Chapter Summaries

Konohamaru announced that the Sarutobi Clan would abandon its arrogance and unspoken privileges, but its elders rejected his reforms and threatened to replace him. After they dismissed his warning that the clan could suffer the Uchiha Clan’s fate, Konohamaru was left alone, believing the Sarutobi Clan was finished.

• Konohamaru told the Sarutobi Clan leadership that members must treat others as equals and that the clan’s legal privileges would end.
• The elders and clan members denounced Konohamaru, claimed Naruto owed them special treatment, and threatened to depose him.
• Konohamaru warned that the Sarutobi Clan resembled the Uchiha Clan before its destruction, but the assembled members mocked him.
• The elders led the clan members out of the hall, leaving Konohamaru alone to conclude that the Sarutobi Clan was finished.
• The Sky Screen broadcast the meeting, prompting people across the shinobi world to debate the Sarutobi Clan and Naruto’s influence over Konohamaru.

Naruto staged a limited crackdown on the Sarutobi Clan, then told its Grand Elder that Konohamaru had asked him to intervene. The Grand Elder accepted the explanation and praised Naruto, who began drawing him in by praising the Third Hokage and Asuma.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi realized the clan elders' arrogance threatened the Sarutobi Clan and resolved to remember those who had opposed the clan head.
• Naruto ordered the Konoha Military Police Force to investigate the Sarutobi Clan, arresting more than a dozen clansmen and temporarily sealing several shops.
• Naruto arranged for the arrested clansmen to be released and the shops to reopen under branch-family members, preserving the clan's income.
• The Sarutobi Grand Elder visited Naruto to thank him, and Naruto claimed Konohamaru had asked him to deal sternly with the clan.
• Naruto praised the Third Hokage and Asuma, surprising the Grand Elder, who asked whether Asuma had taught Naruto.

Naruto persuaded the Sarutobi Grand Elder that he treasured the clan’s ties to him, while secretly turning the elder against Konohamaru. Convinced that Naruto would protect them, the Sarutobi elders blamed Konohamaru for the crackdown and erupted in anger.

• Naruto recalled how Asuma had taught him Wind Release and emphasized his close ties to three generations of the Sarutobi Clan, reassuring the Grand Elder.
• After the Sky Screen showed their conversation, viewers interpreted Naruto’s friendliness as a way to mislead the clan and shift blame onto Konohamaru.
• The Grand Elder returned to the Sarutobi compound and told the gathered clan members that Naruto valued their longstanding relationship.
• When a manager questioned the arrests and shop closures, the Grand Elder insisted the clan had suffered no real losses and Naruto was too busy to target them.
• The Grand Elder accused Konohamaru of urging Naruto to abolish the clan’s privileges and suppress its members, prompting the Sarutobi clan to erupt in disbelief and anger.

Konohamaru confronted the Sarutobi elders over their refusal to acknowledge his leadership and warned that their clan was being dragged into a deadly power struggle. Meanwhile, Naruto named Sasuke's child as his personal disciple, prompting Konoha to treat the child as the next Hokage and leaving the Sarutobi elders in shock.

• The Grand Elder turned the Sarutobi clan against Konohamaru by claiming he had used Naruto to punish them and consolidate power.
• The elders summoned Konohamaru, who admitted asking Naruto to punish the clan and said he was trying to save it from disaster.
• Konohamaru warned that the Sarutobi Clan was being pulled into a power struggle, but the elders dismissed his concerns.
• Three days later, Naruto announced to Konoha's high command that he would take Sasuke Uchiha's child as his personal disciple.
• Konoha celebrated Sasuke's child as the likely Eighth Hokage, while the Sarutobi elders fell silent in shock.

Naruto warned the Sarutobi Clan after an attack on the Uchiha residence used a technique unique to their clan. The elders were left facing Naruto’s threat, while the culprit behind the attack remained unidentified.

• The Sarutobi elders lamented that Naruto had chosen Sasuke’s child as his disciple and successor, undermining their plans for the Hokage position.
• Naruto promised to train Sasuke’s child, while Sasuke privately wondered whether Naruto might target Sarada and whether his future self would protect her.
• Two days later, an explosion and ninjutsu attack struck the Uchiha residence, though Sasuke’s family escaped injury.
• Naruto ordered the Anbu and Konoha Police Force to investigate, then privately told an elite Anbu member to deliver a warning to the Sarutobi grand elder.
• The Anbu member told the Sarutobi elders that Naruto called this their last time and revealed that the attacker had used the Sarutobi Clan’s Great Flame Technique.

The Sarutobi elders realized the attack on the Uchiha residence had used their clan’s secret Fire Release technique and feared the Hokage blamed them. They suspected Konohamaru, accused him when he returned, and refused to believe his denial, splitting the clan.

