Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Sasuke’s Training”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Karin asks to study in Aoba’s sealed basement laboratory and warns him that a White Zetsu has been observing their house from nearby, even positioning itself beneath the building. Aoba realizes his growing fame after supposedly defeating the Raikage has attracted unwanted attention.
• He instructs Karin not to monitor the White Zetsu unnecessarily, but to alert him if it moves directly beneath the house.
• Aoba meets Sasuke after the New Year to honor their agreement. Sasuke had previously hosted a banquet for his classmates at Aoba’s request, despite his usual isolation.
• The gathering unexpectedly improved Sasuke’s relationships. He received New Year gifts from classmates and privately realized that he did not entirely dislike social interaction, though he struggled against his self-image as the last Uchiha consumed by revenge.
• Aoba begins teaching Sasuke the fundamentals of Lightning Release Nature Transformation. This is preparation for learning Lightning Release: One Flash, Aoba’s electromagnetic “Railgun”-style technique.
• Sasuke struggles for three days without successfully completing the Nature Transformation, but the difficulty reassures him that Aoba’s technique is genuinely powerful and could help him defeat Itachi.
• Aoba explains that One Flash requires immense chakra control and combines Lightning Release transformation, electromagnetic conversion, and the acceleration of a metal projectile without relying on hand seals. The technique can fire an iron ball at extreme speeds—potentially around Mach 10—and is designed to penetrate powerful defenses such as Susanoo or strike large targets like Tailed Beasts.
• Aoba also continues practicing the Rasengan, deliberately allowing the Third Hokage to see him use it. He considers One Flash far more difficult than the Rasengan, though the Rasengan itself is classified as an S-rank technique because of its demanding chakra control.
• Aoba ends Sasuke’s training session, warning him that exhaustion prevents careful chakra analysis and that excessive effort may hinder progress.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Becomes more cautious about his increasing prominence and the danger of White Zetsu surveillance. He reveals himself as a highly inventive shinobi who values practical combat techniques, secrecy, and controlled experimentation. His concern for Sasuke’s health and training shows a mentoring side.
• Karin: Demonstrates initiative, awareness, and useful sensory abilities by detecting the White Zetsu. Her involvement in monitoring threats suggests she is becoming a trusted member of Aoba’s household and operations.
• Sasuke: Takes an important step away from complete isolation. Although he remains focused on revenge against Itachi, he discovers that friendship and social gatherings can be enjoyable. His training also humbles him for the first time, forcing him to confront the limits of his natural talent while strengthening his determination.
• Itachi: Does not appear directly, but his influence dominates Sasuke’s motivations. Aoba also criticizes Itachi’s psychological torment of Sasuke through repeated Tsukuyomi exposure to the clan massacre.
• White Zetsu: Its surveillance establishes a growing external threat, suggesting that Aoba’s actions and reputation are attracting the attention of larger forces.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Aoba’s One Flash is extraordinarily destructive, so he refuses to teach it casually. Sasuke is treated as a special exception because of his potential and importance.
• The danger of fame and surveillance: Aoba’s rise from an obscure ninja to a famous figure makes secrecy increasingly difficult, forcing him to reconsider threats he previously ignored.
• Talent versus discipline: Sasuke’s natural genius is insufficient for Aoba’s advanced technique. Progress requires patience, precise chakra control, and self-analysis rather than simply training harder.
• Isolation versus human connection: Sasuke’s successful gathering challenges his belief that emotional distance is necessary for revenge. He begins to experience ordinary companionship while still struggling with guilt and duty.
• The costs of power: The discussion of the Sharingan and Mangekyō Sharingan emphasizes the physical and psychological consequences of gaining strength too quickly.
• Innovation in ninjutsu: Aoba’s techniques reflect experimentation and scientific principles, combining chakra with electromagnetic acceleration in ways unlike traditional shinobi methods.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba and Karin: Karin reports the White Zetsu, and Aoba gives her careful instructions, establishing trust and a division of responsibilities.
• Aoba and Sasuke: Their mentor-student relationship deepens. Sasuke fulfills Aoba’s socialization challenge, and Aoba repays him by teaching an exceptionally dangerous Lightning Release technique. Aoba also restrains Sasuke’s eagerness, encouraging thoughtful practice over reckless effort.
• Sasuke and his classmates: Though not shown directly, the New Year gathering improves their relationships and gives Sasuke an unfamiliar sense of belonging.
• Sasuke and Itachi: Sasuke’s desire to defeat Itachi remains the central force behind his training, while Aoba views Itachi’s manipulation and premature use of the Sharingan as harmful and excessive.

Chapter Summary: “Finally Arrived”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the New Year, Aoba resumes taking missions as a Konoha Jonin. The Shinobi World is experiencing relative peace following the Kumogakure incident.
• Aoba learns that a thirty-million-ryo bounty has been placed on him in the black market, making him a major target despite his recent promotion.
• During a mission, he encounters Kakuzu, who is already wearing the Akatsuki uniform but is traveling alone.
  • Kakuzu uses his knowledge of Aoba’s close-range Nintaijutsu style to keep his distance and attack with long-range elemental techniques.
  • Because Kakuzu possesses all five nature transformations, enormous chakra reserves, and five lives, Aoba considers him more troublesome than the Fourth Raikage.
  • Aoba avoids a direct confrontation, using a hidden ability to glide through the air and escape.
• Aoba becomes increasingly interested in finding Hidan, whose immortality makes him an important part of Aoba’s future plans. He has investigated the secretive Jashin Religion but has been unable to locate Hidan.
• After returning to Konoha, Aoba reports the encounter and receives several days of leave.
• He opens a shop selling ninja tools enhanced with Sealing Jutsu, including:
  • Perception-enhancing headphones and earrings
  • Noise-emitting bracelets that disrupt an enemy’s balance
  • Concealed weapons such as poison-needle rings and repeating sleeve arrows
• The shop performs poorly overall. Customers show little interest in the perception and sound-based devices, while concealed weapons sell better. The business barely breaks even.
• Aoba deliberately keeps his most valuable invention, the Life Potion, off the market to protect Karin and her mother.
• During his leave, Aoba continues training Sasuke. Sasuke has nearly mastered the Rasengan and only needs to add Nature Transformation, though Aoba recognizes that this stage is dangerous and plans to create a safer training method.
• The chapter ends when Karin urgently tells Aoba that her mother is looking for him. This is their signal that White Zetsu is approaching the laboratory, suggesting the long-awaited threat has finally arrived.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates caution and strategic judgment by escaping Kakuzu rather than risking a battle against an enemy with multiple lives. He also shows entrepreneurial initiative by creating and selling specialized ninja tools. His concern for Karin and her mother influences his decision to hide the Life Potion.
• Kakuzu: Is portrayed as a highly intelligent, adaptable, and dangerous opponent rather than merely a powerful fighter. His preparation and long-range tactics make him particularly difficult for Aoba to fight.
• Hidan: Though absent, he becomes more important to Aoba’s plans. His immortality and connection to the Jashin Religion make locating him a major objective.
• Sasuke: Continues progressing rapidly under Aoba’s guidance and is close to completing the Rasengan.
• Karin: Remains Aoba’s trusted messenger and helps maintain the warning system surrounding the laboratory.
• Karin’s mother: Continues to work with Aoba and is responsible for alerting him to White Zetsu’s approach.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus direct confrontation: Aoba chooses escape and long-term planning over a reckless battle with Kakuzu.
• The limitations of the shinobi system: Aoba criticizes Konoha’s failure to properly equip and train ordinary Genin and Chunin, who often become expendable soldiers.
• Innovation in warfare: His tools reflect an attempt to modernize ninja combat and provide weaker shinobi with practical advantages.
• Secrecy and protection: Aoba hides the Life Potion and carefully manages information to protect Karin’s family.
• The burden of power and attention: Aoba’s rising reputation and bounty show that success also makes him a target.
• Approaching danger: The arrival of White Zetsu signals that Aoba’s hidden activities may soon be exposed.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba and Kakuzu: Their encounter highlights the contrast between Aoba’s close-range combat style and Kakuzu’s versatile, long-range strategy.
• Aoba and Sasuke: Their training relationship continues, with Aoba guiding Sasuke toward completing the Rasengan safely.
• Aoba and Karin: Karin delivers the coded warning about White Zetsu, demonstrating their trust and cooperation.
• Aoba and Karin’s mother: Their joint efforts in the laboratory remain concealed, but the warning implies that their secret work is now under threat.

