Chapter Summaries

Tsunade tried to rescue eight captive children, but her escape was blocked by a group led by four trained Genin. She defeated the Genin and reunited the children, then was confronted by another voice before they could leave.

• Tsunade overheard the guards mention a suitable bloodline and a ritual, then tried to sneak up on them while they rested.
• The skinny boy called out and alerted the guards, so Tsunade knocked them down, broke open the fence, and led the children toward the cave exit.
• Tsunade found seven or eight people waiting outside, with four trained Genin among them, and told the boy to escape with the children.
• Tsunade fought the four Genin using Monstrous Strength, Explosive Tags, shuriken, and taijutsu, eventually leaving them unable to get up.
• The boy stayed behind with his friend and the other children, holding Tsunade's Teleportation Talisman, and Tsunade prepared to leave with them.
• A voice from behind the crowd asked where they thought they were going.

Orochimaru rescued Tsunade from a ritual that was draining her chakra, then escaped with her into the forest. After she recovered enough to explain what happened, Orochimaru suspected the gentle-smiling boss was not a ninja.

• Two Chunin captured Tsunade, took her Teleportation Talisman, and pinned her to an altar for a bloodline ritual.
• As the ritual drained Tsunade's chakra, Orochimaru burst through the smoke, stole another talisman, and carried her away unconscious.
• Orochimaru hid with Tsunade among rocks, and she asked how he had found her using their Resonance Token.
• Tsunade swallowed a Chakra Recovery Pill, regained some strength, and told Orochimaru about the cave and the ritual.
• Orochimaru showed Tsunade the talisman he had stolen and said the boss might not be a ninja because he sensed no chakra from him.

Tsunade and Orochimaru returned to the cave to rescue the captured children, but their infiltration was discovered and they were forced into a renewed battle. They ended the chapter surrounded by a Chunin and four Genin as the fight erupted.

• Tsunade and Orochimaru agreed to return to the cave and save the children, despite Orochimaru's concerns about the risk.
• Orochimaru observed that the cave guards had increased and proposed that Tsunade draw them away while he searched for the children.
• Tsunade set off an Explosive Tag to distract the guards, while Orochimaru infiltrated the cave through a narrow crack.
• A Chunin discovered Orochimaru and attacked him, and Tsunade rushed in to help; together they subdued him.
• Another Chunin arrived with four Genin, including two Tsunade had previously knocked down, and ordered them to attack as the battle resumed.

Tsunade and Orochimaru defeated the fake boss’s men and exposed him as an ordinary man seeking power through a ritual, but the rescued boy betrayed them. The boy revealed himself as the mastermind, captured Tsunade for the ritual, and left both ninja badly injured and helpless.

• Orochimaru and Tsunade joined forces to defeat the Genin and two Chunin, with Tsunade using her Yin Seal to recover and fight.
• The fake boss admitted that he was an ordinary person seeking supreme power through a ritual, and Tsunade broke his wrist before Orochimaru tied him up.
• Tsunade reassured the children, but the boy she had rescued attacked her and struck Orochimaru down.
• The boy revealed that he had targeted Tsunade because of her Senju Bloodline and ordered the two supposedly defeated Chunin to take her to the altar.
• The Chunin pinned Tsunade to the altar, where glowing runes began to drain her chakra as the boy celebrated the ritual’s progress.

Jiraiya arrived with Gamabunta and rescued Tsunade from the boy’s ritual, but the ritual had already been completed. As the boy called for his lord to enter his body, a pitch-black crack opened above the altar.

• Jiraiya appeared at the altar with Gamabunta and confronted the boy who had captured Tsunade.
• Gamabunta knocked away the two Chunin, and Jiraiya defeated the boy when he tried to attack Tsunade.
• Jiraiya freed Tsunade, who punched him for arriving late, while Orochimaru warned that the boy’s identity might reveal another enemy.
• The boy revealed that the ritual was complete and that only a vessel remained, then staggered onto the altar.
• The boy called for his lord to descend into his body, the runes blazed red, and a black crack opened above the altar.

