Chapter Summaries

Aozora persuaded the Uchiha clan that the time was not right to compete for Hokage, since they lacked a suitable candidate and allies for a Jonin vote. He urged the clan to support the Third Hokage for now while building influence and preparing to seek the position after the war.

• Aozora agreed that the Uchiha could force the Third Hokage to resign but argued that the clan should not compete for Hokage yet.
• Aozora explained that Fugaku, Jintai, and Shisui lacked the reputation or standing to be nominated as Hokage candidates.
• Aozora said the Uchiha had too few allies to win a Jonin Vote of Confidence, and Fugaku stopped clansmen from proposing a direct seizure of power.
• Aozora identified Jiraiya and Tsunade as likely successors and argued that either would be more dangerous to Uchiha interests than the Third Hokage.
• Aozora proposed keeping the Third Hokage in office while the Uchiha expanded the Military Police Force, built alliances, and weakened the Hokage faction ahead of a future bid for Hokage.

Fugaku and his assistants visited civilian ninja and clan heads to seek support for his proposals at the upcoming High-Level Meeting, while Hiruzen warned the major clans about the Uchiha’s efforts. After meeting resistance from the major clans, Fugaku revealed that one family remained to be visited.

• Fugaku assigned Uchiha captains to patrol Konoha, search Danzo's base, and protect the Clan Compound.
• Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu learned that Fugaku was visiting civilian ninja and decided to alert the major clans.
• Kashiyama Haruto thanked Fugaku for saving him but said he would consider supporting Fugaku’s motions at the High-Level Meeting.
• Fugaku visited civilian Jonin and smaller clan heads, receiving a mix of eager agreements and uncertain replies.
• Fugaku’s group found the major clans largely unwilling to hear them out, but Inoichi listened to their appeal at the Nara estate.
• Aozora noted that Ino-Shika-Cho had all heard Fugaku’s message, and Fugaku said one family remained to visit.

Fugaku and the Uchiha attended Konoha’s High-Level Meeting as Sarutobi Hiruzen explained Danzō’s crimes and the pursuit of his followers. After attendees challenged Hiruzen over ANBU’s role and accountability, Fugaku backed calls for reform and linked ANBU’s conduct directly to the Hokage.

• Fugaku, Aozora, and Yashiro arrived at the new Hokage Building for the High-Level Meeting, where clan representatives and village leaders had gathered.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen opened the meeting and, after Fugaku stayed silent, described Danzō’s collusion with Hiruko, the defectors, and the Shadow Guard’s pursuit.
• Hiruzen presented three preserved heads and said his forces had wiped out Hirahara Haruto’s ANBU unit and found clues to Danzō’s whereabouts.
• Attendees questioned Hiruzen about ANBU’s loyalties, Danzō’s seized research, and Sarutobi Takao’s innocence, prompting Mitokado Homura to demand silence.
• Fuyukawa Gō pressed Hiruzen on whether ANBU members could be trusted, and Hiruzen promised a thorough reform of the organization.
• Fugaku endorsed the need for reform and warned that ANBU’s actions could make people believe the Hokage was harming villagers or defecting from the Village.

At a meeting of Konoha’s clan representatives and elite ninjas, Fugaku and Aozora challenged the Hokage’s responsibility for ANBU misconduct. Aozora ended by proposing that Konoha disband the ANBU, leaving the room stunned.

• Fugaku accused the Third Hokage of bearing responsibility for ANBU harming villagers and defecting from the village.
• Aozora defended Fugaku’s criticism and argued that the Hokage, as the one wielding the ANBU as a blade, was accountable for its actions.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen apologized and promised to reform the ANBU, but Aozora began raising concerns about its size and the risks of rogue members.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted Aozora and demanded that he state the Uchiha’s position directly.
• Aozora announced that the Konoha Military Police Force proposed disbanding the ANBU, stunning the meeting.

At a Konoha meeting, Aozora challenged the ANBU’s size and overlapping responsibilities, prompting Sarutobi Hiruzen to limit its authorized strength. A Blond Man then called for the ANBU’s powers and duties to be clearly defined.

• Aozora proposed disbanding the ANBU, and Sarutobi Hiruzen angrily rejected the idea.
• Aozora questioned the ANBU’s duties, arguing that other Konoha departments and elite Jōnin could handle them.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen explained that the ANBU gave the Hokage a force for rapidly responding to emergencies.
• Aozora criticized the ANBU’s bloated size, and Sarutobi Hiruzen capped its authorized strength at seventy members in four divisions and sixteen squads.
• A Blond Man stood up and said the ANBU’s powers and responsibilities still needed to be clearly defined.

