Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected Danzō’s attempt to recruit Naruto Uzumaki into Root and secured Naruto’s chance to attend the Ninja School. Later, Hiruzen disappointed Naruto by saying he might not be able to attend his birthday, while Naruto and Menma privately criticized his dishonesty.

• Danzō argued that Naruto’s talent made him dangerous and demanded that Hiruzen hand him over to Root, but Hiruzen showed the advisors Naruto’s diary and refused.
• Danzō changed his plan and wanted Naruto to become Root’s heir, while Hiruzen insisted Naruto needed friends and bonds; Danzō eventually stormed out, and Naruto gained permission to attend the Ninja School.
• Naruto asked Hiruzen to celebrate his upcoming birthday with him, but Hiruzen said his work might prevent him from coming.
• Naruto complained to Menma that Hiruzen was lying again, and Menma reflected on people’s attachment to lies.

Naruto considered how the Will of Fire could be twisted after Menma sent him to observe a confrontation between the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans. He recognized that Konoha’s leaders could use the slogan of loyalty to justify unfairly targeting the Uchiha, leaving him to weigh that lesson against his own ideals.

• Shisui followed Naruto through the Death Forest and noticed that Naruto’s unusual running style seemed balanced and effortless.
• Menma explained that Naruto’s notebook contained only an assignment praising the Will of Fire and records of his training, then sent him toward the streets for a surprise practical assessment.
• Naruto and Shisui arrived at a confrontation between Yashiro Uchiha’s Police Force members and Sarutobi clansmen, whose earlier fight had drawn an angry crowd.
• Menma asked Naruto to assess the incident, and Naruto concluded that the Will of Fire felt distorted from its original purpose.
• Naruto reasoned that Konoha’s High-Ranking Officials could define the Uchiha as outside Konoha and use suspicions about their loyalty to justify suppressing them.

Yashiro Uchiha confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi over the Sarutobi Clan’s alleged slander and resistance to the Police Force, while Hiruzen redirected the matter to ANBU and won support from watching villagers. The Uchiha grew angry and prepared to resist as Yashiro began to give an order.

• Menma told Little Naruto that the Will of Fire had become corrupt and argued that Konoha’s compromise-based approach could not preserve peace.
• Shisui watched Yashiro Uchiha confront the Sarutobi Clan and considered intervening before Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived with ANBU.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi urged Yashiro to handle the dispute calmly, then ordered ANBU to take the involved people somewhere quiet.
• Yashiro objected that maintaining public order belonged to the Police Force, but Hiruzen argued that the Uchiha might favor their own clan.
• Hiruzen told Yashiro to raise any objection at a high-ranking officials’ meeting and ordered ANBU to take everyone away as villagers criticized the Uchiha.
• The Uchiha activated their Sharingan, and Yashiro began to order them to resist before someone shouted, “Stop!!”

Fugaku reminded Itachi of his loyalty to the Uchiha, while Itachi recalled how witnessing the horrors of war had made him want to end conflict. Later, Fugaku learned that Uchiha clansmen had begun fighting members of the Sarutobi Clan.

• Fugaku praised Itachi for joining the ANBU and told him to remember that he was also an Uchiha.
• Itachi remembered seeing the battlefield as a child, where an Iwa Ninja he had helped tried to kill him and Fugaku explained that war made enemies of strangers.
• Itachi resolved to change the violent world and agreed to look after Sasuke when Fugaku asked him to teach his younger brother.
• A Conservative Faction member told Fugaku that Yashiro's men had fought Sarutobi Clan members after overhearing them criticize the Uchiha's violent law enforcement.

Fugaku stopped the Uchiha Police Force from resisting the Hokage’s ANBU, deepening Shisui’s fears that the clan was headed for destruction. On Naruto’s fifth birthday, Hiruzen gave him a Ninja School enrollment notice, and Naruto celebrated with Menma and Kurama inside the Sealing Space.

• Fugaku arrived as Hiruzen ordered the ANBU to take the Uchiha Police Force members away, then stopped Yashiro from resisting and apologized to Hiruzen.
• Shisui watched the confrontation and resolved to prevent the Uchiha and the village from fighting, while Naruto questioned Menma about the Police Force’s conduct.
• Hiruzen visited Naruto on his fifth birthday and gave him snacks, goggles, and a Ninja School enrollment notice.
• After Hiruzen left, Naruto pretended to sleep and joined Menma in the Sealing Space to celebrate with cake.
• Naruto promised Kurama he would take him to see the Shinobi World after graduating, while Menma remarked that Kurama’s snacks and anime had made him grow plump.

