Chapter Summaries

Minato Namikaze backed Fugaku Uchiha as he reclaimed Danzo’s Sharingan and declared that Root would be disbanded. He defended Uchiha Itachi’s actions and accepted the eye as evidence for an investigation, leaving Danzo’s fate and the Sharingan’s ownership to be decided after Danzo recovered.

• Minato Namikaze prevented the Third Hokage and Root Anbu from stopping Fugaku Uchiha from entering Danzo’s room, then announced that Root would be disbanded and its ninja reassigned.
• The Third Hokage accused Uchiha Itachi of becoming a rogue ninja, but Minato Namikaze said Danzo had tried to kill Itachi and that Itachi had acted in self-defense before sending him to guard the Daimyo.
• Minato Namikaze refused to change his position despite the Third Hokage’s anger and offered to have the Interrogation Squad verify the account after Danzo woke up.
• Fugaku Uchiha returned with Danzo’s Sharingan in a sealed container and asked Minato Namikaze to investigate whether Danzo had obtained it legitimately.
• Minato Namikaze accepted the Sharingan and said they would discuss the matter after Danzo regained consciousness.

Shinichi Hyuga watched Orochimaru’s Ten-Tails-cell embryo experiment stall and promised to seek new God Tree material for the next phase. Meanwhile, Danzo’s injury heightened tensions between the Uchiha and Konoha’s leadership, and after secretly meeting Fugaku, Minato saw Danzo die in the hospital that night.

• Shinichi observed that Orochimaru’s rapidly growing embryo had no developed brain or consciousness, while Orochimaru decided to suspend the experiment and destroy it.
• Orochimaru asked Shinichi to obtain God Tree tissue and, if possible, White Zetsu; Shinichi agreed to search for the materials before leaving through Yomotsu Hirasaka.
• Orochimaru ordered Kabuto to destroy the embryo and organize the experimental data while he prepared records and plans for the next phase.
• News that Itachi had severely injured Danzo led Konoha villagers to suspect and distance themselves from the Uchiha, and Minato believed the Third Hokage and the elders were applying pressure.
• Minato secretly summoned Fugaku that night, and Danzo suddenly died in Konoha Hospital before the Third Hokage and the others arrived.

At Shimura Danzō’s funeral, Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected Minato Namikaze of arranging Danzō’s unexplained death, while Kōtarō Sarutobi saw the mystery as a chance to challenge Minato. Shinichi Hyuga noticed Kōtarō’s ambition and expected it to lead to his downfall.

• Root ninja watched as Danzō’s funeral procession entered the cemetery, while Shinichi Hyuga assessed how the absorption of Root had strengthened Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen recalled the unexplained circumstances of Danzō’s death and privately suspected Minato Namikaze, though he had no evidence against him.
• The mourners buried Danzō, and Hiruzen wept as memories of their long friendship returned.
• Kōtarō Sarutobi comforted his father and decided to have the Anbu secretly investigate Danzō’s death as a possible way to undermine Minato.
• Shinichi Hyuga noticed Kōtarō’s meaningful glance at Minato and judged that Kōtarō’s ambition exceeded his abilities.

At Shimura Danzō’s funeral, Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected Minato Namikaze of killing his old friend but had no evidence. As Root’s power passed to the Third Hokage’s side, Kōtarō Sarutobi began considering a bid for the Hokage position and secretly planned to investigate Minato.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi led the funeral procession into the cemetery as Shinichi Hyuga observed the Root ninja barred from attending.
• Shinichi assessed how Danzō’s death had shifted Root’s political power to Hiruzen and strengthened the Third Hokage’s position against Minato.
• Hiruzen recalled the suspicious circumstances of Danzō’s death and privately concluded that Minato was the likeliest suspect, though he lacked proof.
• The mourners buried Danzō, and Hiruzen wept as Kōtarō Sarutobi comforted him.
• Kōtarō saw Danzō’s death as a chance to challenge Minato and decided to have the Anbu investigate secretly; Shinichi noticed his ambition and dismissed his chances.

