Chapter Summaries

Yūske accepted an Anbu squad captain position and recruited Aburame Shiho, Hyuga Hiroya, and Shimura Maki as trainees. He chose the codename Heavenly Yaksha and began his new duties as Hiruzen Sarutobi’s assistant.

• Yūske told Hiruzen Sarutobi he would handle the Uchiha Clan as he saw fit, and Hiruzen agreed not to interfere.
• Aburame Shiho, Hyuga Hiroya, and Shimura Maki visited Yūske to report that they had passed the Special Jonin examination.
• Yūske offered the three Anbu trainee positions under his command, and Aburame Shiho gave him a massage before leaving.
• The next day, Yūske officially took office as an Anbu squad captain and Hiruzen Sarutobi’s assistant.
• Yūske chose Heavenly Yaksha as his Anbu codename, while Hiruzen Sarutobi reminded him and the trainees to conceal their identities and address him as Hokage.

Yūske met with Uchiha Fugaku at a teahouse and laid out the surveillance and loyalty expected of him. Using tea leaves to represent the Uchiha Clan’s factions, Yūske advised Fugaku to first secure the Security Force, leaving Fugaku to consider the challenge of uniting the clan.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi worried about Orochimaru’s experiments but let him continue after Orochimaru promised not to experiment on anyone from the village.
• Yūske arrived at Uchiha Fugaku’s teahouse with Aburame Shiho, Hyuga Hiroya, and Shimura Maki, whom he introduced as the shinobi assigned to monitor the Uchiha Clan.
• Yūske told Fugaku to report the clan’s situation to the Third Hokage monthly and said the surveillance would end once Fugaku secured his position and earned his clansmen’s trust.
• Yūske used portions of tea leaves to represent the clan’s factions and guided Fugaku to prioritize bringing the Security Force under his control.
• Fugaku concluded that including the unstable clansmen in the clan’s divisions would make the mixture too large, and Yūske affirmed that he understood the problem.

Yūske and Tsunade spent Konoha’s lively festival with Shinku’s family, then wandered among the stalls together. After teasing Minato and Kushina and sharing sweet sake, they rested in a quiet corner as the festival continued.

• Tsunade caught Yūske admiring women in kimono and pinched his waist until Shinku arrived with his family and intervened.
• Yūske bought five masks, gave two to Tsunade and Yūhi Kurenai, and let Shinku’s wife take the rest on his tab.
• Tsunade tried goldfish scooping but caught none, blamed the vendor, and let Yūske cheer her up with snacks.
• Tsunade found Kushina arguing with a sake vendor, while Yūske teased Minato and secretly directed him to a goldfish-scooping stall.
• Yūske bought sweet sake for himself and Tsunade, and the two later sat together in a quiet corner to rest.

Yūske and Tsunade watched Konoha’s fireworks together, then returned to Yūske’s home, where he surprised her with a decorated room and photographs of their time together. Tsunade agreed to stay the night, and they became intimate.

• Tsunade asked Yūske if they could stay together forever, and he promised they could.
• Yūske and Tsunade watched the fireworks in Konoha’s square and shared a passionate kiss.
• Yūske led Tsunade to his home, where she found flowers, decorations, and photographs of their shared moments.
• Tsunade thanked Yūske, agreed to stay the night, and kissed him.
• Yūske carried Tsunade to the bedroom, and they became intimate.

Tsunade woke sore after spending the night with Yūske, and the two shared breakfast and an ill-fated cooking attempt before Hiruzen Sarutobi visited. Hiruzen offered Yūske command of the Land of Lightning border patrol unit as an Anbu assignment, then left with his hopes for Yūske and Tsunade’s future.

• Tsunade woke to find Yūske gone and slowly joined him downstairs, complaining that her legs were sore.
• Yūske offered to take Tsunade to the Medical Department, but she refused, so he skipped work too.
• Tsunade insisted on cooking for Yūske, who cautiously ate her food while she watched him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi visited and offered Yūske command of the Land of Lightning border patrol unit as part of his Anbu duties.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained the Anbu’s secrecy, rewards, and compensation, then urged Yūske to care for Tsunade and build a warm home with her before leaving.

A year after the Uchiha incident, Yūske expanded his authority in Konoha and arranged for Uchiha Fugaku to send trusted Jonin to support him. When trouble arose at the Land of Lightning border, Yūske joined Hiruzen Sarutobi to discuss a possible connection to the disappearance of his subordinates.

