Chapter Summaries

Summary

• Madara fails another driving test: At Love Kidney Driving School, Madara attempts reverse parking for the tenth time. He confuses the controls, backs wildly out of the lot, and Kakuzu’s panicked instructions culminate in Madara using Susanoo. The maneuver devastates the surrounding mountain and a piece of equipment. Kakuzu leaves pleased when he realizes a broken thread might qualify as a workplace injury—and earn him reimbursement.
• Madara and Hashirama trade insults: Hashirama mocks Madara for failing again, while Madara points out that Hashirama has not passed the first test. Hashirama resents that Madara and some Uchiha—and Hyuga students—cheated during the first exam using their dōjutsu. He is especially bitter because Kakuzu accepted Madara’s results after being paid. Frustrated, Hashirama raises trees over the flattened mountain.
• Dave, Hiruzen, and Danzo seek medical help: The three have witnessed the driving disaster and ask Hashirama about Medical Ninjutsu, hoping for a solution to their problem. Hashirama says he knows none, then casually demonstrates his extraordinary self-healing by cutting his palm with a kunai and recovering almost instantly. Their visit does not produce the guidance they hoped for, so they leave to consider other options. Kagami is absent; Hiruzen claims he is hospitalized after a mission, while Hashirama laments Kagami’s frequent injuries and poor use of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• The group plans further research: On the way back, Dave asks why Hiruzen’s clan does not recognize him as its leader. Hiruzen explains that he has not called a clan meeting and wants to establish his own reputation first. Danzo likewise refuses to take over his clan until he has made a name for himself. Mito still manages the Senju Clan, and plans to give Dave leadership when he comes of age and marries Tsukimi. Dave suggests that Hiruzen and Danzo search their clans’ books for medical knowledge and meet at his home.
• Dave discovers his companions are procrastinating: At midnight, Dave waits outside his home beside a huge stack of books. Hiruzen says he has not finished searching, but Dave hears keyboard clatter and realizes Hiruzen and Danzo are at an internet café playing games. The chapter ends with Dave furious at being left to do the research and wait alone.

Character developments and interactions

Madara remains overconfident and irritable despite his repeated driving failures; Hashirama’s teasing keeps their rivalry lively, while their argument also exposes Hashirama’s resentment over Madara’s cheating and bribery. Kakuzu responds to the chaos with opportunism, treating the wreckage as a chance to claim compensation. Dave takes charge of the medical-research effort, but Hiruzen and Danzo’s apparent lack of commitment leaves him frustrated.

Significant themes

The chapter uses exaggerated comedy to satirize incompetence, privilege, and corruption: Madara’s dangerous driving contrasts with Kakuzu’s readiness to profit from the damage, while Madara’s paid-off exam result deepens Hashirama’s resentment. It also touches on ambition and legitimacy, as Hiruzen and Danzo postpone claiming leadership until they feel they have earned recognition, and on responsibility, as Dave’s effort is undermined by his friends’ procrastination.

Key plot points and events

• Half a month later, Dave organizes the Konoha Mountain Racing Championship, with the mountain closed to traffic and the race due to start soon.
• Kakuzu arrives late and tells Dave he has quit commentary to compete for the million-ryo prize. He has hired a replacement: Kagami Uchiha, newly discharged from hospital and paid a modest in-game top-up.
• Dave and Kagami introduce the event and its sponsors. The champion will win one million ryo, the title of Konoha Mountain Racing King, an exclusive car, and a week of prime advertising.
• The contestants include Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, Izuna, Kakuzu, and five other entrants. The crowd cheers especially loudly for Hashirama; Madara receives more restrained support.
• Before the race begins, the rivals start fighting: Hashirama and Madara argue over who will win, then Tobirama taunts Izuna, provoking a second confrontation. Dave is left trying to get both pairs to stop.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave is an ambitious but increasingly exasperated organizer and commentator. He tries to keep the event running while dealing with Kakuzu’s last-minute withdrawal, Kagami’s overconfidence, and the contestants’ brawling.
• Kakuzu reveals his mercenary priorities: he abandons the low-paying commentary job to compete for the much larger prize.
• Kagami confidently assumes his experience as a future Chunin Exams chief examiner qualifies him to commentate, though Dave is skeptical and cuts off Kagami’s attempt at a grand introduction.
• Hashirama and Madara bring their familiar rivalry to the starting line, trading boasts and insults based on their past driving-test and trial-race results.
• Tobirama and Izuna continue their antagonistic relationship, with Tobirama mocking Izuna’s looks and popularity; Izuna reacts angrily.

Significant themes

• Money and ambition: Kakuzu’s decision makes clear that the prize matters more to him than status or steady work.
• Rivalry and comedy: The legendary shinobi treat a sporting event as another chance to settle scores, turning pre-race banter into chaos.
• Public spectacle: Sponsorships, online broadcasts, prizes, and enthusiastic fans frame the race as a major entertainment event rather than a simple contest.

Key events

• Kakuzu is ordered to stop Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna from fighting before the race. After Dave offers him 100,000 ryo, Kakuzu confronts them by boasting about their poor driving-test records. The four return to their cars, but Kakuzu is left unconscious and disqualified.
• The race begins with Madara taking the lead, followed by Tobirama, Hashirama, and Izuna. Kagami joins Dave in the commentary booth and relentlessly mocks Madara as he loses positions, while praising Hashirama’s cornering and drift.
• Near the finish, Tobirama and Izuna slow down, allowing Madara to move into second. Hashirama crosses the line first, but Madara keeps accelerating. Hashirama prepares to taunt him, only to have Madara ram his car toward the commentary booth.
• The next day, three people are in the hospital.

