Chapter Summaries

Hatake Sakumo returned from prison and kept a low profile, while Hatake Kakashi left the Ninja Academy and joined a squad with Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin under Minato Namikaze. Hiko and Minato discussed the new team atop Hokage Rock, where Minato praised Kakashi but struggled to describe the other two children.

• Hiko, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Hatake Sakumo celebrated Sakumo’s release, and Jiraiya led the drunken Sakumo away to have fun.
• Hatake Sakumo returned to the Anbu as an ordinary soldier, while Hiko reserved the Vice Captain position for him if he earned merit in the Third Ninja War.
• Hatake Kakashi left the Ninja Academy and formed a three-person squad with Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, with Hatake Sakumo watching from the shadows.
• Minato Namikaze left the Anbu to lead the children, and Kakashi was shocked to learn that Minato would be his teacher.
• Hiko asked Minato about his new team atop Hokage Rock, and Minato praised Kakashi but had trouble describing Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.

Hiko discussed Minato Namikaze’s students and the Hokage succession, explaining that he had no intention of acting yet. Minato remained puzzled by Hiko’s claim that the time had not come.

• Hiko and Minato Namikaze discussed how Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin struggled to keep up with Hatake Kakashi.
• Minato asked whether Hiko should prepare to become Hokage, noting that Hiko’s inaction frustrated the Third Hokage and left other contenders powerless.
• Minato admitted that he still aspired to become Hokage but believed Hiko and the Sannin had the best chances.
• Hiko acknowledged the Third Hokage’s disappointment but said it was not yet time to act.
• Minato froze in surprise at Hiko’s answer and wondered how long they would have to wait.

Hiko explained that he was waiting for the Third Ninja War to gain absolute authority rather than pursuing the Hokage position prematurely. In Konoha Year 43, he accepted Uchiha Fugaku’s invitation to Uchiha Itachi’s full-month celebration and teased Mikoto about the baby’s name.

• Hiko warned Minato Namikaze that becoming Hokage would bring many competitors and told him to focus on training his disciples.
• Hiko decided to wait for the Third Ninja War, where he planned to command Konoha’s forces and gain the authority he wanted.
• After Hatake Sakumo left, Jiraiya struggled over whether to seek out his disciple Nagato, fearing the consequences Hiko had described.
• Uchiha Fugaku sent Hiko an invitation to his son Uchiha Itachi’s full-month celebration, and Hiko agreed to attend.
• Hiko praised Itachi’s name and teased Mikoto Uchiha that they could have named their child the same thing.

Hiko discussed Itachi’s reputation and the meaning of his own name with Mikoto Uchiha, then agreed to attend Uchiha Fugaku’s banquet without her. The banquet began at Fugaku’s brightly lit residence, where Hiko arrived and was greeted as Clan Head.

• Hiko explained why some fans called Itachi awkward and compared the nickname to Kakashi’s Fifty-Fifty title.
• Mikoto Uchiha praised the name Uchiha Hiko, and Hiko doubted that his talent was his own rather than a result of the Evolution Potion.
• Hiko asked whether Mikoto Uchiha would attend the banquet, and she declined to avoid awkwardness over her past with Uchiha Fugaku.
• Hiko agreed to go alone while Mikoto Uchiha and Kushina stayed home.
• Uchiha Fugaku’s residence filled with Uchiha and guests from other clans, and Hiko arrived to a greeting of “Clan Head!!!”

Hiko attended Uchiha Itachi’s one-month celebration, where his arrival stole attention from Uchiha Fugaku before he retreated to a quiet corner. The Great Elder urged Hiko to have children soon, but Hiko insisted he would let fate decide.

• Hiko arrived at Uchiha Itachi’s celebration, drawing the guests’ attention away from Uchiha Fugaku.
• Hiko congratulated Fugaku on his chubby, sleeping baby and then moved aside so the family could take the spotlight.
• The Great Elder joined Hiko and pressed him about having children before age became a problem.
• Hiko teased the Great Elder by referring to his daughter, Mikoto Uchiha, then said he would let nature take its course.
• The Great Elder accepted Hiko’s answer but urged him to have children sooner rather than later.

