Chapter Summaries

Jiraiya confronted Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Elders over Danzo’s actions and the Shinobi Clans’ defection to the Uchiha. Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Jiraiya to negotiate with the Uchiha, though Jiraiya warned that he could not promise to bring the clans back.

• Jiraiya suspected the village’s hostility toward the Uchiha and the events surrounding Minato’s death, but kept his suspicions to himself.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura criticized Jiraiya’s attitude, and Sarutobi Hiruzen silenced them to discuss the village crisis.
• Jiraiya learned that many Shinobi Clans had sided with the Uchiha after Danzo’s actions and demanded that Sarutobi Hiruzen kill Danzo.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen refused to address Danzo’s fate immediately and asked Jiraiya to tell the clans that Danzo’s actions were not his and that they could remain neutral.
• Jiraiya agreed to visit the Uchiha but warned Sarutobi Hiruzen that he could not guarantee the clans would return.

Jiraiya tried to persuade the Aburame clan to return to the village, but Aburame Shibi refused, saying the Uchiha were good. The chapter left Jiraiya facing his first setback as he tried to draw the relocated clans back to Konoha.

• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura demanded that Sarutobi Hiruzen punish Jiraiya for disrespecting them.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen rebuked them, warning that Konoha needed Jiraiya and that they had no way to handle the Uchiha themselves.
• After Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura left, Sarutobi Hiruzen lamented his weakened position and decided he could not step down while Uchiha Jin might become Hokage.
• Jiraiya entered the Uchiha Compound under strict guard after Uchiha Jin granted permission.
• Jiraiya told Aburame Shibi that Danzo's conscription order had been revoked and urged him to return to the village.
• Aburame Shibi refused, saying the Uchiha were good.

Jiraiya tried to persuade Konoha’s Shinobi Clans to abandon the Uchiha Clan, but every clan he visited refused. He confronted Nara Shikaichi, demanding to know why the clans had united behind the Uchiha.

• Aburame Shibi calmly refused Jiraiya’s appeals and said the Aburame clan would remain with the Uchiha Clan.
• The Inuzuka Clan courteously but firmly rejected Jiraiya and declared its support for the Uchiha Clan.
• Jiraiya visited other Shinobi Clans, but they all refused to return to the village’s side.
• Nara Shikaichi told Jiraiya that Ino-Shika-Cho had chosen to stand with the Uchiha Clan, even if Konoha split apart.
• Jiraiya questioned Shikaichi about why the Shinobi Clans were supporting the Uchiha and warned that their actions threatened the village.

Nara Shikaichi explained why the Shinobi Clans backed Uchiha and told Jiraiya that his conduct over Namikaze Minato had destroyed his credibility. He urged Jiraiya to leave the power struggle behind and reclaim Minato and Kushina’s inheritance for their child.

• Nara Shikaichi repaid Jiraiya for saving his life by explaining that the Shinobi Clans supported Uchiha because Uchiha would not restrict their development.
• Nara Shikaichi said the clans distrusted Jiraiya because he had not sought justice for Namikaze Minato or checked on Minato’s child, and because Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent him in his place.
• Nara Shikaichi warned Jiraiya to leave Konoha’s power struggle, saying their former friendship was over and they would be enemies if they met again.
• Jiraiya asked whether the situation could still be salvaged, but Nara Shikaichi told him he was beyond saving unless he dealt with concrete matters first.
• Nara Shikaichi urged Jiraiya to check on Minato’s child and reclaim the inheritance left by Minato and Kushina.

Jiraiya left the Uchiha Compound after Nara Shikaichi challenged him over his failure to protect Naruto, but he remained convinced that the Shinobi Clans were wrong to resist for the village’s sake. When Nara Shikaku led Ino-Shika-Cho and other clans toward the Uchiha, Jiraiya stepped aside rather than risk starting a war.

