Chapter Summaries

Mei Terumi persuaded the Mist Ninja that Yagura was likely being controlled and that cooperation with Konoha could protect Kirigakure. After Bai Ye demonstrated overwhelming strength, the Mist Ninja questioned whether he could be trusted to free Yagura, but realized he had no need for a complicated scheme to control the village.

• The Mist Ninja reconsidered Mei Terumi's claim that Yagura was controlled after recognizing that his policies and the plan to attack Bai Ye made little sense for Kirigakure.
• The Mist Ninja asked Mei Terumi who controlled Yagura, how a jinchūriki could be controlled, and why Kirigakure should cooperate with Konoha.
• Mei Terumi said Bai Ye could free Yagura, who could explain the control and its cause, and argued that cooperation would help Kirigakure recover and avoid further losses.
• Bai Ye criticized Mei Terumi for talking instead of beating the Mist Ninja, while Shisui suggested using Kotoamatsukami to make Yagura explain matters.
• A Mist Ninja questioned whether Bai Ye might be lying and intend to control Yagura himself, but Mei Terumi pointed out that Bai Ye could simply kill the Mizukage and seize power.
• The Mist Ninja recognized that Bai Ye's overwhelming strength made schemes to control Kirigakure unnecessary.

Mei Terumi convinced Kirigakure that Yagura had been controlled, and Bai Ye freed him from the Genjutsu. Yagura stepped down as Fourth Mizukage and later revealed that his controller had a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, leaving him bewildered when the others showed relief despite Bai Ye being an Uchiha.

• Mei Terumi argued that Bai Ye had no need to manipulate Kirigakure if he wanted to take control by force, leading the Mist Ninja to suspect Yagura had been controlled.
• Obito realized Bai Ye had broken his control over Yagura and abandoned his failed plan to destroy Kirigakure.
• Bai Ye used his Sharingan to free Yagura and the Three-Tails from the Genjutsu, and Yagura expressed remorse for his actions as Mizukage.
• Yagura told Genji that a masked man with a space-time ability had controlled him, then resigned as Fourth Mizukage and accepted the village's judgment.
• After Bai Ye left, Yagura told Genji and the others that he had seen his controller's Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and they breathed a sigh of relief while Yagura wondered why they did not suspect Bai Ye.

Genji, Yagura, and Mei Terumi concluded that an unidentified Uchiha in an Orange Spiral Mask had controlled Yagura, and they prioritized rebuilding Kirigakure through trade with Konoha. When Mei Terumi asked Bai Ye how the trade would work without a suitable currency, he began proposing a Post-Blood Mist Kirigakure Economic Recovery Plan.

• Genji explained that Bai Ye had previously identified an Uchiha as the possible culprit who controlled Yagura and caused the Nine-Tails' Rampage.
• Yagura agreed that Bai Ye was probably not the culprit, while Genji and Mei Terumi acknowledged they could only confirm the masked man's appearance and identity as an Uchiha.
• Mei Terumi urged Kirigakure to focus on recovery and open its market to Konoha, and Yagura accepted that he should atone for what happened.
• Genji and the others agreed to finalize cooperation with Bai Ye, remove Yagura as Fourth Mizukage, and consider Mei Terumi as his successor.
• Mei Terumi visited Bai Ye at the inn and asked how Kirigakure could pay for trade with Konoha despite its lack of suitable currency.
• Bai Ye brought up Konoha's New Currency and began presenting his Post-Blood Mist Kirigakure Economic Recovery Plan.

Bai Ye explained Konoha’s post-Blood Mist recovery plan, offering Kirigakure aid in exchange for access to its market, investment opportunities, and recognition of Konoha Bank. He then asked Mei Terumi to arrange a meeting with Kisame, leaving her uncertain what Bai Ye intended to do with him.