• The Sarutobi elders argued that their clan had not attacked the Uchiha and wondered who had copied their secret technique to frame them.
• The Grand Elder rejected suggestions to explain or apologize to the Hokage, fearing an apology would be taken as an admission of guilt.
• The Second Elder proposed that Konohamaru might be responsible because he was the one eligible practitioner who had not been ruled out.
• The elders convinced themselves that Konohamaru had attacked the Uchiha to seize power and shift the blame onto them.
• When Konohamaru returned, the elders surrounded and accused him, but dismissed his denial and evidence of his alibi.

Sarada returned to the Land of Rain after failing to secure meaningful support for the Anti-Fire Alliance, so she shifted to building a commercial alliance to reduce the country’s dependence on Konoha. As trade with the four great nations began, the Land of Rain rapidly developed while Konoha remained silent.

• Rumors that Naruto had sent Anbu to warn the Sarutobi Clan spread through Konoha, causing villagers and smaller clans to distrust and ostracize the clan.
• Sarada told Kisame that the Kage of the Four Great Shinobi Villages had agreed to her Anti-Fire Alliance in name but would not commit because they feared Naruto and Sasuke and relied on Konoha.
• Sarada revealed that she had arranged trade agreements with the four great hidden villages and planned to publicly establish a commercial alliance while secretly building a counterweight to Konoha.
• Kisame warned Sarada that her political and trade plans needed military strength behind them, and Sarada said she was relying on Konoha and Naruto’s concern for their public image.
• The four great hidden villages accepted Sarada’s commercial alliance invitation, while Konoha neither joined nor interfered with trade.
• Sarada opened the Land of Rain’s border checkpoints, and incoming goods, money, and merchants spurred rapid development as locals entered workshops and commerce.

Sarada accepted Konoha’s order to exterminate the Cangmu noble clan, despite Kisame warning that the attack could provoke the great nations. After she wiped out the clan, the Sky Screen showed the massacre, stirring outrage among nobles and fear among ordinary people.

• Sarada quietly carried out Konoha’s first assassination mission, then received an order to eliminate the Cangmu noble clan in the Land of Lightning.
• Sarada explained to Kisame that Konoha wanted the Cangmu clan removed because its ore trade threatened Konoha’s profits, and she decided to erase all evidence of the operation.
• Kisame prepared security measures for the Land of Rain while Sarada argued that Naruto would not openly attack them and said she would reject Konoha’s missions once trade increased further.
• Sarada infiltrated the Cangmu estate and exterminated the entire clan in half an hour, leaving no trace.
• The Sky Screen showed the massacre, shocking ordinary people and low-ranking shinobi while spreading fear and outrage among nobles across the Five Great Nations.
• Aristocrats throughout the Five Great Nations contacted their daimyos and demanded a stern protest against Konoha.

Sarada realized that Naruto had used her first assassination to frame her for a string of noble massacres across the Five Great Nations. Konoha then linked the stolen treasures and the Land of Rain’s sudden wealth to Sarada, setting the stage for a further move.

• Tsunade worried that the Land of Fire’s officials would blame Konoha for the noble killings, while Jiraiya advised her to deny responsibility.
• After killing the Kuraki family in the Land of Lightning, Sarada looted its treasures and returned to the Land of Rain.
• Konoha’s Anbu secretly massacred four noble families across the other great nations, imitating Sarada’s methods and taking their valuables.
• Four days later, merchants told Sarada about the massacres, and she concluded that Naruto had set her up as the apparent culprit.
• Konoha operatives circulated evidence that stolen, crest-marked treasures were entering markets from the Land of Rain and spread rumors about the region’s unexplained wealth.

Sarada and Kisame discussed how to answer the accusations against the Land of Rain, with Sarada relying on her Sharingan and Sasuke’s reputation to deter the Four Great Kage. They decided to deny the charges and negotiate politely, while Sarada left open the possibility of further raids if needed.

• The Five Great Nations blamed the Land of Rain and its revived Akatsuki for the massacres and stolen wealth, while the Four Great Kage sent Sarada formal demands for an explanation instead of immediately attacking.
• Sarada admitted that greed had left her vulnerable to Naruto’s scheme, but argued that the Land of Rain could survive with its stolen goods, workshops, and infrastructure even if trade ended.
• Kisame warned that the Kage might eventually send a joint army, and Sarada said she would reveal her Three-Tomoe Sharingan and flee to Konoha if the Land of Rain were cornered.
• The Sky Screen broadcast Sarada and Kisame’s conversation, prompting viewers across the Shinobi World to comment on how Sarada had become willing to use her Uchiha blood and connections for protection.
• Sarada and Kisame agreed to deny the massacres and Akatsuki’s revival, negotiate politely with the Kage, and resort to force if pushed; Sarada joked that they could rob one or two more wealthy, powerless noble families if necessary.