• Yūske learned that Fugaku had secured his position as Clan Head and accepted a list of trusted Uchiha Jonin to work with him.
• Yūske asked Fugaku to bring the Jonin to the clan teahouse so they could receive border patrol assignments and help the Uchiha Clan return to the battlefield.
• Aburame Shiho informed Yūske that unusual activity at the Land of Lightning border had been confirmed, and Yūske brought Fugaku to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen asked Yūske to hold the border while he explained that the Raikage had denied sending shinobi into Konoha territory.
• Yūske asked Hiruzen how he would respond if Yūske's investigation linked his missing subordinates to the Land of Lightning.

Yūske argued with Hiruzen Sarutobi about Konoha’s response to Kumogakure’s border provocations and agreed to leave for an investigation in two days. He then arranged a meeting with Uchiha Fugaku’s confidants and ordered his team to prepare to accompany him to the Land of Lightning border.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that Konoha needed to investigate Kumogakure’s actions without risking a war, while Yūske warned that excessive caution could encourage further aggression.
• Yūske agreed to leave for the investigation in two days and asked Hiruzen whether he could kill someone who threatened his life or a loved one; Hiruzen said he could.
• Yūske told Uchiha Fugaku to notify his confidants and meet him at their usual place that night.
• Yūske reflected that he could not openly oppose Hiruzen Sarutobi yet and could not provoke Kumogakure unless his life was threatened.
• Yūske asked Aburame Shiho to summon Nara Shikamaru and notify Ryū (Shimura Maki) and Tama (Hyuga Hiroya) to stop surveilling the Uchiha Clan and prepare to travel with him to the Land of Lightning border.

Yūske consulted Nara Shikamaru about his mission to the Land of Lightning’s border and worked out a plan to investigate without provoking a war. He prepared to leave the day after tomorrow, while Nara Shikamaru agreed to notify Shikaku and the others.

• Nara Shikamaru arrived after Aburame Shiho contacted him, and Yūske told him he planned to take Shikaku and the others to the Land of Lightning’s border.
• Yūske asked Nara Shikamaru how to handle the mission, and Nara Shikamaru warned him to balance his reputation against the risk of provoking Kumogakure into war.
• Yūske concluded he should investigate publicly, find or fabricate evidence clearing the Land of Lightning, and capture a few minor wandering ninja to report back.
• Yūske reassured Nara Shikamaru that he was not blaming the Hokage, and Nara Shikamaru insisted the Hokage would not harm him.
• Yūske said he planned to leave the day after tomorrow and asked Nara Shikamaru to notify Shikaku and the others; Nara Shikamaru took a box of Yūske’s tea leaves before leaving.

Yūske prepared his subordinates and the Konoha Security Force for his coming trip to the Land of Lightning border, while Tsunade's medical reforms took hold in the village. Before leaving, he told Tsunade that one of his subordinates had disappeared, and she vowed to protect Konoha during his absence.

• Yūske met with Uchiha Fugaku and five trusted subordinates, assigning them to special missions while they maintained their patrol duties.
• Yūske instructed Fugaku to reform the Konoha Security Force and deploy patrols around the village to counter rumors about his border trip.
• Uchiha Fugaku said he had developed Susanoo to its second stage, but Yūske told him to conserve his ocular power rather than foresee the trip's outcome.
• Tsunade's medical reform proposal passed, and the Ninja Academy established a Medical Class with Tsunade as its teacher.
• Yūske told Tsunade he was leaving for the Land of Lightning border and explained that one of his subordinates had disappeared.
• Tsunade urged Yūske to be careful and promised to keep troublemakers in check while he was away.

Minato and his companions left Konoha for the Land of Lightning while Yūske led his Anbu division to an outpost. Yūske arrived before nightfall and gathered the stationed Anbu, including reserve members, as his team prepared for its mission.

• Minato, Inuzuka Aga, Chōji Akimichi, and their companions met at Konoha’s gates, where Yunō Uchiha introduced her group and led them toward the Land of Lightning.
• Choza Akimichi handed out stamina-restoring pills, which the Uchiha Clan had paid for.
• Yūske set out before dawn with two squads, stopped at a forest clearing to rest, and used his threads to secure the camp.
• Yū checked the map and arranged the team’s onward travel, and Yūske’s group reached the outpost before nightfall.
• Yūske met the stationed Anbu, including a squad led by Uchiha En and the reserve members, while the chapter explained the Anbu’s ranks and divisions.

