Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Kaguya Disturbance (2)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Utatane Koharu angrily reacts to Hiruzen’s order to reclaim Rin, the Three-Tails’ Jinchūriki, from Genji’s custody. She argues that the mission is nearly impossible because Rin is under Genji’s direct protection and Konoha cannot afford to provoke him.
• Yamanaka Haiji reminds Koharu that Konoha is in a desperate position: Hidden Mist has suffered a major defeat, the Nine-Tails has disappeared, and the battle on Thoroughfare Road is unfavorable. Konoha may soon lack the leverage to negotiate peace.
• Uchiha Fugaku proposes continuing with Plan Three, an operation involving giving Rin a Genjutsu Pill to make the Three-Tails rampage inside Hidden Mist Village. The goal is to create internal chaos and force the village to abandon its mainland ambitions.
• Fugaku points out that Hidden Mist has not yet learned about the destruction of its expeditionary force. If unrest begins before the survivors return, Konoha might exploit the confusion to recover Rin.
• An alarm bell rings, signaling the assembly of all Hidden Mist shinobi. Shortly afterward, the Konoha delegation realizes that they are surrounded.
• Koharu sends Fugaku to secretly investigate what has happened in the village. He leaves without revealing his identity.
• A Hidden Mist ANBU arrives and claims that a “minor disturbance” has occurred. He announces that the delegation is to remain inside the guesthouse under guard for its own protection.
• Although Haiji protests that this amounts to house arrest, Koharu calmly cooperates and cleverly asks to summon Kakashi and Obito, allowing the Konoha group to reunite and potentially coordinate.
• The chapter ends with Koharu recognizing that the disturbance may create an unexpected opportunity.

Character Developments

• Utatane Koharu reveals both her formidable strength and her political realism. Though furious at Hiruzen’s order, she understands Konoha’s precarious position and prioritizes the village’s survival. Her calm handling of the ANBU suggests she is already considering how to exploit the situation.
• Yamanaka Haiji acts as a mediator, attempting to persuade Koharu to obey the Hokage’s orders. He is cautious and intimidated by Koharu’s anger but remains committed to Konoha’s larger interests.
• Uchiha Fugaku demonstrates strategic intelligence and initiative. He proposes reviving Plan Three and identifies the temporary information advantage Konoha possesses. His decision to investigate secretly also emphasizes his usefulness as an undercover operative.
• Kakashi and Obito do not actively participate in the chapter, but Koharu’s decision to summon them indicates that their roles may become important as the crisis develops.
• Hiruzen remains off-screen, but his desperate order reflects the increasingly severe pressure facing Konoha.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between orders and practicality: Koharu is expected to obey Hiruzen, but the mission is nearly impossible under current circumstances.
• Sacrificing morality for survival: Plan Three deliberately risks unleashing a Tailed Beast and causing chaos among civilians and shinobi, showing how war pushes Konoha toward increasingly dangerous measures.
• Political manipulation and strategic deception: Both Konoha and Hidden Mist are maneuvering through incomplete information, while Fugaku hopes to exploit the village before it learns of its military defeat.
• Crisis creating opportunity: Hidden Mist’s apparent internal disturbance may give Konoha a chance to recover Rin, despite the delegation being surrounded and confined.
• The fragility of power balances: Konoha’s weakened state, the disappearance of the Nine-Tails, and Hidden Mist’s military losses threaten to upset the balance among the major villages.

Character Interactions

• Koharu and Haiji clash over whether Hiruzen’s order can realistically be carried out, with Haiji emphasizing duty and Koharu stressing the danger of provoking Genji.
• Fugaku joins the discussion by reframing the mission: the exact method does not matter as long as Rin is recovered, making Plan Three a viable option.
• Koharu entrusts Fugaku with the dangerous task of gathering intelligence while preserving his secret identity.
• Koharu skillfully manages the confrontation with the Hidden Mist ANBU, preventing Haiji from escalating the situation and using the supposed protection order to bring Kakashi and Obito into the same location.
• The chapter closes with Koharu and the ANBU engaging in a quiet battle of intentions: the ANBU claims to be protecting the delegation, while Koharu suspects the disturbance may be useful to Konoha.

Kaguya Disturbance (3) — Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kaguya Mema leads the brutal Kaguya Clan, which has maintained semi-independence on Jiyue Island since submitting to Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura.
• Their agreement allows them to recognize the Mizukage while avoiding taxes, village missions, and direct military command. They only have to respond to deployment orders if they choose to do so.
• Hidden Mist accepted these terms because the village was weakened by earlier wars, political chaos, and the Third Mizukage’s manipulation. Yagura spent eight years rebuilding the village’s military strength.
• As the Third Shinobi World War began, ANBU Director Ao suggested using the Kaguya Clan as expendable vanguard troops in the Yuexi Peninsula campaign, weakening both the Kaguya and enemy forces.
• Mema refused, insisting that the agreement did not require the clan to obey direct orders. He claimed the clan was nearly extinct and wanted only to remain on Jiyue Island growing fruit.
• The envoy inspected the impoverished village and believed the Kaguya had very few capable fighters. Mema then asked for food in exchange for the clan’s old warships.
• Unaware of the deception, Yagura sent 400 tons of grain and took all the ships, believing he had resolved the issue and removed the Kaguya from the conflict.
• In reality, Baki and Chinoike Gaojin had hidden the clan’s young fighters and arranged for new ships to be delivered from the Yuexi Peninsula.
• While Yagura fought overseas, the Kaguya secretly landed at Boat Harbor. In only two hours, they nearly annihilated its 500 defenders and began advancing toward Hidden Mist Village.

Character Developments

• Karatachi Yagura: Shown as pragmatic and increasingly confident after rebuilding Hidden Mist’s military power. His desire to eliminate or weaken the Kaguya Clan leads him to approve Ao’s ruthless plan, but his confidence makes him vulnerable to Mema’s deception.
• Kaguya Mema: Despite his reputation as a savage brute, he demonstrates shrewdness, legal awareness, and strategic manipulation. He uses the clan’s treaty, apparent poverty, and food shortage to deceive the envoy and obtain supplies while concealing his true military strength.
• ANBU Director Ao: Displays political and military calculation by proposing that the Kaguya be used as cannon fodder during the war.
• Baki and Chinoike Gaojin: Their behind-the-scenes planning enables the Kaguya’s deception. They hide the clan’s able-bodied fighters and arrange replacement ships, turning Yagura’s supposed solution into an invasion strategy.

Significant Themes

• Deception beneath appearances: The Kaguya village appears weak and starving, but this image is deliberately constructed to mislead Hidden Mist.
• Treaties and political manipulation: Mema weaponizes the exact wording of the agreement, showing how legal restrictions can undermine military authority.
• Strategic overconfidence: Yagura believes his growing strength makes the Kaguya insignificant, causing him to underestimate them.
• Power and survival: The Kaguya’s refusal to sacrifice their remaining fighters reflects their determination to preserve the clan, while Hidden Mist’s plan treats them as expendable resources.
• Nominal unity: The Hidden Mist Archipelago is united only politically; the Kaguya remain an independent and dangerous faction beneath the surface.

Character Interactions

• The envoy attempts to persuade Mema to join the war by appealing to profit and promises of wealth, but Mema counters with the treaty and the clan’s depleted manpower.
• Mema then shifts the conversation toward famine relief, successfully persuading the envoy to trade grain for the clan’s supposedly useless ships.
• Yagura accepts the envoy’s report and unknowingly facilitates the Kaguya’s preparations.
• The final reversal reveals that the Kaguya have deceived both the envoy and Yagura: their hidden forces emerge at Boat Harbor and launch a surprise assault on Hidden Mist.

Chapter Summary: Kaguya Rebellion (4)

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Kaguya rebels launch a surprise assault on the Hidden Mist Village, infiltrating through its underground drainage pipes—routes unknown even to the village’s defenders.
• Ao Peng, the Hidden Mist’s frontline commander, organizes defenses on the walls but is forced to return to the village when fires and fighting erupt inside.
• Street combat quickly turns against the Hidden Mist forces. The Kaguya rebels’ Shikotsumyaku bones are harder than steel, and their refusal to stop fighting despite severe injuries makes them extremely difficult to kill.
• Ao Peng and the remaining Three Guardians personally join the battle, barely preventing the village’s forces from being overwhelmed.
• Ao Peng confronts Menma, a powerful Kaguya fighter. Menma transforms into a spinning ball covered in extended bone spikes, but Ao Peng counters with his Water Dragon Whip technique, repeatedly lashing him and taking control of the fight.
• From the village wall, Baki observes the battle alongside Chinoike Gaojin. They reveal that their operation caused the chaos and that Gaojin has been using genjutsu.
• Baki refuses to attack Ao Peng because he considers him honorable, moderate, and lacking in political ambition. He also decides not to pursue the Three-Tails, judging a Jinchūriki too difficult for the two of them to capture.
• Gaojin dispels the genjutsu, and Baki and Gaojin leave, believing their objective has been achieved. Unbeknownst to them, the rebellion will continue causing immense destruction and nearly bring down the Hidden Mist Village.

