Chapter Summaries

Shinji's squad turned their Akatsuki investigation into a training trip, using a blindfolded kunai throw to choose the Land of Grass as their destination. Back in Konoha, Hiruzen learned Yamato and the First Hokage's cells had vanished from the Root base, and insisted Shinji could not be responsible even as he suspected Shinji had killed missing Root members.

• Kakashi agreed that Shinji could train the squad during their open-ended mission, and they chose a destination by throwing kunai at a map.
• Yehuo repeatedly missed the map, while Yugao, Anko, and Kakashi landed on the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass; Shinji chose the Land of Grass and ordered the squad to travel through the night.
• Shinji reflected on Yehuo's weak fundamentals as Yehuo hung back, intimidated by Shinji's anger.
• Hiruzen learned Yamato was missing and the First Hokage's cells had been stolen from the Root base, while the ANBU had lost their memories.
• Koharu suggested either Madara Uchiha or Shinji could have carried out the theft, but Hiruzen rejected Shinji's involvement and concluded he had likely killed the Root members who left the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi faced escalating crises as Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure made moves against the Land of Fire, while Jiraiya left to find the Child of Prophecy. Meanwhile, Shinji Uchiha brought his group into the devastated Land of Grass, chose a forest near Kannabi Bridge for a training ground, and approached Kusagakure alone.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected Orochimaru might be behind the removal of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and grew angry over the worsening situation in Konoha.
• An ANBU operative reported Kirigakure forces camping along the eastern coast, Iwagakure repairing Kannabi Bridge, and Kumogakure squads seizing three border posts and leaving a Hyuga ninja among the missing.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi learned Jiraiya had left the village to search for the Child of Prophecy and ordered a meeting with the clan heads and Shisui.
• Shinji Uchiha's group crossed the impoverished Land of Grass and found a town near Kannabi Bridge.
• Shinji Uchiha selected nearby woods for a training ground, left Kakashi to build cabins, and traveled alone to Kusagakure.

Shinji traveled to Kusagakure, which he planned to turn into the Reed Hideout, and encountered the Konoha missing-nin Hiruko. After Hiruko demanded Shinji’s Sharingan, Shinji defeated him and killed his three companions, then considered killing Hiruko despite his claims about the Chimera Technique and eternal life.

• Shinji approached Kusagakure, intending to make it the Reed Hideout and pursue his goals in the Land of Grass.
• Hiruko and his companions spotted Shinji and decided to attack him for his Sharingan.
• Shinji swiftly incapacitated Hiruko, then used three phantoms to kill One, Three, and Two as they attacked.
• Shinji recognized Hiruko as a Konoha missing-nin and questioned him about the Chimera Technique.
• Hiruko offered Shinji money and promised eternal life if Shinji let him go, but Shinji thought killing him might be easier.

Big Brother Shinji spared Hiruko and brought him to Orochimaru, where the two researchers met. He also met Guren and cautioned Orochimaru to take a gentler approach to securing land for his planned village in the Land of Rice Fields.

• Hiruko begged for his life, and Big Brother Shinji offered to support his research if he worked for him.
• Big Brother Shinji transported Hiruko to Orochimaru's temporary base in the Land of Rice Fields.
• Orochimaru revealed that he planned to establish a village there and said he only lacked land.
• Guren arrived with news that a test subject's vital signs had stabilized, and Big Brother Shinji met her.
• Big Brother Shinji warned Orochimaru that people were valuable and suggested his cold-blooded nature may have cost him the race for Hokage.

Shinji let Orochimaru persuade Hiruko to work with them on perfecting the Chimera Technique and researching Wood Release. After Hiruko proposed targets for his research, Orochimaru told Shinji that Shinji’s cells were nearly as strong as Hashirama Senju’s, leaving Shinji questioning the comparison and asking about compatibility with Wood Release Cells.

• Orochimaru urged Hiruko to prove himself by combining his Chimera Technique with research into Wood Release and Hashirama Cells, and Hiruko agreed.
• Hiruko reminded Shinji of his promise to support the research and proposed targeting Shu of Iwagakure and Pakura of Sunagakure for their Kekkei Genkai.
• Shinji approved those two targets, assigned Hiruko to help build the village and research Wood Release with Orochimaru, and sent Guren to take him to rest.
• Orochimaru gave Shinji the results of a cell comparison, saying Shinji’s cells were nearly as strong as Hashirama Senju’s.
• Shinji questioned whether his cells could surpass Hashirama’s and asked Orochimaru about their compatibility with Wood Release Cells.

