Chapter Summaries

Hinata learned that the four suspects had confessed and told the messenger to inform the elders that they would be responsible for the matter. That night, ANBU squads and Hyuga Clan ninjas left Konoha as a purge of the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group approached.

• A Hyuga ninja reported that the interrogation of the four suspects had ended and that they had confessed.
• The ninja said Tsunade and the elders had received copies of the intelligence, while he carried another report.
• Hinata told the messenger that the elders would be responsible for the matter.
• The messenger departed, and tensions between Konoha and the Hyuga Clan began to rise.
• That night, several ANBU squads and a group of Hyuga Clan ninjas quietly left Konoha.

The Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group’s branches across several countries were destroyed by the Dawn Organization, which left black cloth marked with a Silver Crescent Moon and the word Dawn at each site. The survivors realized Dawn might be powerful enough to target the group’s elusive headquarters next.

• Konoha and the Hyuga Clan began hunting the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group, but its Land of Rivers branch was already destroyed.
• Investigators found black cloth marked with a Silver Crescent Moon and the word Dawn at the site.
• The Dawn Organization destroyed the other branches that could be located, leaving the same mark at each one.
• Observers concluded Dawn might rival Northern Shaolin and Southern Wudang in strength.
• They suspected Dawn would target the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group’s headquarters, whose location was known to almost no one.

Hei Hu warned the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group that Dawn was a threat after its headquarters suffered devastating losses. Kurama Mutsu and two Dawn members then appeared inside the supposedly hidden headquarters, leaving the group face-to-face with its new enemies.

• Hei Hu told the elders and elite members that the group had underestimated Konoha and the Hyuga Clan and suffered devastating losses.
• Hei Hu said he feared the mysterious Dawn organization, which had attacked despite the headquarters being difficult to locate.
• Kurama Mutsu and two Dawn members entered the headquarters unnoticed, while the guards outside remained frozen.
• Hei Hu demanded to know who the intruders were and what they wanted.
• Kurama Mutsu said Dawn might have come to play hide-and-seek with them.

Kurama Mutsu, Winter Rain, and Mizuki Rei found the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group’s hidden base after searching for days. They entered easily, and the group’s leader launched an attack, leaving the three ready to eliminate the organization’s core members.

• Kurama Mutsu, Winter Rain, and Mizuki Rei spent two days searching the wilderness near the Land of Hot Water for the hidden base.
• The three entered the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group’s base with little resistance.
• Hei Hu hoped his subordinates could defeat the mysterious intruders, though he knew the survivors would have to abandon the base.
• Hei Hu raised the alarm, and dozens of core members drew their weapons and charged at Kurama Mutsu, Mizuki Rei, and Winter Rain.
• Kurama Mutsu, Mizuki Rei, and Winter Rain prepared to wipe out the attacking group.

Tsunade reacted furiously to criticism from Konoha’s elders after the village’s crisis, then considered the Hyuga Clan’s role and the accusations against her. She left the matter unresolved while hinting that the elders should be forced to retire.

• Kurama Mutsu laughed as the battle began, and nearly a third of those present seemed stunned before howling ice and swirling paper scraps appeared.
• Tsunade angrily complained to Shizune that the elders had ignored the village’s danger but emerged afterward to criticize her.
• Tsunade said she would find an opportunity to make the elderly elders retire for good, and Shizune stayed silent.
• Tsunade retrieved the fallen document and said the Hyuga Clan had nearly caused a disaster but was condemned after making the right choice.
• Tsunade said Danzo had directly accused her of incompetence, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura knew the situation.

Tsunade examined a leaked Nara Clan prescription and warned that its secret medicine could give a powerful temporary boost but cause devastating side effects. She and Shizune worried that people with incomplete medical knowledge might try it without understanding the risks.

• Tsunade stopped gathering the scattered documents when she noticed a prescription and handed it to Shizune.
• Shizune recognized the document as a prescription that seemed to belong exclusively to the Nara Clan.
• Tsunade judged that the medicine could temporarily provide extremely powerful boosts but might cause the body to collapse afterward.
• Shizune warned that medically inexperienced people were unlikely to use the prescription, but half-trained people might try it without grasping its dangers.

Tsunade learned that the prescription came from Mizuki and, suspecting a connection to Orochimaru, ordered stronger surveillance of Konoha Prison. She then asked Shizune about the joint operation with the Hyuga Clan, whose status remained unclear.

• Tsunade sent Shizune to investigate the prescription’s origins and Shizune reported that it came from Mizuki.
• Tsunade worried Orochimaru might be connected to Mizuki and asked about conditions at Konoha Prison.
• Shizune said Mizuki seemed to be working hard and had turned over a new leaf.
• Tsunade ordered Shizune to strengthen surveillance around the prison because she feared something might happen.
• Tsunade asked Shizune how the joint operation with the Hyuga Clan against the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group was going, and Shizune reacted strangely.

