Chapter Summaries

Aozora defeated Gamabunta with his Great Fire Dragon Technique after Gamabunta’s attack failed, and warned him against targeting the Akatsuki Organization. Gamabunta recovered at Mount Myōboku, where Fukasaku and Shima decided to investigate the attackers as Deva Path Pain and Chikushodo Pain entered the Summoning Realm.

• Gamabunta’s sword strike failed to harm Aozora, who counterattacked with his Great Fire Dragon Technique and hurled Gamabunta into a mountain wall.
• Aozora criticized Taiyi’s use of the newly developed Golden Crow technique, then left Gamabunta alive after warning him to avoid the Akatsuki Organization.
• Gamahiro rescued the badly burned Gamabunta and carried him to Mount Myōboku, where Fukasaku and Shima placed him in the Toad Pond to heal.
• Two days later, Gamabunta identified the attackers as members of the Akatsuki Organization, including a Swirl Mask wearer and an orange-haired man.
• Fukasaku and Shima set off to consult the Great Toad Sage, while Deva Path Pain and Chikushodo Pain entered the Summoning Realm to seek Summoning Beasts.

After returning home, Aozora visited the Clan Library for Sealing Jutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, and elemental techniques, then arranged to broaden his training with Shadow Clones. He left his clones to study while he rested and refined Chakra, recovering from the strain of the Akatsuki gathering.

• Aozora reflected on the mysteries of Sealing Jutsu and went to the Clan Library to find scrolls for his studies.
• Aozora accepted the library guard’s apology but instructed him to treat non-Uchiha respectfully and apologize to those he had offended.
• The guard followed Aozora’s advice, apologized to people he had treated rudely, and gained goodwill for the Uchiha Clan.
• Aozora sent the scrolls to Taiyi through a Ninja Crow and decided to divide his time between cultivating Nine Breaths Qi Assimilation and practicing Ninjutsu.
• Aozora assigned six Shadow Clones to study different techniques, then rested in the courtyard while refining and accumulating Chakra.

Aozora reviewed his Shadow Clones’ uneven training progress, cooked dinner for Shisui, and asked him to design a genjutsu trial for clan members. Shisui shared news of Konoha’s improving wartime position, and Aozora revealed that he had restored the Great Crow’s intelligence before leaving Shisui with the dishes.

• Aozora dispelled his six Shadow Clones, assessed their training, and resolved to keep working on his weaker skills.
• Aozora cooked a lavish dinner, and Shisui returned home and praised the meal.
• Aozora asked Shisui to create realistic Illusion Spaces for a trial for clan members, and Shisui agreed.
• Shisui told Aozora that Kumogakure had accepted peace talks in Konoha, Iwagakure had withdrawn to its border, and Konoha was recalling its troops.
• Aozora said the repeated hero welcomes might diminish the reception for Fugaku and the other returning clan members.
• Aozora told Shisui he had restored the Great Crow’s intelligence and that it could help him, then left Shisui to clean up dinner.

Aozora returned to Sleeping Dragon Team's base, praised its members' training, and secured their loyalty to the Uchiha clan while arranging intelligence work through the Ninja Crow Clan. He gave the team summoning contracts and taught four trusted subordinates secret techniques, leaving them to train for their future missions.

• Aozora watched Shūichi defeat Long Xian in a spar and praised the team's progress after their field training.
• Shūichi brought Gen'ka, Gen'an, Shingo, and twelve team members back to the stronghold, where Aozora urged them to keep the Uchiha clan's mission in their hearts.
• Aozora announced that the Ninja Crow Clan would serve as the team's exclusive intelligence channel and instructed members to send monthly mission reports through the crows.
• The twelve members and Shūichi, Gen'ka, Gen'an, and Shingo signed the Ninja Crow summoning contract.
• Aozora gave Shūichi Lightning Fire Golden Body, Gen'an Earth Shrink, Gen'ka Nightmare Prayer, and Shingo a method for purifying Fire Release Chakra, warning them not to share the techniques.