Character Developments

• Ao Peng: Demonstrates exceptional strength, battlefield leadership, tactical adaptability, and loyalty to the Hidden Mist. Though confused by the rebels’ unexpected infiltration, he quickly responds to the crisis and personally enters the battle. His restraint and skill allow him to counter Menma’s unusual attack.
• Menma: Is established as a dangerous Kaguya combatant with great physical strength and an inventive bone-based technique. His savage fighting style reflects the Kaguya rebels’ willingness to ignore injury and fight until death.
• Baki: Shows himself to be calculating and pragmatic. He recognizes Ao Peng’s abilities but chooses not to kill him because Ao Peng is a moderate and poses little threat. Baki also avoids unnecessary risks, abandoning the attempt to capture the Three-Tails.
• Chinoike Gaojin: Functions as Baki’s ally and genjutsu specialist. He follows Baki’s orders and ends the illusion once their mission is complete.

Significant Themes

• Brutality and fanaticism: The Kaguya rebels’ refusal to stop fighting, even after suffering fatal injuries, emphasizes their ferocity and death-driven ideology.
• Tactical surprise and hidden weaknesses: The drainage-pipe infiltration shows how concealed vulnerabilities can undermine even strong defensive structures.
• Pragmatism versus ambition: Baki’s decision to spare Ao Peng and abandon the Three-Tails reflects a preference for achievable goals over reckless conquest.
• Chaos beyond anyone’s control: Baki believes the operation is finished, but the rebellion’s consequences are far greater than he anticipates, suggesting that political violence can rapidly escape its instigators’ control.
• Strength and adaptation: Ao Peng’s ability to use his water technique creatively against Menma demonstrates that victory depends not only on power but also on tactical improvisation.

Important Character Interactions

• Ao Peng and the Kaguya rebels: Their battle highlights the clash between Ao Peng’s disciplined defense and the rebels’ reckless, overwhelming aggression.
• Ao Peng and Menma: Menma’s direct assault forces Ao Peng to adapt rather than meet bone against bone. Ao Peng uses the Water Dragon Whip to turn Menma’s spinning attack into a disadvantage.
• Baki and Chinoike Gaojin: Their conversation reveals their shared involvement in the attack and their differing attitudes toward the battle. Gaojin is curious about continuing to watch or escalating the operation, while Baki remains focused on withdrawing safely.
• Baki and Ao Peng: Although they are enemies, Baki respects Ao Peng’s character and past association, choosing not to target him personally.

Chapter Summary: “Kaguya Disturbance (5)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As fighting erupts throughout Kirigakure, Utatane Koharu realizes that the village is in the midst of a major crisis. The Leaf delegation, stationed near the Mizukage Building, gathers in one room for safety and begins considering whether to exploit the chaos.
• Koharu develops a plan to seize the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, Rin, and return her to Konohagakure. She confirms that their ship is still available at the harbor, giving them a possible escape route.
• Changing into her old combat uniform and drawing her sword, Koharu reveals her readiness to fight despite her age. She invokes Tobirama’s teaching that ninjas must suppress emotion and make decisive choices.
• She formally announces the mission: rescue Rin and bring her back to the Leaf. The mission is extremely dangerous, but every member of the delegation accepts it. Koharu promises an immediate promotion and an S-Rank mission bonus upon success.
• Uchiha Obito is especially excited by the possibility of promotion, while both he and Kakashi are overjoyed at the prospect of freeing Rin from the Mist Village and the threat connected to the “pill.”
• Uchiha Fugaku returns after dealing with the ANBU guarding the inn. He confirms that the Kaguya Clan has rebelled and that the insurgents are advancing toward the Mizukage Building.
• Koharu initially wants to move immediately toward Genji Mansion, where Rin is being held, but Fugaku advises waiting until dawn. He explains that the mansion is defended by roughly two hundred ninjas, including powerful ANBU, making a direct assault suicidal.
• Fugaku’s strategy is to let the fighting continue through the night, weakening the Mist forces and destabilizing the current stalemate. He proposes killing Ao Peng, a junior Mist advisor, to further disrupt the balance and force the mansion’s defenders into action.

Character Developments

• Utatane Koharu shifts from calculating elder to active battlefield commander. Her return to combat demonstrates hidden strength, confidence, and renewed determination. She is willing to risk the delegation’s lives for the mission but offers them a choice before securing their commitment.
• Uchiha Obito remains impulsive and visibly emotional, but his enthusiasm reflects his deep concern for Rin and his ambition to rise in rank.
• Kakashi continues to act as the restrained and practical counterbalance to Obito, silently supporting the mission while controlling Obito’s inappropriate remarks.
• Uchiha Fugaku demonstrates strategic intelligence and leadership. Rather than acting recklessly, he investigates the enemy’s defenses and formulates a plan based on attrition and political destabilization.
• The Leaf delegation displays discipline and loyalty by unanimously accepting a mission that may cost them their lives.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal emotion: Koharu emphasizes Tobirama’s doctrine of abandoning emotion to make wise decisions, though Obito and Kakashi’s concern for Rin shows that personal bonds remain a powerful motivation.
• Risk and sacrifice: The mission requires the delegation to sever relations with Kirigakure and potentially die in enemy territory.
• Strategy over strength: Fugaku recognizes that a direct attack cannot succeed and instead relies on timing, attrition, and creating internal disorder.
• Hope amid chaos: The rebellion provides the Leaf with a rare opportunity to rescue Rin, transforming Kirigakure’s crisis into both a danger and a chance for liberation.
• Authority and ambition: Koharu’s promised promotions motivate the delegation, particularly Obito, while also highlighting the importance of rank within the ninja system.

Character Interactions

• Koharu takes command of the delegation and privately instructs Wu Qiu to prepare their ship.
• Obito makes an admiring comment about Koharu’s ability to fight, prompting Kakashi to silence him, though Koharu responds with amusement rather than anger.
• Koharu inspires the group with a stern speech and secures their commitment through both duty and rewards.
• Fugaku challenges Koharu’s impulse to attack immediately and persuades her to wait, establishing himself as the mission’s tactical planner.
• Koharu and Fugaku ultimately agree that the first step in weakening Kirigakure’s defenses is to assassinate Ao Peng.

Chapter Summary: Kaguya Rebellion (6)

Key Plot Points and Events

• As dawn breaks after a night of rioting, Ao surveys Kirigakure from the Mizukage Building. The streets are filled with bodies, with Hidden Mist casualties greatly outnumbering those of the Kaguya rebels.
• An ANBU named Ji Shuohengta suggests deploying the Genji Mansion guards to end the rebellion. Ao becomes suspicious, questioning how the Kaguya forces entered the village through secret drainage passages known only to senior officials.
• Ao concludes that an internal traitor must have assisted the rebels, possibly in cooperation with an outside force. He finds it especially strange that the attackers are concentrating on the Mizukage Building instead of assaulting Genji Mansion, which houses the Three-Tails’ jinchūriki and is Kirigakure’s true strategic weak point.
• Ao suspects a hidden third force is waiting for an opportunity to attack Genji Mansion but lacks the manpower to defeat its two hundred defenders. He decides to expose this force by sending a secret message to Lord Genji through Ji Shuohengta.
• Ao secretly orders another ninja to follow Ji Shuohengta. If the message reaches Genji, the watcher is to remain hidden; if Ji gives it to anyone else, the watcher is instructed to kill him.
• The hidden third force is revealed to be an eighteen-person team from the Hidden Leaf, which has been waiting outside Genji Mansion for the defenders to move. Their presence resulted from a chain of coincidences rather than a single mastermind.
• Uchiha Fugaku prepares to assassinate Ao Peng, while Utatane Koharu waits for the Genji Mansion forces to be drawn away before beginning their operation.
• Fugaku and Kakashi intercept Ji Shuohengta and Ao’s pursuing spy, capturing both alive. Koharu examines the sealed scroll and discovers a way to open it without breaking the rubber seal.
• Recognizing that the message may create the opening they need, Koharu cancels Fugaku’s assassination mission and orders him to interrogate the captives. Fugaku uses his Sharingan to intimidate Ji Shuohengta, who immediately breaks down in fear.

Character Developments

• Ao demonstrates strong strategic awareness and caution. He correctly identifies the drainage-pipe breach as evidence of internal betrayal and recognizes Genji Mansion as more important than the Mizukage Building. He also becomes increasingly paranoid, suspecting multiple layers of deception.
• Ji Shuohengta is placed under suspicion despite claiming loyalty to Kirigakure. His nervous reaction and capture suggest he may be more vulnerable or compromised than he appears.
• Uchiha Fugaku is portrayed as a capable operative, trusted with assassination and interrogation. His Sharingan allows him to overpower Ji psychologically with little effort.
• Utatane Koharu displays technical expertise and composure by carefully opening the scroll without triggering or damaging its seal. She quickly adapts the Leaf team’s plans when the intercepted message creates a better opportunity.
• Kakashi acts efficiently as part of the interception team, helping capture both the messenger and his pursuer.
• The Hidden Leaf team is shown to be patient and disciplined, remaining hidden until Kirigakure’s internal movements provide an opening.

Significant Themes

• Paranoia and hidden agendas: Ao recognizes that the rebellion may be only a distraction masking a larger plot.
• Strategic priorities: The chapter emphasizes that military victories depend on protecting vital assets—especially the Three-Tails’ jinchūriki—rather than preserving ordinary personnel.
• Coincidence versus conspiracy: Ao assumes every event has a mastermind, while the narration reveals that the Leaf team’s involvement emerged through chance and accumulated circumstances.
• Deception and counterintelligence: Secret messages, surveillance, concealed alliances, and careful examination of seals dominate the chapter.
• Patience and timing: Both Ao and the Leaf team wait for the right moment, attempting to manipulate enemy movements instead of relying on direct force.