Chapter Summary: “Capturing White Zetsu”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba has spent nearly a year preparing to capture the White Zetsu assigned to monitor him.
• The White Zetsu, convinced that Aoba is merely a talented civilian ninja, becomes increasingly curious about the hidden laboratory beneath his home.
• It discovers a slight opening in the laboratory’s sealing defenses and enters after confirming that Aoba is away.
• Inside, it finds:
  • Research involving Hashirama’s cells, including advanced methods for improving their fusion.
  • More than a dozen completed Life Potions containing an immense healing power, seemingly superior to Hashirama’s cells.
• The White Zetsu realizes that Aoba’s secret activities are far beyond what he presents publicly and prepares to escape with the intelligence.
• The “flaw” it used to enter suddenly closes. Aoba reveals that the weakness was deliberately created as bait to lure the White Zetsu inside.
• Sealing Kunai and shuriken attack from all directions. Although the weapons cannot seriously injure White Zetsu, they prevent it from gathering chakra.
• Aoba appears behind it and completes a sealing technique, successfully capturing the White Zetsu alive.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates long-term planning, caution, and strategic intelligence. Rather than confronting White Zetsu directly, he manipulates its curiosity and confidence to trap it. Capturing it provides the final component needed for his Hashirama Cell transplantation research.
• White Zetsu: Its normally effective infiltration skills lead to overconfidence. Its curiosity about Aoba’s laboratory causes it to abandon its cautious surveillance and enter the trap. It successfully gathers valuable information but fails to escape with it.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus overconfidence: Aoba’s patience and preparation overcome White Zetsu’s confidence in its stealth abilities.
• Deception and hidden identities: Aoba maintains the appearance of an ordinary civilian ninja while secretly conducting highly advanced biological and sealing research.
• Scientific ambition and experimentation: The discovery of Hashirama Cell research and Life Potions highlights Aoba’s pursuit of powerful medical and physical enhancements.
• Preparation and delayed payoff: Aoba’s year-long plan finally succeeds, showing the importance of patience and contingency planning.
• Power through knowledge: Although White Zetsu uncovers significant secrets, Aoba gains the greater advantage by capturing it and obtaining access to its cells.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and White Zetsu: Their interaction is primarily a battle of strategy rather than a direct confrontation. White Zetsu investigates Aoba’s laboratory, while Aoba uses its curiosity to lure it into a controlled environment.
• Aoba’s sealing weapons restrict White Zetsu’s chakra, allowing him to immobilize it and apply a binding seal.
• The capture marks a major turning point in Aoba’s research, as White Zetsu’s cells may neutralize the dangers of Hashirama Cell transplantation and significantly improve its success rate.

Chapter Summary: “Showdown”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After capturing a White Zetsu, Aoba takes a month-long leave and remains at home under the pretense of focusing on his training. Konoha’s leadership readily accepts this, partly because they prefer him out of the spotlight.
• Kakashi grows suspicious of Aoba’s inactivity and visits him. Their conversation returns to Aoba’s earlier question:

What is Konoha?

• Aoba defines Konoha as everyone within it—not merely the Hokage, clans, or ninja, but also ordinary citizens and street orphans. Kakashi agrees with this view.
• Aoba then directly challenges Kakashi to choose whether he is truly on Aoba’s side. He admits that he is pursuing secret and dangerous plans and will only reveal them to someone fully committed.
• Kakashi asks whether Aoba’s training of Sasuke is connected to these plans and whether Aoba intends to harm Konoha. Aoba confirms the connection but promises that his goal is to improve Konoha rather than destroy it.
• Kakashi agrees to join Aoba’s “secret organization,” though Aoba clarifies that it does not formally exist yet.
• Aoba brings Kakashi and Yumi into his laboratory, marking the first time an outsider has been admitted.
• Kakashi discovers that Aoba is conducting biological research involving First Hokage cells. Aoba reveals that he implanted the cells into himself and has achieved partial success.
• The cell fusion is still incomplete, but Aoba estimates that it will be finished within three to five months.

Character Developments

• Aoba is revealed to be deliberately concealing a major long-term plan rather than simply resting. His ambitions involve transforming Konoha and advancing forbidden biological research. He also demonstrates a willingness to trust Kakashi, though only after demanding complete loyalty.
• Kakashi moves from suspicion to active involvement. His agreement to join Aoba represents a major shift, showing that he has developed enough trust in Aoba to accept dangerous secrets despite not fully understanding the plan.
• Yumi continues to support Aoba’s household and laboratory activities. Her calm acceptance of Kakashi’s visit suggests familiarity with Aoba’s hidden work.
• Sasuke does not appear directly, but his training is confirmed to be connected to Aoba’s broader preparations.

Significant Themes

• The meaning of Konoha: The chapter emphasizes that the village is defined by all its people, not only its leaders or powerful ninja.
• Loyalty and ideological commitment: Aoba demands that Kakashi choose whether he is truly “one of them,” framing allegiance as both mental and personal rather than merely professional.
• Secrecy and trust: Kakashi must accept uncertainty before gaining access to Aoba’s plans, highlighting the fragile balance between friendship, suspicion, and cooperation.
• Scientific ambition and moral boundaries: Aoba’s First Hokage cell research reflects the dangers of forbidden experimentation. Although he claims not to rely on large-scale human experimentation, his work still challenges Konoha’s laws and ethical standards.
• Reforming a flawed system: Aoba views Konoha as imperfect but salvageable, contrasting it with the other ninja villages, which he considers even more corrupt or unworthy of reform.

Character Interactions

• Kakashi and Aoba’s conversation is the chapter’s central confrontation. Their mutual eye contact—each possessing only one visible eye—symbolically reinforces their unusual connection and shared understanding.
• Kakashi presses Aoba about his intentions, Sasuke’s training, and the safety of Konoha. Aoba answers directly but maintains control over how much he reveals.
• Aoba’s invitation forces Kakashi to make a personal choice, turning their relationship from wary observation into partnership.
• Yumi’s arrival with tea briefly interrupts the serious discussion before Aoba leads Kakashi into the laboratory, where trust becomes concrete through the revelation of Aoba’s experiments.

Chapter Summary: The Future Was Already Chaos

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba performs a self-transplantation of Hashirama Cells, combining them with White Zetsu Cells and Natural Energy to improve the chances of successful fusion.
• He views Danzo’s Hashirama Cell and Sharingan transplant as crude because it merely forces Yin and Yang Release to restrain one another instead of allowing them to harmonize.
• Aoba realizes that Natural Energy acts as a stabilizing “adhesive” between different biological systems. He suspects this explains the success of Orochimaru’s later experiments and may be connected to Jugo’s incomplete Sage Body.
• The transplant proceeds slowly, forcing Aoba to remain isolated and preventing him from using ninjutsu while his chakra is redirected toward bodily transformation. However, his physical strength is increasing, and exercise accelerates the process.
• Aoba explains to Kakashi that he wants Hashirama Cells primarily for enhanced regeneration and enormous chakra reserves, not necessarily Wood Release.
• When Kakashi asks whether Aoba is preparing to fight the Third Hokage, Aoba reveals that his true enemy is vastly more dangerous—an existence beyond the level of any Kage.
• Aoba wonders why Konoha’s leadership has not investigated his use of Sage Mode. He concludes that Jiraiya must have kept the information secret.
• At Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya visits the Great Toad Sage for a new prophecy. The sage declares that the future has become chaotic and can no longer be seen.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates advanced knowledge of chakra, biology, and Yin–Yang Release. He becomes increasingly powerful through the transplant while revealing that his long-term goals extend far beyond local political conflicts. His secrecy and awareness of hidden threats deepen.
• Kakashi: Becomes increasingly shocked and curious about Aoba’s abilities and motivations. He realizes that Aoba’s actions are driven by a much larger danger than personal ambition or hostility toward Konoha’s leadership.
• Jiraiya: Remains mysteriously absent from Konoha and appears to have concealed Aoba’s Sage Mode. His visit to Mount Myoboku places him at the center of a disturbing prophetic development.
• Great Toad Sage: Experiences an unprecedented inability to perceive the future, suggesting that major events have disrupted the expected course of history.

Significant Themes

• Power through balance: The chapter contrasts Danzo’s forced suppression of Hashirama Cells with Aoba’s attempt to harmonize Yin, Yang, and Natural Energy.
• Scientific discovery and dangerous experimentation: Aoba’s research reveals potentially world-changing truths about biological fusion, Sage abilities, and Orochimaru’s experiments.
• Secrecy and hidden knowledge: Aoba conceals the true role of Natural Energy, while Jiraiya appears to hide information from Konoha.
• The uncertainty of destiny: The Great Toad Sage’s inability to see the future suggests that the timeline has diverged dramatically and that established prophecies may no longer apply.
• Threats beyond political conflicts: Aoba’s true enemy is portrayed as far more dangerous than the Third Hokage or any ordinary Kage, expanding the story’s danger to a world-shaking level.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba and Kakashi: Kakashi questions Aoba about his self-experiment and motives. Aoba explains the transplant’s benefits and hints at a terrifying enemy, leaving Kakashi aware that he understands far less about the Shinobi World than he believed.
• Jiraiya and the Great Toad Sage: Jiraiya seeks guidance about the future but instead learns that prophecy itself has become unreliable, marking a major disturbance in the world’s fate.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sasuke finishes another difficult training session in the forest but remains unable to master the instantaneous Nature Transformation required for Aoba’s Lightning Release: Flash technique.
• His frustration is fueled by his belief that Itachi would have mastered the technique quickly. Sasuke admires Itachi’s exceptional skill in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu despite hating him and seeking the power to defeat him.
• Naruto invites Sasuke to join him, Shikamaru, and others for a weekend grilled-fish outing. Naruto has improved somewhat through Aoba’s early instruction, especially in practical combat, but still struggles with theory, ninjutsu, and the Three Basic Techniques.
• Aoba reflects that Naruto’s enormous chakra reserves and strong mental resilience make him uniquely suited to the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. However, he deliberately limits his contact with Naruto to avoid attracting suspicion from Konoha’s leadership and continues focusing on Sasuke instead.
• Five months after receiving Hashirama Cells, Aoba undergoes his forty-first medical examination with Yumi and Kakashi. The cells have completely fused with his body without rejection or mutation.
• The fusion massively increases Aoba’s chakra, strength, stamina, cell activity, and overall combat ability. His chakra capacity rises from enough to use Flash roughly three to five times to enough for approximately one hundred uses, with further growth expected.
• Aoba’s physical abilities now resemble those of an Uzumaki. He can keep pace with the Raikage without Sage Mode and believes he has a strong chance of defeating or killing him while using Sage Mode.
• Although Aoba does not awaken Wood Release, he discovers an even more valuable benefit: his body now possesses Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, and Yang Release affinities. Yin Release remains the only incomplete transformation.