Menma celebrated Naruto’s birthday with him and Kurama before going to retrieve Naruto’s present. Meanwhile, the Uchiha moved closer to a coup, and Shisui revealed to Hiruzen Sarutobi that his Mangekyō Sharingan technique was Kotoamatsukami.

• Kurama warmed to Naruto after Menma hinted that the anime had a second season, and the three celebrated Naruto’s birthday together.
• Menma tucked Naruto into bed and left to get his birthday present.
• Itachi Uchiha attended the Uchiha clan meeting after awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan and joining the ANBU.
• Yashiro Uchiha and other clan members argued that Konoha threatened the Uchiha and pushed Fugaku toward a coup.
• Shisui told Hiruzen Sarutobi that the Uchiha were preparing a coup and revealed that he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Shisui explained that his Mangekyō technique, Kotoamatsukami, could permanently alter a person’s thoughts and will without their awareness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed to Shisui's plan to use Kotoamatsukami against Fugaku, but secretly sent a letter to Shimura Danzō about Shisui's Mangekyō ability. Naruto began his first day at Ninja School, where he endured villagers' hostility and listened to Hiruzen's speech while waiting for Menma-nii to return with a birthday present.

• Shisui told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Kotoamatsukami was his Mangekyō technique and offered to use it to stop Fugaku Uchiha and the coup.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi approved Shisui's plan, then secretly sent Shimura Danzō a letter describing Shisui's Mangekyō and its effects.
• Naruto dressed for his first day at Ninja School, and Kurama told him Menma-nii had probably gone to get his birthday present.
• Naruto went to school as villagers warned their children to stay away from him, but he ignored their stares and criticism.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi addressed the new students about the Will of Fire while Naruto found the speech boring and asked Kurama where Menma-nii had gone.

Shisui tried to prevent the Uchiha coup by subtly influencing Fugaku, but Danzo ambushed him and stole one of his Mangekyō Sharingan. As Danzo admired the eye, a masked man appeared and asked him to hand it over.

• Shisui planned to use Kotoamatsukami to gradually strengthen Fugaku's resolve against the Radical Faction.
• Danzo and eight Root members ambushed Shisui, and Danzo argued that the Uchiha could never coexist peacefully with the Leaf Village.
• Danzo used Izanagi to escape Shisui's genjutsu and clawed out Shisui's right eye.
• Shisui fled as the Root members pursued him, while Danzo remained behind holding the stolen Mangekyō Sharingan.
• A masked man appeared beside Danzo and asked him to give up the eye.

Menma ambushed Danzo, took his Hashirama Cells arm and Kotoamatsukami, and crippled Root with a devastating attack before disappearing. In the forest, he found Shisui using the first form of Susanoo and confirmed his suspicion that the Sharingan came from a mutation of Ōtsutsuki blood.

• Menma appeared beside Danzo and severed his arm, taking the Hashirama Cells arm and Mangekyō Sharingan containing Kotoamatsukami.
• Menma sealed Danzo’s Chakra with the Four Symbols Sealing Technique and threw a Small Spiral Wheel Ugra at Danzo and the Root members.
• The blast killed several Root ninja and left Danzo furious as Menma vanished.
• Menma arrived in the forest and saw Shisui wielding the first form of Susanoo against the remaining Root ninja.
• Menma concluded that the Sharingan was a mutation of Ōtsutsuki bloodline.

Menma confronted the wounded Shisui after Shisui escaped Danzo’s ambush, judging him too naive to serve as a weapon. Shisui fought to protect his Mangekyō Sharingan, but Menma’s summoned beasts fatally wounded him, leaving him struggling to keep his eye from the Masked Man.

• Menma considered the Sharingan’s limits as Shisui’s Susanoo vanished from exhaustion.
• Menma blocked Shisui’s escape and challenged his faith in Hiruzen Sarutobi, then decided to claim Shisui’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Menma summoned Azure Dragon and White Tiger, and Shisui fought White Tiger with his swordsmanship and Susanoo.
• Shisui’s Susanoo reached its second form and blasted White Tiger away with Yasaka Beads.
• Azure Dragon burst from beneath Shisui and pierced his abdomen, causing him to collapse while he struggled to protect his eye.