Shizune informed Tsunade that a mysterious organization called Dawn had been eliminating branches of the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group before Konoha’s forces arrived. Tsunade ordered Konoha to monitor Dawn rather than investigate it, while Pain and several Akatsuki members gathered in Amegakure.

• Shizune told Tsunade that Dawn had wiped out some Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group branches and left black cloth marked with a silver crescent and the word “Dawn.”
• Shizune reported that Anbu analysts believed Dawn had used no more than ten members, but knew nothing about the organization’s strength or identities.
• Tsunade found no clues about Dawn and told Shizune to have Konoha’s intelligence gatherers watch for related information.
• Tsunade decided Konoha would remain neutral toward Dawn unless it proved to be an evil of the ninja world.
• Deva Path Pain sat at the head of a conference room in Amegakure as Itachi Uchiha, Sasori of the Red Sands, Kisame Hoshigaki, Hidan, Kakuzu, and Deidara gathered around him.

Xiao Lan waited with the Akatsuki Organization members for their meeting to begin. White Zetsu arrived late after taking a detour, and Xiao Lan told him to take his seat so they could start.

• Xiao Lan stood behind Deva Path Pain while the Akatsuki Organization members waited casually for the meeting.
• Deidara watched a centipede crawl from the mouth on his right hand, then placed it in his ninja tool pouch.
• White Zetsu emerged with Black Zetsu attached to him and joked that he had taken a detour to avoid pesticides.
• White Zetsu's joke drew little response, and he complained that the others were hard to please.
• Xiao Lan told Zetsu to take his seat so the meeting could begin.

Pain announced that he would lead a team to hunt Orochimaru in the Land of Rice, with Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Sasori of the Red Sands. As Xiao Lan moved to end the meeting, strange laughter suddenly rang through the room.

• White Zetsu took a seat as Deva Path Pain lowered his gaze and addressed the Akatsuki members.
• Pain said their intelligence placed Orochimaru in the Land of Rice and warned that he would show no mercy to anyone who betrayed the organization.
• Pain announced that he, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Sasori of the Red Sands would hunt Orochimaru.
• The Akatsuki members gave scattered replies, while Xiao Lan grew increasingly displeased with their lack of respect.
• Xiao Lan stepped forward to end the meeting, but strange laughter suddenly sounded in the room.

White Zetsu told Akatsuki that a mysterious group called the Dawn Organization had wiped out several branches of the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group. He left the members wondering whether the name Dawn was meant to challenge Akatsuki.

• White Zetsu offered Akatsuki news, and Pain, Sasori, Deidara, and Itachi demanded that he speak.
• White Zetsu said he had witnessed Konoha and the Hyuga Clan joining forces against the Hundred Slaughter Hunting Group.
• White Zetsu reported that someone had destroyed one branch before Konoha and the Hyuga Clan arrived, leaving black cloth, a silver crescent moon, and the word “Dawn.”
• White Zetsu said his investigation found that the Dawn Organization had also wiped out several other well-hidden branches.
• White Zetsu questioned whether the Dawn Organization chose its name to provoke Akatsuki.

White Zetsu’s report about a secret organization using Paper Release led the Akatsuki members to suspect Xiao Lan, but Deva Path Pain vouched for her and ordered White Zetsu to investigate the group. Pain planned to meet the organization himself once its base was found.

• White Zetsu said that almost no information about the organization had leaked and recalled finding paper embedded in a wall at one of its branches.
• The Akatsuki members turned their suspicions toward Xiao Lan, who angrily denied being part of the organization.
• Hidan, Kakuzu, Sasori of the Red Sands, Deidara, and Kisame Hoshigaki reacted to the accusation, while Itachi Uchiha showed interest.
• Deva Path Pain blasted the conference table apart, silencing the room, and confirmed that Xiao Lan had stayed in Amegakure.
• Deva Path Pain ordered White Zetsu to investigate the organization, find its base, and inform him so he could meet its members himself.

Hyuga Hiashi returned to Konoha and found Hanabi and Hinata safe after the attack. Meanwhile, Naruto was discharged from Konoha Hospital, eager to leave behind the place where he had endured repeated setbacks.

• Hyuga Hiashi hurried back to Konoha after hearing that Hanabi had been attacked.
• Hyuga Hiashi visited Hanabi and saw that she and Hinata were unharmed, then praised Hinata for her actions.
• Naruto received approval to leave Konoha Hospital after recovering from his injuries.
• Naruto left the hospital, shuddered at the sight of its sign, and resolved to avoid hospitals in the future.

