Chapter Summaries

Kurama Mutsu teased Passerby A about falling asleep and gave him a drawing she had made of him. After the other Dawn Organization members arrived, Hinata began the gathering’s real task: installing defenses and surveillance throughout the base.

• Kurama Mutsu showed Passerby A a detailed drawing of him sitting on a tree branch and gave it to him.
• Beichen, Mizuki Rei, and Winter Rain arrived, followed by Hinata and Wu Zhu; Heyan had not yet arrived.
• Hinata began organizing the Dawn Organization’s work on the base.
• The members set out to build a defensive and surveillance system by laying formations, testing them, assembling puppets, and preparing secret rooms.

Hinata and the others searched their new base and found money, valuables, and weapons, prompting Hinata to consider finding better Chakra-conducting blades for Dawn. She planned to visit the Artisan Ninja Village after finishing the work at the base.

• Hinata decided that every core member should have a room at Dawn’s base so it could become a home for the organization.
• Hinata and the others spent two days searching the previous owner's belongings and found silver, gold, jewelry, and weapons.
• Hinata considered giving the Chakra-conducting blades to Beichen to distribute among the Wandering Ninjas under his command.
• Hinata decided Dawn needed better Chakra-conducting weapons and reflected that Kusanagi Swords were too rare to acquire easily.
• Hinata planned to visit the Artisan Ninja Village after she finished taking care of the base.

Hinata planned to visit the Artisan Ninja Village and trade for weapons using the fortune they had seized. When Heyan arrived with his daughter Huimina, Hinata questioned him privately, leaving Huimina to adjust to the revelation that Hinata was a ninja.

• Hinata considered the Artisan Ninja Village’s history and its founder Seimei, who had revived a century after Hashirama Senju’s era only to die soon after.
• Hinata planned to use the former owner’s fortune to trade for the village’s chakra-conducting weapons rather than resort to fighting.
• Heyan arrived late and brought his daughter Huimina with him.
• Hinata took Heyan into a meeting room to question him, while Huimina appeared to have accepted that Hinata was a ninja with special abilities.

Hinata heard Heyan’s request to keep Huimina with the Dawn Organization and agreed to let her try working as a secretary. The matter was settled for now, though Huimina remained quiet throughout the conversation.

• Heyan tearfully described his hardships and said he wanted his daughter to stay with the Dawn Organization.
• Hinata concluded that Heyan wanted Huimina to leave the caravan and find a broader role.
• Hinata considered making Huimina a secretary, possibly counting money as the organization began earning income.
• Hinata agreed to let Huimina try the position, and Heyan felt relieved.

After the group completed its new headquarters, Hinata tried to celebrate but found no one shared her excitement. She then surprised everyone by proposing a trip to the Artisan Ninja Village to have compatible weapons made for the group.

• A month after construction began, the group gathered to mark the completion of its base.
• Hinata realized no one seemed excited about the accomplishment and abandoned her celebratory remarks.
• Hinata abruptly shifted the discussion to a proposed trip to the Artisan Ninja Village.
• Hinata explained that the group could afford custom weapons using funds left after defeating the Hundred Slaughter Group.

The Dawn Organization discussed who would travel to the Artisan Ninja Village to obtain Chakra-channeling weapons. The outer members chose to stay behind or return to their bases, leaving the operation to the core members, while Hinata recognized a deeper distinction within the organization.

• Wu Zhu asked whether everyone would travel to the Artisan Ninja Village and pointed out that the newly established headquarters needed someone to manage it.
• Huimina said she would stay behind because she was an ordinary person.
• Passerby A declined to go and offered to remain at headquarters, asking for a suitable weapon if possible.
• Beichen also chose not to go, saying he should return to the Land of Birds base and check on his subordinates.
• The outer members left the operation to the younger core members, and Hinata saw that the apparent divide between the groups concealed something more important.

Hinata gathered the group’s decisions about traveling to Artisan Ninja Village and began discussing how they should approach it. The group settled on going, but their next steps remained undecided as they looked to Wu Zhu.

• Heyan declined to join Hinata, saying he would return to the Land of Rivers.
• Kurama Mutsu, Winter Rain, Mizuki Rei, and Wu Zhu each agreed to go to Artisan Ninja Village.
• Hinata warned the group not to head straight into the village and said they needed to make arrangements without exposing their identities too soon.
• Everyone looked toward Wu Zhu after Hinata asked what they thought.

Wu Zhu explained why the Artisan Ninja Village might refuse to forge Chakra-conducting weapons for their unknown group, then introduced a potential opportunity within the village. The chapter left off as he began explaining the Four Heavenly Phenomena and its founder, Qingming.

