Recaps

Sōkyū Hatake exposed Danzo’s Root schemes, survived an assassination attempt, and raided Sunagakure for intelligence and forbidden jutsu. After devastating the village and completing his battlefield mission target, he returned to the front and encountered Chiyo as Orochimaru confronted her.

• Sōkyū Hatake brought Nara Rokuten to Hiruzen Sarutobi, exposed his Root connection, and received a Chunin promotion while Hiruzen confronted Danzo.
• Danzo’s Root operatives abducted Mitaraishi Anko and Ayame to lure Sōkyū Hatake, but Sōkyū revealed they were lightning clones and killed Aburame Ryoma.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi suspended Danzo and ordered Root operatives outside Konoha to register before leaving the village.
• Sōkyū Hatake entered Sunagakure disguised as Chōya Subaru, stole intelligence and gold from Rasa’s office, and triggered the alarm while taking forbidden jutsu from the archive.
• Sōkyū Hatake unleashed Senjutsu: Disaster Kirin on Sunagakure, escaped toward the border, and harvested 268 souls to reach his Elite Chunin mission target.
• Sōkyū Hatake defeated Sasori’s Hiruko puppet and returned to Orochimaru and Tsunade with Sunagakure’s stolen intelligence and ninjutsu.
• Chiyo ordered the Sand Shinobi to avoid fighting Sōkyū Hatake alone, and Sōkyū later encountered her before Orochimaru challenged her and Sōkyū slipped away.

Sōkyū Hatake helped uncover Sasori’s abduction of Rasa, then returned to Konoha as Sunagakure chose Rasa as its Fourth Kazekage and made peace with Konoha. He left with Team Minato for the Iwagakure front, where he began learning Flying Thunder God and gained elite-level Armament Haki.

• After checking in at the border for the 365th day, Sōkyū Hatake awakened the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, earned the title Thunder God, and heard that Orochimaru wanted to see him.
• Orochimaru showed Sōkyū Hatake that Yamato had survived a year and a half of Hashirama cell experiments, and Yamato woke and pledged loyalty to Orochimaru.
• Mitaraishi Anko reunited with Sōkyū Hatake after graduating and becoming Orochimaru’s student, while revealing that Danzo had tried to recruit her into Root.
• Sōkyū Hatake volunteered to search for the missing Rasa, traveled to the Land of Wind, and joined Pakura in tracking gold dust and puppet signs to Sasori’s hidden cave.
• Sōkyū Hatake and Pakura found Rasa bound in Sasori’s operating room, but Sasori completed a Human Puppet from Rasa before Madara Uchiha arrived and took Sasori away.
• Sunagakure named Rasa the Fourth Kazekage, and his succession brought a ceasefire and reparations that ended the conflict with Konoha.
• Back in Konoha, Sōkyū Hatake returned Yamato to Orochimaru, arranged Medical Ninjutsu training for Ayame and Anko, and learned that Team Minato would be sent to the Iwagakure front.
• Sōkyū Hatake joined Minato Namikaze and Team Minato for the Iwagakure front, received the Flying Thunder God scroll from Minato, and gained elite-level Armament Haki at the border.

Sōkyū Hatake fought Han and Ōnoki before vanishing in a battle at Kannabi Bridge, prompting Konoha’s leaders to believe he was dead. Badly injured, he reached Rōran, where he joined Sara in uncovering Anrokuzan’s puppet scheme and was surrounded by puppet soldiers beneath the city.

• Sōkyū Hatake fought Han to a standstill, then Minato Namikaze assigned him to lead a squad on a mission to destroy Kannabi Bridge.
• At Kannabi Bridge, Sōkyū Hatake’s squad ambushed an Iwa convoy while Sōkyū fought Ōnoki, who trapped him with Dust Release.
• Sōkyū Hatake escaped Ōnoki’s attack only to be struck by Hōki, and Ōnoki and Hōki believed their combined assault had killed him.
• Minato Namikaze and Kakashi Hatake mourned Sōkyū Hatake, while Orochimaru and Tsunade left Konoha to seek justice for him.
• Orochimaru and Tsunade attacked Iwagakure’s field headquarters as Ōnoki withdrew his forces, and Sōkyū Hatake awoke badly injured in Rōran.
• Sara met Sōkyū Hatake, who revealed Anrokuzan’s crimes and helped her discover that Rōran’s citizens were being controlled and forced to build puppets.
• Sōkyū Hatake and Sara freed the imprisoned workers and led them toward an escape route before going to the chamber beneath the work site.
• Anrokuzan revealed his plan to harness the Ryūmyaku, then summoned thousands of puppet soldiers to surround Sōkyū Hatake and Sara.

Sōkyū Hatake defeated Anrokuzan, absorbed the Ryūmyaku, and secretly saved Rin Nohara before returning to Konoha as Orochimaru exposed Danzo’s crimes. The confrontation over Hatake Sakumo’s reputation ended with Sōkyū and Danzo vanishing inside the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, leaving Hiruzen and Orochimaru at odds.

• Sōkyū Hatake defeated Anrokuzan, then entered the Ryūmyaku as Sara took control of Rōran and promised to protect its people.
• More than a year later, Sōkyū Hatake revealed Madara Uchiha’s plot to Obito Uchiha, saved Rin Nohara, and helped her take a hidden new identity.
• Minato Namikaze entered the Fourth Hokage race, while Orochimaru joined him and Shimura Danzō as a candidate to fulfill Sōkyū Hatake’s wish and clear Hatake Sakumo’s name.
• Orochimaru exposed Danzo’s orders for forbidden experiments with a Tone Dial recording, and Sōkyū Hatake returned to demand an investigation into his father’s death.
• Sōkyū Hatake exposed the Hashirama cells and Sharingan on Danzo’s arm, then faced Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konoha’s forces with the Seven-Tails Chōmei.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi promised to clear Hatake Sakumo’s name and investigate Danzo, but Sōkyū Hatake restrained Danzo and attacked him when he broke free.
• Danzo survived Sōkyū Hatake’s lightning with Izanagi and activated the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, while Hiruzen Sarutobi blocked Fugaku from intervening.
• Sōkyū Hatake resisted the seal with Armament Haki, but he and Danzo vanished when it reached its limit, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru arguing over Hatake Sakumo.