Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Yoru was mortally wounded while saving Mei Terumi and Tsunade, and the three revealed their identities as they faced his final moments. After he gave them escape plans and entrusted them with his belongings, Mei and Tsunade turned to fight the approaching Root pursuers.

• Tsunade treated Uchiha Yoru's wounds while Mei Terumi guarded them, and Yoru apologized before asking whether they had been sent to trap him.
• Mei Terumi revealed she was a rogue ninja, mourned their complicated history, and placed the ring from his sachet on her finger as Yoru called her Mei.
• Yoru mistook Tsunade for a Root agent, gave her his Kusanagi Sword and instructions to find Orochimaru, and entrusted Mei with Samehada while telling her not to return to Kirigakure.
• Yoru handed Tsunade a test tube of First Generation Cells and arranged a boat for their escape before his heartbeat faded and he closed his eyes.
• Mei Terumi charged into the forest and used Hidden Mist and Boil Release to attack the pursuing Root Ninja.
• Tsunade broke the test tube over Yoru, then rose to fight the pursuers as Mei attacked them.

Uchiha Yoru recovered after awakening Wood Release and warned Tsunade and Mei Terumi that neither could safely return home. He revealed evidence of a wider conspiracy involving a Mangekyo-controlled Mizukage, Shimura Danzō’s stolen Sharingan, and Hashirama Cells, leaving both women to connect the revelations to their villages’ wars and abuses.

• Tsunade questioned Uchiha Yoru about his Wood Release, and he explained that it had appeared in a single accidental test subject before he awakened it himself.
• Tsunade and Mei Terumi grappled with their feelings for Uchiha Yoru and their loyalties to their villages, while he warned that Mei could not return to Kirigakure.
• Uchiha Yoru insisted that Tsunade could not return to Konoha either and claimed that the war between Konoha and Kirigakure was part of a conspiracy.
• Uchiha Yoru revealed that Kirigakure’s Fourth Mizukage had been controlled by a Mangekyo and linked the control to Kagami Uchiha’s missing Mangekyo.
• Uchiha Yoru said Hizashi Hyuga had seen Sharingan beneath Shimura Danzō’s bandage and in his arm, and that Orochimaru had transplanted the arm with Hashirama Cells.
• Tsunade and Mei Terumi connected the revelations to Konoha’s war strategy and Kirigakure’s Bloody Mist policy as Uchiha Yoru described a wider conspiracy.

Uchiha Yoru revealed Konoha’s corruption and urged Tsunade and Mei Terumi to preserve their strength rather than rush into danger. Mei left to work toward changing Kirigakure after sharing a kiss with Yoru, while Tsunade demanded that he explain what he had left unsaid.

• Tsunade and Mei Terumi blamed Shimura Danzō and Kirigakure’s leadership for conspiracies that had weakened their villages.
• Uchiha Yoru showed Tsunade a report documenting how Konoha’s powerful families controlled its open positions and hidden forces.
• Yoru said he would carry the banner of reform in Konoha, while Tsunade refused to join him.
• Yoru advised Mei to unite Kirigakure’s persecuted Kekkei Genkai ninja and contact trustworthy allies instead of returning recklessly.
• At daybreak, Mei teased Yoru, received his kiss, and left to change Kirigakure.
• Tsunade confronted Yoru outside the cave and demanded that he finish what he had started to say.

Tsunade examined Uchiha Yoru’s Wood Release and Cursed Seal, discovering that his body had adapted to it as a nearly damage-free Perfect Cursed Seal. Meanwhile, Mei Terumi received Yoru’s warning about Kirigakure’s plan to target Kekkei Genkai ninja and resolved to gather allies against it.

• Uchiha Yoru told Tsunade that the Third Hokage had sent Sarutobi Asuma to join the Twelve Guardian Shinobi, and Tsunade demanded to examine Yoru’s body and Wood Release.
• Mei Terumi opened the scroll Yoru had hidden in her Tool Pouch and received his advice to gather allies, secretly protect Kekkei Genkai ninja, and prepare to act against Kirigakure’s purge.
• Mei Terumi recognized that Genji could no longer remain silent and turned her attention toward Kirigakure as she prepared to challenge the conspiracy.
• Tsunade examined Uchiha Yoru’s Cursed Seal and learned that Orochimaru had used Sage Art to stabilize weakened First Generation Cells.
• Uchiha Yoru activated both states of his Cursed Seal, and Tsunade concluded that his body had adapted to it as a Perfect Cursed Seal capable of adjusting to its host.

