Recaps

Shinjiro hunted down and killed a giant man-eating snake, then visited an underground Black Market mission station to ask about work. He learned that ninja villages had taken over many Black Market jobs, reflecting the decline that had driven him to leave the Land of Fire.

• Shinjiro traveled through a primeval forest and encountered a giant red-and-black snake.
• Shinjiro killed the snake with a single sword strike.
• Shinjiro visited a concealed Black Market mission station beneath an izakaya and spoke with Heijiang.
• Shinjiro asked Heijiang about bounty work, but she said ninja villages had taken many jobs and the Black Market mostly sold intelligence.
• Shinjiro recalled how ninja villages had displaced samurai, leading him to resign from service to the Land of Fire's daimyo.

Shinjiro learned about the Land of Night’s samurai tournament and considered entering for its valuable prizes. At the General’s Residence, Yayoi named his rapidly evolving steel creation Naraku and assigned it the underground renovation.

• Heijiang showed Shinjiro a flyer for the Ninja World’s First Samurai Tournament, whose champion would win fifty million ryo and a custom Chakra Blade.
• Shinjiro was tempted by the prizes and learned that the tournament was scheduled for mid-December.
• Heijiang said the Land of Night’s general was a legendary figure in the Black Market, leading Shinjiro to suspect she was an intelligence operative.
• Yayoi visited the steel brain, which spoke fluently and asked him for a proper name.
• Yayoi named the steel creation Naraku, which reported that it could control eight thousand puppets within a fifty-kilometer radius, or up to one hundred kilometers with Chakra receivers.
• Yayoi gave Naraku blueprints for an underground renovation, which Naraku estimated would take three months.

Yayoi welcomed the growing interest in the Land of Night’s Samurai Tournament as a chance to recruit samurai, and ordered an investigation into Hatake Shinjiro after recognizing his name. In Konoha, Hashirama decided to visit the tournament himself, leaving Tobirama unable to object.

• More than a hundred samurai registered for the December tournament, prompting Yayoi to reconsider his plans and hope to recruit them for the Land of Night’s understaffed Military Police Force.
• Yayoi noticed Hatake Shinjiro’s name and portrait on the registry and ordered Irori to have Yuroketsu investigate his family history.
• Komurasaki asked about Shinjiro, and Yayoi said he knew him from the future, believing the samurai was Kakashi Hatake’s grandfather.
• Hashirama proposed that Konoha hold a Ninja World Joint Chunin Exams, and Tobirama suggested visiting the Land of Night to study its tournament.
• Hashirama used his power to prevent Tobirama from objecting and announced that he would go to the Land of Night in December.

Uchiha Kūto learned that the clan’s rising income came from merchants influenced by Izayoi’s ties to the Land of Night, prompting him to send an elder to visit. At the General’s Residence, Yayoi agreed to let Sirius leave his post for the Samurai Tournament after Izayoi asked, then teased her about her request.

• Uchiha Kūto heard from Yehuo that merchants had increased their business with the Uchiha Clan because of the Land of Night’s influence, and he sent Yehuo to visit.
• Izayoi received Sirius’s letter asking to leave his mining post temporarily to compete in the December Samurai Tournament.
• Izayoi asked Yayoi to approve Sirius’s request, and Yayoi agreed to send a Jonin to cover his duties.
• Yayoi asked Izayoi to wear the cat outfit he had given her as the price for her pillow talk, and she agreed.

Kicho told Hisana that her training would move on to real combat, while Hisana prepared for a difficult night with Oboro. Yayoi then announced he would visit Hisana, and Izayoi armed herself to accompany him and protect him.

• Kicho ended Hisana's sparring session and said that her strong foundation meant she needed real combat to improve.
• Hisana learned that she would eventually face real opponents, while Kicho told her to rest and warned her that Yayoi would visit soon.
• Hisana asked Oboro to prepare tea at Kagura Hall and told her to imitate Kicho's pose from the hot springs.
• Yayoi told Izayoi he would visit Hisana instead of watching her perform backflips, and Izayoi became concerned about Hisana's lack of restraint.
• Izayoi changed into her ninja outfit, armed herself, and accompanied Yayoi to protect him.