Character developments and interactions

• Kakuzu is motivated by the promised reward and workplace compensation, but his attempt to break up the fight ends in injury.
• Dave struggles to manage the contestants and repeatedly tries to restrain Kagami’s reckless commentary. He senses danger at the finish and leaves the booth.
• Kagami is bold and provocative, openly insulting Madara throughout the race despite Dave’s warnings—and is left alone in the booth as the crash unfolds.
• Madara shifts from smug confidence to frustration as he falls behind, then reacts dangerously after Hashirama wins.
• Hashirama wins through skillful driving but is caught off guard when he slows down to taunt Madara. Tobirama and Izuna appear to ease off near the finish, enabling Madara’s late move into second.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and pride: The race amplifies the long-running hostility between Madara and Hashirama.
• Reckless bravado: Characters provoke one another and take needless risks, with consequences.
• Comic workplace absurdity: Kakuzu’s injury, compensation fixation, and the chaotic event management provide slapstick humor that turns sharply dangerous at the finish.

Key plot points and events

• At Konoha Hospital, Kakuzu furiously disputes the bill and threatens to leave, despite being badly injured. Dave eventually offers to pay, prompting Kakuzu to demand premium treatment, a VIP room, and attendants.
• Dave lies in bed after being caught in a bizarre crash involving Kagami, then beat Kagami while injured. Tsukimi visits to feed him and later leaves for a mission.
• Hashirama is kept in the hospital despite having healed overnight. Madara is also there, though he was uninjured; Mito brought him at Izuna’s request.
• Mito leaves to prepare for a square-dance competition against the Inuzuka Clan, whose dancing dogs make them tough rivals.
• Madara tries to leave, but a young nurse recognizes him as a popular Forum celebrity, praises his past pole dance, and asks for a selfie.
• Hashirama watches the fan encounter jealously. Madara teases him for lacking the same attention, and Hashirama snaps back.

Character developments and interactions

• Kakuzu remains obsessively protective of his money, but quickly accepts lavish care once Dave agrees to pay.
• Dave is resigned to his injuries and the absurd hospital situation; he blames Kagami for the crash and looks after the bill dispute.
• Tsukimi shows affection by bringing Dave lunch and feeding him, while still prioritizing her mission.
• Hashirama is frustrated at being confined despite recovering, then reveals an insecure, competitive side when Madara receives adoration.
• Madara resents hospitalization but stays partly out of consideration for Izuna. He enjoys teasing Hashirama after basking in unexpected fan attention.
• Mito acts as the practical caretaker, insisting Hashirama rest and bringing Madara in because Izuna worries about him.

Significant themes

• Comedy through contradiction: severe injuries and hospital care collide with petty billing disputes, celebrity fandom, and ridiculous dance contests.
• Friendship and rivalry: Madara and Hashirama’s long-standing bond includes playful mockery and envy.
• Care and responsibility: Mito and Tsukimi look after others, while Madara’s decision to stay reflects his concern for Izuna.

Plot points and events

• Hashirama broods over Madara getting attention from a fan and wonders why nobody likes him. He suspects he may need to use something from the Scroll of Seals.
• Madara tries to sneak out of the hospital, but a flirtatious nurse catches him, insists he use a wheelchair, and gives him her contact information. Madara’s attempts to escape continue to unsettle her.
• Inspired by Madara, Hashirama follows him in another wheelchair. The two turn their trip to the bathroom into a race, speeding through the hospital and down the stairs with chakra-assisted stunts.
• They race across Konoha, escalating from wheelchair tricks to powerful techniques: Hashirama summons a wooden giant, while Madara surrounds his chair with Susanoo. They smash through the village gate and continue racing around the Land of Fire for a full day.
• Exhausted and nearly out of chakra, they switch to specially named wheelchair techniques. The next morning, both are back in the hospital, covered in bandages and still shouting each other’s names.

Character development

• Hashirama’s envy of Madara’s attention fuels his competitive streak; he quickly turns a simple pursuit into an all-out contest.
• Madara remains irritated by the nurse’s unwanted attention but eagerly embraces the challenge of racing Hashirama.
• Their rivalry escalates from petty jealousy into reckless, spectacular one-upmanship.

Character interactions

• The nurse fusses over Madara and flirts with him, while Dave and Kagami are left waiting for their forgotten IV drips.
• Hashirama and Madara communicate largely through glances, taunts, and increasingly extravagant displays of skill.
• Hospital staff, police, pedestrians, and the gate guard are bewildered by the wheelchair racers and powerless to stop them.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and one-upmanship: Each man responds to the other’s stunt with a more extreme one.
• Comedy through contrast: Ordinary hospital wheelchairs become vehicles for legendary ninja techniques and city-wide destruction.
• Absurd escalation: A bathroom trip grows into a day-long race that leaves both rivals badly injured.

