Chapter Summaries

Might Guy helped Sakura bring the injured Sasuke back to Konoha while Jiraiya and Naruto resumed their journey. Later, Hinata learned that Tsunade had returned to the village, where her arrival fueled expectations that she would become the Fifth Hokage.

• Might Guy confirmed the battle was over, and Jiraiya left Sasuke in his and Sakura's care before continuing his journey with Naruto.
• Sakura and Might Guy took Sasuke back to Konoha for treatment, while Naruto recovered his usual cheerfulness.
• Hinata continued her intense training in the Forest of Death, enduring harsh conditions and breaking a large tree with a strike.
• Hinata learned through her Shadow Clone that Tsunade had arrived in Konoha with Jiraiya, Naruto, Shizune, and Tonton.
• News of Tsunade's return spread through the village, and the ninja clan leaders concluded that she was likely to become the Fifth Hokage.

Hinata learned that the Hyuga Clan had decided to take no action and postponed meeting Tsunade until after she became the Fifth Hokage. Meanwhile, Danzo considered his prospects and Root’s future, knowing Tsunade’s expected appointment could expose his failure to act during the Konoha Crush.

• Hinata’s Shadow Clone endured a long Hyuga Clan meeting before learning the elders had decided to do nothing.
• Hinata chose not to return to Konoha to meet Tsunade and sent another Shadow Clone back to the Hyuga Clan for information and daily check-ins.
• Danzo’s followers praised him and argued that he was the only one fit to become Hokage.
• Danzo considered pursuing the Hokage position but hesitated as he thought about Tsunade’s return and the danger of Root’s inaction being investigated.

Danzo weighed the consequences of resisting or yielding to Tsunade and decided to seek another way out by speaking with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. They dismissed him and warned him to give up if he had come about the Fifth Hokage.

• Danzo considered how Tsunade might cut Root’s funding and concluded that neither brushing her off nor admitting defeat was acceptable.
• Danzo decided to find another way out before Tsunade took office and went to meet Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura ignored Danzo until his cane tapping drew their attention.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura told Danzo not to disturb them and warned him to give up if he had come because of the Fifth Hokage.
• Danzo silently listened as the two continued speaking.

Danzo tried to soften Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura with memories of their past, while Tsunade worried that he would cause trouble at her inauguration as Fifth Hokage. Jiraiya teased Tsunade about becoming Hokage and narrowly dodged her punch.

• Danzo reminisced about the past with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, then left believing they had softened and planning to meet them again that night.
• Tsunade told Shizune that she worried Shimura Danzō would stir up trouble at her Fifth Hokage inauguration.
• Tsunade regretted returning to Konoha to become Hokage after reflecting on Jiraiya's persuasion.
• Jiraiya teased Tsunade, who charged at him and swung a punch that he dodged.

Jiraiya warned Tsunade about a secret organization of S-rank Rogue Ninja that might target Naruto, and Tsunade prepared to take office as Hokage. The chapter ended with her setting her inauguration for three days later and leaving a meeting with the advisors.

• Jiraiya told Tsunade he suspected Orochimaru had joined a hidden organization of S-rank Rogue Ninja and named Itachi Uchiha, Orochimaru, and Kisame Hoshigaki as confirmed members.
• Jiraiya said two S-rank Rogue Ninja had come after him while he traveled with Naruto, targeting the Nine-Tails inside Naruto.
• Tsunade recognized the danger posed by the organization and lamented the troubles facing the ninja world.
• Tsunade told Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura that she would officially succeed as the Fifth Hokage in three days and asked them to announce it.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura agreed to handle the ceremonies and interim affairs, while urging Tsunade to prepare for her responsibilities.
• Tsunade left the meeting after telling the advisors to handle their own duties properly.

Tsunade confronted Shimura Danzō after he proposed giving the elders power to intervene directly in the Hokage’s decisions. She realized Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura supported him and prepared to reject his attempt to limit her authority.

• Tsunade started to leave the conference room, but thudding sounds outside made her pause.
• Shimura Danzō entered and expressed sympathy over Hiruzen’s death before saying he supported Tsunade as Fifth Hokage.
• Danzō proposed that the three elders assist the Hokage in turns and directly intervene in major decisions.
• Tsunade smashed the conference table and demanded to know what Danzō meant.
• Tsunade saw that Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura’s silence signaled their consent to Danzō’s proposal, and she refused to tolerate his challenge to her authority.

Tsunade attacked Shimura Danzō during the meeting, but he survived by using Izanagi and a Shadow Clone. Tsunade left after warning the elder advisors to guide her, while Danzo reflected on the Sharingan he had sacrificed to escape her punch.

• Tsunade smashed the conference table and punched Danzo, tearing through the meeting room and its walls.
• Danzo’s struck figure faded, and his real body appeared nearby after Tsunade had hit a Shadow Clone.
• Danzo criticized Tsunade’s hot temper, and Tsunade told the elder advisors she would rely on their guidance before leaving with Shizune.
• Utatane Koharu dismissed Danzo, and he left after deciding he could approach her and Mitokado Homura again later.
• Danzo realized he had sacrificed a three-tomoe Sharingan to use Izanagi and survive Tsunade’s attack.

