Recaps

After completing his sword-training quest, Sōkyū Hatake checked in at Hokage Rock and gained a physique boost. He resolved to grow strong enough to protect himself and save his brother Kakashi, then considered borrowing training methods from anime in his former life.

• Sōkyū Hatake completed 1,000 sword swings and gained one level in swordsmanship.
• Sōkyū recalled arriving in the Naruto world after Hatake Sakumo's suicide and recognized the danger facing him and Kakashi.
• Sōkyū washed and dressed before jogging to the top of Hokage Rock despite the villagers' stares.
• Sōkyū checked in at Hokage Rock for the third time and gained one point in physique.
• Sōkyū reviewed his stats and considered trying the Saitama Training Method.

Hiruzen Sarutobi investigated Sōkyū Hatake’s visits to Hokage Rock and then visited the Hatake compound on the day of Hatake Sakumo’s burial. Sōkyū welcomed him and served him lunch, leaving Hiruzen to hear how Sōkyū had managed alone after his mother’s death.

• An Anbu scout reported that Sōkyū Hatake had been sitting on Hokage Rock for three days, and Hiruzen Sarutobi decided to visit the Hatake compound.
• Sōkyū prepared lunch while Kakashi Hatake remained away, then went to answer a knock at the gate.
• Sōkyū recognized Hiruzen Sarutobi, greeted him warmly, and invited him inside to eat.
• Hiruzen asked about Kakashi, and Sōkyū explained that he had cooked because his brother had not returned.
• Sōkyū told Hiruzen that he had cooked and eaten alone for years after his mother died and his father and brother were busy.

Hiruzen Sarutobi visited Sōkyū Hatake on Hatake Sakumo’s funeral day and tested his loyalty to Konoha, while Sōkyū hid his hostility behind a convincing performance. After Hiruzen left, Sōkyū prepared for the funeral, but Kakashi Hatake caught him taking an old black robe from his room.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi visited Sōkyū Hatake, shared a meal, and said he would attend Hatake Sakumo’s funeral.
• Sōkyū Hatake asked whether his father had truly been a failure, and Hiruzen promised to investigate the villagers’ rumors.
• Hiruzen asked Sōkyū about his dream, and Sōkyū claimed he wanted to become strong enough to protect those he cared about.
• Hiruzen left after deciding Sōkyū and Kakashi Hatake both showed the Will of Fire, while Sōkyū privately resolved to make Hiruzen and Shimura Danzō suffer.
• Sōkyū threw away the dishes Hiruzen had used, took an old black robe from Kakashi Hatake’s room, and was challenged by Kakashi.

After Sakumo Hatake’s death, Kakashi realized Sōkyū had been taking care of him and promised to look after his younger brother. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi refused Shimura Danzō’s demands to take either Hatake boy, then reviewed a team roster for Kakashi.

• Sōkyū Hatake took black clothes for his father’s funeral, and Kakashi let him go try them on.
• Kakashi looked at family photographs and promised his parents he would take good care of Sōkyū.
• Shimura Danzō demanded that Hiruzen Sarutobi hand Kakashi over to him, but Hiruzen refused and said Kakashi was on the Anbu evaluation list.
• Danzō then asked for Sōkyū, but Hiruzen refused to give him either Hatake boy.
• After Danzō left, Hiruzen examined a team assignment roster for Kakashi, and the papers revealed a young man with golden hair.

Kakashi Hatake and Sōkyū Hatake attended their father Hatake Sakumo’s sparsely attended funeral, where Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Sakumo and promoted the Will of Fire. Afterward, Minato Namikaze told Kakashi he had been assigned to Team Minato, and Kakashi agreed to meet his new teammates.

• Kakashi Hatake and Sōkyū Hatake arrived early at Hatake Sakumo’s funeral and noted that few people had come.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru attended, and Sōkyū Hatake spoke briefly with Orochimaru.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Hatake Sakumo at the funeral and gave a speech about the Will of Fire, which Sōkyū privately rejected.
• After the burial, Minato Namikaze told Kakashi Hatake that he would join Team Minato on the Hokage’s orders.
• Kakashi Hatake initially refused, but Minato Namikaze persuaded him to meet his new teammates.

Sōkyū Hatake drew Orochimaru into a conversation about immortality, using the idea of cloning a body to extend the life of an indestructible soul. The chapter left Orochimaru startled when Sōkyū suddenly called him “Uncle Orochimaru.”

