Chapter Summaries

After Hiko hinted that Konoha’s true symbol would soon be revealed, the Third wondered whether he meant the Will of Fire, while Hiko believed the village’s real symbol was Hashirama’s Wood Style. Danzo raged over his defeat and feared Hiko’s growing authority would expose his nearby underground research base and the money he had drained from the Shimura Clan.

• The Third tried to interpret Hiko’s hint about Konoha’s symbol as a reference to the Will of Fire, but could not understand what Hiko meant.
• Hiko considered Wood Style, rather than the Will of Fire, to be Konoha’s true symbol because it represented Senju Hashirama and the village’s founding and expansion.
• Danzo returned to his lair and cursed Hiko after losing their latest clash without support.
• Danzo feared Hiko’s rise had made it harder for him to control Anbu, especially as the Third and Hiko planned to patrol the village’s outskirts.
• Danzo worried those patrols would discover his nearby research base and expose how he had spent Shimura Clan funds, leaving the clan’s wealth depleted.

Hiko prepared the Anbu to establish a defensive perimeter around Konoha while keeping Danzo’s hidden base secret for the time being. Meanwhile, Konoha publicized Kakuzu’s attempted assassination of Hiko and pressured Takigakure, whose leaders reluctantly backed down rather than risk war.

• Danzo ordered the personnel at his outer base to stay alert and block Anbu from discovering it.
• Hiko chose not to expose Danzo’s base yet and ordered the Anbu Great Captains to assemble.
• Hiko directed the Anbu to deploy half their personnel around Konoha, with shifts rotating every half-month.
• Konoha announced Kakuzu’s assassination attempt, and news of the rogue ninja spread across the surrounding countries.
• Konoha demanded an explanation from Takigakure, and the Takigakure High Council swallowed its anger rather than provoke a war.

Konoha pressured Takigakure into apologizing and paying compensation for the supposed assassination of Uchiha Hiko, while Kakuzu was blamed and forced back into hiding. Hiko’s expanded Anbu operation strengthened Konoha’s defenses and secured his position.

• Takigakure’s leader admitted defeat, compensated Konoha, and raised a bounty on Kakuzu.
• Kakuzu learned he had been blamed for attacking Hiko, vowed to confront him, and went into hiding from the bounties issued by Konoha and Takigakure.
• Hiko kept the Anbu mobilized while Tsunade remained away, Orochimaru pursued his research, and Jiraiya’s whereabouts remained unknown.
• The Third Hokage used Konoha’s threat of war to force Takigakure to concede.
• Konoha’s new perimeter defenses caught infiltrators and spies, and the Anbu’s success increased as Uchiha and Hyuga members joined its ranks.

Jiraiya returned to Konoha after nearly half a year away, eager to show off his new Toad Sage abilities. An Anbu squad mistook him for an intruder before confirming his identity, and Hiko learned Jiraiya was on his way back and went to notify Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo.

• The Third Hokage was impressed by Anbu's rising mission success rate and accepted Hiko's plan to expand it into Five Corps.
• Jiraiya hurried toward Konoha, boasting to himself about becoming the Toad Sage and imagining how he would impress his friends.
• An Anbu squad ambushed Jiraiya on a small path, then confirmed his identity when he showed them his identification.
• Jiraiya wondered why Anbu were stationed so close to the village but ignored the squad captain's advice to take the main road.
• A Ninja Hawk delivered news of Jiraiya's return to Hiko, who left the Anbu office and ordered Orochimaru and Hatake Sakumo to be notified.

Hiko waited at Konoha's entrance with Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru for Jiraiya's return, then bet Hatake Sakumo that Jiraiya would visit a pleasure district before reporting to the Hokage. Hiko led them there and arranged a free offer to lure Jiraiya, leaving the bet poised to be decided.

• Hiko met Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru at Konoha's entrance after they rushed over to confirm Jiraiya had returned.
• Hatake Sakumo asked why they were waiting at the entrance, and Hiko predicted Jiraiya would go drinking and visit women before the Hokage's Office or Anbu.
• Hiko challenged Hatake Sakumo to a bet that the loser would cover the squad's expenses for a month, and Hatake Sakumo accepted.
• Hiko took Hatake Sakumo's Money Pouch and led Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru to a pleasure district.
• Hiko paid a shop to offer Jiraiya free entertainment if a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old black-haired boy with face paint and a lecherous expression arrived.

