Chapter Summaries

Ronglin received an intelligence report from the Daimyo about the refugee crisis and became furious after reading it. He drove everyone out of the Hokage's Office, leaving the cause of his anger and its consequences unresolved.

• Uchiha Diqin interrupted Ronglin as he prepared to paint and handed him an intelligence report from the Daimyo.
• Ronglin suspected the report concerned refugees fleeing the war into the Land of Fire and the Daimyo's objections to the cost of resettling them.
• Ronglin read the report, cursed, and blasted his desk apart in anger.
• Kisame Hoshigaki and the Anbu rushed into the office, but Ronglin ordered them out, and they left wondering who had angered him.

Ronglin learned that the Daimyo blamed Konoha for refugees entering the Land of Fire and threatened to cut its funding, prompting him to seek the Third Hokage's advice. The Third Hokage feared Ronglin had confronted the Daimyo, but Ronglin had not yet revealed how he responded.

• Ronglin lost his temper over the Daimyo's demands and tore up the official document in his office.
• Ronglin told Uchiha Diqin to put the other documents aside and replace his desk, then left with Kisame Hoshigaki.
• Ronglin found the Third Hokage fishing by the small lake and ordered everyone else to leave.
• Ronglin told the Third Hokage that the Daimyo blamed Konoha for the influx of wartime refugees and threatened to cut its funding.
• The Third Hokage sprang up in alarm and asked Ronglin how he had responded.

Ronglin told the Third Hokage that he planned to kill the Daimyo and merge the Land of Fire’s political and military power. He refused to reconsider, arguing that Konoha could keep the country stable while other nations were too occupied to intervene.

• Ronglin told the Third Hokage that he would not compromise and signaled his intention to kill the Daimyo.
• Ronglin argued that political power had encroached on military affairs and that the two should be merged.
• The Third Hokage warned that Ronglin’s plan could plunge the Land of Fire into chaos and revive the Sengoku era.
• Ronglin said Konoha could prevent chaos and threatened to use force against anyone who resisted.
• The Third Hokage continued to urge Ronglin to reconsider, warning that the other nations’ Daimyos would fear their own ninja villages.

Ronglin began preparing to merge the Land of Fire with Konoha, ordering White Fang to investigate and approach the Daimyo’s Guardians Twelve. The plan moved forward under orders to eliminate anyone who resisted, while the Third Hokage was expected not to interfere.

• Ronglin left the Third Hokage and returned to Konoha to begin making arrangements.
• Ronglin summoned White Fang and ordered him to contact the Land of Fire’s generals for information on the Guardians Twelve and to recruit them if possible.
• Ronglin told White Fang that he intended to merge Konoha and the Land of Fire, keeping the plan secret.
• Ronglin authorized White Fang to act without restraint and ordered him to kill anyone who refused to cooperate.

Ronglin ordered White Fang to begin a plan to eliminate the Daimyo and stabilize the Land of Fire, starting with the Guardians Twelve. White Fang departed to carry out the order while Ronglin rejected Uchiha Diqin’s attempt to prepare traditional clothes for him.

• Ronglin decided against controlling the Daimyo with the Sharingan and ordered White Fang to eliminate him as quickly as possible.
• White Fang acknowledged Ronglin’s order and left to organize the operation through the Anbu.
• Ronglin judged the Daimyo’s Guardians Twelve and hired ninjas to be obstacles he would remove before killing the Daimyo.
• Uchiha Diqin presented Ronglin with handmade wooden clogs, and he tried them on despite disliking how they looked.
• Ronglin told Uchiha Diqin not to prepare kimonos or wooden clogs for him in the future.

Ronglin received an envoy sent by the Daimyo and suspected he had come to assert authority and demand people or power. After the envoy entered with little respect, Ronglin prepared to hear what he wanted.

• Uchiha Diqin happily watched Ronglin put on the wooden sandals he disliked.
• Kisame Hoshigaki told Ronglin that the Daimyo's envoy had arrived downstairs.
• Ronglin ordered Kisame Hoshigaki to bring the envoy in, saying the Daimyo was likely making a show of force and seeking people or power.
• Uchiha Diqin questioned the Daimyo's intentions and fell silent when Ronglin answered.
• Kisame Hoshigaki led several people into the office, and they merely nodded at Ronglin instead of kneeling.

Ronglin confronted Kazuma and the Daimyo’s other representatives when they showed him little respect at Konoha. He ordered them to kneel and threatened to have them forced down if they refused.

• Kazuma introduced himself as a member of the Guardians Twelve, representing the Daimyo.
• Ronglin recognized Kazuma as an extremist who wanted the Daimyo to hold Konoha’s power.
• Ronglin laughed at Kazuma and his companions before abruptly ordering them to kneel.
• Ronglin gave the group a choice between kneeling voluntarily and being forced to kneel, warning that they might be crippled.