• After leaving Hatake Sakumo’s grave, Sōkyū Hatake met Orochimaru, who confronted him about his knowledge of immortality.
• Sōkyū Hatake took Orochimaru to the Hatake Clan compound to speak privately, suspecting that others were watching them.
• Orochimaru asked Sōkyū Hatake what he thought about immortality, and Sōkyū argued that even the Sage of Six Paths had eventually died.
• Sōkyū Hatake connected the soul’s survival, demonstrated by Impure World Reincarnation, to the possibility of replacing an aging body with a clone.
• Orochimaru questioned Sōkyū Hatake about cloning, then reacted in surprise when Sōkyū called him “Uncle Orochimaru.”

Sōkū Hatake persuaded Orochimaru to explore cloning as a way to support his immortality research and secured an alliance against Shimura Danzō. Orochimaru accepted the deal, while Sōkū planned to help expose Danzō if he tried to betray Orochimaru.

• Sōkū explained cloning and proposed combining it with the Spirit Transformation Technique and Living Corpse Reincarnation to create a more suitable method of transferring Orochimaru’s soul.
• Orochimaru confronted Sōkū about his motives, and Sōkū asked to share the research results and revealed that Orochimaru was working with Shimura Danzō.
• Sōkū requested evidence of Danzō’s human experiments, explaining that he blamed Danzō’s Root for spreading the rumors that led Hatake Sakumo to suicide.
• Orochimaru accepted the deal because Hatake Sakumo had once saved his life, and Sōkū advised him to preserve Danzō’s scrolls as evidence and frame the experiments as orders from Danzō.
• Sōkū shared his limited knowledge of cloning, and Orochimaru left with a rudimentary understanding of the technology and growing interest in Sōkū.

Sōkyū Hatake persuaded Orochimaru to take him as an apprentice and protect him from Shimura Danzō, then trained and learned that Kakashi had joined Minato Namikaze’s team. Shimura Danzō heard about the meeting and decided to approach Sōkyū Hatake himself.

• Sōkyū Hatake asked Orochimaru to take him as an apprentice and shield him from Shimura Danzō, and Orochimaru agreed in exchange for future help.
• After Orochimaru left, Sōkyū Hatake trained at the training ground until Kakashi returned home.
• Kakashi told Sōkyū Hatake that he had joined Minato-sensei’s team with Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara.
• Kakashi decided he would protect his younger brother as Sōkyū Hatake prepared dinner.
• A Root ninja reported Sōkyū Hatake’s meeting with Orochimaru to Shimura Danzō, who ordered the mission to stand down and chose to approach Sōkyū Hatake himself.

Sōkyū Hatake trained to complete a daily mission that would reward him with basic proficiency in Soru, while Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara left the village on a B-Rank mission. Danzo arranged to take advantage of their absence and set his sights on Sōkyū Hatake at Hokage Rock.

• Sōkyū Hatake received a mission to swing a sword 1,000 times and perform 1,000 frog jumps for basic proficiency in Six Powers: Soru.
• Kakashi told Sōkyū Hatake that Team Minato was leaving the village for a B-Rank mission, and Obito Uchiha arrived to hurry him along.
• After Kakashi and Obito Uchiha departed, Sōkyū Hatake began his training and considered what the system’s new skill reward might mean.
• Danzo learned that Kakashi had left and that Orochimaru would be occupied in his laboratory for several days.
• Danzo ordered members of the first and third squads to assemble so he could go to Hokage Rock and target Sōkyū Hatake.

Sōkyū Hatake completed the system’s sword-swinging and frog-jump tasks, earning beginner-level Soru and testing the technique. A Root ninja watching him mistook the sudden movement for a powerful taijutsu secret and planned to report it to Shimura Danzō.

• Sōkyū Hatake finished 1,000 sword swings, ate lunch, and began the system’s 1,000 frog jumps.
• Shimura Danzō waited in a bush near Hokage Rock while his Root ninja wondered why Sōkyū had not arrived.
• Sōkyū struggled through the frog jumps as the Root ninja secretly watched him from a tree outside the Hatake Clan compound.
• Sōkyū completed all 1,000 jumps and received beginner-level Soru from the system.
• Sōkyū tried Soru, shot across the training ground, and crashed into a post.
• The Root ninja saw Sōkyū’s rapid movement, mistook it for taijutsu rather than a chakra technique, and decided to report his discovery to Shimura Danzō.

