Chapter Summaries

Senju Chen defended Hatake Sakumo at the Ninja Academy, prompting Tsunade to confront Konoha’s leaders over the village’s treatment of the disgraced hero. The Hokage delayed a decision, while Chen revealed that he was deliberately using the escalating public condemnation to prepare Sakumo’s disappearance and new life.

• Senju Chen stood up to Uchiha Inabi and defended Kakashi and Hatake Sakumo, silencing the academy students and giving Kakashi a sense of support.
• Tsunade learned of Chen’s argument, then dragged Jiraiya to the Hokage Building to challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders over Sakumo’s condemnation.
• Danzo argued that Sakumo had betrayed the village by abandoning his mission, while Orochimaru highlighted the conflict between shinobi rules and the Will of Fire.
• Hiruzen ordered the rumors quelled but postponed judging Sakumo’s actions, and Tsunade left disappointed.
• At the Senju residence, Chen reflected on how his plan was tightening public opinion around Sakumo and said he would offer him a new life when his execution seemed inevitable.

As public opinion in Konoha drove Hatake Sakumo toward despair, Orochimaru offered him a way to die as a tragic hero and protect Kakashi’s future. Sakumo vanished after leaving a suicide note and his White Fang Tanto, and the village learned the next morning that he had supposedly killed himself.

• Konoha’s people split between defending Hatake Sakumo and condemning him, while Sakumo stayed home and struggled with doubts about his actions and the pain he had caused Kakashi.
• Orochimaru visited Sakumo and persuaded him that his apparent suicide would spare Kakashi lasting shame and turn him into a respected tragic hero.
• Sakumo wrote a suicide note blaming himself, left his White Fang Tanto beside Kakashi, and left the house while Kakashi slept under the effects of Orochimaru’s drug.
• Senju Chen watched Sakumo disappear into the night with Orochimaru and planned to use his supposed death to influence Konoha and its younger generation.
• The next morning, Konoha learned that Sakumo had apparently killed himself, and the village fell silent in shock, grief, and regret.

At Hatake Sakumo’s funeral, Senju Chen comforted the devastated Kakashi while Tsunade and Jiraiya watched the village leaders with anger and doubt. In private, Chen received a powerful kenjutsu skill from the system and resolved to reunite Kakashi with his father one day.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a brief eulogy at Hatake Sakumo’s funeral while Kakashi stood holding his father’s portrait, numb with grief.
• Senju Chen comforted Kakashi beneath an umbrella, while Tsunade glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura.
• Senju Chen slipped into a grove and learned that he had changed Hatake Sakumo’s fate, earning an extra skill slot and a Fate’s Gift draw.
• Senju Chen drew Hatake Style Kenjutsu: Mastery and absorbed Hatake Sakumo’s sword skills, experiences, and muscle memory.
• Senju Chen returned to Kakashi and secretly vowed to reunite him with Hatake Sakumo and use his new blade to challenge the village’s corruption.

After Hatake Sakumo's funeral, Kakashi buried himself in training while Senju Chen's body adapted to Sakumo's kenjutsu memories. Chen demonstrated the Hatake Style technique Severing Fang during a spar with Might Guy, leaving Kakashi demanding to know how he knew his father's kenjutsu.

• Kakashi withdrew from most people and trained obsessively, while Senju Chen visited and watched him.
• Senju Chen continued adapting to Hatake Sakumo's kenjutsu memories as he mentally practiced the techniques.
• Might Guy challenged Senju Chen to a wooden-sword spar, and Chen used Sakumo's footwork to evade Guy's attacks.
• Senju Chen instinctively executed Severing Fang, disarmed Might Guy, and held his wooden sword at Guy's throat.
• Kakashi recognized his father's technique and asked Senju Chen how he knew Hatake Sakumo's kenjutsu.

Senju Chen crushed Kakashi and Might Guy with his swordsmanship, then met Orochimaru underground to exchange his blood for the plan to fake Hatake Sakumo’s death. The chapter ended with Chen proposing a new purpose for Sakumo in the Land of Rain.