Hiko bet Hatake Sakumo that Jiraiya would head to a pleasure house before reporting to the Hokage, then arranged free food, wine, and entertainment to lure him in. Jiraiya took the bait, and Hiko won the bet, though he soon grew tired of listening to Jiraiya enjoy himself next door.

• Hiko paid the women at the pleasure house to draw Jiraiya in with free food, wine, and entertainment.
• Hatake Sakumo doubted Jiraiya would visit the pleasure house before reporting to the Hokage, while Orochimaru and Hiko waited with him.
• Jiraiya returned to Konoha and initially set off for the Hokage Office Building, but turned toward the pleasure house after deciding to eat and have fun first.
• The women spotted Jiraiya and enticed him inside, where he eagerly accepted their offer of free entertainment.
• Hiko smugly claimed his bet winnings from Hatake Sakumo, who was embarrassed and angry that Jiraiya had sought pleasure before checking in.
• Hiko grew impatient listening to Jiraiya enjoying himself in the next room.

Hiko, Hatake Sakumo, and Orochimaru found Jiraiya enjoying himself instead of reporting back after months away. They dragged him toward the Hokage Office Building, warning him that Tsunade would punish him.

• Hiko, Hatake Sakumo, and Orochimaru found Jiraiya groping two women in a private room.
• Hiko mocked Jiraiya, Hatake Sakumo angrily rebuked him, and Orochimaru joked that he should not overdo it.
• Hiko tossed money to the women and left with Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru, while Jiraiya reluctantly followed.
• Hiko and Hatake Sakumo warned Jiraiya that Tsunade would beat him, and Orochimaru offered to collect his corpse.
• Jiraiya followed them toward the Hokage Office Building and anxiously asked whether Tsunade was really angry.

Jiraiya returned to Konoha after nearly half a year away and learned that Tsunade blamed herself for his disappearance. The Third Hokage reassured him that Tsunade was not in the village, while Jiraiya’s friends explained that Hiko had become an Anbu Captain.

• Hiko told Jiraiya that Tsunade had spent months blaming herself and refused to help him face her.
• Jiraiya, Hiko, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo went to the Hokage's Office, where the Third Hokage questioned Jiraiya about his absence.
• Jiraiya panicked about how Tsunade would react, but the Third Hokage told him she was not in Konoha.
• Hiko, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo headed to the Barbecue restaurant with Jiraiya, who eagerly anticipated the meal.
• Jiraiya asked when Hiko became a Captain, and Hatake Sakumo explained that Hiko had been promoted to lead the Anbu after helping capture the Seven-Tails Chōmei in Takigakure.

Hiko reviewed intelligence about Amegakure’s growing influence and discussed the threat of war with the Third Hokage. He left the Hokage’s office after advising him to prepare for conflict, while the Third Hokage agreed to monitor developments on other fronts.

• The Third Hokage handed Hiko mission scrolls reporting that Amegakure was aggressively taking bounty missions and expanding its influence.
• Hiko analyzed Amegakure’s growth and the possible reasons the major villages had fought in the Land of Rain during the Second Ninja War.
• Hiko recognized that the Third Hokage was chiefly worried about the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind attacking the Land of Fire.
• Hiko urged the Third Hokage not to fear striking back if necessary, and the Third Hokage agreed to watch for news from other fronts.
• Hiko left to rejoin the people waiting for him, promising to have the Anbu gather intelligence; the Third Hokage repeated Hiko’s remark about making enemies lose both their wife and their army.

Hiko met Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo for a barbecue after Jiraiya returned from a long absence. Jiraiya revealed that he had fallen into Toad World and learned Sage Art, while Hiko wondered whether he might someday learn it at Ryūchi Cave.

• The Third Hokage assumed Hiko had learned unusual techniques from the village’s ancient books and scrolls.
• Hiko arrived at the barbecue restaurant and found Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo already eating.
• Jiraiya became emotional while recalling the months he spent eating bugs while studying Sage Art.
• Hiko and the others pressed Jiraiya about where he had been, and Jiraiya said he had fallen into Toad World.
• Jiraiya bragged that he had learned something amazing from the Great Toads, while Hiko considered seeking Sage Art at Ryūchi Cave.

