Chapter Summaries

Kyosuke returned to Konoha blind and was welcomed as a war hero by the village’s leaders and cheering residents. At the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi thanked him for his service, while Saori Hyuga watched the leaders’ staged friendliness with private distrust.

• Kyosuke woke as his carriage approached Konoha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi and Utatane Koharu saw that he had lost his sight.
• Danzo pressed Kyosuke for details about his last battle, but Hiruzen Sarutobi postponed the questioning until they returned to the village.
• Villagers recognized Kyosuke and cheered his battlefield achievements as Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other leaders let the public welcome continue.
• At the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi thanked Kyosuke and Saori Hyuga for their service, and Kyosuke replied with feigned modesty.
• Saori Hyuga concealed her contempt for the leaders’ performance, though she preferred their friendliness to their suspicion.

Kyosuke told Konoha’s leaders that Madara Uchiha had been hiding in a cave and discussed how to explain his death. Hiruzen Sarutobi then tested Kyosuke’s position on the next Hokage, and Kyosuke praised Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Minato Namikaze while presenting Minato as the strongest candidate.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi offered to arrange a transplant for Kyosuke, who accepted and explained how he had found Madara Uchiha’s cave using Sage Mode.
• Kyosuke claimed Madara had died of old age and declining strength, and Konoha’s leaders ordered the information about Madara sealed.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Kyosuke to recommend a successor for Hokage, and Kyosuke chose not to openly support Orochimaru or Minato Namikaze.
• Kyosuke described Orochimaru as capable but prone to extremes, Jiraiya as a strong candidate who did not want the position, and Minato Namikaze as nearly flawless.

Kyosuke declined Hiruzen Sarutobi’s offer of an Anbu deputy director position, citing exhaustion and the negative emotions caused by his Mangekyō. He instead became a Jonin team leader so he could recover and pursue his own goals, while Hiruzen left the Anbu position open for him.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi offered Kyosuke the Anbu deputy director position, and Danzo and the other elders accepted the proposal.
• Kyosuke refused the role, explaining that he needed to recuperate and feared his Mangekyō’s negative emotions would affect his actions in the Anbu.
• Kyosuke asked to become a Jonin team leader and choose his own students, and Hiruzen approved both requests.
• Kyosuke left the office with Saori Hyuga after Hiruzen urged him to recover before taking on a team.
• Hiruzen, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura discussed Kyosuke, and Danzo privately worried that he would no longer help with Hashirama Cells research.

Kyosuke returned to Konoha and went back to the Uchiha compound, where he found the clan devastated by wartime losses. The Third Elder introduced him to the young Uchiha Shisui and asked him to guide the talented boy.

• Saori Hyuga offered to take Kyosuke home, but he walked through the village alone after reassuring her he could navigate despite his blindness.
• A Uchiha clansman summoned Kyosuke to the compound, where the Third Elder personally welcomed him.
• Kyosuke learned that the Uchiha Clan had lost many members, including Nagisa, the Second Elder, and the Great Elder.
• Kyosuke promised the Third Elder that no one would bully the Uchiha Clan again.
• Uchiha Shisui appeared while chasing a crow, recognized Kyosuke, and was introduced as a talented junior for Kyosuke to guide.

After recovering his sight through eye replacement surgery, Kyosuke took Shisui to welcome the Northern Army returning to Konoha. He resolved to guide Shisui and prevent tragedies like the Uchiha massacre, leaving with the boy to greet the returning soldiers.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi arranged eye replacement surgery for Kyosuke, and Kyosuke regained his sight after a week of recovery.
• Kyosuke reflected on Itachi Uchiha’s choices and blamed him for the suffering that shaped Sasuke’s life.
• Kyosuke promised himself that the tragedies would not happen again while he was there.
• Kyosuke took Shisui by the hand and led him out of the clan grounds to welcome the Northern Army’s returning heroes.

Kyosuke brought Shisui to welcome the returning forces, where Hiruzen gave the boy a Ninjutsu Scroll. The Northwest Corps returned to Konoha with Minato at its head, and the welcome ceremony became a celebration of his popularity.

• Shisui marveled at the crowds and looked up to Kyosuke as a hero while they waited for the returning forces.
• Kyosuke greeted Hizashi and then introduced Shisui to Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders.
• Hiruzen recognized Shisui as Kagami's descendant and gave him a Ninjutsu Scroll, which Shisui accepted respectfully.
• The returning Northwest Corps approached amid cheers, with Minato Namikaze leading the procession ahead of Jiraiya.
• Kyosuke watched Hiruzen beam and Danzo scowl, then went forward to greet the Northwest Corps.

