Chapter Summaries

Hiashi Hyuga decided the Hyuga Clan should stay quiet and secretly support the Uchiha, believing the village might target the Hyuga if the Uchiha fell. Meanwhile, Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi rejected Danzo’s demand for Ino-Shika-Cho personnel and money, with Shikaku predicting other clans would refuse as well.

• Hiashi Hyuga told the main family elder that the Hyuga Clan should avoid provoking the Uchiha and secretly support them against the village leadership.
• Hiashi Hyuga argued that the village might target the Hyuga after the Uchiha and resolved to hint at cooperation to make Hiruzen Sarutobi uneasy over Danzo’s actions.
• Inoichi Yamanaka angrily confronted Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi over Root’s extensive personnel demand, which threatened to cripple the Yamanaka Clan.
• Shikaku Nara ordered the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans to reject Danzo’s list and provide neither personnel nor money.
• Shikaku Nara reassured Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi that other clans would also refuse Danzo’s demand.

Shikaku Nara rallied the Aburame Clan to join Ino-Shika-Cho and the Inuzuka Clan against Danzo’s demands. He proposed Torifu Akimichi as Acting Hokage before nominating Jiraiya or Tsunade for the Fifth Hokage.

• Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka visited Shibi Aburame, who showed them Danzo’s list demanding the Aburame Clan’s leader and Jonin for Root.
• Shikaku revealed that the Inuzuka Clan had agreed to join their alliance, bringing its strength to five clans.
• Shikaku told Shibi that he intended to choose a Fifth Hokage and named Torifu Akimichi as his candidate.
• Shibi objected that Torifu was too old to serve long, so Shikaku proposed that Torifu serve as Acting Hokage before he nominated Jiraiya or Tsunade.

Shikaku Nara secured Shibi Aburame’s support for making Torifu Akimichi Acting Hokage until Tsunade or Jiraiya returned. Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Danzo’s demands had provoked several clans, and confronted him as Danzo urged harsh action against them.

• Shikaku Nara persuaded Shibi Aburame to support Torifu Akimichi as Acting Hokage while they sought Tsunade or Jiraiya.
• Uchiha Kazuna told Hiruzen Sarutobi he was leaving the village on a mission, and the two exchanged exaggeratedly earnest praise until an Anbu member interrupted them.
• An Anbu report enraged Hiruzen Sarutobi, who ordered Danzo brought to his office after Kazuna left.
• Danzo received signed refusals from Ino-Shika-Cho, the Aburame Clan, and the Inuzuka Clan, then lamented Root’s depleted forces and blamed Kazuna.
• Danzo went to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi, denied doing anything beyond requesting personnel, and advocated suppressing the resistant clans by force.

The Third Hokage stripped Danzo of his duties after discovering the full scale of Danzo’s demands against the Ino-Shika-Cho and other clans. Shisui vowed to kill Kazuna, while Kazuna’s Uchiha faction chose to stick to its original plan and investigate the Jashin Cult.

• The Third Hokage confronted Danzo over his real list, which demanded more than fifty Ino-Shika-Cho members and the Aburame clan head.
• The Third Hokage blamed Danzo for driving several clans away and relieved him of his duties, assigning Koharu and Homura to take over Root.
• Danzo left the office as Shisui arrived, and Shisui blamed Kazuna for the crisis and vowed to kill him.
• Kazuna refused to exploit the Ino-Shika-Cho’s conflict with the Hokage’s faction and ordered his people to follow the original plan.
• Yashiro gave Kazuna the requested information about the Jashin Cult and asked why he was interested in it.

Kazuna weighed plans to strengthen himself and the Uchiha while revealing his influence to Fugaku. Fugaku discovered that Kazuna had gathered powerful supporters, and the chapter ended with Uchiha Shinya forcing him back with his chakra.

• Kazuna considered seeking out the Jashin Cult and an Uzumaki clanswoman in the Land of Grass to strengthen the Divine Tree.
• Fugaku entered Kazuna's office and found Shiken, Yashiro, Inabi, Shinya, and others gathered there.
• Fugaku questioned Kazuna's large resource expenditure, while Kazuna confirmed he had signed the report.
• Shinya blamed Fugaku for the Uchiha's losses after the clan's relocation and challenged him.
• Shinya's chakra pushed Fugaku back, revealing his Elite Jonin strength and leaving Fugaku wondering whether the others were Elite Jonin as well.