Shinji brought Shisui to Kusagakure to show him the suffering and corruption beyond the Five Great Nations, revealing why Dawn was born. After Shisui discovered that villagers had used a little girl as a human Explosive Tag, he vanished in a fury.

• Shinji discussed his research into the Hashirama Cells with Orochimaru and asked him to continue his experiments.
• Shinji met Shisui and told him it was time for Dawn to appear before the Shinobi World.
• Shinji and Shisui disguised themselves in robes and masks before entering Kusagakure.
• Shinji and Shisui saw corpses, starving residents, and a little girl shoved into the muddy street as bait.
• Shisui used Susanoo to block the human Explosive Tag hidden on the girl's back, then vanished in rage after Shinji explained why Dawn was born.

Shinji and Shisui fought their way through Kusagakure’s brutal outskirts before encountering Karin and her exhausted mother in the rain. Shinji offered them food in exchange for shelter, and Karin’s mother reluctantly agreed to let the masked strangers stay the night.

• Shisui killed the Rogue Ninja and fought off attackers in the settlement while Shinji let him handle the violence.
• Shinji and Shisui entered Kusagakure and encountered Karin helping her injured mother through the rain.
• Karin’s mother and Karin mistook the masked men for people who wanted to take their healing ability, and Karin offered to be bitten in her mother’s place.
• Shinji offered his arm to the mother, then asked Shisui for food when she refused.
• Shisui gave the mother and Karin his leftover roasted rabbit, and Shinji asked to spend the night at their home in exchange.
• Karin’s mother accepted the arrangement after Karin pleaded with her.

Shinji and Shisui left money for Karin and her mother before preparing to take over Kusagakure. Shisui attacked Hozuki Castle while Shinji headed to negotiate with the Grass Flower faction.

• Shinji and Shisui discussed the Uzumaki mother and daughter and reflected on Itachi's independent way of thinking.
• Shinji left about a hundred thousand ryo for Karin and her mother in exchange for breakfast, and told them to rest instead of going to the hospital.
• Shinji surveyed Kusagakure and told Shisui to draw out its people so they could turn the village into Reed Hideout before dawn.
• Shisui attacked Hozuki Castle with Majestic Destroyer Flame and challenged Mui to surrender or die.
• Shinji went to the headquarters of the Grass Fruit faction, intending to approach the anti-war Grass Flower faction and recruit its people.

Shinji brought the Root members to Kusagakure and ordered them to help topple the village, promising them freedom from their Cursed Seals. He confronted the Grass Flower faction and trapped its fighters in a Lightning Cage before calling down a massive Lightning Dragon.

• Torune discovered imprisoned women at a burned stronghold, and Rokuyuki set the house ablaze after deciding they would not survive.
• Shinji arrived and told the eighteen Root members that Kusagakure would be their new base and that they would bring destruction to the village.
• Shinji promised the Root members freedom from their Cursed Seals once the mission was complete, then sent them to stabilize Kusagakure amid the fighting.
• Shinji approached the Grass Flower headquarters, where an old man mistook him for an agent of Mui and challenged him.
• Grass Flower fighters charged Shinji, who used Four-Pole Heavenly Prison to trap them in a Lightning Cage and called down a Lightning Dragon.

Aburame Torune stopped a Kusagakure ninja from attacking Karin and her mother, while Ryūsetsu escaped after Torune spared her. At Hozuki Castle, Shinji accepted Kusagakure’s surrender and considered Mui for the village’s administration as Mui asked for help saving his son.

• Aburame Torune killed a Kusagakure ninja who threatened Karin and her mother, then identified himself as being from Dawn.
• Ryūsetsu refused to surrender and fled, but Torune’s masked companion told him she was not a bad person, so they left her alone.
• Karin shut the door and promised her mother she would protect her.
• At dawn, Shinji learned from Shisui that Kusagakure’s surrendered forces included seven Jonin, thirty-seven Chunin, and seventy-eight Genin, along with criminals and Missing-nin.
• Shisui suggested that Mui manage the village and asked Shinji whether Mui’s son could be saved.
• Shinji stopped Shisui from giving an elaborate introduction and used the codename “God,” giving Mui hope that Dawn’s leader might help his son.

