Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi met with Jiraiya and Orochimaru after they returned from a two-month mission, then explained why he was protecting Shimura Danzō amid the village’s conflict with the Senju. Jiraiya remained troubled by the clash between his teacher’s ideals and the harm done to the Senju.

• Jiraiya and Orochimaru greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, and Utatane Koharu in the Hokage’s office.
• Utatane Koharu and Shimura Danzō left after Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to arrange for Anbu to visit Mitokado Homura.
• Orochimaru told Hiruzen Sarutobi that he and Jiraiya had trained hard and incorporated their previous lessons into their combat systems.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized that Jiraiya was anxious about the village’s recent events and raised the subject himself.
• Jiraiya asked why Shimura Danzō had meddled in shinobi clan affairs, kidnapped the Senju Clan’s Wood Release user, and received Hiruzen Sarutobi’s protection.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi said Shimura Danzō had inherited the ideals of the First Hokage and Tobirama, and that Uka Senju’s Wood Release had been revealed unexpectedly during the kidnapping.

Hiruzen Sarutobi told Jiraiya and Orochimaru that Hashirama and Tobirama had sought peace by dissolving the clans, and claimed he was continuing their plan. His students resolved to train harder, while Hiruzen privately admitted he had mixed truth with lies to strengthen the Sarutobi clan.

• Hiruzen explained that Hashirama wanted to dissolve clan identities and that the Senju were meant to lead by example.
• Hiruzen claimed Rikima Senju and Shimura Danzō had supported dissolving the Senju so Konoha could eventually absorb the other villages and bring peace.
• Hiruzen said he would not hand over the Shimura Clan or Danzo, and planned to train civilian ninja to defeat the Senju opposition and pressure other clans to dissolve.
• Orochimaru felt ashamed for doubting Hiruzen and decided to intensify his training, while Jiraiya eagerly embraced the plan.
• Hiruzen privately revealed that he had told the students mostly truths but intended to use wars and depleted rival clans to help the Sarutobi clan gain power.

Mito Uzumaki returned to the Senju estate and comforted Tsunade, who had been grounded after intervening in a confrontation. Mito blamed Risa for keeping the truth from Tsunade, then gave her granddaughter a scroll to explain the family situation, leaving Tsunade to read the events for herself.

• Mito Uzumaki returned home after helping reset the barrier and confronted Risa Senju for failing to tell Tsunade the truth.
• Risa complained that Uka had grounded Tsunade and kept her from entering the room, while Mito criticized Risa for avoiding her responsibilities.
• Mito dismissed the Senju clan members who had brought Tsunade back, then entered the sitting room with Risa.
• Tsunade told Mito that she had only tried to protect her companions and complained about Uka grounding her and her arranged marriage.
• Mito comforted Tsunade, said neither Tsunade nor Uka was at fault, and blamed Risa for the misunderstanding.
• Tsunade suspected deeper problems involving her teacher, Senju Toka’s appointment as clan head, and her marriage arrangement, so Mito handed her a scroll explaining what had happened.

Mito Uzumaki explained the Senju clan’s conflict with Sarutobi and the village to Tsunade, who reacted with anger and grief at the harm done to her relatives. After teasing her daughter, Mito offered to teach Tsunade her youth-preserving Ninjutsu if she completed a task.

• Mito Uzumaki explained the Senju’s recent troubles, the traitor’s actions, and Tobirama’s purpose to Tsunade.
• Tsunade understood why Uka Senju had acted as he did and grew angry at Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō for harming the Senju.
• Risa Senju yawned and teased Tsunade for getting upset, prompting Mito to send her out to rest.
• Tsunade tattled to Mito that Risa had complained about being denied Mito’s Ninjutsu, and Mito promised to teach Tsunade the technique someday.
• Mito offered to teach Tsunade the Ninjutsu tomorrow if she completed a task.

Tsunade accepted Mito Uzumaki’s mission to kill Inubashiri Yōmi’s family and carried it out, despite knowing the targets were ordinary people. Jiraiya and Orochimaru watched from the perimeter, and Jiraiya hoped he would never have to face Tsunade on a battlefield.