Long Xian received a trial mission from Aozora to kill three targets and earn approval to join the Sharingan Awakening Ritual. After believing he had killed his father and awakening his Three Tomoe Sharingan, he discovered the battle had been a genjutsu, with Aozora standing before him.

• A Ninja Crow delivered Aozora's trial mission to Long Xian, who accepted the assignment and set out alone the next morning.
• Long Xian ambushed three masked figures near Konoha and fought their leader, whose swordsmanship felt familiar.
• Long Xian activated his Sharingan and struck down the leader, then recognized the man's pendant and learned from his dying words that he was his father.
• Overcome by grief, Long Xian awakened his Three Tomoe Sharingan and realized the scene was a genjutsu.
• The three figures vanished as black crow feathers, and Long Xian found Aozora standing before him in the woods.

Aozora used elaborate illusions to awaken the Sharingan of the Sleeping Dragon Team and convinced its members to view the eye as a gift that could help prevent tragedy. After their final training, the twelve ninjas departed to carry out missions on their own.

• Aozora defeated Long Xian after Long Xian awakened his Three Tomoe Sharingan, then apologized for the harsh illusion and told him to keep the ritual secret.
• Aozora and Shisui staged a tragic mission at Luoying Mountain, where Hiroaki watched Ishigaki Yuina take a fatal blow and awakened his Sharingan.
• Over more than ten days, Aozora and Shisui helped all twelve Sleeping Dragon Team members awaken their Sharingan, including two pairs of Three Tomoe and six pairs of Two Tomoe.
• Aozora told the team that the Sharingan was a gift awakened through love and meant to help prevent tragedies, and reminded them they could abandon a mission when their lives were at stake.
• The twelve team members accepted their final training and left the base to carry out missions independently.

Aozora joined an Akatsuki meeting, where Pain assigned a long-term mission to capture large Ninja Beasts and ordered the members to disrupt peace talks between Cloud and Konoha. Aozora agreed but planned to make his efforts look genuine without actually undermining the talks.

• Aozora used the Phantasmal Body Technique to join the Akatsuki meeting and examined the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Zetsu showed footage of Kakuzu killing Kito Ryuji during a mission, and Aozora revealed that Kisame had attacked him after the previous gathering.
• Pain forbade Akatsuki members from secretly killing one another and assigned them a long-term mission to capture large Ninja Beasts or unusual wild animals.
• Aozora shared some information about Konoha's defenses, and Pain ordered him to sabotage peace talks between Cloud and Konoha.
• Aozora returned to his bedroom and resolved to appear to sabotage the talks without actually preventing peace.

Aozora and Shisui watched Cloud’s envoy arrive in Konoha, and Aozora suspected the delegation’s leader might be trying to sabotage the peace talks. At Ichiraku Ramen, Aozora recognized the toddler Naruto and used Tōyū to see the Nine-Tails and several figures surrounding him.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen arranged a public welcome for Cloud’s envoy, and Aozora and Shisui watched the delegation pass through Konoha.
• Shisui identified the envoy’s leader as Kuroshima Kōhei, whom Aozora judged too ordinary to represent Cloud in serious peace negotiations.
• Aozora recalled the future abduction of Hinata and Hizashi Hyuga’s sacrifice, and suspected Cloud’s Hawk Faction might provoke an incident to disrupt peace.
• Aozora and Shisui went to Ichiraku Ramen, where Naruto ran toward the queue as plainclothes ANBU watched him.
• Aozora secretly activated Tōyū and saw the Nine-Tails, a blond man, a red-haired woman, and a blurry figure behind Naruto.

Aozora discovered the spirits and powers within Naruto, then monitored Cloud’s peace negotiations while plotting to give Cloud a reason to break the agreement. After Konoha celebrated the treaty and relaxed its surveillance, a figure slipped out of the Cloud delegation’s residence, and a flash on a nearby rooftop alerted Aozora.

