Chapter Summaries

Hiko urged the Uchiha elders to ease relations with outsiders, but the clan agreed to avoid making sweeping changes at once. They decided to focus first on the Anbu matter, leaving Hiko time to prepare to work with Senju Hashirama's cells.

• Hiko argued that the Uchiha could reduce prejudice and hostility by allowing more peaceful contact with other clans and ordinary people.
• Hiko clarified that he was not asking the clan to discard its ancestral rules, but to gradually improve its relations with outsiders.
• The Fifth Elder proposed stabilizing the clan and avoiding major changes for now, and the Third Elder agreed.
• Hiko accepted the proposal and said the clan should settle the Anbu matter first.
• Hiko planned to leave the Anbu to the Third Hokage while he worked with Senju Hashirama's cells, and noted that Uchiha Shuu's condition remained precarious.

Hiko settled the Uchiha document selection with the elders, then oversaw the influx of Uchiha members into Anbu and struggled with assigning them to teams. He brought the personnel paperwork to the Third Hokage and asked his former teacher to help sort it out.

• Hiko told the Uchiha elders to organize the documents and select candidates based on ability, then left the meeting to rest.
• Great Elder organized the documents, and Anbu collected them as Uchiha members filled the available positions.
• Hiko handled Anbu transfers and team assignments, keeping existing squads mostly intact to reduce the workload.
• Hiko carried the documents to the Third Hokage and asked him to divide the new Anbu personnel into teams, surprising him.

Hiko delegated a mountain of Anbu paperwork to the Third Hokage, who resolved the major issues in the Anbu expansion. Hiko then gathered the Anbu in the forest to address tensions between old members, clan shinobi, and Civilian Ninja, but left them waiting in the sun.

• Hiko tricked the Third Hokage into handling his paperwork by claiming he was seeking help from his Teacher.
• The Third Hokage realized Hiko had brought him a stack of tedious but manageable documents and settled the major issues with the Anbu expansion.
• Hiko asked the Third Hokage for leave and summoned all Anbu members to a forest gathering, ordering them to stay in the village and off missions for the next few days.
• Anbu members gathered in cliques, with Civilian Ninja and Uchiha among the most isolated newcomers.
• Hiko watched from a tree and told Hatake Sakumo to let the members wait as long as they did not leave or cause trouble.
• The waiting Anbu members grew anxious and wondered whether Hiko was deliberately trying to establish his authority.

Hiko kept the Anbu waiting all day, then watched the newcomers’ clans clash while he ate with Hatake Sakumo. The argument stopped when the food drew everyone’s attention, and Hiko asked whether they were done fighting before teasing Sakumo about his fiancée.

• The Anbu waited through the day until Hiko appeared near sunset and ordered everyone to assemble.
• Uchiha Kyuno and Hyuga Kiko argued over where their clan members should stand, and the dispute spread among the newcomers.
• Hiko sat down with his lunch box and offered food to the hungry Hatake Sakumo while the old hands watched.
• The smell of the food and a newcomer’s growling stomach silenced the argument as everyone stared at Hiko and Sakumo eating.
• Hiko asked whether the newcomers were done arguing, then teased Sakumo about his fiancée until Sakumo choked and ran aside.

Hiko disciplined the Uchiha and Hyuga members after their clan rivalry disrupted the Anbu assembly. He warned them that bringing their feud into dangerous missions could get their whole squad killed.

• Hiko ordered the Uchiha and Hyuga members to step forward and asked why they had fought.
• After both clans denied that the feud involved any romantic offense, Hiko scolded them for bringing clan conflicts into the Anbu.
• Hiko told them they could resent him privately but must not insult him to his face.
• Hiko warned that future displays of hostility would bring no mercy and could endanger their teammates on missions.

Uchiha Hiko dismissed the Anbu after warning them to keep personal grudges out of their work, while Hatake Sakumo initially wondered why he had summoned everyone. Sakumo then realized Hiko’s gathering had also pressured the village’s higher-ups by temporarily withdrawing Anbu from key posts, and discord over the move had already begun.