Plot points and events

• A week later, Konoha hosts the first joint Chunin Exams between the Five Great Nations. Tobirama has prepared for trouble, while Dave avoids being the sole examiner by recruiting Hiruzen and Danzo to share the work.
• The Kazekage, Mizukage, and Raikage arrive and glare at Dave and Tobirama, though the reason for the Raikage’s hostility is unclear. The frail First Tsuchikage arrives last, accompanied by his student Mu; Dave greets both with deliberately insulting jokes.
• At a meeting in the Love Kidney Hotel, the four visiting Kage ask to return the tailed beasts they previously acquired from Konoha. They argue that the beasts are difficult and costly to control, and offer little advantage against Konoha’s legendary fighters.
• Tobirama initially refuses. Dave then agrees to accept returns, but says Konoha will not refund the full purchase price. When the Kage protest, he summons Kakuzu, the village’s chief financial officer, to negotiate.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave is lazy about his duties but quick-witted in negotiation. He uses humor and intimidation to control the meeting, while Tobirama trusts his judgment and lets him handle the dispute.
• Tobirama is vigilant about Konoha’s security and protective of Dave, but is caught off guard by the Kage’s unexpected demand.
• Hiruzen and Danzo willingly take on examiner duties. Danzo escorts some of the visiting delegations, while Hiruzen handles the Raikage.
• The four visiting Kage arrive united in frustration and confront Konoha over the tailed-beast deal.
• Ishikawa and Mu respond to Dave’s mockery with irritation; Mu recognizes that arguing with Dave is futile.

Significant themes

• Political rivalry and power imbalance: The other villages question the value of their tailed beasts when Konoha’s powerful figures remain a greater threat.
• Commerce and accountability: The Kage treat the beasts as failed purchases and seek a refund; Dave turns the dispute into a hard-nosed business negotiation.
• Humor amid tension: Insults, absurd financial threats, and the sudden call to Kakuzu undercut an otherwise volatile diplomatic meeting.

Key plot points and events

• Dave tricks Kakuzu into handling the Four Kage’s request to return their Tailed Beasts, warning that refunds could hurt company dividends. Kakuzu takes the matter personally and negotiates the original price of three billion ryo per beast down to just one million each.
• Kakuzu’s bargaining leaves all four Kage unconscious and foaming at the mouth, so they are rushed to Konoha Hospital. There, the Kage notice that Hashirama and Madara are also hospitalized and privately start wondering whether the legendary pair have finally become vulnerable.
• While the visitors’ attendants are shown around Konoha, Dave takes Mu to an Internet café. Mu is baffled by the computers, then becomes absorbed in a multiplayer game. He and Dave spend the afternoon trading insults over Mu’s poor performance and complaints about the game.
• That evening, Dave’s joke about taking Mu to the Red-Light District sparks another argument. The two launch into a fight, and villagers see the resulting clash as fireworks.

Character developments and interactions

• Kakuzu reveals his ruthless talent for bargaining, driven by the prospect of protecting his dividends. His extreme tactics produce both an astonishing discount and an unexpected hospital visit for the Kage.
• Dave manipulates Kakuzu, guides Mu around the village, and provokes him with teasing and gaming trash talk. Their constant bickering turns into a physical confrontation.
• Mu moves from confusion and irritation at modern technology to genuine enthusiasm for the Internet café, even deciding that Iwagakure should acquire computers. His rivalry with Dave grows increasingly combative.
• The Four Kage recover in hospital and begin privately reassessing Hashirama and Madara, suggesting they may see the pair’s condition as a political opportunity.
• The other attendants are paired off with Konoha guides: Izuna takes the Raikage’s bodyguard to the hot springs, Hiruzen accompanies the Mizukage’s, and Danzo awkwardly spends time with the Kazekage’s.

Significant themes

• Greed and commerce: Kakuzu’s loyalty to dividends turns a refund dispute into an absurdly fierce negotiation.
• Modernization and culture clash: Mu’s discovery of Konoha’s technology highlights the gap between villages—and his willingness to bring new ideas home.
• Rivalry through comedy: Dave and Mu express mutual irritation through insults, competitive gaming, and finally a fight.
• Political opportunism: The Kage interpret Hashirama and Madara’s hospitalization as a possible shift in the balance of power.

Plot points and events

• A fight between Dave and Mu destroys part of Konoha. Dave had moved the villagers to safety, so there are no casualties, but shops and property are badly damaged.
• Tobirama demands that Mu pay for the destruction. When Mu refuses, Tobirama sends Kakuzu to collect compensation from Mu’s teacher, the Tsuchikage Ishikawa.
• Kakuzu inflates the claimed damages to two billion ryo, despite knowing the actual total is only about five hundred million. Ishikawa is so shocked that he faints; Kakuzu wakes him and insists on payment.
• Dave takes Mu to a bar. Mu initially restrains his anger, aware that another fight will cost his village more money, but soon gets swept up in the music and dances enthusiastically onstage.
• Mu’s bandages come undone while he dances, exposing his naked body. The panicked crowd flees. Mu unknowingly picks up the fallen bandages and continues dancing with them.
• Dave kicks Mu offstage and mocks his small genitals. Mu realizes what has happened, becomes furious, and attacks Dave with Dust Release as their argument resumes.

Character developments

• Dave remains irreverent and provocative, enjoying the chance to mock Mu even when it predictably starts another fight.
• Mu shifts from resentful restraint to carefree enthusiasm at the bar, then to humiliation and rage when he realizes he has been exposed.
• Tobirama responds to the damage by pursuing compensation and enlists Kakuzu to pressure Iwagakure.
• Kakuzu reveals his greed by exaggerating the bill for a share of the money.
• Ishikawa is trapped between his student’s recklessness and Kakuzu’s demands, reacting with horror and helplessness.