• Mei Terumi asked Bai Ye what Konoha and Kirigakure would each gain from the proposed recovery plan.
• Bai Ye outlined five years of aid in money, supplies, and equipment in exchange for opening Kirigakure’s market, recognizing Konoha Bank, and allowing Konoha businesses to operate there.
• Bai Ye suggested Mei Terumi could become the next Mizukage, but she said Kisame and Zabuza were also candidates and ruled out Yagura.
• After Mei Terumi mentioned Kisame, Bai Ye asked her to arrange a meeting with him.
• Mei Terumi agreed to try to arrange the meeting if Kisame was still in Kirigakure.

Bai Ye and Mei Terumi discussed Kirigakure’s trade agreement and the threat of the Masked Man before Mei asked why Bai Ye was pushing her to become Mizukage and treating her so well. Bai Ye teased her about liking him, leaving Mei flustered and unable to tell whether he was rejecting her or playing with her.

• Mei Terumi warned Bai Ye not to kill Kisame, and Bai Ye revealed he had been teasing her about eliminating her competition.
• Mei Terumi discussed Kirigakure’s trade agreement with Bai Ye and asked what he knew about the Masked Man who had controlled Yagura.
• Bai Ye reassured Mei Terumi that Kirigakure was unlikely to face immediate trouble, then drifted into thoughts about the Akatsuki, Orochimaru, and threats to the shinobi world.
• Mei Terumi asked why Bai Ye wanted her to become Mizukage and treated her differently, and Bai Ye asked if she thought he liked her.
• Mei Terumi began to suspect Bai Ye might be an ideal husband, but Bai Ye said he liked love-obsessed women and left her flustered with his teasing.

Bai Ye toyed with Mei Terumi’s feelings while considering how her affection could help him influence Kirigakure, leaving her uncertain about his intentions. After Mei Terumi returned home and tried to process their conversation, she found Bai Ye waiting in her bedroom late at night.

• Bai Ye admitted he was stringing Mei Terumi along, then suggested they work together for Konoha and Kirigakure’s future.
• Mei Terumi interpreted Bai Ye’s ambiguous words as a possible hint about their relationship, called him a bastard, and left.
• Shisui questioned Bai Ye’s conduct because of the rumors about Uchiha Izumi, and Bai Ye joked that adults could choose everyone before turning to plans involving Pakura.
• Mei Terumi returned to the Terumi Residence, avoided discussing her talk with Bai Ye, and later regretted leaving before saying more.
• Mei Terumi discovered Bai Ye sitting in her bedroom late at night and accused him of being a pervert.

Bai Ye visited Mei Terumi to ask her to prepare a Kirigakure letter agreeing to Sunagakure’s peace request so Pakura could return. After he left, Mei Terumi’s mother mistakenly assumed they had been intimate, leaving Mei embarrassed and privately wondering whether her mother’s advice might someday come in handy.

• Mei Terumi suspected Bai Ye had come to her room for an improper reason, but he explained that he had arrived through the front door after asking her parents for directions.
• Bai Ye asked Mei Terumi to issue a letter in Kirigakure’s name agreeing to Sunagakure’s peace request, and she agreed to give it to him the next day.
• Bai Ye left after discussing Pakura’s return, and Mei Terumi felt disappointed that he had departed so quickly.
• Mei Terumi’s mother assumed Bai Ye and Mei had been intimate and advised her to comfort him if he performed poorly.
• Mei Terumi corrected her mother’s misunderstanding, then caught herself considering whether the advice might be useful someday.

Mei Terumi struggled with her growing feelings for Bai Ye, while Bai Ye offered Pakura a choice between returning to Sunagakure or going to Konoha. Pakura was left weighing the chance to return and suspecting Bai Ye had an ulterior motive.

• Mei Terumi set aside her confused feelings for Bai Ye and focused on her responsibilities in Kirigakure.
• Bai Ye visited Pakura at night, and she threatened him with a kunai before he explained he had come to discuss her future.
• Bai Ye offered to help Pakura return to Sunagakure by using Kirigakure's upheaval to support a cover story, or to take her to Konoha as planned.
• Pakura considered returning to Sunagakure but hesitated and concluded Bai Ye must have another motive for making the offer.