• Uchiha Hiko warned the Anbu that competition was acceptable but bringing personal grudges into it could get them killed, then gave most of them several days off.
• Hatake Sakumo questioned why Hiko had gathered the Anbu and left them in the sun for a day just to deliver a brief warning.
• Hiko explained that Anbu could not be made to unite or welcome newcomers, and treated the gathering as a chance for them to rest.
• Hatake Sakumo reconsidered the day’s events and concluded that Hiko’s gathering was aimed at pressuring the village’s higher-ups by pulling Anbu from important posts.
• Voices in the village objected that Hiko had withdrawn Anbu guards from key locations, including the Third Hokage’s protection, creating an opening for spies.

Hiko and the Third Hokage discussed the problems caused by expanding Anbu before Hiko left the Hokage Office to handle a personal matter. At home, he reunited with Mikoto, who complained that he was always away.

• The Third Hokage told Hiko that Anbu's absence had caused many complaints and disruptions across Konoha.
• Hiko advised the Third Hokage to assign missions to the expanded Anbu force while its veterans and newcomers adjusted.
• Hiko asked the Third Hokage to manage Anbu missions while he was away, and the Third Hokage agreed.
• Hiko left the Hokage Office, excited to use Senju Hashirama's cells to obtain Wood Style.
• Mikoto ran to Hiko when he returned home and complained that he was always away, and Hiko promised to buy her a treat.

Hiko left Konoha with the Senju Hashirama cells Orochimaru had given him and tried to fuse them to gain Wood Style. The fusion began overwhelming his body with Chakra, leaving him in agony as his wounds repeatedly healed.

• Mikoto Uchiha disrupted Hiko's plans to leave Konoha, so he played with her and took her home after she fell asleep.
• Hiko left Konoha at night carrying the vial of Senju Hashirama's cells, which Orochimaru had supplied in a small amount.
• After traveling far from the village, Hiko cut his palm and poured the cell fluid onto the wound to begin the fusion.
• Senju Hashirama's Chakra surged through Hiko's body and merged with his flesh and Chakra, rapidly increasing its already enormous reserves.
• Hiko's body grew red, cracked, and bled as the excess Chakra overwhelmed him, while his powerful recovery repeatedly healed the wounds.

Hiko endured a violent reaction as Hashirama’s cells fused with his body, unleashing uncontrollable Chakra that devastated the forest. After the pain subsided, he fled and fell asleep in a hollow tree, while the Third Hokage and Anbu searched the wasteland for him.

• Hiko’s body repeatedly split open and healed as the surging Chakra from Hashirama’s cells tore through him.
• The Third Hokage sensed Hiko’s chaotic Chakra and hurried out of the village, followed by guards and Anbu squads.
• Hiko’s Chakra stabilized, and he left the devastated forest to sleep inside a hollow tree.
• The Third Hokage found the wasteland but could no longer sense Hiko’s Chakra and worried that something had happened to him.
• The Anbu arrived, including Shirono Mashiro, and the Third Hokage ordered them to locate Captain Uchiha Hiko.

The Third Hokage found Hiko asleep in a tree hollow, covered in blood but without any visible wounds, and brought him to Konoha Hospital. As rumors spread through Konoha, the Third Hokage gathered the village’s high-ranking officials to discuss the apparent attack.

• Shirono Mashiro tracked Hiko’s scent and led the Third Hokage and the others to a hollow tree.
• The Third Hokage found Hiko asleep and covered in blood, then grew furious until a medical ninja confirmed Hiko had no visible wounds.
• The Third Hokage carried Hiko to Konoha Hospital and ordered the doctors to examine him.
• Rumors that Uchiha Hiko had been attacked spread through Konoha, alarming its residents.
• The Third Hokage summoned Konoha’s high-ranking officials to a meeting while Hiko remained unaware.