After receiving urgent intelligence, Hiko learned that a large number of Sunagakure ninja were gathering along the Land of Fire's Border. He and the Third Hokage prepared to investigate the movement and guard the Border.

• Hiko left Uchiha Fugaku's celebration and returned to his busy Anbu work, reflecting briefly on the Great Elder's advice about having children.
• An Anbu ninja delivered a report to Hiko, who rushed to the Hokage Office Building after reading that Sunagakure ninja were lingering near Konoha's Border.
• Hiko interrupted the Third Hokage's meeting and explained that the Sunagakure force appeared to be searching for something and might enter the Land of Fire.
• The Third Hokage ordered Hiko to select an Anbu team to accompany a group to the Border and discover Sunagakure's intentions.

Uchiha Hiko received the Third’s authorization to defend the Land of Fire’s border and investigate Sunagakure’s unexplained mobilization. He sent Hatake Sakumo to lead the investigation, while Sunagakure desperately searched for its missing Third Kazekage.

• Hiko asked the Third how he should respond if Sunagakure’s actions became extreme, and the Third authorized retaliation against any incursion into the Land of Fire.
• Hiko assembled and dispatched Konoha ninja to reinforce and monitor the border, then ordered an investigation into Sunagakure’s motives.
• Hiko assigned Hatake Sakumo to investigate and encouraged him to earn merit and restore his reputation.
• Hiko advised Hatake Sakumo to recruit a small team, preferably including Uchiha and Hyuga members and Inoichi Yamanaka, to gather intelligence from captured Sunagakure ninja.
• Sunagakure had mobilized under Grandma Chiyo to search for the missing Third Kazekage before other villages learned he had disappeared.

Konoha and Sunagakure faced off at the Land of Fire’s border while Sunagakure searched for the missing Third Kazekage. Hatake Sakumo organized a covert intelligence-gathering operation with Nakayama Ichi and members of the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, and the team prepared to capture a target.

• Hatake Sakumo led Konoha ninja to guard the Land of Fire’s border as Sunagakure searched for the missing Third Kazekage.
• Grandma Chiyo ordered Sunagakure to search nearby regions and avoid provoking Konoha or entering the Land of Fire.
• Konoha and Sunagakure held their positions without provoking one another.
• Hatake Sakumo told his team to capture a suitable target so Inoichi Yamanaka could extract intelligence.
• Hatake Sakumo assigned the Hyuga to identify a target, the Uchiha to control them, and the rest of the team to bring them back while Nakayama Ichi waited.

Nakayama Ichi learned that Sunagakure had mobilized its ninjas because the Third Kazekage had gone missing, and Hatake Sakumo rushed to return to Konoha with the intelligence. Back in Sunagakure, Baki noticed a search squad had vanished and reported the incident to Grandma Chiyo.

• Hatake Sakumo’s team captured a Sunagakure ninja, and Nakayama Ichi extracted information from him under Genjutsu.
• Nakayama Ichi revealed that the Third Kazekage had been missing for several days, prompting Sunagakure’s widespread search.
• Hatake Sakumo decided to return to Konoha immediately to deliver the intelligence in person.
• Baki discovered that a search squad had failed to return and that only traces of corpses remained.
• Baki reported the missing squad to Grandma Chiyo.

Grandma Chiyo and Baki discussed the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and the likelihood that Sunagakure would be unable to keep it secret. As they continued searching and prepared to find a successor, Uchiha Hiko emerged as their leading suspect.

• Baki confirmed that two bodies had been found and that one person was missing, while the Third Kazekage remained unaccounted for.
• Grandma Chiyo concluded that the Third Kazekage might have been assassinated and that Sunagakure could not prevent the news from spreading.
• Grandma Chiyo ordered Sunagakure’s shinobi to keep searching and told Baki to look for suitable candidates to lead the village.
• Baki suggested that Uchiha Hiko might be responsible, and Grandma Chiyo privately considered him the prime suspect.

Sunagakure searched for the missing Third Kazekage while secretly preparing Rasa to replace him, and Konoha’s leaders gathered to discuss the growing tension at the border. Hiko arrived late with documents, leaving their contents undisclosed.

