Recaps

After Hatake Sakumo’s death, Sōkyū Hatake pursued strength, became Orochimaru’s apprentice, and gained new techniques and Pikachu as a companion. Danzo’s efforts to seize Sōkyū helped fuel a crisis with Kumogakure, while Kakashi’s growing power and the coming war left both brothers facing greater dangers.

• Sōkyū Hatake trained relentlessly, drew Hiruzen Sarutobi’s attention, and mourned Hatake Sakumo while privately blaming Danzo for his father’s death.
• At Hatake Sakumo’s funeral, Minato Namikaze recruited Kakashi Hatake for Team Minato, while Sōkyū Hatake began sharing ideas about immortality and cloning with Orochimaru.
• Sōkyū Hatake became Orochimaru’s apprentice and learned Soru, then used the technique to evade Danzo’s attempt to recruit him into Root.
• Sōkyū Hatake used the system to perfect basic techniques and build his chakra, then received Pikachu through the Traveling Frog and introduced it to Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Obito Uchiha.
• Two Root ninjas attacked Sōkyū Hatake in the Forest of Death, and Pikachu helped him kill them before he hid the bodies and left the scene.
• Danzo blamed Kumogakure for the killings and encouraged unrest, leading Hiruzen Sarutobi to send Danzo and a thousand ninjas toward the border as war began.
• Sōkyū Hatake and Kakashi Hatake sparred, and Kakashi revealed his Chidori before an Anbu ninja summoned him to the Hokage, and Sōkyū reflected on Kakashi’s burdens and the dangers ahead.

Sōkyū Hatake used the war to build an alliance between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans while confronting Hiruzen Sarutobi over the Hatake Clan’s place in Konoha. After Kakashi departed for the front, Sōkyū began Academy classes, fought Orochimaru, and returned with a six-month graduation wager and a promise to see him again.

• Kakashi left for the Iwagakure front as war spread, while Sōkyū Hatake received his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Bakusaiga, and a perfected power that removed the fruit’s weakness to water.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi secured Sōkyū Hatake’s signature on an agreement concerning the Hatake Clan’s Council of Elders seat, and Sōkyū secretly learned where Hiruzen hid it.
• Sōkyū Hatake persuaded Uchiha Fugaku to address the Uchiha Clan’s divisions and proposed sharing the Konoha Military Police Force with other clans while sending most Uchiha to war.
• At the Council of Elders Meeting, Uchiha Fugaku blamed Kumogakure for Uchiha Yenka’s death and secured permission to deploy Uchiha forces, while Hyuga Hiashi and Fugaku arranged a broader police force.
• Sōkyū Hatake told Kakashi he would reclaim Hatake Sakumo’s honor, demonstrated his healing and Bakusaiga’s power, and shared a drink with him at their father’s grave.
• Sōkyū Hatake entered the Academy, threatened Uchida Uchiha after he insulted Hatake Sakumo, and sent a Shadow Clone to class while he trained in the Forest of Death.
• Sōkyū Hatake fought Orochimaru at the Valley of the End, exhausted himself with God’s Relic, and gave Orochimaru the Sharingan they had wagered over while refusing his request to study his body.
• Orochimaru carried Sōkyū Hatake back to the Academy, wagered his Substitution Technique against Sōkyū’s blood over graduation, and told him he would wait six months as Sōkyū returned to class.

Sōkyū Hatake graduated early, joined Orochimaru’s forces, and helped turn back Rasa’s attack before facing Sunagakure ninja on the battlefield. After exposing Rasa’s betrayal of Ebizo and beginning to hunt enemy fighters, Sōkyū was trapped in sand by two wounded Chunin.

• Sōkyū Hatake trained Mitaraishi Anko, then chose early graduation after Uchiha Fugaku showed him Orochimaru’s urgent report about the Third Kazekage and Shukaku.
• Sōkyū defeated Minamikawa Ōzora in his graduation exam, received his forehead protector, and left Konoha with the supply unit for the Sunagakure Front.
• At the front, Sōkyū used Advanced Sage Mode and a powerful lightning technique against Rasa’s forces, while Orochimaru’s real body avoided Rasa’s trap and captured Ebizo.
• Sōkyū received Hell’s Curse and an exclusive substitution technique from Orochimaru, then learned that Chiyo and Rasa were preparing to attack.
• Sōkyū played a recording of Rasa ordering Ebizo to take the brunt of his attack, but Chiyo dismissed it and urged Sunagakure to fight.
• Sōkyū disguised himself as Rasa to approach two Sand ninja, then killed Xiaohe and Brother Yan and sent Orochimaru back to his battle with Chiyo.
• Sōkyū ambushed a six-ninja Sunagakure squad with lightning, killing three Genin and badly wounding two Chunin before the captain escaped.
• The two wounded Chunin trapped Sōkyū Hatake in sand with Desert Funeral.

Sōkyū Hatake fought Chiyo, helped expose Nara Rokuten as the mole, and outmaneuvered Sunagakure as Iwagakure’s movements threatened the village. The arc ended with Sōkyū learning from Ebizo that Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s missing forces might be heading for Sunagakure.

• Sōkyū Hatake killed the Elite Chunin captain and the remaining Chunin, then received Observation Haki and a new battlefield mission.
• After reports identified Sōkyū as the attacker behind Sunagakure’s western losses, he chose to deploy alone to the eastern battlefield, where his upgraded Observation Haki helped him detect threats.
• Sōkyū fought Chiyo with his lightning abilities and advanced Sage Mode until Tsunade intervened, forcing Chiyo to flee.
• Orochimaru and Sōkyū used a lie detector to expose Nara Rokuten as the mole, and Tsunade stopped him when he attacked Sōkyū.
• Sōkyū and Orochimaru spread news of Iwagakure’s missing forces to prompt Sunagakure to recall Rasa and Pakura, while Tsunade’s presence helped Konoha push back the offensive.
• Sōkyū fought Pakura, won their bet when she left to answer the battlefield signal, and brought her to Rasa, who agreed to a truce as Orochimaru negotiated compensation.
• Yamashiro Kōyō revealed that Nara Rokuten was a Root agent, but his Tongue Eradication Cursed Seal prevented him from explaining why he had leaked intelligence.
• Sōkyū questioned the imprisoned Ebizo, who feared that Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s missing forces were heading for Sunagakure.