Character Developments

• Sasuke: Becomes increasingly driven by his desire to defeat Itachi. His frustration over failing to master Flash reveals both his ambition and his harsh self-criticism. He continues to measure himself against Itachi’s overwhelming talent.
• Naruto: Gains improved practical combat potential from Aoba’s early guidance, but remains weak academically and technically. His enormous chakra reserves and resilience foreshadow his future mastery of Multiple Shadow Clone.
• Aoba: Advances from a powerful shinobi to a genuine Kage-level fighter after the Hashirama Cell fusion. His confidence and strategic possibilities expand dramatically, though he remains dissatisfied with not reaching Tailed Beast-level chakra and not gaining Wood Release.
• Kakashi: Participates in Aoba’s examination and is disappointed that the fusion does not produce Wood Release, reflecting Konoha’s deep reverence for Hashirama’s legacy.
• Yumi: Works with Kakashi to monitor Aoba and confirms that the transplantation has succeeded without harmful side effects.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus natural talent: Sasuke’s struggle contrasts with Itachi’s effortless early brilliance, emphasizing how determination must contend with innate ability.
• Power and preparation: Aoba’s careful experimentation, medical monitoring, and long-term planning demonstrate the importance of controlled development rather than reckless strength-seeking.
• The burden of potential: Naruto’s extraordinary chakra and Sasuke’s inherited Sharingan both represent immense potential, but each boy still lacks the training or discipline to use it fully.
• Political caution and secrecy: Aoba restrains his relationship with Naruto because Konoha’s elders may view it as threatening, showing the tension between personal plans and village surveillance.
• Transformation and adaptation: The Hashirama Cells fundamentally alter Aoba’s body, granting him greater physical power and access to multiple nature transformations while also creating new strategic possibilities.

Character Interactions

• Sasuke trains under Aoba’s influence, though Aoba is not physically present during the opening scene; Sasuke’s progress is shaped by Aoba’s instruction.
• Naruto approaches Sasuke casually and invites him to socialize, contrasting Naruto’s openness and energy with Sasuke’s isolated, revenge-driven mindset.
• Aoba maintains a cautious distance from Naruto while continuing to cultivate Sasuke.
• Yumi and Kakashi jointly examine Aoba and confirm the success of his fusion. Kakashi’s disappointment over the absence of Wood Release contrasts with Aoba’s pragmatic acceptance.

Chapter Summary: “Kakashi Steps In”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba’s recent experiments have greatly improved his physical abilities. By preparing for Yin Release chakra and combining it with Sage Mode, he has overcome the weaknesses of a civilian ninja, including low chakra reserves, poor stamina, and slow recovery.
• Although Aoba is now strong enough to challenge elite shinobi, he recognizes that he remains far below threats such as Nagato and Obito. He is especially concerned that capturing a White Zetsu may eventually attract Obito’s attention.
• Yumi’s health continues to deteriorate. Despite Aoba’s regular examinations and the use of Life Potions, her condition is worsening because her life force is steadily being depleted. Aoba estimates that she has only about six months left to live.
• Aoba believes that transplanting Hashirama’s cells is Yumi’s only realistic chance of survival. However, the procedure is extremely dangerous, especially because Yumi is not an experienced ninja and cannot use Sage Mode.
• Yumi ultimately decides to undergo the transplant. She tells Karin the truth about her condition and the risks involved, making the decision together with her daughter.
• Aoba asks Kakashi to assist with the surgery. Kakashi is shocked that Aoba intends to transplant Hashirama’s cells into Yumi and initially suspects that Aoba may be pursuing some larger, dangerous objective.
• Aoba explains that Yumi is dying because of the Uzumaki clan’s rare life-force-draining constitution. He also reveals that he rescued Yumi and Karin from Kusagakure, where they had been brutally exploited for their healing abilities.
• Kakashi realizes the extent of the abuse they suffered and understands why Aoba acted against the Grass Ninja, despite Kusagakure being allied with Konoha.
• After hearing that Yumi and Karin both know the truth and that Yumi genuinely wants to survive, Kakashi agrees to help with the operation.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Becomes increasingly powerful and more aware of the limits of his current strength. Despite his ambition and strategic thinking, he shows deep concern for Yumi and struggles with the ethical burden of risking her life through the transplant.
• Yumi: Moves from hesitation to firm determination. Knowing that she has little time left, she chooses to face the dangerous surgery rather than passively await death.
• Karin: Learns the painful truth about her mother’s illness and past. Her absence from school signals that she is processing the decision and supporting Yumi.
• Kakashi: Initially distrustful and alarmed by Aoba’s plan, but his perspective changes after learning about Yumi’s terminal condition and the abuse endured by both women. His empathy overcomes his suspicions, and he willingly agrees to assist.
• Obito and Nagato: Remain looming threats. Aoba recognizes that his current strength would be insufficient against either of them, reinforcing the need for continued growth.

Significant Themes

• Survival and sacrifice: Yumi must choose between accepting certain death and risking a dangerous procedure for a chance at survival.
• The cost of power: Hashirama’s cells offer extraordinary potential but carry serious risks, showing that great power often requires dangerous sacrifices.
• Trauma and exploitation: The chapter exposes how the Uzumaki women’s healing ability made them victims of cruelty and abuse in Kusagakure.
• Family and consent: Yumi refuses to make the decision alone, ensuring that Karin understands the situation and has a voice in the choice.
• Moral ambiguity: Aoba’s actions against Kusagakure’s ninja technically involved attacking allies, but Kakashi recognizes that the circumstances justified his intervention.
• Preparation against future threats: Aoba’s reflections on Obito, Nagato, and the Akatsuki emphasize the constant danger of the shinobi world and his need to become stronger.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba and Yumi: Discuss the transplant and its consequences. Aoba leaves the final decision to Yumi, respecting her autonomy while remaining worried about the danger.
• Yumi and Karin: Yumi tells Karin the truth about her illness and the surgery, allowing them to confront the crisis together.
• Aoba and Kakashi: Aoba recruits Kakashi as a surgical assistant and explains Yumi’s condition and the history of his rescue mission.
• Kakashi and Aoba: Their conversation shifts from suspicion and criticism to understanding and cooperation. Kakashi ultimately sets aside his objections and agrees to help begin the surgery.

Chapter Summary: “A Turn for the Better”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Karin is allowed to watch her mother Yumi undergo a dangerous Hashirama Cell transplantation. Before the procedure, Yumi urges Karin to remember the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Grass Ninja and one day seek revenge.
• Aoba carefully performs the surgery with Kakashi’s assistance. His goal is not only to save Yumi but also to build Kakashi’s trust by sharing one of his secrets and creating a sense of shared identity.
• Because Yumi cannot use anesthesia, she experiences extreme pain and risks losing control of her body or suffering a mental breakdown.
• The Hashirama Cells begin violently overwhelming Yumi’s damaged body. Aoba attempts several methods to stabilize her:
  • Natural Energy temporarily suppresses the cells but begins petrifying Yumi.
  • A Life Potion is absorbed mostly by the Hashirama Cells.
  • Additional White Zetsu Cells help briefly before becoming ineffective.
• With all external methods failing, Aoba tells Yumi that her survival now depends on her own willpower and urges her to think of Karin, her hatred, and her future.
• As Yumi begins to collapse, Karin runs to her mother and embraces her, crying and begging her not to die. Karin’s intense emotions briefly suppress Yumi’s mutation, though the reaction soon becomes even more dangerous.
• Kakashi prepares to intervene and rescue Karin, but Aoba stops him, sensing that Karin’s involvement may have created a possible “turn for the better.”

Character Developments

• Karin: Her childhood innocence gives way to a painful understanding of hatred and revenge. Despite her fear, she remains emotionally connected to her mother and ultimately becomes the unexpected factor that may save her.
• Yumi: Demonstrates tremendous courage by enduring the surgery without anesthesia. Though physically weakened by years of abuse, she continues resisting the Hashirama Cells through sheer will.
• Aoba: Shows technical skill, caution, and determination as he tries multiple methods to save Yumi. He also deliberately uses the operation to deepen Kakashi’s trust in him.
• Kakashi: Becomes more directly involved in Aoba’s plans and begins to witness both Aoba’s secrets and his willingness to take extreme risks. His instinct to protect Karin highlights his compassion and developing concern for the family.
• Aoba and Karin’s relationship: Aoba recognizes Karin’s emotional importance to Yumi and allows her to act rather than immediately restraining her.

