Chapter Summaries

Chiyo realized Sunagakure risked being trapped between Amegakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure as Hanzō pursued them and Kitsuchi refused an alliance. In Shikkotsu Forest, Jingyi successfully entered Sage Chakra Mode with near-perfect control, and the Slug Sage noticed that his Tenseigan was absorbing Nature Energy.

• Chiyo recognized that Hanzō had to fight Sunagakure to answer the village’s looting of the Land of Rain and protect his standing with its daimyo.
• Chiyo assessed Sunagakure’s worsening position as Amegakure and Konoha targeted them while Iwagakure might join the pursuit.
• Jingyi absorbed Nature Energy in Shikkotsu Forest and formed Senjutsu Chakra under the Slug Sage’s watch.
• Jingyi checked his body for strange Senjutsu traits, and the Slug Sage explained that his sparse facial markings showed his control was nearly perfect.
• The Slug Sage observed that Jingyi’s Tenseigan absorbed Nature Energy, and Jingyi sensed that the energy loss from his Sage Chakra Mode was very low.

Jingyi completed his Shikkotsu Forest Senjutsu training and returned to the camp, where Shikaku Nara asked him to help secure Konoha's support for an alliance with Amegakure. Jingyi recognized the political complications and pointed out that winning over Hanzō would also require help from the Daimyo's Court.

• The Slug Sage told Jingyi that he had mastered Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu and sent him back to the camp.
• Jingyi found Shikaku Nara waiting in the lounge, changed out of his slime-covered clothes, and heard that they were on the same side.
• Shikaku Nara said he wanted Konoha to ally with Amegakure and needed Jingyi to gain Tsunade's support for persuading the Hokage and the Elder Council.
• Jingyi agreed that Amegakure was the viable ally but criticized Shikaku Nara for asking him to do the persuading.
• Jingyi told Shikaku Nara that winning over Hanzō would require the Daimyo's Court, and Shikaku Nara suggested the daimyos could help press the matter.

Jingyi sent Shikaku Nara’s proposal to Tsunade, who tried to persuade Konoha’s leadership to seek an alliance with Amegakure. Utatane Koharu and the Third Hokage rejected the idea over the risk of provoking Iwagakure, leaving Tsunade frustrated with the Elder Council’s influence.

• Jingyi warned Shikaku Nara that the village might reject his proposal, then sent its details to Tsunade by scroll.
• Tsunade presented Shikaku Nara’s plan to the Third Hokage, who called a meeting with Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Torifu Akimichi.
• Utatane Koharu opposed peace talks with Amegakure, arguing that an alliance could push Iwagakure to join forces with Sunagakure.
• The Third Hokage agreed with Utatane Koharu, and the meeting ended without support for Tsunade’s proposal.
• Torifu Akimichi criticized the Third Hokage’s lack of boldness, and Tsunade blamed him for creating the Elder Council’s influence.

After the village rejected Jingyi’s proposal to support Amegakure, Jingyi learned that Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo had been ambushed by Iwagakure’s Earth Release Corps. Jingyi received their request for help through his Puppet Crow and hurried to the command center.

• Tsunade told Jingyi that the Third Hokage and Elder Council had opposed the proposal, and Jingyi informed Shikaku Nara that the village would not support it.
• Jingyi and Shikaku discussed the rejection over a meal, and Shikaku concluded they would have to wear the opposition down slowly.
• Hatake Sakumo, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru escaped an Iwagakure ambush, but Sakumo and Jiraiya were badly injured and the rest of their team had died.
• Orochimaru used Jingyi’s Puppet Crow to contact him and reported that they were being hunted by Iwagakure’s Earth Release Corps.
• Jingyi understood their situation, ended the contact, and quickly left the medical unit for the command center.

Jingyi learned that Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo were trapped after an Iwagakure ambush, and rushed to rescue them with his puppet army. He arrived at the cave and revealed puppets made from Iwagakure corpses, drawing Kitsuchi’s attention as Orochimaru prepared to lead the wounded out.

• Jingyi left the command center after telling Shikaku Nara that Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo were being pursued and needed rescue.
• Orochimaru told Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo that Jingyi commanded over a thousand puppets, including at least five hundred with Jonin-level strength.
• Kitsuchi led Iwagakure ninja in searching for the exhausted Konoha shinobi hiding in a cave.
• Jingyi arrived on a Giant Eagle, located the cave, and dropped a scroll as Iwagakure ninja noticed him.
• The scroll released dozens of puppets, including figures wearing Iwagakure uniforms, and Kitsuchi recognized them as puppets made from his village’s dead.