Shinji heard Mu admit that his obsession with the Box of Ultimate Bliss had led to his son Muku being swallowed by it. He agreed to consider saving Muku in exchange for Mu helping transform the Land of Grass into Reed Hideout and establishing a base for the Dawn Organization.

• Mu asked Shinji to save his son Muku, who had been swallowed by the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• Mu admitted that he had sacrificed innocent people to feed the box, hoping to save Muku and reunite Kusagakure.
• Shinji agreed to consider helping Mu, then demanded that he gather notorious criminals and turn Hozuki Castle into the Dawn Organization's headquarters.
• Shinji ordered Mu to lead Reed Hideout and make the village thrive within six months, with Nara Rokuyuki assisting him.
• Mu accepted Shinji's demands after Shinji warned that failure would leave Mu, Muku, and the box with no reason to exist.

Karin woke to find the village changed after the violence and set out to buy food for her exhausted mother. Shinji took her under his wing, offering to teach her how to stop people from bullying her, while Karin worried about whether she could accept without asking her mother.

• Karin woke beside her sleeping mother, peeked outside, and saw villagers emerging amid the aftermath of the violence.
• Karin took their money and left to find food, but shopkeepers refused to sell to her and her mother because they were redheads from another village.
• Shinji and Shisui discussed the fear in the village and the monster nurtured inside the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• Shinji stopped Karin, took her hand, and led her back toward the shops to teach her how to stand up to bullies.
• Shisui questioned Shinji's approach, while Karin wondered whether to accept Shinji's offer to make her his apprentice before telling her mother.

Shinji taught Karin a lesson about power and fairness, then left her with Shisui while he returned to Kakashi and the others in the wilderness. He assigned Shisui to build a new ANBU in the Land of Grass and prepared to resume his plans involving Kirigakure.

• Shinji forced the grain shopkeeper to sell Karin only the amount her thousand ryō could normally buy, and Karin realized that power could affect whether people were treated fairly.
• Karin called Shinji her master, and he named her his second disciple after Kurama Yakumo.
• Shinji told Shisui to build a new ANBU with Aburame Ryoma, Yamanaka Fū, Nara Rokuyuki, and others, and left Karin in Shisui's care.
• Shinji said he needed to return to Kakashi and Nobihi and travel to Kirigakure before his plan fell apart.
• Shinji returned to the cabins and found Nobihi practicing, Yugao smiling, and Kakashi relaxing; when he asked about Anko's training, Kakashi grew uneasy.

Naruto faced the villagers’ hostility on his first day of Ninja Academy, while Hinata watched him shyly and Sasuke realized he wanted his friend to feel less alone. The chapter ended with Sasuke running off to find Naruto as Shinji remained away on a mission.

• Naruto arrived at the Ninja Academy and heard parents call him the Fox Demon, leaving him to wonder whether Shinji had lied to comfort him.
• Hyuga Hiashi brought Hinata to school, and Hinata shyly thought of Naruto and wished she could comfort him.
• Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto brought Sasuke to school, and Sasuke asked why Shinji could not return from his mission to see him off.
• Sasuke heard the villagers insulting Naruto, pulled away from his parents, and ran to find him.

At the Ninja Academy, Naruto met Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Sakura, who had been told by their fathers to befriend him. Big Brother Shinji reunited with Naruto and Sasuke and asked the children to look after them, just as someone addressed him as the Uchiha Clan Head.

• Sasuke found Naruto talking with Shikamaru and Choji, who explained that their fathers had told them to befriend him.
• Ino introduced Sakura, but both girls became distracted by Sasuke, and they fought after Sakura rushed to greet him.
• Sasuke pulled Naruto behind him, and Naruto clarified that the children had wanted to be his friends.
• Naruto asked Sasuke where Big Brother Shinji was, and Shikamaru realized their connection had been hidden by the adults.
• Big Brother Shinji arrived, greeted Naruto and Sasuke, and asked their new friends to look after them at the Ninja Academy.
• A deep voice interrupted and addressed Big Brother Shinji as the Uchiha Clan Head.

Shinji reassured Naruto that he was not the Fox Demon and visited the Nine-Tails sealed inside him. He demanded a share of the Nine-Tails’ chakra and ordered it not to interfere with Naruto.

• Shinji declined Hiashi’s invitation and asked Sasuke to rejoin his parents, while promising Mikoto he would explain things to her soon.
• Shinji took Naruto away from the Academy, and Naruto worried that he really was the Fox Demon after hurting Shinji before.
• Shinji explained that a monster had controlled Naruto’s body and said Naruto was not ready to hear the full story.
• At Naruto’s home, Shinji entered the sealing space and confronted the Nine-Tails.
• Shinji demanded one-tenth of the chakra he had taken previously as regular rent and told the Nine-Tails not to interfere with Naruto.