Izayoi secretly entered the Red-and-White Shrine and watched Yayoi and Hisana inside the Kagura Hall alongside Yaya, realizing the encounter was not the confrontation she had expected. The next morning, Yayoi turned to organizing the increasingly popular Samurai Tournament and planned to broadcast it beyond the venue.

• Izayoi arrived at the Red-and-White Shrine after Yayoi and found Yaya watching through a hole in the Kagura Hall wall.
• Izayoi joined Yaya in observing Yayoi and Hisana, then stayed to watch as Hisana led Yayoi toward her female guard.
• Yayoi left the shrine in the morning and discussed a larger Samurai Tournament venue with Irori.
• Yayoi asked Aburame Yuroketsu how many Chameleon Bugs the Aburame Clan had bred and learned there were twenty pairs.
• Yayoi proposed using ten pairs of Chameleon Bugs to project tournament broadcasts and using sound-collecting insects to enhance the audience's experience.

Izayoi watched Hisana train, then joined her and Oboro for a bath to learn more about her. Seeing Hisana’s carefree, simple nature, Izayoi realized she had mistaken her and concluded she had been scammed.

• Izayoi counted how often Hisana spaced out and ate during training, then agreed to bathe and eat lunch with her.
• Hisana happily led Izayoi and Oboro to the bathhouse, where Oboro submitted their meal preferences to the kitchen puppets.
• Hisana relaxed in the hot spring and said she would skip afternoon training because she had trained hard that morning.
• Izayoi saw Oboro without her mask for the first time, and Hisana embarrassed Oboro by teasing her about her husband.
• Izayoi decided Hisana was too simple-minded to plot against the Uchiha Clan and regretted coming to investigate her.

Izayoi reassured Hokuto that Hisana posed no threat and decided to focus on improving herself rather than maneuvering within the General's Inner Court. Months later, the Land of Night prepared a grand samurai tournament, and Irori narrowed more than a thousand entrants down to sixty-four finalists, including Hatake Shinjiro.

• At the Uchiha Clan assembly, Hokuto asked Izayoi about Hisana's intentions, and Izayoi assured him she would handle the matter.
• After observing Hisana and the other women in the Inner Court, Izayoi concluded that she should avoid schemes and focus on improving herself.
• By late November, samurai from across the Ninja World gathered near Nightview City's new Martial Arena, and Hatake Shinjiro watched the contestants with anticipation.
• Yayoi ordered Irori to reduce the 1,011 registered samurai to sixty-four finalists before the December 18 tournament.
• Irori screened the entrants with tests of resolve, strength, and speed, then allowed eliminated samurai to challenge the selected contestants.
• After one week, Irori finalized the sixty-four, with only three selected samurai replaced through challenges, and Hatake Shinjiro qualified.

On the Samurai Tournament’s opening day, leaders and envoys from across the Ninja World gathered to observe the Land of Night’s strength. They watched Yayoi’s young heir Doichi and speculated about the country’s succession and its unusual safeguards as the tournament was about to begin.

• Spectators and foreign officials filled the Martial Arena, and Hashirama arrived with Mito and ninja clan guards before greeting Yayoi.
• Yayoi’s family joined him in the reserved seating, where guests noticed Doichi’s Byakugan-like eyes and exceptional vitality.
• Mu and Hozuki Gengetsu discussed Doichi’s potential, then Mu considered holding a similar public tournament in Iwagakure.
• Shamon and A judged the Land of Night’s succession secure and watched Irori, Komurasaki, and the others as possible safeguards for its stability.

The Samurai Contest Tournament began in Nightview City, where Number One of the Land of Night defeated visiting Number Two with a powerful sword strike. Number Two was left at Number One’s mercy, wondering how his opponent had unleashed such an explosive attack.

• Yayoi watched the packed crowds gather as Kakuzu explained the tournament rules and prizes.
• Sixty-four samurai assembled, and Kakuzu sent all but Numbers One and Two to the waiting areas.
• Number One and Number Two began their match, exchanging swift sword techniques on the reinforced stage.
• Number One’s downward slash released a shockwave that blasted Number Two across the stage and cracked the stone slabs.
• Number One placed his sword at Number Two’s throat as the injured fighter wondered whether explosives had been hidden in the blade.

