Chapter Summaries

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.

Xia Yan revived Hatake Sakumo by having Hidan transfer his vitality, then examined the resurrection’s effects and appointed Sakumo as the first member of his Hokage Shadow Guard. Later, as Sakumo recovered and Kakashi learned more about Orochimaru, Xia Yan prepared a meeting to advance Konoha’s foreign policy and shinobi reforms.

• Xia Yan observed Hidan transfer his vitality into Hatake Sakumo, whose body reformed and began beating with a living heart.
• Hatake Sakumo awoke alive and embraced Kakashi, while Xia Yan restored Hidan with vitality chakra after the transfer left him gravely weakened.
• Hatake Sakumo reported reduced strength and chakra, and Xia Yan invited him to become the first member of his Hokage Shadow Guard.
• Hatake Sakumo and Kakashi confirmed through an examination that Sakumo had been restored to his own body, while Kakashi learned that Xia Yan was working with Orochimaru.
• Hatake Sakumo advised Kakashi to focus on his duties and strength, and Xia Yan prepared to chair a meeting about Konoha’s foreign policy and shinobi reforms.

Xia Yan secured Konoha’s support for reforms and a plan to build influence over neighboring small countries through investment, missions, and proxy leadership. After Konoha began investigating targets, Kakashi brought Xia Yan news of a sealed summoning array that might relate to the passage to the moon, though it lacked the unusual pool Xia Yan expected.

• Shikaku Nara reported that Konoha’s Jonin reforms had succeeded, and the Jonin agreed to annual assessments that would demote thirty people and cap their ranks at three hundred.
• Xia Yan proposed extending benefits and special talent training to Chunin and Genin, and the meeting accepted the reforms.
• Xia Yan outlined a plan to invest in neighboring small countries, develop their infrastructure and shinobi villages, and gain influence through loans, trade, and cooperative leaders.
• Shikaku Nara supported Xia Yan’s foreign policy proposal and raised the need to choose compliant local partners, while the meeting prioritized the Land of Hot Water for investigation.
• Konoha’s shinobi began gathering intelligence on surrounding villages as Xia Yan waited for reports.
• Kakashi told Xia Yan that his team had found a cave-like place containing a seal-covered Summoning Array, but no unusual pool.

Xia Yan investigated a sealed cavern, activated a lunar teleportation array, and reached the moon, where he encountered four Ōtsutsuki guards. After discovering their mastery of Yin-Yang Release, he fought them and began testing his own power, leaving one guard dead and another badly injured.

• Xia Yan used his Jōgan to examine the cavern’s seals, then entered alone while Kakashi and Hatake Sakumo returned to Konoha with his shadow clone.
• Xia Yan followed the sealed passage to a moonlit summoning array and used it to teleport to the moon’s barren surface.
• Four Ōtsutsuki guards confronted Xia Yan, and he identified their Byakugan and their mastery of Gentle Fist and Yin-Yang Release.
• Xia Yan used Yin-Yang Release and Flying Thunder God to kill one guard and wound another, while the remaining two guarded against his attacks.
• The injured Ōtsutsuki warned his allies that Xia Yan used seeds underground to teleport, and Xia Yan prepared to fight more seriously.

Xia Yan fought the Ōtsutsuki on the moon, killing the first defenders and battling Ōtsutsuki Ran with Yin-Yang Release and senjutsu. As Ran prepared to stake his life on stopping him, Xia Yan activated Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and matched his power.

• An Ōtsutsuki shinobi destroyed Xia Yan’s underground marks with Rotation, but Xia Yan killed him and two others with Yin-Yang Release: Konohanasakuya-hime.
• Ōtsutsuki Ran led a team to confront Xia Yan, who unleashed Sage Art: Yin-Yang Release: Tree World Eternal Burial and began cutting through the injured Ōtsutsuki.
• Ōtsutsuki Ran recognized Xia Yan as a descendant of Asura and chose to fight at the cost of his life while the Ōtsutsuki Clan Leader watched from inside the moon.
• Xia Yan judged Ran’s full power dangerous and activated Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, bringing his aura level with Ran’s.

Xia Yan killed Ōtsutsuki Ran with a combined Yin-Yang Release and Tailed Beast attack, then entered the moon’s interior and faced its patriarch, Ōtsutsuki Zhenye. With Flying Thunder God disrupted and the Tenseigan’s power bearing down on him, Xia Yan prepared to reveal the abilities of his eyes.

• Xia Yan and Ōtsutsuki Ran fought across the lunar surface, and Xia Yan unleashed Yin-Yang Release: Sage Art: Tailed Beast Bomb against Ran’s Vacuum Attack, killing him in the resulting blast.
• The explosion devastated the lunar surface and damaged the barrier, after which Xia Yan headed for the underground Ōtsutsuki settlement.
• The Ōtsutsuki patriarch decided to use the Tenseigan’s power to avenge his clansmen and kill Xia Yan.
• Xia Yan broke through the settlement’s barrier and discovered the moon’s vast interior, including its artificial sun, forests, and villages.
• Ōtsutsuki Zhenye attacked Xia Yan and disrupted space, preventing him from safely using Flying Thunder God.
• Xia Yan closed his eyes and prepared to use them after Zhenye challenged him.