Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Hyuga Tennin hears that his younger sister, Tensei, has started a sparring match with Uchiha Jobu. Jobu was caught off guard in their first exchange, but the fight soon becomes intense.
• Tennin suspects Jobu’s Shikotsumyaku means the Uchiha have discovered a way to obtain other clans’ Kekkei Genkai. He warns a Hyuga subordinate to keep the suspicion quiet: the Hyuga cannot afford a conflict with the Uchiha.
• Jobu and Tensei trade taijutsu blows. Though Tensei initially lands a strong sequence of Gentle Fist strikes, Jobu has underestimated her rather than been seriously weakened. Tennin stops the match after Jobu sends her flying.
• Tennin challenges Jobu himself. He recognizes that Jobu still has most of his stamina, while Jobu’s bone techniques prove difficult to counter.
• Jobu breaks Tennin’s ranged Empty Palm with a bone blade, then attacks with his extracted spine. Tennin answers with a powerful Eight Trigrams strike, and Jobu uses bone armor to withstand it—though the impact injures him internally.
• The spar ends with Jobu eager to keep improving through combat. He notes that he can use Shikotsumyaku effectively but has not yet unlocked its full potential.

Character developments and interactions

• Jobu is revealed as an exceptionally disciplined fighter, especially in taijutsu, and a formidable combination of Uchiha skill and Kaguya-clan bone techniques. He treats the paid assignment casually, joking with Tennin about its fee, but becomes serious when facing a true powerhouse.
• Tensei demonstrates her skill and earns respect from her Branch Family, yet recognizes that Jobu is far stronger than she is.
• Tennin is politically cautious and observant. He protects the Hyuga from unnecessary conflict while testing Jobu personally and demonstrating the strength that secured his position as clan head.
• Hyuga clan members admire the combatants but are reminded of the Main–Branch divide: Branch Family members are barred from learning the Gentle Fist’s most powerful techniques because of the Caged Bird seal and the Main Family’s fear of rebellion.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: Strength determines standing in the Warring States era, while the Hyuga’s internal hierarchy restricts the Branch Family’s growth.
• Clan survival and political caution: Tennin prioritizes the Hyuga’s survival over curiosity or confrontation with the Uchiha.
• Growth through struggle: Jobu sees dangerous, high-level combat as a faster path to improvement than training alone.
• Fear of stolen bloodlines: Jobu’s Shikotsumyaku raises the possibility that the Uchiha can appropriate other clans’ inherited abilities.

Chapter 42 Summary: “Promise to the Hyuga Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Jobu reflects on how the Hyuga Clan is often underestimated compared with the Uchiha Clan, especially after the emergence of the Mangekyō Sharingan. However, his recent encounter with Hyuga Tennin convinces him that Warring States–era clan leaders were genuinely powerful.
• Jobu visits Hyuga Tennin’s residence and experiences the Hyuga Clan’s elaborate, restrictive etiquette.
• Tennin reveals that he knows Ying possesses the Kaguya Clan’s Shikotsumyaku and questions whether the Uchiha Clan has discovered a way to transplant other clans’ Kekkei Genkai.
• Jobu explains that Ying gained the Shikotsumyaku through an experiment after arriving as a refugee. He confirms that the Uchiha Clan has successfully transplanted both Shikotsumyaku and the Hagoromo Clan’s ninjutsu-related Kekkei Genkai, though the procedure has not been tested extensively on others.
• Tennin’s real objective becomes clear: he wants the Uchiha Clan’s transplantation method and is considering offering the entire Hyuga Clan’s support in exchange.
• Jobu and Tennin negotiate. Jobu refuses to share the method because it is extremely dangerous and has a very low success rate—over fifty test subjects died, with only Ying surviving successfully.
• Jobu offers a compromise: if the Hyuga Clan fully allies itself with the Uchiha Clan, he will create one Hyuga ninja capable of wielding both the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku, although the process will still require significant sacrifices.
• Tennin regards even this limited promise as valuable, since a powerful clan-protecting warrior is essential in the brutal Warring States Era.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu: Becomes more respectful of the Hyuga Clan after recognizing Tennin’s strength and strategic intelligence. He remains cautious, refusing to reveal dangerous technology too freely, but shows willingness to form a serious alliance.
• Hyuga Tennin: Demonstrates political ambition and foresight. He is not merely seeking cooperation; he wants to strengthen the Hyuga Clan by acquiring the Uchiha’s Kekkei Genkai-transplantation method.
• Ying: Her successful Shikotsumyaku transplantation establishes her as proof that Jobu’s experiments can work, though her survival is revealed to be an exceptional case.
• The Hyuga Clan: Is portrayed as divided between a Main Family and Branch Family structure that differs sharply from the Uchiha system. The Main Family is unlikely to fight directly, limiting the clan’s practical military contribution despite the value of its Byakugan.

Significant Themes

• Power versus reputation: The Hyuga Clan is dismissed by later generations, but the chapter emphasizes that historical reputation does not always reflect true strength.
• The cost of power: Kekkei Genkai transplantation offers enormous potential but requires fatal sacrifices and remains highly unreliable.
• Political alliances and bargaining: The Hyuga Clan’s possible alliance with the Uchiha Clan is treated as a strategic transaction involving military support, technology, and long-term survival.
• Different clan structures: The Uchiha Clan assigns Main and Branch Family members according to roles and ability, while the Hyuga Clan maintains a rigid hereditary hierarchy.
• Survival in wartime: Clans need elite warriors to deter enemies and preserve their independence in the dangerous Warring States Era.

Character Interactions

• Tennin probes Jobu for information about the Uchiha Clan’s experiments, while Jobu carefully controls what he reveals.
• Both men understand that the discussion is really about whether the Hyuga Clan will align with the Uchiha Clan.
• Tennin presses for the transplantation method, but Jobu counters with a limited promise: one specially enhanced Hyuga ninja in exchange for full cooperation.
• Their negotiation establishes the foundation for a potential Uchiha–Hyuga alliance, while leaving the exact sacrifices and future consequences unresolved.

Chapter Summary: Madara’s Request

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Madara asks Uchiha Jobu to accompany him to meet Senju Hashirama, who has requested a private conversation.
• The chapter explains that Madara and Hashirama have maintained contact despite becoming leaders of rival clans. However, because both inherited leadership early, their meetings have become less frequent.
• Madara has awakened and mastered the Mangekyō Sharingan, allowing him to use the second-stage Susanoo with ease and the third stage when enraged. Hashirama has mastered Wood Release and possesses overwhelming physical strength.
• Jobu worries that the meeting may become violent, especially because the Uchiha and Senju clans are approaching open war.
• At the river, Madara discovers that Hashirama has brought Tobirama Senju. Feeling deceived and enraged, Madara releases a powerful killing aura.
• Jobu tells Madara to control himself and offers to deal with Tobirama while Madara speaks privately with Hashirama. Madara and Hashirama leave together, trusting each other to understand the situation.
• Jobu confronts Tobirama and declares that the Uchiha will reject whatever proposal Hashirama makes and will soon declare war on the Senju.
• Tobirama reveals that he is speaking through a Shadow Clone rather than appearing in person. Jobu sees through the deception and challenges him to reveal his true location.
• Tobirama refuses to expose himself, remembering that Jobu nearly injured him severely during their previous battlefield encounter.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Madara: Shown as a powerful but politically burdened clan leader. His deep bond with Hashirama remains, but his anger at Tobirama’s presence reveals his distrust and growing hostility toward the Senju.
• Uchiha Jobu: Acts as Madara’s protector, strategist, and emotional counterbalance. He is alert to the dangers of Mangekyō overuse and is willing to confront Tobirama directly. His resentment toward Tobirama, especially over the destruction of Izuna’s Sharingan, is intense.
• Senju Hashirama: Remains idealistic and hopeful about communication between enemies. His decision to meet Madara suggests that he may be seeking peace or reconciliation, though the chapter does not reveal the substance of their conversation.
• Tobirama Senju: Demonstrates his caution, tactical intelligence, and distrust of the Uchiha. Rather than risk a direct confrontation with Jobu, he uses a Shadow Clone and avoids revealing his location.

Significant Themes

• Peace versus inherited hatred: Hashirama’s desire for dialogue contrasts with the clans’ longstanding blood feud and Tobirama’s insistence that reconciliation is impossible.
• Political responsibility: Madara and Hashirama’s personal relationship is increasingly constrained by their duties as clan leaders.
• Trust and deception: Hashirama’s arrival with Tobirama makes Madara feel betrayed, while Tobirama’s clone reinforces the atmosphere of suspicion.
• The cost of power: Madara’s Mangekyō Sharingan grants extraordinary strength but threatens his eyesight through overuse, foreshadowing future physical consequences.
• Inevitable conflict: Despite the possibility of peace, Jobu believes war between the Uchiha and Senju is imminent, creating tension between personal bonds and clan interests.

Character Interactions

• Madara asks Jobu to accompany him, showing trust and reliance on his judgment.
• Madara reacts angrily when Hashirama appears with Tobirama, while Jobu attempts to control the situation and separate the two potential confrontations.
• Hashirama and Madara leave together for a private discussion, indicating that their friendship still survives beneath their rivalry.
• Jobu and Tobirama exchange threats and ideological challenges. Jobu openly condemns Tobirama’s view of the Uchiha, while Tobirama responds with suspicion and defensive tactics.
• Their confrontation ends without a fight because Tobirama is using a clone and does not dare reveal his true position.