Shinji confronted Kurama and used the Little Nine-Tails to make him negotiate over Naruto’s future and other demands. After Shinji left Naruto’s sealed space, he sent Naruto off to the Academy and faced Hiruzen Sarutobi, who questioned whether he had placed Naruto under Genjutsu.

• Kurama boasted that Shinji could not help Naruto without harming him, but Shinji summoned Little Nine-Tails, frightening Kurama into agreeing to talk.
• Shinji told Kurama to help Naruto learn and train, and said he would establish rules for the years until Little Nine-Tails reached adulthood.
• Shinji left the sealed space and told Naruto he could try talking to Kurama, then sent him to school with reassurance that no one would call him a Fox Demon again.
• Naruto ran off, and Hiruzen Sarutobi emerged from the shadows and asked Shinji whether he had put Naruto under Genjutsu.
• Shinji questioned why Hiruzen’s entrance looked familiar and said he had returned because the war had started.

Shinji returned to Konoha and discussed rumors of a plot to gather the tailed beasts with Hiruzen Sarutobi, who asked him to help prepare the village for war. At a meeting of the clan heads, Shinji learned Jiraiya had gone to the Land of Rain seeking him and asked Tsunade whether she had given Jiraiya anything or recently won money.

• Shinji admitted he had used genjutsu on Naruto as extra protection for the Nine-Tails and warned Hiruzen Sarutobi about rumors of a tailed-beast-collecting scheme.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Shinji to help speed up troop deployments and prewar preparations, but Shinji told him to address the new students and summon the clan heads.
• Shinji criticized Kei Uchiha and Uchiha Izumi for poorly disguising themselves as Shisui Uchiha and Kei Uchiha at the conference.
• The clan heads and department heads gathered, and Tsunade asked whether Shinji had seen Jiraiya, who had left the village for the Land of Rain.
• Shikaku Nara and Tsunade explained that Jiraiya believed Shinji matched the Great Toad Sage's prophecy and had gone looking for him, prompting Shinji to ask Tsunade about gifts or recent gambling winnings.

Shinji took charge as the Four Great Nations launched a full-scale war against Konoha, rallying the clan leaders and declaring that he would lead them to victory. He began assigning commanders to the eastern front, leaving the meeting with the Sarutobi Clan’s available Fire Release Shinobi still to be determined.

• Tsunade revealed that she had given Jiraiya a good-luck charm before he went to investigate Akatsuki in the Land of Rain, and she told Shinji the prophecy about a gentle red-eyed boy.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi announced that Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure had begun attacking Konoha across four fronts.
• Shinji urged the clans to set aside past conflicts, warned against anyone stirring up trouble during the war, and declared war on the Four Countries.
• Shinji assigned Uchiha Fugaku to command the First Unit against Kirigakure, with Hyuga Hiashi as his deputy, and placed Tsunade in command of the Second Unit against Kumogakure, with Akimichi Choza as her deputy.
• Shinji asked Hiruzen Sarutobi how many Fire Release Shinobi the Sarutobi Clan could provide for the fight against Kumogakure.

Shinji organized Konoha’s forces for the war and assigned commanders to the western fronts and central coordination. He gave the four unit commanders Flying Thunder God Kunai that could summon his aid, while Hiruzen requested to join the second unit on the Eastern Battlefield.

• Hiashi confronted Hiruzen and the Hokage Advisors over the clans’ wartime duties, prompting Hiruzen to commit three hundred Sarutobi ninja to each front and additional supplies from the Sarutobi, Mitokado, and Utatane clans.
• Shinji assigned Torifu Akimichi to command the third western unit against Iwagakure, with Kakashi as his deputy.
• Shinji assigned Shibi Aburame to lead the fourth western unit against Sunagakure, with Kei Uchiha assisting him.
• Shinji placed Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka in charge of central intelligence, supplies, specialist squads, and tactical planning, then ordered the units to assemble and march.
• Shinji gave the four unit commanders special Flying Thunder God Kunai that could alert him from anywhere, with instructions to activate them only in emergencies.
• Hiruzen praised Shinji’s deployment and requested a place with the second unit on the Eastern Battlefield.