The samurai tournament showcased the Land of Night’s powerful Sword Cannon style, with Kurobei and other competitors demonstrating strength that rivaled Jonin. By the end of the day, thirty-two samurai had advanced, including Kurobei, Hatake Shinjiro, and the elderly Miyamoto Raizo, whom Yayoi considered likely contenders for the top three.

• Samurai Number One defeated his opponent with a powerful Sword Cannon strike, prompting Hashirama, Mito, and the spectators to discuss the unusual swordsmanship.
• Kakuzu continued refereeing as the tournament progressed, and more than twenty matches were completed before the lunch break.
• Kurobei blasted an outside samurai with a devastating Sword Cannon strike, impressing and worrying ninja spectators from multiple countries.
• Hatake Shinjiro advanced after defeating an Upper Samurai from the Land of Night, while Miyamoto Raizo also entered the top thirty-two after a quick, overwhelming victory.
• Yayoi considered Kurobei, Hatake Shinjiro, and Miyamoto Raizo the likely top three contenders, while Hisana ate cookies, Nene waited to return to her work, and Izayoi watched Sirius advance.

The tournament’s top samurai fought through the quarterfinals, leaving Kurobei, Miyamoto Raizo, Hatake Shinjiro, and Azumi in the semifinals. Kurobei then defeated Shinjiro with a storming Sword Cannon attack, and Shinjiro was carried away unconscious.

• The round of sixteen began, and the samurai fought fiercely as Jonin guarded the arena and spectators from their attacks.
• Kurobei, Miyamoto Raizo, Hatake Shinjiro, and Azumi advanced to the semifinals, while Sirius was eliminated.
• After a midday break, Kurobei and Hatake Shinjiro faced each other in the first semifinal.
• Kurobei unleashed successive Sword Cannon attacks, rode the storm forward, and knocked Shinjiro unconscious beyond the stage.

Kurobei fought Miyamoto Raizo in the final match, using powerful Chakra attacks to overcome the old samurai’s superior swordsmanship. Raizo repeatedly found weaknesses in Kurobei’s strikes, but Kurobei believed his youth and stamina gave him the advantage.

• Miyamoto Raizo defeated Azumi by wounding her until she dropped her katana and left the arena.
• Kurobei concluded that he could not outmatch Raizo’s swordsmanship experience and planned to rely on his stronger Chakra.
• Kurobei opened their final match with a powerful Sword Cannon, but Raizo’s sword aura split the attack and carved a deep ravine through the arena.
• Four Jonin of the Land of Night raised the Four Fortified Heavenly Gates barrier to contain the battle’s destructive force.
• Kurobei and Raizo clashed at close range, and Raizo precisely disrupted Kurobei’s Chakra attack before it could fully form.
• Kurobei remained confident that his superior stamina and physical condition would let him outlast Raizo.

Kurobei and Miyamoto Raizo fought a devastating final match in the Samurai Tournament, with Raizo enduring the older Kurobei’s relentless chakra-fueled attacks. Yayoi healed both men and declared Miyamoto Raizo the champion.

• Kurobei pressed Raizo with a relentless barrage, trading injuries for the chance to overwhelm the aging swordsman.
• Raizo launched a powerful final strike that left Kurobei gravely wounded and himself kneeling with severe internal injuries.
• Yayoi entered the ruined arena and healed both combatants, restoring their bodies while leaving their chakra depleted.
• Kurobei realized from Kakuzu’s expression that he had lost, and Yayoi raised Raizo’s arm to announce him as the tournament champion.

After the Samurai Tournament, Yayoi arranged for willing samurai to settle in the Land of Night while investigating possible spies. He welcomed champion Miyamoto Raizo and Princess Tamaki, whose safety depended on resolving the Land of Rain’s claims, then turned to the other arriving samurai.

• Mu returned to the Land of Earth after reaching agreements with Yayoi, while Hashirama stayed in Nightview City with Mito.
• Yayoi investigated the samurai seeking to join the Land of Night and prioritized checking newcomers and their families for fabricated identities and espionage.
• Yayoi learned that Miyamoto Raizo had fled the fall of the Land of Flow with Princess Tamaki, who carried a bounty of over ten million ryo.
• Yayoi offered Raizo and Tamaki shelter, provided they abandoned past grudges, and promised to negotiate with the Land of Rain over their safety.
• After Raizo and Tamaki left, Yayoi considered how to prevent them from retaliating against the Land of Rain, then met Hatake Shinjiro, Azumi, and other samurai.