A dark entity descended into the boy at the altar in the Land of Hot Water, trapping Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and the children inside a barrier as the three young ninja prepared to fight it. In Konoha, Nangō Kumoi sensed the awakening and suspected the Dark God of War Alliance might be involved.

• The darkness swallowed the boy, and the entity that emerged was identified by Orochimaru as possessing Kage Level strength.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru tried to retreat, but the entity sealed them and the children inside a dark barrier.
• The entity called its host body a weak shell and challenged the three ninja to test how much power it had recovered.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru charged the entity together while the children watched from the altar.
• Nangō Kumoi sensed the awakening in the Land of Hot Water, and Ray and Gaia identified the energy as coming from their universe.
• Kumoi wondered whether the Dark God of War Alliance was responsible for the awakening.

Kumoi learned that the unknown power might belong to the Dark God of War Alliance and ordered Nara Shikato summoned as he prepared to go to the Land of Hot Water. Inside the barrier, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and their summoned allies were overwhelmed, while Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to break through; a mysterious figure then appeared behind him.

• Kumoi warned Ray and Gaia that the Dark God of War Alliance could threaten the world, then ordered an Anbu to summon Clan Head Nara Shikato.
• The shadow battered Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Gamabunta, and revealed its interest in Tsunade's bloodline.
• Jiraiya reached Hiruzen Sarutobi through the Resonance Token, but the barrier cut off their connection before Hiruzen could reach them.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Enma as the Enma Golden Cudgel and repeatedly struck the barrier, but could not break it.
• A figure appeared behind Hiruzen Sarutobi and asked whether they had arrived too late.

Nangō Kumoi broke through the barrier and battled Wisker, while Hiruzen Sarutobi rescued the unconscious students and children. Kumoi briefly knocked Wisker down, but Wisker suddenly regained strength and blasted Kumoi into the rocks.

• Nangō Kumoi used a golden lightning strike to crack the barrier, then entered with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Kumoi attacked Wisker to stop him from corrupting Jiraiya and Orochimaru, while Hiruzen found the three students unconscious but alive.
• Ray and Gaia identified Wisker and warned Kumoi that the enemy was dangerous and cunning.
• Kumoi and Wisker exchanged attacks until Kumoi struck Wisker and sent him crashing onto the altar.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Anbu to carry the students and children out of the barrier.
• Wisker suddenly recovered his strength and hit Kumoi with Dark Impact, leaving Kumoi wounded and stunned.

Kumoi fought Wisker while Hiruzen Sarutobi destroyed the altar’s runes and sealed them, cutting off Wisker’s energy supply. Kumoi killed Wisker with a powerful lightning attack, shattering the dark barrier and ending the battle.

• Ray and Gaia warned Kumoi that a crack in the altar was replenishing Wisker’s energy.
• Kumoi battled Wisker, using lightning and Gaia’s techniques to break through his attacks and defeat his shadow clones.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi attacked the altar’s runes while Kumoi kept Wisker from reaching him.
• Hiruzen placed a Five-Element Seal on the altar, stopping the energy flowing through the crack.
• Kumoi struck Wisker with Thunder God—Heaven’s Bright Flash, dissolving him into ash and breaking the dark barrier.
• Hiruzen supported the exhausted Kumoi as he confirmed the battle was over.

After Kumoi and Hiruzen Sarutobi left the altar, the escaped Sauren appeared and revived Wisker from his lingering origin. Sauren tried to make Wisker his subordinate, but Wisker angrily refused.

• Kumoi told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Wisker was a dangerous being from another world and ordered him to write a detailed report about the battle.
• Kumoi checked Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru and confirmed that the three students were only unconscious before leaving for Konoha with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• After the group departed, Sauren passed through the intact seal and celebrated reaching the world where Puni had disappeared.
• Sauren sensed a Holy Spirit-type sprite but found that the world’s rules suppressed his attempt to investigate it.
• Sauren restored Wisker from the black mist and claimed him as a subordinate, but Wisker refused to obey.

Sauren forced Wisker to reveal that a human could use the God of War Alliance’s powers, then ordered him to locate and open other altars so Sauren could reclaim his power. Back at the inn, Kumoi told Hiruzen Sarutobi that the altar threat came from beyond their world and sent him to investigate similar altars quietly.