Important Character Interactions

• Ao questions Ji Shuohengta about his origins and motives, subtly testing whether he is a spy.
• Ao gives Ji the sealed message for Genji while secretly ordering another ninja to monitor him, creating a contest of loyalty and surveillance.
• Koharu and Fugaku coordinate their assault strategy: Fugaku is to kill Ao Peng while Koharu attacks once the Genji Mansion guards move.
• Fugaku and Kakashi capture both Ji Shuohengta and Ao’s tailing ninja, turning Ao’s counterintelligence plan against him.
• Koharu examines and opens the message, then redirects Fugaku from assassination to interrogation.
• Fugaku’s threatening use of the Sharingan causes Ji Shuohengta to panic, setting up the discovery of Kirigakure’s internal situation.

Chapter Summary: “Kaguya Disturbance (7)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Fugaku, disguised as ANBU Chunin Ji Shuohengta, enters Genji Mansion carrying a secret letter from Director Ao for Lord Genji.
• Genji, whose right hand remains weakened from an old stroke, opens and reads the message before burning it. He confirms that Ao has instructed Ji to follow his orders.
• Genji receives an update on the war: the Kaguya Clan has advanced to the Mizukage Building line, but Ao Peng has stabilized the front. The battle is stalemated, with heavy casualties.
• Genji orders A-Ming to move Rin to Safe House Number Four with twenty ninja. However, Rin is in a deep coma and appears to be trapped in a genjutsu despite having had no contact with anyone.
• Realizing that the incident may indicate infiltration within Genji Mansion, Genji concludes that Ao’s warning was correct: the mansion is no longer secure.
• Genji orders A-Ming to evacuate Rin through the back gate and personally accompanies the group. He commands Tetsuya to lead the remaining ANBU—roughly two hundred ninja—to reinforce the front and annihilate the Kaguya forces.
• During the evacuation, Fugaku observes Rin closely and considers examining her, suspecting that her condition may be significant. He secretly drops a piece of tumbleweed, a clue revealing his identity and origin.
• The narration confirms that Ao’s original message was intercepted by Utatane Koharu, meaning Safe House Number Four is compromised. The reduced escort makes it much easier for Fugaku to attempt to “rescue” Rin, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki.
• After two hours, the group reaches a fortified, three-story cylindrical tower. Fugaku surveys the escorts and considers eliminating one of them before the next stage of his plan.

Character Developments

• Genji: Demonstrates caution, decisiveness, and growing suspicion. He recognizes the possibility of an internal enemy and responds by splitting his forces between Rin’s evacuation and the battlefield. His anger and urgency reveal how seriously he views the security breach.
• Ji Shuohengta/Uchiha Fugaku: Maintains his disguise while carefully gathering information. He remains calculating and opportunistic, using the compromised evacuation plan to improve his chances of taking Rin. His dropped tumbleweed leaf hints at his true identity and covert agenda.
• Rin: Her unexplained coma and apparent genjutsu make her condition a central mystery. Her involuntary movements and distressed murmuring suggest that she is experiencing a disturbing mental or chakra-related ordeal.
• A-Ming: Acts as Rin’s escort and caretaker, remaining close to her and tying her to the stretcher to prevent her from moving. She is startled by Genji’s decision but follows his orders.
• Tetsuya: Obeys Genji’s command to reinforce the front, taking the larger ANBU force away from the evacuation group.
• Ao: Although absent, his judgment proves important, as Genji realizes that the mansion’s security has likely been compromised.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and infiltration: The apparent genjutsu affecting Rin and the compromised safe house suggest that enemies are operating within or around Genji’s organization.
• Deception and hidden identities: Fugaku’s disguise allows him to move freely among the ANBU while secretly pursuing his own mission.
• War-driven urgency: The ongoing battle forces Genji to act despite the danger, delaying Rin’s treatment and prioritizing immediate military objectives.
• Strategic manipulation: The intercepted message and altered circumstances turn a large security operation into a smaller, more vulnerable escort—greatly benefiting Fugaku.
• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Nearly every action carries a second meaning, from Genji’s cryptic metaphor about the sea to Rin’s mysterious condition and Fugaku’s silent observations.

Character Interactions

• Genji questions Ji about his history under Suikazan Fuguki and speaks cryptically about streams and the sea, possibly probing his loyalty.
• Genji consults A-Ming about Rin’s condition, becoming alarmed when she reports signs of genjutsu.
• Genji gives opposing orders to A-Ming and Tetsuya: one group must evacuate Rin while the other joins the battle.
• Fugaku remains outwardly obedient while internally analyzing Rin, the guards, and the possibility of reducing the escort before making his move.

Chapter Summary: Kaguya Disturbance (8)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Fugaku, disguised as Ji Shuohengta, surveys Kirigakure Safe House Number Four while secretly assessing its defenses.
• Genji suddenly confronts him and uses the Ninja Art: Flower Pinching Without Words: Immovable Wisdom King to paralyze him.
• Genji dispels Fugaku’s Transformation Technique, exposing him as a member of the Uchiha Clan. Fugaku is blindfolded and held under Genji’s technique.
• Although A-Ming suggests killing him, Genji spares Fugaku because of his past contributions during the Yeming Rebellion. However, Genji jokingly threatens to remove his Sharingan as punishment for conspiring against Kirigakure.
• Genji reveals that Fugaku was not his original target. He had intended to expose and deal with the real Ji Shuohengta, who belonged to Suikazan Fuguki’s Tiger Shark organization.
• Genji explains that Kirigakure’s internal factional conflicts have led him to suspect both Fuguki and the Hidden Leaf’s involvement. He correctly guesses that Elder Utatane Koharu is behind the current operation.
• He reveals how he identified Fugaku: Fugaku helped open a sealed scroll without hesitation, despite Genji’s reputation for being unable to use his right hand properly. Genji had deliberately used this request as a test, knowing the real Ji Shuohengta would not have dared to assist him.
• As Genji finishes explaining his deductions, Hidden Leaf ninja attack the safe house. Genji orders A-Ming to hold them off, confident that Tetsuya’s main force will soon arrive.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Fugaku: His confidence collapses after being exposed and completely restrained by Genji. He becomes anxious about losing his life and Sharingan, while also recognizing the danger posed by Genji’s intelligence and hidden strength.
• Genji: Revealed to be far more perceptive, powerful, and ruthless than his harmless old-man persona suggests. He combines careful observation, psychological testing, political awareness, and decisive action.
• A-Ming: Acts as Genji’s subordinate, questioning whether Fugaku should be restrained or killed and carrying out Genji’s orders.
• Utatane Koharu: Though absent, she is identified by Genji as the likely mastermind behind the Hidden Leaf’s involvement.
• Ji Shuohengta and Suikazan Fuguki: Their connection to the Tiger Shark organization becomes important, exposing the factional struggles within Kirigakure.

Significant Themes

• Deception and detection: Fugaku’s disguise and mental interrogation are defeated by a tiny behavioral mistake rather than a direct contest of abilities.
• Appearances versus reality: Genji’s frail, amiable image conceals formidable power and ruthless political judgment.
• Internal factional conflict: Kirigakure’s instability is driven not only by outside enemies but also by rival organizations and ambitious leaders within the village.
• Power and punishment: Genji distinguishes between sparing Fugaku’s life and forgiving his actions, emphasizing that political betrayal still demands consequences.
• Intelligence through observation: Genji demonstrates that seemingly insignificant details—such as who dares to open a scroll—can reveal an infiltrator’s true identity.

Character Interactions

• Genji interrogates and psychologically pressures Fugaku while pretending to casually discuss the safe house’s history.
• Fugaku questions Genji about how he discovered the disguise, prompting Genji to explain his deliberate test.
• A-Ming repeatedly consults Genji about restraining or killing Fugaku, showing Genji’s authority over the group.
• Genji speculates about Fugaku’s connection to Koharu and the Hidden Leaf operation, while also criticizing Kirigakure figures such as Fuguki and Ao.
• The chapter ends with Genji directing A-Ming’s defense against the attacking Hidden Leaf forces.

Chapter Summary: Kaguya Rebellion (9)

Plot and key events

Uchiha Fugaku realizes that Genji’s calm confidence is not arrogance but evidence of a hidden plan. By recalling Genji’s rhythmic cane tapping and examining the safe house’s fortress-like design, Fugaku deduces that the supposed reinforcement operation is actually a counter-encirclement intended to trap the Hidden Leaf delegation inside. Fugaku and the seventeen Leaf ninja are effectively immobilized, while Genji’s forces prepare to surround and capture them.
Fugaku attempts to justify the Leaf’s actions by denying responsibility for the Kaguya Clan rebellion, appealing to the alliance between the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Mist, and explaining that the Three-Tails was stolen because the Nine-Tails has gone missing and the Leaf’s defenses are weakened. Genji rejects each argument, insisting that the Mist has enough military strength to survive independently.
A-Ming reports that the Leaf forces have breached the outer defenses, but Genji remains confident that the safe house’s layered structure will contain them until reinforcements arrive. Fugaku then reveals that the Hidden Mist army may have suffered a devastating defeat at Coin Port, with most troops dead and the Fourth Mizukage missing. Genji dismisses this as a lie, but Fugaku proposes contacting Yamanaka Haiji and Jiraiya to verify it. As Mist reinforcements arrive outside, Genji threatens Fugaku and demands the truth.