• Hinata asked Wu Zhu what he wanted, and Kurama Mutsu said she was only looking.
• Wu Zhu explained that the group needed to pay for specialized weapons but could not assume the Artisan Ninja Village would accept their order.
• Wu Zhu said the village would likely refuse to risk offending the Five Great Ninja Villages by making powerful weapons for an unknown group.
• Wu Zhu introduced the Four Heavenly Phenomena as a faction within the Artisan Ninja Village and began describing the village’s two factions.
• Wu Zhu said Qingming, a contemporary of Hashirama Senju and the Artisan Ninja Village’s founder, had established the Four Heavenly Phenomena.

Mercy explained the Artisan Ninja Village’s rival factions and suggested the group use the growing tensions to intervene through the Four Heavenly Phenomena. Mizuki Rei revealed that the faction had sought help from the Cloud Village, giving Winter Rain a possible explanation for its recent resurgence.

• Mercy described the Four Heavenly Phenomena as an ambitious faction opposed to the conservative leadership and the Five Great Nations.
• Mercy proposed that the group cooperate with the Four Heavenly Phenomena to influence the Artisan Ninja Village, while Hinata cautioned against making firm plans before they arrived.
• Mizuki Rei reported that the Four Heavenly Phenomena had sought help from the Cloud Village.
• Winter Rain concluded that Cloud Village support could explain how the Four Heavenly Phenomena had begun to turn the balance of power around.

Wu Zhu proposed using rumors about the Artisan Ninja Village’s ultimate weapon to draw multiple powers into the village’s growing conflict. The ninjas considered the plan’s implications, and Kurama Mutsu remarked on how ruthless it was.

• Kurama Mutsu and Wu Zhu discussed whether cooperation with the Four Heavenly Phenomena would provoke Kumogakure.
• Wu Zhu proposed stirring the conflict further and suggested that several major powers would investigate if they received information about the Artisan Ninja Village.
• Wu Zhu proposed spreading a rumor that the Four Heavenly Phenomena planned to activate an ultimate weapon and challenge the Five Great Nations.
• The ninjas recognized that the rumor could attract widespread attention because major powers had long suspected an ultimate weapon might exist.
• Kurama Mutsu lowered her head and called Wu Zhu a huge lump of charcoal.

Sunagakure's elders learned that the Four Heavenly Phenomena in the Artisan Ninja Village planned to use a legendary weapon to start a war, with secret support from Kumogakure. Baki proposed preparing Sunagakure's defenses and asking Konoha to help investigate and stop the threat.

• An influential Sunagakure elder reported that the Four Heavenly Phenomena planned to use the Artisan Ninja Village's ultimate weapon to trigger the Fourth Great Ninja War.
• The elder revealed that Kumogakure was secretly supporting the Four Heavenly Phenomena, and that Yugito had met with Peacock.
• The elder said ten skilled spies had died while confirming Kumogakure's involvement.
• Baki urged Sunagakure to send ninja toward Kumogakure and the Artisan Ninja Village and seek assistance from Konoha.
• Baki proposed sending an elite squad with Konoha to investigate the Artisan Ninja Village and prevent the crisis from escalating, and the elders agreed.

Tsunade and Konoha’s elite Jonin debated how to investigate the dangerous intelligence involving Kumogakure and the Four Heavenly Phenomena. Might Guy proposed disguising an elite investigation team as exchange students, but Tsunade rejected the plan as too risky.

• Tsunade summoned Konoha’s elite Jonin after receiving urgent intelligence.
• Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai discussed the need to investigate the open scheme and Kumogakure’s support for the Four Heavenly Phenomena.
• Shizune explained that an all-Jonin team would be hard to conceal, while sending less capable shinobi would be dangerous.
• Might Guy suggested sending newly graduated ninja as exchange students accompanied by Guiding Jonin.
• Tsunade rejected Might Guy’s proposal, questioning whether the Guiding Jonin should save the students or complete the mission if trouble arose.

Might Guy proposed using a decoy squad to draw attention while a second team carried out a reconnaissance mission near the Artisan Ninja Village. After receiving a message from Sunagakure expressing interest in cooperation, Tsunade prepared to announce Konoha’s decision.

• Might Guy suggested sending a training squad through the Land of Wind as a decoy for a faster elite reconnaissance team.
• Might Guy said the plan would require cooperation from Sunagakure.
• Tsunade considered the proposal feasible but said Konoha needed to consult Sunagakure before deciding.
• A messenger delivered a confidential message from Sunagakure to Tsunade.
• Tsunade said Sunagakure had anticipated the situation and wanted to cooperate, then began announcing her decision.

Tsunade assigned Kakashi’s team and an elite jōnin unit to investigate a potential threat, while Ōnoki defended Iwagakure’s decision to cooperate with a dangerous organization. In Amegakure, Xiao Lan began telling Nagato about events involving the Artisan Ninja Village.