Tsunade examined Uchiha Yoru’s Wood Release and Mangekyō Sharingan, then agreed to investigate Danzo and pursue the First Hokage’s weapon. Elsewhere, Kakashi and Shisui ambushed Root operatives, and Kakashi accidentally killed Ume Sarutobi, binding himself to Yoru’s cause.

• Tsunade found that Wood Release had strengthened Yoru’s body, Sharingan, and eye power, and she warned him not to bring disaster upon Konoha.
• Tsunade decided to investigate Danzo, the Fourth Mizukage’s alleged control, and Yoru’s other suspicions, then planned to reclaim the First Hokage’s weapon from the Land of Lightning.
• Kakashi and Uchiha Shisui ambushed a group of Root Ninja carrying intelligence about Ume Sarutobi’s return.
• Kakashi’s Lightning Blade pierced Ume Sarutobi, who had disguised herself as an ordinary Root member, and she died after recognizing him.
• Shisui told Kakashi to keep the killing secret and realized Kakashi was now irreversibly tied to Yoru’s side.

Uchiha Yoru fought Killer B while Tsunade battled the Cloud Ninja, forcing Killer B to surrender a scroll and retreat. Tsunade recovered the shattered First Hokage's Great Sword, and she and Uchiha Yoru discussed its history before the chapter ended with the author announcing a temporary reduction in updates.

• Tsunade and Uchiha Yoru confronted Killer B and the Cloud Ninja in a valley outside town.
• Uchiha Yoru used ninjutsu and swordsmanship to overpower Killer B, wounding him and claiming victory in their duel.
• Tsunade threatened Killer B with help from Slug, and Killer B handed her a scroll before signaling the Cloud Ninja to retreat.
• Tsunade opened the scroll and found the shattered First Hokage's Great Sword, which had broken during the Second Hokage's final battle.
• Tsunade explained that the sword had already been damaged fighting Madara Uchiha, and she and Uchiha Yoru exchanged suggestions about its materials.
• The author announced that updates would drop to one chapter a day because of an intense study workload, promising to make up the missed chapters next month.

Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered a joint Anbu and Root investigation after his son Shin'nosuke disappeared, while Uchiha Yoru learned that Shisui, Kakashi, and Hizashi had abducted him and killed Ume Sarutobi. The chapter ended with Yoru warning them that their actions could bring the wrath of Konoha’s entire leadership.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi told the Konoha elders that Shin'nosuke had vanished from the front line and had apparently been taken with little resistance.
• Shimura Danzō proposed investigating Uchiha Yoru, but Hiruzen pointed out Yoru’s alibi and ordered Kakashi to act as temporary commander while the village concealed Shin'nosuke’s disappearance as a confidential mission.
• Hiruzen demanded Root’s help and assigned two Root brigades to cooperate with the Anbu, prompting Danzō to storm out after accusing Hiruzen of distrusting him.
• Uchiha Yoru followed Shisui’s emergency signal to an abandoned mine, where Shisui revealed that Shin'nosuke was missing and Hizashi disclosed that Ume Sarutobi was missing too.
• Yoru struck Shisui in anger, then learned that Kakashi had killed Ume, Shisui had eliminated the Root members and helped abduct Shin'nosuke, and Hizashi had covered for them.
• Yoru found the unconscious Shin'nosuke in a sealed cell and warned the three men that kidnapping the man favored by Konoha’s leadership could bring severe consequences.

Uchiha Yoru contained the fallout from Kakashi and Shisui capturing Shin'nosuke Sarutobi and killing Ume Sarutobi, arranging a cover story that blamed Kumogakure. After secretly extracting Shin'nosuke's memories and discovering the Sarutobi Clan's secrets, Yoru altered his memories and prepared to begin a contest with the Sarutobi Clan and Ino-Shika-Cho.

• Uchiha Yoru ordered Kakashi to disguise Ume Sarutobi's wounds and planned to frame Kumogakure for her death.
• Kakashi and Shisui agreed to conceal their actions, and Hizashi Hyuga offered to help destroy Shin'nosuke's brain tissue without killing him.
• Uchiha Yoru stopped the others from interfering, summoned snakes to carry away Shin'nosuke and Ume, and instructed the group to report them missing.
• Uchiha Yoru used the Mind Reading Technique on Shin'nosuke and uncovered memories about the Sarutobi Clan, its alliances, and its private dealings.
• Uchiha Yoru used his Mangekyo to rearrange and erase Shin'nosuke's memories, then declared that his contest with the Sarutobi Clan and Ino-Shika-Cho had begun.