Jingyi rescued Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo from Kitsuchi’s forces, then escaped aboard the Giant Eagle after his defeated puppets exploded and devastated Iwagakure’s ninja. As the group fled, Hatake Sakumo and Jiraiya asked to learn Jingyi’s puppet techniques, and Jingyi clarified that his puppets were weaker than real Jonin unless he controlled them personally.

• Jingyi’s puppets attacked Iwagakure’s formation, but Kitsuchi and his ninja began defeating them while Orochimaru arrived with Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo.
• Orochimaru confirmed that he had contacted Jingyi through the remotely controlled puppets, and Jingyi helped the wounded Hatake Sakumo onto the Giant Eagle.
• Kitsuchi surrounded the group as Jingyi triggered the destroyed puppets, causing them to glow blue and explode with enough force to kill or injure many Iwagakure ninja.
• Jingyi flew away with Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo while Orochimaru wondered how the puppets could self-destruct.
• Hatake Sakumo and Jiraiya asked to learn Jingyi’s puppet-making technique, and Jingyi refused, explaining that his puppets were not as strong as Jonin unless he controlled them himself.

Jingyi rescued Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Hatake Sakumo, and other Konoha ninjas, then returned with them to camp. Shikaku Nara questioned Jingyi about the rescue and began discussing the losses with Orochimaru.

• Jingyi agreed with Orochimaru and Jiraiya that they would help him gather materials for more puppets, and Hatake Sakumo offered to help as well.
• Jingyi spotted Konoha ninjas on the ground, picked them up with the Giant Eagle, and brought them to camp.
• Shikaku Nara asked Jingyi about the rescue, and Jingyi revealed that Orochimaru had contacted him through one of his puppets.
• Jingyi left to rest while Hatake Sakumo and Jiraiya remained in the medical room to recover.
• Shikaku Nara summoned Orochimaru to discuss the elite unit's losses and the resulting impact on the battlefield.

After Orochimaru reported how Jingyi’s puppets had helped rescue the elite unit, Shikaku Nara and the Third Hokage recognized their potential for combat and communication and wanted the village to use them. Tsunade confirmed she knew about Jingyi’s puppets, and the Third Hokage asked her to have Jingyi contribute them to Konoha.

• Orochimaru told Shikaku Nara that he had learned Jingyi’s puppets could be remotely controlled and used for combat, communication, and surveillance.
• Shikaku Nara proposed having Konoha squads carry Jingyi’s puppets into battle and urged the village to protect Jingyi.
• Shikaku Nara sent the report to the village, and the Third Hokage was stunned by the puppets’ capabilities.
• The Third Hokage summoned Tsunade, who admitted Jingyi had been making puppets and that she had helped buy materials for him.
• The Third Hokage asked Tsunade to get Jingyi to contribute his puppets to the village.

Tsunade refused the Third Hokage’s attempt to obtain Jingyi’s puppets without compensation, while Ōnoki and Chiyo assessed the fallout from Iwagakure’s failed attack on Konoha’s rising shinobi. Chiyo ordered Sunagakure to press its attack on Konoha, hoping to exploit the pressure on its forces.

• Tsunade left the Hokage Office after realizing the Third Hokage expected Jingyi to provide the puppets and their secrets for free.
• Ōnoki learned from Kitsuchi’s report that the Genius Elimination Plan had failed to kill its targets and that Iwagakure had lost many ninja to powerful exploding puppets.
• Chiyo’s scouts reported that Iwagakure had cleared the battlefield but left craters and unusual puppet components behind.
• Chiyo recognized the recovered items as puppet parts and ordered her people to keep investigating their source.
• Chiyo ordered Sunagakure to keep advancing toward Konoha’s positions and increase pressure on the enemy.

After the village demanded Jingyi hand over his puppets for free, he refused and ended his proposed cooperation. Shikaku Nara and Orochimaru accepted his position, while the Third Hokage and the elders learned of his refusal and Utatane Koharu erupted in anger.

• Konoha's offensive slowed after its elite force was wiped out, forcing the village to defend and await reinforcements.
• Jingyi burned the Third Hokage's scroll demanding he hand over his puppets unconditionally.
• Shikaku Nara told Jingyi that the village had rejected his request for materials and parts, and Jingyi refused to give up any puppets or cooperate.
• Jingyi warned Orochimaru not to let his puppets fall into a third party's hands, and Orochimaru agreed as their cooperation ended for now.
• After Shikaku Nara reported Jingyi's refusal, Utatane Koharu flew into a rage in the Hokage Office.

