Chapter Summaries

Hoshi learned that the Uchiha Clan had begun its rebellion and rushed back to Konoha with Minato. In the village, Tsunade fought the Nine-Tails but struggled to damage it as Hiruzen urged her to keep it away from the evacuating villagers.

• Anbu agents told Hoshi that Tsunade had received intelligence about an imminent Uchiha rebellion and asked him to return to Konoha.
• Hoshi handed the report to his companions and took Minato outside, where Minato used the Flying Thunder God to bring them toward Konoha.
• Tsunade cratered the ground to trip the Nine-Tails, then jumped onto its head and attacked Uchiha San'yō.
• The Nine-Tails struck Tsunade with its tail and sent her crashing through civilian homes, but she retaliated by hurling a boulder at it.
• Hiruzen arrived and told Tsunade they had to hold back the Nine-Tails until the villagers had finished evacuating.

Tsunade, Hiruzen, and Konoha's ninjas struggled to stop the rampaging Nine-Tails as it formed and fired a Tailed Beast Bomb. Hayate Hoshi and Namikaze Minato returned just in time to divert the attack and promised to handle what came next.

• Tsunade directed the Konoha forces while she and Hiruzen attacked the Nine-Tails, but its overwhelming Chakra devastated their ranks.
• The Nine-Tails began forming a Tailed Beast Bomb, and Hiruzen told Tsunade that Uchiha San'yō had died from exhausting his Chakra and Dojutsu Power.
• The Nine-Tails fired the completed Tailed Beast Bomb toward Konoha, leaving everyone convinced they were doomed.
• Hayate Hoshi and Namikaze Minato appeared in flashes of golden light and diverted the Tailed Beast Bomb, which exploded in the distance.
• Hoshi and Minato landed among the cheering Konoha forces and said they would take over.

Hoshi confronted the Nine-Tails in Konoha, blocked its claw, and wounded it with Sword Qi. Minato transported them beyond the village, where Hoshi unleashed his full strength and carved several wounds into the beast.

• The Nine-Tails swung at Hoshi, but he blocked its claw with Mikazuki Munechika and drew blood with a strand of Sword Qi.
• The Nine-Tails began charging a Tailed Beast Bomb, and Hoshi interrupted it before it could fully form.
• Hoshi told Minato to move the Nine-Tails out of the village, then fought it while Minato prepared the Flying Thunder God Formation.
• Minato transported Hoshi and the Nine-Tails to the wilderness beyond Konoha.
• Hoshi attacked with the Sword of Kusanagi, striking the Nine-Tails' abdomen and carving several wounds into its body.

Hoshi used Yang Release to disrupt the Nine-Tails’ enormous Tailed Beast Bomb, causing it to explode and leaving him and Minato knocked down by the shockwave. They got back up and headed to check on the Nine-Tails as Tsunade sent the Sealing Corps to seal it.

• The Nine-Tails gathered Chakra for a massive Tailed Beast Bomb, intending to destroy Hoshi with a direct blast.
• Hoshi realized he could disrupt the bomb’s Yin-Yang Chakra balance and launched a series of Yang Release Sword Qi attacks at it.
• Hoshi signaled Minato, who teleported them away with the Flying Thunder God, and Hoshi used Dance of the Startled Swan to flee farther.
• The Tailed Beast Bomb exploded, and its blast wave knocked Hoshi and Minato down while shaking Konoha.
• Tsunade ordered the Sealing Corps to move in and seal the Nine-Tails, while Hoshi and Minato returned to assess its condition.

Hoshi tried to negotiate with the Nine-Tails rather than continue fighting, offering him freedom if he protected Konoha and Kushina. The Nine-Tails agreed to hear Hoshi out but threatened to destroy Konoha if released.

• Hoshi and Minato returned to find the exhausted Nine-Tails, and Hoshi called for a truce instead of continuing their fight.
• Hoshi warned the Nine-Tails that he would be sealed again if their Sealing Corps arrived, then appealed to his desire for freedom.
• The Nine-Tails listened as Hoshi explained that they should negotiate rather than keep fighting.
• The Nine-Tails asked what conditions Hoshi would offer, and Hoshi promised him freedom if he protected Konoha and Kushina and refrained from harming humans.
• Minato objected to releasing the Nine-Tails, who declared that he would destroy Konoha if Hoshi set him free.