Chapter 44 Summary: “A Fantastical Talk of Peace”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tobirama Senju meets Uchiha Jobu for negotiations but secretly uses a Shadow Clone while hiding his real body nearby. Because Tobirama knows he is weaker than Jobu, he prepares for a possible confrontation.
• Jobu attempts to provoke Tobirama into revealing his true location, but Tobirama remains calm and refuses to be manipulated. The two eventually sit in silence, waiting for Madara and Hashirama to finish their private discussion.
• Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama meet at the place where they trained together as children. Hashirama recalls their childhood dream of creating a peaceful settlement where people from different clans could live safely.
• Hashirama passionately argues that they can create peace by joining forces, ending the hatred between the Senju and Uchiha, and establishing a large village where children can grow up without fear of war or starvation.
• Madara rejects Hashirama’s vision as naïve and unrealistic. He argues that centuries of bloodshed and deeply rooted clan hatred cannot be erased by a few idealistic words.
• After their conversation, Madara and Hashirama return to the others. Madara simply tells Jobu that they are returning to the Uchiha clan, while Jobu assumes their discussion centered on peace, hatred, and childhood dreams.

Character Developments

• Tobirama Senju demonstrates discipline, caution, and emotional control. He relies on strategy rather than pride, recognizing that directly confronting Jobu would be dangerous.
• Uchiha Jobu remains observant, skeptical, and pragmatic. He dismisses Hashirama’s idealism and believes that the longstanding conflict between the clans cannot be resolved so easily. He also remains focused on becoming stronger rather than searching for Black Zetsu.
• Senju Hashirama reveals the depth of his idealism and his genuine desire to end the cycle of violence. His dream of peace is motivated by the suffering and deaths he has witnessed, especially the loss of his younger brother.
• Uchiha Madara shows both cynicism and hidden emotional vulnerability. Although he outwardly rejects Hashirama’s dream, the possibility of a peaceful future briefly affects him because he longs for his clan’s children to avoid the suffering he experienced.

Significant Themes

• Peace versus realism: Hashirama believes peace can be created through cooperation and trust, while Madara and Jobu see such hopes as unrealistic in a world shaped by war and vengeance.
• The cycle of hatred: The Senju and Uchiha have fought for generations, and both sides carry the blood of the other. The chapter emphasizes how difficult it is to overcome inherited hatred.
• Strength and survival: The Warring States Era forces children and adults alike into battle. Strength is portrayed as necessary for survival, but Hashirama hopes to use strength to build peace rather than continue warfare.
• Idealism versus pragmatism: Hashirama’s vision inspires hope but appears naïve to those who understand the political and emotional realities of the era.
• Emotional control and strategy: Tobirama’s use of deception contrasts with Hashirama’s openness, highlighting different approaches to conflict and negotiation.

Character Interactions

• Tobirama and Uchiha Jobu: Their exchange is a quiet battle of strategy and psychological control. Jobu tries to provoke Tobirama, but Tobirama remains unmoved.
• Hashirama and Madara: Their conversation reflects their deep friendship and opposing worldviews. Hashirama tries to revive their childhood dream, while Madara challenges him with the realities of history, bloodshed, and mistrust.
• Jobu and Madara: Jobu does not question Madara about his talk with Hashirama, believing he already understands its subject. This suggests Jobu’s detached, skeptical attitude toward the possibility of reconciliation.

Chapter Summary: Declaring War on the Senju Clan, Preparing for Battle

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Jobu return to the Uchiha clan without stopping, after Madara’s meeting with Senju Hashirama.
• Madara reveals that Hashirama proposed ending the centuries-long hatred between the Senju and Uchiha clans. Hashirama believes their cooperation could create a new era of peace and inspire other clans to unite.
• Jobu rejects the idea of peace, believing the Uchiha would eventually suffer if they abandoned their hatred and trusted the Senju. He recalls that the Uchiha’s future downfall was connected to their decision to reconcile with the Senju.
• Madara agrees that peace is impossible while members of both clans remain alive and announces his intention to declare war on the Senju.
• Because the Uchiha recently gained enough money from their mission in the Land of Lightning, they can now afford to sustain a major conflict for several years.
• The Uchiha clan eagerly receives the news, with many members seeking revenge for those killed by the Senju. However, less-talented branch-family members responsible for logistics fear the consequences of another large-scale war.
• Izuna emerges from his underground laboratory after hearing that war has been declared. He has successfully implanted a Ketsuryūgan from the Chinoike Clan into one of his eyes.
• Izuna explains that the foreign bloodline initially caused rejection, but injecting Chinoike cells into his body allowed him to adapt to the Ketsuryūgan.
• Jobu recognizes that Izuna has already combined Uchiha and Hagoromo Clan traits with Chinoike genetics, making him increasingly resemble a dangerous artificial composite being.
• Jobu compares Izuna to Shimura Danzō and wonders whether Izuna will eventually seek Senju Hashirama’s powerful cells, particularly those capable of granting Wood Release.

Character Development

• Uchiha Jobu: Becomes even more firmly opposed to reconciliation with the Senju. His memories or knowledge of Naruto’s future influence his distrust of Hashirama’s vision and strengthen his determination to protect the Uchiha from eventual betrayal or decline. His Mangekyō Sharingan awakens during the journey, suggesting a major development in his power and emotional state.
• Uchiha Madara: Moves decisively away from Hashirama’s dream of peace. Although he listens to Hashirama’s arguments, he ultimately embraces the clan’s traditional hatred and chooses open war, showing his continued transformation into a militant leader.
• Uchiha Izuna: Becomes increasingly experimental and morally extreme. His successful Ketsuryūgan implantation demonstrates his scientific ambition and adaptability, but his willingness to fuse multiple bloodlines makes him appear increasingly dangerous and inhuman.
• Senju Hashirama: Though absent from most of the chapter, he is characterized as an idealist seeking to end the cycle of revenge and establish lasting peace through Uchiha-Senju cooperation.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of hatred: The Uchiha and Senju remain trapped in centuries of revenge, making peace seem impossible to those who have lost family members.
• Peace versus security: Hashirama believes reconciliation can create a better future, while Jobu and Madara see disarmament and trust as threats to the Uchiha’s survival.
• The cost of power: The chapter contrasts military strength with scientific experimentation. The Uchiha prepare for war through money and manpower, while Izuna pursues power by altering his own body.
• Genetic modification and identity: Izuna’s fusion of multiple bloodlines raises questions about how far one can go in pursuit of strength before losing one’s humanity.
• Historical inevitability: Jobu’s knowledge of future events causes him to interpret Hashirama’s proposal pessimistically, suggesting that apparent peace may only delay another collapse.
• War and social division: The powerful and battle-hungry members of the clan welcome war, while ordinary branch-family members fear the practical and human consequences.

Character Interactions

• Jobu and Madara: Jobu questions Madara about his conversation with Hashirama. Their exchange confirms that both now reject reconciliation and agree that war is necessary.
• Madara and Hashirama: Although their conversation occurs off-page, Hashirama’s proposal establishes the central ideological conflict between cooperation and revenge.
• Jobu and Izuna: Jobu questions Izuna about the Ketsuryūgan’s compatibility and evaluates the risks of his experiments. Their discussion reveals Jobu’s scientific understanding and growing concern about Izuna’s increasingly extreme methods.
• Izuna and the Uchiha clan: Izuna remains connected to the clan’s war effort but is primarily absorbed in his laboratory work, suggesting that his personal pursuit of power may become as important as the clan’s military struggle.

Chapter Summary:

Battle Begins, Summoning Technique Scroll

Key Plot Points and Events

• The long-awaited battle between the Uchiha and Senju Clans begins. Uchiha Jobu and nearly all the Uchiha warriors are eager to fight, driven by generations of hatred and a desire to avenge their ancestors.
• The Senju have mobilized more than four hundred clan members, supported by approximately one hundred Uzumaki, eighty Sarutobi, fifty Shimura, and other allied ninja—around seven hundred fighters in total.
• The Uchiha side fields nearly five hundred ninja, while their allies include more than one hundred Hagoromo ninja and over seventy Fuma ninja. Though numerically disadvantaged, the Uchiha side relies on its superior elite combatants.
• Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara immediately confront one another. Hashirama attacks with a massive greatsword, while Madara blocks with his Gunbai, confirming the immense strength of both legendary warriors.
• During their clash, Hashirama argues that mutual trust and understanding can end the cycle of hatred. Madara rejects this as naïve, insisting that violence, betrayal, and survival define the real world.
• Uchiha Jobu enters the battlefield in a powerful bone-armored form using Shikotsumyaku and his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. He rapidly kills enemies and obtains rewards through his mysterious “treasure chest” system.
• Among the rewards, Jobu discovers a Dragon Lair Summoning Beast Scroll, apparently connected to Ryūchi Cave, one of the Ninja World’s legendary summoning-beast holy lands.
• Hoping to gain access to powerful snakes and potentially Sage Mode, Jobu immediately uses the scroll. He performs the Summoning Technique, sacrificing more than half his chakra in an attempt to summon a large serpent.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu: Fully embraces the battle, displaying confidence and ruthlessness. His Sharingan, Shikotsumyaku, and reward system make him exceptionally dangerous. His discovery of the summoning scroll also reveals his ambition to acquire greater power through Ryūchi Cave and Sage Mode.
• Uchiha Madara: Remains deeply committed to the belief that the Uchiha-Senju conflict cannot be resolved through words. His worldview is defined by distrust and an understanding of the Ninja World as fundamentally violent.
• Senju Hashirama: Continues trying to persuade Madara that peace can be achieved through trust and reconciliation. Despite the battle around him, he remains idealistic and refuses to abandon his vision.
• The Uchiha Clan: Is portrayed as intensely bloodthirsty and eager to fight the Senju, viewing victory as a chance to eliminate their rivals and dominate the Land of Fire.
• Allied clans: The Hagoromo and Fuma Clans strengthen the Uchiha side, with the Fuma’s expertise in ninja tools making them particularly valuable despite their smaller numbers.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of hatred: The conflict embodies generations of revenge between the Uchiha and Senju, with both sides treating violence as inevitable.
• Idealism versus realism: Hashirama believes understanding can create peace, while Madara and Jobu view this hope as unrealistic in a brutal world.
• Power and survival: The battle emphasizes that superior elite fighters may matter more than numerical advantage.
• The cost of ambition: Jobu’s use of the summoning scroll drains most of his chakra, showing that gaining power carries immediate risks.
• Destiny and political change: The chapter hints at the eventual transition from the Warring States era to a shinobi system, though Jobu regards that future peace as implausible.