Themes and character interactions

• Consequences and responsibility: Mu’s refusal to pay leaves his teacher and village facing the costs of his actions.
• Greed and exploitation: Kakuzu uses the situation to extract an inflated payment for personal gain.
• Humiliation and comedy: Mu’s uninhibited dancing turns into a public embarrassment, while Dave’s teasing reignites their rivalry.
• The chapter pairs Tobirama’s stern demands with Mu’s defiance, Kakuzu’s cold intimidation with Ishikawa’s panic, and Dave’s taunting with Mu’s volatile reactions.

Plot points and events

• Ishikawa, the First Tsuchikage, is startled by two eerie green lights in his hospital room and suffers a heart attack, delaying his participation in the chunin exams. Mu attends in his place.
• The chunin exams begin while Dave, Danzo, and Kagami play Shinobi World Alliance at Kagami’s house. Their teammates keep quitting after realizing the exams are happening that day, and the opposing team is mostly AFK.
• At the exam venue, proctor Black Zetsu reports absences. Hiruzen reveals that thirteen of the fourteen missing candidates are from Konoha; the remaining Kirigakure candidate is hospitalized after drinking himself into a serious stomach injury. Tobirama is mocked by the other Kage after wrongly blaming the other villages.
• Tobirama checks the absent Konoha candidates’ online profiles. He steals one candidate’s crops as punishment, then tries to question him about skipping the exam. The candidate insults him, so Tobirama orders the police to arrest him.
• Tobirama adds another absent candidate, discovers that the person has stolen crops from his own farm, and leaves Izuna in charge while he goes to confront the culprit disguised as someone servicing the electrical facilities. The chapter ends as the resident realizes the supposed repairman has come back.

Character developments and interactions

• Tobirama is shown as short-tempered and petty: he punishes absent candidates through online crop theft, reacts explosively to disrespect, and personally pursues the one who stole from him.
• Hiruzen handles exam administration and tactfully gives Tobirama the embarrassing details behind the absences.
• The other Kage tease Tobirama after his mistaken accusation.
• Dave, Danzo, and Kagami bond through gaming, though their plans are disrupted by the unreliable teammates.
• Ishikawa remains sidelined by his worsening health, leaving Mu to represent Iwagakure.

Significant themes

• Comic clash between modern technology and shinobi life: online games, social networks, crop-stealing games, and phone calls coexist with ninja techniques and military policing.
• Responsibility versus distraction: numerous genin miss an important exam because of gaming or other poor decisions.
• Pettiness and authority: Tobirama uses his power as Hokage to pursue a personal grievance over virtual crops, turning an administrative task into a comic vendetta.

Key plot points and events

• After the Chunin Exam day ends, Konoha’s Internet Cafe and bar are still under reconstruction after Mu destroyed them, leaving villagers—and Mu himself—disappointed by the loss of their usual entertainment.
• In a hospital ward, Tobirama and the others discuss what to do with the eight tailed beasts sent back to Konoha. Hashirama briefly appears to have an idea, but falls asleep mid-thought.
• Dave proposes sealing the beasts inside himself again. In his sealing space, he now houses all nine tailed beasts, including Kurama and Black Zetsu.
• Dave introduces himself with an absurd list of boasts and offers the beasts games and freedom to explore through Shadow Clones. When Shukaku and Kurama start fighting, Dave subdues them with Wood Release and lays down rules: their real bodies must stay sealed, their clones must not disturb the village, and they owe him “rent.”
• Tobirama asks Dave to send Danzo to discuss the next round of the exams. Dave then takes the beasts to visit Kakuzu.
• At Kakuzu’s house, Dave dismisses the beasts and privately negotiates with Kakuzu. They emerge smiling and shake hands, while the beasts are left uneasy and unsure what deal has been made.

Character developments

• Dave takes on the role of host and enforcer for all nine tailed beasts. He is playful and boastful, but quickly establishes control when their behavior threatens his sealing space. His private bargain with Kakuzu hints at another money-making scheme.
• The tailed beasts begin as confused and combative, but become submissive after Dave demonstrates his power. They accept his rules and apparent “rent” arrangement.
• Tobirama remains practical and authoritative, managing both the beasts’ return and preparations for the next exam round.
• Hashirama is still comically unreliable, falling asleep just as everyone expects him to contribute.
• Kakuzu is immediately attentive when Dave suggests a way to make money, reinforcing his business-minded nature.

Significant themes

• Comedy through absurdity: Hashirama’s sudden nap, Dave’s boastful introductions, and the beasts’ exaggerated obedience drive the chapter’s humor.
• Power and control: Dave turns the potentially dangerous situation of housing nine tailed beasts into a tightly managed arrangement.
• Profit and exploitation: Dave’s “rent” joke and his secret deal with Kakuzu blur the line between friendly cooperation and business opportunism.
• Entertainment and everyday life: The villagers’ frustration over the destroyed cafe and bar shows how much ordinary pleasures matter in Konoha.

Character interactions

• Tobirama reprimands Hashirama when he falls asleep, then gives Dave instructions about Danzo and the exams.
• Dave mediates between Kurama and Shukaku, then commands all the beasts to follow his rules.
• Kakuzu switches from dismissive to deferential as soon as Dave mentions a business opportunity.
• The tailed beasts watch Dave and Kakuzu’s private meeting with growing suspicion, especially Kurama, who knows Dave well enough to fear what their smiles might mean.