Tsunade returned to the village after nearly half a year away and found Jiraiya indulging in the Red-Light District, so she beat him before reuniting affectionately with Hiko. The chapter ended with Hiko and Tsunade relaxing together and criticizing Jiraiya's lack of ambition.

• Jiraiya spent several days enjoying himself in the Red-Light District after returning to the village.
• Tsunade returned and furiously beat Jiraiya for making her worry while he had been chasing women.
• Jiraiya fled with a battered face, while Tsunade vented to Hiko about his behavior.
• Tsunade asked Hiko where Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru were, and Hiko picked her up and embraced her.
• Hiko reassured Tsunade that they could take their relationship slowly, and they rested together on the grass.
• Hiko and Tsunade criticized Jiraiya for squandering his money instead of finding a partner.

Hiko reunited with Tsunade, and Sixth Squad became a full Jonin squad after Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru passed their assessments. Hiko then learned that the Third Hokage wanted him to personally lead the squad on a mission escorting a poet, and he suspected the assignment concealed another objective.

• Hiko and Tsunade discussed the squad members and agreed that Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru should apply for Jonin assessments.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru passed their assessments, leaving Sixth Squad composed entirely of Jonin.
• A messenger delivered Hiko a mission scroll for protecting a poet attending a gathering, and Hiko questioned why Anbu had been assigned the job.
• Hiko went to the Hokage's office and challenged the Third Hokage for requiring him to lead the escort mission in person.
• The Third Hokage insisted Hiko had to go, prompting Hiko to ask whether the mission included a hidden objective.

The Third Hokage assigned Hiko and the Sixth Squad to escort a poet to Kumogakure, then travel to the Land of Whirlpools to help find a successor to Mito Uzumaki as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki. Hiko accepted after the Third Hokage stressed that he would represent Konoha, and the Third Hokage later discussed the assignment with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura.

• The Third Hokage rejected Hiko's offer to go alone and assigned the entire Sixth Squad to escort a poet to Kumogakure before visiting the Uzumaki Clan with Tsunade.
• Hiko realized the mission concerned finding a new jinchuriki because Mito Uzumaki was old and Konoha needed to prepare for the Nine-Tails' release.
• Hiko warned that the Uzumaki might resent an Uchiha representative, but the Third Hokage said Hiko represented Konoha and could retaliate if the Uzumaki provoked him first.
• Hiko accepted the mission, took the Mission Scroll, and left the Hokage's Office after warning the Third Hokage not to blame him if the Uzumaki caused trouble.
• The Third Hokage told Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura that he had assigned Hiko to the mission, and they supported his decision to find a new jinchuriki quickly.

Hiko led the Sixth Squad on a mission to escort a poet named Kuzhu to Kumogakure for a Poet Gathering. The squad met Kuzhu at the village entrance and struggled to believe that the sweaty, dark-skinned young man was a poet.

• The Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura agreed that Hiko would represent Konoha in dealings with the Uzumaki Clan and would have their support unless he deliberately caused trouble.
• Hiko summoned Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo, told them the mission was to escort a poet, and instructed them to dress in ordinary clothes.
• The Sixth Squad gathered at the village entrance, where Jiraiya complained about a past escort mission that had dragged on for over two months.
• Kuzhu arrived late, introduced himself as the employer, and apologized to Hiko and the squad.
• Jiraiya asked whether Kuzhu could really write poetry, and Tsunade punched him before he finished.

Hiko's squad set off to escort the poet Kuzhu to Kumogakure, while Jiraiya's awkward attempt to talk to him caused a misunderstanding. Hiko warned Jiraiya to behave and invited Kuzhu to walk near the front.

• Hiko agreed to escort Kuzhu safely to Kumogakure, and the group began traveling on foot.
• Kuzhu kept glancing at Hiko, impressed by his reputation and strength.
• Jiraiya assumed Kuzhu was looking at Tsunade and joked about her beauty, but Kuzhu mistakenly thought he meant Hiko and moved away in fear.
• Jiraiya complained that Kuzhu was excluding him, and Hiko warned him to behave himself.
• Hiko beckoned Kuzhu to walk near the front, and Kuzhu accepted eagerly.