• Grandma Chiyo sent Baki away and planned to find a successor for the Third Kazekage while pinning the blame on Hiko.
• Sunagakure selected Rasa as its likely Fourth Kazekage because of his strength and Magnet Release.
• Sunagakure ninja continued searching along the border, worrying the Third Hokage and Konoha’s other leaders.
• Konoha’s high-level meeting waited for Hiko to arrive and explain the situation.
• Hiko entered the meeting late, sat down, and placed his documents on the table without sharing them.

Hiko revealed that Anbu had captured a Sunagakure shinobi and learned that the Third Kazekage had disappeared. Konoha’s leaders were left stunned as they considered whether the Kazekage had been taken out.

• Hiko complained that he was hungry, drank tea, and asked the Hatake representative to buy him juice before an Anbu member brought him bread and juice.
• Hiko explained that Anbu had captured a Sunagakure shinobi near the Land of Fire border, where many Sunagakure shinobi were searching.
• Hiko asked whether Konoha would worry if the Third Hokage went missing, leading the leaders to infer that the Third Kazekage had disappeared.
• Hiko confirmed that Sunagakure’s Third Kazekage was missing and said he suspected someone had taken him out.
• The Third and Danzo, along with the other Konoha leaders, were stunned by the revelation.

Uchiha Hiko warned Konoha’s leaders that Sunagakure would likely blame Konoha for the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and use the accusation to rally its people behind a new Kazekage. He suspected Sasori had killed the Kazekage and realized that he might be made the scapegoat.

• Hiko stopped Konoha’s officials from gloating over the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and warned that the crisis could lead to war.
• Hiko pointed out that Sunagakure was concentrating its search toward the Land of Fire, suggesting it already suspected Konoha.
• Hiko explained that a new Kazekage might redirect Sunagakure’s anger toward Konoha to strengthen his authority.
• Hiko noted that Grandma Chiyo could influence Sunagakure’s response and privately blamed Sasori for killing the Third Kazekage.
• Hiko wondered how Sasori had managed to defeat the Third Kazekage so quietly, considering the Kazekage’s strength.

The Third Hokage and Konoha's leaders discussed the risk that Sunagakure would blame Konoha for the Third Kazekage's assassination and start a war. They agreed to send more ninja to the Borderline and prepare for the worst, leaving the Third Hokage exhausted after the meeting.

• The Third Hokage warned that Sunagakure might redirect anger over the Third Kazekage's disappearance toward Konoha to unite its villagers and preserve its leaders' authority.
• The chief administrator cautioned that sending more ninja to the Borderline could make Sunagakure suspect Konoha even more.
• The Third Hokage called for a vote on reinforcements, and Hiko, the elders, and the major clans' representatives supported the deployment.
• The Third Hokage decided to send reinforcements as soon as possible and urged Konoha's leaders to prepare for war.
• After the others left the Meeting Room, the Third Hokage slumped against his chair while Hiko, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu remained.

The Third Hokage considered how to prevent war with Sunagakure, while Hiko warned that involving the Daimyo of the Land of Wind could provoke conflict. The Third Hokage chose to send Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to negotiate and explain Konoha’s position.

• After resting from the meeting, the Third Hokage asked whether war with Sunagakure was unavoidable, and Hiko urged him to prepare for it.
• Mitokado Homura proposed handling the tensions through the Daimyo, but Hiko warned that this could provoke Sunagakure into declaring war.
• Utatane Koharu disagreed with Hiko, and the Third Hokage decided to pursue the Daimyo route rather than follow Hiko’s warning.
• Hiko left the Meeting Room and told the Third Hokage to handle the personnel arrangements himself.
• The Third Hokage asked Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to travel to the Daimyo and clarify that Konoha neither feared war nor wanted to start one.

Hiko left the Hokage meeting disappointed that the Third Hokage had chosen restraint over his forceful approach to the tensions with Sunagakure. He went to Tsunade at the Medical Department to drink and explain his frustration, and Tsunade reassured him before beginning to voice a qualification.

