Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi explored the ruined Land of Whirlpools and found a strange mask before returning to Konoha. There, Orochimaru met Seimei, a craft ninja who had transformed himself into a ninja tool, and became intrigued by his Mechanical Ascension.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi searched the Land of Whirlpools for a day and found a mask resembling the Death God Mask among the ruins.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi took the mask to Konoha to have someone test it, while Peacock and Seimei arrived there and Dragon Eye stayed in Craft Ninja Village.
• Shikaku worried that Hiruzen Sarutobi might cause trouble in the Land of Crafts and urged Orochimaru to handle the matter.
• Orochimaru left the laboratory, where Anko struggled to keep up with Kabuto and Itachi’s studies.
• Orochimaru met Seimei and recognized that he had transformed himself into a kind of ninja tool.

Seimei agreed to make ninja tools for Konoha in exchange for Hiruzen Sarutobi teaching him how to forge Star Severer. Orochimaru had Seimei taken to his laboratory for study, then left to speak with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

• Seimei told Orochimaru that Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised to teach him how to forge Star Severer if he made ninja tools for him for a few years.
• Orochimaru tested Seimei's chakra-absorbing armor and offered him leadership of a Konoha ninja tool division in exchange for cooperation.
• Seimei accepted Orochimaru's offer, unaware that Orochimaru was more interested in studying him than his tools.
• Shikaku kept Peacock from following Seimei into Orochimaru's laboratory, where Shisui subdued him with genjutsu.
• Orochimaru concluded that Seimei's soul had grown fragile and that he would eventually lose his humanity and memories, then assigned Itachi and Kabuto to study him.
• After ANBU reported that Hiruzen Sarutobi had returned, Orochimaru left the laboratory to speak with his mentor.

Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha and explained to Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade the hidden history of the Otsutsuki, the Tailed Beasts, and his own cultivation. His disciples left with different questions and concerns about the revelations and the threats still ahead.

• Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi in the Hokage's office and asked why he had changed.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told them that Kaguya Otsutsuki ate the Divine Tree's fruit, was sealed by her sons, and that the Hyuga, Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki descended from them.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that Black Zetsu sought to revive the Otsutsuki by gathering the Tailed Beasts and the Rinnegan, and Jiraiya recalled his former disciple Nagato.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed that an immortal had once protected humanity from demon beasts and that he had inherited that immortal's legacy.
• Jiraiya wanted to question the Great Toad Sage, Tsunade was shocked by the Senju and Uchiha connection, and Orochimaru focused on Hiruzen Sarutobi's cultivation.

Hiruzen Sarutobi told Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya about his cultivation method, the Otsutsuki threat, and the need to abandon chakra to cultivate. The three hesitated over whether to give up their powers, while Hiruzen planned to teach Miki Xiaoai first and left them to consider his offer.

• Orochimaru asked Hiruzen Sarutobi about the Sage's inheritance, and Hiruzen described a cultivation method that used pure natural energy and could lead to immortality.
• Tsunade asked whether the Otsutsuki Clan would return, and Hiruzen revealed that another Ōtsutsuki was still hiding in the Shinobi World and that the clan posed their greatest future threat.
• Hiruzen explained that cultivation required abandoning chakra and having aptitude, then offered to teach his three disciples after starting with Miki Xiaoai.
• Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya hesitated to accept the method, and Orochimaru tried to pass Konoha's administrative work to Tsunade and then Jiraiya.
• Hiruzen told his disciples to keep the information secret from Black Zetsu and left to go home.

Hiruzen Sarutobi taught Miki Xiaoai a cultivation method and accepted her as a disciple, then attended Danzo’s wedding after Danzo announced his plans to raise children who could become Hokage. Afterward, Orochimaru asked about his missing Kusanagi Sword, and Hiruzen revealed he had reforged it into Star Severer.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with Miki Xiaoai and offered to make her his follower if she progressed in cultivation.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi taught Miki Xiaoai the Qi Refinement portion of the Yin-Yang Body Refinement Formula, and Shinnosuke and Asuma returned home.
• Danzo invited Hiruzen Sarutobi to his wedding, and Hiruzen agreed after deciding Danzo had no mysterious system.
• Danzo married and announced he would raise his children to become Hokage, drawing disbelief from the villagers.
• Orochimaru asked Hiruzen Sarutobi about his Kusanagi Sword, and Hiruzen revealed he had reforged it into Star Severer.