Character Interactions

• Madara and Hashirama: Their physical duel mirrors their ideological conflict. Their exchange centers on whether trust can overcome centuries of hatred.
• Jobu and the battlefield: Jobu treats his enemies as sources of rewards, combining ruthless combat with opportunistic use of his supernatural system.
• Jobu and the summoning scroll: His discovery leads directly to an impulsive decision to summon a creature from Ryūchi Cave, setting up the chapter’s cliffhanger and potentially opening the path to Sage Mode.

Chapter 49 Summary: Ryūchi Cave’s Giant Snake, Garaga

Key Plot Points and Events

• A space-time force forcibly summons Garaga, a colossal red python from Ryūchi Cave, onto the battlefield. More than fifty meters long, Garaga’s size and power shock every clan present.
• Uchiha Jobu reveals himself as Garaga’s summoner and attempts to establish dominance over the snake. He offers Garaga the corpses of his enemies in exchange for obedience.
• Garaga rejects the idea of submitting to a human and becomes enraged, trying to throw Jobu from his head and devour him.
• Jobu uses his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to cast genjutsu, but the technique fails to suppress Garaga.
• Tobirama Senju attacks Garaga with his newly developed forbidden technique, the Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique. The technique continually summons explosive tags on its target, causing a massive chain of explosions.
• Garaga survives the attack but is furious. He agrees to cooperate with Jobu temporarily, demanding that Jobu identify the person responsible for the attack—or he will eat the entire Uchiha clan.
• Izuna Uchiha withdraws from the immediate confrontation between Jobu and Tobirama to avoid Garaga’s destructive movements, but continues attacking elsewhere.
• Izuna uses the hidden power of his Ketsuryūgan to turn two Senju ninjas into living bombs. Their explosions kill at least six people, including a Senju jōnin and members of the Uzumaki and Sarutobi clans.
• The Uzumaki suffer particularly heavy losses because of their alliance with the Senju and their presence on the front lines. The smaller Shimura Clan avoids the worst casualties by attacking from the outskirts.
• The Fūma and Hagoromo clans conclude that siding with the Uchiha was the correct decision after witnessing Jobu and Izuna’s overwhelming power.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu demonstrates confidence and ambition by challenging Garaga rather than fearing him. His excitement at obtaining a Ryūchi Cave summoning contract shows his belief that Garaga can dramatically elevate his strength.
• Jobu also reveals practical knowledge of summoning beasts, understanding that powerful creatures must either acknowledge their master or be subdued by force.
• Garaga is characterized as immensely proud, violent, and independent. Although he refuses to submit fully, the attack by Tobirama forces him into a temporary alliance with Jobu.
• Tobirama Senju proves that his ingenuity and sealing research have produced a devastating new forbidden technique capable of threatening even a creature the size of a small mountain.
• Izuna Uchiha continues to display terrifying battlefield efficiency. His Ketsuryūgan allows him to eliminate multiple enemies through a single touch, reinforcing his status as a lethal and nearly unstoppable combatant.

Significant Themes

• Power and domination: The conflict between Jobu and Garaga centers on whether strength, fear, or mutual benefit can establish control over a summoned beast.
• Escalation of warfare: The battlefield shifts from clan-level combat to attacks involving giant summons, forbidden techniques, and mass explosions.
• The danger of unchecked power: Garaga and Izuna both function as weapons capable of killing large numbers of people with little effort.
• Political alliances and survival: The Fūma and Hagoromo clans reassess their alliance based on the Uchiha’s overwhelming military superiority, while the Senju’s allies pay a heavy price.
• Innovation versus raw strength: Tobirama’s advanced technique temporarily counters Garaga’s physical might, showing how strategy and new jutsu can challenge overwhelming force.

Character Interactions

• Jobu and Garaga: Their relationship begins as a hostile struggle for dominance. Jobu seeks to command Garaga, while Garaga threatens to kill him and the Uchiha clan. Their temporary cooperation is based on revenge rather than loyalty.
• Jobu and Tobirama: Tobirama’s explosive technique directly disrupts Jobu’s attempt to control Garaga, making him Jobu’s immediate enemy and the cause of Garaga’s anger.
• Izuna and the Senju forces: Izuna attacks the Senju and their allies with brutal efficiency, transforming two attackers into bombs and causing widespread casualties.
• The allied clans and the Uchiha: The Fūma and Hagoromo clans observe the Uchiha’s dominance and become reassured that their alliance has placed them on the winning side.

Chapter Summary: “Wood-Style: Wood Dragon Technique, Second-Stage Susanoo”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tobirama Senju’s newly developed Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags Technique fails to kill Garaga because he had prepared too few explosive tags.
• Tobirama attempts to retreat, but Uchiha Jobu tracks him and orders Garaga to pursue. Garaga’s massive size, durable scales, and sensory abilities make him extremely difficult to evade.
• Garaga attacks Tobirama with a devastating headbutt, creating a huge crater, though Tobirama escapes the immediate strike.
• As Garaga closes in, Hashirama intervenes to protect Tobirama, summoning a powerful Wood Dragon to attack the giant snake.
• Garaga struggles against the Wood Dragon, but Madara cuts it apart with Susanoo, redirecting the confrontation toward his long-standing rivalry with Hashirama.
• Madara condemns Hashirama’s ideals of peace and mutual trust, arguing that Hashirama’s willingness to defend Tobirama contradicts his claims about ending hatred—especially since Tobirama was involved in killing Uchiha.
• Driven by grief and anger over his younger brother Izuna, Madara advances his Susanoo to its Second Stage, gaining a far more powerful armored form.
• Madara declares that he will kill Tobirama and subjugate the Senju Clan if he wins, challenging Hashirama to a genuine fight to the death.
• Hashirama accepts the challenge while maintaining that he wants both to protect his clan and brother and ultimately achieve peace.
• Madara’s enhanced Susanoo destroys the Wood Dragon and launches a massive sword strike at Hashirama.
• Hashirama counters with the Wood Human Technique, whose giant wooden golem catches Susanoo’s blade. He then summons another Wood Dragon, which coils around the golem and assists it in attacking Madara.
• Uchiha Jobu watches in amazement as the battle escalates into a clash between Hashirama’s advanced Wood Release and Madara’s Second-Stage Susanoo.

Character Developments

• Tobirama is shown to be resourceful but temporarily outmatched. His failed technique forces him into retreat and highlights the danger posed by Garaga.
• Garaga demonstrates immense physical strength, near-impenetrable scales, senjutsu, and exceptional sensory abilities. His loyalty to Jobu and hostility toward Tobirama are emphasized.
• Uchiha Jobu recognizes the overwhelming difference between his own power and Hashirama’s, while also gaining a greater appreciation for Garaga’s abilities.
• Hashirama reveals that his ideals of peace do not override his protective instincts toward Tobirama. He is forced to confront the apparent contradiction between defending his brother and preaching mutual understanding.
• Madara becomes consumed by anger over Izuna’s death and the persecution of the Uchiha. His rage unlocks a stronger form of Susanoo and pushes him toward abandoning peaceful cooperation with Hashirama.
• Madara and Hashirama’s relationship deteriorates from ideological disagreement into an openly declared battle to the death.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between peace and loyalty: Hashirama wants peace but refuses to sacrifice his brother, exposing the difficulty of applying ideals during war.
• Brotherhood and revenge: Both Hashirama and Madara justify their actions through their duty to protect their younger brothers.
• Hypocrisy and mutual understanding: Madara challenges Hashirama’s belief that trust can end hatred, pointing out that the Senju and Uchiha continue to retaliate against one another.
• Escalation of power: The chapter showcases increasingly powerful techniques—Garaga’s senjutsu, Wood Release, and Second-Stage Susanoo—as personal and clan-based hatred intensifies.
• Ideological conflict reflected in combat: The battle between Hashirama and Madara becomes a physical representation of their opposing visions for the future.