After the war ended with Konoha victorious, Hiruzen Sarutobi resigned as Hokage, setting off a struggle over his successor. Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze gained support while the Uchiha argued over whether Fugaku should run, and Kyosuke resolved to prevent the clan from repeating its past mistakes.

• The great war ended after the Third Raikage survived, Chiyo withdrew from the Sand battlefield, and the defeated villages accepted peace.
• At Konoha's victory celebration, Hiruzen Sarutobi resigned and invited qualified ninja to prepare to run for Hokage.
• When the Southwest Army returned, its fighters resented the sparse welcome, and Orochimaru's supporters began campaigning for him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi arranged renewed praise for Minato Namikaze, prompting clans close to the Hokage faction to declare their support for Minato.
• Ukyo Uchiha and other clansmen urged Fugaku Uchiha to run for Hokage, while Kyosuke watched and resolved not to let the Uchiha repeat their past mistakes.

Kyosuke staged Ukyo Uchiha’s arrest to intimidate the clan, establish his authority, and expose radicals opposing Fugaku’s leadership. After the meeting, Fugaku discovered the ruse, and the three discussed how to manage the clan going forward.

• Kyosuke ordered the Secret Ninja to seize Ukyo, then personally overwhelmed him with killing intent and sent him to prison pending judgment.
• After Ukyo was taken away, Kyosuke forbade private discussion of the Hokage position and continued the meeting without further opposition.
• Kyosuke visited Ukyo in prison, where they revealed that the confrontation had been planned to strengthen Kyosuke’s authority and identify radicals.
• Fugaku arrived, realized Kyosuke and Ukyo had staged the arrest without telling him, and joined them in laughter.
• Kyosuke explained his approach to Fugaku, who admitted the others had shown greater foresight, and the three discussed their next steps.

Kyosuke trained Shisui and taught him the Draw Sword Technique before Orochimaru summoned him to examine Jugo and help research the Heavenly Cursed Seal. Kyosuke assisted with the research but resolved to distance himself from Orochimaru if he turned to human experimentation.

• Shisui attacked Kyosuke with fire, shuriken, and his sword, but Kyosuke effortlessly countered and cut Shisui’s short sword in two.
• Kyosuke explained the Draw Sword Technique to an eager Shisui.
• A ninja summoned Kyosuke to Orochimaru’s residence, where he found Jugo unconscious in the underground Secret Research laboratory.
• Orochimaru and Kyosuke recognized Jugo’s energy as Natural Energy and worked together on the Heavenly Cursed Seal research.
• After they exhausted their experimental subjects, Kyosuke anticipated Orochimaru might resort to human experimentation and decided to help only with the current research before separating from him.

Kyosuke moved his research to a secret Experimental Base, where he tested Hashirama Cells and successfully cloned Chakra-bearing wild boars. He arranged for Secret Ninja to maintain the lab and began choosing disciples, settling on Kinoe as a candidate alongside Shisui Uchiha.

• Kyosuke moved his equipment and research to a remote canyon and tested Hashirama Cells on a dead wild boar, which sprouted branches as the cells revived its dead tissue.
• Kyosuke captured a wild boar with Chakra and used his Cloning Technique to successfully cultivate dozens of cloned embryos.
• Kyosuke realized he needed trustworthy assistants, more money, and Experience Points to expand his experiments.
• Secret Ninja Number 7 selected three Secret Ninja, arranged fake deaths for them, and sent them to maintain the Experimental Base.
• Kyosuke began choosing disciples, counted Shisui Uchiha among them, and decided Kinoe would be another candidate.

Kyosuke persuaded Danzo to let Kinoe leave Root and brought him to the Uchiha Compound, where he gave him a home and the name Yamato. He introduced Yamato to Shisui as his second disciple, leaving the two boys to begin getting acquainted.

• Kyosuke asked Danzo to let Kinoe stay with him for the Hashirama Cells research, and Danzo agreed in exchange for a favor.
• Kyosuke took Kinoe from Root and brought him to the Uchiha Compound, telling him that one of the rooms would be his home.
• Kyosuke gave Kinoe the name Yamato and told him to call him Teacher.
• Kyosuke brought Yamato to the training grounds, where Shisui was practicing, and introduced the two boys.
• Shisui welcomed Yamato as his junior brother, and Yamato felt the warmth of having a home.