After Hiko was found gravely wounded from an assassination attempt, Konoha’s higher-ups demanded an investigation and the Third Hokage proposed using Anbu to patrol the village perimeter. The proposal left the council divided, while Danzo feared the increased surveillance could expose his Underground Research Base.

• The doctor reported that Hiko had lost his own blood and that investigators had found no traces of his attacker, shocking Konoha’s higher-ups.
• The higher-ups united in condemning the assassination and demanded that the attacker’s identity be uncovered.
• The Third Hokage proposed assigning Anbu personnel to patrol and secure the village perimeter, taking advantage of the department’s expanded ranks.
• The proposal unsettled the higher-ups because Anbu patrols would expand the department’s authority and displace existing patrol forces.
• Danzo worried that Anbu surveillance would increase the risk of his Underground Research Base being exposed, and the higher-ups hesitated to respond.

The Third Hokage secured approval for the Anbu to form an invisible defensive perimeter around Konoha despite Danzo’s objections. He then called for the village to identify the attackers who had targeted its high-ranking officials.

• Danzo objected to using the Anbu to establish an invisible perimeter, citing the costs and personnel reassignments.
• The Third Hokage argued that the Anbu’s small size made the investment worthwhile and proposed retaining visible defenses alongside the new perimeter.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura supported the proposal, and the other high-ranking officials followed, leaving Danzo isolated in opposition.
• The Third Hokage urged the officials to identify the people who had approached Konoha to assassinate high-ranking officials.

After Anbu found no clues about how Hiko had been injured, the Third Hokage waited two days for him to wake up. Hiko awoke in Konoha Hospital feeling fully recovered and asked the Anbu outside to bring him clothes.

• The Third Hokage sent Anbu to investigate Hiko’s injuries, but they returned with no clues or intelligence.
• The Third Hokage concluded that he would have to wait for Hiko to explain what happened.
• Hiko slept for two days while the Third Hokage anxiously awaited his recovery.
• Hiko woke in Konoha Hospital, surprised by his surroundings and how well he felt after fusing Senju Hashirama's cells.
• A nurse saw Hiko awake and rushed to notify Lord Hokage, while Hiko asked the Anbu outside to bring him clothes.

After recovering from merging with Hashirama's cells, Hiko discovered his strength and Chakra had grown enormously. He learned that the Third Hokage had secured approval to expand the Anbu's defensive role, but would need to pretend Hiko had survived an assassination attempt to protect the proposal.

• Hiko changed clothes, left the hospital without being discharged, and went to his usual tavern to eat.
• The Third Hokage joined Hiko and explained that the village higher-ups believed he had been attacked and had ordered an investigation.
• Hiko clarified that his injuries had not come from an assassination, and the Third Hokage revealed that Hiko's proposal had passed with only Danzo opposing it.
• Hiko warned the Third Hokage that he might deliver a frightening surprise, and the Third Hokage told him to maintain the assassination story at a meeting the next day.

Hiko struggled to invent a convincing enemy after the Third Hokage asked him to cover up the truth about his injuries. He settled on blaming Kakuzu and began planning how to make their supposed battle credible.

• The Third Hokage left Hiko to fabricate an enemy and warned that they would both face ridicule if the lie was exposed.
• Hiko considered how to invent an enemy powerful and mysterious enough to explain his injuries and fool the village's higher-ups.
• Hiko rejected blaming Black Zetsu because doing so might attract the attention of Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara.
• Hiko chose Kakuzu as the scapegoat, reasoning that Kakuzu's multiple lives and rogue-ninja status could make the story plausible.
• Hiko relaxed and began planning the details of his supposed battle with Kakuzu.

Hiko and Orochimaru met at the Tavern, traded teasing remarks, and discussed Konoha’s defenses and Orochimaru’s plans. Orochimaru agreed to be careful around the new Anbu perimeter and asked Hiko for help when his plans came to fruition.

