Recaps

Hiruzen Sarutobi, inhabited by Sun Xiaolong, dismantled Danzo’s power and reshaped Konoha while abandoning chakra to pursue cultivation. The arc left Konoha under Orochimaru and the other new leaders as Hiruzen cultivated in seclusion, with Danzo confronting his transformed former rival.

• Sun Xiaolong revived in Hiruzen Sarutobi’s body, judged chakra harmful to cultivation, and decided to remain Hokage while concealing his new path.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi recruited Orochimaru to help change Konoha, then defeated Danzo when he refused to surrender Root and ordered its abolition.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi placed Orochimaru and Shikaku Nara in charge of village affairs, removed Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado from their positions, and entered seclusion.
• Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade took on leadership roles, while Konoha announced Naruto Uzumaki’s parentage and began reforms that opened opportunities to the Uchiha.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi used up his chakra to restore his youth, told his family he had given up chakra, and moved to a cabin to cultivate.
• Orochimaru worked to integrate the Uchiha and reorganize Konoha, while Jiraiya and Tsunade returned and took on village responsibilities.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed his youthful appearance and chakra-less state to Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, then left them to manage Konoha as he pursued cultivation.
• Danzo abandoned his bid for Hokage and visited Hiruzen Sarutobi, who returned from a hunt looking youthful and powerful.

Konoha captured Killer B, exposed Obito Uchiha as the Nine-Tails’ attacker, and strengthened ties with the Uchiha. Hiruzen Sarutobi left on a journey to gather resources, taking on Miki Xiaoai as a follower, while Itachi Uchiha became his disciple; the stretch ends with Hiruzen arriving at Star Ninja Village to discuss the Star.

• Jiraiya and Fugaku Uchiha led Konoha forces to defeat enemy squads and capture Killer B, while Fugaku revealed his Mangekyo Sharingan to control Gyuki.
• Konoha celebrated the Uchiha, Shisui accepted Jiraiya as his teacher, and Obito Uchiha confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi before escaping and being declared an S-rank rogue ninja.
• Kakashi surrendered his Sharingan for removal and resolved to defeat Obito himself, while Hiruzen visited the Monkey Demon Clan and began cultivating at Flower Fruit Mountain.
• Orochimaru and Shikaku Nara negotiated Killer B’s return to Cloud, and Hiruzen returned to Konoha before announcing that he would travel with Orochimaru’s Kusanagi Sword.
• Hiruzen met Miki Xiaoai on Seven Herbs Island, helped her search for a Seven-Star Flower, exposed and killed the Merchant Ninjas and their healer, then sent her to Konoha.
• Miki Xiaoai joined the Sarutobi household, and Itachi passed his early graduation examination, became Hiruzen’s disciple, and told Orochimaru that he wanted to protect what he cherished.
• Hiruzen reached Star Ninja Village seeking the Star, where Natsuhi raised the alarm and the Third Star Shadow invited him into the village to discuss it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi forged Star Severer, revealed the Otsutsuki threat, and found an ancient cultivation legacy while Orochimaru expanded Konoha’s power. The arc left Hiruzen back in Konoha with the Land of Fire’s daimyo protesting its growth.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi killed Akahoshi, took the Star, and later forged it into Star Severer before defeating the Four Celestial Symbols Men and reviving Seimei.
• Orochimaru secured Hoshigakure’s cooperation under Konoha’s control and recruited Seimei to study and make ninja tools.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the Otsutsuki threat and his cultivation inheritance to Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, while Orochimaru planned to prepare Konoha through expansion and military strength.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi trained Miki Xiaoai, visited Shikkotsu Forest, and bound the Slug Sage to him in exchange for her cultivation methods and help finding the immortal’s legacy.
• Kakashi and his team faced resistance in Hoshigakure as Konoha moved to secure the village and its trade route, while Itachi arranged for Naruto to be adopted by the Uchiha family and agreed to an experiment with Orochimaru.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi reached Foundation Establishment and recovered an Integration Stage cultivator’s history, cultivation formulas, and a clue to a weak point in space east of the Land of Water from the collapsing cave abode.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha as it continued expanding, and he dismissed the Land of Fire daimyo’s demands for an explanation.

Hiruzen and Orochimaru strengthened Konoha’s influence, secured an alliance with Kirigakure, and prepared to unify the ninja world against the Ōtsutsuki threat. After Kumogakure’s attempt to kidnap Hinata, Konoha summoned the former Hokage and declared war on the Cloud Hidden Village.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Jiraiya in a spar, demonstrating his new strength and prompting Konoha’s clans to consider the village’s growing power.
• Obito destabilized the Hidden Mist Village, and Mei Terumi became its Fifth Mizukage as Konoha intervened and secured an alliance by sealing the Three-Tails into Kisame Hoshigaki.
• Konoha expanded its influence with Healing Talismans and its Kirigakure alliance, while Obito failed to recruit Kumogakure and Iwagakure against it.
• Might Guy killed Jūzō Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki after Mist shinobi attacked him, and Kumogakure ninja were caught kidnapping Hinata from the Hyuga residence.
• Orochimaru used Impure World Reincarnation to summon Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Minato Namikaze, who learned about Konoha’s plans and the threat of the Otsutsuki Clan.
• Minato Namikaze found Naruto safe with the Uchiha, while Tobirama persuaded Hashirama Senju to support Konoha’s campaign to unify the Shinobi World.
• Konoha declared war on the Cloud Hidden Village, rallied its people and shinobi, and prepared to transport its forces to Kumogakure.