Chapter Summaries

Hinata and her companions found the ruins of the Queen of Roran’s palace and a cavern believed to lead to the Dragon Vein. Mukade, a newly defected Sunagakure rogue ninja, arrived at the ruins, driven by Sunagakure’s decline and his own ambitions.

• Mizuki Rei froze a swarm of scorpions and shattered them, while Uchiha Sora burned another swarm with Great Fire Annihilation.
• Hinata and the others searched for the palace, using Winter Rain’s aerial view to locate the ruins.
• Winter Rain found the palace ruins, and the group gathered at a seemingly bottomless cavern nearby.
• Hinata noticed Mukade approaching, exhausted and wounded, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the ruins.
• Mukade, a recent defector from Sunagakure, had betrayed the village because it was declining and because he sought to pursue his ambitions.

Mukade reached the Dragon Vein cave using the map he had memorized, hoping to gain power and change his life. After dodging kunai, he discovered that seven uniformed people were already waiting for him.

• Mukade had stolen the Dragon Vein map from Sunagakure and defected before its pursuers could catch him.
• He headed toward the cave entrance, following the destination he had memorized from the map.
• Mukade reached the cave and felt certain the map had led him to the right place.
• Someone threw kunai at Mukade, and he dodged them with a roll across the ground.
• Mukade turned and saw seven identically dressed people watching him nearby.

Mukade realized that the Dawn organization had arrived and gave up on claiming the place, focusing instead on surviving. He offered to reveal everything he knew in exchange for his life, and Hinata finally spoke to him.

• Mukade recognized that the people before him belonged to Dawn and abandoned his plans to claim the place.
• Hinata noticed Mukade had seemed possessed until the thrown kunai brought him back to his senses.
• Mukade turned around, bowed, and asked whether they were from Dawn.
• Mukade admitted his mistake and offered to tell them everything he knew if they spared his life.
• Hinata finally spoke, which Mukade treated as an immense honor.

Hinata rejected Mukade’s information as something she already knew, and Mukade fled as Winter Rain pursued him. Jirobo and the others continued their escape, while Orochimaru endured pain in an underground chamber.

• Hinata told Mukade she already knew everything he had revealed and explained that the Dragon Vein could reverse time and space.
• Mukade tried to flee, and Hinata sent Winter Rain after him.
• Jirobo lifted the symbol-covered wooden barrel onto his back and continued the group’s escape.
• Orochimaru sat in a chair in an underground chamber, enduring pain with his eyes shut.

Orochimaru recovered from severe pain while Kabuto Yakushi warned that the Sound Four were likely being pursued by Konoha and might need support. Kimimaro volunteered to go despite Kabuto’s warning that his frail body could not withstand another battle.

• Orochimaru endured severe pain as Kabuto Yakushi waited beside him.
• Orochimaru asked whether Jirobo, Tayuya, Kidomaru, Sajin & Suigetsu had returned, and Kabuto reported that there was still no news.
• Kabuto warned Orochimaru that the Sound Four were probably being pursued by Konoha and might fail their mission without support.
• Kimimaro approached Orochimaru and volunteered to support the Sound Four.
• Kabuto cautioned Kimimaro that his recent battle with the Fourth Kazekage Rasa had overtaxed his frail body.

Kimimaro asked Orochimaru for permission to pursue Sasuke Uchiha, hoping to bring him back before his own illness killed him. Orochimaru let him go and could only hope he would return safely.

• Kimimaro understood that Kabuto Yakushi wanted to take his place but decided to act because Orochimaru needed Sasuke Uchiha.
• Orochimaru reflected on Kimimaro’s illness and asked whether he understood that leaving might mean never returning.
• Kimimaro told Orochimaru he had little time left and wanted to do one last thing for him.
• Orochimaru gave Kimimaro permission to leave and hoped he would return whole.
• Kimimaro departed, while Orochimaru murmured that it was a pity.
• The Sound Four hurried away without clearing the traces of their rest.

The Konoha Rookie Assault Squad tracked the Sound Four using Akamaru’s nose and the Byakugan. The Sound Four split up to escape, leaving Jirobo behind to hold off the rookies as Naruto demanded to know what they had done to Sasuke.

