Chapter Summaries

Gua returned the six million to his parents, then went to the Hokage Office to choose a technique from the Scroll of Seals. He selected the Eight Gates Released Formation and began studying it under the Third Generation’s supervision, while Genma Shiranui suspected the child in the office was Uchiha Gua.

• Gua explained how the Third Generation had given him six million, and Uchiha Nai and Uchiha Oyama agreed that the Third Generation had acknowledged him.
• At school, Gua told Itachi he was happy, then went to the Hokage Building to study the Scroll of Seals.
• Gua chose the Eight Gates Released Formation over Flying Thunder God, and the Third Generation let him study it in the Hokage Office.
• An Anbu member gossiped to Izumo Kamizuki and Genma Shiranui about a young child sitting in the Hokage Office.
• Genma Shiranui recognized the description and asked whether the child was Uchiha Gua.

After wandering into the Land of Grass, Kakashi stopped three men from harming a woman and her daughter, Karin, then found himself studying Icha Icha Paradise while unsure what to do next. Reading Jiraiya’s book gave him a moment of understanding through its hidden story about Naruto and Sakura.

• Kakashi wandered into the wilderness in the Land of Grass, questioning how he could find happiness or meaning in his life.
• Kakashi heard a woman and her daughter, Karin, being threatened by three men in a ruined temple and confronted them.
• Kakashi brutally beat the three men until they stopped resisting, while the woman comforted the terrified Karin.
• Kakashi sat in the temple, unsure what he wanted, then took out Icha Icha Paradise and read it.
• Kakashi noticed the subtle story of Naruto and Sakura beneath the book’s main plot, and a feeling stirred in him.

Kakashi met Rin Uzumaki and her daughter Karin, then continued reflecting on his place in the shinobi world. In Konoha, Gua made no progress learning the Eight Gates Released Formation, while the Third Generation and Fugaku both kept close watch on him.

• Kakashi asked the woman her name, and she introduced herself as Rin Uzumaki and her daughter as Karin Uzumaki.
• Gua continued studying the Eight Gates Released Formation in the Hokage Office but told the Third Generation he still had not learned it.
• The Third Generation encouraged Gua to keep studying and revealed his plan to bet on him as a way to influence the Uchiha and the village.
• Fugaku questioned Itachi about Gua's daily behavior and instructed him to watch Gua more closely.

As Gua’s unusual presence draws attention from Fugaku and the Uchiha, he loses access to the Hokage Office and continues studying the Eight Gates Released Formation on his own. Meanwhile, Jiraiya’s suspicions about the Akatsuki lead him to decide to visit the Land of Rain.

• Itachi reports Gua’s habits to Fugaku, who wonders whether the Third Generation intends Gua to become a bridge between Konoha and the Uchiha.
• Fugaku keeps spying on Gua, while Itachi follows him so closely that Gua grows annoyed.
• At dinner, Nai urges Gua to look after Izumi and invite her over, but Gua focuses on his Beef Hot Pot.
• The Third Generation ends Gua’s daily study sessions, believing he has mastered the Eight Gates Released Formation, so Gua copies the technique from memory at home.
• After discussing the Akatsuki with Orochimaru, Jiraiya broods over whether to return to the Land of Rain, then decides to go.

Fugaku worried when Gua left school early and planned to ask Itachi to check on him, but Gua had gone to visit Naruto. Meanwhile, Kakashi traveled through the Land of Grass with Rin Uzumaki, Karin Uzumaki, and three captured men, listening as they explained their ties to the Land of Rain.

• Fugaku noticed Gua had gone home early and asked Itachi whether anything unusual had happened.
• Itachi said he had not noticed anything and reminded Fugaku that the next day was Saturday, so Fugaku planned to keep watching Gua himself.
• Gua visited Naruto and worried that the boy’s drawings might soon make him a target for bullying.
• Gua ate vegetable soup, then fell asleep while studying his drafts on the Eight Gates Released Formation.
• Kakashi walked with Rin Uzumaki, Karin Uzumaki, and three skinny men, asking them to tell him about themselves.
• The men said they were shinobi from the Land of Rain, spoke of Hanzo of the Salamander’s disappearance and the Akatsuki, and explained why they had tried to assault Rin Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki.