• Senju Chen’s swordsmanship left Kakashi overwhelmed with self-doubt, and Kakashi retreated into the house.
• Might Guy accepted his defeat as a challenge and vowed to double his training to catch up with Senju Chen and Kakashi.
• Senju Chen met Orochimaru at an underground Root base, where Orochimaru confirmed Hatake Sakumo had been declared dead and given the identity of bounty hunter Fang.
• Senju Chen cut his arm so Orochimaru could collect his unusually vital blood, then healed the wound instantly.
• Senju Chen told Orochimaru that Sakumo needed a purpose and proposed sending him to the Land of Rain.

Senju Chen made a deal with Orochimaru to send Hatake Sakumo to monitor Hanzo and share research data in exchange for Chen’s blood. Back at home, Chen assessed his abilities and allies, then resolved to pursue more powers.

• Senju Chen told Orochimaru that Hatake Sakumo should watch Hanzo rather than fight him, and asked Orochimaru to share his research data in exchange for Chen’s blood.
• Orochimaru agreed to pass Chen’s instructions to Fang and provide some research data, while privately eyeing the sealed blood with greed and caution.
• Senju Chen considered Orochimaru’s ambitions and his own growing strength, then reviewed the abilities listed in his stealing system.
• Senju Chen assessed his connections to Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Minato, Kushina, Kakashi, and Might Guy, and recognized how influential his allies could become.
• Senju Chen looked at the two empty skill slots and resolved to steal more abilities, including powerful bloodlines and secret techniques.

Senju Chen drew admiration at the Academy, where Uchiha Inabi challenged the teacher to choose between missions and comrades, invoking the controversy over Hatake Sakumo. After class, Chen visited Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, intending to learn Minato’s view of the same question.

• Mitaraishi Anko gave Senju Chen dango, while Kurenai Yuhi left him candy at his desk.
• Uchiha Inabi asked whether a shinobi should prioritize the village’s mission or comrades’ lives, and the teacher evaded the question before dismissing class.
• Senju Chen ignored Uchiha Inabi’s smug reaction and considered that the strong made the rules and supplied the answers.
• Senju Chen visited Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, who welcomed him and shared a meal with him.
• Senju Chen watched the couple and wondered what Minato Namikaze would think about the choice between missions and comrades.

Senju Chen asked Minato Namikaze whether a ninja should prioritize a mission or comrades, then privately pressed him about choosing between a mission and Kushina Uzumaki’s safety. Minato insisted he would protect everyone he cherished and revealed that he was developing a new Ninjutsu to help him do so.

• Senju Chen asked Minato Namikaze whether missions or comrades mattered more, and Minato said he would strive to complete missions without abandoning his comrades.
• Kushina Uzumaki praised Minato’s answer, and Senju Chen agreed that he could never abandon his comrades for a mission.
• After Kushina went to the kitchen, Senju Chen privately asked Minato what he would do if a mission conflicted with Kushina’s safety.
• Minato said he would never let Kushina face a situation where he had to choose between her and a mission.
• Minato revealed that he was researching a new Ninjutsu that needed no hand seals and pushed chakra shape and nature transformation to their limits.

Senju Chen began secretly learning the Rasengan by using Minato's explanation and his own knowledge of its training stages. He made progress while balancing his public life at the Academy and training with Might Guy and Kakashi, but he had not yet completed the technique.

• Senju Chen recalled the Rasengan's training method and resolved to learn the A-rank ninjutsu on his own.
• Senju Chen took a balloon from the Senju residence storeroom and burst it with chakra during his first attempt at practicing rotation.
• Senju Chen maintained his courteous student persona by day and trained with Might Guy and Kakashi after school, encouraging Guy and pushing Kakashi to train harder.
• Senju Chen focused on Rasengan practice at night, temporarily setting aside Wood Release as he worked on rotation and sustained chakra output.
• Senju Chen continued concentrating chakra inside a water balloon, feeling its structure tear under the force of his rotation.

Orochimaru justified sending Hatake Sakumo to the Land of Rain as a strategic move ahead of another war, then told Danzo that his Hashirama Cells research was nearing a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Senju Chen completed the first stage of Rasengan training and resolved to become strong enough to create a world where he could have everything.