Chou warned Sarada and Kisame that killing nobles could put their lives at risk, explaining that Naruto had used Sarada to test the shinobi world's hidden rules. He revealed that Uchiha Sen was alive and had ordered the Veil Organization to protect Sarada, leaving her questioning their connection and the nobility's power.

• Chou emerged from the shadows and warned Sarada that attacking the Secular Nobility could bring her close to death.
• Chou told Sarada and Kisame that Naruto had sent her as a probe to test the shinobi world's underlying rules and would replace her if she died.
• Sarada asked why the Veil Organization had helped her, and Kisame suggested it might be because of Uchiha Sen.
• Chou confirmed that Uchiha Sen survived the Uchiha Clan Massacre and the Fourth Shinobi World War, and had ordered the Veil Organization to look after Sarada because they had a deep connection.
• The Sky Screen broadcast the revelation, shocking viewers across the shinobi world.
• Sarada doubted that shared Uchiha blood explained Sen's help and asked Chou whether the Secular Nobility had a hidden trump card.

Chou explained that the nobility’s protection across centuries of shinobi wars was an unnatural, enforced red line, not simply accepted custom. He revealed that Naruto had sent Sarada to kill nobles to test the consequences, leaving Sarada and Kisame warned to stop targeting nobles and their wealth.

• Chou questioned why powerless nobles controlled the shinobi world’s resources and remained untouched by wars, prompting Sarada and Kisame to reconsider what they had always accepted.
• Viewers and people across the shinobi world debated Chou’s argument, but hard-line supporters of the nobility silenced many who had begun to question the system.
• Kisame asked what lay behind the rule protecting nobles and how Naruto was involved, and Chou said it was a red line rather than a consensus.
• Chou told Sarada that Naruto had deliberately sent her to kill nobles in the Land of Lightning to make her his blade and test the red line, risking her life without consequence to himself.
• Chou advised Sarada and Kisame to stop harming nobles and abandon their plans to secretly plunder noble wealth.

Chou warned Sarada and Kisame that the daimyo and hereditary nobles were protected by an unknown force tied to a thousand-year-old upheaval. He revealed mysterious clues about the Veil Organization and left Sarada eager to learn more as Chou gains access to its secrets.

• Chou told Sarada and Kisame that a thousand years ago, an upheaval established the shinobi world's order, and warned them not to attack the nobles.
• Chou explained that the Veil Organization operated behind the scenes and that his family had joined only a few decades earlier.
• Chou recalled overhearing an elder mention an Otsutsuki invasion, Celestial Dragons ruling the world, and the power to destroy the world.
• Sarada guessed that the current nobles might be successors to the Celestial Dragons and that their protection rule dated back a thousand years; Chou agreed it was possible but unconfirmed.
• Sarada urged Chou to share what he learned as he gained higher clearance in the Veil Organization, and Chou said it would depend on the situation.

After Chou revealed that the Celestial Dragons stood behind the shinobi world's rules, the nobles took comfort in their supposed protection and strengthened their defenses. Black Zetsu doubted the group's existence, then decided to investigate them and make a new plan against Naruto and Sasuke.

• The daimyo and nobles of the Five Great Nations celebrated the revelation that Celestial Dragons might protect their status, then ordered stronger defenses and recruited shinobi and samurai guards.
• The Five Great Shinobi Villages agreed to assign elite squads to protect the daimyo and noble estates and uphold the established order.
• Ordinary shinobi and civilians worried that the nobles were now secure and wondered how Naruto would move his plans forward through Sarada.
• Black Zetsu searched his memories and realized he had never heard of the Celestial Dragons, then feared that they might threaten his schemes to resurrect Kaguya.
• Black Zetsu recalled that Naruto and Sasuke had already defeated his old plan and decided to investigate the Celestial Dragons, find a way to kill Naruto and Sasuke, and seek a new opportunity through the Sky Screen.

Chou warned Sarada that killing nobles from the Land of Lightning had put her in danger, then revealed that Uchiha Sen had once met privately with Orochimaru. Orochimaru watched the Sky Screen broadcast and suspected the Veil Organization held ancient secrets he wanted to study.

• Chou warned Sarada to stay within the nobles’ red lines and avoid leaving evidence that could endanger her or the Land of Rain.
• Sarada thanked Chou for Uchiha Sen’s warning, while Kisame asked whether Sen had other contacts who could help them in a crisis.
• Chou said he had seen Sen meet privately with Orochimaru, but clarified that Orochimaru was not a member of the Veil Organization.
• The Shinobi World reacted with surprise to the revelation that Sen and Orochimaru seemed to have a connection.
• Orochimaru watched the broadcast, suspected his connection to Sen involved the Veil Organization, and became eager to obtain its knowledge of ancient secrets.