Hoshi persuaded the Nine-Tails to stop resisting and let the Sealing Corps seal it into Kushina, promising to resume their negotiation in a few days. After the Eight Trigrams Seal was completed, Minato carried Kushina to Konoha Hospital.

• Hoshi told the Nine-Tails to accept the seal temporarily and promised to return to negotiate, and the Nine-Tails nearly struck him before choosing to trust him.
• The Nine-Tails agreed to stop resisting as the Sealing Corps arrived, and Hoshi ordered them to begin the preparations.
• The Sealing Corps restrained the Nine-Tails with Adamantine Chains and used the Eight Trigrams Seal to seal it inside Kushina.
• Minato embraced Kushina and used Flying Thunder God to take her to Konoha Hospital.

After returning to Konoha, Hoshi learned that Uchiha Kagetsu had been gravely injured while trying to stop Uchiha San'yō from releasing the Nine-Tails. He rushed to the hospital, where Tsunade was treating Kagetsu, Kushina, and Mikoto with the rare Healing Rebirth Technique.

• Hoshi returned to Konoha with the sealing unit as the village’s ninjas celebrated the Nine-Tails’ suppression.
• Pakura told Hoshi that Tsunade was treating the wounded, the rebellious Uchiha had been captured, and Kagetsu was in critical condition.
• Hoshi learned that Uchiha San'yō had died, ordered that his body remain untouched until Hoshi examined it, and hurried to Konoha Hospital.
• At the hospital, Hoshi saw Minato waiting outside the operating room while Tsunade treated Kagetsu, Kushina, and Mikoto.
• A medical ninja told Hoshi that Kagetsu’s chest had been pierced but her heart was spared, and that Tsunade was using the Healing Rebirth Technique to save her.

After the Uchiha rebellion was stopped, Hoshi spoke with Fugaku, who had not been involved and offered to die for his clan’s crimes. Hoshi sympathized with Fugaku and proposed that the rebellious clansmen take the blame, leaving Fugaku stunned by the chance to save the clan.

• Hoshi left Konoha Hospital after learning Kagetsu, Kushina, and Mikoto were expected to recover, and told Pakura to let Fugaku enter.
• Fugaku tried to kneel before Hoshi, then drew a Wakizashi and offered to die in place of the Uchiha clansmen; Hoshi stopped him by cutting the blade.
• Fugaku told Hoshi how his father and the Uchiha clansmen had pushed the rebellion forward despite Fugaku’s efforts to oppose it.
• Hoshi sympathized with Fugaku and said the village still had to punish the Uchiha Clan for the rebellion.
• Hoshi proposed that Fugaku identify the clansmen who rebelled as those responsible so the matter could be put behind them, leaving Fugaku stunned.

Hoshi arranged a cover story that recast the Uchiha Clan’s rebellion as a sacrifice made in Konoha’s defense, and Fugaku formally accepted the clan’s submission to Konoha. As Konoha’s residents changed their view of the Uchiha and Kagetsu recovered, Hoshi prepared to begin secret research with Orochimaru.

• Hoshi proposed a story that portrayed the Uchiha Clan as helping Anbu defeat an enemy, and Fugaku approved it.
• Fugaku asked Hoshi to serve as the Uchiha Clan’s deputy clan head, signaling his willingness to submit to Konoha.
• Fugaku left the hospital with Mikoto and resolved to lead the clan differently from his late father.
• Fugaku and the remaining Uchiha elders formally finalized the verdict on the rebellion, and Hoshi’s people spread the cover story around Konoha.
• Kagetsu survived her critical injuries, and Konoha’s returning expeditionary forces made reconstruction easier.
• Orochimaru returned to Konoha, allowing Hoshi to begin secret research with him.

Hoshi went to Kushina to honor his agreement with the Nine-Tails and negotiate the fox’s freedom. After Kushina opened the Eight Trigrams Seal, she entered the spiritual space and confronted the Nine-Tails, who quickly abandoned his plans to be polite to her.

• Hoshi obtained the three intact Mangekyō Sharingan from the Uchiha rebels and gave them to Orochimaru for preliminary research.
• Hoshi visited Kushina, who complained that the Nine-Tails had kept her awake by demanding to see him.
• Hoshi told Kushina he had come to negotiate with the Nine-Tails and set him free, and Kushina accused the fox of targeting her.
• Kushina released the Eight Trigrams Seal, allowing Hoshi to enter her spiritual space while he stayed on guard.
• Kushina approached the caged Nine-Tails and demanded to know why he behaved politely with Hoshi but tormented her.