• Orochimaru told Danzo he had sent Hatake Sakumo to the Land of Rain to assess Hanzo and other forces ahead of a future war.
• Orochimaru reported that his Hashirama Cells research was progressing smoothly, concealing that the material came from Senju Chen.
• Senju Chen finally pierced the water balloon after repeated Rasengan practice, completing the first stage of training.
• Senju Chen ate soldier pills to recover and decided he would create a world where he could have everything by becoming strong.

Senju Chen struggled to complete the second stage of Rasengan training, and his fixation began to distract him at school and during sparring. After another failed practice session, he remembered a way to free up time for training: the Shadow Clone Technique.

• Senju Chen recited the answer about the five basic Chakra Nature Transformations while secretly practicing chakra compression inside a rubber ball.
• Senju Chen’s intense Rasengan practice distracted him during a sparring match, allowing Kakashi to nearly strike his throat.
• Senju Chen worried that his training was undermining his reputation as the Senju Clan’s genius young master.
• Senju Chen recalled that Uchiha Itachi had used a ninjutsu double to attend classes in his place and identified it as the Shadow Clone Technique.

Senju Chen learned the Shadow Clone Technique and spent days training a clone to convincingly act like a cheerful five-year-old. He succeeded in fooling Tsunade and prepared to send the clone to school while his real body trained.

• Senju Chen retrieved the Shadow Clone Technique scroll from the Senju Clan archive and learned the B-rank jutsu.
• Senju Chen created a shadow clone but realized its calm, adult-like eyes would make it seem unlike a five-year-old.
• Senju Chen repeatedly created and dispelled clones while practicing childlike expressions and behavior, refining his control through more than a hundred attempts.
• Senju Chen finally immersed himself in the clone's sunny, affectionate persona and brought Tsunade warmed milk in the morning.
• Tsunade embraced the convincing clone, while the real Senju Chen watched through its perspective and planned to send it to school.

Senju Chen trained his chakra control and swordsmanship at Training Ground Three before encountering Shisui Uchiha. Seeing a chance to influence Shisui’s future and acquire his Kotoamatsukami, Chen began forming a plan to guide him.

• Senju Chen repeatedly focused chakra into a rubber ball, but could not sustain enough power to pierce it.
• After resting, Senju Chen practiced swordsmanship using Hatake Sakumo’s insights and cut falling leaves with precise swings.
• Shisui Uchiha appeared at the training ground and greeted Senju Chen, recalling how he had helped Kakashi at the academy.
• Senju Chen concealed his cold focus behind a shy demeanor as he considered using the encounter to steer Shisui’s future.

Senju Chen challenged Shisui to a taijutsu spar to prove his training was effective, using the fight to study Shisui’s movements. He left Shisui astonished after exploiting a predictable dodge to touch him.

• Shisui warned Senju Chen that intense solo training could lead him astray or injure him.
• Senju Chen challenged Shisui to a taijutsu-only spar, wagering that Shisui would have to admit his training was right if he won.
• Shisui accepted and evaded Senju Chen’s fast, relentless wooden-sword attacks with ease.
• Senju Chen feigned exhaustion, rebounded off a tree, and predicted Shisui’s back bridge.
• Senju Chen threw his wooden sword to adjust his midair position and tapped Shisui’s abdomen before collapsing in triumph.

Senju Chen’s rapid growth shocked Shisui Uchiha during their sparring, and Chen defeated him despite Shisui activating his Sharingan. Shisui was left reeling from the loss as Chen considered the victory another step toward earning his recognition.

• Shisui Uchiha visited Senju Chen regularly and watched his Taijutsu improve at a startling pace.
• During a sparring match, Shisui activated his Sharingan and used the Body Flicker Technique to fight at full strength.
• Senju Chen read Shisui’s movements through his sword-fighting awareness and sense of Chakra, keeping him under pressure.
• Chen feinted a vertical slash, then used a hidden Kunai to cut Shisui’s right arm when Shisui counterattacked.
• Shisui stared in shock at his wound, understood how Kakashi must have felt after losing to Chen, and heard Chen ask whether this counted as his win.

