Recaps

Xia Yan rallied Konoha’s clans and shinobi against Hiruzen Sarutobi’s plan to surrender Hyuga Hiashi, while Kumogakure escalated its threats into preparations for war. As Hiruzen lost control of the village, the Fourth Raikage led Kumogakure’s forces toward Konoha.

• Shikaku Nara and Hyuga Hiashi approached Xia Yan for support, and Shikaku concluded that Xia Yan was building a base to become Hokage.
• Hyuga Hiashi pledged the Hyuga Clan’s support to Xia Yan and the Fourth Hokage in exchange for help against Kumogakure’s demand to hand him over.
• Xia Yan directed Shikaku Nara to summon sympathetic clan heads, directors, and Jonin, then argued that Konoha could not surrender Hiashi without damaging the village’s unity and standing.
• At Anbu Headquarters, Shikaku Nara explained the crisis, and the assembled shinobi backed resistance to Kumogakure’s demands while Xia Yan urged them not to lose hope.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi found Hiashi absent and learned that Shikaku Nara had gathered Konoha’s leaders without him; the next day, Kumogakure issued an ultimatum after Konoha sent a forceful diplomatic report.
• The Fourth Raikage assembled Kumogakure’s forces, declared that they would demand justice from Konoha, and ordered them to march.

Xia Yan took command as Konoha prepared for war against Kumogakure and led a four-thousand-shinobi force toward the Land of Hot Water front. As Konoha’s troops marched, Xia Yan hinted that an Anbu operation was already underway to make Kumogakure concentrate its forces for a decisive battle.

• Xia Yan realized Kumogakure dared to send the Raikage and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki because the Raikage could use the Heavenly Transfer Technique to return quickly if his village was attacked.
• Xia Yan won Hiruzen Sarutobi’s reluctant approval to lead Konoha’s war effort, then ordered four thousand shinobi to reinforce the two thousand already gathered at the front.
• Shikaku Nara reported Konoha’s available forces, accepted responsibility for logistics, and chose to accompany Xia Yan as his adviser rather than command the main force himself.
• Konoha mobilized within two days, and Xia Yan led the four-thousand-strong force out of the village as residents praised him and criticized Hiruzen Sarutobi’s abandoned plan to hand over Hyuga Hiashi.
• Shikaku Nara asked Xia Yan about his strategy, and Xia Yan said an Anbu operation was already underway to draw Kumogakure’s troops together for a large-scale battle.

Nara Shikashiro persuaded Ōnoki to mass Iwagakure’s troops at the border, while Xia Yan led Konoha’s army toward the front and planned to draw Kumogakure into battle. After a small Cloud Ninja force attacked a supply outpost, Xia Yan went alone to confront them, and Shikaku Nara and the clan leaders hurried after him.

• Nara Shikashiro told Ōnoki that Xia Yan wanted Iwagakure to join the war, and Ōnoki agreed to invest in the newspaper and mass troops at the border.
• Xia Yan and Shikaku Nara discussed drawing Kumogakure’s forces to a plain, and Xia Yan revealed that Shikashiro had persuaded Ōnoki to mobilize.
• A Hyuga shinobi reported that about a hundred Cloud Ninja had broken through and attacked a Konoha supply outpost.
• Xia Yan ordered the exhausted main force to rest and went alone to deal with the Cloud Ninja.
• Shikaku Nara gathered Hyuga Hiashi and other clan representatives to follow Xia Yan, and they froze when they reached the outpost.

Senju Natsuhiko destroyed Kumogakure’s raiding force with Flying Thunder God and Wood Release, raising Konoha’s morale but leaving no survivors to question. At the stronghold, he delegated tactical planning to Shikaku Nara as the Fourth Raikage prepared a probing attack for dawn.

• Senju Natsuhiko used Flying Thunder God to kill nearly ten Cloud Ninja before revealing himself as Konoha Nightingale and trapping the rest with Wood Release.
• Shikaku Nara and the other clan leaders found more than a hundred Kumogakure shinobi dead, and the main force gained confidence after seeing Natsuhiko’s power.
• The Fourth Raikage learned that his raiding force had vanished and ordered a thousand fast shinobi to attack Konoha’s stronghold at dawn to identify its defenders.
• Shikaku Nara warned Senju Natsuhiko that Kumogakure might launch a small, intense raid and assessed the likely force’s mobility and strength.
• Senju Natsuhiko assigned Shikaku Nara responsibility for tactical details while keeping strategic decisions for himself.