• Mito Uzumaki gave Tsunade an envelope ordering her to bring back the heads of Inubashiri Yōmi, Inubashiri Yōka, Inubashiri Yoki, and Inubashiri Fūkoku before dawn.
• Tsunade went to the family’s house in Southwest Alley Three and attacked it with an explosive, setting the house ablaze.
• Jiraiya tried to step forward, but Orochimaru stopped him and urged him to become strong enough to change such situations.
• Tsunade killed the wounded Inubashiri Yōmi and gathered the heads of her family as the house burned.
• Orochimaru left, and Jiraiya watched Tsunade depart, wishing they would never meet on a battlefield.

On August 8, Year 26 of Konoha, Uka Senju prepared for his engagement to three women and reflected on the dangers of the Shinobi World and his need to grow stronger. At the Senju Clan assembly hall, he welcomed guests until Yuhi Katsuyo arrived to congratulate him.

• Uka Senju felt nervous about taking on three wives and resolved to become strong enough to control his fate.
• Senju Chiharu found Uka sitting by the window, and Senju Toka interrupted their quiet moment and sent them downstairs to get ready.
• Senju Toka slapped Uka on the back of the head as he hurried downstairs.
• Uka dressed in a black kimono and pleated skirt, then greeted guests at the decorated Senju Clan assembly hall.
• Yuhi Katsuyo congratulated Uka, who smiled and bowed to his former teacher and current ally.

Senju Uka welcomed the Kato clan as they joined the Senju alliance, then prepared for his engagement ceremony with Tsunade, Senju Maki, and Senju Chiharu. As the ceremony began, Maki attended to him while Chiharu watched the other women’s rivalry take shape.

• The Yuhi clan finalized its cooperation with the Senju after Yuhi Katsuyo declared allegiance, and the sixth elder and Senju Uka welcomed the Kato clan head and his instructor.
• A clan guard told Senju Uka that it was time to change for the ceremony, and he went to the side hall.
• Tsunade, Senju Maki, and Senju Chiharu waited together in white kimonos before Senju Uka entered in a beige kimono.
• Senju Maki poured Senju Uka tea, served him snacks, and wiped his mouth while Senju Chiharu observed the women’s schemes.

Uka Senju spent the morning trying to avoid a wager loss that would leave him without money, and Chiharu eventually called off the bet. At breakfast, Senju Toka gave Uka information about his teammates and told him to report to a meeting the next day, leaving him with preparations for his next stage as a shinobi.

• Uka Senju woke at his usual hour despite planning to sleep in, then got dressed and went downstairs.
• Uka pleaded with Chiharu to cancel their wager after losing a bet about sleeping in, and she agreed to call it off.
• Uka hugged and kissed Chiharu in relief, and she chased him out of the kitchen before smiling as she returned to work.
• At breakfast, Senju Toka gave Uka a scroll containing information about his teammates and ordered him to attend a meeting the next day.
• Senju Toka reminded Uka to visit the Second Elder and Lady Mito and not spend the day playing.

Senju Uka received money from Senju Chiharu and learned that Aburame Kaun and Inuzuka Furin would be his teammates. He approved of their skills but worried that Furin’s closeness to him would worsen tensions between Maki and Tsunade.

• Senju Chiharu gave Senju Uka three hundred thousand ryo for his meal with his future teammates.
• Senju Uka read that Aburame Kaun and Inuzuka Furin had been chosen for his team because of their abilities and compatibility with him.
• Senju Uka recognized that Kaun and Furin’s reconnaissance skills would cover a weakness of his own.
• Senju Uka worried that Furin’s exceptional friendship with him would fuel Maki and Tsunade’s ongoing conflict.
• Senju Toka called Senju Chiharu away to continue their administrative work.

Uka Senju learned that Senju Tsukika would lead his team and visited the ailing Second Elder before leaving the village. Granduncle Kofu warned him to stay alive and trust almost no one, leaving Uka with the clan’s blunt advice for surviving as a ninja.

• Uka Senju learned that Senju Tsukika would be his Jonin leader and earned a hundred ryo for washing the breakfast dishes.
• Uka Senju visited the Second Elder and Hayata Senju, seeing Granduncle Kofu for the first time in half a year.
• The Second Elder warned Uka Senju that the outside world was dangerous and urged him to be careful after leaving the village.
• The Second Elder told Uka Senju to distrust nearly everyone, act decisively when threatened, and prioritize staying alive.

