Chapter Summaries

Hongshi defeated Kisame and persuaded Itachi to join him by explaining the cause of Itachi’s illness and the history behind the Rinnegan and Akatsuki. After returning to the real world, Itachi left, while Hongshi sealed Kisame and Samehada and escaped before Konoha’s forces arrived.

• In the Mental World, Hongshi told Itachi that his Mangekyō Sharingan overwhelmed his weak body and offered to help him awaken the Rinnegan with Hashirama cells.
• Hongshi explained Black Zetsu’s manipulation of the Uchiha stone tablet and Akatsuki’s role in a plan to revive Kaguya, then persuaded Itachi to join him and protect Sasuke.
• Hongshi and Itachi returned to reality after three days in the Mental World, and Hongshi absorbed the Amaterasu flames with the Preta Path.
• Itachi called Hongshi “Boss,” then left as a flock of crows after telling him to return Kisame.
• Hongshi sealed Kisame’s corpse and Samehada in a scroll and used Flying Thunder God to escape as Ibiki Morino’s team arrived.
• Ibiki found a yellow spiral mask at the battle site and decided to take it to the Hokage, while Obito Uchiha sensed that someone might be framing him again.

After Konoha mourned its dead, Tobirama questioned Hongshi about the village explosion, his strength, and his motives. Tobirama ordered Hashirama to watch Hongshi, then sent Hongshi and Sakura out while the elders discussed urgent matters.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi led Konoha's memorial for the nearly hundred ninja killed during the Konoha Crush, and he accepted the Sand village's surrender after its ninja found the Fourth Kazekage's body.
• Hiruzen summoned Hongshi to his office, where Tobirama appeared and questioned him about the explosion and a yellow spiral mask linked to attacks in Kirigakure.
• Danzo and Hiruzen connected the mask to the capture of the Three-Tails and the assassination of the Fourth Mizukage, concluding that Hongshi could not have worn it during those earlier events.
• Hongshi said he had deliberately lost to Hinata because he liked her, and Hiruzen asked about his final Ninjutsu and the vanished soul of the Third Raikage.
• Tobirama ordered Hashirama to keep Hongshi under constant surveillance, then dismissed Hongshi and Sakura so he could discuss important matters with the elders.

Kakuhei assigned the Thirteen Nuclear Guardian Pillars to specialized training classes and explained the Nuclear Ninja Village’s mission and ideals. After the children left, he discussed Yuhan Haku’s fight with Kisame, plans to strengthen the village, and Yuhan’s upcoming trip to Kumogakure.

• Kakuhei divided the thirteen children into assault, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and technology classes, then announced that their dangerous missions would begin after a month of special training.
• Yuhan Haku declared the children the village’s first generation of pillars and explained the Will of Nuclear, while Kakuhei described the village’s goal of becoming strong enough to protect the weak and stop wars.
• Captain Jack questioned Yuhan Haku’s strength against Kisame, and Kakuhei explained that Kisame’s chakra absorption and Yuhan’s age had put her at a disadvantage; he revealed that Hongshi had killed Kisame and planned to study his body.
• Kakuhei said he intended to create nuclear jinchūriki for the village’s future population and explained why he wanted to strengthen the Titanic Pirates; Hieimon began considering tools to counter chakra absorption.
• Kakuhei gave Hieimon the original’s request for a chakra sniper rifle and told Yuhan Haku to visit Kumogakure in three months, while also arranging for her to leave Konoha under the guise of having been captured by Akatsuki.

Hongshi transformed Rock Lee with Kisame's chakra-devouring flesh, giving him a blue-green shark-like appearance and powerful chakra. As Lee battled Might Guy, Hongshi learned that Tsunade had been chosen as the next Hokage and prepared to find her.