Character Interactions

• Tobirama and Garaga: Garaga relentlessly pursues Tobirama after Tobirama’s failed attack.
• Jobu and Garaga: Jobu directs Garaga, while Garaga reassures him that Tobirama remains within sensory range.
• Hashirama and Tobirama: Hashirama abandons his fight with Madara to protect his younger brother.
• Madara and Hashirama: Their argument centers on whether loyalty to family invalidates their claims to peace and mutual understanding. Their dispute culminates in a deadly duel.
• Jobu and the battlefield: Jobu observes the overwhelming clash between the two legendary warriors, recognizing the vast gap between his own strength and theirs.

Chapter 49 Summary: The Hyuga Clan Arrives Late

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tobirama Senju desperately evades Garaga, a gigantic fifty-meter-long snake summoned by Uchiha Jobu. Using Shadow Clones and Substitution, Tobirama avoids being crushed, exposing Garaga’s limited effectiveness against elite opponents.
• Frustrated by Garaga’s inability to defeat Tobirama, Uchiha Jobu dismisses him. When Hyuga forces arrive on the battlefield, Jobu cancels the Summoning Technique and sends Garaga back to Ryūchi Cave.
• The Hyuga Clan, led by Hyuga Tensei, unexpectedly enters the battle on the Uchiha Clan’s side. More than one hundred Branch Family ninjas attack the Senju forces and support the Uchiha by using the Gentle Fist to disrupt enemy chakra flow.
• The alliance immediately shifts the battle’s balance. The Uchiha and Hyuga—two of the Ninja World’s strongest dōjutsu clans—overwhelm the Senju and their allies, causing many opposing ninjas to consider retreat.
• The Senju forces are shocked and confused by the Hyuga Clan’s decision, especially because the Senju Clan is viewed as more trustworthy and compassionate.
• Hyuga Tensei confirms to Uchiha Jobu that her brother has agreed to the plan intended to produce a Hyuga ninja possessing both the Byakugan and Shikotsumyaku. Although this does not fully meet her brother’s original wishes, the potential hybrid is considered a major source of hope for the Hyuga Clan.
• The arrival of the Hyuga weakens Hashirama’s concentration during his battle with Madara. Madara gains the upper hand, cutting off one of the Wood Golem’s arms, though Hashirama recovers and continues fighting.
• Hashirama and Madara reaffirm their opposing ideals: Hashirama fights for a future village and peace among clans, while Madara insists that both men must prioritize their clans and families. Their battle remains a fight to the death.

Character Developments

• Tobirama Senju: Demonstrates his exceptional survival skills and tactical use of ninjutsu by repeatedly escaping Garaga. His ability highlights the gap between ordinary battlefield strength and elite-level combat.
• Uchiha Jobu: Becomes disappointed in Garaga and reveals confidence in the Hyuga alliance. He views the Shikotsumyaku-Byakugan hybrid as a means of elevating the Hyuga Clan’s power and reputation.
• Hyuga Tensei: Takes decisive leadership of the Branch Family forces and commits the Hyuga Clan to the Uchiha alliance. Her actions show both martial skill and loyalty to the clan’s long-term interests.
• Senju Hashirama: Is briefly shaken by the Hyuga Clan’s betrayal, causing him to lose momentum against Madara. However, he quickly reasserts his determination to pursue his dream of peace.
• Uchiha Madara: Exploits Hashirama’s emotional disruption and remains committed to defeating him, while acknowledging that Hashirama’s dream once inspired him.

Significant Themes

• Power and political alliances: The Hyuga Clan’s unexpected intervention demonstrates how quickly an alliance can transform the balance of power.
• Clan loyalty versus personal ideals: Hashirama’s dream of universal coexistence conflicts with Madara’s belief that leaders must first protect their own clans and families.
• Sacrifice for clan strength: The Hyuga Clan justifies the oppressive Caged Bird seal as necessary protection for the Byakugan, raising questions about whether security can excuse the removal of individual freedom.
• The burden of inherited systems: The Branch Family’s resentment toward the Main Family suggests that traditions created to preserve a clan may also generate hatred and internal division.
• Uncertain future reform: The chapter questions whether the Hyuga would continue using the Caged Bird seal if they became powerful enough to protect the Byakugan without it.

Important Character Interactions

• Tobirama and Garaga: Their chase illustrates Tobirama’s superior agility and Garaga’s intimidating but relatively ineffective strength against high-level ninja.
• Jobu and Garaga: Jobu insults Garaga’s performance, prompting the snake’s anger and threatening response before dismissing him.
• Jobu and Hyuga Tensei: They discuss the Hyuga Clan’s decision and the plan to create a powerful hybrid ninja, revealing their shared strategic goals.
• Madara and Hashirama: Their confrontation combines physical combat with an ideological debate over peace, clan duty, and personal conviction.
• Hyuga Tensei and the Branch Family: Her leadership unites the Branch Family in a coordinated assault, though the Caged Bird seal remains an underlying symbol of their lack of freedom.

Chapter 50 Summary: Tobirama Senju’s Decision: Defense

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hashirama’s Wood Golem and Wood Dragon successfully halt Madara’s Susanoo, preventing him from advancing, but Hashirama remains unable to help the Senju forces elsewhere.
• Madara offers to spare the Senju Clan if Hashirama surrenders, though he clearly intends to eliminate Hashirama and Tobirama to permanently cripple the clan.
• Refusing to give up, Hashirama unveils a new technique: Wood Release: Wood Clone, followed by Flower Tree World Advent. The technique transforms most of the battlefield into a vast forest filled with unopened blossoms, placing Madara at a severe disadvantage.
• Madara realizes Hashirama’s chakra reserves vastly surpass his own and becomes increasingly concerned about the forest and its unknown floral attacks.
• Tobirama escapes the battlefield with the aid of Uzumaki ninja, who sacrifice themselves to create an opening. He returns to the main Senju force.
• Uchiha Jobu and Izuna discuss the possibility of transferring ocular power between compatible bloodlines. Izuna believes the Ketsuryūgan may help repair his damaged Sharingan and potentially lead to stronger Uchiha abilities.
• Back with the Senju forces, Tobirama rejects proposals for a reckless group assault against Jobu and Izuna. Instead, he orders the clan to withdraw and adopt a defensive position.

Character Developments

• Hashirama demonstrates a major increase in power and creativity, revealing Wood Release techniques capable of reshaping the battlefield and potentially overwhelming Madara through superior chakra reserves.
• Madara remains confident and aggressive but recognizes that Hashirama may now possess a decisive advantage in stamina and battlefield control.
• Tobirama displays strategic maturity. Rather than prioritizing pride or reputation, he evaluates the overall balance of power and chooses survival and defensive stability.
• Izuna grows more interested in scientific and genetic experimentation, believing that compatible ocular powers could repair his Sharingan and improve the Uchiha Clan’s future potential.
• Uchiha Jobu continues investigating bloodlines, cells, and Kekkei Genkai, suggesting an interest in experiments that could alter the strength of entire clans.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over pride: Tobirama argues that preserving lives matters more than maintaining the Senju Clan’s reputation.
• The decisive power of exceptional individuals: The battle’s outcome depends primarily on Hashirama and Madara, whose abilities far surpass those of ordinary ninja.
• Adaptation and innovation: Hashirama’s newly developed Wood Release techniques and the Uchiha’s interest in ocular experimentation show clans seeking new ways to gain an advantage.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Uzumaki ninja risk and lose their lives so Tobirama can escape.
• Clan survival and legacy: Madara wants to eliminate Hashirama and Tobirama to destroy the Senju Clan’s future influence, while Izuna imagines enhancing the Uchiha bloodline for generations to come.

Character Interactions

• Hashirama and Madara exchange threats and challenges, with Madara offering conditional mercy and Hashirama defiantly continuing the fight.
• Jobu and Izuna discuss the compatibility of the Ketsuryūgan and Sharingan, as well as possible Kekkei Genkai experiments.
• Tobirama and the Senju commanders debate whether to attack Jobu and Izuna or retreat. Tobirama ends the argument by insisting that defensive survival is the correct course.
• The Senju forces also question the Hyuga Clan’s sudden alliance with the Uchiha, deepening the sense of betrayal and uncertainty on the battlefield.

Chapter 51 Summary: Steady Command, Multiple Lines of Defense Established

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Senju Clan abandons its offensive strategy and begins retreating while fighting, intending to hold its position until the decisive battle between Madara Uchiha and Senju Hashirama determines the war’s outcome.
• Uchiha Jobu, Izuna Uchiha, and Hyuga Tensei interpret the retreat as proof that the Senju lack clan honor, criticizing their emphasis on survival, love, and peace over reputation.
• Tobirama Senju takes command and rapidly organizes a layered defensive formation:
  • Senju Earth Release users create tall Earth Flow Walls as the first defensive line.
  • Senju Water Release users establish Water Formation Walls behind them.
  • Uzumaki ninja form the second line, relying on sealing techniques and taijutsu to stop enemies who penetrate the outer defenses.
  • Sarutobi ninja hold the third line and use their mastery of the five chakra natures.
  • Shimura ninja occupy the center and use Wind Release for long-range attacks against enemies attempting to leap over the barriers.
  • Wounded ninja remain in the rear and contribute by throwing ninja tools.
• Tobirama’s defensive plan successfully halts the Uchiha-led assault. Instead of being overwhelmed during their retreat, the Senju forces kill many attackers by funneling them into prepared ninjutsu attacks.
• Hyuga Tensei uses the Byakugan to assess the full defensive arrangement and identifies Tobirama as the key obstacle.
• The attackers consider using massed Uchiha Fire Release or having Uchiha Jobu summon Garaga, the giant snake from Ryūchi Cave, to break through the walls. However, Garaga’s previous hostility makes summoning him too dangerous.
• The chapter ends with Uchiha Jobu thinking about the future awakening of Izuna’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Rather than relying on Izuna’s potential power, Jobu decides he would prefer to awaken his own Mangekyō Sharingan.