Xia Yan inspected Shikaku Nara’s defenses before facing the Fourth Raikage, who led Kumogakure’s assault on the stronghold. Their battle left the Raikage unable to land a hit, and Xia Yan ended the chapter blocking his charge with Wood Release.

• Xia Yan used his Jōgan to inspect Shikaku Nara’s traps and reinforcements, then spotted the Fourth Raikage leading Kumogakure’s force.
• Kumogakure broke through the first defensive line, and Xia Yan sent Shikaku Nara to fight the Cloud Ninja while he confronted the Fourth Raikage.
• Xia Yan used Flying Thunder God to evade the Raikage’s attacks and repeatedly struck him, but Lightning Release Chakra Mode kept the Raikage’s defenses intact.
• The Fourth Raikage charged Xia Yan with Lightning Release: Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop, and Xia Yan stopped him with Wood Release: Wood Formation Wall.

Xia Yan fought the Fourth Raikage at Konoha’s stronghold, using Wood Release and Sage Mode to wound and suppress him. After the Raikage decided to cover his troops’ retreat, Xia Yan announced he was getting serious and unleashed Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

• The Fourth Raikage attacked Xia Yan’s Wood Formation Wall, but Xia Yan entered Sage Mode and used Wood Release: Tree Root Burial to force him into a destructive exchange.
• The battle’s shock waves killed shinobi from both sides, prompting the remaining Konoha and Kumogakure forces to retreat while Shikaku Nara held back his troops.
• Xia Yan dodged the Fourth Raikage’s attacks and stabbed him with a senjutsu-infused blade, piercing his defenses and forcing the Raikage to recognize the danger he posed.
• Killer B waited at Kumogakure’s camp and saw the returning troops arrive with the Fourth Raikage in an unusually battered state.
• The Fourth Raikage decided to cover his subordinates’ retreat and later join forces with Killer B, while Xia Yan challenged him over the Cloud Ninja’s deaths.
• Xia Yan warned the Fourth Raikage that he would have to remember the dead for his remaining troops and himself, then began Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence.

Xia Yan routed the Fourth Raikage’s thousand-man force with Wood Release, leaving Kumogakure badly battered and Konoha emboldened. As Shikaku Nara prepared Konoha’s next move and Ōnoki approached the battlefield, Kumogakure’s leaders planned to lure Konoha toward a plain suited for a counterattack.

• Xia Yan unleashed Wood Release, overwhelmed the Fourth Raikage, and helped Konoha inflict heavy casualties on Kumogakure’s force.
• The injured Fourth Raikage consulted Killer B and Dodai, who advised him to fortify Kumogakure’s defenses and stabilize morale.
• Shikaku Nara reported Konoha’s victory to Xia Yan and outlined a plan to make Kumogakure shift its defensive lines.
• Xia Yan received an Anbu report that Iwagakure had mobilized and that Ōnoki was traveling toward the battlefield.
• Ōnoki learned that the Fourth Raikage was injured and that Konoha and Kumogakure were deadlocked, then continued toward the front.
• Dodai warned the Fourth Raikage that Konoha was advancing toward a plain where Kumogakure could charge and trap them.

Xia Yan and Shikaku Nara’s plan lured Kumogakure into driving Konoha’s forces onto the plains, setting up a decisive battle. As Kumogakure prepared to attack at dawn, Ōnoki suspected Konoha had deliberately created its apparent crisis and wondered which side would meet its doom.

• Xia Yan and Shikaku Nara reviewed their pressure campaign against Kumogakure, and Xia Yan told him to keep Konoha’s main force from advancing once both armies assembled.
• Dodai explained to the Fourth Raikage that Kumogakure needed to crush Konoha quickly, while an Anbu report that Konoha had halted prompted Dodai to urge an attack.
• Kumogakure attacked from three directions, surrounding hundreds of Konoha shinobi and forcing the main force toward the designated plains as Xia Yan’s plan reached its final stage.
• Kumogakure drove Konoha onto the plains, and the Fourth Raikage ordered Dodai to launch the final offensive the next morning.
• Kitsuchi questioned why Ōnoki was still observing the battlefield, but Ōnoki suspected Konoha had engineered its predicament and said it remained unclear whose doom was approaching.

