Recaps

Hatake Xuanzhe restored Sakumo’s resolve, joined the war against Sunagakure, and killed the Second Kazekage after secretly killing Shinnosuke. Konoha celebrated the victory and awaited a ceasefire, while Jiraiya kept his suspicions to himself and Hiruzen questioned him about the mission.

• Xuanzhe intervened when villagers and Root members condemned Sakumo, destroying Hokage Rock with black flames and forcing Hiruzen to summon the brothers.
• Hiruzen sent Xuanzhe and Sakumo to reinforce Tsunade’s forces, where Xuanzhe fought Bunpuku and helped drive Konoha’s forces to retreat before Shukaku could emerge.
• Xuanzhe backed Shinnosuke’s demand to continue the war and proposed infiltrating the Land of Wind to assassinate Shamon.
• Xuanzhe killed Shinnosuke in the Land of Rain, then traveled with Jiraiya to Sunagakure and beheaded Shamon in the Kazekage’s Office.
• Xuanzhe returned to the battlefield with Shamon’s head, prompting Konoha to withdraw as Sunagakure prepared to negotiate a ceasefire.
• Xuanzhe told Sakumo and the villagers that Shamon had killed Shinnosuke, and Konoha welcomed the returning forces despite Sakumo receiving little recognition.
• Jiraiya confronted Xuanzhe about Shinnosuke’s death but left without reporting his suspicions, while Orochimaru delivered Sunagakure’s ceasefire agreement to Hiruzen.
• Hiruzen questioned Jiraiya about the mission, and Jiraiya said he had not witnessed Shinnosuke’s death but that Shamon had killed him.

Xuan Zhe maneuvered to advance Tsunade’s claim to the Hokage position as Konoha’s conflict with Kumogakure escalated into a disastrous campaign under Danzo. Danzo lost his arm and command, while Tsunade continued treating the wounded on the western front and Danzo turned to new schemes for power.

• Jiraiya’s account of Sarutobi Shinnosuke’s death made Hiruzen Sarutobi suspicious of Xuan Zhe, and Hatake Sakumo attacked Xuan Zhe with Chidori before both were wounded.
• Xuan Zhe’s Ninja Dogs ate the Gekko clan watcher Yuzuki, while Minato Namikaze trained with Jiraiya and received the Flying Thunder God technique from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Xuan Zhe supported Tsunade’s ambition to become Hokage, and the graduates Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Kurenai, and Shisui entered their new teams and training arrangements.
• Orochimaru revealed that Danzo had imprisoned Shisui Uchiha for Hashirama cell experiments, then defected after Hiruzen tried to blame him for Shisui’s death.
• Xuan Zhe warned that Kumogakure’s attack on Sunagakure was a feint, but Hiruzen sent Minato and Tsunade’s force to the Land of Wind while A and Killer B advanced toward the Land of Fire.
• Danzo led Konoha’s army against Kumogakure, lost his right arm to A, and ordered a retreat as the enemy inflicted heavy casualties.
• Xuan Zhe struck Killer B with a devastating sword attack that stopped Kumogakure’s pursuit, while Shikaku Nara’s report blamed Danzo’s command for Konoha’s defeat.
• Hiruzen replaced Danzo with Hatake Sakumo and sent Danzo back to Konoha, where Danzo resolved to oppose Tsunade and seek power through Hashirama’s cells.

Xuan Zhe led Konoha through escalating battles against Kumogakure and Kirigakure, breaking Madara’s scheme and rescuing Rin while the war devastated the Land of Fire. As Konoha’s forces converged on the Western Front, Xuan Zhe pushed to end the conflict by exploiting the clash between Iwagakure and Kumogakure.

• Xuan Zhe and Hatake Sakumo fought A and Killer B, but Killer B transformed into the Eight-Tails and forced Konoha’s forces to retreat, and Xuan Zhe exposed a White Zetsu disguised as Tsunade and rescued Rin.
• After A died from his wounds, the Third Raikage vowed revenge, while Kirigakure and Iwagakure advanced toward the Land of Fire and Hiruzen Sarutobi led Konoha reinforcements south.
• The Third Mizukage defeated Hiruzen’s force at the Land of Whirlpools, and Xuan Zhe refused to send northern troops until Kirigakure invaded the Land of Fire and the southern crisis became unavoidable.
• Xuan Zhe joined Hiruzen’s battered forces and took charge of the defense, then confronted the Third Mizukage, who trapped him in an Izanami loop while Kirigakure captured Rin.
• Xuan Zhe released Ryūjin Jakka, broke free of Izanami, killed the Third Mizukage, and defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist before rescuing Rin from Raiga Kurosuki.
• Xuan Zhe arranged for Mei Terumi to join Rin’s squad, told Rin that Obito had died, and traveled west with both girls to reunite with Tsunade, Minato Namikaze, and Jiraiya.
• After learning that Kakashi and Obito had destroyed Kannabi Bridge and that Obito had saved Kakashi, Xuan Zhe rejected Jiraiya’s invitation to take matters into his own hands.
• When Ōnoki launched Iwagakure’s assault on the Third Raikage’s force, Xuan Zhe urged Konoha to exploit the battle and end the war, as the Raikage fought off Dust Release and Earth Flow Spears.

Xuan Zhe helped Tsunade become Hokage, exposed Danzo’s secret experiments, and set in motion a confrontation that ended with Hiruzen killing Danzo. As Kushina gave birth to Naruto, Orochimaru and Obito launched separate attacks on Konoha.

• Xuan Zhe and Konoha’s forces defeated the Iwa army, captured the Third Raikage and Ōnoki, and secured a ransom before the war continued toward the Land of Wind.
• Xuan Zhe backed Tsunade’s appointment as Fourth Hokage, and Nawaki uncovered Danzo’s hidden laboratory, where Shisui was imprisoned and subjected to Hashirama cell experiments.
• Danzo was exposed and arrested, but Hiruzen urged him to take the blame for their past crimes, prompting Danzo to escape and attack the Sarutobi Clan Compound.
• Danzo killed Biwako, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura before Hiruzen killed him, while Nawaki and Xuan Zhe kept Konoha’s other clans from intervening.
• Shisui joined Tsunade’s Anbu, the Third Shinobi World War ended, and Xuan Zhe watched Konoha’s younger generation grow as Minato and Kushina prepared for Naruto’s birth.
• Xuan Zhe suppressed the Nine-Tails’ chakra during Kushina’s labor, while Orochimaru took over Asuma’s body and attacked the Sarutobi compound as Obito returned to Konoha.
• Obito saw Rin kissing Xuan Zhe, awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, and attacked people in the streets, while Minato rescued newborn Naruto from a masked intruder.