Kyosuke chose Anko Mitarashi as his third disciple after attending the funeral of her father, Mitarashi Kiyoshi, and the three children began training together. While the team gained experience on minor missions, Anko learned to summon snakes and began studying Hidden Shadow Snake Hands; an unknown upheaval was brewing in the distant Land of Water.

• Kyosuke attended Mitarashi Kiyoshi's funeral and learned that Anko was his daughter.
• Kyosuke asked to take Anko as his disciple, and she agreed after he promised her sweet rice dumplings and red bean paste.
• Kyosuke formed his team with Shisui, Yamato, and Anko, but Hiruzen Sarutobi restricted them to simple missions because they were too young.
• Shisui consistently defeated Yamato in sparring, while Anko fell behind and asked Kyosuke to teach her more Ninjutsu.
• Kyosuke gave Anko the Ryūchi Cave contract, and she soon summoned small snakes, so he obtained Orochimaru's permission to teach her Hidden Shadow Snake Hands.
• As Team Kyosuke gained mission experience, an unknown upheaval began in the Land of Water.

Dark Owl chose to support Minazuki Saya’s bid to become Mizukage and began planning to eliminate the obstacles to her rise. He left Saya waiting for news as he prepared to act against the Hozuki-Kaguya alliance and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

• Dark Owl learned that the heir was in Amegakure and decided to act according to his own will; he threatened White Zetsu for calling him Nagisa.
• Minazuki Saya worried that the Hozuki-Kaguya alliance was gaining support and threatening the Yuki Clan’s position.
• Dark Owl visited Saya and told her that the Daimyo had decided to support her ascension to Mizukage.
• Dark Owl said he would split the Hozuki-Kaguya alliance and proposed killing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
• Saya said she could defeat the swordsmen if they were gathered together, and Dark Owl left to arrange it.

Minazuki Saya ambushed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and trapped them in her Ice Mirrors, killing Suikazan Fuguki with her Cold Moon Frost Flower technique. As Dark Owl prepared to intervene, Hozuki Mangetsu and a group of Hozuki ninja arrived, shifting the battle’s course.

• After Dark Owl’s maneuvers split the Hozuki-Kaguya alliance, Minazuki Saya restored the Yuki Clan’s strength and prepared to confront the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
• Biwa Jūzō, Suikazan Fuguki, Jinin Akebino, and Munashi Jinpachi found Noguchi Jin dead inside a block of ice and faced Minazuki Saya.
• Minazuki Saya trapped the four swordsmen inside her Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, and Suikazan Fuguki flooded the mirrors with his Water Release.
• Minazuki Saya used Cold Moon Frost Flower to strike Suikazan Fuguki, leaving the remaining three swordsmen trapped and enraged.
• Dark Owl approached the battlefield, intending to attack the swordsmen, but Hozuki Mangetsu arrived with Hozuki Clan ninja.

Dark Owl revealed her Wood Release and used her Sharingan and spirit-body ability to kill Munashi Jinpachi and Jinin Akebino after Minazuki Saya was defeated. Biwa Jūzō fled instead of returning to Kirigakure, while Dark Owl turned to face the arriving Hozuki Clan ninja.

• Minazuki Saya realized Minazuki Cai Lan had betrayed her, but Munashi Jinpachi struck her with Landmine Fist and sent her flying.
• Dark Owl unleashed Wood Release to trap the enemy shinobi and charged Munashi Jinpachi.
• Dark Owl blocked Munashi Jinpachi's attack, trapped him with Sharingan genjutsu, and crushed him with Susanoo.
• Dark Owl sent her spirit body into Jinin Akebino and forced him to cut himself in two with Kabutowari.
• Biwa Jūzō fled away from Kirigakure, and Dark Owl attacked the arriving Hozuki Clan ninja with Susanoo.

Dark Owl fought Hozuki Mangetsu and his clan’s reinforcements, losing Susanoo’s advantage as they damaged her and killed the other Hozuki. Driven by hatred, she awakened Susanoo’s third form and used the Spear of the Heavens to strike down Mangetsu.