Xia Yan activated his Jōgan Chakra Mode and advanced alone against Kumogakure’s assembled army, overwhelming its forces with his speed and strength. After a devastating warm-up, he summoned a Wood Release Giant and declared that none of the Cloud shinobi would escape, leaving Kumogakure facing what Shikaku Nara believed was its end.

• Hyuga Hiashi reported that Kumogakure had assembled under the Fourth Raikage and Killer B, and Xia Yan revealed his Jōgan’s terrifying chakra before heading out alone.
• Xia Yan’s presence unnerved Kumogakure’s forces until they charged him without waiting for orders, while Shikaku Nara ordered Konoha’s troops to hold back.
• Xia Yan used taijutsu and Flying Thunder God to cut through the Cloud army, killing and scattering shinobi as Konoha’s commanders watched in disbelief.
• The Fourth Raikage and Killer B charged Xia Yan, but he evaded them and warned that none of their people would escape.
• Xia Yan summoned a towering Wood Release Giant, and the Fourth Raikage realized Xia Yan had lured Kumogakure’s main force into a trap.
• Shikaku Nara explained that Kumogakure could not retreat without inviting an invasion, and concluded that the village was likely finished.

Xia Yan overwhelmed Kumogakure’s army with Wood Release, forcing Killer B to unleash the Eight-Tails’ full power and the Fourth Raikage to fight desperately. After surviving their combined assault and a Tailed Beast Bomb without injury, Xia Yan left them facing despair.

• Xia Yan’s Wooden Golem devastated Kumogakure’s forces, and Killer B transformed into the Eight-Tails to stop it.
• Xia Yan unleashed Advent of a World of Flowering Trees, whose poisonous pollen incapacitated and trapped Cloud Ninja as Konoha’s leaders watched.
• The Fourth Raikage and Killer B’s Eight-Tails grew stronger, while Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure’s troops to prepare to advance toward Kumogakure.
• Xia Yan expanded his Wooden Golem to a hundred meters, summoned a Wood Dragon, and challenged the Raikage and Killer B to defeat him before their trapped troops died.
• The Fourth Raikage attacked Xia Yan while the Eight-Tails struck with its full strength and fired a Tailed Beast Bomb, setting the forest ablaze.
• Xia Yan emerged from the smoke unharmed, leaving the Fourth Raikage and Killer B despairing.

Xia Yan unleashed Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands against the Cloud Ninja forces, devastating the battlefield and leaving the Fourth Raikage's fate unknown. Afterward, Xia Yan left the ruined plain, while the wounded Killer B survived and resolved to return to Kumogakure.

• Xia Yan rose into the sky and sent the Wooden Golem and Wood Dragon after the Fourth Raikage and Killer B, binding the Eight-Tails and draining its chakra.
• Xia Yan summoned Sage Art: Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands, terrifying the Cloud Ninja and prompting the Fourth Raikage to ask who he was.
• Xia Yan identified himself as Senju Natsuhiko and unleashed the technique's gigantic fists against the Eight-Tails and the Cloud Ninja forces.
• The attack shattered the Eight-Tails, obliterated the Cloud Ninja army, and left the battlefield devastated as Konoha's troops and Ōnoki struggled to escape the shock waves.
• Xia Yan dispelled the technique, exhausted, and walked away without checking for survivors.
• Killer B survived amid the ruins, learned that his brother's fate was unknown, and resolved to return to Kumogakure.

After waking from his exhausting battle against Kumogakure, Xia Yan learned that Konoha had suffered heavy casualties but that Shikaku Nara fully supported his bid to become Hokage. Xia Yan led the victorious force back to Konoha, where Hiruzen Sarutobi publicly praised him as Konoha’s future.

• Xia Yan woke in a cave and asked Shikaku Nara about the troops, the casualties, and events in Konoha.
• Shikaku Nara reported six hundred Konoha deaths and over fifteen hundred wounded, and agreed to help Xia Yan prepare for Hiruzen Sarutobi to acknowledge his shortcomings.
• News of Xia Yan’s victory spread through Konoha, raising his prestige while Hiruzen Sarutobi and his advisers worried about their dwindling influence.
• Xia Yan and the main force returned to Konoha after a long journey and were greeted by a cheering crowd.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed the returning shinobi and called them heroes, telling Xia Yan that Konoha’s future rested on him.

Xia Yan returned to Konoha after crushing Kumogakure, disclosed his powers to Shōma Senju, and resumed managing the Anbu while Shōma urged him to have descendants. As Iwagakure weighed its new policy toward Konoha and Nagato recovered under Black Zetsu’s care, Nagato resolved to collect the tailed beasts and defeat Xia Yan, who then appeared in a secluded woodland in the Land of Fire.