Kazuna reinforced his authority within the Uchiha clan, warned his allies not to underestimate Fugaku, and left Konoha despite Danzo’s presence. As Danzo set a plan in motion, Obito attacked Kazuna at the village outskirts, triggering an explosion.

• Fugaku learned that Kazuna commanded seven Elite Jonin and entrusted him with the clan’s external affairs and security.
• Kazuna told Shinya and the others that Fugaku possessed Kage Level strength and that their earlier battle had not revealed either man’s Mangekyo abilities.
• Kazuna refused Shikaku Nara’s request to meet and confronted Danzo at the village gate before leaving Konoha.
• Danzo ordered a Root member to proceed according to plan after Kazuna departed.
• Obito reached out from the void and touched Kazuna’s back, but a massive explosion followed and Obito stumbled out, shouting Kazuna’s name.

Kazuna fought Obito, countering his Mangekyo abilities with blood flames and taunts before nearly landing a killing blow. Obito escaped through Wood Release, and Kazuna revealed he had witnessed the Nine-Tails' attack and explained why he had not intervened to save the Fourth Hokage.

• Obito confronted Kazuna and demanded that he submit, but Kazuna mocked him and attacked with blood flames and kunai.
• Obito used his phasing ability and chains against Kazuna, while Kazuna melted the chains and provoked Obito about his Fire Style.
• Obito accused Kazuna of using Mangekyo genjutsu after nearly giving in to Kazuna's taunts, then attacked him with shuriken launched from warped space.
• Obito caught Kazuna's arm, but Kazuna's Mangekyo immobilized him and Kazuna punched him before preparing a Fire Release attack.
• Obito blocked Kazuna with Wood Release and asked why he had not saved the Fourth Hokage during the Nine-Tails' attack.
• Kazuna said he had been a spectator that night and explained that Konoha's leadership could have blamed him or treated him as an accomplice.

Kazuna and Obito argued over their pasts before agreeing to cooperate, though their exchange nearly turned into a fight. After Obito left him a Root list and disappeared, Kazuna caught a hidden White Zetsu and began devouring it with his Divine Tree ability.

• Kazuna explained why he had not saved Minato Namikaze, and Obito laughed before proposing that they work together.
• Kazuna agreed to cooperate and teased Obito until he introduced himself as Tobi.
• Obito attacked Kazuna with Wood Style, but Kazuna escaped with Substitution Technique and made Shadow Clones.
• Kazuna warned that his Blood Flame-enhanced Phoenix Sage Fire could counter Obito's phasing, and Obito chose to avoid a fight.
• Obito gave Kazuna a Root list and sank into the ground, while Kazuna sensed and captured a hidden White Zetsu.
• Kazuna activated his cheat and began devouring White Zetsu, causing the Divine Tree to change.

Kazuna used a White Zetsu to create a Sage Art fruit and headed for the Jashin Cult, hoping to gain enough life energy to level it up. He arrived after the Cult had massacred its victims and attacked Hidan when the boy called him a sacrifice.

• White Zetsu caused Kazuna's Divine Tree to grow a new fruit, and Kazuna set its ability to Sage Art.
• Kazuna traveled toward the Jashin Cult's location, planning to use its members as nutrients to strengthen the fruit.
• The Jashin Cult slaughtered dozens of civilians in a ritual, while Hidan and the other Cultists celebrated the killings.
• Kazuna arrived too late to save the victims and angrily lamented that their deaths had wasted valuable life energy.
• Hidan approached Kazuna and called him a possible sacrifice for the Evil God, so Kazuna slapped him into a wall.
• The Jashin Cult members charged at Kazuna after he told Hidan to get lost.

Kazuna fought Hidan and the Cultists, discovering that the Divine Tree could drain their unusually powerful life energy to grow the Sage Art Fruit. After subduing the Cultists with Susanoo, genjutsu, and sealing techniques, he prepared to take them away.