Plot points and events

• The Nine-Tailed Beasts submit elaborate, eccentric plans for themed businesses, leaving the construction foreman overwhelmed.
• Mu summons Dave, claiming he is hungry but refusing to ask hotel staff where to get food. Dave angrily leaves, while Mu privately enjoys provoking him.
• The hotel soon reports it has run out of ingredients because of the influx of visitors and the chef’s absence. Dave sends for Jijibo, the “Beautiful Pig Delivery” courier.
• Jijibo delivers Mu’s food—and a slap, explicitly ordered by Dave, along with an insulting message. He rides away on a pig as hotel security gives chase.
• Mu is left with his meal, a sore face, and furious realization that Dave has gotten the last word.

Character developments

• Dave is short-tempered but ultimately solves Mu’s food problem, turning the delivery into a chance to retaliate.
• Mu is hungry and deliberately needles Dave, buoyed by his status and confidence that Dave cannot harm him. His amusement evaporates after the slap.
• Jijibo cheerfully carries out the bizarre delivery, treating the slap as an ordinary part of the order.

Character interactions

• The Nine-Tailed Beasts dictate their business requirements to the beleaguered foreman.
• Mu repeatedly frustrates Dave with his helplessness and smugness.
• Dave and Mu’s antagonism escalates through the food delivery and its personal insult.
• Jijibo’s polite sales pitch contrasts with the slap and the chaotic security chase.

Significant themes

• Petty revenge and escalating rivalry: Dave turns a practical favor into a pointed humiliation.
• Absurdity and comic contrast: The beasts’ demands, pig-mounted courier, and delivery-by-slap transform ordinary business problems into farce.
• Pride and status: Mu’s confidence in his rank and safety makes his sudden public indignity especially satisfying.

Plot points and events

• The day after sealing the Nine-Tailed Beasts inside him, Dave feels something is wrong. Mito examines him and suspects the huge increase in chakra is affecting his body.
• The adults gather around Dave, but their concern turns into mutual blame over who agreed to the sealing. Mito silences them by pointing out that they all approved it—and she performed it.
• Hashirama has Dave copy his hand signs and use the Summoning Technique. Dave summons a slow, brain-hungry zombie, which repeatedly gnaws at Hashirama until Madara cuts it down. Hashirama vomits from the zombie’s foul saliva.
• Dave explains that the first summon required almost no chakra and that he could produce an enormous zombie horde. He briefly imagines them fighting White Zetsu, then decides not to pursue the thought.
• Using much more chakra, Dave summons a tiny, big-headed zombie scientist. It lunges for Madara but immediately gives up when Madara grabs it, while privately plotting to return with a giant zombie machine.
• Dave confirms he can control the zombies’ actions and that summoning them does not harm him. Hashirama compares the zombies to a summoning species, and Tobirama ends the meeting.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave learns he can summon and direct zombies, and that doing so uses only a fraction of his immense chakra. His initial anxiety gives way to awkward curiosity about his strange new ability.
• Mito takes charge of Dave’s examination, while sharply rebuking the adults for their shared responsibility in sealing the beasts inside him.
• Hashirama shifts from joking to concern, then becomes the unwitting target of the zombie’s attack. Despite the absurd episode, he helps test Dave’s ability and offers an explanation for the summons.
• Madara quietly seeks Mito’s help, protects the group by killing the first zombie, and easily restrains the second.
• Tobirama and Izuna show up out of concern for Dave; Tobirama checks for risks and concludes there is no immediate danger.

Significant themes

• Family responsibility: The adults’ argument highlights that Dave’s predicament resulted from a decision they all supported.
• Power and adaptation: Dave’s enormous chakra makes even bizarre new abilities easy to use, though their limits remain unclear.
• Comedy amid danger: The chapter turns a potentially alarming bodily reaction into slapstick through the zombies’ antics and the adults’ reactions.
• The unexpected becoming familiar: Hashirama treats the zombies as a possible summoning species, fitting the strange discovery into the group’s existing understanding of the world.

Plot points and events

• Dave brings Dr. Zomboss, whom he has captured and brought under his control, to Orochiroku’s research base, hoping the Gnome’s scientific skills will help with the workload.
• Zomboss refuses to cooperate and insults the humans. Dave calls Kakuzu, who quickly forces him to agree to work for 300 Ryo a month.
• Dave and Kakuzu leave Zomboss with Orochiroku. Zomboss tries to assert authority, but Orochiroku ignores him.
• When Zomboss spots a flaw in Orochiroku’s formula, the two argue over the calculations. By evening, Tamaki finds them still bickering and trying to shock each other with current tubes.

Character developments

• Dave uses threats, humor, and Kakuzu’s intimidating reputation to recruit Zomboss, treating the situation as routine.
• Dr. Zomboss shifts from defiant captive to unwilling employee. Though humiliated, he quickly shows his scientific ability—and a combative streak.
• Orochiroku remains absorbed in his research and initially dismisses Zomboss, but his pride makes him fiercely defensive when his work is challenged.
• Kakuzu is established as an effective enforcer, resolving Zomboss’s resistance almost immediately.
• Tamaki returns from an outing with Mito, sees the scientists’ quarrel, and sensibly leaves them to it.