Hiko’s squad escorted Kuzhu toward Kumogakure, where he was traveling to attend a Poet Gathering on behalf of his elderly Father. A misunderstanding between Kuzhu and Jiraiya left Jiraiya horrified that Kuzhu thought he had called Hiko pretty and was attracted to men.

• Jiraiya grew annoyed when Kuzhu walked beside Hiko and Tsunade, and Hiko, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo all gave Jiraiya the middle finger.
• Hiko learned that eighteen-year-old Kuzhu was attending the Poet Gathering in Kumogakure as a substitute for his elderly Father.
• Kuzhu told Hiko that Jiraiya had called him pretty, prompting the squad to confront Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya explained that he had asked whether Tsunade was pretty, while Kuzhu had thought he meant Hiko.
• Hiko, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo realized the pair had been talking about different people, while Jiraiya understood that Kuzhu had mistaken his question for a sign of unusual preferences.

Hiko and the Sixth Squad escorted Kuzhu to Kumogakure in seven days, where they completed their mission and rested. The Third Raikage ordered Kumogakure to watch the squad until they left, while both villages remained interested in choosing a new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from the Uzumaki Clan.

• Jiraiya and Kuzhu were laughed at after their conversation caused a misunderstanding, then Kuzhu asked Hiko why the squad wore no Konoha insignia.
• Hiko led the Sixth Squad and Kuzhu across the Land of Fire and into the Land of Lightning, reaching Kumogakure after seven days without encountering trouble.
• The Sixth Squad ate at a restaurant in Kumogakure after delivering Kuzhu, and Hiko explained that the squad would not wait for him to finish the Poet Gathering.
• The Third Raikage considered Hiko's presence suspicious but decided to let the Sixth Squad remain and ordered Kumogakure shinobi to watch them until they left.
• The squad avoided discussing Konoha's plan to select an Uzumaki Clan member as the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki while in Kumogakure, which wanted the same opportunity.

Hiko reflected on the Uzumaki Clan’s importance to Konoha’s jinchuriki and the mystery surrounding the clan’s future destruction while keeping his mission to the Land of Whirlpools secret. As he and his companions left a restaurant in Kumogakure, they were confronted by Xiao Ai, whom Hiko casually called “Xiao Ai.”

• Hiko recalled how Mito Uzumaki kept the Nine-Tails under control and suspected Kirigakure was involved in the Uzumaki Clan’s destruction.
• Hiko decided to uncover the mysteries surrounding the Uzumaki Clan and kept the Sixth Squad’s mission secret in Kumogakure.
• After the group finished eating, Hiko paid and led them toward the exit, where a group blocked their way.
• A man challenged Hiko by asking if he was Uchiha Hiko, and Hiko recognized him as Xiao Ai.
• Hiko called Xiao Ai by that name, stunning the crowd and angering the proud heir to the Raikage.

Uchiha Hiko effortlessly defeated Xiao Ai in a strength contest, then trapped him in Genjutsu when Xiao Ai attacked. Kumogakure ninja surrounded Hiko as he tried to leave, and one of them released Xiao Ai from the Genjutsu.

• Xiao Ai angrily challenged Hiko and grabbed his hand, but Hiko stopped him without effort.
• Xiao Ai increased his strength and kicked at Hiko, but Hiko shook his captured arm and made Xiao Ai lose his footing.
• Hiko activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan and trapped the enraged Xiao Ai in Genjutsu.
• Kumogakure ninja surrounded Hiko and his companions as Hiko prepared to leave.
• A Kumogakure ninja dispelled the Genjutsu, leaving Xiao Ai humiliated.

Uchiha Hiko confronted Xiao Ai after Xiao Ai’s group provoked the Sixth Squad in Kumogakure, warning that their actions could be treated as a provocation against Konoha. Xiao Ai dispersed his people and withdrew, and Hiko led the squad away.

• Xiao Ai angrily confronted Uchiha Hiko after realizing Hiko had trapped him in a Genjutsu.
• Hiko challenged Xiao Ai to say whether he could represent Kumogakure and warned that he would report their conduct as a provocation that could lead to war.
• Xiao Ai silenced the Kumogakure ninja as Hiko and Tsunade accused them of mistreating Konoha’s guests.
• Xiao Ai ordered his people to disperse, threatened to repay Hiko someday, and left.
• Hiko told the Sixth Squad to leave Kumogakure quickly.