After Senju Chen defeated Shisui Uchiha, the two became comrades and rivals, training together for two months. Chen completed the second stage of Rasengan training but struggled to shape and rotate chakra at once, leading him to seek help from a renowned researcher of ninjutsu.

• Senju Chen defeated Shisui Uchiha, who apologized for underestimating him and recognized him as an equal.
• Shisui and Senju Chen agreed to train together as comrades and rivals, and they sparred regularly for two months.
• Senju Chen completed the second stage of Rasengan training by making a rubber ball spin rapidly without damaging it.
• Senju Chen repeatedly failed to form a stable, rotating chakra sphere during the third stage of training.
• Senju Chen tried using a Shadow Clone to help, but their conflicting chakra control made the attempt fail.
• Senju Chen decided he needed deeper knowledge of chakra theory and thought of Orochimaru.

Senju Chen used questions about the Uchiha, the Will of Fire, and Hatake Sakumo’s death to unsettle Shisui’s beliefs. Shisui had no answers, while Chen resolved to keep influencing him in hopes of changing his tragic future.

• Senju Chen and Shisui Uchiha sparred in the woods, with Shisui’s Sharingan pushing Chen to refine his swordsmanship.
• During a break, Senju Chen asked Shisui why ninja fought and challenged the idea that Konoha was a home shared equally by the Senju and Uchiha.
• Shisui insisted that the Will of Fire meant protecting comrades and the village, and called Hatake Sakumo a hero for sacrificing himself to save his comrades.
• Senju Chen asked whether Sakumo’s suicide had helped anyone and whether he could have saved more people by staying alive, leaving Shisui unable to answer.
• Senju Chen decided to keep planting doubts in Shisui’s mind and encourage him to believe that people could change the world only while alive.

Senju Chen realized that mastering the Rasengan required understanding its theory and decided to seek Orochimaru’s research. He met Orochimaru at their secret Root contact point and proposed trading knowledge for knowledge.

• Senju Chen reflected on how he had planted a small doubt in Shisui Uchiha and then focused on his own Rasengan failures.
• Senju Chen concluded he needed theoretical knowledge and chose Orochimaru as the person most able and willing to help him.
• Senju Chen traveled through secluded alleys to a hidden entrance to a Root base.
• Senju Chen found Orochimaru examining a test subject and asked to access his research reports.
• Senju Chen refused Orochimaru’s suggestion that he trade blood and proposed an exchange of knowledge instead.

Senju Chen asked Orochimaru for detailed chakra transformation research and offered the idea of combining Uchiha eyes with Senju bodies as leverage. Orochimaru warned him against targeting the Uchiha, gave him his research scroll, and watched him leave.

• Orochimaru suppressed his irritation and asked Senju Chen what knowledge he would offer in exchange for research notes.
• Senju Chen requested Orochimaru's detailed findings on nature and shape transformation, then suggested combining Uchiha eyes with Senju bodies to approach Hashirama's power.
• Orochimaru became fascinated by the possibility of combining the Sharingan and Wood Release, but warned Senju Chen against turning on a Konoha clan.
• Orochimaru urged Senju Chen to put aside Senju-Uchiha grudges and focus on unity against Konoha's enemies.
• Orochimaru handed Senju Chen a scroll containing his research, and Senju Chen thanked him and left.

After four months of training, Senju Chen mastered the Rasengan while his shadow clone continued attending the Ninja Academy in his place. Obito Uchiha accidentally struck the clone with a shuriken, exposing Chen’s secret and prompting the teacher to report the discovery.

• Senju Chen used Orochimaru’s scroll and months of practice to master the Rasengan, then tested it by boring a deep hole into a tree.
• At the Ninja Academy, Obito Uchiha accidentally threw a shuriken into Senju Chen’s shadow clone.
• The clone dispersed into smoke, revealing to the students and teacher that Chen had been using a shadow clone to attend school.
• The teacher ordered the class to keep the incident secret and went to report it and notify Chen’s guardian.