shiraha after hearing him react to Miroku’s claim.

Kakashi trained to combine Hatake Style Swordsmanship with the Breathing Technique while wrestling with his anger over the villagers’ treatment of Sakumo. After Obito and Nohara Rin told him that Minato had repelled an Iwagakure attack and was returning with wounded ninja, Kakashi considered the opportunities the war might bring.

• Kakashi bought sea bream from a shopkeeper whose praise of Sakumo sharpened Kakashi’s resentment toward Konoha’s villagers.
• Kakashi used the Breathing Technique with White Fang and Hatake Style Swordsmanship to cut apart a wooden post, then trained until exhaustion and recovered in Shiraha’s medicinal bath.
• Kakashi invited Obito and Nohara Rin to eat with him after they arrived at his home.
• Nohara Rin told Kakashi that Minato had repelled Iwagakure at the Northern Border, and Obito said Minato had earned the title Yellow Flash with Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
• Obito said Minato would escort the first batch of wounded back to Konoha and that their team could go with him, prompting Kakashi to consider the war’s opportunities.

Shiraha and Kushina prepared to stay in the Land of Snow while Shiraha refined the bloodlines for his advancement, but Kazahana Dōtō’s coup forced them to intervene. Kushina defeated Dōtō and his allies, saved Kazahana Sōsetsu and Kazahana Koyuki, and left Kurama reluctantly entertaining the child.

• Shiraha assessed his Divine Tree and White Phosphorus Serpent bloodlines, finding an 89% chance of advancing to a First-Level Spirit Summoning Warlock, but hoped to improve the odds before taking the risk.
• Kazahana Dōtō told Shiraha and Kushina that he planned to remove Kazahana Sōsetsu and asked them not to interfere; Shiraha agreed outwardly and then assigned Kushina to intervene.
• Two days later, Kazahana Dōtō demanded the Hexagonal Crystal from Kazahana Sōsetsu and threatened Kazahana Koyuki during a fire in the castle.
• Kushina struck Kazahana Dōtō through a wall, while Kurama rescued Kazahana Koyuki and helped Kushina send Roga Nadare and two Jōnin flying.
• Kazahana Koyuki climbed onto Kurama and played with its ears, leaving Kurama to wonder whether Kushina would make it babysit.

Kushina and Shiraha helped Kazahana Sōsetsu defeat his brother’s coup and secured his agreement to cooperate with their plans to rebuild the Land of Whirlpools. They turned the Land of Snow into a secret base for developing its military and heavy industry, then secretly sent Sora and Naomi there before returning to Konoha.

• Kushina extinguished the fires and helped Sōsetsu and Koyuki escape as the Samurai and Snow Ninja learned that Dōtō and Nadare had supposedly died with the assassins.
• Shiraha told Sōsetsu that he and Kushina wanted to rebuild the Land of Whirlpools and proposed cooperating with the Land of Snow.
• Sōsetsu agreed to the partnership after Shiraha argued that the Land of Snow needed the strength to protect itself from future threats.
• Sōsetsu revealed that the Hexagonal Crystal activated a geothermal generator capable of melting the country’s snow, and Shiraha recognized its potential as an industrial energy source.
• Shiraha and Kushina, disguised as members of the Infinite Ring organization, helped Sōsetsu purge Dōtō’s faction and restore order without melting the snow.
• Before returning to Konoha, Shiraha and Kushina secretly sent Sora and Naomi to the Land of Snow.

Shiraha returned to Konoha with Kushina and joined Minato Namikaze’s team on a mission near the Land of Lightning, where Kushina revealed overwhelming power in a clash with Third Raikage A. Third Raikage A decided not to fight her and ordered Kumogakure to share its intelligence with Ōnoki, changing the village’s plans for war.