The Third Hokage enlisted the Hyuga Main House to pressure Jingyi into surrendering his puppets and their secrets. When Xing Shi Hyuga confronted Jingyi at the front-line camp, Jingyi used an overwhelming force to immobilize the group and lifted Xing Shi by the neck.

• The Third Hokage decided to use the Hyuga Main House to make Jingyi hand over his puppets and their secrets.
• The Hyuga clan head accepted the Third Hokage's offer and sent a Main House member with a team to the front-line camp.
• Xing Shi Hyuga entered Jingyi's lounge and demanded that Jingyi bow to him.
• Jingyi resisted Xing Shi's attempt to use the Caged Bird Seal and forced Xing Shi and the Branch House team to their knees.
• Jingyi grabbed Xing Shi by the neck and lifted him into the air.

Jingyi Hyuga killed Xing Shi Hyuga and the Branch House guards after discovering they had been sent by the clan head to steal his puppet secrets. Shikaku Nara pretended he had never seen them, but when the Third Hokage learned a Main House member was missing, he ordered an investigation.

• Jingyi questioned Xing Shi Hyuga, learned the clan head had ordered him to obtain Jingyi’s puppets and secrets, and used spiritual energy to examine his memories.
• Jingyi killed Xing Shi Hyuga and the Branch House guards, hid their bodies in a sealing scroll, and returned to reading.
• Shikaku Nara visited Jingyi, asked whether anyone had come looking for him, and chose to act as if he had seen no Hyuga squad.
• After several days without a report, the Third Hokage asked Shikaku Nara about the missing Hyuga Main House member, and Shikaku denied seeing anyone.
• The Third Hokage ordered an investigation and sent Anbu to the camp.

Tsunade blocked the Anbu from investigating the disappearance of a Hyuga Main House member, leaving the Third Hokage unable to fulfill his promise to the Hyuga Clan. After the Hyuga Clan head demanded an explanation, the Third Hokage decided to use his clan’s ninja to investigate instead.

• Tsunade ordered the Anbu to refuse the Hyuga investigation mission and threatened to expel anyone who disobeyed her.
• The Third Hokage learned that the Anbu had never deployed, while the Hyuga Clan head demanded answers about the missing Main House member and Branch House guards.
• An Anbu ninja explained that Tsunade had blocked the mission, and the Third Hokage realized he could no longer freely command the Anbu.
• The Hyuga Clan head pressed the Third Hokage for an explanation, warning that the missing member and lost Byakugan posed a grave concern.
• The Third Hokage promised to investigate and decided to rely on the Sarutobi Clan’s ninja because the Anbu could not be used.

Unable to deploy the Anbu, the Third Hokage sent Sarutobi Song and two other Sarutobi Clan squads to investigate the disappearance of Hyuga Clan members at the Land of Rain camp. Their leads pointed to Jingyi Hyuga, but Shikaku Nara explained that the medical ward was outside his authority and that arresting Jingyi required orders from both the Third Hokage and Tsunade.

• The Third Hokage sent Sarutobi Song and two Sarutobi Clan squads to the Land of Rain camp after the Anbu could not be deployed.
• Shikaku Nara agreed to cooperate, and Sarutobi Song secretly gathered witness accounts that pointed toward the medical ward.
• Sarutobi Song identified Jingyi Hyuga as the prime suspect and asked Shikaku Nara to arrest him for questioning.
• Shikaku Nara refused, explaining that Jingyi controlled the medical ward and that any arrest required orders from the Third Hokage and Tsunade.
• Sarutobi Song asked to question Jingyi directly, but Shikaku Nara warned that the medical ward was restricted and avoided taking responsibility.

Sarutobi Song investigated the disappearance of a Hyuga squad but found no evidence or authority to pursue Jingyi Hyuga, then returned to the village. The Third Hokage told Hyuga Tennin that the clues pointed to Jingyi and left the Hyuga Clan to handle the matter.

• Sarutobi Song met with Jingyi and explained that he had been sent to investigate the missing Hyuga squad, including a Main Family member.
• Jingyi suggested Sarutobi Song question the Branch House members, while Orochimaru probed him about the Byakugan.
• Sarutobi Song conducted a token investigation, then reported to the Third Hokage that the clues pointed to the medical room but he lacked evidence and authority to arrest anyone.
• The Third Hokage summoned Hyuga Tennin and told him the investigation pointed to Jingyi Hyuga, leaving him to deal with the matter within the clan.

After the Third Hokage failed to appease the Hyuga Clan over Jingyi Hyuga and Xing Shi Hyuga, Tsunade moved to stop the clan head from confronting Jingyi at the front-line camp. She had the Anbu summon the Hyuga elders for an investigation and ordered them locked up, leaving the clan in chaos.

