After the end of the Third Great Ninja War, the Leaf Village is divided over who should become the next Hokage. Minato Namikaze is soon appointed as the Fourth Hokage, much to the annoyance of Danzo and Orochimaru. Meanwhile, Kakashi is haunted by the deaths of Obito and Rin, causing him to lose focus on his missions.

At the Foundation, Kakashi meets a boy who uses Wood Style, a jutsu that only First Hokage Hashirama was capable of using. Kakashi goes to Third Hokage Hiruzen's library to seek answers and discovers records regarding Hashirama's cells.