Orochimaru discussed immortality and cultivation with Hiruzen Sarutobi, then proposed preparing to bring the Land of Water under Konoha’s influence. As Jiraiya opposed the plan, Orochimaru turned to Tsunade for her view.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Orochimaru that true immortality required transcendence and discussed the limits of extending life through chakra and experiments.
• Orochimaru proposed unifying the Five Great Nations to prepare for the Otsutsuki Clan, and Hiruzen advised winning other villages over through cultural influence.
• Orochimaru considered Kirigakure a possible target because the Land of Water was isolated and its strength had been weakened under Karatachi Yagura.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi planned to cultivate in seclusion and eventually visit Shikkotsu Forest, while avoiding Mount Myoboku and Ryūchi Cave for now.
• Orochimaru approached Jiraiya and Tsunade with a plan concerning the Land of Water, and Jiraiya objected when he thought it meant starting another war.

Orochimaru persuaded Tsunade and Jiraiya to support a policy of building Konoha’s strength through war, while planning reforms to the Ninja Academy and expansion into neighboring lands. He then proposed using the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to summon the First and Second Hokage if Konoha faced overwhelming enemies, leaving Tsunade uneasy about the dangers of his approach.

• Orochimaru rejected Jiraiya’s proposal to negotiate with other villages and argued that Konoha should use war to achieve lasting peace and take control of the other villages.
• Tsunade agreed with Orochimaru, and Jiraiya eventually agreed as well.
• Orochimaru set Konoha’s five-year priorities, including targeting the Land of Bears and the Land of Crafts, gathering intelligence on the Land of Water, and improving Ninja Academy training.
• Orochimaru asked Tsunade and Jiraiya about the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu and suggested summoning the First and Second Hokage to defend Konoha against the Otsutsuki Clan.
• Tsunade warned Orochimaru about the forbidden technique’s dangers, but nodded after he promised to keep Konoha’s peace and strength in mind.
• Orochimaru considered the technique a powerful advantage for Konoha, while recognizing that its use could provoke public outrage and chaos.

After half a year of secluded cultivation, Hiruzen Sarutobi visited Konoha and planned to travel with Tsunade to Shikkotsu Forest. He heard how Orochimaru’s open-door policies had made the village prosperous but strained relations with the Land of Fire, while Orochimaru continued planning for Konoha’s future.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi emerged from cultivation after half a year and found that Miki Xiaoai had reached the Qi Refining Third Level.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Konoha’s expansion, rising property prices, and growing population of foreign shinobi and merchants as Orochimaru’s policies reshaped the village.
• Seimei asked to examine Star Severer, and Hiruzen Sarutobi let him inspect the sword before heading to the Hokage Building.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told his disciples he intended to visit Shikkotsu Forest, drawing Tsunade’s attention.
• Orochimaru reported that Konoha’s growth had increased the Land of Fire’s dissatisfaction and argued that Konoha would eventually need to seize the daimyo of the Land of Fire to unify the Shinobi World.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade traveled to Shikkotsu Forest so Hiruzen could question the Slug Sage about the world before the Ōtsutsuki arrived. He reached the Slug Sage’s temple and found a white-haired loli asleep inside.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Legendary Sannin discussed Orochimaru’s plans and the problems facing Konoha with Shikaku Nara.
• Tsunade summoned a Slug Sage clone, and Hiruzen Sarutobi asked to visit Shikkotsu Forest and learn about the ancient Summoning World.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi signed a summoning contract and was transported to Shikkotsu Forest.
• A slug guided Hiruzen Sarutobi through the forest and asked whether he had inherited an immortal’s art.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the temple and saw a white-haired loli dozing on a stone platform.

Hiruzen Sarutobi negotiated with the Slug Sage for access to the cultivation methods and the immortal’s legacy hidden in the Summoning World. After signing a binding Master-Servant Contract, he chose to cultivate before heading to the legacy site and ordered her to bring him her stored herbs.

• The Slug Sage explained that the sages of the Holy Lands had inherited incomplete cultivation methods and taught Sage Mode to those who passed their trials.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked whether the immortal had left behind a legacy, and the Slug Sage hesitated because she feared what his inheritance might mean for the summoning beasts.
• The Slug Sage offered to sign a contract and teach Hiruzen her cultivation methods if he took her to the legacy, and he promised to find her a proper demon-cultivation method.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Slug Sage signed a Master-Servant Contract that gave him absolute control over her life and death.
• The Slug Sage revealed that the legacy lay at the center of the Summoning World, where beasts could not enter and the Holy Lands kept humans away.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to reach Foundation Establishment before going there and ordered the Slug Sage to bring him all her high-quality herbs.