Hinata ended her intense training and returned to Konoha for Tsunade’s inauguration as Fifth Hokage. As the village gathered for the ceremony, Tsunade told Shizune that Danzo’s extremism and the Root Organization were troubling her.

• Tsunade’s actions intimidated the political opposition, though they also cost her the support of two elder advisors.
• Shiranui Genma and his companions stayed silent while the powerful figures argued.
• Hinata received a message that Tsunade would become Fifth Hokage the next day, ended her training, and headed back to Konoha.
• Konoha’s residents and ninjas gathered at the Naruto Office Building for Tsunade’s inauguration.
• Shizune tried to soothe Tsunade, who explained that Danzo was extreme and asked whether Shizune knew about the Root Organization beneath the Anbu.

Tsunade warned Shizune that Danzo’s Root was a threat to Konoha and said his bid for Hokage could destroy her faction. At the succession ceremony venue, Danzo approached Hyuga Hiashi and alluded to the advisors’ plans after Tsunade became Hokage.

• Tsunade explained that Root brainwashed its members, marked them to prevent betrayal, and subjected them to brutal elimination rules.
• Tsunade told Shizune that Danzo intended to push the Hokage faction toward destruction, then put on her Hokage hat and left for the ceremony.
• Hyuga Hiashi, Hinata Hyuga, Hanabi Hyuga, Toyo Hyuga, and other Hyuga Clan members waited at the viewing platform outside the Hokage Building.
• Danzo approached Hyuga Hiashi and said the council of elder advisors had agreed with Tsunade and would fulfill their proper role after she became Hokage.
• Hyuga Hiashi replied that the Fifth Hokage would grow stronger with the advisors’ support and asked Danzo whether he had anything else to discuss.

Danzo pressured Hyuga Hiashi to take a side, then Tsunade consulted the Ino-Shika-Cho leaders about his motives. Shikaku Nara warned that Danzo wanted to force Tsunade out and that his rule could turn Konoha into another Bloody Mist Village.

• Danzo left the Hyuga Clan after trying to pressure Hiashi into choosing a side, and Hiashi decided to stay clear of his schemes.
• Tsunade summoned Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi to discuss Danzo’s actions.
• Shikaku Nara reasoned that Danzo sought the Hokage position and would need to force Tsunade out to get it.
• Shikaku Nara warned that Danzo’s rule could make Konoha become the next Bloody Mist Village.

Tsunade and Shikaku Nara discussed how to stop Danzo and agreed on a secret plan. Three days later, Tsunade struggled through her Hokage paperwork under Shizune’s watchful supervision.

• Tsunade told Shikaku Nara she would not let Danzo drag Konoha into a dangerous policy and explained what had happened before.
• Shikaku Nara and the others discussed the problem and settled on a secret plan.
• Three days later, Tsunade reviewed documents in the Hokage's Office and regretted taking on the workload.
• Shizune brought Tsunade another stack of documents and insisted she keep working.
• Tsunade gave up on resting or drinking and returned to reading a document under Shizune's stern gaze.

Tsunade assigned missions to Team 7 and to Shikamaru, Hinata, and Shino while Konoha struggled to spare manpower after its calamity. The three left the Hokage Building to search for a merchant caravan’s missing ferret, and Shikamaru recognized the task as troublesome despite its low apparent danger.

• Tsunade repeatedly sent Shizune to summon shinobi, enjoying the extra work she gave her assistant.
• Tsunade assigned Team 7 a mission in the Land of Tea to help participants win the festival at Morotoki Shrine for her friend Wasabi Jirocho.
• Tsunade assigned Shikamaru, Hinata, and Shino a B-rank mission to recover a ferret for a traveling merchant caravan because Konoha lacked available jonin.
• Shikamaru complained that finding a ferret in the wilderness would be troublesome, while Shino said Tsunade had arranged their team well.
• Hinata asked Shikamaru and Shino what they were talking about.

Hinata joined Shikamaru and Shino Aburame on a mission to find a merchant’s ferret, while privately hoping to investigate the Gelel Stone. The team camped near the Land of Wind and began planning their search, with Shikamaru warning them to stay alert.

• Hinata recognized the ferret mission as a chance to investigate the Gelel Stone and its powerful life force.
• Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino Aburame agreed to meet at Konoha’s gate and prepare for the long mission.
• Naruto reviewed commissions at the Hokage Building, leaving Shizune exhausted by the day’s work.
• Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino Aburame camped on a mountain and studied the client’s map.
• Shikamaru explained that the ferret could be anywhere within a radius of over twenty kilometers, and Shino Aburame noted how tiring the search would be.
• Hinata asked whether the Land of Wind might pose a danger, and Shikamaru said they should still remain cautious.

Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino settled their plans and took turns keeping watch overnight. The next morning, they split up to search for the sable and agreed to meet again at six.

• Shikamaru explained the plan and assigned Hinata, himself, and Shino to take turns on watch.
• Hinata kept the first watch, then went to sleep when Shikamaru took over.
• The next morning, the three packed their things and prepared to begin the search.
• Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino split up in different directions to look for the sable, planning to regroup at six that evening.

Hinata searched the mountainous southern terrain for the sable, briefly imagining a peaceful future in the beautiful landscape before growing tired of the search. She returned to find Shikamaru Nara and Shino Aburame already back.

• Hinata, Shino Aburame, and Shikamaru Nara divided the search, with Hinata taking the south, Shino the north, and Shikamaru the east.
• Hinata explored the scenic southern terrain and imagined building a mountain villa there if the ninja world ever found peace.
• Hinata reminded herself that she intended to grow strong and eventually make a name for herself.
• Hinata grew tired of searching, abandoned her plans for a villa and tourist attraction, and returned to find Shikamaru and Shino already back.

Shino Aburame found the snow ferret’s tracks, giving him, Shikamaru, and Hinata a lead. Meanwhile, a heavily armed force landed in the Land of Wind, and Gaara and Kankuro set out to investigate; the search for the ferret continued when Hinata spotted something with her Byakugan.

• Shino Aburame reported finding tracks left by the snow ferret, and Shikamaru planned to search his area the next day.
• Hinata denied finding anything, while Shikamaru reassured her.
• A force carrying cannons and steel fortresses arrived on the coast of the Land of Wind and panicked the Sand Ninja.
• Gaara protected the Sand Ninja from disaster, then joined Kankuro in pursuing the invaders’ trail toward the Land of Rivers.
• Shino Aburame, Shikamaru, and Hinata followed the snow ferret tracks, and Hinata seemed to spot the ferret within her Byakugan’s range.

Shikamaru, Hinata, and Shino chased a mysterious person carrying the ferret, but four strange, heavily built monsters ambushed them. Their attacks seemed ineffective, leaving the team facing an unknown threat.

• Hinata spotted someone carrying the ferret, and Shikamaru, Hinata, and Shino hurried after them.
• The person carrying the ferret sped up as the team pursued.
• Four enormous humanoid monsters appeared and blocked the team's path, though Hinata detected no Chakra in them and Shino's insects confirmed they were breathing.
• Shikamaru attacked one monster with Kunai, but the weapons clanged off its body, and the monster swung a massive hammer at him.
• Hinata struck another monster with Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, then regrouped and said her Gentle Fist Style seemed to have no effect.

Shikamaru, Shino, and Hinata struggled against four nearly invincible humanoid monsters, which soon withdrew into the forest. Shikamaru decided the mission was beyond their abilities and began assigning tasks to investigate the merchant caravan and seek help.

• Shikamaru, Shino, and Hinata tested attacks against the four monsters but found them nearly impossible to defeat.
• Hinata said she could no longer see the mysterious person who had taken the ferret, and the monsters retreated into the forest.
• Shikamaru concluded that the mission involved hidden information and threats beyond what three genin could handle, so they should request assistance from the village.
• Shikamaru assigned himself and Hinata to investigate the merchant caravan, using Hinata's Byakugan to look for hidden people and test the merchants' reactions.
• Shikamaru told Shino that he would have to make a trip, but had not yet explained the task.

Hinata and Shikamaru set out to find their client while Shino returned to the village for reinforcements. Meanwhile, Heide’s mobile fortress continued its path of destruction through the Land of Rivers, and Heide discussed his mission with Camilla and Feng Wai.

• Shino Aburame left Hinata and Shikamaru to request reinforcements, while they went to search for the client.
• Hinata and Shikamaru followed the merchant caravan’s directions to look for a river and travel downstream.
• Heide’s mobile fortress crossed rivers, blasted through mountains, and destroyed villages as it moved through the Land of Rivers.
• Camilla reported that the fortress’s map no longer matched the changed terrain and that their target’s location was uncertain.
• Heide declared that the Five Great Nations could not stop his mission to end war, and Camilla and Feng Wai trembled under his gaze.

Timsi returned to Heide with the ferret and questioned why he had been ordered to harm innocent civilians. Heide defended the mission as a necessary price for world peace, and the chapter ended with Feng Wai kicking the ferret unconscious as Heide ordered the hall cleaned.

• Timsi entered the hall carrying the ferret and asked Heide why he had to hurt innocent civilians.
• Heide told Timsi that their dream of peace required sacrifices, and Timsi said he understood.
• Timsi reported that someone had followed him to capture the ferret and asked what secret it held.
• Heide claimed the ferret was vital to bringing peace and praised Timsi for recovering it.
• As Timsi left, the ferret tried to follow him, but Feng Wai kicked it away and knocked it unconscious.
• Heide ignored what Feng Wai had done and ordered him to clean the hall.