Menma defeated Shisui, took his remaining Mangekyō Sharingan, and left his body behind as Root and Itachi approached. He planned to exploit Shisui’s death to deepen the Leaf Village’s chaos and possibly frame Danzo.

• Menma revealed that Shisui could no longer use his left-eye Kotoamatsukami and challenged his faith in the Third Hokage and Itachi.
• Menma used the Body Flicker Technique to reach Shisui and gouged out his remaining eye, killing him.
• Menma stored the Mangekyō Sharingan in nutrient solution and detected Itachi and Root approaching from opposite directions.
• Menma decided to leave Itachi alive for the benefits he could bring and considered using Shisui’s death to blame Danzo.
• Root ninja arrived and found Shisui’s body with his eyes missing; just as they prepared to take it away, someone demanded to know who they were.

Hiruzen learned that Danzō’s Root had killed Shisui and clashed with Itachi, while Naruto began his first day at the Ninja School and drew Ino’s attention. The chapter left Naruto about to introduce himself to his class, with Iruka struggling to contain his resentment toward him.

• Hiruzen heard that Root had killed Shisui and fought Itachi, then decided to summon them later while hoping Itachi would not disappoint him.
• Naruto noticed the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara students before Yamanaka Ino asked to sit beside him and became captivated by him.
• Umino Iruka introduced himself as the class teacher, and Naruto sensed the hatred in Iruka’s gaze.
• Naruto asked Kurama why Iruka hated him, and Kurama said the Nine-Tails had killed Iruka’s family when Madara controlled it.
• The students introduced themselves, Sasuke gave only his name, and Iruka called Naruto forward to introduce himself.

Naruto introduced himself to his classmates, presenting himself as a warm and determined child who wanted to follow the Fourth Hokage’s example. As lessons began and students from clan families befriended him, Naruto considered which classmates might be useful, while sensing he had forgotten something.

• Iruka called Naruto to the podium, where Naruto introduced himself and said he wanted to become a great ninja like the Fourth Hokage.
• Iruka reconsidered his attitude toward Naruto and resolved to treat him fairly as his student.
• Naruto found the Academy lessons familiar, and the Nine-Tails scoffed at the lesson on hand seals.
• Akimichi Choji, Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, and Nara Shikamaru approached Naruto and started talking with him.
• Naruto judged his new acquaintances as useful people, then wondered what he had forgotten.

Naruto reflected on his loyalty to Menma and Fox Teacher while Sasuke and Hinata watched him at Ninja School. Menma tracked an unusual Yin Release Chakra to the Kurama Clan compound, where he found Yuhi Kurenai investigating Kurama Yakumo’s dangerous genjutsu Kekkei Genkai.

• Naruto dismissed most of the lessons at Ninja School as useless but remembered Menma’s advice and vowed to protect him and Fox Teacher.
• Sasuke watched Naruto with disdain, while older Hinata studied the Chakra inside him through her Byakugan.
• Menma sensed powerful Yin Release Chakra near the edge of Leaf Village and used Body Flicker to investigate.
• Menma recognized the source as the Kurama Clan, whose Kekkei Genkai could manipulate the five senses and inflict real injuries through genjutsu.
• Yuhi Kurenai visited Kurama Yakumo and sensed something unnatural as Yakumo’s parents pleaded for help with their gifted daughter’s condition.

Yuhi Kurenai agreed to tutor Kurama Yakumo, whose powerful Kekkei Genkai contrasted with her frail body and troubled her parents. Menma watched Yakumo struggle in her sleep and used the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter her spiritual world.

• Yuhi Kurenai learned that Kurama Yakumo's body had weakened since her Kekkei Genkai awakened, while her genjutsu had grown powerful enough to catch clan specialists off guard.
• Yuhi Kurenai warned Yakumo's Parents that Yakumo might not be able to become a ninja, then noticed Yakumo painting her and hurried away to search the Yuhi Clan's ancient records.
• Yakumo's Parents urged her to impress Yuhi Kurenai because they saw her training as the clan's last hope, while Yakumo silently continued painting.
• Menma observed Yakumo and assessed her Kekkei Genkai as an extreme form of Yin Release Power that could become dangerous if she lost control.
• Menma saw Yakumo fall asleep in visible distress and used the Spirit Transformation Technique to send his soul toward her room.