Uchiha Yoru told Tsunade he had to investigate Ume Sarutobi’s death, and Tsunade revealed that Ume had been born into the Senju Clan. She then explained how the Wood Release Project destroyed most of her clan, and left Yoru facing her teasing question about whether he still wanted to help revive it.

• Uchiha Yoru said he had received a mission to investigate Ume Sarutobi’s corpse being used to claim a bounty, and Tsunade denied killing her.
• Tsunade revealed that Ume Sarutobi had been born Senju Umeko, and Uchiha Yoru connected her lineage to the Senju Clan’s powerful physiques and Chakra reserves.
• Uchiha Yoru showed Tsunade an encrypted letter from Uchiha Setsuna urging him to win her over for the clan’s benefit, and he admitted that his interest in her also served his own ambitions.
• Tsunade explained that the Senju Clan’s Wood Release Project led to human experimentation, and unstable Wood Style Cells transformed many clan members into trees.
• Tsunade said she and Nawaki had survived because they were young direct descendants who had been spared the injections, while the clan’s surviving women and children could not restore its power.
• Tsunade asked whether Uchiha Yoru still wanted to help revive the Senju Clan, suggesting that a man who married into her family could inherit that mission.

Uchiha Yoru proposed that he and Tsunade keep their clan names while their children bear the Senju name, then openly explained his ties to Konoha’s spies and his feelings for her. As he marked Tsunade with his Cursed Seal, they discussed their clans, her former teammates, and the grief behind his Mangekyo awakening.

• Uchiha Yoru proposed that he remain Uchiha, Tsunade remain Senju, and their children take the Senju name.
• Tsunade confronted Uchiha Yoru about his lovers and spies, and he admitted that Uzuki Yugao and Yūhi Kurenai had been sent to watch him while Anko remained emotionally attached to him.
• Uchiha Yoru and Tsunade discussed the Senju Clan’s decline, the Uchiha Clan’s persecution, and the possibility that Jiraiya and Orochimaru had surpassed her.
• Uchiha Yoru gave Tsunade his Cursed Seal, and she used the Evil Sealing Method to contain its power.
• Tsunade challenged Uchiha Yoru about his feelings and Mangekyo, and he revealed that his left eye awakened when Orochimaru was expelled and that its Dojutsu was the Three Wheel God.

Uchiha Yoru and Tsunade spent a night together, sharing comfort while keeping their relationship from crossing a line that could affect their duties and the village. By morning, Tsunade had reunited with Shizune and set out for the Land of Water as the Princess of the Land of Fire.

• Uchiha Yoru explained that his awakened Dojutsu, Takamagahara, let him teleport to places within his field of vision, and Tsunade warned him not to overuse it.
• Uchiha Yoru and Tsunade teased each other, then held each other beneath the night sky as they discussed the burdens of their identities and responsibilities.
• Tsunade relaxed in Uchiha Yoru's embrace, but Uchiha Yoru restrained himself from taking their intimacy further, and they parted after dawn.
• Tsunade left the town wearing an elegant kimono, stockings, and high heels, and she reunited with Shizune, who was astonished by her changed appearance.
• Tsunade gave Shizune a new outfit and told her they would visit the Land of Water as an embassy representing the Princess of the Land of Fire.

Konoha agreed to pay the Sarutobi Clan’s ransom for the captured Shin'nosuke Sarutobi while secretly arranging his rescue and concealing his disappearance. At the exchange in the Land of Whirlpools, Uchiha Yoru and the Kumogakure party used smoke bombs, and Shin'nosuke was left behind as the others vanished.

• Kakashi told the Sarutobi Jōnin that Shin'nosuke’s blackmail letter was secret and that he had informed the Sarutobi Clan and Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen initially refused to let the village pay Shin'nosuke’s ransom, but Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and the Sarutobi elders persuaded him to let the clan bear the cost.
• Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura sealed news of Shin'nosuke’s capture and appointed Hatake Kakashi as Front Line Commander while planning a joint rescue operation.
• Shimura Danzō learned that Uchiha Fugaku had secretly gone to the front line and ordered Root to watch for his return and investigate his Mangekyo.
• In the Land of Whirlpools, Uchiha Yoru met Killer B’s Kumogakure party, which brought one billion gold and 500 catties of Chakra Metal for Shin'nosuke.
• Smoke bombs erupted during the exchange, and the figures vanished; Shin'nosuke remained behind, prompting the Kumogakure shinobi to rejoice.