Bai Ye told Pakura he wanted to unite the Shinobi World and asked her to return to Sunagakure, overthrow Rasa, and become Kazekage. Pakura agreed, intending to take revenge, and planned to return after Bai Ye explained the next steps.

• Pakura demanded to know why Bai Ye wanted her to return, and he said he wanted her to overthrow Sunagakure.
• Bai Ye explained that he hoped to unite the Shinobi World under one village and said Mei Terumi supported his goal.
• Pakura considered the obstacles to taking power in Sunagakure and asked how Kirigakure was cooperating with Bai Ye.
• Bai Ye said Pakura would need to become Kazekage, and Pakura agreed to return and take revenge on those who betrayed her.
• Bai Ye told Pakura to lie low after returning, promised to create an opportunity to oust Rasa, and said she could escape to Konoha if the plan became dangerous.

Bai Ye left Kirigakure after arranging a deal, while Mei Terumi faced becoming the village’s leading Mizukage candidate after Kisame’s departure. Bai Ye then stayed behind to search for Hozuki Suigetsu, Yuki Haku, and Kimimaro, and told Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi that Kirigakure’s past was more complicated than they knew.

• Bai Ye gave Pakura his preparations and sent her back to Sunagakure, then stayed in Kirigakure to finish his business.
• Mei Terumi reminded Bai Ye of his promise as he departed, while Kirigakure’s leaders reflected on the deal and her prospects of becoming Mizukage.
• Bai Ye told Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi to return to Konoha without him, but both refused to leave him behind.
• Bai Ye explained that he intended to search for Hozuki Suigetsu, Yuki Haku, and Kimimaro, whom he feared Orochimaru might recruit.
• Shisui criticized Kirigakure’s history and condition, and Bai Ye replied that the events there had been more complicated than Shisui understood.

Bai Ye explained that Kirigakure’s Blood Mist Policy grew out of a civil war and power struggle among its factions, then revealed that he planned to bring three children from Bloodline Families back to Konoha. Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi agreed with the idea, and the group prepared to retrieve them.

• Bai Ye told Shisui and Hyuga Hiashi that Kirigakure’s Blood Mist Policy had begun as an elite-training strategy before intensifying amid internal conflict.
• Bai Ye explained that the deaths of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and the Third Mizukage weakened the balance of power, while the Kaguya Clan’s bid for influence led to civil war under Yagura.
• Shisui realized that the Uchiha Clan might have suffered the Kaguya Clan’s fate without Bai Ye’s intervention.
• Hyuga Hiashi asked why Bai Ye had explained Kirigakure’s history, and Bai Ye revealed that he knew where three children from Bloodline Families were and wanted to bring them to Konoha.
• Hyuga Hiashi and Shisui accepted Bai Ye’s plan and became eager to take the bloodline ninjas from Kirigakure.

Rasa learned that Pakura had returned to Sunagakure and feared she might expose the leadership’s betrayal or trigger a crisis. He summoned her to his office, where she arrived calm, leaving Rasa tense and ready to strike.

• Rasa learned Pakura had returned and worried that she knew Sunagakure's leadership had betrayed her.
• Rasa suspected Kirigakure had sent Pakura back to provoke turmoil, and he ordered a messenger to bring her to the Kazekage's Office.
• Ebizo joined Rasa and argued that Pakura's calm behavior suggested she might not know the truth.
• Rasa and Ebizo heard Pakura arrive, and Rasa told her to enter.
• Pakura met Rasa's gaze calmly as he kept his hand ready to attack beneath the desk.

Pakura returned to Sunagakure with a peace agreement after helping resolve Kirigakure’s internal conflict, hiding that Rasa and Ebizo had sent her to die. Rasa and Ebizo believed her explanation and began considering whether Kirigakure’s troubles offered Sunagakure an opportunity, while Pakura quietly held to her plan to expose the betrayal and take power.