Themes

• Comedy through contrast: Zomboss’s grand claims collide with his small stature and lack of control over his situation.
• Pride and rivalry: Both scientists are convinced they are right, turning a potentially productive collaboration into an argument.
• Coercion and hierarchy: Zomboss’s “employment” is secured through intimidation rather than agreement freely given.
• Competence amid chaos: Despite their mutual hostility, Zomboss identifies a possible error in Orochiroku’s work, hinting that their rivalry may produce useful results.

Character interactions

• Dave handles Zomboss with exasperated threats and then delegates the problem to Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu’s brief private conversation with Zomboss ends in Zomboss’s rapid surrender.
• Orochiroku’s indifference provokes Zomboss, while Zomboss’s criticism provokes Orochiroku’s scientific pride.
• Tamaki observes the pair’s escalating dispute but chooses not to intervene.

Plot points and events

• At the final round of the Chunin Exams, Dave attends with Tsukimi and the three children. Might Duy gets excited by the atmosphere, while Black Zetsu passes by selling snacks.
• Kakuzu joins Dave and learns the plan behind their hospital partnership: injuries to Konoha ninja will be treated at the standard rate, while treatment for outsiders may bring extra profit. Kimima listens and takes notes, but Tsukimi confiscates his notebook to keep him from copying Dave and Kakuzu’s business habits.
• Before the matches, Dave warns that he will stop fights if he can, but contestants who manage to kill an opponent first will not be punished by Konoha. He also warns that fighters and their villages must pay for damage or injuries in the stands, with Kakuzu responsible for collecting.
• The first match is announced: a Kirigakure fighter carrying a large sword faces a Sunagakure fighter. The Kirigakure ninja provocatively asks whether he can kill the referee before his opponent.
• Dave’s allies react with anger or amusement. Hashirama and Madara, watching a recording, decide to visit Kirigakure after the exams. In the stands, Duy, Sakumo, and Kimima prepare to defend Dave.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave combines a casual, humorous manner with a sharp eye for business, coordinating with Kakuzu to profit from injuries while setting strict rules for the exam.
• Kakuzu is both Dave’s business partner and enforcer; the threat of his debt collection frightens the other villages into warning their contestants.
• Tsukimi tries to keep Kimima from adopting Dave and Kakuzu’s opportunistic outlook, while Kimima is eager to learn from them.
• Duy’s enthusiasm turns into fierce protectiveness when Dave is threatened. Sakumo and Kimima likewise show their loyalty through their readiness to fight.
• The Kirigakure ninja’s challenge exposes his arrogance and immediately provokes powerful figures, even though Mu believes Dave could easily defeat him.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protection: Dave’s companions quickly rally to defend him.
• Profit and opportunism: Dave and Kakuzu treat the exam’s likely injuries as a business opportunity.
• Power and intimidation: Dave’s rules—and Kakuzu’s reputation—make the villages fear financial consequences.
• Comedy through contrast: The tournament’s formal setting is undercut by snack-selling Zetsu, ruthless business schemes, and exaggerated reactions to the challenger’s threat.

Plot points and events

• Dave referees the first Chunin Exam match. When Kirigakure A threatens him, Dave uses the Uchiha Gunbai’s Uchiha Reflection to send the challenger crashing into a wall, winning the confrontation with ease.
• Dave signals for medical help, but Kakuzu arrives with a stretcher carried partly by the nine small tailed beasts. He explains that recruiting them with lollipops is far cheaper than paying hospital staff.
• The other Kage recognize Kakuzu as the notorious Black-Faced Buckle Ghost and panic at the thought of him treating a Kirigakure shinobi. Kakuzu ignores their protests, negotiates extra pay from the tailed beasts, and rushes off with the injured Genin.
• The Mizukage’s anger leads him to break an expensive chair made of Hashirama wood. Izuna calculates the damage at 250,000 ryo, leaving the Mizukage devastated.
• Alarmed by the costs and dangers on display, the other Kage tell their attendants to keep their people safe: survival matters more than passing the exam.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave is newly confident in his Taijutsu after training with Might Wei and Madara, though he is surprised by how easily he defeats his opponent.
• Kakuzu remains relentlessly cost-conscious, treating even emergency medical care as a business transaction. His bargain with the tailed beasts—and his promise to charge Kirigakure heavily—turns the rescue into a comic standoff.
• Hozuki Gengetsu, the Mizukage, is furious and protective of his injured shinobi, but his outrage gives way to despair when he learns the cost of the broken chair. The injured Genin briefly mistakes the Mizukage’s protest as abandonment.
• Tobirama coolly defends Konoha’s actions, while Ishikawa needles Gengetsu and Izuna uses the chair’s price to intensify the humiliation.
• The tailed beasts act as a team, but demand extra pay when Kakuzu asks them to hurry.

Significant themes

• Survival over status: The chapter’s punchline reframes the exam: staying alive is more important than earning promotion.
• Money and exploitation: Hospital fees, Kakuzu’s bargain, and the costly chair make financial anxiety a source of comedy and tension.
• Power and intimidation: Dave’s effortless victory and Konoha’s control over the tailed beasts unsettle the visiting Kage.
• Dark comedy: Injury, medical care, and inter-village rivalry are presented through absurd cost-cutting and escalating reactions.