Uchiha Yoru used a fake Shin'nosuke Sarutobi to deceive both Konoha and Kumogakure, then returned to the Konoha base and reported his mission complete. The real Shin'nosuke remained missing as Konoha and Kumogakure clashed, while Kakashi understood that Shin'nosuke was unlikely to return.

• Uchiha Yoru exchanged a fake Shin'nosuke Sarutobi for Sarutobi Clan valuables, then detonated Explosive Tags and escaped as the clan realized the hostage was false.
• Konoha and Kumogakure squads pursued Uchiha Yoru, and Killer B attacked him with a Tailed Beast Ball before confronting him in his Tailed Beast Cloak.
• Uchiha Yoru handed Killer B another fake Shin'nosuke and vanished as a Shadow Clone, while Gyūki warned Killer B that Yoru carried a power that made him wary.
• Killer B withdrew with the fake Shin'nosuke as Konoha's ninja encountered his squad and a battle erupted between them.
• Uchiha Yoru returned to the Konoha base, announced that Tsunade had recovered the First Hokage's Weapon, and reported to Kakashi, who inferred that Shin'nosuke would probably not return.

Tsunade learned that Kirigakure’s leaders suspected the Mizukage was being controlled and considered settling an opposition force in the Land of Whirlpools, while Danzō mistook her mission as a bid for the Hokage position. Hiruzen discovered that his own decision to promote Shin'nosuke had led an Anbu member to leak mission intelligence, and he blamed himself for his son’s ambush.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed news that Tsunade had gone to the Land of Water, unaware that Shin'nosuke Sarutobi had been rescued but remained unconscious after an ambush on the way home.
• Mei Terumi confronted Tsunade with evidence that a third kind of Chakra had been inside the Fourth Mizukage, and Tsunade refused to confirm Kirigakure’s suspicions about the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Tsunade read Genji’s letter and realized Kirigakure’s opposition wanted time and a foothold in the Land of Whirlpools to build strength against the Mizukage’s regime.
• Shimura Danzō interpreted Tsunade’s diplomatic mission as a bid for the Hokage position and became more determined to obtain Uchiha Fugaku’s Mangekyō.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that an Anbu member had leaked the mission intelligence out of resentment over Orochimaru’s treatment and rumors that Shin'nosuke would become Hokage, and he blamed himself for his son’s fate.
• Uchiha Yoru reassured Kakashi that Shin'nosuke was safe and that Ume Sarutobi had deserved her death, while Uchiha Shisui privately resolved to become Yoru’s sharp blade.

Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Itachi traveled to Tanzaku City under the guise of Rogue Ninjas while carrying out the Third Hokage’s secret mission to assassinate Fire Temple monk Jiku. There, Yoru continued treating Nagato and left Konan with a possible reason to hope that Nagato’s legs could be cured.

• Uchiha Yoru explained to Uchiha Itachi that the S-Rank mission to kill Jiku was a trap intended to turn the Daimyo against the Uchiha Clan, and the two planned to act as Rogue Ninjas.
• Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Itachi arrived in Tanzaku City ahead of Jiku and prepared to wait for him while maintaining their cover as medical-ninjas-for-hire.
• Konan welcomed Uchiha Yoru to treat Nagato, while Uchiha Itachi stood guard outside and Nagato’s Six Paths of Pain remained hidden nearby.
• Uchiha Yoru examined Nagato and explained that his injuries and repeated use of a dangerous ninjutsu had left him in poor condition, though his legs had gone too long without treatment for an easy cure.
• Konan insisted she would not give up on Nagato and offered Uchiha Yoru a generous reward, while Nagato showed a flicker of hope at the possibility of standing again.

Uchiha Yoru told Nagato and Konan about possible treatments for Nagato’s legs, then discussed the ideals in his book, My Struggle. Nagato was inspired by Yoru’s vision of peace through a single overwhelming force, and the chapter left him admiring Yoru and seeing his own plan more clearly.