Menma entered Kurama Yakumo’s mental space and confronted the powerful bloodline ability that was consuming her. He forced the monster Idu to retreat, leaving Yakumo shaken but alive.

• Menma explored Yakumo’s distorted mental space and found her painting while a voice urged her to destroy her work.
• Menma interrupted Yakumo before she struck the painting and asked whether she wanted to become a ninja.
• Idu tempted Yakumo with strength and power, transforming her into a monstrous form as her bloodline ability took over.
• Menma confronted Yakumo and Idu, identified the monster as a secondary personality, and frightened Idu into retreating into Yakumo’s heart.
• Yakumo fell to her knees and told Menma she had seen her other self, Idu.

Menma offered to help Kurama Yakumo control Idu and become a ninja, but she hesitated as he left her to choose. At Konoha’s memorial cemetery, Obito discussed his plan to destroy the Uchiha Clan and learned that White Zetsu had lost contact with its scouts.

• Menma explained that Idu was a dangerous manifestation of Yakumo’s power and offered to teach her to control it.
• Yakumo asked Menma to help her become a ninja, but hesitated because she still had doubts about trusting him.
• Menma left Yakumo, warning that gaining power required paying a price.
• Kakashi visited the gravestone of Minato Namikaze and spoke about his grown child before leaving.
• Obito met White Zetsu at the cemetery and said Itachi Uchiha was the best candidate for his plan to destroy the Uchiha Clan.
• White Zetsu reported losing contact with the other White Zetsu, and Obito suspected they might have been discovered by the Hyuga Clan.

Menma captured and dissected a White Zetsu, hoping to use it and Hashirama Cells to develop a body capable of carrying his soul, but the cells’ limitations remained unresolved. Meanwhile, Naruto left school after noticing Mizuki’s malice, while Iruka grew more sympathetic toward him.

• Menma found a White Zetsu in the Death Forest, killed it, and sealed its body alongside a Sharingan and a Hashirama arm.
• Menma examined White Zetsu’s cells in Hizashi Hyuga’s laboratory and considered using them to build a body that could carry his soul.
• Menma tested Hashirama Cells, but they mutated uncontrollably and destroyed their container before he burned them.
• Naruto left the Ninja School, noticed Mizuki’s malice, and walked away without changing his expression.
• Iruka reflected on Naruto’s words and decided that Naruto Uzumaki was a good student, while Mizuki watched with a meaningful smile.

Menma examined Danzo’s Hashirama-cell arm and considered how Orochimaru’s research and test subjects might help him build a better body. At the Uchiha grounds, Fugaku tried to restrain the clan’s anger over Shisui’s death, while Itachi denied seeing Root kill him.

• Menma compared Danzo’s arm with a White Zetsu body and judged that the arm’s yin-yang balance was powerful but fragile.
• Menma recalled the special White Zetsu Tobi and considered searching Orochimaru’s research for Shin Uchiha, the Heavenly Cursed Seal, and access to Ryūchi Cave.
• Menma reasoned that Danzo would likely contact Orochimaru for another arm and decided he would use that opportunity to trouble Danzo again.
• Uchiha clansmen demanded revenge for Shisui, but Fugaku ordered them not to act before the truth was investigated.
• Itachi said he had not seen Root kill Shisui, angering the clansmen, and Fugaku silenced them with his powerful aura.

Fugaku tried to preserve evidence linking Danzo to Shisui’s death, but the captured Root ninja poisoned themselves before they could be questioned. At the Hokage Building, Hiruzen and Danzo realized they had different beliefs about who held Shisui’s eyes, leaving Hiruzen alarmed and demanding clarification.

• Fugaku questioned Itachi about Shisui’s body and the Root ninja, then brought the clan to see them.
• The Root ninja recognized that their secrets might be exposed and killed themselves with poison hidden in their mouths.
• Fugaku ordered the bodies taken to the Police Force and went to meet Hiruzen.
• Hiruzen confronted Danzo about Shisui’s eyes, and Danzo mistakenly assumed Hiruzen had captured the Root ninja holding them.
• Danzo said Shisui’s eyes were with the captured Root ninja, prompting Hiruzen to gravely question whether Danzo had the eyes.