Yamanaka Inoichi challenged the ANBU’s unchecked authority and won support for restricting its internal role. The Konoha High Command then shifted the meeting toward accusing Fugaku of concealing the Mangekyō Sharingan and linking the Uchiha to the Nine-Tails’ Rampage.

• Yamanaka Inoichi demanded that ANBU members need authorization to access intelligence files and pressed the High Command to define the ANBU’s powers and limits.
• Yamanaka Inoichi proposed strengthening the ANBU’s external duties while limiting its internal role to protecting the Hokage, and the assembled ninja agreed.
• Mitokado Homura objected to limiting the ANBU, but the High Command decided to disrupt the debate and Sarutobi Hiruzen warned of destabilizing forces in the village.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu questioned Fugaku about the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails’ eyes and accused him of hiding his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• The Meeting Room turned against Fugaku, and a Blonde female ninja appeared behind Sarutobi Hiruzen as Fugaku’s Three Tomoe spun.

Fugaku defended the Uchiha against accusations that they had controlled the Nine-Tails, arguing that Konoha’s leaders had ignored stronger evidence against Danzo and failed to investigate the leak of the Jinchūriki’s location. After the leaders were left speechless, the White Kimono Man stood to deliver the Uchiha’s next move.

• Fugaku denied hiding his Mangekyō Sharingan and said he had followed the Ninja Code by keeping his abilities secret.
• Fugaku argued that the Uchiha had obeyed orders and accepted the Revitalization Plan, yet remained suspected without new evidence.
• Fugaku pointed out that transplanted Sharingan could have controlled the Nine-Tails and cited Kakashi and Danzo as possible users.
• Fugaku accused the higher-ups of failing to investigate how the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki’s location had been leaked.
• Fugaku highlighted Danzo’s eight transplanted Sharingan and Wood Release, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other leaders unable to respond.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen prepared for Fugaku’s final attack, but the White Kimono Man stood up instead.

Hyuga Hiashi acted as an impartial arbiter between the Uchiha and the Hokage faction, helping them reach compromises on ANBU's powers. The meeting continued under his direction as Aozora's strategy to use the Hyuga to balance both sides succeeded.

• Hyuga Hiashi intervened in the dispute and called for the High-Level Meeting to focus on Konoha's future.
• Aozora challenged the Hokage faction's authority to label people destabilizing factors and warned that such power could be abused.
• Hyuga Hiashi proposed that ANBU retain surveillance and reporting duties but lose its powers of arrest, interrogation, and detention, and Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted.
• Hyuga Hiashi led the meeting through further arguments and compromises over ANBU matters and the Intelligence outposts.
• Aozora reflected that he had relied on the Hyuga to balance the Uchiha and the Hokage faction without driving them into an all-out conflict.

At a High-Level Meeting, the Uchiha and Hyuga weakened ANBU’s authority and redirected discussion toward Danzo’s defection, leaving the Third Hokage unable to end the meeting. As the meeting was adjourned, Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi stopped it in unison.

• Fugaku challenged the village’s refusal to let the Uchiha return to their old compound, and Hiashi proposed that the Konoha Military Police Force use unused ANBU training bases.
• Shikaku suspected that Hiashi and Fugaku had joined forces, and he and Inoichi concluded that the Uchiha might offer the Hyuga something the Hokage would not.
• Hiruzen and Tsunade reasoned that the Uchiha were not seeking the Hokage’s position, since they were weakening ANBU, the Hokage’s direct force.
• When Hiruzen tried to shift the meeting to front-line intelligence, Fugaku insisted they discuss Danzo’s defection, and Hiashi backed him by saying there was no immediate danger of war with Cloud.
• Hiruzen outlined measures to respond to Danzo’s defection, then tried to adjourn the meeting, but Fugaku and Hiashi stopped him together.

Hiashi and Fugaku used the High Command’s repeated defections to press for more elder positions, while Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted responsibility and nearly resigned. The meeting ended with one new Hokage Assistant position approved for a Jonin Vote of Confidence next week, leaving the clans competing for influence.

• Hiashi and Fugaku accused the Hokage faction of damaging the village through repeated High Command defections.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen admitted responsibility for Orochimaru’s and Danzo’s defections and prepared to resign, but the meeting urged him to remain Hokage.
• Hiashi and Fugaku proposed adding elder positions to reduce the risks of a leadership closely tied by family and friendship.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen refused to add more than one Hokage Assistant position, and Hiashi and Fugaku reluctantly agreed.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen announced that candidates could nominate themselves or others, with a Jonin Vote of Confidence scheduled for next week.