Kakashi shared his hunted food with Rin Uzumaki, Karin, and three Rain Shinobi before deciding to visit the Land of Rain. Meanwhile, Gua devoted his day off to studying until Neji Hyuga arrived and asked to learn Taijutsu, but Gua refused and went back inside.

• Kakashi gave his roasted game to Rin Uzumaki, Karin, and the three Rain Shinobi, keeping none for himself.
• Kakashi announced that he wanted to visit the Land of Rain and asked whether it had a red-light district, while Karin asked Rin what one was.
• The Third Generation worried that Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Orochimaru were all away or unavailable.
• Gua put away his notes on the Eight Gates Released Formation and Dust Release, then returned to his room to study.
• Neji Hyuga visited Gua and asked to learn Taijutsu from him.
• Gua refused Neji's request and went back inside to study.

Neji returned home after Gua rejected his request to learn Taijutsu, and Hizashi urged him to ask again. Neji refused, but little Hinata secretly left home and made her way to the Uchiha Compound to find Gua, where she encountered Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Nai.

• Neji returned to the Hyuga Clan Compound feeling hurt after Gua turned him down.
• Hizashi told Neji to keep asking Gua for help, but Neji refused to go back.
• Little Hinata asked Neji to take her to Gua's house, but Neji coldly refused.
• After lunch, little Hinata escaped through a hidden dog hole and asked people for directions to Gua's house.
• Little Hinata reached the Uchiha Compound and asked Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Nai where Gua lived.
• Uchiha Mikoto recognized little Hinata as a child from the Hyuga Clan.

Hinata visited Gua’s home after sneaking out, and Gua’s mother brought her there. Hinata spent time watching Gua study the Eight Gates Released Formation and privately wished he were her real older brother.

• Nai recognized Hinata Hyuga and offered to take her home, then brought her to Gua’s house.
• Gua found Hinata with Nai and learned that she had sneaked out and asked for directions to his home.
• Hinata mistook Nai for someone who might steal from the kitchen until Gua told her that Nai was his mother.
• Gua returned to studying the Eight Gates Released Formation while Hinata looked around his small home and asked about the technique.
• Gua told Hinata the technique was classified, and she sat across from him, thinking he was nicer than Big Brother Neji.

Hinata persuaded Gua to accept Neji’s request, while Obito watched Gua leave Konoha. At an Akatsuki meeting in the Land of Rain, Pain ordered Kakashi Hatake driven out, and Sasori volunteered.

• Hinata asked Gua to agree to Neji’s request, and Gua accepted when they reached the Hyuga Clan’s gate.
• Gua told Neji to visit him the next afternoon, and Hinata told Neji she wanted him to be happier; Neji thanked her.
• Obito watched Gua leave Konoha, then disappeared.
• Kakuzu learned the Akatsuki’s accounts were five hundred thousand ryo in debt but stayed after Obito promised he could manage the Land of Rain’s finances.
• Pain told the Akatsuki that Kakashi Hatake had entered the Land of Rain and ordered someone to drive him out; Sasori volunteered.

Kakashi visited a Red-Light District tavern in the Land of Rain while Rin Uzumaki and Karin waited outside, leaving them unsure what to make of his behavior. After two hours, he emerged and led them back into the rain, while Sasori watched and judged him.

• Three Land of Rain Shinobi led Kakashi, Rin Uzumaki, and Karin Uzumaki to the Free Information Tavern, where Rin and Karin waited outside as Kakashi went in.
• The tavern's madam sent Keiko to entertain Kakashi, who stayed in a private room for two hours while reflecting on desire and remembering Rin.
• Kakashi emerged, paid the bill himself, and rejoined Rin and Karin before leading them away.
• Sasori appeared in the darkness, sneered at Kakashi for visiting the tavern, and dismissed the women inside as inferior to puppets.

Kakashi encountered Sasori after leaving the Red-Light District, while Obito continued watching Orochimaru’s laboratory and Gua began training in the Eight Gates Released Formation. Gua’s first gate was close to opening, but he worried his small acupoints limited his potential before a surge of energy struck him in his sleep.