Hoshi entered Kushina’s spiritual world and proposed freeing Nine-Tails by having Kushina master his Chakra and release a smaller clone, allowing her to survive. Nine-Tails considered the plan as Hoshi explained how it could grant both him and Kushina freedom.

• Kushina threatened to tell Hoshi that Nine-Tails refused to negotiate, then teased and touched the fox’s nose.
• Hoshi entered Kushina’s spiritual world, surprising Nine-Tails with his powerful spiritual strength.
• Nine-Tails asked whether Hoshi planned to sacrifice Kushina to free him, and Hoshi reassured her that he would not.
• Hoshi proposed that Kushina become a Perfect Jinchuriki and use her mastery of Nine-Tails’s Chakra to release a clone of him.
• Hoshi explained that this active division would free Nine-Tails without killing Kushina.

Hoshi proposed that the Nine-Tails cooperate with Kushina so she could become a Perfect Jinchuriki, but the Nine-Tails initially rejected the offer. After realizing Hoshi and Kushina would truly leave the choice to him, he asked to speak with Kushina alone, leaving her to consider how a Jinchuriki could reconcile humans and Tailed Beasts.

• The Nine-Tails angrily accused Hoshi of trying to trick him into helping Kushina become a Perfect Jinchuriki and refused his proposal.
• Hoshi argued that Kushina was an unusually good Jinchuriki, and the Nine-Tails privately recognized their companionship but resisted changing his mind.
• Hoshi accepted the Nine-Tails' refusal and began to leave with Kushina, but the Nine-Tails called them back and asked what Hoshi had meant about having no choice.
• Kushina explained that they would not force the Nine-Tails to agree, and the Nine-Tails realized that she and Hoshi genuinely respected his choice.
• The Nine-Tails asked Hoshi to leave so he could speak with Kushina alone, and Kushina considered whether she could restore equality between humans and Tailed Beasts.

Kushina befriended the Nine-Tails, learned his name was Kurama, and became a Perfect Jinchuriki. She demonstrated her new golden Nine-Tails Mode to Hoshi and Minato.

• Kushina removed the sealing talisman and offered the freed Nine-Tails her hand, introducing herself.
• The Nine-Tails accepted Kushina's greeting, called himself Kurama, and agreed to be her friend.
• Kushina woke up and pranked Hoshi and Minato by pretending she had failed to befriend the Nine-Tails.
• Kushina revealed that Kurama had shared some of his power with her and transformed into a golden Nine-Tails Chakra cloak.

Hoshi brought Kushina and Minato to White Wolf Ridge so the Nine-Tails could split off a clone and live freely there. With Robb’s help, the Nine-Tails used Kushina to complete its transformation and free its main body.

• Hoshi took Kushina and Minato to White Wolf Ridge, where Garurumon and Robb welcomed them and cleared land for the Nine-Tails’ clone.
• The Nine-Tails asked Kushina to bump fists with it, then poured its Chakra into her.
• Kushina’s Nine-Tails Mode grew into a golden Hokage Robe with nine tails as the Nine-Tails’ Chakra surged.
• The Nine-Tails completed its perfect Tailed Beast Transformation through Kushina, and its main body was released.

Kurama struggled to create a Shadow Clone until Kushina taught him the technique. His successful clone emerged as a tiny, corgi-sized Nine-Tails, which angrily Growled at the gathered crowd.

• Kurama tried to form a Shadow Clone but admitted to Kushina that he needed her help.
• Kushina used Kurama’s Chakra to demonstrate the Shadow Clone technique, and Kurama attempted it again.
• Kurama’s uncontrolled Chakra created a storm that tossed weaker Ninja Wolves aside, while Robb and several descendants absorbed the scattered Chakra with Hoshi’s permission.
• Kurama successfully created a clone, but it was only about the size of a young Ninja Wolf.
• The tiny Nine-Tails bared his fangs and Growled at the crowd, supposedly emptying Hayate Hoshi’s HP bar.

Hayate Hoshi petted Nine-Tails’ unexpectedly adorable clone, Little Nine-Tails, while Kurama struggled with the humiliation of its appearance. Kushina persuaded Kurama to keep the clone by disguising him and raising him in Konoha, where Kurama could observe human society.