Significant Themes

• Hatred and revenge: Yumi passes the memory of their suffering to Karin, raising questions about whether hatred will shape Karin’s future.
• Parental love and emotional strength: Karin’s love and desperation produce a reaction more powerful than the medical interventions, suggesting emotional bonds can influence even supernatural biological forces.
• Survival and willpower: Yumi’s fate depends not only on science or chakra but on her determination to live.
• Trust and shared secrets: Aoba intentionally involves Kakashi in the surgery to create mutual trust and a sense of connection.
• The limits of control: Despite Aoba’s preparations and abilities, the transplantation reaches a point where neither medicine nor technique can guarantee success.

Important Character Interactions

• Yumi and Karin: Yumi warns Karin about the Grass Ninja and urges her to remember their suffering; later, Karin’s tearful embrace becomes central to the surgery’s unexpected development.
• Aoba and Yumi: Aoba explains the risks and encourages Yumi to endure, while Yumi willingly accepts the procedure.
• Aoba and Kakashi: Aoba relies on Kakashi’s assistance and uses the surgery to strengthen Kakashi’s trust in him. Kakashi later tries to protect Karin when the procedure turns dangerous.
• Aoba and Karin: Aoba permits Karin to approach Yumi and stops Kakashi from pulling her away, believing her presence may offer hope.

Chapter Summary: Mastering Fate

Key Plot Points and Events

• Karin’s chakra surges as she awakens the Uzumaki clan’s Adamantine Sealing Chains, which emerge from her abdomen and bind both her and Yumi.
• The chains suppress Yumi’s dangerous mutation, stabilizing the fusion of her body with the Hashirama Cells and White Zetsu Cells. Karin eventually collapses from exhaustion, but Yumi’s mutation stops and begins reversing.
• Yumi awakens and instinctively uses Wood Release without forming hand seals, astonishing Kakashi. Her technique appears unusually natural and powerful, suggesting that her body has become exceptionally close to Hashirama Senju’s.
• When Yumi experiments with her newfound power, she accidentally causes trees, roots, and vines to erupt throughout the laboratory. The resulting destruction activates the laboratory’s defensive formulas and causes a massive fire.
• Aoba, Kakashi, Karin, and Yumi escape. Kakashi uses Water Release to prevent the flames from endangering the village.
• ANBU arrive to investigate the chakra disturbance, but Kakashi disguises the incident as an accidental sparring mishap. They accept the explanation and leave.
• The laboratory, equipment, and experimental records are destroyed, though Aoba secretly preserves the White Zetsu and Hashirama Cells in sealing scrolls.

Character Developments

• Karin awakens the Adamantine Sealing Chains, revealing a powerful hereditary Uzumaki ability. Her determination to save Yumi, combined with her emotional strength as a mother, becomes crucial to the experiment’s success.
• Yumi survives the fusion and gains complete control over her body instead of being consumed by the Hashirama Cells. She awakens an exceptionally refined form of Wood Release and is described as someone capable of controlling her own fate.
• Aoba loses his laboratory and valuable research but remains focused on Yumi’s survival and success. He accepts responsibility for the failed safeguards rather than blaming her and reassures her afterward.
• Kakashi is deeply shocked by Yumi’s Wood Release and helps Aoba contain the crisis. He also protects the secret by supporting Aoba’s cover story to the ANBU.

Significant Themes

• Maternal love and sacrifice: Karin’s desperate effort to protect Yumi unlocks extraordinary power and directly enables Yumi’s survival.
• Mastering fate versus being controlled by biology: Yumi nearly loses herself to the Hashirama Cells but ultimately gains command over her transformed body.
• The danger of experimentation: The experiment succeeds, but at the cost of Aoba’s laboratory, research, and nearly everyone’s safety.
• Power and responsibility: Yumi’s immense new abilities emerge instinctively, emphasizing that possessing power also requires learning to control it.
• Unexpected evolution: The Adamantine Sealing Chains are presented as more than a sealing technique, hinting at a deeper secret art or bloodline ability.

Character Interactions

• Karin’s bond with Yumi drives the central conflict, as she physically and emotionally struggles to stabilize her daughter.
• Kakashi observes and analyzes the transformation, reacting with disbelief to Yumi’s hand-seal-less Wood Release.
• Aoba provides the technical explanation for the fusion and later comforts Yumi, emphasizing that the outcome is a success despite the destruction.
• Aoba and Kakashi cooperate during the laboratory disaster, combining their quick judgment and combat abilities to protect the village.
• Aoba’s final reassurance to Yumi frames her transformation as a victory: she has become one of the few people able to seize control of her own destiny.

Chapter Summary: “Flying Thunder God”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yumi’s newly awakened Wood Release proves extraordinarily powerful, unintentionally producing effects comparable to Yamato’s techniques. However, she lacks the chakra control and ninja training needed to use it safely.
• Aoba privately envies Yumi’s ability, recognizing that her fused body may possess power approaching 50–70% of Hashirama Senju’s former strength if fully developed.
• Aoba’s laboratory has been destroyed, and rebuilding it is financially impossible for the foreseeable future. He therefore focuses his efforts on training Yumi and Karin instead.
• Karin recovers from her coma with increased chakra reserves but remains unable to use the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Aoba and Kakashi conclude that her young body has developed a protective restriction after the strain caused by her previous use. She should regain access to the technique as she matures.
• Because Yumi’s uncontrolled Wood Release could expose her abilities or devastate Konoha, Aoba cannot let her train freely in the village’s forests or outside the barrier. Kakashi suggests Medical Ninjutsu as a safe way to improve her chakra control.
• Aoba begins Yumi’s basic training—tree climbing, water walking, taijutsu, and other fundamentals—but avoids teaching her ninjutsu until she can control Wood Release. He fears she could accidentally unleash a massive technique such as Deep Forest Emergence.
• Aoba and Kakashi discuss how to obtain Wood Release techniques. Using the Book of Seals would attract too much attention, and neither trusts Danzō. Aoba considers trading with Orochimaru instead.
• Aoba explains that he views Orochimaru as dangerous but straightforward, whereas Danzō seeks to take everything without offering anything in return.
• The chapter ends when Aoba asks whether he can exchange points for the Fourth Hokage’s Flying Thunder God technique. Kakashi reveals that although he cannot use the technique himself, he knows how it is trained because Minato was once his teacher.

Character Developments

• Yumi: Gains enormous potential through her Wood Release and Hashirama-like body but remains inexperienced and unable to control her power. Her training shifts toward chakra control and basic ninja skills.
• Karin: Survives her coma and becomes physically stronger, but her Adamantine Sealing Chains are temporarily inaccessible because of her body’s self-protective response.
• Aoba: Shows increasing responsibility toward Yumi and Karin, putting aside his own ambitions and the reconstruction of his laboratory. He also reveals a pragmatic, distrustful attitude toward Konoha’s political figures and a willingness to work with Orochimaru when necessary.
• Kakashi: Acts as a practical adviser and helps investigate Karin’s condition. His connection to Minato becomes important when he offers knowledge about Flying Thunder God training.

Significant Themes

• Power versus control: Yumi possesses overwhelming strength but must first learn discipline and chakra control before using it safely.
• Growth and patience: Both Yumi and Karin need time for their bodies to mature before they can fully access their abilities.
• Secrecy and political danger: Yumi’s Wood Release must be hidden from Konoha’s leadership, especially Danzō, because its discovery could have serious consequences.
• Trust and transactional relationships: Aoba distinguishes between Orochimaru’s dangerous but honest ambitions and Danzō’s manipulative, exploitative nature.
• Responsibility: Aoba’s priorities shift from personal advancement and rebuilding his laboratory to protecting and developing the two girls under his care.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Kakashi collaborate closely on Karin’s condition and Yumi’s training.
• Kakashi proposes Medical Ninjutsu as a practical method for improving Yumi’s chakra control.
• Aoba and Kakashi debate whether to obtain Wood Release techniques through the Book of Seals, Danzō, or Orochimaru.
• Their discussion highlights Aoba’s unusual preference for negotiating with Orochimaru over dealing with Danzō.
• Kakashi’s revelation that he knows how to train in Flying Thunder God establishes a new possible direction for Aoba’s development.