• Kazuna tested the Cultists’ varying Immortal Bodies in battle and found that Hidan could endure devastating injuries.
• Kazuna absorbed Cultists with the Divine Tree, draining their life energy and advancing the Sage Art Fruit to LV·2.
• Kazuna decided to preserve the Cultists as a source of life energy and summoned Susanoo when they continued attacking.
• Kazuna used the Hell Viewing Technique to catch the Cultists in a genjutsu, then sealed them with Threaded Light Formation.
• Kazuna announced that he would pack up the sealed Cultists and take them away.

Kakuzu accepted a 100-million-ryo contract to kill Uchiha Kazuna, who was traveling toward Kusagakure to find Karin Uzumaki and her mother. When Kazuna encountered Kakuzu, he summoned Hidan and introduced the two as biological brothers, bringing the future Zombie Duo together years early.

• Kakuzu collected payment for an S-Rank Rogue Ninja and accepted a contract to kill Uchiha Kazuna for 100 million ryo.
• Kazuna complained that Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi had not tried to assassinate him and continued toward Kusagakure to find Karin Uzumaki and her mother.
• Kazuna spotted Kakuzu approaching with a black leather case and hurried to meet him.
• Kazuna summoned Hidan from a Scroll and told him that Kakuzu was his long-lost biological brother.
• Kakuzu and Hidan stared in confusion as Kazuna brought the pair together years ahead of schedule.

Kazuna defeated Kakuzu with Mangekyo genjutsu, stole one of his hearts, and provoked him by claiming to be Madara Uchiha. Kakuzu revealed his stitched body and four Mask Monsters, and the two began fighting in earnest.

• Kakuzu put a 100 million ryo bounty on Kazuna, who removed his own head and used genjutsu to catch Kakuzu off guard.
• Kazuna pierced Kakuzu's chest and took one of his hearts, then absorbed its life energy while Hidan remained sealed nearby.
• Kakuzu played dead, but Kazuna exposed him and forced him to rise again as Hidan shouted at them.
• Kazuna claimed that Kakuzu had once attacked his friend Hashirama Senju and then identified himself as Madara Uchiha.
• Kakuzu rejected Kazuna's claim but recognized his knowledge and Mangekyo power, then released four Mask Monsters and prepared to fight at full strength.

Kazuna fought Kakuzu and his Mask Monsters, using transformed shuriken, explosive Shadow Clones, and precise attacks to steal their hearts. After absorbing the hearts, his Sage Art Fruit reached LV·3, and he demanded that Kakuzu submit.

• Kazuna used Transformation Jutsu to disguise Shuriken Shadow Clones as himself, forcing Kakuzu to waste time destroying them while real clones attacked.
• Kazuna used exploding Shadow Clones to injure Kakuzu and exploited the chaos to steal the Fire Mask Monster’s heart.
• Kazuna’s other Shadow Clones detonated, and he entered the blast zone to take two more hearts from Kakuzu.
• The Divine Tree absorbed the hearts’ life energy, advancing Kazuna’s Sage Art Fruit to LV·3.
• Kazuna called himself Madara Uchiha and gave Kakuzu one chance to submit.

Kazuna forced Kakuzu to submit by revealing his Susanoo, then learned Kakuzu had been hired to kill him. He ordered Kakuzu to form a hunting squad with Hidan, whose severed head continued to speak.

• Kazuna summoned his armored Susanoo and made Kakuzu submit.
• Kakuzu revealed that the Black Market had placed a 100 million ryo bounty on Kazuna’s head and eyes.
• Kazuna used his Mangekyo to influence Kakuzu and ordered him to hunt Kazuna’s pursuers with Hidan.
• Kazuna severed Hidan’s head, and Hidan kept talking as Kakuzu wondered if he had an Immortal Body.

Kazuna manipulated Kakuzu and Hidan into following his orders, then set out toward the Land of Grass as his bounty drew the attention of the great villages. After gaining Sage Art power and attacking bounty hunters, he caught Black Zetsu and White Zetsu’s attention, and Black Zetsu began suspecting Kazuna might be connected to Madara.