Character developments

• Uchiha Fugaku demonstrates sharp tactical insight by deciphering Genji’s coded signals and recognizing the trap. Though initially desperate and physically helpless, he adapts by using political and military information to negotiate for his life and the Leaf delegation’s survival.
• Genji is revealed as highly calculating, confident, and ruthless. He uses deception, a carefully designed defensive position, and psychological pressure to control the situation. His confidence begins to waver only when Fugaku claims the Mist army has been nearly destroyed.
• A-Ming functions as Genji’s field informant, reporting the progress of the Leaf assault and reinforcing the sense that Genji’s operation is being actively coordinated.

Significant themes

• Deception and coded communication: Genji’s cane tapping conceals his true orders, emphasizing the importance of understanding a village’s secret “language.”
• Strategy versus brute force: The safe house’s structure and Genji’s layered retreat plan show how preparation can neutralize a stronger attacking force.
• Political distrust and shifting alliances: Fugaku appeals to friendship and mutual danger, but Genji treats the Leaf’s actions as betrayal and self-interest.
• Information as power: The uncertain fate of the Nine-Tails, Three-Tails, Mist army, and Fourth Mizukage becomes more important than direct combat.
• Psychological warfare: Both men attempt to intimidate and manipulate the other, with Fugaku using alarming intelligence and Genji using threats and physical control.

Character interactions

The central conflict is the tense exchange between Fugaku and Genji. Fugaku tries several arguments—denial, appeals to alliance, strategic necessity, and warnings about the Mist’s vulnerability—but Genji counters each one mockingly and aggressively. Their confrontation becomes more serious when Fugaku reports the possible destruction of the Mist army, forcing Genji to reconsider the situation. The chapter ends with external reinforcements arriving and Genji tightening his hold on Fugaku while demanding the truth.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hidden Leaf assault team’s attempt to seize the Hidden Mist safe house and rescue the Three-Tails Jinchūriki fails. Seven Leaf ninja and ten Mist guards are killed, while roughly two hundred Mist ninja surround the building.
• Genji, an older but still highly capable Hidden Mist leader, defeats the Leaf forces’ momentum and has Kakashi, Utatane Koharu, and the others captured. Koharu realizes that Genji’s supposed illness and retirement had caused her to underestimate him.
• Genji reveals that he knows about the events at Coin Port and demands to speak with Jiraiya. Yamanaka Haiji is brought upstairs, allowing Genji to access information through his mind.
• After learning the truth, Genji is devastated that ten years of planning have been ruined. The Mist ninja react with shock and fury upon realizing the scale of the village’s losses, with more than half of its ten thousand ninja apparently dead.
• Koharu attempts to justify her actions and proposes cooperation between the Leaf and Mist against Sunagakure and the Hidden Cloud. Genji rejects her appeal, blaming the Leaf for dragging the Mist into the war.
• Genji orders the captured Leaf ninja executed. Several are beheaded, while Kakashi is restrained and unable to protect Obito.
• As Obito faces death, his Sharingan evolves from two tomoe to three, apparently freezing or influencing the executioner’s movement.
• Rin, the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, suddenly begins an uncontrolled Tailed Beast Transformation. Red chakra surrounds her, a tail emerges, and her body begins changing.
• Recognizing the danger, Genji orders everyone to flee. The Mist forces escape downstairs, while Koharu frees Fugaku and orders the remaining Leaf ninja to release one another.

Character Developments

• Utatane Koharu: Acknowledges that age and years away from battle have weakened her, but remains politically calculating. Even when captured, she tries to turn the crisis into an opportunity for Leaf–Mist cooperation.
• Genji: Revealed to be far more formidable than expected. His grief and resentment over the Mist’s losses overwhelm his usual composure, driving him to order the Leaf prisoners’ executions.
• Obito: Experiences his first true confrontation with death. His terror triggers the emergence of his third Sharingan tomoe, marking an important step in his development.
• Rin: Loses control of the Three-Tails’ power, transforming from a captive into the source of an imminent disaster.
• Kakashi: Shows desperation and helplessness as he struggles unsuccessfully to save Obito.
• Fugaku: Remains blindfolded and captured until Koharu frees him during the evacuation.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of war: The Mist’s enormous casualties create grief, bitterness, and a desire for revenge against the Leaf.
• Misjudgment and hidden strength: Koharu’s underestimation of Genji demonstrates the danger of judging people by age, illness, or apparent retirement.
• Political manipulation and survival: Koharu tries to reshape the situation diplomatically, while Genji’s reaction shows how quickly political strategy can collapse under personal loss.
• Power emerging through trauma: Obito’s Sharingan evolves under the pressure of imminent death, while Rin’s sealed power erupts uncontrollably.
• The unpredictability of catastrophe: Just as the Leaf prisoners are about to be executed, Rin’s transformation changes the entire situation and threatens everyone present.

Character Interactions

• Genji and Koharu engage in a tense exchange shaped by old familiarity, mutual respect, and deep political hostility.
• Genji uses Haiji to obtain information, then confronts Koharu over the Leaf’s role in the Mist’s suffering.
• Koharu appeals to Genji for cooperation, but he rejects her and orders the Leaf forces killed.
• Kakashi struggles against the Mist guards to save Obito, while Obito’s awakened Sharingan interrupts his execution.
• Obito reacts in shock to Rin’s transformation, and Genji immediately recognizes the danger and orders a retreat.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage (2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Koharu, Kakashi, Obito, Fugaku, and their companions retreat through the safe house as the Three-Tails begins rampaging. Lava from A-Ming’s Lava Release blocks the front entrance, while the building shakes under the beast’s immense power.
• Kakashi proposes using Explosive Tags to break through the wall, but Koharu warns that the blast could kill everyone inside. When the structure begins collapsing, the group uses twenty tags anyway.
• Obito takes the Explosive Tags from Kakashi and sacrifices himself by placing them near the wall, ordering Kakashi to survive and rescue Rin. The explosion creates an opening, allowing the others to escape.
• The safe house is crushed flat by the Three-Tails, which remains enraged and apparently unable to notice the escaping shinobi because of its poor eyesight and the opening’s position in its blind spot.
• In the forest, Genji orders part of the Mist force to support Ao Peng while he, A-Ming, and thirty ninja attempt to lure the Three-Tails away from the village. He threatens anyone who reveals the Mizukage’s defeat.
• The surviving Konoha shinobi retreat farther into the woods, exhausted and injured. Koharu distributes chakra-enhancing pills, but Kakashi initially remains numb from Obito’s apparent death until Koharu forces him to regain focus.
• Koharu discovers that the genjutsu pill Kakashi was carrying had been replaced. She concludes that a hidden third faction has been manipulating events, possibly the Tiger Shark Organization.
• The group theorizes that this faction is exploiting both the Three-Tails’ rampage and the Kaguya clan rebellion to weaken Kirigakure’s ruling forces. Despite the danger, Koharu believes the chaos may provide an opportunity to rescue the Three-Tails’ jinchūriki.

Character Developments

• Obito demonstrates self-sacrificing courage, choosing to remain behind so Kakashi can escape and continue the mission to rescue Rin.
• Kakashi is emotionally devastated and briefly becomes unresponsive after Obito’s sacrifice. Koharu’s harsh reminder of the mission, Rin, and Obito’s final command restores his determination.
• Koharu acts decisively as both strategist and leader. She evaluates the danger of the explosives, keeps the group moving, provides recovery pills, and investigates the mystery surrounding the altered medication.
• Genji reveals a ruthless, authoritarian side by threatening his subordinates while taking command of the effort to contain the Three-Tails.
• A-Ming, previously identified as a Lava Release user, participates in the attempt to draw the Three-Tails away from Kirigakure.
• Fugaku contributes analytical insight, suggesting that the unseen faction may have evaded even his Sharingan.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and duty: Obito’s decision to stay behind emphasizes the willingness to die for comrades and for the mission.
• The emotional cost of warfare: Kakashi’s shock shows how personal loss can momentarily overwhelm even a disciplined shinobi.
• Manipulation and conspiracy: The switched pill suggests that the protagonists have been watched and influenced by a powerful hidden faction.
• Political exploitation of chaos: The Three-Tails’ rampage and internal rebellion are being used to destabilize Kirigakure and possibly seize control of its government.
• Hope amid disaster: Although the situation appears catastrophic, Koharu recognizes that the disorder may create the only chance to rescue the jinchūriki.