Yayoi secured the Land of Rain’s promise to stop pursuing Raizo and Princess Tamaki, and Raizo joined the Land of Night under his protection. When Kurobei asked Raizo to reveal his full strength, Raizo disclosed that he had learned Lightning Release Ninjutsu and used it to empower his swordsmanship; the two then began their rematch.

• Yayoi arranged for the Land of Rain to end its pursuit of Raizo and Princess Tamaki, provided the Land of Night took no retaliatory action.
• Raizo felt relieved and grateful for Yayoi’s protection, while Yayoi hoped to learn from Raizo’s swordsmanship.
• Kurobei challenged Raizo to a rematch at a training ground surrounded by Land of Night samurai.
• Raizo revealed that he had concealed his Lightning Release Swordsmanship and explained that his original name was Musashi.
• Kurobei accepted Raizo’s use of Ninjutsu, and the two began their second fight as lightning and hurricane clashed.

Yayoi reviewed ancient research on the Dragon Vein and learned of a dangerous technique for creating an Artificial Dragon Vein. He considered investigating Rōran, but the country lay within Sunagakure’s territory.

• Yayoi reflected on the Land of Night’s growing samurai forces and the recent pregnancy of Oboro, while Kicho and Hisana traveled to train.
• Yayoi spent time with Nene in the laboratory bath before she returned to studying newly excavated documents.
• Nene told Yayoi that the documents described an ancient country’s successful but unstable Artificial Dragon Vein, which caused explosions and forced its people to abandon their capital.
• Yayoi became interested in the technique but decided it was too dangerous to use without safeguards.
• Yayoi suspected the ancient country was Rōran and considered visiting to investigate its Dragon Vein, though Sunagakure controlled the surrounding territory.

Hisana killed a wanted monk during her training trip with Kicho, then asked why so many people in the Ninja World went hungry. Kicho explained that weak leadership and a lack of protection caused poverty, and Hisana proposed that her husband conquer the countries to improve people’s lives.

• Hisana used her Adamantine Sealing Chains and overwhelming strength to kill a wanted monk, then claimed she had sent him flying because corpses scared her.
• Kicho confirmed the monk was dead, destroyed his body with Explosive Tags, and took Hisana to a forest campsite.
• After eating a wild boar dinner, Hisana recalled seeing refugees and people desperate for money during their travels.
• Hisana asked Kicho why so many people could not afford food, and Kicho blamed ineffective daimyo, external factors, and weak military protection.
• Hisana suggested that her husband kill the daimyo and bring the countries under the Land of Night’s rule so everyone could live well, leaving Kicho speechless.

Retto and Shamon agreed to let the Land of Night collect Dragon Vein Chakra from Rōran in exchange for the chance to buy Chakra Metal cheaply. Kicho, Hisana, Nene, and Kakuzu’s delegation reached Sunagakure, then set out for Rōran under Sand Jonin escort.

• Retto asked Shamon to assess Yayoi’s request to collect Dragon Vein Chakra from Rōran, and Shamon said Sunagakure could approve it.
• Shamon viewed the deal as a chance to buy Chakra Metal cheaply and considered Dragon Vein Chakra less valuable than Shukaku.
• Kicho and Hisana traveled across the Land of Wind toward Sunagakure after Yayoi assigned them to collect Dragon Vein Chakra.
• Kicho and Hisana met the Land of Night delegation at A Line of Heaven, where Hisana was surprised to find Nene serving as a technician.
• The delegation stayed overnight in Sunagakure, and three Sand Jonin led them toward Rōran the next day.

Kicho and the group reached Rōran to collect Dragon Vein Chakra for the Land of Night, despite the Queen of Roran's objections. After extracting a large amount, Hisana promised the Queen support for Rōran and prepared to leave the next morning.

• Kicho used her Byakugan to inspect Rōran and discovered that the city relied on Dragon Vein Chakra for power.
• The Queen of Roran led Kicho, Hisana, Nene, and the others to the underground altar, where Hisana and Nene examined the Dragon Vein.
• The Queen of Roran opened the altar device, and Hisana used a Sealing Jutsu to draw Dragon Vein Chakra into Yayoi's Golden Cauldron.
• Nene stored the full Golden Cauldron, leaving Rōran without the energy it had accumulated in recent years.
• Hisana ate a feast prepared by the Queen of Roran, paid for the meal, and promised to ask her husband to support Rōran.