Key plot points and events

• The Chunin Exams devolve into a farcical contest in which contestants mostly throw kunai at one another—and at referee Dave. Only the contestant who brought sacks of kunai wins and is promoted; the Five Kage reluctantly approve him as the sole new Chunin.
• Kakuzu is disappointed that the day’s trading earned him only ten million. Dave proposes creating business opportunities themselves, and the two disguise themselves in black stockings and prepare to attack Genin with a newly made pistol.
• Dave names their group the Akatsuki and claims its goal is a world with Wi-Fi. Kakuzu joins once Dave points out the potential profits from connection fees. They adopt the codenames Blade and Ormo and launch “Stocking Operation.”
• Their first target is a sleeping Sunagakure Genin. Kakuzu shoots him in the leg instead of knocking him out first, waking him. He then knocks the Genin unconscious with the pistol’s butt, and the pair retreat, calling the mission a failure.
• The next day, Sunagakure’s Shamon angrily demands an explanation from Tobirama. Tobirama denies Konoha’s responsibility, arguing that the metal fragment in the Genin’s leg is not something Konoha uses.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave shifts from frustrated referee to would-be instigator, turning his resentment over the exams into a plan to injure rival Genin. He is the more theatrical planner, but his first operation quickly goes wrong.
• Kakuzu remains chiefly motivated by money. He is initially unimpressed by Dave’s scheme but is persuaded by the prospect of Wi-Fi revenue, then proves clumsy in the field.
• Dave and Kakuzu share a comic partnership built on mismatched priorities: Dave invents grand slogans and codenames, while Kakuzu repeatedly reduces the conversation to profit. Their coordination falters during the break-in.
• Shamon and Tobirama confront one another over the injured Genin; Shamon accuses Konoha, while Tobirama deflects blame by questioning the weapon’s origin.

Significant themes

• Farce and incompetence: Both the exams and the attempted covert operation descend into absurd mishaps.
• Greed and profiteering: Kakuzu’s decisions—and his willingness to join a supposed terrorist organization—are driven by potential earnings.
• Escalation and consequences: Dave’s grievance leads to violence, which immediately creates tension between the villages.

Plot points and events

• After Sunagakure Genin are injured in Konoha, Kazekage Shamon demands an explanation. Tobirama warns him to stop making a scene by threatening to bring in Kakuzu.
• The other village leaders stay in Konoha to see how the dispute unfolds. Kakuzu exploits their extended stay by charging the Four Kage wildly inflated hotel rates, inventing a new “holiday” or anniversary each day.
• Dave and Kakuzu repeatedly sneak into the hotel at night to attack visiting Genin while wearing stockings over their heads. Their operation, called “Stockings,” goes badly: Kakuzu misunderstands Dave’s instructions and attacks Kirigakure first, then later causes another failure by crawling under a Kumogakure Genin’s covers to point out money near the man’s waistband.
• The next morning, Shamon and Mizukage Hozuki Gengetsu confront Tobirama about the attacks. Tobirama denies Konoha’s involvement, while Gengetsu points out that stockings are made and popular in Konoha. The Five Kage cannot prove who the masked attackers are, so the visitors remain in Konoha—and keep paying Kakuzu’s fees.
• By the end of the chapter, the attacks have dragged on for three nights, the Five Kage are fed up, and Dave has repeatedly threatened to cancel Kakuzu’s monthly dividend.

Character developments and interactions

• Kakuzu is both a greedy opportunist and an inept accomplice. He cheerfully collects money from the Kage, but repeatedly misreads Dave’s orders and sabotages their nighttime raids.
• Dave grows increasingly exasperated with Kakuzu, trying hand signals, radio-style commands, and finally the threat of withholding his dividend to keep him on task.
• Tobirama angrily faces the other leaders’ accusations and insists there is no proof the attackers are Konoha shinobi.
• Shamon and Gengetsu press Tobirama for answers, but their suspicions cannot be substantiated.

Significant themes

• Greed and profiteering: Kakuzu turns the diplomatic crisis into a steady stream of hotel revenue.
• Incompetence and farce: The covert attacks repeatedly collapse because of Kakuzu’s misunderstandings.
• Suspicion without proof: The villages blame one another, but the masked attackers’ identity remains unconfirmed.
• Parody of authority and diplomacy: Serious inter-village tensions are undercut by absurd pricing schemes and bungled raids.

Plot and events

• After Akatsuki’s operation leaves the Four Great Kage injured, they confront Tobirama. Konoha pays each of them 500 million ryo in compensation.
• Evidence left behind by Dave identifies Akatsuki’s supposed members and names him as “Blade.” The Kage are alarmed by the group and puzzled by its unfamiliar “Desert Eagle Style.”
• At home, Dave admits to Tobirama that he founded Akatsuki and that most of its listed members were invented to mislead the other villages. He explains the Desert Eagle by showing Tobirama his pistol, which Tobirama accidentally fires, startling them both.
• Tobirama sees the weapon as a useful support tool and orders it mass-produced, though Dave notes that it is expensive.
• Tobirama asks to join Akatsuki as “White Wolf.” The next day, Madara, Izuna, and Hashirama also join, taking the names Black Rose, Mandala, and SWAT.
• The new members test modern firearms. Madara and Hashirama find ordinary rifles unimpressive, but eagerly embrace a Gatling gun and rocket launcher—then aim them at each other while shouting that times have changed.