Ronglin ordered the Daimyo’s Guardians Twelve to kneel in the Hokage’s Office, then knocked Kazuma into a wall with a wooden sandal when he refused. The other guards knelt, while Ronglin discovered his sandals could serve as hidden weapons.

• Kisame Hoshigaki drew Samehada and released his chakra, while the Anbu surrounded the office.
• Ronglin counted down and ordered Kazuma and the other guards to kneel, but Kazuma invoked the Daimyo and resisted.
• The other guards knelt after Ronglin ordered his men to act, while Kazuma continued to struggle with the decision.
• A wooden sandal struck Kazuma and sent him crashing into the wall, knocking out two teeth.
• Ronglin remarked that wooden sandals made decent hidden weapons.

Ronglin defeated Kazuma with a wooden sandal and had the Anbu arrest him and his companions for attacking the Hokage. He accused the Temple of Fire of plotting rebellion, leaving Kazuma unable to defend himself.

• Ronglin's sandal struck Kazuma into a wall, leaving him badly injured and destroying the sandal Uchiha Diqin had made.
• Kisame Hoshigaki put away Samehada and admired the sandal's potential as a weapon.
• Ronglin ordered the Anbu to arrest Kazuma and his companions for attacking the Hokage.
• Kazuma protested that he served the Daimyo, but the Anbu restrained him and the others.
• Ronglin accused Kazuma and the Temple of Fire of threatening peace and plotting rebellion, and Kazuma spat blood in frustration.

Ronglin ordered Kazuma and his companions arrested, then sent Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi to destroy the Temple of Fire. His campaign against forces loyal to the Daimyo began before the Daimyo could react.

• Ronglin ordered guards to take Kazuma to the Interrogation Department and surround the Temple of Fire, killing anyone who resisted.
• Kazuma realized Ronglin might be using him as a pretext to eliminate the Temple of Fire and ultimately seize power from the Daimyo.
• Ronglin ordered Kisame Hoshigaki to lead a squad with Mei Terumi to the Temple of Fire and leave no one alive.
• Kisame accepted the mission, confident that his squad could overcome the Temple of Fire's defenses.

Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi led an Anbu squad to the Temple of Fire to eliminate Kazuma and his accomplices for attacking and insulting Lord Hokage. The abbot learned of the accusation and struggled to believe Kazuma had endangered the entire temple.

• Kazuma and his companions were tortured in Konoha's Interrogation Department while their screams went unanswered.
• Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi led a fully armed Anbu squad to the Temple of Fire after nightfall.
• A monk on watch recognized the squad as Anbu and sent word to the abbot.
• The abbot greeted Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi and offered the Temple of Fire's help to Lord Hokage.
• Kisame Hoshigaki announced that Kazuma had insulted and attacked Lord Hokage, and that the squad had orders to eliminate him and his accomplices.
• The abbot protested that the accusation was impossible, then realized Kazuma's actions could implicate the whole Temple of Fire.

Kisame Hoshigaki and the other Anbu wiped out the Temple of Fire on Ronglin’s orders, leaving the Daimyo’s subordinate to discover the shocking news in an urgent report from Konoha.

• Kisame Hoshigaki ordered the Anbu to attack the Temple of Fire and claimed its head priest as his opponent.
• Mei Terumi fought the other Temple of Fire members while Kisame battled the head priest.
• The Anbu slaughtered the Temple of Fire, and the complex burned until nothing remained.
• A messenger delivered urgent intelligence from Konoha to the Daimyo.
• The Daimyo’s subordinate read the report, dropped the scroll in fright, and startled the Daimyo.

The Fire Daimyo learned that Konoha had destroyed the Temple of Fire after Kazuma led an attack on Ronglin, the Hokage. Ronglin’s scroll demanded an explanation and threatened to make the Daimyo’s involvement public, leaving the Daimyo scrambling to protect his reputation.

• The Fire Daimyo’s subordinate reported that Konoha had wiped out the Temple of Fire.
• The subordinate explained that Kazuma had led an attack on Ronglin and that the Temple of Fire had joined the attempted rebellion.
• The Fire Daimyo nearly admitted that he had sent Kazuma, then stopped himself and asked for the scroll.
• The Fire Daimyo read Ronglin’s demand for a satisfactory explanation and threat to publicize the incident.
• The subordinate urged the Fire Daimyo to issue a public explanation and avoid taking the blame, and the Daimyo agreed.

The Daimyo publicly announced that one of his subordinates had attacked Uchiha Ronglin, Konoha's Fourth Hokage, turning a private matter into a scandal across the Land of Fire. Ronglin welcomed the Daimyo’s blunder as an opportunity to weaken his influence and move against the Temple of Fire.