• Hozuki Mangetsu and two clansmen attacked Dark Owl’s Susanoo with Water Bullet Technique, forcing her to use Wood Release: Thorns Killing Technique.
• Dark Owl’s wooden thorns killed the two Hozuki clansmen, leaving Mangetsu as the sole surviving reinforcement.
• Hozuki Mangetsu broke through the thorns with Great Water Arm and struck Dark Owl, knocking her back despite Susanoo’s protection.
• Dark Owl’s surging hatred advanced Susanoo directly to its third form, clad in White Crow Tengu Armor.
• Hozuki Mangetsu summoned a Water Giant, but Dark Owl’s Spear of the Heavens pierced it and nailed him to the ground in an explosion.

Minazuki Saya believed Dark Owl had secured her path to the Mizukage seat, but Dark Owl suddenly attacked and knocked her unconscious. Dark Owl turned Saya into a puppet and sent her back toward Kirigakure with Minazuki Clan shinobi, though the puppet’s unnatural behavior worried her.

• Minazuki Saya approached Dark Owl after the battle and celebrated the defeat of Hozuki Mangetsu and most of her rivals.
• Minazuki Saya flirted with Dark Owl and imagined bringing her under her command, but Dark Owl declared that Saya could die.
• Dark Owl used Susanoo to strike Minazuki Saya unconscious, then collapsed from the pain caused by using her Mangekyo.
• Dark Owl recovered, examined Saya, and used a scarlet gleam in her left eye before leaving with her.
• Dark Owl and her new puppet, Minazuki Saya, met the ambushing Minazuki Clan shinobi, who mistook the puppet for their clan head and escorted her toward Kirigakure.
• Dark Owl noticed the puppet’s rigid behavior and worried that the Minazuki Clan would discover it was not truly Saya.

Dark Owl used the Minazuki Clan to defeat the Hōzuki Clan, bring Kirigakure’s factions under Minazuki Saya’s control, and end the conflict with the Kaguya Clan through negotiations. Minazuki Saya became Mizukage, while Dark Owl revealed that both she and the Kaguya Clan Head were her Puppets and prepared to seek out Kyosuke Uchiha.

• Minazuki Saya ordered preparations to attack the Hōzuki Clan, then Dark Owl collapsed from exhaustion while White Zetsu hid and impersonated Saya to protect her.
• A week later, the Minazuki Clan nearly wiped out the Hōzuki Clan, and Dark Owl pressured Kirigakure’s higher-ups into supporting Minazuki Saya.
• Minazuki Saya and Dark Owl met the Kaguya Clan Head in Kaguya territory and emerged having peacefully ended the threat of war between their clans.
• Kirigakure’s internal conflict ended, and Minazuki Saya took office as Mizukage with widespread support.
• Dark Owl told White Zetsu that the Mizukage and the Kaguya Clan Head were both her Puppets, then vowed to find Kyosuke Uchiha soon.

Kyosuke’s team captured the Izuno Clan’s runaway Ninja Cat after Yamato blocked its escape with Wood Release. Kyosuke explained that Anko’s poisonous snake had made the cat wary of her, then promised her sweet rice dumplings after she caught him stealing her snacks.

• Shisui warned Anko to soften her fierce expression as the three children crept toward the tabby cat.
• The cat sensed Anko’s poisonous snake and prepared to flee, prompting Anko to charge while Shisui called Yamato to help.
• Yamato used Wood Release: Wood Lock Wall to block the cat, and Shisui cut off its escape, leading it to surrender into his arms.
• Kyosuke praised Yamato’s capture and explained that the cat had been wary of Anko because of the poisonous snake coiled around her arm.
• Anko noticed that Kyosuke had eaten her snacks and pounced at him, but he placated her by promising sweet rice dumplings.
• Kyosuke led the team toward the Mission Assignment Desk to submit the mission before taking them out to eat.

Kyosuke began a Hashirama Cell transplant on himself, using his Chakra to control the rejection and unexpectedly triggering Sage Mode. The cells fused successfully, and he unlocked Sage Body Level 1.

• Kyosuke's assistants reported that cloned test subjects had matured, and he prepared to start another experiment with his improved transplantation skill.
• Shisui and Yamato trained intensely at the Uchiha Clan Training Grounds, while Kyosuke worried that restless Anko might fall behind them.
• Kyosuke began receiving Hashirama Cells through an IV and used his Chakra to suppress the rejection reaction.
• Kyosuke's Chakra surged to Kage-level, and his appearance changed as Sage Mode emerged and accelerated the cells' fusion.
• After the transplant succeeded, Kyosuke checked his system panel and saw that Sage Body Level 1 had been unlocked.