• Hiko reflected that Konoha's resources and strength could not guarantee peace while other villages feared falling further behind.
• Hiko blamed the Third Hokage's reluctance to act forcefully and left without returning to the Anbu.
• Hiko entered Tsunade's office with liquor and snacks, and Tsunade decided to drink with him despite her work.
• Hiko told Tsunade that the Third Hokage's indecision and naive ideas were what had upset him.
• Tsunade said she trusted Hiko's judgment but began to add a qualification.

Hiko stopped dwelling on the Third Hokage’s decisions after Tsunade helped lift his spirits, while Konoha reinforced its Border with Sunagakure. Grandma Chiyo publicized the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and blamed Konoha, turning Sunagakure’s anger toward Hiko as the prime suspect.

• Tsunade warned Hiko that Old Man Third and others would not support him unconditionally, and Hiko joked that she was urging him to become Hokage.
• Hiko drank with Tsunade, left her drunk and working, and decided to leave Konoha’s policy toward Sunagakure to the Third and the Elder Council.
• Konoha’s reinforcements arrived at the Border as Sunagakure continued searching for the missing Third Kazekage.
• Grandma Chiyo secretly began choosing a new Kazekage and ordered her subordinates to spread news of the Third Kazekage’s disappearance.
• Grandma Chiyo pointed to Konoha’s Border buildup and Hiko’s past fight with the Third Kazekage, stirring Sunagakure’s villagers into blaming Konoha and Hiko.
• Hiko called Grandma Chiyo vicious and recognized that Sunagakure now regarded him as the prime suspect.

Sunagakure blamed Konoha and Uchiha Hiko for the Third Kazekage’s disappearance, sparking a public war of accusations that damaged Konoha’s reputation. Hiko complained about being made a scapegoat and vowed not to fear Sunagakure, while Tsunade warned him that his words could cause misunderstandings.

• Konoha condemned Sunagakure’s accusations, and the two villages traded public denunciations without declaring war.
• Rumors spread across the ninja world that Hiko had assassinated the Third Kazekage, making him a notorious figure despite many leaders doubting the claim.
• Hatake Sakumo and Jiraiya teased Hiko about Sunagakure’s propaganda, and Hiko complained that Konoha would not declare war.
• Jiraiya warned Hiko that the village elders were meeting with the Daimyo, but Hiko said he would wait and was willing to face Sunagakure alone.
• Tsunade sternly told Hiko not to make remarks that could be misunderstood.

Hiko argued that he would not accept being blamed for Konoha’s refusal to fight Sunagakure, while Orochimaru noticed that Hiko had become unusually quick to anger. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura asked the Daimyo of the Land of Fire to help pursue reconciliation, but he fixated on Hiko’s supposed killing of the Third Kazekage and only agreed to raise the matter at an upcoming gathering of the Daimyo.

• Hiko defiantly said he would accept becoming a rogue ninja rather than keep swallowing the blame over Sunagakure.
• Orochimaru urged everyone to stop arguing and eat, while privately noticing that Hiko had become more prone to rage.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura explained the dispute to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire, who focused on the claim that Hiko had killed the Third Kazekage.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura insisted Sunagakure had fabricated the accusation, but the Daimyo remained unconvinced and agreed only to speak with the Daimyo of the Land of Wind at an upcoming gathering.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Fire quickly lost interest in the crisis and treated the gathering as a social occasion where the Daimyo could enjoy themselves.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire tried to discuss the conflict between Konoha and Sunagakure at a gathering of the Five Great Nations’ Daimyos, but his insulting remarks enraged the Daimyo of the Land of Wind. The chapter ended as the Wind Daimyo’s anger visibly mounted.

• The Daimyos gathered, including the rarely seen Daimyo of the Land of Water, while others anticipated a clash between the Fire and Wind Daimyos.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Fire greeted the Daimyo of the Land of Wind and raised the dispute involving Konoha and Sunagakure in front of everyone.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Wind rejected the Fire Daimyo’s claim that they were old friends and took offense at his public approach.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Fire argued that Konoha was stronger than Sunagakure and claimed he wanted to prevent an unnecessary war.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Wind grew increasingly furious as the Fire Daimyo continued speaking.