Uka Senju received Cloud Cutter and the Soratate Branch’s ancestral token from the Second Elder, then learned that the token also gave him command of a secret force. Hayata Senju supplied scrolls about the force and its communications, leaving Uka to consider the branch’s long preparations and the power now in his hands.

• Hayata Senju brought Uka Senju a saber and a wooden box at the Second Elder’s request.
• The Second Elder gave Uka the chakra-metal saber Cloud Cutter, a joint gift from the clan and the Soratate Branch.
• The Second Elder entrusted Uka with the Soratate Branch’s ancestral sword, explaining that it had passed from Toka to him as the branch’s heirloom.
• After lunch, Hayata told Uka that the sword was also a token of authority over a secret base and its ninety-four trained ninja.
• Hayata gave Uka three scrolls detailing the base, its cursed seal, and its intelligence-gathering summoning beasts, and Uka accepted command of the force.

Uka Senju visited Mito Uzumaki with Tsunade and learned that the clan had chosen his teammates, marking the start of his ninja life. Mito gave him a protective charm that could transport him to Shikkotsu Forest in danger, and Uka learned he would need to return it monthly for recharging.

• Uka Senju strolled through the Senju Clan Compound after hiding the scrolls Hayata Senju had given him, then met Tsunade, who had been waiting for him.
• Uka explained that he had spent the morning visiting the Second Elder, and he and Tsunade walked slowly together while chatting.
• Uka asked Tsunade about the Ninjutsu they had discussed by the river the previous year, and she admitted she had forgotten to research them but promised to make progress.
• Uka and Tsunade joined Mito Uzumaki, who told Uka that the clan had chosen his teammates and that he would soon begin his life as a ninja.
• Mito Uzumaki gave Uka a protective charm containing a clone of the Katsuyu Sage, which could take him to Shikkotsu Forest when he faced danger and needed monthly recharging.

Uka Senju let Tsunade pierce his ear so he could wear Mito Uzumaki’s chakra-storing ring. Mito announced that Tsunade would begin training with her new teammates, Hatake Sakumo and Might Duy, before going on missions.

• Uka Senju agreed to have Tsunade pierce his left earlobe and wear the ring there.
• Tsunade pierced Uka’s ear, and he realized he might need to remove the ring every month to recharge it.
• Mito Uzumaki told Tsunade she would start going on missions soon because she had learned the prerequisites for the Yin Seal.
• Mito said Tsunade would train with Hatake Sakumo and Might Duy once they returned to the village.

Mito Uzumaki explained that Might Duy had awakened unusual strength after mastering a forbidden Senju technique, and Tsunade reviewed his record as a prospective teammate. Tsunade then presented Uka Senju’s idea for concentrating Chakra Coating into a single attribute, and Mito agreed to assign researchers to develop it.

• Mito Uzumaki told Uka Senju and Tsunade that Might Duy had mastered a forbidden technique and could briefly reach Elite Jonin strength.
• Uka Senju realized Duy’s abilities might come from a family connection and wondered why Hiruzen Sarutobi had allowed him to remain an overlooked Genin.
• Tsunade asked whether Duy’s fluctuating strength meant she would focus on Ninjutsu and medical treatment, and Mito said the three teammates could choose their roles as needed.
• Tsunade explained Uka’s proposal to concentrate Chakra Coating’s enhancement into one attribute, potentially multiplying strength ten to twenty times.
• Mito Uzumaki approved the idea, and Tsunade asked her to assign clan members to research the technique.

Senju Uka trained with the full-sized Cloud Cutter and practiced drawing it alongside his backup blade before meeting his future teammates. Senju Toka told him to get used to his weapon before taking missions next month, and Senju Uka learned about the genjutsu Sword Seal.

• Senju Uka woke early, warmed up with Senju taijutsu, and practiced with Cloud Cutter, the new saber given to him by the clan.
• Senju Uka fetched his old short blade and practiced drawing both weapons from different positions.
• At breakfast, Senju Toka asked Senju Uka how the new blade felt and told him to train with his new team before starting missions next month.
• Senju Toka advised Senju Uka to learn Sword Seal, and Senju Chiharu gave him a scroll explaining the weapon-inscribed genjutsu.
• Senju Uka decided to study Sword Seal as a combat trick that could create an opening for a decisive attack.