• Xia Yan reviewed Anbu affairs and told Shōma Senju about his senjutsu, Wood Release, and eyes, while Shōma pressed him and Renka to preserve his bloodline.
• Iwagakure’s army entered the Land of Lightning after Kumogakure’s defenses collapsed, and Ōnoki directed his elders to avoid provoking Konoha and follow its lead in negotiations.
• Black Zetsu restored Nagato with White Zetsu and Hashirama’s power, and Nagato’s Rinnegan helped him absorb the power and regain his strength.
• Black Zetsu told Nagato that Xia Yan had annihilated Kumogakure’s eight-thousand-strong force, and Nagato blamed himself for failing to stop him.
• Nagato vowed to collect the tailed beasts, bring peace to the Shinobi World, and defeat Xia Yan, while Xia Yan appeared in a secluded woodland in the Land of Fire.

After inspecting the seeds gained from the war with Kumogakure, Xia Yan discussed Orochimaru’s research and revealed his plan to become the Fifth Hokage. In the Land of Rain, Nagato revealed to Konan that he had only pretended to trust Black Zetsu and had discovered the seal Black Zetsu planted in his body.

• Xia Yan found that his Wood Release had absorbed chakra from the Kumogakure army and granted him Lightning Release seeds, but he decided not to pursue power by destroying a world.
• Xia Yan checked the tree containing Kimimaro’s bone, found that his experiment had failed again, and chose not to pressure Kimimaro.
• Orochimaru told Xia Yan that Chiyo’s Living Corpse Reincarnation technique was incomplete and that he needed more time to research it.
• Xia Yan admitted he intended to become the Fifth or Acting Hokage, and Orochimaru congratulated him.
• Nagato told Konan that he had feigned trust in Black Zetsu after discovering a Cursed Seal in his body, and vowed not to let Black Zetsu control him.

Xia Yan prepared to secure the Hokage position while setting harsh terms for peace with Kumogakure. After reading reports of Xia Yan’s victories, Minato Namikaze decided to support his succession, and Xia Yan told his allies that he would meet Minato before the Kumogakure diplomats arrived.

• Xia Yan left Orochimaru’s Secret Base after checking on the experiments and encouraging Kabuto, then returned to Konoha.
• Minato Namikaze read newspaper reports of Xia Yan’s victories over Kumogakure and recognized that Xia Yan was preparing to become Hokage.
• Minato Namikaze told Kushina that he had decided to help Xia Yan become Hokage, valuing his family life and believing Xia Yan would protect Konoha.
• Xia Yan proposed demanding war reparations, Kumogakure’s withdrawal from the Land of Hot Water, and Ninjutsu, while Shikaku Nara recorded the terms.
• Xia Yan told Shikaku Nara that he would meet Minato Namikaze before Kumogakure’s diplomats arrived to discuss the final operation.

Xia Yan discussed Konoha’s internal reforms with Shikaku Nara, aiming to weaken clan-based identities and strengthen the shared identity and rights of Konoha shinobi. Shikaku agreed to develop the proposed rank-based representation system as Xia Yan left to meet Minato Namikaze.

• Xia Yan told Shikaku Nara that Konoha needed reforms to its power distribution and future direction.
• Xia Yan proposed ending the priority given to clan identity and restoring shinobi ranks as a unifying identity; Shikaku recognized the plan and agreed that the timing was right.
• Shikaku suggested strengthening jonin authority and benefits for all ranks, while Xia Yan said jonin numbers and qualifications should be strictly controlled and those who failed should be demoted.
• Shikaku proposed a Hokage-led conference system, and Xia Yan expanded it into a representative system with rank-based elections, internal meetings, and an annual Konoha Ninja Conference.
• Xia Yan told Shikaku to include civilians in the representation plan, then left to meet Minato Namikaze and postponed discussion of foreign policy.

Xia Yan secured Minato Namikaze’s support for a Hokage election and confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi about Konoha’s coming political upheaval. Hiruzen accepted that Xia Yan would become Hokage and agreed to remain in service under him.