• Kakashi left the Red-Light District with his companions and stopped when Sasori blocked their path, telling the others to go on ahead.
• Obito watched Orochimaru’s laboratory from a tree because he feared entering it could expose him to a trap.
• Gua unlocked the Eight Gates Released Formation on his system and equipped it for tenfold idle training.
• Gua agreed to train Neji, then took him to the river and pummeled him as practice in taking a beating.
• Gua trained Neji daily and saw the first gate begin to loosen, but suspected his small acupoints meant he had poor potential.
• Two days later, Gua felt a surge of energy rush into the back of his head while he slept.

Gua tested the First Gate and discovered it gave him only a modest boost, then visited Itachi and learned that a masked man had destroyed Orochimaru’s laboratory. Orochimaru complained to the Hokage, revealing that the attacker had blamed him for stealing Akatsuki’s money before causing the explosion.

• Gua opened the First Gate, punched a hole through his tatami, and reassured Nai and Dashan that he was not having a breakdown.
• Gua visited Itachi’s house and found Itachi and Sasuke playing in the backyard.
• Itachi told Gua that a masked man had blown up Orochimaru’s laboratory and that the investigation had found no leads.
• Orochimaru complained to his teacher in the Hokage Office, explaining that the Masked Man had accused him of stealing Akatsuki’s money before wrecking the laboratory and triggering an explosion.

Obito, injured and furious after blowing up Orochimaru’s laboratory, returned to Konoha to cause trouble and confronted Gua and Neji during their training. He announced himself as Madara Uchiha, while Gua urged Neji to escape and summon help.

• The Third Generation ordered Danzo and Fugaku to tighten security and search Konoha for the Masked Man.
• Obito recalled storming Orochimaru’s laboratory after waiting outside for half a month, where an explosion badly injured him as he escaped by turning intangible.
• Gua visited the ruined laboratory, spoke briefly with Kabuto, and learned Orochimaru had gone to see the Hokage.
• Gua stopped Neji’s usual beating after five minutes and told him to fight back, while the injured Obito watched from the shadows.
• Obito put on a Tiger-Stripe Mask, stepped out, and declared himself Madara Uchiha.
• Gua told Neji to run to the village and call for help, but Neji refused to leave him behind.

Gua fought Obito to keep him occupied while Neji went to get help, then recognized the masked man as Obito Uchiha and tried to appeal to their friendship. Obito rejected the appeal and attacked, but Gua’s relentless kunai strikes forced him to keep retreating.

• Obito charged Neji, but Gua pulled Neji out of the way and met Obito in a taijutsu clash that sent him staggering.
• Gua told Neji to get help, then blocked Obito’s knee strike and forced him to turn intangible to avoid a counterattack.
• Gua called the masked man Obito Uchiha and reminded him that they had been best friends who talked about Rin Nohara.
• Obito admitted that Gua was buying time, then attacked him with a kunai and accused him of being a coward.
• Gua knocked Obito’s kunai away, used it to disrupt his Kamui attacks, and pressed forward with repeated slashes as Obito retreated.

Gua fought Obito, who revealed that he planned to kill him for recognizing his identity and knowing about his connection to Orochimaru. After opening the First Gate, Gua turned the fight around and accused Obito of fearing that Rin Nohara did not love him.

• Obito admitted he was Obito Uchiha and said he would kill Gua because Gua could recognize him and was close to Orochimaru.
• Gua said he could bring Rin back to life, but Obito angrily rejected the idea and attacked him.
• Fugaku watched the battle and recognized the masked man as the cheerful Obito he remembered from the past.
• Obito overwhelmed Gua in close combat, sending him flying with a slash.
• Gua opened the First Gate and gained enough strength to press Obito back.
• Gua accused Obito of being afraid to revive Rin because she did not like him, and Obito furiously denied it.

Gua fought Obito until his chakra ran out, and Fugaku intervened just before Obito could kill him. Danzo and Root then revealed a prepared sealing trap, leaving Obito caught as the Reverse Four Symbols Seal activated.