• Rasa and Ebizo watched Pakura warily, unsure why she had returned unharmed and whether she knew Sunagakure had betrayed her.
• Pakura told Rasa that Kirigakure had accepted Sunagakure’s terms and explained that she had gone there with Bai Ye during an internal conflict.
• Pakura said Bai Ye freed Yagura from his controller and that Mei Terumi had given her a peace agreement between Kirigakure and Sunagakure.
• Rasa and Ebizo accepted Pakura’s account as plausible, and Rasa examined the agreement.
• Ebizo wondered whether Kirigakure’s internal conflict had weakened it enough for Sunagakure to attack, while Pakura inwardly condemned their narrow focus on village interests.

Rasa and Ebizo decided to keep Pakura under surveillance and seek confirmation from Kirigakure before acting against her. Bai Ye returned to Konoha with Haku, Suigetsu, and Kimimaro, then planned to train them and accelerate the graduation of promising Ninja Academy students, leaving Shikaku wondering which village Bai Ye intended to fight first.

• Pakura warned Rasa and Ebizo that Sunagakure could not afford a war with Kirigakure, so Rasa ordered her monitored and planned to ask Kirigakure about the secret deal.
• Bai Ye gathered Yuki Haku, Hozuki Suigetsu, and Kimimaro Kaguya in the Land of Water and led them back to Konoha with Hyuga Hiashi and Shisui Uchiha.
• Shikaku questioned Bai Ye about bringing back three children from Kirigakure, and Bai Ye said he had found them himself.
• Bai Ye told Shikaku he would train the three for seven days, place them in Naruto and Sasuke's year, and arrange early graduation for capable students.
• Shikaku agreed to discuss early graduation with the Ninja Academy and wondered which village Bai Ye had chosen as his first enemy.

Bai Ye explained that Konoha would soon expand into the Land of Waves and the Land of Grass, prompting other villages to react, and assigned Shikaku to prepare the plans. Shikaku challenged Bai Ye over leaving him with the Hokage’s administrative work, so Bai Ye proposed a council and claimed Tsunade would join it.

• Bai Ye told Shikaku that the shinobi world could descend into turmoil next year as Konoha expanded, and said Konoha would first move against the Land of Waves and the Land of Grass.
• Bai Ye explained that the Land of Waves would provide the best route for trade with Kirigakure and that Konoha would use its recovery as an example of its rule.
• Bai Ye assigned the Land of Waves to someone else and told Shikaku to prepare a detailed plan for the Land of Grass.
• Shikaku objected to handling Konoha’s administration alone, and Bai Ye tried to persuade him to keep working by praising his contribution to the village.
• Bai Ye suggested forming a council with seats for Tsunade, the Hyuga Clan, the Uchiha Clan, Ino-Shika-Cho, and civilian ninja representatives, and told Shikaku to list Itachi as a Rogue Ninja.
• Shikaku questioned whether Tsunade would join the council, but Bai Ye insisted she owed the village a contribution because she was living on his resources.

Bai Ye avoided Tsunade by leaving Shikaku to handle Konoha’s administrative work while he took Kimimaro and the other two for training. Tsunade tracked him down, and after Hozuki Suigetsu and Yuki Haku mistook their relationship, she concluded that Bai Ye was secretly in love with her, leaving the group awkwardly realizing they had offended him too.

• Bai Ye dodged Shikaku’s warning about Tsunade, claimed he needed to train Kimimaro and the other two, and left Shikaku with the administrative work.
• Tsunade stormed into the Hokage’s Office demanding Bai Ye, and Shikaku told her where he had gone.
• Tsunade found Bai Ye with Kimimaro, Yuki Haku, and Hozuki Suigetsu, and she punched Suigetsu after he called her violent.
• Yuki Haku asked whether Tsunade was Bai Ye’s wife, and Tsunade decided Bai Ye’s actions meant he was in love with her.
• Tsunade teased Bai Ye about his supposed feelings, while the three newcomers realized they might have offended both Tsunade and Bai Ye.