• Sauren repeatedly tore at Wisker’s origin until Wisker submitted and revealed that a human could use Ray and Gaia’s God of War Alliance powers despite having no elf bloodline.
• Sauren dismissed the human as a minor figure and ordered Wisker to find and open other altars to help reclaim Sauren’s power.
• At the inn, Hiruzen Sarutobi reported that the Uzumaki Survivors were traveling toward the Land of Fire and that cooperation with the Land of Hot Water had been arranged.
• Hiruzen asked Kumoi about Wisker and the altar, and Kumoi said the entity came from beyond their world and that other altars might exist.
• Kumoi tasked Hiruzen with quietly investigating for other altars and warned him to report any discoveries before acting.

Kumoi and Hiruzen agreed to keep the children unaware of the altar’s danger until they were older, while resolving to investigate any more altars. The next morning, Jiraiya reunited with Tsunade and Orochimaru and began recounting his time at Mount Myōboku.

• Hiruzen asked Kumoi whether Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru should learn about the events surrounding the altar, and Kumoi said they should wait until the children were older.
• Kumoi told Ray and Gaia that Konoha would investigate any altars and fight anything threatening the village or the world.
• Jiraiya woke in an unfamiliar room, found Tsunade and Orochimaru at breakfast, and learned that Kumoi had saved them.
• Hiruzen told Jiraiya that his big brother was safe and had returned to Mount Myōboku after running out of energy.
• Jiraiya began telling Tsunade and Orochimaru how the Toads had welcomed him at Mount Myōboku.

Jiraiya recounted how he had been accepted as a disciple of Mount Myōboku after meeting Gamabunta, though his stories and the toads’ bug cuisine amused Tsunade and Orochimaru. After breakfast, Hiruzen Sarutobi reprimanded his three disciples for their reckless actions in the Land of Hot Water, and they apologized before agreeing to think of their teacher and companions before acting.

• Jiraiya told Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Hiruzen Sarutobi that he had met Gamabunta, passed a test, and become a disciple of Mount Myōboku.
• Orochimaru asked Jiraiya what he had eaten there, and Jiraiya admitted that he had been served bugs, making Tsunade laugh.
• After breakfast, Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru to follow him outside and explain what they had done.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi scolded Jiraiya for using the Summoning Technique without a contract, Tsunade for raiding a headquarters alone, and Orochimaru for joining them instead of keeping them safe.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told his disciples that seeing them unconscious in the cave had terrified him and urged them to consider how their choices affected their teacher and companions.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru apologized, and Hiruzen Sarutobi told them to inform him before taking action next time.

Kumoi considered Jiraiya’s trip to Mount Myōboku a possible opportunity and decided he needed to find a chance to go there himself. In Kumogakure, Saddam reported his failed mission to the Third Raikage and presented a genuine Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu notebook that could accelerate the village’s research.

• Kumoi told Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru to pack for their return to Konoha, then discussed their welfare with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Kumoi reflected on Mount Myōboku, Jiraiya’s possible connection to the prophecy, and his own plan to visit the mountain.
• Kumoi and Hiruzen Sarutobi acknowledged that Konoha still had to address the Uzumaki Clan’s settlement, West District construction, and the previous night’s incident.
• Saddam and his wounded subordinates reported their failed mission to the Third Raikage, who praised their survival and told them not to dwell on punishment.
• Saddam gave the Third Raikage a notebook of Uzumaki Sealing Jutsu insights, and a researcher confirmed it was genuine and could greatly shorten Kumogakure’s research time.

The Raikage ordered Saddam to recover and study the notebook after learning how powerful Hiruzen Sarutobi had become. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kumoi, and Team 7 returned to Konoha, where Kumoi insisted on following the gate’s identification rules and praised the guard Inoue Nia.

• The Raikage credited Saddam and his team for obtaining the notebook, then ordered Saddam to master it after recovering from his injuries.
• The Raikage reflected on Hiruzen Sarutobi’s growing strength and Konoha’s new generation of talent.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi, Kumoi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru traveled back toward Konoha while Jiraiya and Tsunade bantered about their journey.
• At Konoha’s gate, the guards checked Jiraiya’s, Tsunade’s, and Orochimaru’s identification cards before admitting them.
• Kumoi insisted that the young guard check his identification card, then praised Inoue Nia for following the rules.