Character Interactions

• Obito and Kakashi clash over who should place the Explosive Tags, with Obito overpowering Kakashi and insisting that he survive.
• Koharu physically and verbally jolts Kakashi out of his grief, reminding him that abandoning the mission would make Obito’s sacrifice meaningless.
• Koharu questions Kakashi about the genjutsu pill, then compares his account with the altered bottle and identifies evidence of outside interference.
• Fugaku and Koharu jointly reason through the possible identity and motives of the hidden enemy, while Kakashi silently withholds his knowledge that he had discarded the original pill.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage (3)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Three-Tails, Isobu, stops its initial rampage and begins moving toward the Hidden Mist Village, which is already engaged in a rebellion-related battle.
• Genji orders A-Ming and her squad to divert the beast and prevent it from reaching the village.
• A-Ming climbs onto Isobu’s head and uses Boil Release: Clever Mist Technique, spraying corrosive mist into its eyes. The attack injures and enrages the beast.
• The Mist ninja wrap chains around Isobu’s head. When it begins forming a Tailed Beast Bomb aimed at the village, A-Ming waits until the last moment before ordering the team to pull.
• The chains redirect the Tailed Beast Bomb, causing it to blast apart a distant hill instead of striking the village.
• Isobu retaliates, forcing the ninja to scatter. Although its movements initially seem slow, Utatane Koharu warns that the beast possesses a dangerous land-based technique.
• Isobu activates Shadow Isobu, curling into its shell and transforming into a massive, spiked rolling weapon. It pursues individual ninja with relentless accuracy and crushes several of them to death.
• Fugaku and Koharu determine that Isobu is likely being controlled by an outside force, since its targeting and tactics are too precise for the beast itself.
• Koharu concludes that the controller may be connected to the organization using Genjutsu Pills, possibly through a spy in the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Because exhausting Isobu’s chakra is impractical, Koharu proposes freeing Rin from the illusion controlling her. She instructs Fugaku to approach Isobu and attempt to break the genjutsu through Rin.

Character Developments

• A-Ming demonstrates courage, tactical intelligence, and composure under extreme danger. She successfully coordinates the chain maneuver and saves the village from the Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Genji acts as a decisive commander, quickly recognizing the threat Isobu poses to the Hidden Mist Village and organizing the defensive response.
• Uchiha Fugaku initially underestimates Isobu’s danger, believing its slow movement makes it manageable. After witnessing its rolling technique, he shifts to analyzing the beast’s behavior and seeking a solution.
• Utatane Koharu serves as the group’s knowledgeable strategist. She understands Isobu’s abilities, recognizes the signs of external control, and develops the plan to rescue Rin.
• The Hidden Mist ninja display discipline and bravery but suffer heavy casualties as Isobu’s Shadow Isobu technique overwhelms their evasive tactics.
• Rin remains central to the conflict despite not acting directly; her apparent role as the vessel through which the illusion is maintained makes freeing her the key to stopping Isobu.

Significant Themes

• The danger of underestimating power: Isobu’s slow movement disguises its devastating abilities, emphasizing that a powerful enemy cannot be judged by one apparent weakness.
• Strategy versus brute force: A-Ming’s timing and coordination briefly counter the beast’s overwhelming strength, while Koharu recognizes that direct attrition will ultimately fail.
• Control and manipulation: Isobu’s unnatural precision suggests that the true threat is not only the Tailed Beast but also the unseen person controlling it.
• Sacrifice and survival: The Mist ninja risk and lose their lives to delay Isobu, highlighting the terrible cost of defending the village.
• The importance of timing and teamwork: The successful redirection of the Tailed Beast Bomb depends on A-Ming’s patience and the synchronized effort of thirty ninja.

Character Interactions

• Genji gives A-Ming direct orders, trusting her to lead the diversion team.
• A-Ming commands the Mist ninja throughout the attack, coordinating both the acidic mist assault and the chain maneuver.
• Fugaku and Koharu debate Isobu’s capabilities, with Koharu correcting Fugaku’s initial assessment.
• Fugaku relies on Koharu’s knowledge to understand the beast’s technique and later receives the dangerous task of reaching Isobu and freeing Rin.
• Koharu and Fugaku work together as observers and strategists while the Hidden Mist forces bear the brunt of Isobu’s attacks.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage (4)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Genji intervenes before Uchiha Fugaku can approach the Three-Tails and cast a genjutsu.
• He activates the Blood Maitreya Technique, causing his frail body to transform into a towering, muscular form surrounded by blue energy.
• Utatane Koharu identifies the technique as the legendary secret art of the Hidden Mist’s First Mizukage, Byakuren.
• Genji attacks the Three-Tails with overwhelming physical strength, repeatedly kicking and launching the enormous beast through the air.
• After weakening the Three-Tails, Genji orders A-Ming to restore the Jinchūriki’s chakra so she will survive the sealing process.
• Genji begins a sealing technique called “Azure Kang Seal, Mighty Heavenly Dragon.” The Azure Dragon tattoo on his back detaches and becomes a dragon-shaped sealing formula that flies toward the Three-Tails.

Character Developments

• Genji: Reveals himself as far more powerful than his elderly, frail appearance suggested. He is willing to risk his life and worsen his previous medical condition to save the Hidden Mist Village. His use of the Blood Maitreya Technique shows both his mastery and desperation.
• Uchiha Fugaku: Is shocked by Genji’s transformation and strength, gaining a new appreciation for the Hidden Mist elder’s capabilities.
• Utatane Koharu: Demonstrates her knowledge of the Blood Maitreya Technique and explains its connection to Byakuren, though she does not fully understand its mechanics.
• A-Ming: Initially freezes in astonishment at Genji’s transformation but quickly obeys his orders and prepares to support the Jinchūriki.
• The Three-Tails: Despite its enormous size and power, it is temporarily overwhelmed and physically controlled by Genji.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and duty: Genji knowingly risks another stroke or death because protecting the village takes priority over his own survival.
• Hidden strength: Genji’s transformation emphasizes the contrast between outward appearance and true ability.
• The dangers of power: The Blood Maitreya Technique grants immense strength but consumes blood, strains the heart, raises blood pressure, and can be fatal.
• Tradition and legacy: The technique connects Genji to the First Mizukage and the Hidden Mist’s lost history.
• Life versus victory: Genji insists that the Jinchūriki must be kept alive, showing that defeating the Three-Tails is not enough—the people involved must also be saved.

Character Interactions

• Fugaku and Koharu observe Genji’s transformation and discuss the origins and risks of his technique.
• Genji directly commands A-Ming to support the weakened Jinchūriki, and A-Ming accepts the responsibility.
• Genji confronts the Three-Tails alone, using a series of devastating kicks to dominate it.
• The chapter ends with Genji initiating the sealing process, setting up the battle’s decisive moment.

Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage (5)”

Key plot events

The chapter explains the origins and weaknesses of Jinchūriki seals. After the Sage of Six Paths divided the Ten-Tails’ chakra into nine Tailed Beasts, later humans developed sealing techniques to imprison those beasts inside people. However, seals depend on the Jinchūriki’s chakra and lifespan, making moments such as death, childbirth, or psychological collapse extremely dangerous.
Orochimaru exploited this weakness through the Genjutsu Pill, which destabilizes a Jinchūriki’s mind and releases their darkest emotions. Rin, already struggling with the drug’s effects, loses control when she witnesses Obito about to be executed. Her seal collapses, allowing the Three-Tails to rampage.
Genji uses his secret technique, the Mighty Heavenly Dragon, actually an advanced sealing formula called the Azure Kang Seal that was carved into his body by the First Mizukage. The technique successfully extracts and reseals the Three-Tails, returning it to Rin’s unconscious human form, but the immense chakra cost severely ages and debilitates Genji.
After A-Ming stabilizes Rin, Koharu leads Fugaku, Kakashi, and Haiji away. Unexpectedly, surviving Hidden Mist ninja attack them. Koharu responds brutally, killing one with her Fire Blade Technique and declaring that anyone who obstructs her will die.

Character developments

• Rin is overwhelmed by fear and inner darkness, showing how psychological trauma can make a Jinchūriki vulnerable. She survives, but remains unconscious and severely endangered.
• Genji sacrifices much of his remaining life to save Rin and contain the Three-Tails. His physical collapse emphasizes both his loyalty and the cost of protecting others.
• A-Ming demonstrates deep devotion to Genji, obeying his final instructions despite her distress and successfully treating Rin.
• Koharu remains composed and decisive during the crisis, then reveals a ruthless, formidable side in combat.
• Kakashi reacts emotionally to Rin’s apparent rescue, but Koharu restrains him until it is safe to approach her.
• Orochimaru is characterized as exploitative and unconcerned with the psychological harm his experiments cause.

Significant themes

• The chapter explores the dangerous imbalance between humans and Tailed Beasts, whose near-immortal chakra vastly outlasts human bodies.
• It emphasizes the fragility of control, showing that seals can fail through death, exhaustion, or emotional collapse.
• It also highlights the moral cost of using people as tools, particularly through Orochimaru’s Genjutsu Pill and his disregard for Jinchūriki suffering.
• Sacrifice and duty are central: Genji knowingly spends his remaining life to save Rin, while A-Ming and the Konoha team continue fighting despite the chaos.