• Hongshi fed Rock Lee a living mixture of Kisame, Samehada, and First's flesh, then used Super Creation Rebirth to give him Kisame's chakra-absorbing constitution.
• Rock Lee awoke with blue-green skin, gills, and shark fins, then opened the Sixth Gate and chased Hongshi for changing his appearance.
• Hongshi persuaded Lee to treat his new form as a training opportunity, but Might Guy mistook him for a monster that had eaten Lee and attacked him.
• Lee opened the Seventh Gate to fight Guy, and their clash destroyed trees as Lee's borrowed chakra began to run out.
• Sakura told Hongshi that Tobirama had stripped the Third, Danzo, and two others of their positions and that Tsunade had been chosen as Fifth Hokage.
• Hongshi agreed to leave to find Tsunade while Guy's battle with Lee ended with Lee engulfed in fireballs and falling into a river.

Orochimaru struggled with the unhealing wound Hongshi gave him and planned to seek treatment, while Hongshi healed Rock Lee and headed to Ichiraku Ramen with Sakura and Hashirama. At the crowded shop, Itachi and Kisame fled after spotting Hongshi and hearing Sasuke was nearby, while Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke settled down to eat under Teuchi’s warning.

• Orochimaru told Kabuto Yakushi that Hongshi’s Nuclear Heavy Fist wound would not heal, then planned to find someone who could treat it.
• Hongshi healed Rock Lee, and Guy took Lee away for special training in the Eight Gates techniques.
• Sakura told Hongshi they would bring Jiraiya along to find Tsunade, and Hongshi insisted on eating Ichiraku Ramen first.
• Itachi and Kisame ate at Ichiraku Ramen and left after Hongshi arrived and Kakashi mentioned waiting for Sasuke.
• Kakashi took Hongshi away, while Sakura invited Sasuke to eat ramen and Naruto joined them.
• Teuchi threatened the arguing Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, and they quieted down to eat.

Kakashi confronted Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki outside Konoha, but Itachi incapacitated him with Tsukuyomi after Guy and Rock Lee intervened. Itachi and Kisame escaped, and Guy and Lee carried Kakashi and Hongshi back toward Konoha Hospital.

• Kakashi and Hongshi encountered Itachi and Kisame by the river, and Kakashi recognized the two wanted criminals.
• Kisame attacked Kakashi with Water Release while Itachi put Hongshi under genjutsu; Kakashi picked up Hongshi’s spiked club and discovered it carried a sealing formula.
• Guy and Rock Lee struck Kisame with Konoha-Style: Youth Duet, and Kakashi prepared to finish him with Lightning Blade.
• Itachi used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi, leaving him weakened, while Guy and Lee arrived and opened the Gate of View.
• Itachi stopped Kisame from continuing the fight, and the two fled into the forest.
• Kakashi warned Guy not to pursue Itachi and passed out; Guy told Lee to take Kakashi and Hongshi to Konoha Hospital.

Hongshi restored Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō’s strength with a seal, then set out to find Tsunade with Hinata. Their departure left Neji watching Hinata anxiously as Tobirama prepared to train him.

• Kakashi tried to attack Hongshi with a Lightning Blade over his snoring, but Hongshi woke unharmed and healed him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō asked Hongshi to restore their Chakra, and he placed Yin Seals on their hands to store it.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Hongshi to find Tsunade and take over Sasuke’s special training, while he and Shimura Danzō left to investigate Tobi and rescue Yuhan.
• Hinata arrived with a mission to accompany Hongshi, and he left the hospital with her.
• Neji watched Hinata leave and threatened Hongshi, while Tobirama told Neji to train and promised to teach him a forbidden technique.

Kakashi told Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi that Itachi had returned to Konoha and was searching for Naruto, but their conversation was repeatedly concealed from Sasuke with claims that Kakashi's hemorrhoids were acting up. Sasuke learned Naruto had left the village with Jiraiya and raced after them, while Naruto eagerly began training with Jiraiya.