Yūske reprimanded Squad Three over the missing Anbu and reorganized the border patrols while giving Kari one last chance to remain in the unit. After the others left, Yūske revealed plans to direct the investigation toward black-market bounty hunters and keep sensitive plans from possible traitors among the reserves.

• Yūske explained that the village needed the investigation into Wolf and Elephant’s disappearance to avoid provoking a war with Kumogakure, and Kari admitted he had been too narrow-minded.
• Yūske ordered Kari to undergo a psychological evaluation but gave him until the day after tomorrow to prove he could return to the Anbu.
• Yūske assigned eight patrol squads to Squad One and seven to Squad Three, with Squad Three waiting one day for Kari before departing.
• After Squad One and Squad Three left, Yūske told Yū that the Third Hokage would bear the blame for his hard line and said foolish subordinates would not be kept under his command.
• Yūske ordered the investigation to avoid clues pointing to Kumogakure and steer toward black-market bounty hunters, then warned Squad Four that reserve members might be traitors.

Yūsuke gathered Shikaku Nara, Minato Namikaze, and the others to explain a mission to prevent a war on the Land of Lightning border by luring out a powerful Bounty Hunter and pinning the disappearances on him. He chose the Uchiha Clan as bait and warned that their target had survived being killed twice, leaving the group stunned.

• Yū reported that her standing in the Aburame clan had risen since she began following Yūsuke, while Yūsuke said she could serve as his intermediary with the clan.
• Tama, Ryū, Ken (Gekko Yoru), Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, and others arrived, and Yūsuke gathered them to discuss their mission.
• Yūsuke corrected Shikaku Nara's information, explaining that patrol squads and Anbu trainees had also disappeared near the Land of Lightning border.
• Shikaku Nara concluded that they should avoid giving anyone an excuse to start a war, and Yūsuke said their mission was to lure out a powerful Bounty Hunter and make him take responsibility for the disappearances.
• Yūsuke named the Uchiha Clan as bait and revealed that the five Uchiha's Sharingan carried a combined bounty of at least one hundred million.
• Yūsuke warned that the Bounty Hunter had revived after Yūsuke killed him twice, shocking the group and prompting Nara Shikamaru to connect this to his teacher's warning against seeking revenge.

Yūske organized a mission to hunt Kakuzu and spread word of the Uchiha Clan, while Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed the report and confronted two village elders over Danzo and Yūske’s growing influence. The chapter ended with Hiruzen warning that Danzo had only one chance left as he focused on Kakuzu.

• Yūske divided the team into three groups, planned a covert search for Kakuzu, and arranged for Yū’s insects to send distress signals.
• Yūske sent Minato, Dōtō, and Aga to cook while the others left the house.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi read Yūske’s report and considered Kakuzu’s apparent immortality a valuable secret.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu challenged Hiruzen over Danzo’s punishment, and Hiruzen accused them of helping spread rumors and warned them to put the village first.
• Utatane Koharu suggested Yūske might be building his own faction, but Hiruzen dismissed her concerns and told her to convey that Danzo had one chance left to understand his punishment.

After a day of rest in a border town, Yūske and Aburame Shiho discovered three hooded men were following them and quietly led them away from the crowds. They reached the outskirts with their pursuers still behind them, preparing to deal with the threat.

• Yūske let his exhausted subordinates and disciples rest in the town, and Aburame Shiho took him shopping through the market.
• At dinner, Yūske noticed three suspicious men in black hooded clothes watching them and told Aburame Shiho to monitor them with her insects.
• Yūske and Aburame Shiho pretended not to notice the surveillance and finished their meal before leaving the restaurant together.
• Aburame Shiho confirmed the men were following them, so she led Yūske toward the outskirts to confront them away from civilians.
• Yūske asked for the pursuers’ location, and Aburame Shiho reported they were about one hundred meters behind at five o’clock.

Yūske captured three masked men and discovered that one was Shōta Shimura, a missing member of Liú’s clan. Suspecting a connection to Danzo’s Root, Yūske had Yono Uchiha use genjutsu on another captive to uncover why they had been watching him.