Character interactions

Genji entrusts A-Ming with saving Rin even as he collapses, and she follows his command through her grief. Kakashi tries to reach Rin, but Koharu stops him until the sealing process is complete. Once Rin is stabilized, Koharu, Fugaku, Kakashi, and Haiji coordinate their escape, only to confront the Hidden Mist forces. Koharu’s violent counterattack establishes her dominance and shifts the group from rescue to direct combat.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Tails Rampage (6)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After fighting the Three-Tails for half a day, the exhausted Hidden Mist ninjas are overwhelmed when the rested Hidden Leaf team enters the battle after using Chakra Amplification Potions.
• A-Ming, nearly out of chakra and stamina, makes a final desperate attack with Lava Release: Lava Spit Technique, striking Yamanaka Haiji in the face and apparently killing him.
• She attempts to attack Uchiha Fugaku with Boil Release, but Fugaku traps her in a genjutsu through eye contact, causing her to faint.
• Utatane Koharu orders the Leaf team to retreat toward Boat Harbor. Kakashi carries Rin while Koharu and Fugaku hold off the pursuing Mist ninjas.
• Fugaku worries that their official ship is unusable because it is being cleaned, but Koharu reveals that she had secretly arranged another escape vessel through Wu Qiu.
• The Leaf group successfully kills the pursuing Hidden Mist ANBU and escapes before Ao can discover their movements.
• Meanwhile, the Kaguya Clan rebellion continues after a full day and night of fighting. Both sides suffer enormous casualties, but the arrival of more than 170 ANBU under Genji begins turning the battle against the rebels.
• Ao, having preserved most of his strength, receives Genji’s guards and takes command of them. He orders a diagonal assault from Four New Street to isolate the Kaguya leader.
• Ao Peng and Kaguya Mema/Menma fight a brutal duel. Both are severely injured, but Mema’s Shikotsumyaku allows him to remove his own shattered thigh bones and use them as weapons.
• Ao Peng recognizes that the Kaguya’s bones are powerful but that their throats, wrists, major blood vessels, and hearts remain vulnerable.
• When Ao’s forces split the Kaguya rebels apart, Ao Peng attempts a final charge against Mema. Mema responds by releasing bone spikes, but an unidentified figure suddenly intervenes and encases him in a thick rubber-like mass.

Character Developments

• A-Ming demonstrates fierce loyalty and determination, fighting despite being nearly exhausted because she refuses to let Genji’s sacrifice for the Three-Tails Jinchūriki be wasted. Her final attack proves dangerous but leaves her defeated.
• Uchiha Fugaku displays the effectiveness of his Sharingan, incapacitating A-Ming almost instantly through genjutsu. He also remains disciplined, following Koharu’s retreat order rather than becoming trapped in prolonged combat.
• Utatane Koharu reveals herself as a careful strategist. She had anticipated the need for escape and secretly prepared a ship before the operation began.
• Kakashi acts efficiently under pressure, carrying Rin while the others protect the retreat.
• Ao remains calculating and composed, conserving his strength and exploiting the battlefield at the decisive moment. His confidence in Genji’s plans and abilities is emphasized.
• Ao Peng is shown as a loyal and determined commander who continues fighting despite extreme blood loss and the deaths of his comrades.
• Kaguya Mema/Menma embodies the Kaguya Clan’s terrifying endurance. His ability to survive shattered bones and continue fighting highlights both the power and limits of Shikotsumyaku.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus exhaustion: The Leaf team’s rest and potions give them a decisive advantage over the battle-weary Mist ninjas.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: A-Ming’s refusal to abandon the Three-Tails Jinchūriki reflects the personal cost of Genji’s larger plan.
• Strategy over brute force: Koharu’s prearranged escape and Ao’s carefully timed flanking attack show that planning determines the outcome of chaotic battles.
• The limits of power: The Kaguya clan’s bone manipulation makes them extraordinarily durable, but they still possess exploitable biological weaknesses.
• Endurance and fanaticism: Both sides continue fighting despite catastrophic casualties, portraying the rebellion as a conflict sustained by willpower as much as strength.

Character Interactions

• A-Ming attacks Haiji and later clashes with Fugaku, but Fugaku’s genjutsu ends the confrontation.
• Koharu commands Fugaku and Kakashi during the retreat, while she and Fugaku cooperate to eliminate the pursuing ANBU.
• Fugaku learns that Koharu had coordinated with Wu Qiu to secure an escape route.
• Ao takes control of Genji’s guards and directs them against the Kaguya rebels, using them to split Mema’s forces.
• Ao Peng and Kaguya Mema/Menma engage in a desperate, evenly matched duel, each recognizing the other’s exceptional resilience.
• The chapter ends with an unknown figure intervening just as Ao Peng is about to confront Mema, trapping the Kaguya leader in a rubber-like sphere.

Chapter Summary: “Pacifying the Rebellion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ao Peng, a Hidden Mist adviser with strong combat experience but limited offensive power, traps Kaguya Mema in a Water Prison Technique after Mema breaks through Ao Peng’s defensive Rubber Technique.
• Ao Peng intends to let Mema drown and demands that the rebellion’s survivors be exterminated, including the inhabitants of Jiyue Island. His normally restrained personality gives way to intense hatred.
• Ao explains that he delayed joining the battle because he lacked sufficient manpower and needed reinforcements before risking a direct attack.
• Although Mema is captured, the Kaguya rebels continue fighting fiercely. The Hidden Mist forces divide and surround them, gradually reducing their resistance.
• Ao and Ao Peng discuss interrogating Mema to discover how the rebels reached the island, suspecting that an outside party helped them.
• Mema launches a hidden counterattack by firing bone projectiles from his fingers. Ao protects Ao Peng but is struck in the shoulder. He removes the embedded bone and warns them to kill Mema immediately.
• Mema, whose actions have been influenced by Chinoike Gaojin’s genjutsu, has little understanding of why he is fighting. Nevertheless, his combat instincts allow him to escape and rejoin his clansmen.
• He organizes roughly seventy or eighty Kaguya rebels and uses Skeletal Forest, creating a massive field of bone spikes across Four New Street. The technique kills or injures many Hidden Mist ninja and breaks the encirclement.
• The Hidden Mist forces attempt to counterattack with fire oil and Explosive Tags, but the bone forest deflects most attacks and remains too dangerous to approach.
• Just as Ao prepares a larger-scale demolition, colorful bubbles fill the street. Saizo of the Hidden Mist’s Iron-Blooded Youth Squad announces his arrival and orders noncombatants to withdraw.
• The Hidden Mist forces retreat, after which Saizo’s unit unleashes a devastating barrage of explosions that destroys much of the street and effectively ends the immediate threat of the rebellion.

Character Developments

• Ao Peng displays a harsh and vengeful side, advocating the total extermination of the rebels and showing little concern for humane treatment of prisoners.
• Ao is portrayed as cautious, experienced, and strategically minded. Though he initially delays entering the battle, he risks himself to save Ao Peng from Mema’s bone attack, demonstrating loyalty and courage.
• Kaguya Mema shifts from apparent defeat to renewed aggression. Even while confused by the genjutsu controlling his actions, he retains strong battle instincts and leadership ability.
• Saizo is introduced as a powerful and confident figure whose arrival immediately changes the battle’s outcome. His unit’s overwhelming explosive attack suggests a reputation for extreme effectiveness.
• The Kaguya rebels demonstrate strong collective discipline and willingness to fight to the death, even after losing their leader temporarily.

Significant Themes

• Rebellion and collective resistance: The Kaguya rebels continue fighting despite overwhelming odds, turning their shared bloodline ability into a coordinated defensive weapon.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Ao’s intervention to save Ao Peng emphasizes personal loyalty amid the brutality of war.
• Retribution versus intelligence-gathering: Ao Peng favors extermination, while Ao recognizes the importance of capturing someone who can reveal how the rebels reached the island.
• Manipulation and loss of agency: Mema’s confusion highlights how genjutsu can strip a person of control while leaving their instincts and abilities intact.
• Escalation of violence: The conflict progresses from individual techniques to large-scale destruction, culminating in Saizo’s explosive attack that devastates an entire street.

Character Interactions

• Ao Peng complains about Ao’s delayed arrival, while Ao explains the lack of available troops and the need for a guaranteed advantage.
• Ao Peng and Ao debate whether the rebels should be exterminated or interrogated for information.
• Ao saves Ao Peng from Mema’s finger-bone attack, then urges him to prioritize killing Mema over gathering intelligence.
• Mema responds to the Hidden Mist forces by escaping into his clan’s ranks and rallying them into a coordinated Skeletal Forest formation.
• Saizo’s arrival overrides the battlefield’s existing strategy, forcing Ao and the Hidden Mist troops to withdraw before his unit annihilates the rebel position.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens by recounting the history of Saizo of the Hidden Mist, a legendary Warring States–era shinobi and contemporary of Sarutobi Sasuke.
• Saizo gained fame after accepting the task of protecting a five-year-old heir to the Land of Water’s daimyo. For thirteen years, he raised the child, trained war orphans as shinobi, and eventually helped restore the boy to power.
• Although the new daimyo offered him wealth and high office, Saizo accepted only the original payment: an eight-tael golden cormorant. This act cemented his reputation as the “Shinobi Saint.”
• Saizo later worked toward unifying the Land of Water’s shinobi and founding Kirigakure, but died shortly before the village’s establishment. His corps of war orphans survived and became the Iron-Blooded Youth Squad, an elite training institution that produced several future Mizukage.
• In the present, the squad—commanded by the Six-Tails Jinchūriki Utakata—arrives after a violent clash with Kaguya Clan rebels. The streets are destroyed, but the Kirigakure forces suffer no significant losses.
• At Safe House Number Four, Genji, A-Ming, and other shinobi are found badly injured. Genji communicates through writing that Karatachi Yagura was defeated at the Yuexi Peninsula, with approximately 8,000 casualties out of a force of 10,000.
• Genji also reveals that the Nine-Tails is missing, leading Ao to infer that Konoha intercepted the Three-Tails Jinchūriki and withdrew to reinforce its own defenses.
• Utakata wants to immediately pursue the Three-Tails Jinchūriki, but Ao restrains him, warning that Kirigakure faces a more urgent danger: Suikazan Fuguki.