Character developments and interactions

• Tobirama shifts from dealing with a political crisis to embracing Dave’s weapons and joining Akatsuki. His curiosity is tempered by practical judgment: he regards guns as supplements to shinobi techniques, not replacements.
• Dave openly confides in Tobirama but is increasingly unsettled by how far the group—and its weapons—may go.
• Madara and Hashirama reveal their competitive, exuberant sides as they turn weapons testing into a mock confrontation.
• Izuna and Tobirama test their guns more calmly, contrasting with Madara and Hashirama’s reckless enthusiasm.
• The Four Kage’s anger subsides after compensation, though they remain wary of Akatsuki.

Significant themes

• Changing eras and technology: Firearms challenge traditional shinobi assumptions, even as Tobirama views them as supplementary.
• Deception and political fallout: Dave’s fabricated Akatsuki roster shifts blame away from Konoha but alarms the other villages.
• Comedy through contrast: The Kage’s serious diplomatic dispute gives way to Tobirama’s mishap and the founders’ chaotic weapons demonstration.

Plot points and events

• As the Four Kage leave Konoha, Dave cheerfully invites Mu to expect him in Iwagakure. Mu and Tsuchikage Ishikawa accept, despite suspecting Dave has ulterior motives.
• Dave travels to Iwagakure with the Tsuchikage’s group. Tobirama secretly radios that Dave has left with the “target,” treating the trip like an operation—and worrying more about the village’s finances than Dave’s safety.
• Kakuzu follows Dave, while Hashirama and Madara tail the Mizukage’s party under Akatsuki codenames. Madara intends to fight for fun; Hashirama worries that their mission may destroy the newly founded Kirigakure.
• In Iwagakure, Mu directs Dave to an inn charging one million ryo per night, claiming it is a generous discount. Dave realizes he has been swindled and summons Kakuzu.
• That night, Dave and Kakuzu launch “Sweep Iwagakure,” planning to rob the village treasury.
• Meanwhile, Hashirama and Madara prepare to act in Kirigakure. Hashirama puts on a stocking mask, but Madara hesitates when he sees how ridiculous Hashirama looks.

Character developments and interactions

• Dave remains boastful and opportunistic, but gets a taste of his own medicine when Mu tricks him into paying an outrageous inn fee. His embarrassment quickly turns into retaliation.
• Mu matches Dave’s scheming with a deadpan scam, enjoying the chance to mock him.
• Tobirama is amused by the covert-operation setup and appears confident Dave can handle himself, though he fears the financial damage Dave may cause.
• Hashirama and Madara act as an unlikely Akatsuki team. Hashirama is earnest and uneasy about harming Kirigakure; Madara is focused on combat and adopts the organization’s cover story without much concern.
• Dave and Mu trade sarcastic barbs; Dave and Kakuzu coordinate their robbery, while Hashirama and Madara’s partnership is marked by Hashirama’s enthusiasm and Madara’s dry skepticism.

Significant themes

• Scheming and comeuppance: A habitual scammer is finally outplayed, prompting a comic revenge scheme.
• Identity and plausible deniability: The characters use Akatsuki codenames and claim their actions have nothing to do with Konoha.
• Loyalty and conflicting motives: Hashirama follows Madara despite his doubts, while Madara pursues excitement over political consequences.
• Comedy through contrast: Serious military language and covert-operation theatrics clash with absurd goals, inflated hotel prices, and ill-fitting disguises.

Key plot points and events

• Gengetsu returns to Kirigakure with injured Genin, furious that the “Black-Faced Buckle Ghost” has cost the village over a billion ryo.
• Hashirama and Madara arrive disguised as members of Akatsuki. Hashirama wears a stocking over his face; Madara carries a sound system and a Gatling gun.
• After playing a song at the village entrance, they attack Kirigakure with a Gatling gun and rocket launcher, reducing much of the village to ruins.
• Gengetsu had evacuated the villagers, so there are few casualties. He and his companion survive under the rubble, and Gengetsu orders the village rebuilt and vows to declare war on Konoha.
• Gengetsu insists that the two attackers were too weakened to use ninjutsu and were only bluffing—but his companion points out that this does not explain why Gengetsu fled with him.
• The scene shifts to Iwagakure, where Dave and Kakuzu scout the Tsuchikage Building. Kakuzu reports the guards’ numbers but initially gets distracted by describing the condition of a guard’s money. As Dave prepares to enter, a shout from below interrupts him.

Character developments and interactions

• Gengetsu is furious and determined to retaliate, but his confident explanation of the attack is undermined by his own unexplained retreat.
• The young companion, identified as the Third Hokage chosen by Gengetsu’s master, shows cautious judgment by questioning his mentor’s actions.
• Hashirama and Madara work together in disguise, using modern weapons and theatrical music rather than their usual abilities.
• Dave and Kakuzu coordinate through a walkie-talkie. Dave tries to keep the mission focused, while Kakuzu’s meticulous but irrelevant observations frustrate him.

Significant themes

• Bluster versus reality: Gengetsu claims his retreat was part of a strategy, though his embarrassment suggests otherwise.
• Absurdity and parody: The chapter mixes ninja warfare with disguises, pop music, heavy weapons, and Kakuzu’s fixation on money.
• Escalating conflict: Kirigakure’s destruction fuels Gengetsu’s desire for war, while the mission at Iwagakure hints that the confrontation is spreading.