• Kiba gave Akamaru a scrap of cloth to sniff, and Akamaru picked up the Sound Four’s trail.
• Shikamaru warned the squad to stay alert, and Hinata and Neji agreed to use their Byakugan as they followed Akamaru.
• Tayuya said the Sound Four needed someone to stay behind, and Jirobo volunteered to confront the tracking squad.
• The other three Sound Four members left with the wooden barrel, while Jirobo stayed behind to fight the Konoha rookies.
• Jirobo began forming hand seals, and Naruto asked what the Sound Four had done to Sasuke.

Hinata led her group down a long staircase into the Rōran Ruins to investigate its most mysterious location. They heard footsteps below as they continued into the ancient passage.

• Jirobo hurled a massive boulder at Konoha's young elites, forcing Naruto and the others to dodge.
• Hinata decided not to wait for Winter Rain or get entangled with Naruto's group, who were still several days away.
• Hinata led her group down the wide, torchlit staircase into the ruins.
• Hinata noticed the dusty, cracked stairs had no footprints, confirming that they were on the right path.
• The group continued downward until they suddenly heard footsteps.

Hinata tried to restore the Dawn Organization’s solemn mood after Yushi’s comments derailed it. The group reached the end, and Hinata wondered what would happen since Mukade had not reached the Dragon Vein’s location.

• Yushi complained that everyone was acting gloomy, and Souji Take told him to be quiet and preserve the mood.
• Uchiha Sora called Yushi childish, while Yuka wondered why nobody was talking and Mizuki Rei stayed impassive.
• Hinata struggled to maintain her composure, and Winter Rain joined the conversation before abruptly falling silent.
• Hinata told everyone to be serious because they had reached the end, then wondered about Mukade’s failure to reach the Dragon Vein’s location.

Hinata and the group reached a vast underground hall near the sealed Dragon Vein, while she considered how their interference with the past might affect the present. When Hinata activated her Byakugan, she spotted something astonishing and called out to Ye Mo.

• Hinata reasoned that changes to the past could prevent Minato Namikaze from sealing the Dragon Vein and joked that Naruto might meet his father through their interference.
• The group reached a dim, enormous underground hall, where the sealed Dragon Vein lay beyond several doors and a corridor.
• Hinata sensed something was wrong and activated her Byakugan, seeing many astonishing things.
• Hinata immediately called out to Ye Mo.

Hinata and her companions discovered a vast army of giant black-and-white puppets after Uchiha Sora illuminated the area with a Great Fireball. The puppets awakened and targeted them, and Hinata began the fight.

• Uchiha Sora used Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique to light up the area.
• Hinata and the others saw many stone-like humanoid figures and suspected they were puppets.
• The puppets' eyes flashed, and the giant black-and-white army rose and locked onto Hinata and her companions.
• Hinata drew Ziyuan and sent purple-energy creatures charging at the puppets.

Hinata and the others fought an overwhelming horde of puppets as Ziyuan, Souji Take, Mizuki Rei, and Winter Rain joined the battle. The puppets kept replenishing their numbers, and the fighting continued as Winter Rain escaped an arrow barrage and reappeared in the distance.

• Ziyuan cleared a large stretch of the battlefield, but more puppets rushed in to fill the gap.
• Mizuki Rei and the others joined the battle and began pushing forward in different directions.
• Souji Take smashed puppets with his fists and used one as a flail to knock down more of the horde.
• Mizuki Rei froze puppets with each step and shattered them as he advanced.
• The puppets fired a barrage of arrows at Winter Rain, who transformed into sheets of paper to evade them and reappeared in the distance.

Winter Rain, Yushi, Yuka, and Uchiha Sora fought the seemingly endless puppet hordes, but Hinata eventually unleashed the Tenseigan and a Planet-Devastator to end the assault. The chapter left the battle’s outcome unseen.

• Winter Rain covered the puppets in paper and detonated it with muffled explosions.
• Yushi formed an Iron Sand Storm that ground up and scattered the puppets.
• Yuka severed the Chakra threads controlling puppets while Uchiha Sora attacked with Fire Style ninjutsu.
• Hinata called for everyone to retreat, opened the Tenseigan, and formed a two-in-one Planet-Devastator.
• Hinata hurled the Planet-Devastator at the puppets.