Aozora advised Fugaku and Yashiro on how to reorganize and expand the Konoha Military Police Force after the Uchiha regained authority and training grounds. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen responded to the Uchiha’s growing influence by ordering a front-line rotation for the New Year and Shisui’s recall.

• Aozora, Fugaku, and Yashiro decided not to compete for the two Elder positions and discussed how to selectively offer goodwill to other factions.
• Aozora proposed dividing the Konoha Military Police Force into specialized brigades, recruiting shinobi from outside the clan, and adding ranks and awards.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu discussed the Uchiha’s collusion with the Yamanaka and Hyuga, while Sarutobi Hiruzen considered Uchiha Aozora’s influence.
• Tsunade demanded news of Danzo, and Sarutobi Hiruzen told her the Shadow Guard had tracked him within the Land of Fire.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the Uchiha to rotate front-line forces home for the New Year and called for Shisui to be recalled.

Aozora discussed Natsuki’s Guardian Shinobi selection and the Uchiha’s plans for Kyoto City with Fugaku, then helped finalize reforms to the Konoha Military Police Force. After the meeting, he went home to rest and train, having reached a bottleneck in the Lightning Fire Golden Body.

• Fugaku told Aozora that Natsuki had reached the final round of the Guardian Shinobi selection but needed to reveal her identity or withdraw, and Natsuki asked the clan to help her continue under a fabricated identity.
• Aozora advised Fugaku not to abandon plans in Kyoto City and to let Natsuki decide whether to continue, but refused Fugaku’s request to go help her because he needed a break.
• Aozora read the proposed Konoha Military Police Force report and suggested naming its special police unit the Flying Tigers.
• The clan meeting approved the police reforms, the recruitment of non-Uchiha shinobi, and new honorary titles and medals, while postponing appointments to several units.
• Aozora took leave and returned home, where he realized he had reached the first bottleneck of the Lightning Fire Golden Body.

Aozora investigated why his Lightning Fire Golden Body cultivation and recovery were progressing unusually fast, suspecting that he was developing a Sage Body. He decided that Fetal Transformation and Form Change might help accelerate the change, then used Golden Merit to strengthen Outer Body Incarnation and began immersing a Soul Splitting within it.

• Aozora noticed his Lightning Fire Golden Body had reached its first bottleneck after just over two months of training and wondered why his progress was so rapid.
• Aozora realized his exceptional recovery had let him cultivate with far more Lightning-Fire Chakra than other practitioners, and recalled that it had already been apparent during his fight with Akaiwa.
• Aozora speculated that he was awakening a Sage Body despite being an Uchiha, and considered Guidance and Qi Cultivation and the Lightning Fire Golden Body as possible influences.
• Aozora concluded that Fetal Transformation and Form Change might help his body evolve toward a form closer to Nature Energy and accelerate the development of a Sage Body.
• Aozora spent twenty Golden Merit to enhance Outer Body Incarnation on the Heavenly Book, leaving three Golden Merit drops, and immersed a Soul Splitting within it.

Aozora received the inheritance of Fetal Transformation and Form Change, practiced Fetal Breathing in his sleep, and began cultivating in seclusion. At the Hokage's Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Uchiha Shisui to become his assistant.

• Aozora strengthened his connection to the Soul Splitting, then received the inheritance of Fetal Transformation and Form Change from the Heavenly Book.
• After the inheritance left him drowsy, Aozora curled up and unconsciously practiced Fetal Breathing through the night, absorbing a faint trace of Nature Energy.
• Aozora reviewed the inheritance, learned the principles of Fetal Transformation and Form Change, and decided against transforming with another being's Essence Blood.
• Aozora tried Heavenly Heart Meditation, then locked his gate and cultivated quietly in his courtyard.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen welcomed Uchiha Shisui to the Hokage's Office and asked him to become his assistant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen offered Shisui the Hokage Assistant position and urged him to seek Fugaku’s support, while Fugaku met with Chōza to discuss the Uchiha withdrawing from the elder election. Shisui was unable to reach Fugaku, who had already left to speak with Chōza.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen offered Shisui the Hokage Assistant position, explaining that his mission record qualified him for promotion and that a vote would take place at the next High-Level Meeting.
• Shisui accepted and hurried to find Fugaku, but Uchiha Nakamei refused to let him see the Clan Head.
• Fugaku visited Chōza and announced that the Uchiha would withdraw from the elder election.
• Fugaku encouraged Chōza to support Torifu Akimichi as a leader during Konoha’s crisis, and Chōza fell silent at the mention of his uncle.