• The Daimyo eagerly ordered the news of the alleged attack on Ronglin to be announced.
• The announcement caused an uproar across the Land of Fire and alarmed the Daimyo's advisers.
• After his advisers explained the consequences, the Daimyo killed the subordinate he had favored, but could not escape responsibility for the public scandal.
• Uchiha Diqin delivered an intelligence report to Ronglin in the Hokage's Office.
• Ronglin laughed at the Daimyo's mistake and decided to cooperate with him while using the scandal to his advantage.

After the Daimyo’s subordinate attacked the Hokage, Uchiha Ronglin publicly accused the Daimyo of trying to seize Konoha’s power and spread the dispute throughout the Land of Fire. The Daimyo faced public condemnation while other nations watched to see how Konoha would respond.

• Ronglin ordered a public statement questioning the Daimyo’s denial and accusing him of plotting to seize Konoha’s authority.
• The Daimyo’s advisers regretted making the incident public as accusations and rumors spread across the Land of Fire.
• People throughout the country condemned the Daimyo after learning that his subordinate had attacked the Hokage.
• Ronglin laughed as the public outcry put further pressure on the Daimyo.
• Daimyos in other nations learned of the dispute and watched for Konoha’s next move, while Ay and Ōnoki struggled with infiltrators in their lands.

The Land of Fire's Daimyo raged as Uchiha Ronglin kept pressuring him over the assassination crisis. The Daimyo refused to believe Ronglin would use force, leaving his advisers worried that his defiance would make the conflict escalate.

• The Daimyo cursed Ronglin for pressuring him despite having supported him into office.
• Politicians and advisers worried that Ronglin's public pressure was worsening the conflict between Konoha and the Daimyo.
• Ronglin answered the criticism with a cold challenge to let both sides hurt each other.
• An adviser urged the Daimyo to act before the crisis escalated.
• The Daimyo insisted that Ronglin would not dare use force against him, leaving the politicians speechless.

Ronglin used the Daimyo’s actions to turn Konoha against him and advanced his plan to unite the Land of Fire under the Hokage. White Fang’s agents pressured military generals into supporting Ronglin, leaving them trapped between the Daimyo and the Hokage as they sought assurances about his promises.

• News of the Daimyo’s alleged attempt to seize power and assassinate the Hokage spread through Konoha, and civilians and shinobi blamed him.
• Ronglin reflected that the Daimyo’s mistakes had given him convenient reasons to move against him.
• White Fang’s agents met with generals in a hidden location in the capital and urged them to support Ronglin’s annexation of the Land of Fire.
• The generals realized they could not leave or safely refuse, and one asked whether the Hokage would honor his promises after the operation.
• An agent assured the generals that Ronglin would reward them if they behaved themselves.

Ronglin discussed the recruitment of ordinary troop commanders with Black Shadow and checked on the effects of Hashirama Senju's cells. Black Shadow chose to remain at Ronglin's side, and Ronglin warned him not to let the cells control him.

• Ronglin asked Black Shadow how the recruited commanders had been handled, and Black Shadow said it had gone smoothly.
• Ronglin explained that he had recruited the commanders to avoid wasting Uchiha members and having to kill them later.
• Black Shadow declined Ronglin's offer to return to the clan elders and asked to remain by his side.
• Black Shadow reported that Hashirama Senju's cells had fused with him and said he would not die easily.
• Ronglin told Black Shadow to rest, stay alert for the cells' influence, and inform him if anything felt wrong.

Ronglin reflected on the risks of involving the Uchiha in politics and ordered the Anbu to find people with red hair across every region, country, and village. He also summoned Hyuga Hiashi, leaving the reason for his search unexplained.

• Black Shadow vanished from Ronglin's office after their agreement, and Ronglin wondered why White Fang had taken him to the Anbu.
• Ronglin considered recruiting Konoha's politicians but worried that the Uchiha's emotions made them unsuited to political struggles.
• Ronglin summoned an Anbu member and ordered missions outside the village to identify and investigate anyone with red hair, then bring them to the village by any means.
• Ronglin ordered the Anbu member to summon Hyuga Hiashi.

Ronglin ordered Hyuga Hiashi to travel to the Land of Water and bring back a two-year-old boy named Kimimaro within two months. Hiashi accepted the assignment but wondered how difficult it would be to retrieve a child from the Kaguya clan.

• An Anbu delivered Ronglin’s summons to Hyuga Hiashi at the Main Family Compound.
• Hyuga Hiashi left his wife and Hinata and went to the Hokage’s Office.
• Ronglin asked whether the Hyuga Clan had close dealings with the Kaguya clan, and Hiashi confirmed that they did.
• Ronglin ordered Hiashi to take men to the Land of Water and find Kimimaro, insisting that he return with the boy within two months.
• Hyuga Hiashi considered the risks of the mission and worried that Kimimaro might be the son of a Kaguya clan leader or elder.