Chapter Summary: “Flying Thunder God: Extremely High Difficulty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba begins seriously training in the Flying Thunder God Technique and quickly realizes why almost no one in Konoha has mastered it. The technique requires enormous chakra reserves, exceptional spatial perception, extremely fast neural reactions, and the physical ability to endure rapid spatial traversal.
• Aoba’s chakra and reaction speed are sufficient, while his spatial perception only barely meets the minimum requirement. He learns that teleportation can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, though Minato was reportedly immune to these effects.
• Aoba reflects on Minato’s extraordinary abilities, including his broad ninjutsu expertise and mastery of sealing techniques. He believes Konoha would be safer and more trustworthy if Minato were still alive and in power.
• Aoba identifies Obito as his greatest personal threat. Obito’s Kamui, lack of morality, and willingness to infiltrate Konoha make him nearly impossible to defend against through conventional means. Aoba hopes the Flying Thunder God will provide a way to survive or counter him.
• Kakashi begins training in the technique as well. Thanks to Aoba’s sealing tool, the chakra drain from his Sharingan has been greatly reduced, leaving him with just enough chakra to use the Flying Thunder God occasionally.
• Aoba rapidly learns how to place Flying Thunder God marks, even imprinting one on someone through a palm strike. However, he remains too afraid to attempt actual teleportation after realizing that the technique requires squeezing through the gaps between spaces rather than simply stepping through a portal.
• Aoba pauses his Flying Thunder God training because of this psychological barrier and returns to developing the Wind Release transformation of his Rasengan. He also works toward creating a powerful finishing technique comparable to the Big Ball Rasengan.
• Aoba attempts to help Kakashi learn Senjutsu, but Kakashi nearly turns to stone due to his lack of talent and the effort is abandoned.
• Over time, Aoba focuses on training, saving money to rebuild his laboratory, and appears less like an ambitious schemer.
• The chapter ends when Kakashi tells Aoba that Guy is hosting a celebratory dinner after becoming a team leader and finding promising students. Aoba agrees to attend with him.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates determination and caution. Although he understands the Flying Thunder God is essential for protecting himself from Obito, fear of spatial traversal exposes a psychological weakness connected to his past transmigration. He temporarily prioritizes developing his Rasengan instead.
• Kakashi: Becomes more involved in Aoba’s training and begins studying the Flying Thunder God himself. His reduced Sharingan burden makes limited use of the technique possible. He also attempts Senjutsu but proves unable to master it.
• Minato: Although absent, he is portrayed as an almost unmatched genius whose mastery of speed, ninjutsu, sealing, and spatial techniques sets an exceptionally high standard.
• Obito: Is characterized as Aoba’s most dangerous enemy because of his unpredictable obsession, ruthlessness, and Kamui’s ability to bypass ordinary defenses.
• Guy: Has advanced to the position of team leader and appears to have found promising students, prompting the dinner gathering.

Significant Themes

• The limits of talent and technique: The Flying Thunder God demands excellence in several different physical and mental abilities, showing that even powerful ninja cannot master every technique.
• Fear versus determination: Aoba’s technical progress is hindered not by lack of ability but by fear of being trapped during spatial travel.
• Preparation and survival: Aoba trains not for glory but to create a reliable defense against overwhelming enemies, especially Obito.
• Legacy and comparison: Minato’s accomplishments emphasize the immense standards left by past heroes and highlight how exceptional his abilities were.
• Trust and political disillusionment: Aoba’s admiration for Minato contrasts with his distrust of Konoha’s current leadership, whom he considers incompetent or unworthy of confidence.
• Adaptation and cooperation: Aoba and Kakashi train together, exchange progress, and support each other despite both advancing slowly.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Kakashi: Train together in the Flying Thunder God and discuss their progress. Aoba assists Kakashi with both the technique and an unsuccessful attempt at Senjutsu, while Kakashi remains a steady companion as Aoba changes his priorities.
• Aoba and Minato: Do not interact directly, but Aoba repeatedly evaluates his own abilities against Minato’s legendary talent and regrets that Minato is no longer Hokage.
• Aoba and Obito: Have no direct encounter in the chapter, but Aoba’s entire urgency regarding the Flying Thunder God is driven by the threat Obito represents.
• Aoba and Guy: Their interaction is only anticipated at the end of the chapter, when Aoba agrees to attend Guy’s celebratory dinner with Kakashi.

Chapter Summary: “Aoba’s Circle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba realizes that Guy’s invitation is for a graduation celebration honoring the class above Konoha’s Twelve—Neji, Rock Lee, Tenten, and their classmates.
• Yumi insists that Aoba dress properly for the occasion and spends considerable time improving his appearance.
• At the restaurant, Aoba and Kakashi join Guy, Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten. Asuma and Kurenai are absent.
• Tenten recognizes Aoba as the customer who previously bought excess ninja tools from her family. She apologizes for calling him strange and offers him a discount in the future.
• Guy introduces Aoba and Kakashi as exceptionally powerful ninja, emphasizing Aoba’s two battles against the Raikage and his having cut off the Raikage’s fingers.
• Rock Lee and Neji recognize Aoba as the “Wind-Chasing Sword” and Kakashi as the Copy Ninja.
• Guy begins one of his usual passionate speeches about youth, but Aoba interrupts the awkward exchange by placing food on the table and urging everyone to eat.
• Aoba gives Neji and Rock Lee specially prepared medicinal potions, presenting them as gifts from both himself and Kakashi.
• The potions relieve injuries, improve chakra flow, and support taijutsu training. Neji immediately recognizes their exceptional value, while Lee experiences their healing effects.
• Aoba reflects that the potions are refined and diluted versions of the Life Potion. He has no intention of selling them commercially; instead, he plans to use them to cultivate relationships with promising allies.
• The chapter ends by revealing that Aoba is deliberately building a personal network around himself, including Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Anko, and now Neji, Lee, and Tenten.

Character Development

• Aoba: Shows social awkwardness and reluctance toward formal gatherings, but also demonstrates generosity, strategic thinking, and long-term planning. He is quietly creating influence by helping talented individuals rather than seeking public recognition.
• Yumi: Displays concern for Aoba’s image and social presentation, suggesting personal attentiveness and familiarity with him.
• Kakashi: Remains calm and composed amid Guy’s loud behavior. Though he would not normally prepare gifts, Aoba includes him in the gesture, reflecting their growing cooperation.
• Neji: Appears reserved and skeptical at first, but quickly recognizes the potion’s practical and potentially transformative value. His response highlights his diligence and awareness of his own training burdens.
• Rock Lee: Continues to be enthusiastic and earnest. His insecurity about lacking ninjutsu is briefly encouraged by Guy, while the potion directly supports his physical training.
• Tenten: Moves from embarrassment over her earlier bluntness to friendly cooperation, offering Aoba a discount and establishing a warmer relationship.
• Guy: Remains energetic, loud, and passionately devoted to youth, though his dramatic speeches create comic embarrassment for those around him.

Significant Themes

• Building influence through generosity: Aoba uses rare resources to form bonds with talented people, creating a loyal circle rather than openly pursuing power.
• Mentorship and support: The potions represent practical assistance that can help Neji and Lee overcome the physical demands of their training.
• Hidden preparation: Although Aoba appears inactive, he is steadily shaping future events by investing in important individuals.
• Youth and potential: Guy’s speeches and Aoba’s gifts both emphasize the value of nurturing young talent.
• Social relationships and reputation: Aoba’s status as a famous ninja contrasts with his discomfort in social situations, while his actions gradually strengthen his reputation and connections.

Character Interactions

• Yumi playfully takes control of Aoba’s appearance before the celebration.
• Guy enthusiastically introduces Aoba and Kakashi to his students.
• Tenten and Aoba turn an initially awkward encounter into a friendly business arrangement.
• Neji and Lee react with admiration to Aoba’s reputation and expertise.
• Aoba manages Guy and Lee’s escalating enthusiasm by redirecting the group toward eating.
• Aoba’s potion gifts create a meaningful connection with Neji and Lee, establishing them as new members of the circle he is quietly assembling.

Chapter Summary: “Burning Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba distributes training aids to Guy’s young team. Rock Lee and Neji receive potions suited to their taijutsu training, while Tenten receives a scroll containing Uchiha Ninja Tool Throwing, a prestigious technique normally restricted to the Uchiha clan.
• Aoba explains that Kakashi secured permission for Tenten to study the technique. Although Kakashi knows this justification is somewhat exaggerated, he cooperates.
• The group shares a lavish meal paid for by Guy. Guy’s finances suffer as everyone eats enthusiastically, highlighting both his generosity and the burdens of leading a team.
• Rock Lee becomes Guy’s personal disciple, closely following the same pure-taijutsu path. Neji and Tenten continue developing their clan-based abilities while also learning practical combat skills from Guy.
• Sasuke attempts to use One Flash, a powerful Lightning Release technique based on electromagnetic acceleration. After more than six months of training, he successfully fires the technique.
• The attack destroys a line of massive trees and strikes a distant hill, demonstrating devastating piercing power. Sasuke is thrilled by the result, but Aoba reminds him that the technique currently takes thirty seconds to prepare—far too long for real combat.
• Aoba sets practical goals for Sasuke: reducing the casting time to three seconds would make the technique useful, while reaching one second could potentially allow Sasuke to kill Itachi if the attack landed.
• Aoba warns Sasuke not to focus exclusively on One Flash. Itachi’s taijutsu and especially his Genjutsu are also formidable, so Sasuke must train comprehensively.
• Sasuke asks Aoba to teach him taijutsu. Aoba clarifies that his own style is Nintaijutsu combining swordsmanship and Wind Release, which Sasuke cannot fully imitate, but he offers to teach him basic swordsmanship if Sasuke obtains a sword.
• Later, Aoba returns home and finds Yumi waiting with dinner. After confirming that Karin is asleep, Yumi initiates an intimate encounter with Aoba.