• Gua provoked Obito by insisting Rin Nohara would reject him, driving Obito into a furious and reckless attack.
• Gua and Obito fought fiercely until Obito disarmed and knocked Gua down, leaving him nearly helpless.
• Fugaku arrived and kicked Obito away before he could deliver a fatal blow to Gua.
• Danzo appeared with Root shinobi and ordered them to capture the intruder alive, while Gua realized Neji had likely encountered Root instead of bringing help.
• Fugaku sensed danger and pulled Gua away as the Root shinobi activated the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, trapping Obito within converging barriers.

After Obito escaped, Fugaku confronted Danzo for taking the enemy’s severed arm and abandoning villagers in danger, then reported him to the Third Generation. Neji and Hizashi revealed that Danzo’s Root shinobi had blocked Neji from reaching Gua, prompting the Third Generation to promise Fugaku an answer by the next day.

• Obito escaped the Reverse Four Symbols Seal but left behind a severed White Zetsu arm, which Danzo picked up.
• Fugaku accused Danzo of endangering villagers and demanded he hand over the arm and come see the Third Generation, but Danzo left with the arm.
• Fugaku took Gua to the Hokage Office and reported the Masked Man’s attack and Danzo’s conduct to the Third Generation.
• Neji and Hizashi arrived and explained that Root had cordoned off the area, preventing Neji from returning to help Gua.
• Fugaku pressed the Third Generation to act against Danzo, and the Third Generation promised to give Fugaku an answer by the next day.

The Third discovered Danzo’s secret experiments beneath Root and stripped him of his advisor position, ordering Anbu to seal the facility and guard him. Meanwhile, Obito returned to the Akatsuki’s base in the Land of Rain, where the group planned to take control of the country and Pain volunteered to deal with Kakashi and Jiraiya.

• The Third entered Root’s underground headquarters, found containers of body parts and a worker dissecting the Masked Man’s arm, and confronted Danzo.
• The Third dismissed Danzo as Hokage’s advisor, declared that he would take over Root, and ordered an emergency jonin meeting and an Anbu investigation.
• The Third told Anbu to seal the facility, keep Danzo under guard, and store the Masked Man’s arm separately.
• Obito returned to the Akatsuki headquarters in the Land of Rain and learned that Kakashi had damaged Sasori’s puppet before Jiraiya intervened.
• Obito proposed using Hanzo’s corpse to turn the Land of Rain’s elders against Konoha before seizing control, and the Akatsuki members approved the plan.
• Pain volunteered to deal with Kakashi and Jiraiya, while Obito left to have Jue treat his missing arm.

Kakashi questioned the three Rain shinobi about protecting Rin Uzumaki and her daughter, then struggled with the conflict between their villainous past and their good actions. As Kakashi sat alone in the rain, someone returned to the dilapidated house.

• The three Rain shinobi praised Kakashi and shared food with him, Rin Uzumaki, and Karin while they waited for Jiraiya.
• Kakashi asked why the shinobi had not fled, and one said they had stayed to keep Rin and Karin safe.
• Karin told Kakashi that the shinobi had not harmed them, and the men pleaded for him to believe their innocence.
• Kakashi drew his sword and frightened the kneeling shinobi, then drove the blade into the floor and walked away.
• Kakashi wrestled with how to judge bad people who had chosen to protect Rin and Karin, punched through the rotten doorframe, and watched as someone returned through the rain.

Kakashi left the Land of Rain with Karin Uzumaki and Rin Uzumaki after declining Jiraiya’s invitation to investigate Akatsuki. In Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi stripped Shimura Danzō of his position and placed Root under Anbu control, leaving Danzō furious and disgraced.

• Jiraiya advised Kakashi to leave the Land of Rain and offered to take him to investigate Akatsuki, but Kakashi declined.
• Kakashi left the Land of Rain alone, then agreed to take Karin Uzumaki and Rin Uzumaki with him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Shimura Danzō over the stolen eyes and other crimes, abolished his Hokage assistant position, and put Root under Anbu jurisdiction.
• Hiruzen ordered Danzō removed from the assembly hall as Danzō shouted that Hiruzen would regret it.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu suggested leniency, but Hiruzen and the clan leaders upheld the decision.