• Nara Shikaichi invoked Naruto to silence Jiraiya, who left the Uchiha Compound in frustration.
• Jiraiya blamed the Shinobi Clans for putting their interests ahead of the village and decided to seek the prophesied Savior.
• Jiraiya confronted Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi, Akimichi Choza, and other clan representatives as they approached the Uchiha Compound.
• Nara Shikaku warned Jiraiya that obstructing the clans would mean war, and Jiraiya suppressed his anger and stepped aside.
• Nara Shikaku led the gathered clans toward the Uchiha.

Jiraiya reported that nearly every Shinobi Clan had joined the Uchiha, causing Sarutobi Hiruzen to collapse and Koharu Utatane to panic. With the Hokage unconscious and the village on the brink of crisis, Jiraiya decided to bring Tsunade back.

• Jiraiya returned to Sarutobi Hiruzen and reported that no Shinobi Clans would rejoin the village.
• Jiraiya told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Nara Shikaku, the other half of Ino-Shika-Cho, and more than a dozen Minor ninja clans had defected to the Uchiha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed up blood and collapsed, and Jiraiya had the Anbu guards take him to the hospital.
• Koharu Utatane stabilized Sarutobi Hiruzen and learned from Jiraiya that nearly every Shinobi Clan had joined the Uchiha.
• Jiraiya told Koharu Utatane to watch over Sarutobi Hiruzen and avoid provoking the Uchiha while he went to find Tsunade.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura scrambled to defend Konoha while Sarutobi Hiruzen remained unconscious and Danzo was missing. Meanwhile, Uchiha Jin was woken to handle the practicalities of accommodating another wave of clans that had joined the Uchiha.

• Utatane Koharu ordered the Utatane, Mitokado, Sarutobi, and Shimura clans to prepare for battle and deployed Anbu to defend the hospital and Hokage Building.
• Mitokado Homura arrived at the hospital and learned that Sarutobi Hiruzen was unconscious, Danzo was missing, and clans were defecting to the Uchiha.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura pulled Anbu back to guard their clans, the hospital, and the Hokage Building, leaving commoners to handle their own problems.
• Uchiha Setsuna woke Uchiha Jin to celebrate another dozen or so Minor ninja clans joining the Uchiha.
• Uchiha Tsuki explained that Uchiha Jin had been woken to find the new clans places to stay and provide for them, leaving him speechless.

Uchiha Jin convened the allied clans to organize their expanded compound and defenses, then discussed removing Sarutobi Hiruzen from power. Nara Shikaku warned that Hiruzen’s hidden clan forces, elite operatives, and forbidden techniques made a direct conflict dangerous.

• Uchiha Jin summoned the shinobi clans’ representatives to a late-night meeting and ordered plans for expanding the clan lands and establishing defenses.
• The representatives, guided by the Nara Family, agreed on a temporary distribution plan and welcomed Jin’s willingness to discuss decisions together.
• Nara Shikaichi urged Jin to call a Jonin Council, expose Root’s crimes, and remove Sarutobi Hiruzen from the Hokage position.
• Uchiha Jin asked Nara Shikaku to assess Hiruzen’s strength and possible hidden resources.
• Nara Shikaku described the civilian ninja and elite forces available to the village, estimated that the four ruling clans had far more ninja than their registrations showed, and warned that Hiruzen might use forbidden techniques.

Uchiha Jin reassured the gathered clans that Sarutobi Hiruzen’s well-funded but inexperienced allies were not a serious battlefield threat, then laid out a gradual plan to weaken the Hokage without wasting Konoha’s people. He intended to expose the village’s missing funds and erode Sarutobi Hiruzen’s commoner support while keeping the village intact.

• Nara Shikaichi and the other attendees reacted with anger after hearing how much money Konoha’s Higher-ups had allegedly embezzled.
• Uchiha Jin argued that the Sarutobi Four Clans’ resource-trained ninjas lacked battlefield experience and should not intimidate them.
• Uchiha Jin ordered the Konoha Military Police Force to spread rumors and quietly organize damage to the Hokage Building, hospital, and shops to create unrest.
• Uchiha Jin told Nara Shikaku to draft an inquiry into Konoha’s finances since the Third Shinobi War and have the shinobi clans jointly demand an investigation.
• Uchiha Jin planned to publicize any refusal and use unpaid pensions, commissions, and supply problems to turn commoner ninjas against Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Uchiha Jin’s allies prepared to pressure Sarutobi Hiruzen by demanding an audit of Konoha’s finances. As the conflict escalated, Jiraiya brought an unwilling Tsunade back to the village, where she faced the place and people she had long rejected.