Character Developments

• Tenten gains access to a highly valuable and advanced weapon-throwing technique, giving her a path to improve beyond her reliance on sheer firepower.
• Rock Lee formally becomes Guy’s personal disciple, reinforcing their strong similarities and shared dedication to pure taijutsu.
• Neji and Tenten continue pursuing their individual specialties while benefiting from Guy’s broader combat instruction.
• Sasuke reaches a major milestone by successfully using One Flash. His confidence rises because he now possesses a technique capable of seriously threatening Itachi, though Aoba forces him to recognize its practical limitations.
• Aoba acts as both mentor and realist. He encourages Sasuke’s progress while preventing him from becoming overconfident and directing him toward balanced training.
• Guy is portrayed as generous and hardworking, but increasingly strained by the responsibilities and expenses of leading a young team.
• Yumi displays growing romantic boldness and possessiveness toward Aoba, insisting on treating their relationship as private and separate from Karin.

Significant Themes

• Training and specialization: Each young ninja develops along a distinct path—taijutsu, weapon throwing, clan techniques, or advanced ninjutsu.
• Power versus practicality: One Flash is extraordinarily destructive, but its long casting time makes it nearly useless unless Sasuke can accelerate the process.
• Mentorship and inheritance: Techniques traditionally restricted to clans can be passed on under special circumstances, while teachers such as Guy and Aoba shape the next generation.
• The danger of overconfidence: Sasuke’s excitement is tempered by reminders that defeating Itachi requires more than one devastating technique.
• Ambition and preparation: Sasuke’s dream of revenge becomes more attainable, but only through sustained, comprehensive training.
• Private relationships and secrecy: The closing scene introduces tension around Aoba’s relationships with Karin and Yumi, with Yumi emphasizing the secrecy and intimacy of their connection.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba reassures Tenten that she has permission to study Uchiha Ninja Tool Throwing, while Kakashi silently supports the explanation.
• Guy interacts with his trainees as both leader and instructor, especially taking Rock Lee under his wing.
• Aoba and Sasuke discuss One Flash’s destructive power, its casting-time weakness, and the need to train against Itachi’s Genjutsu and taijutsu.
• Sasuke asks Aoba for further instruction, establishing a deeper teacher-student relationship.
• Yumi and Aoba share a private, flirtatious encounter after Aoba returns home, with Yumi deliberately excluding Karin from the conversation.

Chapter Summary: “Who Can Have the Last Laugh?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba acknowledges that Yumi has developed romantic feelings for him. Although he previously believed her devotion was merely gratitude for saving her and Karin, he now realizes her emotions are genuine.
• After an intimate moment, Yumi tells Aoba that she has begun to control the Wood Release within her body and is ready to support him against his dangerous enemies. She and Karin pledge to remain at his side.
• Orochimaru arrives in the form of a white snake, seeking another exchange of intelligence. He reveals that he has verified Aoba’s previous information and found it extraordinarily accurate.
• Aoba intends to trade for knowledge about Wood Release, knowing Orochimaru has extensively researched Hashirama’s cells and the technique.
• However, Orochimaru suddenly attacks instead of negotiating. He has become convinced that Aoba possesses an enormous secret and decides to eliminate him and uncover it.
• Aoba, now fully adapted to his transplanted body, fights Orochimaru without fear. He suppresses Orochimaru in close combat using his physical strength and wind blades, even without activating Sage Mode.
• At the same time, Kabuto enters the house and confronts Yumi and Karin. He tries to persuade Karin to leave with him, promising her the power to avenge the suffering she endured in Kusagakure.
• When Kabuto threatens to use his Chakra Scalpel, Yumi steps in front of Karin and prepares to fight, despite Kabuto assuming she is merely an ordinary, untrained woman.
• Both battles escalate, but Aoba and Orochimaru appear to be waiting for something. A loud crash from inside the house signals that the confrontation between Yumi and Kabuto has begun in earnest.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Becomes more emotionally receptive to Yumi and finally accepts the seriousness of her feelings. His confidence has also grown dramatically; after mastering his modified body, he no longer fears Orochimaru and believes he has a strong chance of defeating him.
• Yumi: Progresses in controlling her Wood Release and becomes determined to fight alongside Aoba rather than remain protected by him. Her willingness to shield Karin shows her growing courage and loyalty.
• Karin: Remains fiercely attached to Aoba and rejects Kabuto’s attempt to manipulate her with promises of revenge and power. Her past trauma continues to influence her, but she chooses loyalty to her current family over Orochimaru’s offer.
• Orochimaru: His curiosity and obsession with Aoba’s secrets override their previous trading relationship. He abandons diplomacy and launches a premeditated attack, though he remains confident and strategically calculating.
• Kabuto: Acts as Orochimaru’s manipulator and enforcer. He attempts to exploit Karin’s resentment toward Kusagakure, but underestimates Yumi and fails to recognize the threat posed by her newly awakened abilities.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus betrayal: Aoba and Orochimaru’s mutually beneficial information exchange collapses when Orochimaru chooses to attack, showing that trust with him is ultimately conditional.
• Power and self-determination: Yumi and Karin are both targeted because of their abilities and past experiences, yet they resist being controlled by Orochimaru and Kabuto.
• Love expressed through loyalty: Yumi’s feelings are demonstrated not only romantically but through her willingness to share Aoba’s danger and protect those close to him.
• Underestimation: Kabuto dismisses Yumi as harmless, while Orochimaru miscalculates Aoba’s recent growth. The chapter emphasizes how dangerous it is to judge opponents by their former abilities.
• Preparation and hidden motives: Nearly every character is concealing a plan. Orochimaru has prepared an ambush, Aoba has strengthened his defenses, and both sides appear to be waiting for a decisive opening.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Yumi: Share an intimate and emotionally important conversation in which Yumi commits herself to Aoba’s dangerous path.
• Aoba and Orochimaru: Their former transactional relationship turns into a violent confrontation. Their battle is evenly matched in technique but favors Aoba physically.
• Yumi and Karin: Yumi instinctively protects Karin, reinforcing their family-like bond.
• Kabuto and Karin: Kabuto attempts to recruit Karin by appealing to her desire for revenge, but she refuses and remains loyal to Aoba.
• Yumi and Kabuto: Kabuto threatens them, but Yumi confronts him directly, surprising him with her confidence and hinting at the power she has gained.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as the simultaneous battles reach a critical point and a crash from inside the house suggests that Yumi has begun fighting Kabuto.

Chapter Summary: “Another Deal with Orochimaru”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kabuto attacks Aoba’s group but is overwhelmed by Yumi’s powerful Wood Release. A branch pierces and suspends him while draining his chakra, leaving him unconscious and near death.
• Orochimaru immediately recognizes that Yumi’s Wood Release is vastly superior to Yamato’s and powerful enough to pose a serious threat even to him. He realizes that Aoba likely used the Hashirama Cells he provided to enhance Yumi—and possibly himself as well.
• Orochimaru suspects the confrontation was an elaborate trap designed by Aoba, since he had attempted to exploit Aoba’s attachment to Karin and her mother.
• Aoba explains that the situation was not originally intended for Orochimaru. He deliberately keeps Kabuto alive because Orochimaru and Kabuto remain valuable for advancing research into techniques such as Impure World Reincarnation, the Eight Branches Technique, Living Corpse Reincarnation, and the Reaper Death Seal.
• Rather than fight Aoba and Yumi directly, Orochimaru abandons his apparent preparations for retaliation and proposes continuing their transaction.
• Orochimaru asks for Kabuto’s return. Aoba defers the decision to Yumi, who allows him to negotiate. In exchange for Kabuto’s life, Orochimaru gives Aoba the other Kusanagi Sword.
• After receiving Kabuto, Orochimaru revives and treats him with a Soldier Pill.
• Orochimaru’s next request is information about how Aoba successfully transplanted Hashirama Cells. Aoba claims to know methods that can improve the transplant success rate, though he warns that the most important factor is something Orochimaru does not possess.
• Orochimaru eagerly accepts the possibility of learning this method because Hashirama Cell experiments have historically been unpredictable, with Yamato’s success remaining unexplained.

Character Developments

• Aoba demonstrates greater strategic maturity and pragmatism. He refuses to kill Kabuto because Orochimaru’s scientific abilities are still useful to his larger plans, showing that he values long-term gains over immediate revenge.
• Yumi is revealed to possess extraordinarily powerful Wood Release, strong enough to make Orochimaru fear a direct confrontation. Her ability appears comparable to Hashirama’s true level rather than Yamato’s limited version.
• Orochimaru shifts rapidly from confidence to caution after recognizing the danger posed by Yumi. He remains shameless and pragmatic, abandoning his initial plan when it becomes unfavorable and immediately converting the confrontation into another negotiation.
• Kabuto is defeated and nearly killed, but his importance to Orochimaru is emphasized. His survival preserves Orochimaru’s research support and future role in the story.
• Aoba and Yumi’s relationship shows mutual trust: Aoba allows Yumi to decide Kabuto’s fate, acknowledging that she was the one who defeated him.