Hiruzen collected spiritual herbs from Zisu and began preparing to refine Foundation Establishment Pills as the Shinobi World entered a tense period of peace. During a mission to the Land of Crafts, Kakashi, Anko, Kabuto, and Itachi stopped in Hoshigakure, where a local shinobi attacked them over Konoha’s control of the village.

• Zisu delivered many rare spiritual herbs to Hiruzen, who judged them sufficient for refining high-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.
• A year passed in relative calm while Hoshigakure expanded and increasingly came under Konoha’s influence.
• Kakashi led Anko, Kabuto, and Itachi through Hoshigakure on their way to the Land of Crafts to procure minerals and gather intelligence.
• Fire Fly confronted the Konoha shinobi, accusing them of taking Hoshigakure’s Star and occupying the village.
• Fire Fly attacked with the Mysterious Peacock Method, and Itachi countered with Shadow Snake Hands while Kabuto used Water Release: Water Bullet Technique.

Kakashi helped settle a conflict between Konoha and the Star Ninja Village, which was pressured to accept Konoha’s control after losing the Star. As Kakashi grew busier, Naruto was placed in the Uchiha family’s care, though Konoha had not yet approved Fugaku and Mikoto’s wish to adopt him.

• Hotaru and Natsuhi’s weakened Star-based chakra left them unable to defeat Itachi Uchiha and Kabuto, and Kakashi arrived as the two factions faced off.
• The Star Shadow ordered Hotaru’s arrest, and Natsuhi subdued him and explained that the village could not rely on the Star.
• Kakashi told Anko, Itachi, and Kabuto that Konoha planned to bring the Star Ninja Village under its control to secure an important trade route.
• Itachi endorsed Orochimaru’s pursuit of secret techniques, immortality, and power, while Kakashi concluded that Itachi supported the Hokage’s plans.
• With Kakashi increasingly busy and Naruto weaned, Naruto was sent to live with Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha.
• Fugaku Uchiha and Mikoto Uchiha considered adopting Naruto Uzumaki, but the village had not approved it.

Itachi asked Orochimaru to let the Uchiha adopt Naruto, and Orochimaru agreed. Itachi also decided to pursue the Sage Body experiment with Shisui to gain the strength to protect his brothers, the village, and the clan, while Hiruzen Sarutobi was nearing the end of his seclusion.

• Itachi returned to the Uchiha Grounds and happily held Naruto, then decided he wanted Naruto adopted as his little brother.
• Itachi went to the Hokage's office and asked Orochimaru to let the Uchiha family adopt Naruto; Orochimaru approved.
• Orochimaru asked whether Itachi had decided to undergo the Sage Body experiment, which aimed to help Itachi and Shisui awaken Sage Bodies.
• After seeing Sasuke and Naruto, Itachi committed to the experiment and said he would speak with Shisui before beginning.
• Orochimaru told Itachi to inform Fugaku that Naruto would be entrusted to their family, then learned that Hiruzen Sarutobi was about to end his seclusion.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, Hiruzen Sarutobi refined Star Severer and traveled with Zisu’s guidance to an ancient immortal’s cave abode. He recovered the cultivator’s sealed inheritance, including three cultivation methods and a clue to a possible passage to other worlds.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi reached Foundation Establishment and reforged Star Severer with minerals from the Craft Ninja Village.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Zisu to prepare a journey to the immortal’s cave abode, and she sent a small Katsuyu to guide him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the cave abode between the three Great Holy Lands and found a glowing stone coffin.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi discovered that the stone coffin was a damaged storage artifact and retrieved bamboo scrolls containing an Integration Stage cultivator’s history and inheritance.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi read the Wood Spirit Formula, Azure Origin Formula, Nirvana Spirit Formula, and a demon cultivation method, along with a clue to a weak point in space east of the Land of Water.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi stored the stone coffin in his dantian, causing the barrier to vanish, and the cave abode collapsed after he left.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gained an ancient demonic beast cultivation method and helped Zisu cultivate, then returned to Konoha as its expansion heightened tensions with the Land of Fire’s daimyo. He left the daimyo’s demands unanswered while preparing to accelerate his plans.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Shikkotsu Forest with Zisu, and Mount Myoboku and Ryūchi Cave chose not to interfere with his inheritance.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi passed part of the demonic beast cultivation method to Zisu, who spent half a month reaching the peak of the Qi Refinement Stage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha and found Miki Xiaoai had reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining over the past year.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi went to the Hokage Building, where Jiraiya was burdened with administrative work as Konoha expanded its schools, economy, and territory.
• The daimyo of the Land of Fire objected to Konoha’s forceful growth and demanded Hiruzen Sarutobi explain its actions, but Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the letters.