• After the Third Hokage left, Orochimaru joined Hiko at the Tavern and they discussed how people change.
• Hiko teased Orochimaru about being gloomy and inexperienced with women, while Orochimaru ignored the remarks.
• Hiko lamented that Jiraiya had left and Tsunade was rarely around, then reflected on their teammates’ Sage Mode paths.
• Orochimaru warned Hiko that the Anbu would establish an invisible defensive perimeter around Konoha and advised him not to get caught crossing it.
• Orochimaru said he would be careful but would need Hiko’s help when certain matters erupted, and Hiko agreed.

After recovering from his ordeal, Hiko attended a meeting of Konoha’s leaders, where Danzo arrived late and the Third Hokage began by asking Hiko to identify his would-be assassin. The chapter ended before Hiko answered.

• Orochimaru left without asking Hiko about his injuries or what had happened to him.
• Hiko arrived at the Hokage Office Building and took his seat beside the Third Hokage while they waited for Danzo and the Shimura Clan representative.
• Hiko reassured the Third Hokage that his cover story was safe.
• Danzo entered the Meeting Room with the Shimura Clan representative, leaning on his cane despite appearing perfectly healthy.
• The Third Hokage opened the meeting and asked Hiko who had attempted to assassinate him.

Uchiha Hiko told Konoha’s upper ranks that the attacker was connected to Takigakure, prompting the Third Hokage to recall an old failed assassination attempt against Senju Hashirama. Hiko then claimed the attacker was the same Takigakure ninja, leaving the meeting room stunned.

• Utatane Koharu asked Hiko to explain the attack, and Naoko Senju demanded a thorough investigation.
• Hiko named Takigakure as the attacker’s connection, and the upper ranks challenged his claim.
• Naoko Senju defended Hiko and urged everyone to let him finish.
• Hiko explained that the attacker was connected to Takigakure but had no current ties to it, suggesting he was a rogue ninja.
• The Third Hokage recalled that a Takigakure ninja had once tried to assassinate Senju Hashirama and escaped alive.
• Hiko claimed the attacker was that same ninja, shocking the meeting room.

Uchiha Hiko convinced Konoha’s leaders that Kakuzu was an immortal, dangerous rogue ninja who had attacked him, using prepared files and fabricated claims to explain his injuries. The meeting ended with orders to place a bounty on Kakuzu and demand an explanation from Takigakure.

• Danzo questioned Hiko’s claim that the same Kakuzu had survived since the First Hokage’s era, but Hiko warned the leaders that Kakuzu was still alive.
• Hiko had Anbu distribute files identifying Kakuzu as a Takigakure ninja who had once attempted to assassinate the First Hokage and later became a rogue ninja.
• Hiko claimed Kakuzu survived crushed hearts through a secret technique and could use chakra-powered masks to unleash monster attacks.
• Hiko said he had been careless in his fight with Kakuzu and warned that Kakuzu was nearly as strong as him, persuading the leaders to believe his account.
• The leaders ordered a public notice and bounty for Kakuzu and demanded that Takigakure explain whether Kakuzu had entered the Land of Fire for a bounty.

Hiko secured approval for an early Anbu deployment and needled Danzo about his bandaged eye, leaving the Third Hokage curious about the huge surprise Hiko had hinted at for Konoha.

• Hiko proposed issuing a bounty for Kakuzu, questioning Takigakure, and starting the Anbu deployment early, and the village leadership approved the plan.
• Hiko asked what had happened to Danzo's eye, prompting Danzo to leave the Meeting Room in anger.
• Hiko called after Danzo with a mocking offer of a longer cane, and the Third Hokage adjourned the meeting.
• The Third Hokage warned Hiko against provoking Danzo, but Hiko joked about Danzo's nonexistent daughter and then headed to the Anbu.
• The Third Hokage asked about Hiko's promised surprise, and Hiko said it involved Konoha's symbol without revealing the details.