Sōkyū Hatake checked in at Hokage Rock and received a one-use Traveling Frog, while Danzo tried to recruit him by pretending to sympathize over his father. The chapter left Sōkyū wary of Danzo’s condolences, knowing Danzo had helped cause Hatake Sakumo’s death.

• A Root ninja told Danzo that Sōkyū Hatake had practiced a chakra-free technique resembling the Body Flicker Technique, and Danzo copied the frog-jump movements.
• Danzo frog-jumped out from the bushes in front of Sōkyū, who pretended not to have seen his movements before heading to Hokage Rock.
• Sōkyū checked in at Hokage Rock and received a one-use Traveling Frog, which appeared on his shoulder.
• Danzo approached Sōkyū and asked about the frog, then tried to win him over by expressing sympathy about Hatake Sakumo’s death.
• Sōkyū lowered his head and privately remembered that Danzo had helped bring about his father’s death.

Danzo tried to recruit Sōkyū Hatake into Root, claiming Hatake Sakumo had served there, while Sōkyū stalled by invoking Orochimaru and asking to wait. As they sat overlooking Konoha, Danzo asked Sōkyū what his dream was.

• Danzo praised Hatake Sakumo and offered to make Sōkyū powerful if he joined Root.
• Sōkyū tested Danzo by mentioning Hiruzen Sarutobi and claiming Orochimaru had been ordered to take him as a disciple.
• Danzo urged Sōkyū to visit Root immediately, but Sōkyū stalled by saying he needed to cook and wanted to enjoy the view first.
• Danzo took Sōkyū to the back of Hokage Rock, where they discussed Konoha's founding by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha.
• Danzo asked Sōkyū what his dream was, while Sōkyū wondered why no one had come to rescue him.

Danzo tried to recruit Sōkyū Hatake into Root, but Sōkyū stalled until Orochimaru arrived to take him away. Danzo left to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi about Orochimaru’s claim that Sōkyū was his apprentice.

• Danzo asked Sōkyū Hatake about his dream, and Sōkyū said he wanted to become Hokage and make Konoha the strongest village.
• Danzo invited Sōkyū to visit Root, but Sōkyū asked to discuss it with his Nii-chan Kakashi first.
• Danzo grew suspicious and his Root ninja moved behind Sōkyū, ready to take him away by force.
• Orochimaru arrived, and Sōkyū used Soru to reach him, claiming he had mastered a movement technique Orochimaru taught him.
• Orochimaru refused Danzo’s request to recruit Sōkyū and said Danzo would need to discuss it with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Danzo set off to confront Hiruzen Sarutobi about Orochimaru taking Sōkyū as his apprentice.

After Danzo left, Sōkyū Hatake taught Orochimaru the basics of Soru in exchange for Orochimaru’s help. Back at the Hatake compound, Sōkyū activated the Traveling Frog, which departed through a rift for a ten-day journey.

• Orochimaru revealed that he had been nearby while Danzo spoke with Sōkyū Hatake and asked about Sōkyū’s Soru technique.
• Sōkyū taught Orochimaru the basics of Soru, and Orochimaru quickly learned how to use it.
• Orochimaru’s Shadow Clone vanished, and his real body resumed an experiment with Hashirama’s cells in the Forest of Death.
• Sōkyū returned to the Hatake Clan compound and activated the Traveling Frog through the system.
• The Traveling Frog leaped into a rift in space and time and began a journey scheduled to last 240 hours.

Sōkyū Hatake obtained scrolls for the Chakra Extraction Technique and the Three Body Technique, then used the system to perfect the techniques. He began extracting chakra and left his body’s cells rapidly accumulating it.

• Sōkyū Hatake asked Kakashi for the Chakra Extraction Technique and Three Body Technique scrolls, and Kakashi gave him both.
• Sōkyū Hatake’s system offered to analyze the techniques and accelerate the process for 100,000 yen.
• Sōkyū Hatake took 100,000 yen from Hatake Sakumo’s hidden stash and paid to complete the analysis immediately.
• The system transferred perfect-level versions of the Chakra Extraction Technique, Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, and Substitution Technique to Sōkyū Hatake.
• Sōkyū Hatake tested the Substitution Technique, exhausted his small chakra supply, and reviewed his low stats and newly perfected skills.
• Sōkyū Hatake began using the perfect-level Chakra Extraction Technique, causing chakra to accumulate rapidly in his body’s cells.