• Yūske restrained three men with Parasitic String and summoned his team to assemble.
• Tama sealed the captives’ chakra and watched for approaching strangers while the rest of the team arrived.
• Yunō Uchiha noticed one captive react to Liú, and Yūske exposed the man’s human-skin mask.
• Liú identified the captive as Shōta Shimura, a younger clansman who had disappeared before the war.
• Yūske suspected the men were connected to Danzo’s Root and asked Yono Uchiha to use genjutsu on a captive.
• Yono activated her Sharingan and successfully controlled one of the men.

Yūske’s squad discovered that the captive spy’s cursed tongue seal prevented him from revealing Shimura Danzō, and Yūske suspected they had become entangled in a power struggle within Konoha. After ordering the squad to relocate and stay alert, he weighed the danger alone by a stream before catching a fish.

• Yunō Uchiha controlled the black-clad man long enough for him to admit he was monitoring Watanabe Yūske and reporting back to someone.
• The man’s cursed tongue seal triggered when Yūske asked whether Shimura Danzō was behind the surveillance, and Jian killed him to end his suffering.
• Yūske ordered the squad to relocate with the remaining captives, assigned security and supply duties, and made monitoring their enemy the top priority.
• Yūske suspected Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō were locked in a power struggle and wondered whether Danzō’s hidden forces planned to eliminate the squad or frame Kumogakure.
• Yū watched Yūske worry beside a stream, and he eventually smiled as he reeled in a small fish.

Yūske decided to send Shikaku Nara, Minato Namikaze, and the others back to the village because the dangers ahead were too unpredictable. He explained his suspicions about Root and urged them to train so they could help him in the future.

• Yūske returned to camp with Yū and asked Minato Namikaze and Chōji Akimichi to prepare fish soup for breakfast.
• Yūske told Shikaku Nara that Team One would escort him and the others back to the village once the team arrived.
• Yūske explained why he considered Root enemies and said he planned to hand their bodies to the village's Intelligence Department.
• Yūske told Shikaku Nara he was betting that the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō were opposed, and that he would not become a political sacrifice.
• Yūske ended the younger ninja's mission and ordered them to return to the village, urging them to train and seek Tsunade's help.

Yūske led his squad toward a suspected Root base and found Danzo’s hidden forces waiting there. The enemy invited Yūske to meet Danzo, who had unexpectedly appeared despite being under house arrest.

• Yūske reunited with his four Anbu subordinates and assigned Kun and Peng to return to the village with a letter for Tsunade and instructions for the Uchiha Clan Head.
• Yūske ordered the remaining squad members to use the weakened Shōta Shimura to locate Root’s last assembly base.
• Shōta followed a scroll’s trail while Yū released her insects to sense nearby chakra, and Yūske explained why Root might still be at the base.
• Tama and three others encountered a group of masked ninja, and Yū warned Yūske that they had been surrounded.
• Yūske rushed to the group, where the leading ninja said Danzo requested his presence.

Yūske met Danzo at the Root base, where Orochimaru was also present, and the two men discussed Yūske’s plans and Danzo’s subordinates. Danzo admitted that he had ordered Root members to watch Yūske, leaving their confrontation unresolved.

• Danzo’s Root ninja escorted Yūske to the base, and Danzo invited him inside despite Yū’s warning about a frightening chakra presence.
• Yūske entered and found Orochimaru with Danzo, then said Danzo’s arrival had disrupted his plan to capture people at the base.
• Yūske and Danzo exchanged tea while discussing Yūske’s supposed mission and the people he had captured.
• Danzo admitted that his subordinates had been watching Yūske on his orders.

Yūske confronted Shimura Danzō over their conflict, but Danzō offered a Wind Style scroll as an apology and proposed supporting Yūske’s bid to become Hokage. Danzō revealed that he wanted power and believed Yūske would use it to defend Konoha and its people.

• Yūske challenged Danzō to explain himself and warned that fighting would cost both sides their subordinates.
• Danzō offered Yūske a Wind Style scroll to end their misunderstanding, and Yūske accepted it.
• Danzō proposed cooperating to help Yūske become Hokage, and Yūske questioned what Danzō would gain.
• Danzō criticized Hiruzen Sarutobi and argued that Yūske’s ambition and ruthlessness made him a better candidate.
• Yūske vowed to demand justice for anyone who harmed his people, even if it meant war, and Danzō said he wanted power under a Hokage like him.