Character Developments

• Tobirama Senju: Demonstrates exceptional battlefield leadership, discipline, and tactical intelligence. He transforms a retreat into a carefully structured defensive operation and protects even the wounded through coordinated positioning.
• Uchiha Jobu: Shows increasing strategic awareness and ambition. He recognizes Tobirama as a serious opponent and begins thinking about acquiring Mangekyō Sharingan power for himself.
• Izuna Uchiha: Remains an important Uchiha commander but is shown to be cautious regarding Garaga and its unpredictable hostility. Jobu’s private thoughts suggest Izuna’s future Mangekyō Sharingan may become significant.
• Hyuga Tensei: Uses the Byakugan effectively for reconnaissance, clearly observing the Senju defensive structure. His disdain for the Senju reflects the honor-based prejudices of the era.
• The Uzumaki, Sarutobi, and Shimura clans: Each contributes according to its specialties, showing increasing cooperation among the allied clans.

Significant Themes

• Honor versus survival: The Uchiha and Hyuga condemn the Senju for retreating and prioritizing life over reputation, while the Senju’s actions present survival as a practical and rational choice.
• Offense versus strategy: The chapter emphasizes that superior numbers and direct attacks are not enough against a disciplined defensive formation.
• Leadership and organization: Tobirama’s ability to assign each clan a specific role demonstrates how command and preparation can offset battlefield disadvantages.
• Power and ambition: Jobu’s thoughts about the Mangekyō Sharingan reveal his desire for greater strength and his belief that his own potential may surpass that of others.
• Prejudice between clans: The Uchiha and Hyuga’s contempt for the Senju shows how deeply clan ideology and wartime propaganda shape their judgments.

Character Interactions

• Jobu, Izuna, and Hyuga Tensei collectively criticize the Senju, revealing their shared hostility and contrasting views of clan honor.
• Tobirama directly coordinates with the Uzumaki and other allied clans, assigning each group a defensive responsibility based on its abilities.
• Izuna warns Jobu against summoning Garaga again, recognizing that the creature may attack its summoner.
• Jobu watches Izuna closely while contemplating his future Mangekyō Sharingan, though he denies that anything is wrong when Izuna notices his attention.
• The opposing sides acknowledge Tobirama’s effectiveness: even his enemies admit that his layered defenses make him a particularly troublesome and formidable opponent.

Chapter Summary: Shimura Yuichi’s Intended Betrayal

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Jobu decides to delay making a final move until the decisive battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama produces a clear result.
• Madara and Hashirama continue their devastating battle. Hashirama’s Wood Golem and Wood Dragon are destroyed after barely restraining Madara’s Susanoo.
• Both leaders are heavily exhausted, but Madara refuses to stop. He declares that he will continue fighting until the Senju Clan is completely destroyed and the Uchiha Clan controls the Land of Fire.
• Hashirama condemns Madara’s ambition and vows to stop him, warning that Madara is risking his life by continuing the battle.
• The Uchiha forces remain confident that they will win. Even if Hashirama defeats Madara, their overwhelming numbers could still destroy most of the Senju forces.
• Several clans allied with the Senju begin considering betrayal. Shimura Yuichi decides that his clan must abandon the Senju and support the Uchiha if necessary, believing this is the only way to preserve the Shimura Clan.
• Tobirama, commanding the defensive lines, remains unaware that the Shimura Clan is preparing to stab the Senju in the back.
• Hyuga Tensei uses her Byakugan to discover Shimura Yuichi’s plan and informs Uchiha Jobu and Izuna.
• Izuna immediately sees an opportunity: the Uchiha can exploit the Shimura betrayal to destroy the Senju in one decisive assault.
• Hyuga Tensei explains that the Shimura Clan will likely wait until the first and second defensive lines are broken before committing fully.
• Uchiha Jobu prepares to demonstrate the true power of his Shikotsumyaku, declaring that he will destroy the Earth Flow Wall protecting the first defensive line with a single attack.
• The chapter ends as Jobu uses Shikotsumyaku: Bracken Dance.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Madara is shown as intensely ambitious and uncompromising. He is willing to exhaust his Chakra and life force to exterminate the Senju and establish Uchiha supremacy.
• Senju Hashirama remains determined to protect his clan and oppose Madara’s destructive vision, even while recognizing the danger of their prolonged battle.
• Shimura Yuichi is revealed as pragmatic, ruthless, and motivated primarily by clan survival. His loyalty to the Senju is conditional and collapses under fear of annihilation.
• Tobirama Senju continues to act as a calm and capable commander, but his confidence in the defensive position leaves him unaware of the political danger within his alliance.
• Hyuga Tensei proves observant and strategically valuable, using her Byakugan to uncover the Shimura Clan’s intentions.
• Uchiha Jobu shifts from passive observation to aggressive action, eager to exploit the betrayal and display his formidable Shikotsumyaku.
• Izuna Uchiha quickly understands the strategic value of the Shimura betrayal and intends to turn it into a weapon against the Senju.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus survival: The allied clans must choose between honoring their alliance with the Senju and preserving their own existence.
• Fear as a political force: Shimura Yuichi’s planned betrayal is driven less by genuine support for the Uchiha than by fear of being destroyed by them.
• Clan ambition and domination: Madara’s goal of wiping out the Senju reflects the broader struggle for control of the Land of Fire.
• Opportunism in war: The Uchiha immediately seek to manipulate the Shimura Clan’s hesitation for maximum strategic gain.
• Hidden threats within alliances: While the armies fight openly, internal betrayal may determine the battle’s outcome more than the duel between Madara and Hashirama.

Important Character Interactions

• Madara and Hashirama argue during their exhausting battle, with Madara insisting that only total Senju destruction can secure Uchiha dominance and Hashirama rejecting his madness.
• Shimura Yuichi and his clan members debate whether betraying the Senju is justified. Yuichi ultimately orders the betrayal to ensure the clan’s survival.
• Hyuga Tensei, Uchiha Jobu, and Izuna discuss the Shimura plot. Tensei provides intelligence, while Jobu and Izuna consider how best to exploit it.
• Jobu and Tensei develop a competitive dynamic as Jobu promises to demonstrate the full power of Shikotsumyaku and Tensei expresses interest in witnessing it.
• Tobirama and the Senju defensive forces remain disconnected from the secret negotiations and impending betrayal within their ranks.

Chapter Summary: “Turning Against the Enemy, the Shimura Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Jobu unleashes the Shikotsumyaku’s ultimate technique, causing countless bone spikes to erupt from the ground.
• The bone forest completely destroys the Earth Flow Wall that Tobirama Senju established as the Senju Clan’s first defensive line.
• The attack demonstrates the overwhelming power of Shikotsumyaku and seriously disrupts the Senju army.
• Seeing the Senju forces weakened, Shimura Yuichi and the Shimura Clan decide to betray their Senju allies. They attack wounded Senju ninja from behind, killing many of them.
• Tobirama responds by using a quickly cast Water Dragon Bullet Technique, but several Shimura ninja combine Wind Release techniques to destroy the water dragon.
• Tobirama publicly declares the Shimura Clan traitors and orders everyone to attack them.
• Izuna Uchiha directs the Uchiha, Hagoromo, Fuma, and Hyuga clans to advance and eliminate the Shimura Clan.
• Although Hyuga Tensei suggests saving Shimura Yuichi as a potential ally, Izuna insists that he must die because the Shimura Clan could become a dangerous rival dependent on Uchiha resources.
• Uchiha Jobu opens numerous treasure chests and obtains various items, skill fragments, and fragments of the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu: Reveals the devastating strength of his Shikotsumyaku and becomes even more valuable to the Uchiha war effort. He also gains new resources through his treasure-chest ability.
• Izuna Uchiha: Shows strategic ruthlessness. He recognizes Shimura Yuichi’s potential and chooses to eliminate him before he can grow into a future threat.
• Hyuga Tensei: Becomes increasingly obsessed with obtaining Shikotsumyaku, believing it could help her resist the Hyuga Main Family’s control and strengthen her position.
• Tobirama Senju: Suffers a major tactical setback when both his defensive wall and trusted allies collapse. He reacts decisively by labeling the Shimura Clan enemies.
• Shimura Yuichi: Makes a desperate political and military gamble by betraying the Senju Clan to preserve the Shimura Clan’s survival, but this decision leaves the clan isolated and marked for destruction.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and survival: The Shimura Clan betrays the Senju out of fear that remaining loyal will lead to their destruction.
• Power and ambition: Shikotsumyaku’s strength inspires both admiration and envy, particularly in Hyuga Tensei.
• Pragmatic ruthlessness: Izuna prioritizes the Uchiha Clan’s long-term security over potential alliances or moral considerations.
• The danger of future threats: Even a possible ally is eliminated if he might eventually become powerful enough to challenge the Uchiha.
• Fate versus choice: Izuna uses “fate” to justify destroying those who stand in the Uchiha’s way, while Hyuga Tensei views the idea with discomfort.
• Clan-based warfare: The battle reflects the Warring States era, where inherited techniques, alliances, and clan interests determine survival.