Hiruzen Sarutobi used an illusion to silence the daimyo’s envoy and told Orochimaru that his cultivation had broken through. He proposed accelerating their plan, and Orochimaru arranged for Hiruzen to spar with Jiraiya.

• Shikaku Nara told Orochimaru that the daimyo’s envoy had arrived to challenge Konoha’s expansion.
• The envoy accused Orochimaru of plotting a rebellion, and Hiruzen Sarutobi used a Bewitching Technique to make him believe the matter had been resolved.
• Hiruzen told Orochimaru that the daimyo could not afford to move against Konoha, so they could ignore him for now.
• Hiruzen revealed that his cultivation had broken through and said their plan could be accelerated.
• Orochimaru asked Hiruzen to spar with Jiraiya, and Hiruzen agreed to show him his strength.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya faced off at the Valley of the End, where Jiraiya entered Sage Mode and launched a series of attacks. Hiruzen answered with sword flight and storm-summoning techniques, then brought down black-purple lightning as Jiraiya charged with an Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya agreed to spar, and Konoha’s shinobi gathered at the Valley of the End to watch.
• Jiraiya summoned Fukasaku and Shima and entered Sage Mode, while Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha watched.
• Jiraiya attacked with Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon, but Hiruzen Sarutobi flew clear on Star Severer and used Five Thunders Righteous Technique, Summon Wind and Rain to darken the sky.
• Jiraiya summoned Gamahiro to crush Hiruzen, but Hiruzen punched the toad back into the Summoning World.
• Jiraiya charged through the air with an Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan as Hiruzen called down Yang Thunder from the storm clouds.

Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Jiraiya in a demonstration of his cultivation techniques, impressing Konoha’s ninja and changing their view of him. After returning to the village, Hiruzen warned Orochimaru against experimenting on him, while Jiraiya recovered in the hospital.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi struck Jiraiya’s Rasengan with heavenly lightning, forcing Jiraiya to flee and injuring his right arm.
• Hiruzen helped Jiraiya up and teased him that Sage Mode should be called Toad Mode, while Tsunade treated Jiraiya’s injuries.
• Orochimaru wondered whether Hiruzen’s bloodline had changed and considered taking a blood sample, but Hiruzen warned him not to use him as an experiment.
• Jiraiya went to the hospital, and Konoha’s ninja clans began to see Hiruzen’s strength as a chance for the village to grow more powerful.
• Shinnosuke, Asuma, and Miki Xiaoai reacted to Hiruzen’s strength, while Tsunade recognized Jiraiya’s progress during his recovery.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire worried that Konoha’s growing independence would weaken his influence, so he decided to marry one of his daughters to Orochimaru. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi offered to train Might Guy as a body cultivator if Guy gave up chakra and the Eight Gates, leaving Guy to consider the choice.

• The Daimyo heard the envoy’s genjutsu-influenced report that Hiruzen Sarutobi would correct Konoha’s course, but remained concerned about Konoha’s continued growth.
• The Daimyo decided to bind Konoha to the Land of Fire by marrying a daughter to Orochimaru and sent him a personal letter through the envoy.
• Might Guy begged Hiruzen Sarutobi to take him as a disciple so he could defeat Kakashi.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi offered to teach Guy body cultivation but required him to give up chakra and never use the Eight Gates again.
• Guy hesitated over abandoning his hard-won taijutsu and Eight Gates abilities, then left to think it over and talk with Kakashi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi taught Monkey Demon a cultivation method, while Obito learned that Konoha’s expansion threatened his plans in the Land of Water. As Obito prepared to vent his anger on the Hidden Mist Village, Mei Terumi and her allies surrounded the Mizukage Building.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Monkey Demon and taught him a beast cultivation method for the Qi Refinement Stage.
• Obito worried that Konoha’s growing influence near the Land of Water would disrupt his plans to capture the Nine-Tails.
• Obito prepared to vent his anger on the Hidden Mist Village, but discovered that the Mizukage Building was surrounded.
• Mei Terumi, Ao, and Genji led the Hidden Mist Village’s remaining forces in the siege of the Mizukage Building.