• Kazuna used his Mangekyo to influence Hidan, gave him to Kakuzu, and sent Kakuzu to the Land of Fire on a lucrative mission.
• Kazuna reflected on the strain of controlling Kakuzu and Hidan, then planned to reinforce his influence over them in a month.
• The 100 million ryo bounty exposed Kazuna to the great villages, whose leaders reviewed his history and began taking action.
• Kazuna absorbed life force to gain Sage Art power and raised his Dojutsu and Fire Release levels while hunting shinobi who came for the bounty.
• White Zetsu and Black Zetsu watched Kazuna fight and wondered whether he was a contingency or a son of Madara, but Black Zetsu dismissed the idea.
• Kazuna noticed Zetsu’s escape and vowed to capture him and use the One Hundred Thousand White Zetsu against Madara and Hashirama.

After Kazuna left Konohagakure, the Uchiha kept to his orders while rival factions quietly built influence and Hiruzen Sarutobi grew uneasy about losing control of the village. Elsewhere, Kazuna tried to persuade Karin Uzumaki and Uzuki Uzumaki to join him, and they realized he was an Uchiha.

• After Kazuna left, Yashiro and the Uchiha enforced his order to maintain the status quo and arrest anyone who acted unusually.
• Shikaku Nara secretly recruited smaller clans and civilian ninja, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura took charge of rebuilding Root and feared confronting the Uchiha.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Konohagakure's clans were increasingly dissatisfied and summoned Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.
• In the Land of Grass, Kazuna spent half an hour trying to persuade Karin Uzumaki and Uzuki Uzumaki to accompany him.
• Uzuki Uzumaki recognized Kazuna as an Uchiha from his clothing and Sharingan.

Kazuna used his Mangekyo to persuade Uzuki Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki to leave Kusagakure with him and return to Konohagakure. He confronted the Kusagakure ninja waiting outside and demanded that their leader confess to plotting against Konohagakure.

• Kazuna pressured Uzuki to leave with him, and Karin insisted on going so her mother could live.
• Kazuna used his Mangekyo on Uzuki and Karin, then ordered them to stand and follow him to Konohagakure.
• Kazuna left with the mother and daughter, believing they could help him fight Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Kusagakure ninja confronted Kazuna outside, and he accused their village of plotting against Konohagakure.
• A middle-aged Kusagakure ninja refused to surrender the Uzumaki pair, so Kazuna prepared to attack.

Uchiha Kazuna slaughtered the Kusa-nin and brought Uzuki Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki back with him. In Konohagakure, Danzo refused to attack Kazuna and began considering another way to deal with him.

• Uchiha Kazuna used his Susanoo to kill the Kusa-nin while Uzuki Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki watched.
• Uzuki Uzumaki pledged to follow Kazuna, and he took her and Karin toward Konohagakure.
• Danzo learned that Kazuna could likely fight at full strength three more times, but refused to spend his remaining Root forces testing him.
• Danzo recalled someone who might be able to deal with Kazuna and left without explaining who he meant.

Kazuna returned to Konoha with Uzuki Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki, whose presence drew suspicion from village patrols. After settling back into the Uchiha grounds, he weighed Konoha’s political tensions and decided to stir up trouble.

• Konoha patrols questioned Kazuna about the two red-haired women, and he said they were his friends visiting his home.
• Yashiro Uchiha met Kazuna and learned that Uzuki Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki had special abilities and would become Uchiha trump cards.
• Kazuna sent the two women to Shiraha for care and lodging, then went to bathe.
• Kazuna considered Danzo and the village’s strained alliances, then decided to create trouble for Konoha.
• Shiraha entered the bathroom, and Kazuna called her over.

Kazuna reassured Shiraha that his Mangekyo had no lasting side effects and revealed that his left-eye Dojutsu, Zero Realm, could erase the effects of other Dojutsu and Susanoo's self-inflicted damage. After an Anbu summoned him to the Hokage's office, Kazuna suspected the Hokage wanted the two Uzumaki clanswomen and called for a clan meeting.

• Shiraha questioned Kazuna about the two women covered in bite marks, and Kazuna told her he had avenged them by devastating Kusagakure.
• Shiraha warned Kazuna against overusing his Mangekyo, and he explained that his left-eye Dojutsu, Zero Realm, erased Dojutsu effects and Susanoo's self-inflicted damage.
• Kazuna recalled that his fear of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami had shaped the awakening of his Mangekyo.
• An Anbu summoned Kazuna to the Hokage's office, and Kazuna suspected the Hokage wanted the two Uzumaki clanswomen.
• Kazuna told Shiraha to inform everyone that the Uchiha would hold a meeting that night.