• Uchiha Jin’s methods convinced Shikaku and Shikaichi that he could dismantle Sarutobi Hiruzen’s support by exposing Konoha’s missing funds and unpaid war compensation.
• Nara Shikaku drafted an Inquiry Letter demanding an audit and arranged for the group to sign it the next day.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen returned to the Hokage Office while the Konoha F3 discussed their next moves, and Shikaku submitted the letter to the Jonin Council through official channels.
• Tsunade recalled how the Senju Clan had been destroyed and how her attempts to seek allies against Konoha had failed, leading her to leave with Shizune.
• Jiraiya dragged Tsunade back to Konoha despite her resistance, and she arrived displeased and harboring concealed hostility toward him.

Jiraiya brought Tsunade back to Konoha, where the elders tried to recruit her to resolve the crisis involving Uchiha Jin. Tsunade refused to cooperate and moved to leave, but Sarutobi Hiruzen offered to make her the Fifth Hokage.

• Jiraiya brought Tsunade and Shizune to the Hokage Office and announced that he had returned with Tsunade.
• Utatane Koharu scolded Tsunade and Jiraiya for entering without knocking, while the elders considered making Tsunade Hokage to deal with Uchiha Jin.
• Tsunade rejected the elders' welcome and started to leave with Shizune and Piglet.
• Jiraiya tried to stop Tsunade, but she told him to move and raised her fist to push past him.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen urged Tsunade to stay, offered her the position of Fifth Hokage, and said he would arrange her succession ceremony.

Tsunade rejected the offer to become Fifth Hokage, while Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to persuade her to stay and help Konoha. Jiraiya then received Nara Shikaku’s Inquiry Letter, which demanded an audit of missing village funds and left the Higher-ups cornered.

• Tsunade scorned the Hokage position, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura accused her of defying the village.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen silenced Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, then urged Tsunade to protect her grandfathers’ legacy; Jiraiya also pleaded with her to accept the position.
• A Jonin delivered Nara Shikaku Advisor’s Inquiry Letter to the Hokage Office, and Jiraiya read it aloud to the assembled leaders.
• The Inquiry Letter, backed by the Major ninja clans, demanded an audit of three years of village accounts to uncover missing funds and unpaid compensation and mission fees.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others realized they had no easy grounds to refuse the audit, while Tsunade suspected the Higher-ups had divided the missing money among themselves.

Tsunade watched Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura struggle to respond to Uchiha Jin’s official Inquiry Letter about Konoha’s finances and unpaid wartime benefits. The Konoha Higher-ups chose to stall, and Tsunade left the Hokage Building without being pressed to become Hokage.

• Jiraiya warned Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura that they had to resolve Uchiha Jin’s Inquiry Letter quickly before the village fell into chaos.
• Tsunade sat back to watch the Higher-ups panic, then told them the official allegations should be investigated and the guilty punished.
• The Higher-ups could neither reject the Inquiry Letter nor agree to an investigation, since either choice risked exposing their wrongdoing.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others decided to stall, while Jiraiya suspected Uchiha Jin had another move prepared.
• Tsunade left the Hokage Building, and the Higher-ups did not try to stop her or push her to become Hokage.

Tsunade witnessed villagers rioting over unpaid pensions and missing village funds, then decided to go to the Uchiha Compound rather than defend the Konoha Higher-ups. A Nara patrol member recognized her before she and Shizune could enter.

• Three days after Uchiha's plan began, Tsunade drank at an Izakaya while Shizune urged her to stop.
• Shizune returned from the main hall and warned Tsunade that a crowd planned to attack the Hokage Building.
• A protest leader blamed the Konoha Higher-ups for unpaid pensions and missing funds, then led villagers toward the Hokage Building.
• Tsunade disguised herself and followed the crowd, seeing fires and attacks on buildings across Konoha.
• Tsunade decided to go to Uchiha with Shizune, and a Nara clansman on a patrol team recognized her at the compound.