• Shiraha and Kushina ate with Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, Nohara Rin, and Obito, and Kushina paid the enormous bill after Shiraha discovered his savings were gone.
• Shiraha, Kushina, Chiho, and Hideto joined Minato Namikaze’s team and traveled to the northern border, where they later entered the Land of Lightning to gather intelligence.
• Kurama warned Kushina that Third Raikage A and more than a dozen Kumogakure Jōnin were approaching, so Shiraha led the group in retreat before they were intercepted.
• Kushina fought Third Raikage A head-on and knocked him back, revealing her strength as a Perfect Jinchuriki of Kurama.
• Third Raikage A admitted he was not confident he could defeat Kushina, let her group leave, and ordered Kumogakure to share the intelligence with Ōnoki instead of attacking Iwagakure.

After escaping the Third Raikage, Shiraha’s team suspected Kumogakure would join forces with Iwagakure against Konoha. Ōnoki agreed to an alliance and invited Kirigakure to join the fight; three months later, Konoha faced attacks from all sides and stood on the verge of collapse.

• Kushina drove off the Third Raikage’s group, and Shiraha’s team deduced that Kumogakure might share information about her with Iwagakure and seek an alliance.
• Ōnoki’s advisers warned him not to trust Kumogakure, but he agreed to join forces against Konoha if Kumogakure proved its sincerity.
• Ōnoki sent invitations to the Third Raikage and the Third Mizukage, seeking a broader coalition against Konoha.
• Three months later, Kumogakure attacked Konoha’s border, Jiraiya fought the Third Raikage, and Iwagakure harassed the northwestern border, drawing Minato Namikaze there.
• Kirigakure entered the war through the Land of the Sea, occupied the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools, and attacked the Land of Fire, leaving Konoha under assault on multiple fronts.

Shiraha and Kushina confronted Konoha’s leaders at a wartime meeting, demanding freedom to leave and rebuild the Uzumaki Clan. Kurama declared he would leave with Kushina, and Hiruzen accepted their terms in exchange for their help against Konoha’s enemies.

• Shiraha and Kushina attended a High-Level Meeting where Hiruzen announced he would reinforce the northern front and the Hyuga and Uchiha clans agreed to face Kirigakure.
• Hiruzen asked Kushina to help fight Iwagakure and Kumogakure, and Kushina made her support conditional on rebuilding the Uzumaki Clan and leaving Konoha with Shiraha.
• Kushina and Shiraha argued that Konoha had failed the Uzumaki Clan and that Shiraha had repaid the village many times over.
• Kurama appeared at the meeting and declared that he would leave Konoha with Kushina, silencing the objections from the Elders and Jōnin.
• Kushina offered to help Konoha through the war in exchange for leaving with Shiraha, rebuilding the Uzumaki Clan, and forming an alliance with Konoha.
• Hiruzen accepted Kushina’s conditions and said he would bear responsibility for the decision.

Kushina agreed to fight the Third Raikage in exchange for permission to reestablish the Uzumaki Clan, while Shiraha joined Konoha’s war effort as a medical ninja. During an escort mission at sea, Shiraha’s fleet came under attack from a metal warship and three armored women using unfamiliar powers, leaving him trapped in a strange illusion.

• Kushina agreed to help defeat the Third Raikage after Sarutobi Hiruzen promised not to oppose her plans to restore the Uzumaki Clan, and Shiraha offered medical support.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen deployed to the northwestern front, while Kushina and Jiraiya helped hold back Kumogakure on the northeastern front as Kirigakure pressured Konoha in the southeast.
• Shiraha escorted wounded soldiers by ship and ordered Konoha’s ninja not to pursue a Kirigakure vessel after repelling its harassment attack.
• A metal warship destroyed the Kirigakure vessel, then attacked Shiraha’s transport, forcing him to order the wounded evacuated while he and the Jōnin confronted the newcomers.
• Three armored women with strange energy powers leapt from the metal warship, and one of them trapped Shiraha in a darkness illusion that he countered by strengthening his Antimagic Field.