• The Third Hokage dismissed the Hyuga Clan head’s complaints, then summoned two Elder Council representatives to pursue another way to obtain the puppets and their secrets.
• The Hyuga Clan head told the Main House elders he would handle the dispute and planned to visit Jingyi at the front-line camp to retrieve the Byakugan peacefully.
• After the Anbu reported the clan head’s plan, Tsunade ordered the Hyuga elders to cooperate with an investigation and searched sealed case files for grounds to detain them.
• The Anbu summoned the Hyuga elders, prompting the clan to send frantic messages that recalled its head to the village.
• Tsunade ordered the returned Hyuga elders sent to interrogation rooms and locked up without questioning them.

Tsunade used her authority as head of the Anbu to detain the Hyuga Clan elders and warn the Hyuga clan head to stay away from Jingyi. The Third Hokage allowed her to discipline the clan, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura worried about the Anbu’s unchecked powers.

• After the Hyuga clan head returned and calmed his clan, Tsunade took the Hyuga Clan elders to the Anbu and locked them in interrogation rooms.
• Tsunade summoned the Hyuga clan head to a tavern and threatened to keep detaining clan members if the Hyuga Clan continued troubling Jingyi.
• Tsunade left the tavern to tutor Kushina, while the Hyuga clan head was left to manage the turmoil in his clan.
• At the Hokage Office, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura urged the Third Hokage to restrain Tsunade, but he said the Hyuga Clan deserved a setback and left them to handle matters themselves.
• After leaving the office, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu agreed that Tsunade was unlikely to target them if they did not provoke her.

Mitokado Homura urged Utatane Koharu to leave the puppet dispute to Hiruzen Sarutobi rather than provoke Tsunade, who had detained Hyuga Clan elders. At Jingyi Hyuga’s lounge, Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo joined him as he tried to confront Sakumo’s guilt over the elite unit’s destruction.

• Mitokado Homura told Utatane Koharu to keep a low profile and let Hiruzen Sarutobi handle Tsunade and the puppet dispute.
• Tsunade released several Branch House elders but kept the Main House elders in Anbu custody.
• Jingyi Hyuga laughed at Tsunade’s scroll while Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo explained why they had brought their hospital beds into his lounge.
• Jingyi made Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo move their beds outside and offered to share meals with them during their recovery.
• Jingyi told Hatake Sakumo that he was running from responsibility by obsessing over the elite unit’s deaths, but Sakumo denied it.

Jingyi and Jiraiya tried to help Hatake Sakumo move past his guilt, then Jingyi offered to introduce Jiraiya and Orochimaru to Shikkotsu Forest’s Senjutsu training. He summoned a Little Slug and brought them and Hatake Sakumo to Shikkotsu Forest, where Jiraiya fell on arrival.

• Jingyi urged Hatake Sakumo to recover and avenge his fallen comrades, while Jiraiya encouraged him to keep going.
• Jiraiya asked Jingyi about his contract with the Slug Sage and Shikkotsu Forest’s Senjutsu training.
• Jingyi explained that Katsuyu could absorb unstable Nature Energy and offered to take Jiraiya and Orochimaru to meet the Slug Sage.
• Jingyi summoned a Little Slug, who agreed to guide them to the Slug Sage.
• Jingyi transported Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo to Shikkotsu Forest, where Jiraiya fell after the journey.

Jingyi brought Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo to Shikkotsu Forest to test their talent for Senjutsu, but the Slug Sage’s unusual test left them covered in slime. The Slug Sage judged that Orochimaru should learn from Ryūchi Cave, Jiraiya from Mount Myoboku, and Hatake Sakumo lacked the talent, before Jingyi sent everyone back to camp.

• Jingyi asked the Slug Sage to test the trio’s Senjutsu talent, and the Slug Sage swallowed all three for an extended period.
• The Slug Sage spat out the slime-covered men, and Jiraiya complained while Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru recovered.
• The Slug Sage said Hatake Sakumo lacked Senjutsu talent, Jiraiya had ordinary talent suited to Mount Myoboku, and Orochimaru had good talent suited to Ryūchi Cave.
• Orochimaru asked to learn Shikkotsu Forest Senjutsu, but the Slug Sage refused because he had a Ryūchi Cave contract and disliked his aura.
• Jiraiya mocked Orochimaru, so Jingyi asked the Slug Sage to send them back before Orochimaru lost his temper.
• The Slug Sage returned the four to camp, and Jingyi immediately threw the other three out of the lounge.