• Aozora paid for Naruto to eat at Ichiraku Ramen while keeping Shisui from approaching him.
• Over a month passed as Konoha and Cloud negotiated the terms of a peace agreement.
• Zetsu asked Aozora about his mission, and Aozora said he would wait for Cloud to give him an excuse to undermine the treaty.
• Aozora suspected Cloud representative Kuroshima Kōhei was meeting spies in Konoha and waited for the opportunity to arise.
• Konoha and Cloud signed the agreement, and the village celebrated for three days as ANBU eased their surveillance.
• After the celebration, a shadow left the Cloud delegation’s residence, and a rooftop flash woke Aozora.

Aozora stopped Kuroshima Kōhei from abducting Hinata and let Hiashi kill him, then escaped without revealing his identity. Cloud framed Hiashi for the killing, and its forces advanced toward the Land of Fire while Sarutobi Hiruzen faced the choice of surrendering Hiashi or going to war.

• Aozora followed Kuroshima Kōhei into the Hyuga Clan Compound and intervened as he tried to abduct Hinata.
• Aozora blocked Kuroshima Kōhei's attack, allowing Hiashi to kill him and rescue Hinata.
• Aozora claimed to be an Anbu on patrol and left Hiashi with Kuroshima Kōhei's body; Hiashi discovered the dead man wore a Cloud forehead protector.
• The Cloud envoy accused Hiashi of kidnapping and killing its leader, while Sarutobi Hiruzen secured a week to investigate and then let Cloud take the corpse.
• Cloud blamed Hiashi for the killing, demanded that Konoha hand him over, and moved its forces closer to the Land of Fire's border.

Aozora claimed responsibility to Zetsu for provoking the conflict between Konoha and Cloud, while Konoha faced Cloud’s demand to hand over Hyuga Hiashi. Hizashi chose to die in Hiashi’s place, and the Hyuga elders prepared to present his body to the Hokage as Hiashi’s.

• Aozora told Zetsu he had manipulated Cloud’s leader and framed Hiashi to weaken Konoha, winning Zetsu’s approval.
• As Cloud’s deadline neared, Sarutobi Hiruzen told the Hyuga clan that Cloud demanded the killer of Kuroshima Kōhei and that Konoha could not afford war.
• Hiashi asked about the ANBU witness, but Sarutobi said no such operative had been found and urged Hiashi to consider sacrificing himself for peace.
• The Hyuga Great Elder proposed handing over Hizashi’s corpse as a substitute, and Hizashi revealed he had agreed to the plan.
• Hizashi paralyzed Hiashi with a Gentle Fist strike, declared he was choosing to die for his brother, family, and village, then killed himself.
• The Great Elder removed Hizashi’s Caged Bird Seal and told Sarutobi that “Hiashi’s” corpse had been handed over.

After Konoha’s enemies withdrew, Aozora used the village’s celebration of Jiraiya’s return to argue that Sarutobi Hiruzen should step down and that the Hyuga and Uchiha were being suppressed. He then lobbied Torifu to oppose Jiraiya’s succession, leaving Torifu to consider Fugaku’s candidacy and the unfairness of choosing Hokage through connections.

• After the Cloud Envoy discovered the fake Hyuga Hiashi’s Byakugan could not be used, Konoha tore up the treaty and prepared its forces, prompting Cloud and Iwagakure to withdraw.
• As Konoha celebrated Jiraiya’s return, Aozora met Hiashi privately and urged him to oppose Sarutobi Hiruzen for mistreating the Hyuga and Uchiha clans.
• Hiashi agreed that the Hyuga had been denied real power and shared Aozora’s anger over the rumors that had wounded his clan.
• Aozora visited Torifu and argued that Hiruzen should have resigned after Danzo defected and was now unfairly promoting Jiraiya over Fugaku.
• Aozora told Torifu that making Jiraiya Hokage would perpetuate a succession based on connections, and Torifu promised to give the argument serious consideration.