Character Developments

• Saizo of the Hidden Mist is established as an idealized model of shinobi virtue, loyalty, discipline, and selflessness. His legacy shapes Kirigakure’s military culture long after his death.
• Utakata is shown as passionate and aggressive, reacting furiously to the loss of the Three-Tails and immediately seeking retaliation. His urgency contrasts with Ao’s caution.
• Ao demonstrates leadership and strategic intelligence. He quickly interprets Genji’s reports, recognizes the broader consequences of the war, and prioritizes the threat posed by Suikazan Fuguki.
• Ao Peng reacts emotionally to the scale of Kirigakure’s losses and initially assumes Konoha must have deceived them.
• Genji, despite being severely wounded and partially paralyzed, remains composed enough to communicate vital battlefield intelligence. His tears reveal the emotional weight of Yagura’s defeat and Kirigakure’s catastrophic losses.
• Karatachi Yagura is revealed to have suffered a devastating defeat, weakening Kirigakure’s military position and threatening the village’s future.

Significant Themes

• Legacy and institutional memory: Saizo’s ideals continue through the Iron-Blooded Youth Squad, showing how a leader’s principles can shape generations.
• Shinobi integrity versus power: Saizo rejects wealth and political authority, emphasizing honor and duty over reward.
• The cost of war: The destruction of Safe House Number Four, widespread casualties, and Yagura’s defeat demonstrate the brutal human and strategic consequences of conflict.
• Duty versus emotion: Utakata’s desire for immediate action conflicts with Ao’s measured strategic thinking.
• Decline and survival: Kirigakure’s losses, the disappearance of the Nine-Tails, and the threat of Suikazan Fuguki suggest that the village is entering a dangerous period of instability.

Character Interactions

• The Iron-Blooded Youth Squad formally greets Ao and Ao Peng after arriving at the battlefield, demonstrating its discipline and respect for senior officers.
• Genji communicates with Ao, Ao Peng, and Utakata through writing. Ao understands and interprets his message, while Ao Peng reacts with disbelief.
• Utakata challenges Ao’s priorities, insisting that recovering the Three-Tails Jinchūriki is the most urgent matter.
• Ao stops Utakata from leaving, arguing that the Three-Tails can wait and naming Suikazan Fuguki as the more immediate threat.

Chapter Summary: Elegy of the Hidden Mist Village

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After the disastrous expedition to Yuexi Peninsula, the Hidden Mist Village loses over half its forces, the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura is missing and presumed incapacitated, and two rebellions—the Kaguya uprising and the village’s internal betrayal—have already devastated the village.
• Ao fears a third rebellion from the faction led by Suikazan Fuguki, who commands roughly a thousand loyal ninja. With Yagura absent and many senior leaders dead or injured, Fuguki’s faction has become a serious threat.
• Utakata returns with the 418-member Iron-Blooded Youth Corps, giving Ao enough military strength to suppress the coming crisis.
• Ao recruits the young Kisame Hoshigaki, promising him Fuguki’s position as one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and a member of the village council.
• Ao manipates Fuguki into accepting nomination as the Fifth Mizukage, arguing that the weakened village needs a strong, experienced leader.
• To strengthen Fuguki’s prestige, Ao directs him to attack Jiyue Island, where the Kaguya Clan has been reduced to elderly, infirm, and wounded survivors after the earlier rebellion.
• Fuguki exterminates the remaining Kaguya forces, losing several hundred of his own troops but returning with the victory he believes will secure his authority.
• Upon his return, Kisame ambushes and kills Fuguki, while Saizo and the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps eliminate the rest of his faction. Raiga Kurosuki escapes.
• The three rebellions finally end, but the Hidden Mist has lost nearly an entire generation of ninja. Although Yagura later recovers, the village never regains its former power and enters decades of decline.
• Separately, Yue Ji follows Baki after developing genuine feelings for him. Keiko grants her official residency on Yuexi Peninsula and orders Baki to marry her.

2. Character Developments

• Ao shifts from grief and anger to cold strategic action. He recognizes that the village cannot afford further disorder and uses political manipulation, military alliances, and controlled deception to eliminate Fuguki’s faction.
• Utakata proves his loyalty and usefulness by returning with the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps. He becomes one of Ao’s key partners in stabilizing the village.
• Kisame Hoshigaki is introduced as a promising young ninja from the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps. His recruitment marks an important early step in his rise and establishes his loyalty to Ao’s faction.
• Suikazan Fuguki is portrayed as ambitious and easily persuaded. He accepts the Mizukage position and Ao’s proposed campaign, unaware that both opportunities are part of a trap.
• Karatachi Yagura remains politically important despite being injured and unconscious, but his absence leaves a power vacuum that permanently damages the village.
• Raiga Kurosuki survives the purge and disappears, leaving his future uncertain.
• Yue Ji changes from an enemy or follower of Baki into someone who genuinely loves him and is incorporated into Sunagakure society.

3. Significant Themes

• The fragility of political power: A decade of military and economic growth collapses almost overnight when leadership and elite forces are removed.
• Manipulation as survival: Ao relies on deception rather than direct confrontation, turning Fuguki’s ambition into the means of his own destruction.
• The cost of civil conflict: The village’s greatest losses come not only from foreign enemies but from internal rebellions and factional struggles.
• The collapse of an era: The destruction of an entire generation marks the end of the Hidden Mist’s golden age and explains its later withdrawal from major-power competition.
• Victory built on tragedy: Fuguki’s attack on the weakened Kaguya survivors is both a political maneuver and another brutal example of how war exploits the vulnerable.
• Recovery versus irreversible damage: Even Yagura’s eventual return cannot restore the village, emphasizing that some historical losses cannot be undone.

4. Character Interactions

• Ao and Utakata: Ao acknowledges Utakata’s contribution and relies on him to command the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps.
• Ao and Kisame: Ao recruits Kisame by offering him Fuguki’s prestigious positions, binding Kisame’s ambitions to Ao’s political plan.
• Ao and Fuguki: Ao flatters Fuguki by presenting him as the only viable leader, then directs him toward a campaign designed to weaken and isolate him.
• Kisame and Fuguki: Kisame betrays Fuguki at the critical moment, killing him from behind rather than allowing him to resist.
• Saizo and the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps: They cooperate in destroying Fuguki’s remaining supporters.
• Baki and Yue Ji: Yue Ji’s attachment to Baki develops into genuine affection, eventually leading to their arranged marriage and her formal acceptance into Sunagakure territory.

Chapter Summary: “Obito, Alive Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Obito awakens in severe pain inside a dark cave, discovering that his body has been reconstructed and wrapped in a white material, with an IV keeping him alive.
• He meets Black and White Zetsu, who explain that he was blown apart during the mission and that they recovered and pieced him back together. They warn him not to move or risk reopening his injuries.
• Obito immediately asks about Kakashi and Rin, worrying that his teammates may still be in danger. Zetsu tells him they found no one else at the site, leading Obito to realize that his companions likely assumed he was dead and escaped without him.
• Zetsu sedates Obito, placing him in a nutrient tank and assigning White Zetsu to watch over him.
• Madara discusses Obito’s condition with Zetsu. He views Obito as naïve and believes that exposure to the world’s cruelty will eventually transform him.
• Madara and Zetsu also discuss the wider war: Konoha has successfully rescued the Three-Tails’ jinchūriki, while the conflict has weakened both Konoha and Kirigakure. They decide not to intervene directly, preferring to exploit the ongoing war.
• Madara orders that the Nine-Tails sealing operation be allowed to continue and instructs Zetsu to keep a mysterious blond boy alive because he may be useful later.
• Meanwhile, Utatane Koharu, Rin, Kakashi, Uchiha Fugaku, and two others finally return to Konoha after a disastrous escape from Kirigakure. Their journey involved heavy casualties, naval danger, scarce food and water, and pursuit through the Storm Sea.
• Upon entering Konoha, Koharu notices that the village is unexpectedly demoralized despite the war not being over. She leaves Rin with ANBU personnel and rushes to the Hokage’s office with Kakashi and Fugaku.

Character Developments

• Obito survives what should have been certain death but is physically fragile and dependent on artificial life support. His first concern is still the safety of Kakashi and Rin, emphasizing his loyalty and innocence.
• Madara recognizes Obito’s compassion as naïveté and anticipates that suffering will eventually harden and change him. Madara remains patient and manipulative, allowing events to develop without exposing himself.
• Zetsu acts as Obito’s caretaker while also serving Madara’s agenda. His treatment of Obito is practical and deceptive rather than genuinely compassionate.
• Utatane Koharu is shown as exhausted but resilient after leading the survivors home. Her alarm at Konoha’s defeated mood suggests she remains politically and strategically alert.
• Kakashi continues to demonstrate reliability and survival skills, helping the group endure the voyage by fishing and assisting during the escape.
• Rin returns to Konoha as the rescued Three-Tails jinchūriki, though her condition and future role remain unresolved.