After Kōtarō Sarutobi’s failed attempt to provoke the Uchiha Clan at Danzo’s funeral, Hiruzen Sarutobi warned his son against seeking power and challenging Minato Namikaze. Kōtarō revealed that he had secretly mastered the Chimera Technique, leaving Hiruzen shocked by his son’s strength and deception.

• Kōtarō Sarutobi’s actions at Danzo’s funeral marked him as an ambitious figure who had tried to use the Uchiha Clan as a stepping stone.
• On their way home, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Kōtarō why he had provoked the Uchiha, and Kōtarō said he wanted to share his father’s burdens.
• Hiruzen warned Kōtarō that the Uchiha would resent him and urged him to abandon his ambitions, but Kōtarō insisted he wanted to prove himself and become Hokage.
• Hiruzen cautioned that challenging Minato Namikaze and his allies would lead to death, but Kōtarō declared he had already gained the strength he needed.
• Kōtarō revealed that he had secretly studied the Chimera Technique and claimed he had taken abilities only from enemies.
• Kōtarō released powerful Chakra, and Hiruzen realized his son had concealed both the Forbidden Jutsu and his progress from him.

Kōtarō Sarutobi declared that he would compete for the Hokage position, and Hiruzen tested his strength at Training Ground 11. Kōtarō revealed that he had mastered the Chimera Technique and multiple powers, leaving Hiruzen to confront the possibility that his son had conducted human experiments.

• Kōtarō Sarutobi told Hiruzen that he would contend for the Hokage position, and Hiruzen decided to test whether he could rival Minato Namikaze.
• Kōtarō beat Hiruzen in a Body Flicker contest and explained that speed was only a small demonstration of his strength.
• Kōtarō activated a red seal, unleashed a seal-less Lightning Fang attack, and revealed that he had mastered a Lightning Fang Kekkei Genkai.
• Hiruzen recognized that Kōtarō had perfected the forbidden Chimera Technique and suspected that he had secretly conducted human experiments.
• Kōtarō revealed Steel Release by taking Hiruzen's punch without injury and invited his father to attack with full strength.

Kōtarō Sarutobi demonstrated his Storm Release and Steel Release while sparring with Hiruzen Sarutobi, convincing his father that he had become strong enough to protect himself. Hiruzen remained wary of Minato Namikaze, but Kōtarō argued that his strength qualified him to compete for influence in Konoha.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi grew alarmed at the extent of Kōtarō Sarutobi’s Forbidden Jutsu research and resolved to defeat him in their spar.
• Hiruzen summoned Enma, who transformed into the Adamantine Staff, and attacked Kōtarō.
• Kōtarō dodged Hiruzen’s strike, used Lightning Cutter as a feint, then sensed and countered Hiruzen’s follow-up, knocking him down.
• Kōtarō explained that his Storm Release let him sense attacks and argued that his Steel Release could withstand Minato Namikaze’s Rasengan.
• Hiruzen warned that Minato might exploit openings he could not, but Kōtarō maintained that his strength was enough to enter Konoha’s power struggle.

Shinichi sealed Matatabi inside Itachi and helped him recover, then showed him the Tailed Beast in his Spiritual World. Itachi and Matatabi exchanged memories and began to understand each other, while Shinichi noticed Cloud Ninja approaching.

• Shinichi used the Sealing Fire Technique to seal the Amaterasu flames into a Scroll and healed Itachi with Yang Release.
• Itachi awoke, and Shinichi guided him into his Spiritual World to meet Matatabi, sealed inside an iron cage.
• Shinichi sensed figures from the Land of Lightning rushing toward them and vanished to confront the approaching Cloud Ninja.
• Itachi told Matatabi he would bear the responsibility of being her Jinchuriki and hoped they could one day meet without a cage between them.
• Matatabi and Itachi shared memories through their Chakra, learned about each other's suffering, and looked at each other with pity.