Character Interactions

• Jobu and Izuna: Jobu’s performance impresses Izuna and encourages him to pursue research into Kaguya Clan cells and Shikotsumyaku.
• Jobu and Hyuga Tensei: Jobu’s power fuels Tensei’s desire to obtain Shikotsumyaku and challenge the Hyuga Main Family.
• Tobirama and Shimura Yuichi: Their alliance immediately turns into open hostility after Yuichi admits the Shimura Clan’s betrayal.
• Izuna and Hyuga Tensei: They debate whether Shimura Yuichi should be saved. Tensei sees him as a possible ally, while Izuna views him as a future liability.
• Senju and Shimura clans: Former comrades become enemies, with the Shimura Clan attacking the wounded Senju and the Senju responding with orders to kill them.

Chapter 54 Summary: “Wood Release! Deep Forest Emergence”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter explains that Wood Release is not merely a combination of Earth and Water Release; it also requires Yang Release to give the created wood vitality.
• Uchiha Jobu successfully awakens Wood Release and immediately uses “Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.”
• His rapidly growing forest tears through the Senju Clan’s second defensive line, destroying the Earth Flow Wall ramparts and threatening to overwhelm the battlefield.
• Tobirama Senju, Hashirama’s brother, is shocked that Jobu can use Wood Release, a power previously believed to belong exclusively to Senju Hashirama.
• Izuna Uchiha and Hyuga Tensei are similarly stunned. Hyuga Tensei becomes even more convinced that the Uchiha Clan is destined to dominate the Land of Fire, prompting the Hyuga branch-family ninjas to fight more aggressively in the Uchiha’s favor.
• Uchiha Madara declares that victory is already decided and offers to spare the Senju Clan if Hashirama submits, with Tobirama’s death as his sole condition.
• Hashirama refuses to surrender and vows to protect Tobirama. He again argues that the clans must cooperate to end the Warring States Era and establish lasting peace.
• Madara rejects Hashirama’s idealism and attacks, believing that such peace is impossible in the current world.
• Hashirama briefly loses the will to fight, but seeing Tobirama nearly killed causes an enormous surge of chakra within him, comparable to that of a Tailed Beast.
• Tobirama escapes another attack using the Body Flicker Technique.
• Frustrated by Tobirama’s repeated survival, Jobu decides to stop holding back. He summons enormous, intelligent vines and pursues Tobirama with the intention of killing him.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu: Gains confidence and arrogance after awakening Wood Release. He sees the ability as proof of his superiority and uses it to strengthen the Uchiha’s position. His fixation on killing Tobirama grows because of Tobirama’s repeated escapes.
• Senju Hashirama: Remains committed to peace but briefly falls into despair when Madara rejects his dream. His protective instincts toward Tobirama restore his fighting spirit and unleash his immense chakra.
• Uchiha Madara: Demonstrates both ruthlessness and lingering compassion. He offers to spare the Senju Clan, revealing that his bond-oriented Uchiha nature still restrains him, but he remains convinced that Hashirama’s vision is unrealistic.
• Tobirama Senju: Continues surviving through speed and tactical skill despite being significantly weaker than the main combatants. Jobu’s pursuit establishes him as a direct target and future rival.
• Izuna Uchiha: Reacts with surprise to Jobu’s unexpected Wood Release.
• Hyuga Tensei: Becomes increasingly loyal to the Uchiha after witnessing Jobu’s power and urges the Hyuga forces to prove their usefulness.

Significant Themes

• Power and legitimacy: Wood Release is treated as a symbol of supremacy, and Jobu’s possession of it challenges the traditional belief that the ability belongs only to Hashirama.
• Idealism versus realism: Hashirama believes cooperation can create peace, while Madara views such hopes as impossible amid the brutality of the Warring States Era.
• Family and loyalty: Both Madara and Hashirama are motivated by their relationships with their younger brothers, though those bonds lead them to opposite choices.
• Destiny and protagonist status: The narration humorously frames Hashirama and Madara as the era’s “protagonists,” while Tobirama is treated as a talented but comparatively ordinary supporting figure.
• Escalation of war: Jobu’s Wood Release dramatically shifts the battlefield, suggesting that the conflict is nearing a decisive stage.

Important Character Interactions

• Madara and Hashirama: Their confrontation centers on surrender, the fate of the Senju Clan, and whether peace is achievable. Madara gives Hashirama one final chance to submit, but Hashirama refuses.
• Hashirama and Tobirama: Hashirama’s determination to protect Tobirama triggers his renewed fighting spirit and massive chakra release.
• Jobu and Tobirama: Jobu repeatedly attempts to kill Tobirama, while Tobirama escapes through speed and technique. Jobu’s frustration leads him to unleash stronger Wood Release attacks.
• Jobu, Izuna, and Hyuga Tensei: Jobu’s unexpected power impresses and astonishes his allies, reinforcing their belief that the Uchiha are destined to rule.

Chapter 55 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tobirama Senju flees in terror from Uchiha Jobu, convinced that Jobu’s overwhelming abilities will kill him.
• Jobu pursues him using Wood Release vines, while Tobirama counters with Water Severing Wave and Water Dragon Bullet. Although Tobirama cuts through the vines, Jobu easily crushes his water dragon with the Wood Release: Hands of Buddha Technique.
• Tobirama is disturbed that Jobu can use Wood Release, a power he himself could never obtain despite being Hashirama’s brother.
• Jobu decides that Tobirama should die by the Uchiha clan’s signature technique. He launches Great Fire Annihilation, forcing Tobirama to defend himself with Great Exploding Water Shock Wave. Their attacks collide, creating massive steam, boiling water, and dangerous shockwaves.
• After the clash, Jobu confronts Tobirama directly and explains that he intends to kill him because of the longstanding Senju-Uchiha feud and Tobirama’s future hostility toward the Uchiha.
• Tobirama claims Hashirama will avenge him, but Jobu dismisses this, noting that Hashirama is occupied fighting Madara Uchiha.
• Tobirama makes one final attack with Hard Whirlpool Water Blade. Jobu blocks it with Wood Dragon Technique, which withstands the powerful Water Release.
• Jobu finishes Tobirama with Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique, killing him in flames as Hashirama arrives and cries out for his brother.
• Jobu reflects that Tobirama’s death is the natural result of being born into the violent Warring States Era and hints that they may meet again in the Pure Land.

Character Developments

• Tobirama Senju: Despite his reputation and skill, he is overwhelmed by fear and recognizes that Jobu possesses abilities far beyond his expectations. His final attacks show determination, but he remains unable to overcome Jobu’s Wood and Fire Release.
• Uchiha Jobu: He is portrayed as vastly superior, possessing multiple powerful Kekkei Genkai and dominating Tobirama throughout the encounter. His hatred of the Senju is tempered by a pragmatic belief that enemies must be eliminated before they can threaten him. He deliberately chooses Fire Release to give Tobirama a death symbolically tied to the Uchiha clan.
• Hashirama Senju: Though mostly absent from the battle, his arrival after Tobirama’s death emphasizes the emotional cost of the conflict and suggests that he may now seek revenge against Jobu.

Significant Themes

• The destructive cycle of clan hatred: Jobu kills Tobirama because of the generations-long Senju-Uchiha feud and Tobirama’s anticipated future actions against the Uchiha.
• Fatalism and inherited conflict: Tobirama’s death is presented as a consequence of being born into the brutal Warring States Era and belonging to an enemy clan.
• Power and intimidation: Jobu’s diverse abilities—including Wood Release—make him appear nearly unstoppable, while Tobirama’s fear highlights the imbalance between them.
• Symbolic violence: Jobu intentionally kills Tobirama with Fire Release, the Uchiha clan’s defining elemental specialty, turning the death into an expression of clan identity and vengeance.
• Mortality and the afterlife: Their discussion of the Pure Land adds a grim, almost casual reflection on death and the possibility of meeting again beyond life.

Character Interactions

• Tobirama and Jobu: Their battle is both physical and ideological. Tobirama fights desperately, while Jobu mocks him and justifies his execution as necessary self-preservation.
• Tobirama and Hashirama: Tobirama places his hope in Hashirama’s ability to avenge him, underscoring the brothers’ bond.
• Jobu and Hashirama: Jobu taunts Hashirama by pointing out that he is occupied fighting Madara, then kills Tobirama before Hashirama can intervene.