Shisui returned home exhausted after failing to meet the Clan Head, and Aozora welcomed him with a late-night meal. Aozora revealed his strength and accomplishments to make Shisui see him as an equal, leaving Shisui questioning the path he had followed for six years.

• Shisui arrived at Aozora's new house after failing to get an audience with the Clan Head, and Aozora greeted him warmly.
• Aozora and Shisui cooked and ate huge bowls of beef noodles together, then rested in the living room.
• Aozora confronted Shisui about hiding his troubles, then told him he had become a Chunin and the Clan Head's assistant.
• Aozora said he had killed at least four Jonin in one-on-one fights and exposed Danzo's collusion with rogue ninja.
• Aozora described restoring Uchiha patrol and guard authority and winning approval to recruit non-Uchiha ninja into the Military Police Force, leaving Shisui shaken and uncertain about his own path.

Aozora learned that Shisui planned to accept the Third Hokage’s recommendation for Hokage Assistant and argued that doing so would undermine the Uchiha’s alliances. He persuaded Shisui to sacrifice his chance for the sake of the clan and village, then revealed Torifu Akimichi as their preferred candidate.

• Shisui told Aozora that the Third Hokage planned to recommend him for Hokage Assistant, believing the role could reconcile the Uchiha and the village.
• Aozora reacted angrily, arguing that Shisui’s nomination would damage the Uchiha’s promises to the Hyūga and Ino-Shika-Cho.
• Aozora acknowledged Shisui’s suitability as a bridge but argued that recruiting non-Uchiha ninja into the Military Police Force could create many connections with villagers.
• Aozora asked whether Shisui was willing to sacrifice for the clan and Konoha, then urged him to refuse the recommendation and skip the High-Level Meeting.
• Aozora explained that the Uchiha would support the Hyūga candidate and avoid taking either assistant position to prevent renewed conflict between great clans and civilians.
• Aozora revealed that the Uchiha’s preferred candidate for Hokage Assistant was Torifu Akimichi.

On the day of Konoha’s Hokage Assistant election, Shisui told Sarutobi Hiruzen he would withdraw, then accepted an offer to join the Shadow Guard. Hiruzen and Mitokado Homura prepared for the elder election without learning whom the Uchiha had nominated.

• Shisui told Sarutobi Hiruzen he would not run for Hokage Assistant, citing his lack of seniority and the need to stabilize Konoha.
• Shisui refused to reveal the Uchiha nominee, keeping his promise to Aozora.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen invited Shisui to join the Shadow Guard, and Shisui eagerly accepted.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Shinnosuke to take Shisui through the Shadow Guard procedures and training.
• Mitokado Homura learned Shisui had withdrawn and discussed the Uchiha’s chances in the elder election with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Jonin gathered at the Hokage Building to nominate candidates for two Fire Elder positions. The Uchiha abstained, Kosuke was nominated, and the chapter ended as an old man from the Ino-Shika-Cho faction nominated himself.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen and the elders opened nominations before a crowd that included retired and injured Jonin.
• Hyuga Hiashi was nominated, but Fugaku refused to put forward a Uchiha candidate and asked whether the Hokage faction had anyone to recommend.
• Utatane Koharu nominated Genin Kosuke, whose wartime service and help to other shinobi earned him support.
• An old man from the Ino-Shika-Cho faction stepped forward and told Hiruzen, "I nominate myself!"

Torifu Akimichi nominated himself for Hokage Assistant, and Sarutobi Hiruzen began the Jonin vote. As the ballots were cast, Aozora discussed the election and proposed that the Uchiha support Kosuke, leaving Fugaku and the others to consider his idea.

• Torifu Akimichi stepped forward and nominated himself for Hokage Assistant.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen opened the vote, and a Chunin brought out the sealed ballot box.
• Aozora questioned whether the ballot box could be used to manipulate results, and Fugaku warned him that it was designed to prevent cheating.
• Aozora observed the clans’ dominance among Konoha’s Jonin and asked Fugaku why the Military Police Force had not attracted Civilian Ninja.
• Fugaku asked Aozora how the Uchiha should vote, and Aozora said supporting Kosuke was the best strategy.