Significant Themes

• Power and deterrence: Yumi’s Wood Release completely changes the balance of power, forcing Orochimaru to abandon aggression and negotiate.
• Pragmatism over morality: Both Aoba and Orochimaru treat people, abilities, and even life-threatening situations as resources in larger plans.
• The value of scientific knowledge: Hashirama Cell transplantation is portrayed as a major unsolved mystery, and reliable research could transform the balance of power in the shinobi world.
• Mutual exploitation and uneasy cooperation: Aoba needs Orochimaru’s scientific expertise, while Orochimaru needs Aoba’s knowledge and resources. Their relationship is built on suspicion, bargaining, and shared utility rather than trust.
• Control versus unpredictability: The failed Hashirama Cell experiments demonstrate the limits of shinobi science, while Aoba’s success suggests that hidden biological or chakra-related factors may determine compatibility.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Orochimaru: Their confrontation turns into a negotiation. Orochimaru attempts to manipulate Aoba through Kabuto but is forced to bargain once Yumi’s strength is revealed.
• Aoba and Yumi: Aoba relies on Yumi’s judgment regarding Kabuto, reinforcing their cooperation and respect.
• Orochimaru and Kabuto: Orochimaru’s insistence on retrieving Kabuto confirms that Kabuto is an essential assistant rather than a disposable subordinate.
• Orochimaru and Aoba: Orochimaru’s focus shifts from obtaining Aoba’s secrets by force to acquiring information about Hashirama Cell transplantation through trade.

Chapter Summary: “Got It”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba reveals that Natural Energy is the key to stabilizing the First Hokage’s cells and helping transplant recipients endure their violent reactions. He explains that Hashirama possessed an exceptionally complete form of Sage Mode, while Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal was only an indirect application of Natural Energy derived from his research on Jūgo.
• In exchange for this information, Aoba requests all of Orochimaru’s research materials on Wood Release ninjutsu. Orochimaru agrees and again attempts to recruit Aoba, promising access to Konoha’s stolen knowledge, but Aoba politely refuses.
• Aoba explains how Yumi successfully completed her transformation: Karin’s presence and the mother-daughter bond gave Yumi the emotional strength to suppress the mutation. Her intense love and reluctance to abandon Karin generated enough Mental Power to complete the fusion.
• Orochimaru accepts this explanation, recognizing that powerful emotions can produce extraordinary mental energy, much like the emotional stimulus required to awaken the Sharingan.
• For this second piece of information, Aoba demands an intact pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan from the same person. Since Orochimaru has none, Aoba directs him toward Danzō, who possesses a large collection of Sharingan. Orochimaru agrees to obtain them.
• The transaction ends after three exchanges, and Orochimaru leaves Konoha dissatisfied but unable to pressure Aoba further.
• Aoba examines Karin, who remains asleep under the Nirvana Temple Jutsu, and determines that her body will naturally break the genjutsu by morning.
• Aoba and Yumi repair the damage caused by the earlier battle. Yumi uses Wood Release to restore the courtyard’s plants.
• Aoba encourages Yumi to study advanced Wood Release techniques once Orochimaru provides the research materials, suggesting that she may eventually become the group’s protector. Yumi teasingly responds by demanding a “protection fee” from Aoba.

Character Developments

• Aoba demonstrates extensive knowledge of Natural Energy, Sage Mode, biological mutation, and Mental Power. He continues to negotiate carefully, exchanging information only for resources he considers valuable. His refusal to join Orochimaru confirms that he has a hidden reason for remaining in Konoha.
• Orochimaru recognizes Aoba as not merely an information broker but also an exceptionally talented researcher. He is intrigued by Aoba’s abilities and increasingly curious about his motives. However, Orochimaru’s inability to understand or produce the intense emotional bond behind Yumi’s success highlights an emotional limitation within him.
• Yumi is shown to have gained strong control over Wood Release and is beginning to assume a more important protective role within the group.
• Karin remains unconscious but is safe, having played the crucial role in stabilizing Yumi through their emotional bond.

Significant Themes

• Natural Energy and scientific experimentation: The chapter connects Sage Mode, the Cursed Seal, Hashirama’s cells, and biological research, showing how supernatural power can be studied and applied scientifically.
• Love as a source of power: Yumi’s transformation succeeds not through technique alone but through her love for Karin, emphasizing emotional bonds as a force capable of overcoming physical and genetic limitations.
• Knowledge as currency: Aoba treats information as a bargaining tool, trading highly valuable discoveries for Wood Release research and Sharingan.
• Loyalty and hidden motives: Orochimaru doubts that Aoba remains in Konoha out of simple loyalty, suggesting that Aoba’s true purpose is still concealed.
• Emotional limitations: Orochimaru’s inability to replicate the emotional conditions that enabled Yumi’s success contrasts his intellectual brilliance with his lack of ordinary human attachment.

Important Character Interactions

• Aoba and Orochimaru engage in a tense but respectful series of negotiations. Orochimaru repeatedly tries to recruit Aoba, while Aoba maintains polite but firm refusals.
• Aoba explains Yumi’s transformation in terms Orochimaru can understand, linking maternal love to the Mental Power behind abilities such as the Sharingan.
• Aoba leverages Orochimaru’s connection to Danzō to obtain the Sharingan he needs.
• After Orochimaru departs, Aoba and Yumi work together to restore their home. Their final exchange introduces playful intimacy, with Yumi jokingly demanding compensation for protecting him.

Chapter Summary: “Hidan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Orochimaru sends Aoba information on Wood Release but needs more time to investigate the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• To advance Yumi’s Wood Release training, Aoba arranges for them to leave Konoha for a month under the pretext of visiting the ruins of the Uzumaki Clan.
• Traveling through remote forests and mountains, Yumi fights bandits and wandering criminals while Aoba observes. Her large-scale Wood Release initially overwhelms opponents, but repeated battles gradually improve her combat skills and experience.
• Yumi’s deep hatred and desire for vengeance make her ruthless; within ten days, she has killed more than a hundred enemies.
• The pair discovers a village whose inhabitants have been brutally slaughtered in what appears to be a ritual sacrifice.
• Aoba recognizes the work of Hidan, a devotee of the Jashin—or “Evil God”—cult. He deliberately exposes Hidan and allows Yumi to fight him.
• Yumi’s Wood Release completely overwhelms Hidan, trapping and impaling him across the village. Aoba then dismembers him and pins his mouth shut when Hidan continues threatening them.
• Hidan’s immortality prevents him from dying, revealing the unusual danger posed by supernatural or unconventional abilities in the shinobi world.
• After burying the villagers, Aoba and Yumi leave. Konan later arrives, investigates Hidan’s disappearance, and concludes that Kakuzu will need a new partner.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates careful planning and foresight by using Yumi’s training journey to search for Hidan, an important figure in his larger plans. He also shows restraint and tactical intelligence by letting Yumi gain experience while intervening only when necessary.
• Yumi: Develops from a powerful but inexperienced user of Wood Release into a more capable combatant. Real battles help her understand her immense chakra and the scale of her abilities. Her vengeance-driven personality is reinforced by her merciless treatment of enemies, though she remains unsettled by Hidan’s immortality.
• Hidan: Is introduced as a fanatical, sadistic immortal who worships the Evil God and performs ritual massacres. Despite his strength, weapon skill, and resilience, he is helpless against Yumi’s wide-area Wood Release.
• Konan: Appears briefly as an investigator connected to Hidan’s disappearance, showing that his absence will affect the Akatsuki’s future operations.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Yumi possesses overwhelming destructive power, but her journey emphasizes the need to develop judgment, combat experience, and control.
• The supernatural and the unknown: Hidan’s immortality illustrates that the shinobi world contains abilities that cannot be defeated through conventional methods.
• Training through experience: Rather than relying only on formal instruction, Yumi learns through real combat and gradually gains confidence and practical understanding.
• Moral brutality and vengeance: The chapter contrasts Hidan’s ritualistic cruelty with Yumi’s revenge-fueled violence, raising questions about how trauma and hatred shape a warrior.
• Preparation and manipulation: Aoba’s mission serves both as Yumi’s training exercise and as an opportunity to locate Hidan, showing how he advances multiple plans simultaneously.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Yumi work together as mentor and student, with Aoba guiding her indirectly by allowing her to handle most opponents herself.
• Their discussion about the massacred village introduces the Jashin Cult and challenges Yumi’s understanding of gods and evil.
• During the confrontation, Yumi’s Wood Release restrains Hidan while Aoba finishes and immobilizes him, highlighting their complementary roles.
• Hidan’s fanatical threats contrast with Aoba’s detached pragmatism and Yumi’s disgust.
• Konan’s final conversation establishes Hidan’s disappearance as a problem for the Akatsuki and foreshadows the loss of his partnership with Kakuzu.

Chapter Summary: “Karin’s Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba and Yumi travel to the ruined Land of Whirlpools, bringing the incapacitated Hidan with them because Aoba believes Hidan’s unusual abilities could become a powerful trump card.
• During the voyage, the boat crew attempts to exploit them. Yumi kills the entire crew, forcing Aoba to control the ship with Water Release. Their journey takes nine days instead of two.
• Upon reaching the island, they discover pirates occupying the ruins of the Uzumaki homeland. Yumi, overwhelmed by anger and grief, massacres them using the Stake-Piercing Technique. Aoba allows her revenge, believing the descendants of the Land of Whirlpools have the right to avenge its destruction.
• Yumi leads Aoba to the remains of the old Uzumaki shrine. They find it largely looted, but Aoba retrieves a distinctive mask—the true objective of their expedition.
• While mourning her ruined homeland, Yumi declares that she wants to find surviving Uzumaki descendants and rebuild the clan. Aoba supports her goal.
• They return to Konoha exactly one month later. After Aoba’s departure, Danzo proposes recruiting Karin Uzumaki into Root because of her exceptional chakra reserves, control, and talent.
• The Third Hokage rejects Danzo’s request and insists that Karin has another future planned. Danzo warns that Hiruzen will regret the decision.
• At home, Karin tells Aoba that masked people have been following her. Although they resemble ANBU, Karin senses that they are different from the masked personnel previously stationed around her home.
• Aoba immediately realizes that Danzo and Root may be targeting Karin, creating the chapter’s central crisis.