Chapter Summary: “No Need! I’m Enough on My Own”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uchiha Jobu kills Tobirama Senju with Fire Release. Although he respects Tobirama’s talent and potential, Jobu views him as an enemy and believes showing mercy would be dangerous.
• Tobirama’s death affects the surrounding Senju forces differently: some seek revenge, while others become frightened and consider retreating.
• Hyuga Tensei attacks a Sarutobi ninja with Empty Palm, revealing that the battlefield includes the Senju, Sarutobi, Shimura, Uchiha, and Hyuga clans.
• The Shimura clan, having betrayed the Senju, is surrounded by Sarutobi forces and fights desperately to escape.
• Izuna confirms Tobirama’s death, while Jobu declares that the Senju have effectively lost. Izuna also begins asking about Jobu’s Wood Release.
• Jobu turns his attention to the battle between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama. He wants Madara to obtain Hashirama’s flesh—ideally an arm—so Hashirama’s cells can potentially prevent the blindness caused by the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Jobu enters the main battle and warns Madara to acquire Hashirama’s tissue. Madara initially assumes Jobu is trying to steal his opponent.
• Jobu uses Wood Release to assist Madara, but his Wood Dragon is vastly inferior to Hashirama’s. Hashirama effortlessly destroys it with his own Wood Dragon.
• Madara mocks Jobu’s failed technique, while Jobu angrily insists that he was only trying to help.
• Madara realizes how strange it is for an Uchiha to possess Wood Release, but Jobu refuses to explain until after Hashirama is defeated.
• Jobu admits that he is not yet strong enough to fight Hashirama directly and offers to distract him. Madara rejects the assistance, confidently claiming that he can defeat Hashirama alone.

Character Developments

• Uchiha Jobu: Demonstrates both respect and ruthlessness by killing Tobirama despite admiring him. His main concern shifts toward acquiring Hashirama’s cells to overcome the Mangekyō Sharingan’s blindness drawback. He remains arrogant but is forced to recognize the enormous gap between his Wood Release and Hashirama’s.
• Tobirama Senju: Dies standing amid the flames, reinforcing his image as a proud and fearless Senju warrior.
• Uchiha Madara: Remains fiercely confident in his own strength and refuses to share or be assisted in his battle with Hashirama. His teasing of Jobu highlights their competitive relationship.
• Senju Hashirama: Is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful. His Wood Release completely outclasses Jobu’s and continues to make him appear almost superhuman.
• Izuna Uchiha: Notices Jobu’s unusual Wood Release and begins questioning its origin. He also accepts Jobu’s report of Tobirama’s death.
• Hyuga Tensei: Acts decisively and aggressively in battle, reminding the others that Tobirama’s death does not mean the fighting is over.

Significant Themes

• Respect between enemies: Jobu admires Tobirama but still kills him, emphasizing that respect cannot override wartime necessity.
• Power and inferiority: Jobu’s Wood Release is useful but insignificant beside Hashirama’s, reinforcing Hashirama’s status as the original and unmatched master of the technique.
• The pursuit of immortality or power: Jobu seeks Hashirama’s cells to preserve the Mangekyō Sharingan’s light, showing his willingness to exploit forbidden or unnatural methods to gain an advantage.
• Pride and self-reliance: Madara’s insistence that he needs no help reflects his immense confidence and stubborn independence.
• Clan conflict and shifting alliances: The battlefield is fractured among several clans, with the Shimura betrayal and the Sarutobi encirclement demonstrating the complexity of the wider war.

Important Character Interactions

• Jobu and Tobirama: Their relationship is defined indirectly through Jobu’s conflicted feelings after the killing. Jobu sees Tobirama as a worthy opponent whose potential was cut short.
• Jobu and Izuna: Izuna questions Jobu about his Wood Release, but Jobu avoids explaining its origin.
• Jobu and Hyuga Tensei: Tensei challenges Jobu’s dismissal of the battle, emphasizing that Tobirama is not the only threat.
• Jobu and Madara: Their exchange is competitive and argumentative. Jobu gives Madara tactical advice about Hashirama’s cells, while Madara mocks Jobu’s weak Wood Release and refuses his offer of assistance.
• Madara and Hashirama: Their battle remains the central confrontation. Madara treats Hashirama as his personal rival and refuses to let anyone interfere, while Hashirama continues to dominate the battlefield with overwhelming Wood Release.

Chapter 57 Summary: “Those Who Chose to Become Dependents, Leaving the Senju Clan Alone”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Senju Hashirama retreats with the surviving Senju clan members, abandoning Sarutobi and Uzumaki allies who call for help. His decision suggests that preserving the Senju takes priority over his broader alliances.
• Uchiha Jobu questions the surviving Sarutobi ninja about their leadership. The expected successor, Sarutobi Sasuke, reveals that his uncle is challenging his claim.
• Jobu offers to recognize Sasuke as clan leader if he kills his uncle and makes the Sarutobi Clan a dependent of the Uchiha. Sasuke immediately kills his uncle, securing leadership for himself.
• The Shimura Clan voluntarily submits to the Uchiha. Jobu accepts them despite their weakness, seeing their willingness to perform ruthless and unpleasant tasks as useful. Shimura Yuichi agrees that the clan will become the Uchiha’s “loyal dogs” and accept sealing formulas as marks of subordination.
• Jobu confronts Ashina Uzumaki, demanding that the Uzumaki Clan either be destroyed or become Uchiha dependents.
• Ashina accepts dependence on the Uchiha after Hashirama abandons the Uzumaki during the battle. Feeling betrayed despite the clans’ distant familial relationship, Ashina breaks with the Senju.
• By the end of the chapter, the Uchiha have gained the Sarutobi, Shimura, and Uzumaki Clans as dependents, while the Senju are left isolated.

Character Developments

• Senju Hashirama: His idealistic image is damaged by his decision to save only his own clan. Whether motivated by pragmatism or a deeper strategy, his abandonment of the others creates the impression that even he has accepted the brutal values of the Warring States Era.
• Uchiha Jobu: He proves himself an opportunistic and calculating leader. Rather than simply defeating enemies, he converts surviving clans into political and military assets, assigning each a role within the Uchiha power structure.
• Sarutobi Sasuke: He demonstrates ruthless loyalty to his clan’s survival and ambition by killing his uncle without hesitation. His willingness to eliminate internal opposition makes him suitable, in Jobu’s eyes, to lead the Sarutobi as Uchiha dependents.
• Shimura Yuichi: He willingly sacrifices the clan’s independence for protection and future status. His submissive language shows how completely the Shimura Clan accepts Uchiha authority.
• Ashina Uzumaki: Once connected to the Senju through blood and tradition, he abandons that relationship after Hashirama’s betrayal. His choice reflects both resentment and a pragmatic desire to preserve the Uzumaki Clan.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of idealism: Hashirama’s abandonment suggests that lofty dreams of unity cannot survive unchanged in the Warring States Era.
• Clan survival versus loyalty: The Sarutobi, Shimura, and Uzumaki all choose survival and security over independence or old alliances.
• Power through dependence: The Uchiha expand not only by conquest but by absorbing other clans into a hierarchy of submission and service.
• Betrayal and political realignment: Hashirama’s decision causes the Uzumaki to sever their historic ties with the Senju and strengthens the Uchiha.
• Pragmatism and exploitation: Jobu evaluates each clan according to its usefulness, valuing the Sarutobi’s technical abilities, the Shimura’s ruthlessness, and the Uzumaki’s sealing expertise.

Important Character Interactions

• Jobu and Sasuke: Jobu tests Sasuke’s willingness to act decisively and offers him leadership in exchange for killing his rival.
• Sasuke and his uncle: Their brief confrontation ends in Sasuke’s immediate execution of his uncle, establishing the harsh nature of the new order.
• Jobu and Yuichi: Jobu warns that the Uchiha are not as forgiving as the Senju, while Yuichi openly accepts servitude in exchange for protection.
• Jobu and Ashina: Jobu gives Ashina a stark choice between extinction and submission. Ashina’s acceptance is driven by Hashirama’s abandonment and marks the final break between the Uzumaki and Senju.
• Hashirama and the abandoned clans: Though they do not directly confront him, the Sarutobi and Uzumaki are profoundly affected by his retreat, which reshapes the balance of power among the clans.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hashirama isolates himself after Tobirama’s death, overwhelmed by grief and murderous rage. He briefly fantasizes about killing Madara, Izuna, Jobu, and entire clans, then becomes horrified by his own thoughts.
• A black entity emerges from the shadows and introduces itself as Black Zetsu, claiming to be Hashirama’s manifested will and “dark side.”
• Hashirama doubts Zetsu’s identity, but Zetsu proves his connection by merging with him and using Yin–Yang Release to regenerate Hashirama’s severed arm.
• Zetsu manipulates Hashirama’s grief and idealism, insisting that all Uchiha are inherently evil and that destroying them is necessary to achieve peace.
• Hashirama accepts this distorted reasoning, vows to eradicate the Uchiha, and decides he needs greater power to defeat Madara.
• Zetsu directs him toward the three great summoning-beast lands and recommends learning Sage Mode, particularly from Shikkotsu Forest, as the easiest and most suitable path.
• Zetsu secretly celebrates having successfully deceived an incarnation of Ashura, something he had never managed before. However, his real objective remains Madara, the current reincarnation of Indra. He plans to empower Hashirama first, then manipulate Madara later.

Character Developments

• Hashirama undergoes a major psychological collapse. His dream of peace is corrupted by grief, vengeance, and self-doubt.
• He begins rationalizing hatred as a necessary tool for peace, abandoning his former belief in reconciliation.
• His vulnerability makes him unusually susceptible to manipulation, allowing Zetsu to exploit both his love for Tobirama and his fear of failing his ideals.
• Black Zetsu is revealed as a calculating manipulator who disguises his influence as Hashirama’s own suppressed thoughts. He is surprised by how easily Hashirama can be deceived.
• Zetsu’s broader strategy becomes clear: strengthen Hashirama enough to threaten Madara, then use the conflict to manipulate Madara as well.