Uka Senju reunited with Inuzuka Furin and Aburame Kaun at a training ground before meeting his teacher, who arrived in combat gear. The chapter ended as Uka greeted her and Furin and Kaun saw her scars for the first time.

• Inuzuka Furin waited at the training ground with Brown and White, wondering when Uka Senju would arrive.
• Uka Senju came early, found Furin waiting, and reunited with her.
• Aburame Kaun arrived using his Insect Body technique, and the three friends caught up and discussed their training and the teammate selection process.
• Uka Senju's teacher arrived in combat uniform and armor, and Uka stood to greet her while Furin and Kaun noticed the scars on her face.

Senju Tsukika tested her three students by challenging them to take two bells, and Uka Senju, Inuzuka Furin, and Aburame Kaun launched a coordinated attack. Tsukika outmaneuvered them, leaving Furin and her Ninja Dog apparently buried and Uka fighting her as Kaun waited for an opening.

• Senju Tsukika introduced her specialties and set the bell test, saying the students would have to work together to take the bells or remain inside the village.
• Uka Senju attacked with Wood Release while Inuzuka Furin and her Ninja Dog charged under the cover of his vines.
• Senju Tsukika used Earth Release: Earth Flow River to disrupt their formation, fought off Furin and her dog, and evaded Aburame Kaun's insect swarm with the Substitution Technique.
• Tsukika dragged Furin and her Ninja Dog underground, and Uka told Kaun to watch for an opening while he took her on.
• Uka caught Tsukika's sword and broke it with his chakra-coated hands, but she kicked him into the air as he used vines to avoid landing in the mud.

Senju Tsukika defeated Uka Senju, Aburame Kaun, and Inuzuka Furin in a training battle, exposing weaknesses in their teamwork. She began reviewing their mistakes, starting with Furin’s failure to react when her teammate was attacked.

• Senju Tsukika used Earth Dragon Bullet to destroy Uka Senju’s decoy, then protected herself from Aburame Kaun’s Insect Hurricane with Earth-Style Wall.
• Uka filled the ground with wooden constructs and tried to catch Tsukika when she attacked Kaun, but Tsukika used Moving Earth Core to lift and drop him.
• Tsukika slipped behind Uka in disguise, struck him with a blade, and used him as a springboard to rush toward Kaun and defeat the team.
• Uka encouraged Kaun and Inuzuka Furin after the loss, and Tsukika emerged from underground with a filthy ninja dog and told them to improve their teamwork.
• Senju Tsukika told Inuzuka Furin that her opening move had been sound but criticized her for freezing when Uka was attacked and letting her guard down.

After assessing his students’ weaknesses, Senju Tsukika helped them plan tactics for future missions. Meanwhile, Mitokado Homura reported on the secret training base, and Konoha’s leaders decided to continue training its recruits for another two and a half years before relying on them.

• Senju Tsukika told Uka Senju to trust his teammates and broaden his thinking, then advised Aburame Kaun to master his clan’s original techniques before modifying them.
• Senju Tsukika assigned the three students roles and discussed tactics suited to different enemies and environments.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed Mitokado Homura back and served tea to him, Utatane Koharu, and the other leaders.
• Mitokado Homura estimated that the first recruits would need at least two more years of study and practical experience before they were useful.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other leaders agreed to continue the secret training for another two and a half years and use village recruits if manpower was needed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and his allies planned six batches of child recruits, deciding to expand their numbers and fund the effort by selling clan assets and raiding the Land of Grass. The chapter then shifted to Uka Senju and his companions resting after tactical training, where Aburame Kaun felt the gap between his abilities and Uka’s.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed raising six batches of recruits and having the clans sell assets to cover the increased costs, and Mitokado Homura, Shimura Danzō, and Utatane Koharu agreed.
• Shimura Danzō said the Land of Fire could no longer supply enough children and asked Hiruzen Sarutobi for more troops to raid the Land of Grass before the month ended.
• Utatane Koharu offered to arrange attacks on wealthy targets more discreetly, and Shimura Danzō accepted her offer.
• Uka Senju, Aburame Kaun, and their dog rested after practicing tactics at a private training ground, while Uka still had chakra left.
• Aburame Kaun began molding chakra and reflected that even his talent and stamina fell short of Uka Senju’s.