Character Developments

• Aoba continues to act strategically and pragmatically, recognizing Hidan’s usefulness and retrieving the shrine mask. However, his support for Yumi’s revenge and his emotional reaction to Karin’s danger reveal a strong sense of loyalty and attachment.
• Yumi releases years of suppressed anger over the destruction of the Uzumaki homeland. Her violent retaliation against the pirates demonstrates both her immense power and the depth of her unresolved grief. She then shifts from revenge toward rebuilding and preserving the Uzumaki legacy.
• Karin is established as an exceptionally gifted young Uzumaki with unusually large chakra reserves and strong learning ability. Her sensitivity to danger allows her to recognize that Danzo’s agents are not ordinary ANBU.
• Danzo identifies Karin as a valuable recruit for Root, emphasizing his willingness to exploit talented children for his organization.
• Hiruzen asserts his authority by refusing Danzo’s demand, though his vague statement that he has “other arrangements” for Karin leaves her future uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and historical injustice: Yumi’s massacre reflects the lingering consequences of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools and the absence of justice in the shinobi world.
• Preserving heritage: Yumi’s desire to find surviving Uzumaki and rebuild the clan emphasizes cultural survival and the importance of passing down identity and traditions.
• Power and political exploitation: Danzo views Karin primarily as a resource whose abilities should be used by Root, contrasting with Aoba’s personal concern for her welfare.
• The law of the jungle: Aoba reflects that the shinobi world is governed by strength rather than law, allowing nations and innocent populations to be destroyed without accountability.
• Family and protection: Aoba’s response to Karin’s danger suggests that he regards her as family, even if their relationship is not openly defined.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Yumi debate Hidan’s usefulness, with Aoba defending the decision to keep him alive.
• Yumi takes out her anger on the ship’s crew and the pirates, while Aoba neither restrains nor condemns her actions.
• Yumi shares her wish to restore the Uzumaki clan, and Aoba immediately promises his support.
• Danzo pressures Hiruzen to hand Karin over to Root, but Hiruzen refuses and invokes his authority as Hokage.
• Karin confides in Aoba about the suspicious masked followers, prompting him to identify Danzo as the likely threat and setting up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Learning Never Ends”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoba identifies Shimura Danzō as his next major target, but recognizes that killing him conventionally would be extremely difficult. Danzō is protected by Root, Konoha’s forces, ten Sharingan embedded in his arm, the Izanagi technique, and Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan containing Kotoamatsukami.
• Aoba reveals that he has been preparing for this confrontation for a long time. During an earlier deal with Orochimaru, he obtained Danzō’s blood, intending to use Hidan’s Death Controlling Blood technique against him.
• Because Danzō has targeted Karin, Aoba decides he can no longer afford to delay his plans.
• Aoba interrogates Hidan, whose head is being kept separately from his body. After allowing Hidan to rant himself into exhaustion, Aoba offers him a deal: assist in killing someone, and he may regain his freedom.
• Hidan agrees after learning that Aoba already possesses the target’s blood. Aoba does not reveal that the target is Danzō, but explains that several technical problems must first be solved.
• Aoba worries that Danzō’s Izanagi may activate either voluntarily or automatically after a fatal attack. If it activates passively, Hidan’s ritual alone would not be enough to preserve Danzō’s Sharingan.
• Orochimaru delivers a pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan that Aoba had requested. Aoba decides to use them for experiments aimed at understanding and countering Danzō’s transplanted eyes.
• Aoba develops a plan to seal Danzō’s right arm and eye before completing the Death Controlling Blood ritual, then kill him instantly before Izanagi can activate.
• To prepare, Aoba begins training in Flying Thunder God, Wind Release: Rasengan, and advanced Sealing Jutsu.

Character Developments

• Aoba becomes increasingly strategic and cautious. Rather than relying on his superior combat power, he plans around Danzō’s defenses and seeks to preserve the valuable Sharingan and Mangekyō.
• Hidan remains aggressive, arrogant, and irreverent, but his captivity forces him to cooperate. He recognizes that Aoba understands his abilities and that he has little leverage.
• Danzō is portrayed as paranoid, resourceful, and exceptionally difficult to kill. His fear of death and reliance on Izanagi make him a uniquely dangerous target.
• Orochimaru continues acting as Aoba’s supplier and indirect collaborator by providing rare Sharingan for research.

Significant Themes

• Preparation over brute force: Aoba’s strength is not enough by itself; defeating Danzō requires research, planning, and precise timing.
• The value of knowledge: Understanding Izanagi, transplanted Sharingan, and Hidan’s ritual is essential to overcoming seemingly unbeatable defenses.
• Power and exploitation: Danzō’s use of stolen Sharingan and Hashirama Cells reflects the broader theme of characters treating bodies and abilities as tools.
• Learning and adaptation: The chapter’s title is reflected in Aoba’s continued experimentation and training as he develops new methods to counter his enemies.
• Control versus freedom: Hidan’s captivity and conditional offer of freedom contrast with Aoba’s increasing control over dangerous individuals and techniques.

Character Interactions

• Aoba and Hidan: Their exchange is defined by Aoba’s calm psychological dominance against Hidan’s uncontrolled anger. Aoba waits until Hidan exhausts himself before negotiating.
• Aoba and Danzō: They do not meet directly, but Aoba’s plans reveal that their conflict is becoming personal, especially because Danzō has targeted Karin.
• Aoba and Orochimaru: Their relationship remains transactional. Orochimaru provides the Sharingan Aoba needs, while Aoba uses the opportunity to advance his anti-Danzō preparations.

Chapter Summary: “Everything Is Ready”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As the year ends, Konoha enjoys another peaceful and prosperous New Year season.
• Aoba completes his modified Sealing Jutsu after two months of work. Rather than improving durability or stability, he simplifies the techniques so they activate instantly.
• He prepares two scrolls designed to activate simultaneously, targeting Danzo’s right hand and right eye. However, Aoba still needs Danzo to leave Root alone—or be lured somewhere isolated—so he can kill him and loot his corpse.
• During New Year celebrations, Sasuke unexpectedly visits Aoba’s home. He thanks Aoba for his guidance and gives him a special set of chakra-metal Kunai and Shuriken connected by thin wires.
• Aoba and Yumi recognize that Sasuke likely had to search through the remnants of the Uchiha estate to find such valuable tools, since the village had largely stripped the clan’s inheritance after the massacre.
• After New Year, Aoba still cannot find a suitable opportunity to assassinate Danzo, but he remains calm and adjusts his plans.
• Aoba successfully performs his first true teleportation using the Flying Thunder God Technique. He can now move instantaneously between marked locations, though the process leaves him severely dizzy.
• He continues training to reduce the aftereffects and improve his combat application of the technique.

Character Developments

• Aoba: Demonstrates careful long-term planning and increasing technical ability. He completes his anti-Danzo sealing preparations and makes major progress with Flying Thunder God, gaining a powerful escape and assassination tool despite its current drawbacks.
• Sasuke: Shows noticeable social growth. Although still awkward and embarrassed, he follows Aoba’s lessons about connecting with others and visits during the holidays to express gratitude. His gift also reveals his thoughtfulness and willingness to share one of his few remaining valuable possessions.
• Yumi: Acts warmly toward Sasuke and becomes more aware of the injustice surrounding the Uchiha clan’s stolen assets and mistreatment.
• Danzo: Remains Aoba’s primary target, though his death is delayed because Aoba cannot yet isolate him.
• Itachi: Is discussed as a formidable potential obstacle. Aoba considers Sasuke important not only emotionally but also as a possible future means of influencing or countering Itachi.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and patience: Aoba’s plans depend on waiting for the correct moment rather than acting recklessly.
• The exploitation of victims: Sasuke’s stolen inheritance and the desecration of the Uchiha highlight Konoha’s corruption and injustice.
• Mentorship and emotional recovery: Aoba’s guidance gradually helps Sasuke become more socially capable and less isolated after the massacre.
• Power versus control: Aoba gains powerful abilities, but mastering them requires discipline, repeated practice, and acceptance of limitations.
• Manipulation and destiny: Aoba sincerely helps Sasuke while also recognizing his importance as Indra’s reincarnation and as a possible strategic asset connected to Itachi.

Character Interactions

• Yumi and Sasuke: Yumi welcomes Sasuke into the household and invites him to eat, though he retreats awkwardly after delivering his gift.
• Sasuke and Aoba: Sasuke formally thanks Aoba for his instruction, reflecting the trust developing between them. His gift represents both gratitude and growing personal attachment.
• Aoba and Yumi: They discuss the value of Sasuke’s gift and the injustice of the Uchiha clan’s confiscated wealth, reinforcing their shared sympathy for him.
• Aoba and Danzo: Their conflict remains indirect. Aoba has prepared the means to kill Danzo but continues waiting for a safe opportunity to act.