At Konoha’s High-Level Meeting, Hiashi impeached Sarutobi Hiruzen over his decisions and the Hyuga Clan’s losses, while Jintai challenged the Hokage’s motives. Sarutobi Hiruzen resigned, leaving Konoha facing a new era and the question of who would lead it.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen praised Jiraiya and the returning ninjas before Hiashi stood to impeach him and call for a Vote of Confidence.
• Hiashi accused Sarutobi Hiruzen of shielding Orochimaru and Danzo, mishandling Cloud’s kidnapping of his daughter, and recalling ninjas from the Northeast Border too soon.
• Jintai claimed the early withdrawal was intended to promote Jiraiya, suppress the Uchiha Clan Head, and decide the next Hokage in advance.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen explained that he had withdrawn the border forces to show Cloud Konoha’s sincerity, but Jintai and Yashiro criticized the decision as showing weakness.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen apologized, removed his Hokage Hat, and voluntarily resigned without holding a Vote of Confidence.

Konoha’s elders nominated Jiraiya and Uchiha Fugaku as candidates for the Fifth Hokage and agreed to recall Fugaku for a Jonin Vote of Confidence. Sarutobi Hiruzen persuaded Jiraiya to accept the nomination, and Jiraiya agreed after explaining his search for the Child of Prophecy.

• Torifu and Kosuke urged the elders to choose Hokage candidates, and Sarutobi Hiruzen nominated Jiraiya.
• Torifu nominated Uchiha Fugaku, and the elders agreed that the Fifth Hokage would be chosen between Fugaku and Jiraiya after Fugaku returned from the front lines.
• Jiraiya told Sarutobi Hiruzen that he did not want to become Hokage and hoped to find Orochimaru, but Hiruzen rejected both objections.
• Jiraiya explained the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy about his disciple, the Child of Prophecy, and said he still needed to find that person.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen persuaded Jiraiya to serve until Shinnosuke, Kakashi, and the others matured, and Jiraiya accepted the Crystal Ball and considered the offer.

Fugaku returned to Konoha to a welcome organized by Aozora and the Uchiha, but Hiruzen’s brief reception left the returning ninja disappointed. Later, Aozora cautioned Fugaku about the Hokage vote, gave him a book on the Sharingan, and revealed his connection to the Akatsuki Organization, leaving Fugaku deeply shocked.

• Torifu and Aozora watched villagers and clan members gather at Konoha’s gate to welcome Fugaku and the returning ninja with flags, fireworks, and cheers.
• Hiruzen offered the returning ninja only a few words before sending them home, disappointing Fugaku and his comrades.
• Aozora urged Fugaku to stay cautious before the Jonin Vote of Confidence and build relationships with the other Jonin.
• Aozora gave Fugaku a book presenting the Sharingan as an expression of love and bonds, and Fugaku approved it as a potential introductory text for the Uchiha.
• Aozora told Fugaku about the Masked Man claiming to be Uchiha Madara and his own involvement with the Akatsuki Organization, shocking Fugaku with the group’s strength.

Fugaku sought the Hyuga Clan’s support in the upcoming Jonin Vote of Confidence and offered to help optimize the Caged Bird seal. Hiashi weighed the risks to his clan’s traditions and ultimately promised that all Hyuga votes would go to Fugaku.

• Mitokado Homura and Jiraiya visited Hiashi to ask for the Hyuga Clan’s support, but Hiashi said the clan would choose cautiously.
• Fugaku and Yashiro met with Hiashi, who said that impeaching the Third Hokage did not mean he would support Fugaku and asked what the Uchiha could offer.
• Fugaku promised to open Konoha’s Sealing Jutsu to the Hyuga and help them break the Caged Bird, explaining how the seal limited the clan’s strength and future.
• Hiashi reacted angrily to Fugaku’s proposal, and the two men’s auras clashed before Hiashi conceded that Fugaku was stronger.
• Fugaku proposed optimizing the Caged Bird so Jonin could remove it, while acknowledging that this could bring down the Main Family and Branch Family system.
• After considering the consequences and Fugaku’s call to lead reform, Hiashi agreed that all Hyuga votes would go to Fugaku.

Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to secure support for Jiraiya as the Uchiha gained influence and countered a smear campaign with their own public messaging. Aozora persuaded Torifu Akimichi to encourage the Ino-Shika-Cho clans to consider the Uchiha during the Hokage Vote of Confidence.

• Mitokado Homura told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Hyuga Hiashi had refused to reveal his position, and an ANBU reported that Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Yashiro were visiting the Hyuga Clan Head.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Mitokado Homura to keep helping Jiraiya win votes, then summoned Elephant after Homura left.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen's faction spread rumors against the Uchiha, but the Konoha Military Police Force suppressed them before they gained momentum.
• The Uchiha countered by publicly explaining the Sharingan as an awakening driven by intense desire for strength, improving their reputation.
• Aozora argued to Torifu Akimichi that the Uchiha were unfairly slandered and that their actions showed care for Konoha, and Torifu agreed to urge Choza and the others to consider the Uchiha during the vote.

As Fugaku and Jiraiya competed for the Fifth Hokage position, Aozora discovered a trap disguised as a meeting with Orochimaru and was accused of joining the Akatsuki Organization. Yamato’s ANBU attacked him, but just as the Uchiha arrived, Aozora’s earthen shell burst apart and unleashed blazing boulders at his attackers.

• Aozora received a secret message from someone posing as Orochimaru and went to meet him in a forest outside Konoha.
• Aozora exposed the impostor, trapped him with Draw Ground as Prison, and noticed an ambush led by Yamato.
• Yamato accused Aozora of defecting to the Akatsuki Organization, and, despite Aozora’s objection that ANBU lacked arrest authority, ordered the ANBU to attack.
• Aozora defended himself inside an earthen shell as the ANBU bombarded it with ninjutsu.
• An ANBU announced that the Uchiha were coming, and Aozora’s shell shattered, sending blazing boulders flying toward the surrounding ANBU.

Aozora fought Yamato and the Konoha ANBU, injuring several of them and nearly killing Yamato before Yamato trapped the battlefield in a swamp. Aozora escaped Yamato’s finishing attack by using his sword to fly, while Yamato countered by growing a giant tree beneath him.

• Aozora shattered Yamato’s earthen dome, injured several ANBU with flaming Shuriken, and charged Yamato with the Blood Drinking Sword.
• Aozora cut through Yamato’s Wood Release vines and pierced a wooden dummy after Yamato escaped his genjutsu; Yamato was left with a scorched chest wound.
• Yamato flooded the battlefield and turned the ground into a swamp, binding the ANBU and Aozora’s Shadow Clone while Aozora leapt between sinking trees.
• As another Uchiha rushed toward the battlefield, Yamato unleashed Tree Bind Eternal Burial, but Aozora used Sword Control Technique to ride the Blood Drinking Sword into the air.
• Yamato noticed Aozora’s slow flight and grew a towering, tangled tree from the swamp beneath him.

Aozora burned away most of Yamato’s Wood Release and exposed the ANBU’s unlawful attack, while Shisui defended his brother and helped the Uchiha surround Yamato. Yamato surrendered to the Konoha Military Police Force, and Aozora and Yashiro set out to confront the Third Hokage.

• Aozora used Great Fire Annihilation to burn the upper tree, while Yamato’s roots resisted the flames and Yamato shielded the injured ANBU.
• Shisui attacked Yamato, and the two fought at close range until Yamato was wounded and surrounded by Shisui and Aozora.
• Yamato accused Aozora of defecting, but Shisui defended his brother and condemned the Third Hokage for forcing him away from the village.
• Aozora challenged Yamato to provide evidence and argued that the ANBU and a Jonin had no authority to arrest him.
• Yashiro arrived with the Uchiha, confronted Yamato over the attack, and Yamato surrendered to the Konoha Military Police Force.
• Aozora and Yashiro announced that they would go to the Hokage Building to demand an explanation from the Third Hokage.