Significant Themes

• Survival and reconstruction: Obito’s body is literally rebuilt, foreshadowing his physical and psychological transformation.
• Innocence versus cruelty: Madara identifies Obito’s concern for others as a form of innocence that the brutality of war may destroy.
• Manipulation and indirect warfare: Madara chooses to let other villages exhaust one another, demonstrating his preference for controlling events from the shadows.
• The human cost of war: The returning delegation has been reduced from more than ten members to five, while both villages suffer depleted forces and collapsing morale.
• Hope amid defeat: Although Konoha has not yet lost, its people behave as though defeat is inevitable, creating tension between the objective military situation and the village’s psychological state.

Character Interactions

• Obito and Zetsu: Zetsu explains Obito’s rescue while restraining and sedating him to prevent further injury. Obito’s questions about his teammates reveal his emotional priorities.
• Madara and Zetsu: They evaluate Obito’s condition, discuss the progress of the war, and plan how to exploit the sealing of the Tailed Beasts.
• Madara and Obito: Though they do not meet directly in the chapter, Madara begins viewing Obito as a potential future subject of transformation and manipulation.
• Koharu, Kakashi, and Fugaku: The three return together and enter Konoha’s leadership center to address the village’s disturbing loss of morale.
• Koharu and Rin: Koharu entrusts Rin’s transfer to ANBU before immediately investigating the situation in Konoha.

Summary: “A Difficult Decision”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Utatane Koharu returns to the Hokage’s office after secretly retrieving the Three-Tails from Kirigakure. She finds Hiruzen Sarutobi exhausted, disheveled, and surrounded by thick tobacco smoke.
• Koharu sends Kakashi and Uchiha Fugaku away so she can speak with Hiruzen privately. She angrily confronts him, accusing him of giving up despite the sacrifices made during the war.
• After an emotional outburst—including Koharu throwing an ashtray at him—Hiruzen explains that he is not surrendering but struggling with a grave decision.
• Hiruzen reveals that Konoha’s situation is worsening:
  • Minato, Kushina, and Keiko have disappeared and are presumed dead.
  • Kirigakure can no longer be relied upon.
  • Iwagakure is trapped at its border and cannot provide reinforcements.
  • Hiruzen’s repeated attacks against the Wind-Cloud Allied Forces have failed.
  • The enemy is deliberately avoiding a decisive battle, instead weakening Konoha’s morale and forcing it toward negotiations.
• Hiruzen and Koharu agree that negotiating now would be disastrous because Konoha has suffered too many battlefield defeats and lacks leverage. The Three-Tails gives Konoha some bargaining power, but not enough to change the war’s outcome.
• Hiruzen says Konoha needs at least one major victory before negotiations. He reveals that Orochimaru proposed using Tobirama’s forbidden technique, Impure World Reincarnation, to revive powerful dead shinobi and create a chance for victory.
• Koharu recognizes the moral and political burden of the plan. She argues that Hiruzen should not carry it out himself and suggests leaving the decision to the next Hokage. Hiruzen accepts the idea, and they begin considering how to place this burden on the future leader.

Character Developments

• Hiruzen Sarutobi: His apparent collapse is revealed to be the result of intense strategic and moral pressure rather than cowardice. He remains committed to saving Konoha but is willing to consider an extremely dangerous forbidden technique.
• Utatane Koharu: Initially furious and emotionally overwhelmed, Koharu demonstrates her loyalty to Konoha and her willingness to sacrifice for it. Her perspective shifts from condemning Hiruzen to helping him evaluate the difficult choice.
• Orochimaru: Though absent, he influences the chapter through his proposal to use Impure World Reincarnation.
• Minato and Kushina: Their disappearance removes Konoha’s final major advantage and signals a likely turning point in the war.

Significant Themes

• The burden of leadership: Hiruzen must choose between moral principles and the survival of the village.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Koharu’s mission and the deaths of numerous shinobi emphasize the human cost of war.
• Morality versus victory: Using Impure World Reincarnation could secure a military triumph but violates natural and ethical boundaries.
• Psychological warfare: The enemy’s refusal to attack directly is portrayed as an attempt to destroy Konoha’s morale and force surrender.
• Political leverage: Military victories determine the strength of a village’s position at the negotiating table.

Character Interactions

• Koharu confronts Hiruzen emotionally, accusing him of failing Konoha and dishonoring their teacher, Tobirama.
• Hiruzen responds calmly after the initial confrontation, explaining the strategic situation and inviting Koharu to help him decide.
• Their private discussion changes from personal anger to serious cooperation as both acknowledge the war’s desperate circumstances.
• Koharu’s final proposal—that the next Hokage bear responsibility for using the forbidden technique—creates the chapter’s central unresolved dilemma.

Chapter Summary: “Fourth Hokage, Shimura Danzō!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The sealing of the Nine-Tails is successfully completed after three exhausting days and nights. Keiko, Rasa, Pain, and the others involved are left physically drained, while Kushina Uzumaki collapses after the extraction of the Tailed Beast.
• One eye of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path appears to move, hinting at something unnatural or ominous.
• Shortly after the sealing, Keiko learns that Minato Namikaze has disappeared. No body is found, suggesting that he may have survived the Reaper Death Seal through an unknown method or been taken by another party.
• Keiko suspects that Madara and Zetsu may be involved. He worries that Minato could later become a hidden threat, especially through surprise attacks against Sunagakure.
• Kushina is discovered to still be alive despite having the Nine-Tails extracted. Keiko orders Yura to give her a Chakra Amplification Potion and sends her to Sunagakure for treatment and secret confinement.
• Sasori is assigned to transport Kushina, with Yugito Nii accompanying him. Yue Shen Gongyi also joins the group, claiming that Sunagakure’s medical facilities can treat his injuries.
• Keiko organizes the post-battle deployment:
  • Sasori, Yugito, and Yue transport Kushina to Sunagakure.
  • Rasa and Wuzhong Honglian continue military operations near the Rock-Sand border.
  • Yura, Oto Taro, and Feng Jianxu remain in Amegakure to oversee reconstruction and refugee resettlement.
  • Keiko, Konan, Nagato, and Pain prepare to move toward the Konoha front for the final battle.
• Keiko uses the Flying Thunder God technique to reach the Wind-Cloud Allied Forces camp ahead of the others, while a team escorts the less mobile Nagato, Pain, and Konan.
• At the camp, Keiko learns from the Third Raikage that Konoha has a new Hokage: Shimura Danzō.
• The chapter then flashes back three days to explain Danzō’s rise. Hiruzen Sarutobi becomes seriously ill with emphysema and, while bedridden, declares that he can no longer remain Hokage. He announces his abdication and urges the leadership to select a capable successor.
• Danzō is visibly excited by Hiruzen’s declaration, implying that he sees the position as finally within his reach.

Character Developments

• Keiko remains calculating and pragmatic. Rather than killing Kushina, he recognizes her usefulness as leverage against Minato and orders her preservation and secret imprisonment. His concern over Minato’s disappearance also reveals his awareness of potential long-term threats.
• Kushina Uzumaki survives the extraction of the Nine-Tails, demonstrating the exceptional vitality of the Uzumaki clan, but she is left unconscious and vulnerable.
• Minato Namikaze becomes an unpredictable variable after vanishing without a corpse. His fate is left unresolved, increasing the tension surrounding the coming conflict.
• Sasori continues to act as Keiko’s trusted subordinate and accepts the mission to transport Kushina.
• Yugito Nii volunteers to accompany Sasori, suggesting either concern for Kushina, suspicion of Keiko’s plans, or a desire to supervise the mission.
• Yue Shen Gongyi seeks treatment in Sunagakure and appears cautious about leaving Kushina in Sasori’s hands, prompting him to join the escort.
• Keiko and the Third Raikage maintain a friendly, informal relationship, joking together despite the seriousness of the war.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi is portrayed as physically broken and politically defeated. His illness forces him to surrender the Hokage position.
• Shimura Danzō is positioned to become the Fourth Hokage, with his eagerness revealing his long-standing ambition.

Significant Themes

• Power and political opportunism: Danzō’s rise occurs during a national crisis, showing how ambitious figures can exploit weakness and emergency.
• The cost of war: The sealing leaves everyone exhausted, while Kushina’s condition and Yue Shen’s injuries illustrate the physical consequences of the conflict.
• Uncertainty and hidden threats: Minato’s disappearance, the moving eye of the Demonic Statue, and the suspected involvement of Madara and Zetsu introduce unresolved dangers.
• Pragmatism versus morality: Keiko treats Kushina as both a person to save and a strategic hostage, emphasizing his utilitarian approach to leadership and warfare.
• Leadership and succession: Hiruzen’s forced abdication and Danzō’s anticipated appointment mark a major political turning point for Konoha.
• Alliance and administration: The chapter contrasts battlefield operations with reconstruction, refugee relief, medical treatment, and political maneuvering.

Important Character Interactions

• Keiko thanks the sealing team and later directs Yura to save Kushina.
• Keiko assigns Sasori the mission of transporting Kushina, while Yugito and Yue Shen independently insist on accompanying him.
• Keiko teases Yue Shen by repeatedly calling him “wise nephew,” reflecting their complicated but familiar relationship.
• Keiko and the Third Raikage exchange battlefield updates and joke about sending Danzō a formal “gift” after his appointment as Hokage.
• Hiruzen’s resignation speech is delivered before Danzō, Koharu, and Orochimaru, and Danzō’s reaction strongly suggests that he intends to claim the vacant position.