Tsunade confronted Bai Ye over the money and casino he had promised her, then accepted his cash and offer to pay her debts. Bai Ye sent Hozuki Suigetsu and Yuki Haku back to their assignments, and they vowed to work hard to avoid returning to Kirigakure.

• Tsunade hit Hozuki Suigetsu after Bai Ye insulted her age, then threatened him into keeping his head down around her in Konoha.
• Bai Ye tried to leave, but Tsunade grabbed him and demanded the money and casino benefits he had promised.
• Tsunade ranted that Bai Ye had left her penniless and facing creditors, and Bai Ye offered her cash and promised to pay her debts.
• Bai Ye promised to prioritize building Tsunade's casino, so she took the money and ran, reminding him to fix the Hokage's Office door.
• Hozuki Suigetsu and Yuki Haku asked why Bai Ye gave Tsunade money, but he warned them to finish their assignments or return to Kirigakure.
• Hozuki Suigetsu and Yuki Haku promised to complete their assignments and asked Bai Ye to train them properly.

Tsunade celebrated receiving money by drinking with Shizune and asked how she could get revenge on Bai Ye, but rejected Shizune’s suggestion that she marry him and have children. Meanwhile, Bai Ye returned to the Uchiha Clan, where Uchiha Izumi greeted him while worrying about the growing number of women interested in him.

• Tsunade took Shizune to the Akimichi Clan's barbecue restaurant and treated herself to a feast with her money.
• Tsunade asked Shizune how she could get back at Bai Ye, admitting she could neither defeat him nor afford to lose his financial support.
• Shizune suggested Tsunade marry Bai Ye and have eight or ten children so she could torment him, but Tsunade rejected the idea.
• Bai Ye returned to the Uchiha Clan after handling his affairs and wondered why he kept sneezing.
• Uchiha Izumi greeted Bai Ye and worried that other women who wanted to marry him were increasing the competition.

Uchiha Izumi invited Bai Ye to lunch, while Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji wondered whether he would replace them with the three children he brought back from Kirigakure. News of Bai Ye’s actions and Kirigakure’s reforms spread across the Shinobi World, leaving Kirigakure’s leaders arguing over who had leaked it.

• Uchiha Izumi told Bai Ye that her grandfather had invited him for a meal, and Bai Ye went with her.
• Naruto worried that Bai Ye had found new students in Kirigakure, while Sasuke and Neji debated the idea.
• Neji learned that Bai Ye would visit the Ninja Academy the next day with the three children from Kirigakure.
• News spread across the Shinobi World that someone could control a Kage and a Jinchūriki, and that Kirigakure had ended the Blood Mist Policy and planned deeper cooperation with Konoha.
• Kirigakure’s senior officials argued about the leak, and Mei Terumi said the news was bound to emerge while Genji suspected the person who controlled Yagura had spread it.

Mei Terumi and Genji concluded that the news about Bai Ye was aimed at making other villages wary, while Kirigakure focused on rebuilding and preserving its peace with Sunagakure. Rasa accepted the report as credible and assigned Pakura to investigate Rōran’s dragon vein, hoping to find a way to strengthen Sunagakure against Konoha.

• Mei Terumi argued that Kirigakure was collateral damage and that the real target was Bai Ye.
• Genji and Mei Terumi speculated that the report was meant to make other villages wary of Bai Ye, then agreed Kirigakure should prioritize restoring its strength.
• Genji reflected that Kirigakure’s secret arrangement with Sunagakure had kept the two villages at peace, and Rasa likewise decided not to risk exposing their deal.
• After reading the report about Bai Ye, Rasa concluded that Konoha had become more aggressive and that Sunagakure might be unable to resist it.
• Rasa summoned Pakura and assigned her to investigate Rōran’s dragon vein, which Minato Namikaze had sealed.