Orochimaru planned to use Karin to make contact with the Veil Organization, while Sarada defended the Land of Rain against accusations that it held wealth stolen from nobles. Sarada warned Kisame that the Four Great Kage’s support could put her in greater danger, leaving him shocked.

• Orochimaru decided to keep Karin close so he could use her as a path to the Veil Organization.
• Chou warned Sarada and Kisame against contacting Orochimaru except in an emergency, then disappeared.
• Sarada announced that the Land of Rain’s wealth came mostly from Kakuzu’s former Akatsuki assets and ordered public audits to demonstrate the country’s innocence.
• Kisame reported that the Four Great Kage had resisted pressure to attack the Land of Rain, while Konoha remained silent.
• Sarada explained that the nobles wanted her dead to preserve their privilege and warned Kisame that the Kage’s support made her situation more dangerous.

Sarada explained to Kisame why neither relying on allies nor exposing Naruto could save her from the nobles’ demand for her death. She proposed investigating the Celestial Dragons for themselves, but Kisame warned her not to provoke them.

• Sarada told Kisame that the nobles would treat the Five Great Hidden Villages’ support as a rebellion and demand her death to restore their authority.
• Kisame suggested exposing Naruto as the mastermind, but Sarada explained that she had no evidence and that no one would believe her.
• Sarada suggested that the Veil Organization might not have told them the whole truth about the Celestial Dragons, and Kisame agreed they should remain cautious.
• Sarada urged Kisame to uncover the Celestial Dragons’ identity and whereabouts, but he told her not to stir up trouble or test their limits.

Sarada questioned the Celestial Dragons’ hidden power and resolved to investigate their secrets despite Kisame’s warnings. Kisame accepted that she would not be dissuaded and promised to seek Sasuke’s help if her actions put her life in danger, while the Sky Screen broadcast their conversation to the Shinobi World.

• Sarada challenged Kisame’s warnings by asking why the Celestial Dragons’ supposed world-destroying power had never been used or recorded.
• Kisame urged Sarada to abandon her dangerous inquiry, but she insisted that investigating was their only chance to escape Konoha’s control.
• Kisame described the Fourth Shinobi World War as a conflict driven by Uchiha and warned Sarada that her clan’s restless nature had led it toward destruction.
• Sarada thanked Kisame for caring about her and promised to investigate secretly without crossing red lines, though Kisame doubted she would heed his advice.
• Kisame agreed to let Sarada investigate and promised to find Sasuke if she faced mortal danger.
• The Sky Screen broadcast the conversation, prompting people across the Five Great Nations to discuss Sarada’s distrust of the Veil Organization.

Sarada explained to Kisame that Naruto had used her as a tool and that even he feared the Celestial Dragons. She proposed luring the hidden powers into the open, leaving Kisame alarmed but listening as she began laying out her reasoning.

• The crowd debated Sarada’s distrust of the Veil Organization and praised the Uchiha Clan’s defiant nature, while lamenting that the clan had nearly been wiped out.
• Sarada assured Kisame that her plans were deliberate and that she would not recklessly endanger the Land of Rain.
• Sarada said Naruto had pushed her into the conflict by leaking clues and using her as a useful blade.
• Sarada reasoned that Naruto’s caution meant he doubted either the Celestial Dragons’ existence or his ability to control them.
• Sarada proposed making the first move to lure the Celestial Dragons out of hiding, and Kisame reacted with horror.
• Sarada insisted she was clearheaded and asked Kisame to consider the shinobi world’s underlying situation as she continued her analysis.

Sarada explained to Kisame that the Land of Rain could use its lack of nobles and a Daimyō to draw out the Celestial Dragons and pit them against Naruto’s Konoha-led order. She admitted the plan had little chance of success, but argued that risking it was better than remaining under Konoha’s control.

• Sarada described how Naruto and Konoha dominated the shinobi world through military power, economic control, and influence over public opinion.
• Sarada told Kisame she intended to use the Celestial Dragons to challenge Naruto’s hegemony and break the deadlock trapping the Land of Rain.
• Sarada revealed that the Land of Rain had no hereditary nobles or Daimyō, so it could investigate and provoke the Celestial Dragons without crossing the red line binding other nations.
• Kisame recognized the plan’s logic but asked how confident Sarada was that it would work, and she admitted her confidence was low.
• Kisame angrily warned that failure could kill everyone in the Land of Rain, but Sarada maintained that taking the risk was better than remaining under Naruto’s control.
• Sarada argued that the Celestial Dragons’ support could embolden nobles to challenge the shinobi villages, and asked whether the two groups would still coexist peacefully.