As pressure mounted along Konoha’s borders, Sōkyū Hatake received a Poké Ball from Traveling Frog and released Pikachu. The system began binding Pikachu to Sōkyū, enabling them to understand each other and allowing Pikachu to be summoned with the Summoning Technique.

• Sōkyū Hatake spent the day with Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara as they discussed the tense situation at the borders and bickered.
• Traveling Frog returned to Sōkyū Hatake’s room, delivered a small bundle, and vanished through a dimensional portal.
• Sōkyū Hatake opened the bundle and found a Poké Ball containing a random Pokémon.
• Sōkyū Hatake released Pikachu from the Poké Ball.
• The system detected Pikachu and began binding it to Sōkyū Hatake.

Sōkyū Hatake summoned Pikachu, whose Thunderbolt startled the nearby ninja and drew the attention of Anbu. After explaining Pikachu’s arrival to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sōkyū learned that Hiruzen already knew he had become Orochimaru’s student, leaving Kakashi, Rin, and Obito surprised.

• Sōkyū Hatake summoned Pikachu, who greeted him with a Thunderbolt that left his hair standing in an afro.
• Rin Nohara adored Pikachu, while Obito noticed traces of its powerful lightning chakra and Kakashi questioned its place among the Hatake Clan’s summoned beasts.
• Anbu arrived after sensing Pikachu’s Thunderbolt and took Sōkyū, Kakashi, Rin, Obito, and Pikachu to the Hokage Office.
• Sōkyū told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Pikachu had appeared beside him and completed a summoning contract, and Hiruzen accepted the explanation.
• Hiruzen asked Sōkyū whether he had become Orochimaru’s student, astonishing Kakashi, Rin, and Obito.

Sōkyū Hatake confirmed to Hiruzen Sarutobi that Orochimaru had taken him as an apprentice, then escaped Kakashi’s attempt to punish him for calling him a martial nephew. He went to Ichiraku Ramen, where he met Teuchi and Ayame and ordered tonkotsu ramen.

• Sōkyū Hatake told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Orochimaru had invited him to become his apprentice, and Hiruzen approved.
• After Hiruzen left, Sōkyū called Kakashi his martial nephew, prompting Kakashi to swing a wooden sword at him.
• Sōkyū used Soru to dodge Kakashi’s strike and fled the Hatake Clan compound, leaving Obito Uchiha behind with Kakashi.
• Hungry, Sōkyū went to Ichiraku Ramen, where Teuchi welcomed him and recalled Hatake Sakumo.
• Teuchi introduced his daughter Ayame to Sōkyū, who ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen at her suggestion.

Sōkyū Hatake visited Ichiraku Ramen with Pikachu, then discovered his chakra natures and sparred with Kakashi. The chapter ended with Kakashi pinning Sōkyū down, while his gloom began to lift.

• Sōkyū Hatake introduced Pikachu to Ayame at Ichiraku Ramen, where Pikachu ate a meal from Uncle Teuchi.
• Sōkyū Hatake bought two sheets of Chakra Paper and confirmed that his chakra natures were water, earth, and lightning.
• Kakashi surprised Sōkyū Hatake and offered him an Earth-Style Wall scroll, prompting Sōkyū to challenge him.
• Sōkyū Hatake dodged Kakashi's ambush and struck him back, then the two chased each other through the house.
• Kakashi pinned Sōkyū Hatake and beat him, smiling beneath his mask as the gloom in his heart began to dissipate.

Sōkyū Hatake trained with Pikachu in the Forest of Death when Root ninjas ambushed them on Danzo’s orders. Pikachu and Sōkyū fought back, but one Root ninja caught Sōkyū and threatened to use Root’s Water Prison.

• Sōkyū tested Pikachu’s powerful Thunderbolt and continued training in the Forest of Death.
• Two Root ninjas watched Sōkyū and then attacked, demanding that he come with them.
• Pikachu blocked the first ninja’s strike and killed him with Thunderbolt.
• Sōkyū used Soru to evade the surviving ninja’s Wind Release attack and countered with a kunai.
• The Root ninja caught Sōkyū by the hand and said he would subject him to Root’s Water Prison.