Shinichi Hyuga loosened Matatabi’s seal so Itachi Uchiha could face the Stone Ninja, and Itachi quickly mastered the Tailed Beast Chakra. Itachi fought Deidara, Kitsuchi, and Han, but the battle ended with Deidara trapped in Itachi’s genjutsu.

• Shinichi Hyuga watched from a distance as the Stone Ninja approached, suspecting they had come for Itachi Uchiha.
• Itachi Uchiha gained control of Matatabi’s Chakra just as Deidara, Kitsuchi, and Han arrived on Clay Giant Birds.
• Itachi Uchiha tore apart Deidara’s bird and survived the clay explosions by protecting himself with the Tailed Beast Cloak.
• Itachi Uchiha charged Deidara and Kitsuchi, while Deidara wrapped him in a giant clay centipede.
• Han interrupted Deidara as he prepared to detonate the centipede, revealing that Deidara had mistaken Kitsuchi for Itachi Uchiha under a genjutsu.

Itachi Uchiha used Tsukuyomi to incapacitate Han, then exploited Deidara’s buried clay bombs to blast him away. Deidara and Kitsuchi retreated with the wounded Han, while Deidara dropped a huge clay bomb on Itachi as they fled.

• Han recognized that Itachi Uchiha had used Tsukuyomi, but the instant-long attack left him helpless with the pain of its illusion.
• Itachi Uchiha seized Han with his Chakra tail and hurled him onto Deidara’s buried clay bombs, which exploded and left Han gravely wounded.
• Deidara and Kitsuchi feared the consequences of losing their Jinchuriki and decided to retreat rather than continue fighting Itachi Uchiha.
• Kitsuchi rushed to retrieve Han while Deidara escaped on a clay bird and sent another bird to carry Kitsuchi.
• As the Stone Ninja fled, Deidara dropped a massive clay bomb toward Itachi Uchiha and shouted that art was an explosion.

Shinichi Hyuga ambushed Kakuzu and Sasori, using Flying Thunder God to strike Kakuzu’s brain and destroy one of his lives. After Kakuzu revived, the two Akatsuki members prepared to fight Shinichi, who opened the Sixth Gate of View.

• Shinichi used Lightning Release kunai to lure Kakuzu and force Sasori to reveal the Third Kazekage puppet and its Iron Sand shield.
• Shinichi used Flying Thunder God to appear beside Kakuzu and pierce his skull, but Kakuzu’s Earth Grudge Fear monsters remained active.
• A black mass of threads restored Kakuzu’s skull and heartbeat, and Kakuzu demanded to know Shinichi’s identity.
• Sasori warned Kakuzu that Shinichi was targeting them both and urged him to capture Shinichi.
• Shinichi opened the Sixth Gate of View, unleashing a surge of Chakra across the battlefield.

Shinichi Hyuga and Minato Namikaze tried to rescue Nagato from Black Zetsu’s control, but Black Zetsu used Nagato and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to resist them. The chapter left Minato and Shinichi facing Black Zetsu’s renewed defenses after Nagato survived their attacks.

• Shinichi Hyuga rescued Konan from the statue’s mouth and detonated a small Tailed Beast Bomb, killing White Zetsu while Black Zetsu protected Nagato with Shinra Tensei.
• Black Zetsu regained control of Nagato, reconnected him to the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, and awakened the statue.
• Minato Namikaze and Shinichi Hyuga used Flying Thunder God to return inside the statue and confront Nagato and Black Zetsu.
• Nagato asked Minato to kill him, and Minato promised to protect Konan and the Rain Country before attacking.
• Nagato repelled Minato with Shinra Tensei, while two White Zetsu emerged from Nagato and deflected Shinichi’s lightning-coated Kunai, helping Nagato survive.

Shinichi Hyuga fought Konan beneath the Iron Tower while Jiraiya went ahead to confront Nagato. Shinichi survived Konan’s explosive trap and captured her after her Chakra ran low, leaving the battle at the tower unresolved.