Uchiha Sora lit the underground hall with a Fire Style technique after Hinata’s Planet-Devastator destroyed the puppet army. Hinata led the group onward, noticing holes in the walls that might explain where the puppets came from.

• A barrier appeared over the underground hall, and flames and blinding light filled it.
• Uchiha Sora cast another Great Fireball Technique, revealing that the hall was empty of the puppet army.
• Hinata told everyone to stay close and led them onward using her Byakugan to see the path.
• Hinata noticed countless holes in the wall where the puppets might have emerged and wondered how they had been produced endlessly.

Hinata and her companions entered the next level after Souji Take smashed through its stone door, but found no apparent defenses or clues. Hinata remained focused on something as the others searched the empty chamber.

• Hinata wondered how Rōran's history had changed since Mukade's death and focused on obtaining the Dragon Vein to complete the mission.
• Hinata and the others reached the entrance to the next level after considering the puppet defenses they had overcome.
• With Hinata's permission, Souji Take smashed the stone door with one punch.
• Hinata and the others entered the chamber and found no obvious defenses.
• Hinata paused to think while the others searched the chamber for several minutes without finding anything.

Tsunade helped search the ruins of the old Hokage Building for documents destroyed when Hinata reduced it to rubble. She recovered another badly damaged document and continued clearing debris.

• The ninjas stopped investigating elsewhere and returned to Konoha to search the old Hokage Building ruins.
• The searchers sifted through the rubble to recover the vital documents stored in the building.
• Tsunade cleared debris with her immense strength and handed recovered documents to the ninjas reorganizing the Hokage Building.
• Tsunade enjoyed the physical work and decided that sitting in an office did not suit her.
• Tsunade smashed another rock and found a badly damaged document beneath it.

Tsunade found a top-secret document recording an order Hiruzen Sarutobi issued after she left Konoha and Minato Namikaze’s account of completing it. Disturbed by its contents, she returned to her office and left the document on her desk before going to inspect completed work.

• Tsunade opened a top-secret document she had found among the Hokage Building’s records.
• Tsunade read that the document concerned an order from Hiruzen Sarutobi and a mission summary by Minato Namikaze.
• Tsunade stopped reading, took the document to her office, and struggled to calm herself.
• A voice outside Tsunade’s office reported that her instructions had been completed and asked her to inspect the work.
• Tsunade left her office to inspect it.

Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame struggled to process their former friend’s rise as the leader of the Dawn Organization and her defection from Konoha. They remained caught between their loyalty to Konoha and their bonds with friends and family, with no clear resolution.

• The document on the table was titled "Loulan Destruction Plan."
• Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame met at a training ground and reflected on the former timid girl who had become the Dawn Organization’s leader and defected from Konoha.
• Kiba Inuzuka showed his troubled feelings openly, while Shino Aburame remained silent and withdrawn.
• Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame avoided acting recklessly because of their clans and families, and continued to endure their conflict of loyalties.

Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame regretted being too weak to help Hinata, but Kurenai Yuhi pushed them to train. After they left, Kurenai reflected on her pregnancy, her uncertain future, and Hinata's secret departure.

• Kiba Inuzuka asked Shino Aburame how Hinata was doing and lamented that he had been powerless to help her.
• Shino Aburame said they needed strength, and Kiba Inuzuka questioned the point of complaining instead of training.
• Kurenai Yuhi appeared and ordered Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame to get moving and train.
• After they left, Kurenai Yuhi touched her stomach and reflected that she was carrying a child and could no longer act as recklessly as before.
• Kurenai Yuhi thought about Hinata's departure, which remained secret from almost everyone.

Hinata and her companions reached the Dragon Vein’s core, where she prepared to undo Minato Namikaze’s Fuinjutsu. The chapter ended as Hinata approached the center, with the seal still intact.

• Hinata and the others passed the second line of defense and reached the core area.
• They found a deep ring-shaped pit with a stone platform at its center and a bridge connecting it to the outer rim.
• Hinata recognized the site as the true location of the Dragon Vein and set out to destroy Minato Namikaze’s Fuinjutsu.
• Hinata walked toward the center, relying on her Tenseigan state and Winter Rain’s special talent to deal with the seal.