• Hayate Hoshi ruffled Little Nine-Tails’ fur and cuddled him until the clone relaxed and purred.
• Kurama threatened Hayate Hoshi with a Tailed Beast Bomb, then dispersed it when he remembered they could evade it.
• Kushina begged Kurama to let her out so she could pet Little Nine-Tails, embarrassing him further.
• Kurama considered destroying his clone, but Kushina warned that making another one would strain her body.
• Kushina convinced Kurama that Little Nine-Tails could remain safe in Konoha if no one knew he was Kurama’s clone, giving Kurama a chance to observe humans.

Kurama accepted Kushina’s appeal to reconsider humanity and withdrew from her body after splitting off Little Nine-Tails. Kushina contracted Little Nine-Tails as a Summoning Beast and named him Little Red, leaving Kurama to observe the human world through him.

• Kurama gave up on deleting his account and returned to Kushina’s Eight Trigrams Seal after Little Nine-Tails split off.
• Kushina woke and affectionately cuddled Little Nine-Tails while Minato watched with jealousy.
• Kushina proposed contracting Little Nine-Tails as a Summoning Beast, and Hoshi arranged for him to sign White Wolf Ridge’s scroll as well.
• Kurama instructed Little Nine-Tails to leave his paw print on the scroll so he could stay at White Wolf Ridge when needed.
• Minato suggested grandiose names for Little Nine-Tails, but Kushina rejected them and named him Little Red.

After a hotpot dinner with Minato, Kushina, Kagetsu, Tsunade, and Nawaki, Hoshi left Little Red with them and the story shifted to Madara’s underground hideout. Madara learned about the Nine-Tails incident and the Uchiha rebellion, then ordered a plan to seize the imprisoned Uchiha, as Black Zetsu joined the distinctive White Zetsu to create an yin-yang-faced pitcher plant.

• Hoshi invited Minato and Kushina, then picked up the recovered Kagetsu, and brought them to dinner at the Senju Clan Compound.
• Madara ate Three-Color Dango brought back from Konoha by a distinctive White Zetsu and listened to its report on the war, the Uchiha rebellion, and the Nine-Tails rampage.
• Madara decided to capture the imprisoned Uchiha and harvest their Sharingan, ordering White Zetsu to summon Obito and have him use Danzo to help.
• Madara instructed White Zetsu to replace any abducted Uchiha with disguised White Zetsus and assigned the remaining Eye of the Moon Plan to his followers.
• Black Zetsu possessed the distinctive White Zetsu, forming an yin-yang-faced pitcher plant.

After waking up together, Hoshi and Tsunade discussed Tsunade’s work and Shizune before deciding to play matchmaker for Konoha’s bachelors. They left the chapter planning to pair Dan with Pakura and Jiraiya with Nonō.

• Hoshi woke with sore kidneys after a night with Tsunade, who teased him and offered to prepare medicine.
• Tsunade told Hoshi that Dan had recommended his talented niece Shizune as a possible Hokage’s Secretary, and Hoshi suggested she first become Tsunade’s disciple.
• Tsunade said Dan seemed interested in Pakura, and she and Hoshi agreed to arrange a date for them.
• Hoshi suggested finding a match for Jiraiya, and Tsunade proposed Nonō.
• Hoshi reflected on Nonō’s changed life and agreed that she could suit Jiraiya, so he and Tsunade launched their matchmaking plan.

Hoshi visited Orochimaru’s underground laboratory to learn about his research on the Sharingan. Orochimaru revealed a breakthrough about the eye’s evolution and credited the Nawaki cells Hoshi had provided.

• Hoshi went to Orochimaru’s Konoha Research Institute after his morning swordsmanship training and found advanced electronic equipment guarding the underground laboratory.
• Hoshi excitedly shared ideas for improving the laboratory, including MetalGarurumon, and Orochimaru agreed they were worth pursuing after his current research.
• Hoshi asked Orochimaru about his research on the Mangekyō Sharingan and Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Orochimaru explained that the Sharingan’s special genome caused rejection in other users, making universal applicability difficult to achieve.
• Orochimaru said his research into the Sharingan’s evolution had made considerable progress and led Hoshi to the containers holding the eyes.
• Orochimaru credited the Nawaki cells Hoshi had supplied for helping him discover a major secret about the Sharingan.