• Tsunade assigned Neji Hyuga and Yagi Rei to accompany Kakashi’s team and organized Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Fukawa Masashige, and Ukita Tono into an elite jōnin team.
• Ōnoki hurt his back after jumping from his seat, and Kurotsuchi helped him back into it.
• Kurotsuchi questioned Iwagakure’s decision to cooperate with the organization, but Ōnoki argued that its pursuit of money made it preferable to trusting other villages.
• Xiao Lan visited Nagato in Amegakure and began recounting what had happened at the Artisan Ninja Village.

Nagato agreed to Akatsuki cooperating with Iwagakure, intending to use the mission to warn overly ambitious forces, while ordering Zetsu to investigate the organization seeking the ultimate weapon. The news had spread to Kirigakure, where Mei Terumi, Ao, and Chojuro were together in the Mizukage's office.

• Nagato accepted Ōnoki's request for Akatsuki's cooperation and told Xiao Lan to notify White Zetsu and arrange a meeting.
• Nagato told Xiao Lan he suspected the organization was after the ultimate weapon and said Zetsu should investigate it.
• Obito Uchiha heard White Zetsu's report and instructed him to continue following Nagato's orders.
• Mei Terumi received the news in Kirigakure, while Ao watched her and Chojuro sat in the Mizukage's office.

Mei Terumi decided Kirigakure should stay out of the unfolding conflict and hope the other powers weakened each other. In Kumogakure, Fourth Raikage Ay learned that the village had become a target of the other ninja villages, while Shii warned that their plan had developed a loophole and they still knew little about the Artisan Ninja Village’s ultimate weapon.

• Mei Terumi said Kirigakure could not get involved and hoped the conflict would leave rival nations weakened.
• Fourth Raikage Ay smashed his desk and demanded that Kumogakure identify whoever was plotting against it.
• Shii told Ay that only two powers were likely suspects, but said the urgent problem was a loophole in Kumogakure’s plan.
• Shii said Kumogakure knew little about the Artisan Ninja Village’s ultimate weapon and cautioned that the Four Heavenly Phenomena likely had plans of their own.

Shii advised Kumogakure to exploit rumors and rival villages’ distrust to avoid being isolated over the alleged ultimate weapon and to gain an advantage. Ay accepted the plan, then smashed through the office window to vent his frustration.

• Ay complained that the Four Heavenly Phenomena’s proposed cooperation and ultimate weapon had brought Kumogakure into trouble.
• Shii argued that the other major villages would compete for the weapon and could not sincerely unite against Kumogakure.
• Shii proposed spreading rumors, withstanding the other villages’ initial probes, and turning Kumogakure into a fair competitor while seeking to push Iwagakure into opposition.
• Ay approved Shii’s strategy and declared that Kumogakure would go to war if necessary.
• Ay charged through the glass wall to find wild beasts to vent on, while Shii complained that the office would need repairs again.
• The dispute continued to roil the shinobi world.

Hinata and her companions arrived in the Artisan Ninja Village and settled into an inn while the village remained tense from its internal conflict. Elsewhere, the Four Heavenly Phenomena gathered, with Black Eagle appearing to lead them.

• The Dawn Organization arrived in the Artisan Ninja Village disguised as wandering ninja on a bounty mission.
• Hinata and her companions found the village desolate because the conservative faction had been suppressed and its blacksmiths were afraid.
• Hinata booked five rooms at an inn for half a month, and the proprietress welcomed the group.
• Peacock, Green Snake, Brown Bear, and Black Eagle gathered in a lavish room, with Black Eagle appearing to lead the Four Heavenly Phenomena.

The Four Heavenly Phenomena learned that the Great Ninja Villages knew about their plan and were watching their every move. Black Eagle argued that they had to press on with their goal of tracing their origins because retreating would leave them at the mercy of the Great Ninja Villages.

• Peacock complained that their plan had been noticed and that scrutiny from the Great Ninja Villages made it difficult to continue.
• Black Eagle said they did not know how they had become pawns in the Great Ninja Villages’ games.
• Black Eagle argued that they could not abandon the plan because retreating would leave them with no way back and a miserable fate.
• Brown Bear agreed that they had no choice but to continue.

The Dawn Organization discussed how to obtain the Dragon Eye Retractable Sword and planned to reveal it to their Kumogakure allies as bait. Meanwhile, Hinata and her companions sat quietly in an inn room until Kurama Mutsu finished drawing and went to open the window.

• Green Snake said the four ninja tools were essential to activating the ultimate weapon and warned that seizing them could expose the plan.
• Black Eagle decided to tell the Kumogakure envoy about the Dragon Eye Retractable Sword so their allies would draw attention away from the Dawn Organization.
• Peacock cursed the conservative elders for obstructing the plan, while Green Snake amused himself with the prospect of the allies regretting their involvement.
• Wu Zhu, Kurama Mutsu, Mizuki Rei, Winter Rain, and Hinata sat quietly together in an inn room as Mutsu worked on a drawing.
• Kurama Mutsu finished drawing, packed her tools, and went to open the window.