Kakashi Hatake anchors the first volume of this six-book series, assigned to guard an airship's maiden voyage in the stretch before he formally takes up the Sixth Hokage title, until terrorists turn the flight into a hostage crisis. Each later volume hands the spotlight to a different figure from the Naruto cast: Shikamaru Nara wrestling with what adulthood costs, Sakura Haruno confronting the village's approach to trauma, Gaara holding the Sand village together under new threats. The final volume turns to the Akatsuki, tracing Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, Konan, Hidan, and Kakuzu. Written by different authors and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, the series fills in the gap between the original manga and its sequel.