• Xia Yan traveled to Mount Myōboku and met Minato Namikaze, who promised to support a Hokage election if Xia Yan advanced it.
• Little Nine-Tails told Xia Yan that Minato Namikaze had begun mastering the Nine-Tails’ chakra.
• Xia Yan met Hiruzen Sarutobi in the Hokage’s office, where they clashed over whether Xia Yan’s rise could be stopped.
• Xia Yan told Hiruzen Sarutobi he would negotiate with Konoha’s power holders but would crush any resistance.
• Xia Yan asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to remain and help him govern Konoha, and Hiruzen reluctantly agreed.

Xia Yan secured the path to becoming Hokage, faced his doubts about the ruthless methods he had used to gain power, and prepared Konoha for a new era. After winning the election, he was inaugurated as the Fifth Hokage, while his conversation with Hyuga Hiashi raised questions about his Jōgan.

• Xia Yan told Shōma Senju that a crucial Hokage election was coming and revealed he expected to become the Fifth Hokage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze announced they would step aside, and Konoha began a village-wide election with Xia Yan, Shikaku Nara, and Hyuga Hiashi as candidates.
• Xia Yan rebuked Jiraiya for staying outside Konoha’s orbit and assigned him to hunt down Orochimaru.
• Shikaku Nara helped Xia Yan block Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura as rival candidates, while Xia Yan gained clan leaders’ support for his reforms.
• Hyuga Hiashi asked whether Xia Yan’s eyes were the Tenseigan, but Xia Yan refused to discuss them and said he belonged to the Senju Clan.
• Xia Yan was elected and, wearing the Hokage’s hat, declared himself the Fifth Hokage before the cheering crowd.

Senju Natsuhiko began his first day as Konoha’s Fifth Hokage by reviewing his growing powers and convening the village’s Jonin and clan heads to announce reforms. With many clans already supporting him, he began reshaping Konoha’s leadership, starting with a proposal to appoint Kakashi as Anbu Director.

• Senju Natsuhiko prepared for his first day as Hokage, asked Renka to arrange the Anbu handover, and planned to reorganize the Secretariat with Qiong’s help.
• Senju Natsuhiko checked his status panel and saw his unique mission progress had risen to 85 percent, strengthening his powers while his Jōgan remained largely unchanged.
• Senju Natsuhiko welcomed Konoha’s Jonin and clan heads to a meeting, where Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Uchiha, and the other clans gathered.
• Senju Natsuhiko announced that the meeting would focus on reforming Konoha’s personnel and policies, and Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and other clan leaders voiced their support.
• Senju Natsuhiko proposed appointing Kakashi as Anbu Director after vacating the post himself.

Xia Yan reorganized Konoha’s administration and announced reforms to improve jonin pay and access to resources. He then proposed a Full Jonin Assembly, where attendees would represent their shinobi rank rather than their clan.

• Xia Yan appointed Kakashi as Anbu Director, kept Shikaku Nara in the Administrative Affairs Department, and took over as Jonin Commander after Shikaku resigned.
• Xia Yan established eight departments, assigned their directors, expanded the Intelligence Division into an Intelligence Office under Inoichi Yamanaka, and gave Shōma Senju control of the Finance Department.
• Xia Yan assigned the Missions Department to the Aburame and Inuzuka clans, kept the Military Police Force under Uchiha management, entrusted National Defense to the Hyuga Clan, and gave Foreign Affairs and Education to smaller clans.
• Xia Yan proposed guaranteed monthly payments for jonin and greater resource investment, including opening Konoha’s Ninjutsu Library to them and rewarding shinobi who contributed ninjutsu.
• Xia Yan proposed replacing the existing meeting format with a Full Jonin Assembly, where attendees would represent their shinobi rank rather than their clan.

Xia Yan’s first major reform as Hokage replaced clan-head representation with elected Jonin representatives, and the proposal passed by a narrow vote despite fierce opposition. After consolidating Konoha’s departments, he considered a cautious path toward further reforms and turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi to handle people marked on a list.

• Xia Yan proposed that only elected representatives, rather than clan heads, could attend Konoha’s meetings, prompting shock from clan leaders and enthusiasm among civilian Jonin.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained to a clan member why Xia Yan’s reforms could benefit Konoha and the clans in the long run, while warning that Xia Yan was ruthless.
• Xia Yan held a close vote on the Jonin reforms, winning by a narrow margin with support from civilian Jonin, core clans, and the Sarutobi Clan.
• Xia Yan considered investigating a route to the moon and the Tenseigan but decided to prepare carefully and have the Anbu search for a teleportation array.
• After Konoha’s departments were reshuffled, Xia Yan summoned Shikaku Nara and Hiruzen Sarutobi and handed Hiruzen a list of people to deal with.