Naruto left the hospital and encountered Jiraiya, who had come to meet him but was distracted by the women at the hot spring inns. Naruto called attention to Jiraiya, prompting him to strike Naruto and leave him nursing a painful bump.

• Jiraiya waited near the hot spring inns and greeted Naruto as he left the hospital.
• Naruto angrily called Jiraiya a pervert and shouted a warning to the women nearby.
• The women fled while Jiraiya tried to deny that he was a pervert.
• Jiraiya struck Naruto on the head, knocking him down and leaving a large bump.
• Naruto got up in tears and asked Jiraiya what he was trying to do.

Jiraiya warned Naruto that Sakura seemed troubled and might make an impulsive choice, prompting Naruto to fear she had gone to find Sasuke. Naruto rushed to Sakura’s house, where her mother told him Sakura had left early that morning.

• Jiraiya told Naruto that Sakura had seemed unwell and might make an unwise choice.
• Naruto realized Sakura might go looking for Sasuke and asked Jiraiya when she had started acting differently.
• Jiraiya said he had noticed a change late the previous night, and Naruto ran toward Sakura’s house.
• A group of young women carrying furniture charged toward Jiraiya, who fled while insisting he was innocent.
• Naruto reached Sakura’s house and learned from her mother that Sakura had gone out early that morning.

Naruto rushed to the Hokage Building to report that Sakura had disappeared and explain his suspicions to Tsunade. Tsunade ordered a search and warned that Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha would be declared Rogue Ninja if they remained missing by the next day.

• Naruto hurried past Otsutsuki Ichiraku, refusing his offer of ramen.
• Naruto burst into the Hokage's Office and startled Tsunade, spilling water across her desk and documents.
• Naruto told Tsunade that Sakura had disappeared and described what had happened.
• Tsunade said she would arrange a search and wait until the next day before confirming their status.
• Tsunade warned that Konoha would declare Sakura and Sasuke Uchiha Rogue Ninja and issue warrants if they were not found.

Tsunade decided Konoha would place bounties on Sakura and Sasuke if necessary, despite Naruto's plea that they were still companions. Naruto left determined to stop it, while Tsunade mobilized available ninja and influential figures hurried to the Hokage Building.

• Tsunade told Naruto that Konoha would post bounties on Sakura and Sasuke if required, and refused to reconsider.
• Naruto left the Hokage's Office in disappointment, then resolved to stop the situation from escalating.
• Tsunade watched Naruto leave and ordered Shizune to mobilize Konoha's ninja who had no important missions.
• Konoha's renewed unrest became noticeable to influential residents, and an elderly man remarked that Tsunade's appointment had made things lively.
• Several people of status rushed to the Hokage Building as the village's ninja began to mobilize.

Tsunade explained how she would handle the new recruit who had left Konoha, reassuring the clan representatives. Hyuga Hiashi then told Hinata that Sakura Haruno had also left the village and could be branded a Rogue Ninja.

• Tsunade said she would deal severely with the missing recruit if they could not find her, or personally train her if they did.
• The clan representatives accepted Tsunade’s response and left the matter in her hands.
• Hyuga Hiashi returned home and told Hinata that Sakura Haruno had left Konoha.
• Hiashi warned Hinata that Sakura could be treated as a Rogue Ninja if no one stopped her in time.

Hinata asked Hyuga Hiashi to help search for Sasuke and Sakura, then hurried out of Konoha to join the other rookies. With Sasuke gone, Sakura on the verge of leaving, and Neji and Choji hospitalized, Naruto thanked the eight assembled genin and said he wanted to keep his companions from being branded Rogue Ninja.

• Hyuga Hiashi agreed to send clan ninja to help search for Sasuke and Sakura.
• Hinata left the Hyuga Estate, decided she should join the search, and ran out of Konoha.
• Hinata found Naruto, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Tenten, and Rock Lee gathered outside the village.
• Naruto thanked the others for helping and said he did not want Sasuke and Sakura to be branded Rogue Ninja.

Naruto asked his friends to help find Sakura, and they agreed to search for their missing comrade. Shikamaru began organizing the group and identified the Land of Rice as Sakura’s likely destination, but noted that several routes led there.

• Naruto asked everyone to help find Sakura and Sasuke.
• Kiba, Ino, Hinata, Shino, Tenten, and Rock Lee each agreed to help, while Shikamaru took charge of planning.
• Shikamaru said Sakura might have left Konoha because she was confused and urged the group to bring her back.
• Ino said Sakura was probably going to find Sasuke, and Shikamaru agreed that the Land of Rice was her likely destination.
• Shikamaru pointed out that multiple roads led to the Land of Rice.