• Shinichi used the Flying Thunder God to redirect Konan’s Paper Arrows and let Jiraiya continue up the Iron Tower toward Nagato.
• Konan attacked Shinichi with a flying wall of Explosive Tags, but he evaded the blasts and drew her away from the tower.
• Shinichi struck Konan with a Mini Tailed Beast Bomb and used Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags to destroy her explosive wall, exhausting her as Rain Ninja approached.
• Konan reformed after the blast, and Shinichi attacked her when her Angel state had faded, but the apparent Konan was a Paper Clone rigged to explode.
• Shinichi survived the close-range explosion behind a Chakra Shield, seized Konan by the neck, and rendered her unconscious.

Shinichi Hyuga freed Uchiha Hikari from a Senju seal and found that she had lost her memories. He reassured her and planned to take her to Konoha, but first spent the night camping with her so she could experience the outside world.

• Shinichi Hyuga discovered that the Senju seal held a living Uchiha girl and identified her as Uchiha Hikari.
• Shinichi Hyuga broke the seal and carried Uchiha Hikari to a grassy field, where she woke with no memories of her past.
• Shinichi Hyuga told Uchiha Hikari her name and that she was from the Land of Fire, then explained that he was a Konoha ninja and her companion.
• Uchiha Hikari suffered a painful reaction to the word ninja, and Shinichi Hyuga helped her calm down by guiding her breathing and attention to the distant scenery.
• Shinichi Hyuga concealed Hikari's painful past and answered her questions, while Hikari decided she wanted to visit Konoha and came to trust him.
• Shinichi Hyuga camped in the wilderness with Uchiha Hikari rather than immediately returning to Konoha.

Hyuga Shinichi saved Sasuke and the Daimyo’s residence from Deidara’s C4 Garuda, then saw Sasuke’s influence as a way to lure Isshiki Otsutsuki out of hiding. Konoha managed the diplomatic fallout without war, while Sasuke’s reputation grew and rumors spread that Konoha had found the Six Paths Sage’s legacy.

• Deidara unleashed C4 Garuda over the Daimyo’s residence, but Hyuga Shinichi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to swallow the bomb in a spatial black hole and save Sasuke and the city.
• Obito urged Deidara to flee, and the two Iwagakure shinobi escaped before Konoha’s reinforcements arrived.
• Hyuga Shinichi returned to the Spark Research Institute and decided Sasuke could serve as bait to draw out Isshiki Otsutsuki, whose power he intended to consume.
• Konoha’s shinobi confirmed Sasuke’s account of the attack, while Sasuke kept his jinchuriki status secret and planned to report it directly to the Hokage.
• Water Gate increased pressure on Iwagakure and Kumogakure, but the villages avoided war as Konoha publicized Sasuke’s victory and his fame spread.
• A rumor circulated among ordinary people that Konoha had found the Six Paths Sage’s legacy and was protecting the Sage’s remains.

Hyuga Shinichi stopped Deidara’s C4 Garuda from destroying the Daimyo’s palace, then conceived a plan to draw out Otsutsuki Isshiki by presenting Uchiha Itachi as a suitable vessel. Konoha contained the diplomatic fallout and promoted Itachi’s growing fame as rumors about the Sage of Six Paths spread.

• As C4 Garuda threatened the city, Hyuga Shinichi used Flying Raijin to seal it away, and Deidara and Kurotsuchi fled.
• Hyuga Shinichi returned to Spark Academy and decided to use a suitable vessel to lure Otsutsuki Isshiki out of hiding.
• Konoha reinforcements arrived, confirmed Itachi’s account of the battle, and learned that he had captured the Two-Tails and severely wounded the Five-Tails jinchuriki.
• Water Gate deployed troops near the borders and warned Iwagakure and Kumogakure, helping prevent the conflict from escalating into war.
• Konoha publicized Itachi as a powerful hero, while a rumor spread that Konoha had protected the remains of a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths.