Fifth Hokage Xia Yan ordered Hiruzen Sarutobi to carry out a purge of Konoha’s suspected opponents while directing new reforms to rebuild the village’s administrative talent and shinobi ranks. Hiruzen and Shikaku Nara took on their assigned tasks, and Xia Yan left Kakashi in charge of the Anbu as Konoha braced for uproar.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi saw Xia Yan’s purge list and urged him to reconsider, but Xia Yan assigned Hiruzen to carry it out.
• Xia Yan told Shikaku Nara to demand the Two-Tails’ chakra from Kumogakure and help the Anbu and Newspaper Office publicize evidence of suspicious activity.
• Xia Yan proposed training administrative shinobi, expanding Jonin advancement for specialists who met the standards, and abolishing the Special Jōnin position.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed abolishing Special Jōnin, and Xia Yan arranged for the newspaper to report that Hiruzen had initiated the plan.
• After the announcement sparked uproar in Konoha, Xia Yan asked Kakashi to search for ancient ruins and confirmed Kakashi would remain Anbu Director for now.
• Kakashi told Xia Yan that Hiruzen had requested Anbu support, and Xia Yan instructed Kakashi to cooperate with him.

Hiruzen helped Xia Yan eliminate over a thousand conspirators, then accepted the blame while asking to see Konoha rise to the top of the Shinobi World. As Xia Yan advanced reforms and prepared for negotiations with Kumogakure, Orochimaru summoned him to witness a breakthrough in a resurrection technique.

• Hiruzen entered Mitokado Homura's home and confronted Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, choosing to help the Anbu arrest them and their allies.
• The Anbu and Military Police Force carried out the purge, and Xia Yan burned the report detailing the deaths of over a thousand people.
• After a week's leave, Hiruzen told Xia Yan he would keep shouldering the blame if Xia Yan promised to make Konoha the strongest village; Xia Yan agreed and asked him to bring Asuma back.
• Xia Yan oversaw Jonin reforms, accepted the Sarutobi Clan's ninjutsu collection, and recommended that Shikaku Nara establish a larger secretarial department.
• Xia Yan left a Shadow Clone in Konoha and met Orochimaru, who showed him a pale Uchiha corpse and a bandit as he began demonstrating his resurrection technique.

Xia Yan watched Orochimaru use a modified Living Corpse Reincarnation to revive an Uchiha shinobi by sacrificing a bandit, then traded White Zetsu tissue for both versions of the technique. Over the following year, Xia Yan consolidated Konoha’s power, expanded its influence through negotiations, and returned to the Anbu Headquarters in Konoha Year 52.

• Orochimaru revived a dead Uchiha shinobi by transferring the bandit’s life force and chakra, leaving the bandit aged and lifeless.
• Orochimaru explained that he had modified Living Corpse Reincarnation using his research into Impure World Reincarnation, and Xia Yan proposed combining the techniques to resurrect the dead fully.
• Xia Yan gave Orochimaru White Zetsu tissue in exchange for the original and modified Living Corpse Reincarnation techniques, then studied them and trained Hidan to learn the resurrection jutsu.
• Shikaku Nara and Konoha’s Foreign Affairs Department negotiated with Kumogakure, securing reparations and its withdrawal from the Land of Hot Water while Konoha expanded its influence.
• Xia Yan entered Konoha Year 52 after consolidating his power and seeing his reputation rise, then traveled to the Anbu Headquarters.

Xia Yan used Impure World Reincarnation to bring Hatake Sakumo back as part of an experiment to develop a jutsu that could fully resurrect the dead. After reuniting with Kakashi, Sakumo agreed to take part in the experiment and serve Konoha again.

• Xia Yan told Kakashi that the resurrection research was ready for an experiment and took him to Sakumo's grave to collect a bone.
• Xia Yan used Impure World Reincarnation on a Kirigakure death-row prisoner, bringing Hatake Sakumo back, and intervened when Sakumo reflexively reached for Kakashi.
• Kakashi and Sakumo reunited and briefly caught each other up before returning to Xia Yan and Hidan.
• Xia Yan explained that fully resurrecting Sakumo might require another life and urged him to consider Kakashi and Konoha.
• Sakumo accepted Xia Yan's offer and thanked him for the chance to help Kakashi and serve Konoha again.