• Kakashi described how Itachi's Tsukuyomi had tortured him and said Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki had been looking for Naruto.
• Sasuke overheard Itachi's name and rushed out, believing Naruto was in danger.
• Sasuke learned from Teuchi that Naruto had left with Jiraiya for a nearby post town and hurried after them.
• Naruto asked Jiraiya to teach him powerful Ninjutsu and became excited when Jiraiya revealed he had taught the Fourth Hokage.
• Jiraiya watched Naruto run ahead and wondered how Minato and Kushina could have such an idiotic son.

Hongshi helped Hinata begin gathering senjutsu chakra, while Naruto and Sasuke encountered Itachi and Kisame in Women Town. Sasuke confronted Itachi, activated his Cursed Seal, and attacked him with a senjutsu-enhanced Chidori.

• Hongshi trained Hinata in stillness, and she gathered senjutsu chakra that let her shatter a boulder with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
• Jiraiya and Naruto reached Women Town, where Jiraiya went off to gather intelligence and Naruto returned to their room to train.
• Sasuke arrived in Women Town searching for Naruto as Naruto sensed dangerous chakra approaching his room.
• Itachi and Kisame confronted Naruto and ordered him to come with them, but Sasuke appeared in the corridor and challenged Itachi.
• Sasuke released his Cursed Seal's power and attacked Itachi with a Chidori infused with senjutsu chakra.

Naruto rescued Sasuke from Itachi and Kisame, then the pair fought their pursuers in the forest until Jiraiya arrived. Jiraiya recognized the Akatsuki members and realized Naruto was their target.

• Itachi easily deflected Sasuke's Chidori, and Naruto used a shadow clone to rescue Sasuke before the corridor explosion.
• Naruto carried Sasuke out of town, but Itachi and Kisame pursued them into the forest.
• Naruto's shadow clones were destroyed, and his mistaken summoning of Gamakichi left Sasuke and Naruto to combine their fire and wind techniques against Itachi.
• Kisame broke through their attack and nearly captured them, but Gamachu arrived and carried them to safety.
• Jiraiya joined Naruto and Sasuke, identified Itachi and Kisame, and asked whether Naruto was their target.

Itachi and Kisame attacked Naruto and Sasuke, and Itachi used Tsukuyomi to incapacitate Sasuke. Jiraiya trapped the attackers with a summoning technique, but Itachi escaped with Kisame using Amaterasu, leaving Jiraiya to seal the black flames before Guy arrived and accidentally kicked him.

• Itachi told Jiraiya that Akatsuki had ordered him to take Naruto, then used Tsukuyomi to torment Sasuke until he passed out.
• Jiraiya summoned the Giant Rock Lodging Toad's stomach to trap Itachi and Kisame, but Itachi burned through it with Amaterasu and escaped with Kisame.
• Jiraiya sealed the remaining Amaterasu flames in a scroll and checked Sasuke, whose mind might have collapsed from Tsukuyomi.
• Guy arrived and kicked Jiraiya, mistaking him for someone called Kakigyo Hoshi, before realizing his mistake.

Hongshi brought Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki to Nuclear Ninja Village and used a dangerous experimental procedure to restore Itachi’s health and increase his strength. Itachi awakened with a shark-like blue-green body, then attacked Hongshi after learning what had happened.

• Hongshi arrived at Nuclear Ninja Village with Itachi and Kisame, where Captain Jack recognized Kisame and nearly fought him before Hongshi stopped them.
• Itachi sensed that everyone in the village held enormous chakra, and Hongshi revealed that each resident contained a thermonuclear bomb.
• At the First Hospital, Hongshi fed Itachi flesh cultivated from Hashirama, Kisame, and Samehada cells, adding some of his own chakra to help awaken Itachi’s Rinnegan.
• Hongshi used Sage Art: Super Creation Rebirth to restore Itachi’s vitality and strengthen his body.
• Itachi emerged from the cocoon with blue-green skin and shark fins, threatened Hongshi, and pierced his Shadow Clone with Amaterasu.