• Uchiha Yoru explained that Tsunade, a limb transplant, or Fire Temple’s Sage Art might help Nagato recover, and Konan paid him for the information.
• Nagato recognized My Struggle and eagerly asked Uchiha Yoru about the book’s ideas, while Konan listened and Uchiha Itachi eavesdropped outside.
• Uchiha Yoru described how a powerful ninja’s authority had kept one village peaceful while another fell into factional violence and bloodshed.
• Uchiha Yoru argued that lasting peace required a force powerful enough to suppress the entire Shinobi World, led by a person who united Kekkei Genkai ninja.
• Nagato felt that Yoru’s ideas clarified his own goal of bringing peace through overwhelming power, and he praised Yoru’s talent.

Uchiha Yoru gave Nagato and Itachi copies of his book, whose ideas reshaped Nagato’s resolve and deepened Itachi’s admiration. Nagato moved to restore his body by targeting the Fire Temple’s Sage Art, and Akatsuki attacked the temple while Yoru and Itachi rushed to respond.

• Nagato challenged Yoru’s ideas about peace, and Yoru argued that peace enforced by one powerful person would end when that person died before giving Nagato his manuscript.
• Yoru gave Itachi another copy of the book and urged him to judge its ideas for himself, while explaining his plan to spread it among ninja on the border front.
• After reading the manuscript, Nagato told Konan it filled gaps in their ideals and declared that he would restore his body by obtaining the Fire Temple’s Sage Art.
• Itachi devoted himself to studying Yoru’s book, but a Swift Hawk brought news that Elder Jiku’s group had been ambushed and killed, so Yoru and Itachi left immediately.
• Akatsuki’s Six Paths of Pain attacked the Fire Temple, read the abbot’s memories, and took its Sage Art cultivation methods as Nagato and Konan planned to erase the evidence.

Uchiha Yoru and Itachi investigated the Fire Temple ambush before Yoru encountered Konan and the Six Paths of Pain in the forest. He staged a confrontation to conceal his connection to them, revealed his Konoha identity, and prepared to test Pain’s strength.

• Yoru deduced that the Fire Temple Elder’s ambush likely resulted from an intelligence leak, then learned that an attack had occurred at the Fire Temple.
• Yoru told Itachi that he had planned to hire Rogue Ninja for an ambush, then hurried back toward Tanzaku City with him.
• Yoru snatched Konan away from the Six Paths of Pain and pretended to protect her from the Amegakure rogue ninja.
• Yoru fought the Six Paths of Pain, revealed his Three Tomoe Sharingan and identity as a Konoha Ninja, and observed their shared vision and formidable abilities.
• Yoru guessed that Pain’s group were bounty hunters and activated his Cursed Seal as he prepared to continue the fight.

Uchiha Yoru escaped the Six Paths of Pain and helped Konan and Nagato leave Tanzaku City before the area was placed under martial law. After parting ways with them, he received a message that delayed his return with Uchiha Itachi.

• Uchiha Yoru fought the Six Paths of Pain, then used a Shadow Clone to escape while Nagato realized he had been covering for his companion.
• Uchiha Yoru carried Konan through the forest to Tanzaku City and warned her that the area would soon be placed under martial law.
• Uchiha Yoru gave Konan and Nagato travel permits and provisions, then told Nagato that he aimed to become Hokage and change his village and country.
• Uchiha Itachi arrived with the requested purchases, and Konan drove Nagato north after thanking Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Itachi.
• Uchiha Yoru received a message that prevented their return, so he told Uchiha Itachi to remain in Tanzaku City longer.

Tsunade uncovered evidence suggesting Konoha was tied to the destruction of the Fire Temple, worsening tensions with the Daimyo. Uchiha Yoru warned Pakura that Sunagakure planned to betray her, then headed toward Tanzaku City knowing the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha would intensify.

• Tsunade learned that the Fire Temple had been destroyed and suspected Konoha’s elders had orchestrated the attack to weaken the Daimyo’s forces.
• Uchiha Yoru met Pakura near the Land of Fire’s border and confirmed that Konoha intended to sabotage her negotiations with Kirigakure.
• Yoru warned Pakura that Sunagakure’s leaders planned to hand her over to Kirigakure, and gave her warm clothes, a book, and a snake in a glass tube.
• Pakura left for Kirigakure by boat while remaining wary of Yoru and unconvinced that her village would betray her.
• Yoru headed toward Tanzaku City to collect his student, anticipating that Shinnosuke’s death would worsen the village’s conflict with the Uchiha.