Yayoi began investigating whether Dragon Vein Chakra could be turned into a controllable biological weapon, while ordering Nene to study its properties. He also arranged support for Rōran through a deal that would account for the Land of Wind’s influence.

• Yayoi studied Dragon Vein Chakra and told Nene he wanted to use it to create a controllable biological weapon instead of using negative energy.
• Yayoi proposed condensing the remaining Dragon Vein Chakra into a seed that could absorb energy from the earth and produce more chakra of similar properties.
• Yayoi assigned Nene to measure Dragon Vein Chakra and identify its properties before he tried to create the seed.
• Yayoi sent people to Rōran to improve its people’s living conditions, but planned to provide support through a profitable transaction rather than free aid.
• Yayoi decided that any cooperation with Rōran had to account for the Land of Wind’s authority, and he became interested in the rare resources Rōran’s harsh environment might contain.

Doichi trained under the watchful care of his mother, Oda Hyuga Kicho, who urged him not to overwork his unusually strong body. Four years later, the Ninja World was enjoying a period of peace and Konoha prepared joint Chunin exams, while Yayoi focused on the recent birth of Tsunade.

• Oda Hyuga Kicho returned from a trip and gave Doichi a ridiculous dinosaur training outfit, which he reluctantly agreed to wear later.
• Doichi revealed that he could run five hundred laps around the track, prompting Kicho to warn him against pushing his body too hard before he entered school.
• Kicho told Doichi to build his physical strength gradually and save serious training for when he turned six.
• By September of Year 19 of the Land of Night, four years had passed under the peace agreement, and nations were growing through peaceful exchange.
• Konoha invited ninja villages from across the world to take part in Joint Chunin Ninja Exams, drawing the attention of many countries.
• Yayoi focused on the birth of Hashirama Senju's eldest granddaughter, Tsunade, the previous month.

After six months in an incubation chamber, Yayoi awoke and learned about major changes in the Ninja World. He revealed that his blood had transformed into liquid chakra, marking a step toward turning his body into chakra itself.

• Irori drained the incubation chamber, and Yayoi awoke and asked her for a report on recent events.
• Irori told Yayoi that Byakuren had died, Hozuki Gengetsu had become the Second Mizukage, Tsunade had been born, and Hatake Sakumo had been born two years earlier.
• Yayoi reassured Irori that his body was healthy after absorbing Tailed-Beast Chakra and using Yin-Yang Release to alter it.
• Yayoi cut his palm and showed Irori that his blood had become emerald-green liquid chakra, a step toward transforming his body into chakra.

After finishing his exams, Doichi returned home and found Tadayuki and Hideyuki playing instead of training. Kicho told him he would accompany her to Konoha to meet his fiancée, leaving him stunned.

• Doichi completed the written exams, including a comprehension question about an essay by his father, Yayoi.
• Doichi considered the school's specialized classes and thought Tadayuki and Hideyuki could qualify for the genius class.
• Doichi returned to the General's Residence and caught Tadayuki and Hideyuki playing a video game before their training was done.
• Kicho told Doichi she was going to Konoha for the Chunin Ninja Exams and that he had to come meet someone.
• Kicho revealed that the person Doichi would meet was his fiancée, and Doichi was left speechless.

Kicho brought Doichi to Konoha to visit the Hyuga Clan before the public Chunin Exams, where Doichi met his maternal relatives and Xueyi’s daughter, Chihiro. Kicho left to handle official business and entrusted Chihiro to Doichi for the next few days, leaving the two children awkwardly together.

• Doichi arrived in Konoha with Kicho and marveled at the village’s activity and the Hokage Rock.
• Kicho and Doichi visited Hyuga Shun, then Doichi met his maternal grandfather, Hyuga Hideto, who fell asleep after sparring with Kicho.
• Kicho and Doichi visited Xueyi Hyuga, who introduced her daughter Chihiro to them.
• Kicho left to handle matters related to the Chunin Exams and asked Doichi to look after Chihiro while she was away.