Hongshi took the weakened Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki to his village after treating Itachi, while Jiraiya set off with Naruto to find Tsunade and train him. In Tanzaku Town, Tsunade lost five million ryo at the dice table.

• Hongshi appeared before Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki, then used Flying Thunder God to take them to his village.
• Might Guy carried Sasuke toward Konoha and gave Naruto a green jumpsuit, which Naruto put on despite Jiraiya's protests.
• Jiraiya explained the danger posed by the Akatsuki and promised to protect Naruto and train him until they found Tsunade.
• Naruto insisted on wearing the jumpsuit while training with Jiraiya, who responded with a Flame Bullet.
• Tsunade gambled in Tanzaku Town, rolled a total of sixty-two, and lost five million ryo.

Kakuhei told Itachi and Kisame to keep their Akatsuki identities while Itachi learned to use his newly awakened Rinnegan, and he pointed them toward a future meeting in the Land of Lightning. Hongshi then brought Hinata to Women Town, where he tried to disguise his eagerness to enter a strip show as a mission before leaving with her to pursue Naruto.

• Kakuhei explained that Itachi had awakened the Rinnegan and warned him not to reveal it to the Akatsuki, while Itachi asked about Sasuke and Kakuhei said the Uchiha Clan's fate was settled.
• Captain Jack returned Samehada to Kisame, who felt its immense chakra and challenged Jack to fight someday before Kisame and Itachi left for the Akatsuki.
• Kakuhei instructed Itachi and Kisame to keep their identities and meet Yuhan's Ninjutsu class in the Land of Lightning in three months.
• Hongshi told Hinata that he was entering Women Town to gather intelligence, despite repeatedly staring at women and wanting to see the strip show.
• Hinata said she would find Naruto herself, so Hongshi grabbed her hand and hurried them away to pursue him.

Naruto and Jiraiya visited Festival Street, where Naruto ran into Hongshi and Hinata. Hongshi forced Naruto to spend time with Hinata, who revealed her enormous allowance, and Naruto left with her while Hongshi was left short of money.

• Jiraiya took Naruto's wallet and gave him only three hundred ryo, warning him about the dangers of money.
• Naruto met Hongshi and Hinata on Festival Street, and Hongshi found Jiraiya's bankbook showing a balance of thirty billion ryo.
• Hongshi pressured Naruto to spend the day with Hinata, and Naruto agreed after Hongshi intimidated him.
• Naruto suggested shrimp, but Hongshi insisted they get red bean paste; Hinata offered to pay and said her father gave her a hundred million ryo in monthly pocket money.
• Naruto happily left with Hinata, while Hongshi discovered he could not afford the vendor's buns and called for Hinata to come back.

During the festival, Jiraiya explained the Will of Fire to Hongshi before helping Naruto and Hinata after two Iwagakure men tried to extort them. Jiraiya began teaching Naruto a new jutsu and chakra-control exercise, but Hinata mastered the first training step before Naruto even started.

• Jiraiya joined Hongshi at the festival, and Hongshi asked whether ninja truly had to sacrifice their lives for intelligence; Jiraiya said they protected Konoha and its young through the Will of Fire.
• Two men demanded a hundred thousand ryo from Naruto and Hinata for dirtying their clothes, and Hongshi mocked them as the Iwagakure White Brick and Green Turtle.
• Jiraiya used Spicy Sage Root to knock the two men into a vendor's stall, then paid for the damage and bought the vendor's water balloons.
• Jiraiya began teaching Naruto the first stage of chakra-control training by spinning chakra inside a water balloon, while Hongshi trained Hinata nearby.
• Hinata burst her water balloon after a couple of tries, leaving Jiraiya and Naruto stunned as Hongshi moved her on to a rubber ball.

Hongshi taught Hinata a lightning-based Gentle Fist technique and demonstrated increasingly powerful stages of his Unrivaled nintaijutsu. He combined enlarged Twin Dragon Fists with Fire Rasengan, while Hinata resolved to learn the technique to help Naruto.