Sōkyū Hatake defeated two Root ninja who tried to capture him, then fled before Konoha’s Anbu arrived and mistook the Lightning Release traces for signs of a Kumogakure attack. He returned to Ichiraku Ramen, where Ayame’s embrace of Pikachu briefly alarmed Teuchi.

• Sōkyū Hatake used Pikachu’s Thunder to kill the Root ninja restraining him, after which he reflected that Danzo still wanted to capture him.
• The system awarded Sōkyū Hatake 200 points for killing two Konoha ninja and began a 24-hour update that unlocked the points shop.
• Sōkyū Hatake looted the bodies, stored them in the system space, cleaned up the scene, and left using Soru.
• Anbu ninja found the Lightning Release traces and suspected that Kumogakure shinobi had been involved, then decided to report to the Hokage.
• At Ichiraku Ramen, Ayame hugged Pikachu and accidentally clung to Sōkyū Hatake, prompting Teuchi to raise his cleaver before realizing what had happened.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected Danzo’s attempt to blame Sōkyū Hatake for the deaths in the Forest of Death and ordered a formal demand for answers from Kumogakure. Danzo planned to inflame tensions with Kumogakure, while rumors spread through Konoha and stirred public anger.

• Anbu reported powerful Lightning Release Chakra at the Forest of Death and suspected Kumogakure, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to order a demand for an explanation.
• Danzo insisted that Sōkyū Hatake was responsible and asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to hand the boy over to Root, but Hiruzen refused and warned Danzo to stay away from him.
• Danzo left the Hokage Building determined to provoke Kumogakure and use a conflict to strengthen his claim to the Hokage position.
• Sōkyū Hatake returned home and noticed that the village had grown tense as rumors blamed Kumogakure for killing two Konoha ninja.
• Danzo watched villagers gather below the Hokage Office to demand action and smiled at the unrest.

As Konoha and Kumogakure moved toward war, Danzo volunteered to lead the first force to the battlefield and pushed for Uchiha fighters to join it. Hiruzen Sarutobi approved the deployment, and Danzo prepared to set out at the head of a thousand ninjas.

• Sōkyū Hatake observed Konoha's tense atmosphere as its conflict with Kumogakure escalated into war.
• Danzo volunteered to lead Konoha's response and proposed bringing Orochimaru, a Hyūga reconnaissance team, and members of the Uchiha and Aburame Clans.
• Orochimaru declined to join Danzo, while Uchiha Fugaku objected to sending Uchiha fighters because the clan was short-handed.
• Danzo insisted that at least ten Uchiha ninjas join the force, and Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu supported his request.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi approved the deployment, and Danzo assembled a thousand ninjas for the expedition.

Hiruzen Sarutobi announced that Shimura Danzō would lead a thousand ninja to confront Kumogakure, while Sōkyū Hatake and Kakashi stayed in Konoha and sparred. Their training match escalated when Kakashi unveiled Chidori, leaving Sōkyū facing the dangerous unfinished technique.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi announced Kumogakure's declaration of war and sent Shimura Danzō with a thousand ninja toward the border.
• Sōkyū Hatake told Kakashi to be careful on his missions, and Kakashi challenged him to demonstrate his strength.
• Sōkyū Hatake and Kakashi went to the training ground and began sparring with wooden swords.
• Sōkyū Hatake evaded Kakashi's attack with Soru and countered with Wind Scar, which Kakashi avoided using Substitution Technique.
• Kakashi revealed his newly learned Chidori, and Sōkyū Hatake recognized the danger of the unfinished technique.

Sōkyū Hatake defeated Kakashi in their spar by dodging his Chidori and countering with Thousand Years of Death, then protected himself from Kakashi’s retaliation with Iron Body. After Kakashi was summoned by the Hokage, Sōkyū reflected on his brother’s burdens and resolved to keep growing stronger for the dangers ahead.

• Sōkyū Hatake used Kami-e to evade Kakashi’s Chidori and landed Thousand Years of Death while Kakashi could not control his charge.
• Kakashi seized Sōkyū Hatake to retaliate, but an Anbu ninja arrived and summoned him to the Hokage.
• Sōkyū Hatake tried to leave, but Kakashi attempted Thousand Years of Death on him; Sōkyū blocked it with Iron Body, injuring Kakashi’s hands.
• After Kakashi left the training ground, Sōkyū Hatake reappeared and reflected on Kakashi’s genius, emotional burdens, and the threats facing them in the future.