Significant Themes

• The corruption of idealism: Hashirama’s dream of peace becomes an excuse for violence when he begins treating extermination as a path to harmony.
• Grief and revenge: Tobirama’s death drives Hashirama toward hatred, showing how personal loss can distort moral convictions.
• The dark side of human nature: Zetsu claims to embody Hashirama’s hidden impulses, forcing Hashirama to confront whether his peaceful identity conceals violent desires.
• Manipulation and self-deception: Zetsu succeeds not by openly controlling Hashirama, but by reinforcing beliefs Hashirama is already beginning to form.
• The cycle of Indra and Ashura: The chapter frames Hashirama and Madara within the larger reincarnation conflict, while portraying an unusual reversal in which Ashura’s incarnation is deceived more easily than Indra’s.

Character Interactions

• Hashirama confronts Black Zetsu and rejects the idea that he could possess an evil side.
• Zetsu gains Hashirama’s trust by healing his arm and presenting himself as part of Hashirama rather than an external enemy.
• Zetsu repeatedly validates Hashirama’s anger toward the Uchiha, echoing Tobirama’s beliefs until Hashirama adopts them as his own.
• Their alliance is fundamentally deceptive: Hashirama believes Zetsu supports his dream, while Zetsu is using him as a weapon against Madara and the Uchiha.

Chapter 59 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hashirama becomes suspicious of Black Zetsu’s claim that he is Hashirama’s “dark side” and demands proof that he knows things only Hashirama would know.
• Black Zetsu cleverly mentions embarrassing childhood incidents involving Hashirama and Madara—such as competing to see who could urinate farther and comparing their bodies. Hashirama is mortified and immediately accepts that Black Zetsu must truly be connected to him.
• Convinced, Hashirama begins reflecting on whether he genuinely possesses a “dark side” and whether Madara’s accusations—that Hashirama’s ideals primarily serve himself and the Senju Clan—might contain some truth.
• Meanwhile, Madara returns to the Uchiha Clan after the battle and isolates himself to train, while Uchiha Jobu oversees the clan’s response to the Senju defeat.
• The Uchiha leadership confirms that the Senju Clan has made no suspicious moves. Although some Uchiha members want to destroy the weakened Senju Clan immediately, the elders warn that the ancient clan likely has many hidden defenses and powerful trump cards.
• Jobu orders the Uchiha, Hyuga, Shimura, Sarutobi, Fūma, and Hagoromo shinobi to be reorganized into mixed teams. Each squad will combine specialists in taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, and medical techniques, foreshadowing the military structure of future Ninja Villages.
• Jobu recognizes that the Ninja World is moving toward village-based warfare rather than clan-based conflict. He intends for the Uchiha to establish or control this new era before another clan gains the advantage.
• He also remembers his promise to the Hyuga Clan, which involved cultivating a shinobi possessing the Shikotsumyaku. The chapter ends with Jobu displaying a bone blade emerging from his hand, suggesting he may possess or be able to reproduce that ability.

Character Developments

• Hashirama: Becomes more cautious and introspective. Though he accepts Black Zetsu’s identity, the encounter causes him to question his morality, motives, and whether he has a suppressed darker nature.
• Black Zetsu: Demonstrates his manipulative intelligence. Unable to provide genuine secret knowledge, he exploits embarrassing memories involving Madara to convince Hashirama of his authenticity.
• Madara: Remains focused on self-improvement after the battle, withdrawing from clan affairs to train rather than immediately pursuing political action.
• Uchiha Jobu: Strengthens his role as a strategic leader. He avoids recklessly invading the Senju territory, prioritizes military organization, and seeks to make the Uchiha dominant in the coming Ninja Village era.
• Uchiha Kagami: Represents the more aggressive faction, advocating the immediate extermination of the Senju.
• Uchiha elders and Setsuna: Provide caution and practical organization, emphasizing the Senju’s long history and possible defenses.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and false identity: Black Zetsu gains Hashirama’s trust through carefully selected half-truths rather than actual proof.
• Self-doubt and morality: Hashirama begins questioning whether his ideals are truly selfless and whether every shinobi contains a darker side.
• Tradition versus modernization: The ancient Senju and Uchiha clans are forced to adapt as warfare evolves from clan conflicts toward organized village systems.
• Power and political dominance: Jobu’s reforms are motivated not only by efficiency but also by his determination to keep the Uchiha at the top of the Ninja World.
• Caution versus aggression: The Uchiha debate whether to exploit the Senju’s weakened state or prepare carefully for a future confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Hashirama interrogates Black Zetsu, but Black Zetsu disarms his suspicion by revealing humiliating memories shared by Hashirama and Madara.
• Hashirama’s trust in Black Zetsu grows, while Black Zetsu privately celebrates successfully deceiving an Ashura reincarnation.
• Uchiha Jobu rejects Kagami’s call for an immediate assault and instead listens to the elders’ warnings about the Senju Clan’s hidden defenses.
• Jobu directs Setsuna to construct mixed-clan combat teams, creating cooperation between former allies and laying the groundwork for the future Ninja Village system.
• Jobu’s final display of a bone blade implies a possible connection to the Hyuga promise and introduces a new mystery surrounding his abilities.

Chapter Summary: “The One Who Will Accept the Power Is Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hyuga Main Family decides that the Branch Family must provide shinobi for an Uchiha-led experiment designed to obtain the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai.
• The Main Family offers compensation: greater access to Gentle Fist techniques and two seats on the clan council. Hyuga Tensei sarcastically rejects these concessions as inadequate payment for the lives the Branch Family may lose.
• Tensei agrees to the arrangement only if her own name is added to the list of experimental participants. She wants to personally obtain the Shikotsumyaku and gain enough strength to challenge the Main Family’s authority.
• Her brother, Hyuga Tennin, warns that the experiment has an extremely low survival rate and that the Caged Bird seal would still restrict her even if she became powerful. Despite this, he accepts her demand and makes the arrangements.
• The Uchiha receive the list of Hyuga participants. Izuna Uchiha is surprised to see Tensei’s name, since her participation was ordered directly by the Hyuga clan head rather than selected by the elders.
• Izuna interprets the Hyuga Clan’s eagerness to participate as suspicious and views the clan as useful but ultimately disposable. He implies that, if necessary, he will be the one to eliminate them once they are no longer needed.
• Meanwhile, the Uchiha continue consolidating power. The Shimura, Uzumaki, and Sarutobi clans have been forced to relocate into Uchiha territory, with their noncombatants effectively held hostage.
• Uchiha Jobu requires the absorbed clans to adapt to Uchiha military formations within half a month. He also plans the foundations of a future Uchiha-led shinobi village, including a shinobi academy and a medical department.

Character Developments

• Hyuga Tensei: Moves from resentment to decisive action. Rather than merely criticizing the Main Family’s oppression, she volunteers for the deadly experiment to gain power and influence. Her desperation reveals how deeply the Branch Family’s humiliation has affected her.
• Hyuga Tennin: Though he understands and sympathizes with the Branch Family’s hatred, he remains constrained by the Hyuga system. He reluctantly approves Tensei’s request, recognizing that he cannot break the clan’s traditions or protect the Branch Family from its fate.
• Izuna Uchiha: Demonstrates suspicion, strategic ruthlessness, and a willingness to use and discard allied clans. He sees the Hyuga’s cooperation as politically useful but does not trust their motives.
• Uchiha Jobu: Expands his ambitions beyond battlefield dominance. His plans now include organizing conquered clans, creating formal military structures, and establishing institutions necessary for a shinobi village.

Significant Themes

• Oppression and inherited power: The Caged Bird seal symbolizes the Branch Family’s loss of freedom and the way oppression becomes psychologically internalized.
• Power as the only path to respect: Tensei believes that strength is necessary before the Main Family will fear or respect the Branch Family.
• Sacrifice and exploitation: The Main Family offers minor political concessions while demanding that the Branch Family risk its lives, showing how ruling groups shift the greatest costs onto the powerless.
• Political alliances and disposability: The Uchiha use other clans for expansion and military strength while already considering how and when those allies might be eliminated.
• Institution-building: The chapter marks a transition from clan warfare toward the creation of a centralized shinobi village, with systems for education, military organization, and eventually medical care.

Important Character Interactions

• Tensei and Tennin argue over the Branch Family’s forced participation. Their sibling bond is overshadowed by the inherited conflict between the Main and Branch Families.
• Tensei confronts Tennin with her demand to pursue the Shikotsumyaku, forcing him to acknowledge both her determination and the Branch Family’s desperation.
• Izuna questions the Hyuga representative about Tensei’s inclusion and mocks the Hyuga Clan’s sudden eagerness to cooperate with the Uchiha.
• Izuna and the absent Jobu are contrasted: both view other clans pragmatically, but Izuna presents himself as the one willing to carry out the ruthless work of eliminating them.
• Jobu’s administrative planning contrasts with the chapter’s violent clan politics, showing the Uchiha’s shift from conquest toward long-term state-building.