Kumoi and Hiruzen Sarutobi returned to Konoha with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, and Kumoi gave Hiruzen a day off. Back home, Jiraiya reflected on Mount Myōboku while Tsunade told Mito Uzumaki about the dangers they had faced.

• Kumoi praised the young gate guard for enforcing the identification rules and warned the older guard not to make exceptions.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed with Kumoi that rules protected everyone, then followed him and the three students into Konoha.
• Kumoi gave Hiruzen a day off and told Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru to rest before returning to the academy.
• Jiraiya returned home, examined the protective charm Gamabunta had given him, and fell asleep thinking about Mount Myōboku and his companions.
• Tsunade returned to the Senju ancestral home and began recounting to Mito Uzumaki the cave, the children, the possessed boy, and the monster.

Tsunade recovered from the altar incident and learned from Mito that her kindness needed to be tempered with caution. Orochimaru resolved to pursue a summoning contract with Ryūchi Cave, while Kumoi returned to the Hokage Office and received a report about the Uzumaki Clan.

• Mito examined Tsunade’s Yin Seal, reassured her that it would settle, and told her that kindness was not a mistake but that she needed to learn when to be wary.
• Tsunade promised Mito that she would use the mark properly, then went to rest before school.
• Orochimaru reviewed the Land of Hot Water incident and decided that summoning beasts were an essential trump card.
• Orochimaru set a three-month objective to make progress toward forming a contract with Ryūchi Cave.
• Kumoi returned to the Hokage Office, where Nara Shikato handed him a document concerning the Uzumaki Clan.

Kumoi approved concentrated resettlement for the newly arrived Uzumaki, placing them near the existing clan community and its Sealing Jutsu factories. The next morning, Jiraiya regaled his classmates at Konoha University with an embellished account of their recent mission until Tsunade arrived to challenge his boasts.

• Shikato presented Kumoi with two Uzumaki resettlement proposals, one concentrated and one dispersed.
• Kumoi chose concentrated resettlement so the newcomers could join the existing Uzumaki community and help staff the West District factories.
• Kumoi signed and sealed the approved plan after discussing the children’s recent trouble with Shikato.
• Jiraiya entertained his Konoha University classmates with a grand account of fighting a monster and claimed he was an official disciple of Mount Myōboku.
• Tsunade entered the classroom and called Jiraiya out for bragging.

Hiruzen Sarutobi taught a lesson on team coordination using Team 7’s mission in the Land of Hot Water as a case study. He began reviewing the rescue of the Uzumaki Survivors and warned Tsunade and Orochimaru about entering battle without orders.

• Tsunade teased Jiraiya for being the first to be knocked away by the monster, while Jiraiya insisted he had drawn its fire.
• Orochimaru and Uchiha Gen arrived, and Orochimaru confirmed that Jiraiya had been batted away by the monster.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the classroom and announced that he would teach a lesson on coordinating teams during missions outside the village.
• Hiruzen described how Team 7 used Anbu intelligence and contacted the Uzumaki Elder while rescuing the Uzumaki Survivors in the Land of Hot Water.
• Hiruzen explained that Tsunade and Orochimaru had entered the battle against Kumogakure without orders and stressed that obedience to orders protected ninja from danger.

Hiruzen Sarutobi used Team 7’s battle against an otherworldly enemy to teach the students about tactics, teamwork, and Jiraiya’s recklessness. After class, Jiraiya asked Uchiha Gen about his team’s recent work, and Gen said they had qualified for intermediate-level missions.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained how Tsunade and Orochimaru restrained the enemy until Jiraiya arrived and summoned a toad.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Jiraiya’s timely arrival but criticized his reckless summoning, failure to assess the battlefield, and poor coordination.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi continued the lesson with a tactical analysis, and Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru listened and took notes.
• After class, Jiraiya asked Uchiha Gen what missions his team had been doing recently.
• Uchiha Gen said his team had completed many D-rank and several C-rank missions over the past half month, earning enough points to apply for intermediate-level missions.