• Hinata and Naruto practiced popping water balloons, and Hongshi praised Hinata’s chakra control before moving on to teach her.
• Hongshi demonstrated Unrivaled: Gentle Fist, which used Lightning Release to stimulate chakra points and strengthen Hinata’s Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
• Hongshi showed Hinata and Jiraiya how he combined Lightning Release with Fire Rasengan to create a powerful blast that scorched the ground.
• Hongshi unveiled Gentle Step Twin Dragon Fists and combined them with Unrivaled and Fire Rasengan to form an enormous, unfinished technique.
• Hinata watched the demonstration with her Byakugan and decided she had to learn the technique to help Naruto, while Naruto called himself a lost cause.

Jiraiya and Hongshi watched Naruto and Hinata train, then discussed Konoha’s leadership and shared a meal with them. Meanwhile, Orochimaru learned why Hongshi’s attack had left him unable to heal and set out with Kabuto to find Tsunade.

• Naruto progressed to the third stage of Rasengan training while Hinata struggled with her limited chakra, prompting Hongshi to consider how to increase it.
• Jiraiya told Hongshi that Tobirama had stripped Danzo of his authority and was evaluating Konoha’s ninja as part of a village reorganization.
• Naruto ate Hinata’s Super Military Rations Pill after Hongshi glared at him, then choked on his roast meat and was saved by Hinata’s Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
• Kabuto explained that Hongshi’s Nuclear Release had damaged Orochimaru’s DNA, leaving him with the choices of using Living Corpse Reincarnation or removing the wound and receiving advanced medical treatment.
• Orochimaru learned that Tsunade was in Tanzaku Town and ordered Kabuto to prepare medicine for their journey, while noting that Kimimaro was too ill to accompany them.

After Tsunade hit a rare gambling jackpot in Tanzaku Town, Jiraiya received news that Orochimaru had invaded Konoha and that unidentified ninja were moving near the Grass Ninja border. Hongshi and Hinata set out to investigate while Jiraiya and Naruto went to find Tsunade, and Orochimaru questioned Kabuto about his identity and potential.

• Tsunade hit the slot-machine jackpot, but worried that winning meant disaster would follow.
• After a week of training, Hinata had learned the Fire Rasengan and neared an advanced Gentle Fist technique, while Naruto mastered the Rasengan and began adding Wind Release chakra.
• Jiraiya received a message reporting Orochimaru’s invasion, heavy jonin losses, suspicious movements near the Grass Ninja border, and a missing patrol squad.
• Jiraiya assigned Hongshi and Hinata to scout the border and find the missing squad, while he and Naruto went to seek Tsunade as a candidate for Fifth Hokage.
• Orochimaru told Kabuto that his confusion held back his talent, and Kabuto reflected on a butterfly trapped in a spiderweb before it escaped.

Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi confronted Tsunade in Tanzaku Town and asked her to heal Orochimaru in exchange for resurrecting Dan and Nawaki. Tsunade wavered but gave no answer, and Jiraiya and Naruto arrived after Orochimaru and Kabuto left.

• Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi arrived on a giant snake and asked Tsunade to heal Orochimaru’s injuries.
• Tsunade refused, but Orochimaru revealed that he had been injured while invading Konoha and invoked the deaths of Dan and Nawaki.
• Shizune attacked Kabuto with poisoned needles, which he caught, and Tsunade warned Orochimaru against provoking her.
• Orochimaru offered to resurrect Dan and Nawaki if Tsunade healed him, then admitted he planned to destroy Konoha after recovering.
• Kabuto said they would meet Tsunade again in a week and that the resurrection jutsu required two living sacrifices; Orochimaru exposed his wounds and triggered Tsunade’s fear of blood.
• Orochimaru and Kabuto left, and Jiraiya and Naruto arrived as Shizune tried to comfort the frightened Tsunade.