As Konoha prepared for the next Chunin Exams, Ninja Cards selling information about genin caught the attention of the Anbu. Morino Ibiki interrogated their merchant, Raimon Koshimizu, who revealed his business had Sarutobi Asuma’s backing, before Hyuga Hiashi and Toneri arrived to borrow Ibiki.

• Konoha’s genin prepared for the upcoming Chunin Exams, and Ninja Cards rating their abilities grew popular as a source of intelligence.
• Water Gate ordered the Anbu to investigate the company producing and selling Ninja Cards, and Morino Ibiki had Raimon Koshimizu brought in for questioning.
• Raimon Koshimizu said he was a registered Merchant Shinobi who dealt in salt and oil, and argued that the cards were a legitimate new business.
• Raimon Koshimizu revealed that Sarutobi Asuma, the Third Hokage’s son, was a financial backer and had told him the business was allowed.
• Hyuga Hiashi and Toneri entered the interrogation room and asked Morino Ibiki to come with them.

Hyuga Shinichi arranged for Raimon Etsu to be questioned gently and brought to the Hyuga compound, where he asked the merchant to promote Danzo through the popular ninja cards. Raimon Etsu agreed to include Danzo, with the Hyuga clan controlling the card’s content.

• Hyuga Shinichi told Ibiki that the Hokage had approved his visit and insisted that the ninja-card matter remain secret.
• Ibiki confirmed the Hokage’s instructions, conducted a restrained interrogation, and learned only that the Raikado family supported Raimon Etsu’s business.
• Ibiki sent Raimon Etsu to the Hyuga compound, where Shinichi and Danzo received him.
• Shinichi asked Raimon Etsu to add Danzo to the ninja cards and let the Hyuga clan decide what the card said.
• Raimon Etsu agreed to the request, saying that everything was negotiable.

Raimon Etsureki’s deal with the Hyuga Clan made Kōtarō Sarutobi suspect that Raimon had found a new patron and was preparing to replace him. Meanwhile, Toneri Hyuga’s Ninja Card drew attention across the Shinobi World as Konoha prepared to lure Ōtsutsuki Isshiki into its defenses.

• Raimon Etsureki told Kōtarō Sarutobi that the Hyuga Clan had hired him to make Ninja Cards for its Genin, but Kōtarō decided Raimon was hiding a deeper connection with them.
• Kōtarō dismissed Raimon and planned to replace the Raimon Company as the Sarutobi Clan’s business partner.
• The new Ninja Cards publicized Toneri Hyuga as a Sage Descendant, drawing attention from villages including the Cloud, while A focused on retrieving the Two-Tails from Itachi Uchiha.
• Minato Namikaze helped Shinichi Hyuga arrange for Konoha to host the next Chunin Exams and loosen entry requirements for ordinary travelers.
• Konoha adjusted its defenses to make the village an inviting target, and Shinichi Hyuga waited for Ōtsutsuki Isshiki to come after Toneri.

Shinichi Hyuga watched Toneri’s growing place in Konoha while waiting for signs of the Otsutsuki, and Minato shared updates on the village’s young ninja. The chapter ended with Sasuke asking to leave Team Seven and Minato transferring him back to the Konoha Military Police Force.

• Toneri finished his studies at the Ninja Academy and had grown accustomed to life in Konoha.
• Shinichi reflected on Toneri’s potential, Hinata’s role as a Jinchuriki, and the risks the Otsutsuki posed to Earth.
• Minato regularly visited Spark Laboratory and shared reports about Shisui’s Sand Ninja squad and Team Seven’s progress.
• Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry grew more openly confrontational as they entered adolescence.
• Sasuke told Minato that Team Seven could not make him stronger and asked to return to the Uchiha Police Force.
• Minato respected Sasuke’s wishes and transferred him back to the Konoha Military Police Force.