Tsunade announced that she was defecting to the Uchiha and met with Uchiha Jin, who allowed her to leave if she regretted her decision. After realizing she had made the choice while drunk, Tsunade challenged Jin by pointing out that she could become Fifth Hokage and threaten his plans.

• Tsunade told the Konoha Patrol Team she was defecting to the Uchiha, and they escorted her into the clan compound.
• Uchiha Jin received Tsunade in his courtyard and asked why she had chosen to join the Uchiha.
• Tsunade drank her tea, realized she had defected in a drunken fit, and felt embarrassed about her decision.
• Uchiha Jin said the Uchiha would not force Tsunade to stay and that she could leave whenever she wished.
• Tsunade challenged Uchiha Jin, saying she could become Fifth Hokage, win support from the villagers and daimyo, and draw some of his allied clans to her side.

Uchiha Jin argued that Tsunade could not outmaneuver his plans to reshape Konoha, and Tsunade conceded and agreed to join the Uchiha. She offered to handle their medical affairs in exchange for their help settling her debts.

• Uchiha Jin explained why the Shinobi Clans would support him and why Tsunade could not repair Konoha without purging its current leadership.
• Uchiha Jin said the daimyo would support a new village, while his Uchiha and the other Shinobi Clans could build it into a rival to Konoha.
• Tsunade recognized that she had too few allies and powerful fighters to break Uchiha Jin's plans.
• Tsunade conceded, joined the Uchiha, and offered to handle medical matters if they paid off her debts.

Uchiha Jin agreed to Tsunade's price and ordered her to establish a medical framework, while chaos engulfed Konoha and Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to make Tsunade the Fifth Hokage. The chapter ended with Hiruzen sending Jiraiya to find Tsunade, unaware she had already joined the Uchiha.

• Uchiha Jin accepted Tsunade's terms and told her to begin building a medical framework with promising candidates from the Uchiha Compound and other Shinobi Clans.
• Tsunade left the Uchiha Compound, displeased that Uchiha Jin had dismissed her.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen eventually ordered the Anbu to forcibly disperse the rioting villagers, and they brought the chaos under control around two in the morning.
• Jiraiya reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen that the disorder had been contained, but said he did not know how to handle the aftermath.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Jiraiya to bring Tsunade back and announced his plan to support her as the Fifth Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen planned to install Tsunade as Fifth Hokage to stabilize Konoha, but learned she had gone to the Uchiha and immediately tried to make Jiraiya Hokage instead. When Jiraiya refused, Hiruzen threatened to brand him an S-rank Rogue Ninja.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Jiraiya that Tsunade had to become Fifth Hokage quickly, regardless of whether the village accepted the rushed process.
• Jiraiya agreed to find Tsunade, believing she would accept the role for the village's sake.
• An Anbu reported that Tsunade had gone to the Uchiha, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and Jiraiya stunned.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Jiraiya to become Hokage, but Jiraiya refused.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen threatened to list Jiraiya as a Konoha S-rank Rogue Ninja if he would not take the Hokage Position.

Sarutobi Hiruzen forced Jiraiya to accept the Fifth Hokage position unless he could persuade Tsunade to return. Jiraiya met Tsunade in the Uchiha Compound and asked her to come back.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Jiraiya he had to sacrifice for Konoha and become Fifth Hokage unless Tsunade returned.
• Jiraiya agreed to try persuading Tsunade and left the Hokage Office for the Uchiha Compound.
• Uchiha Jin allowed Jiraiya to meet Tsunade, confident he would not persuade her to leave.
• Jiraiya arrived at Tsunade's temporary apartment, where she sent Shizune away so they could talk privately.
• Jiraiya asked Tsunade if she could come back.

Tsunade told Jiraiya that she had uncovered the truth behind the Senju Clan’s misfortunes and Dan and Nawaki’s deaths, explaining why she had left Konoha and refused to trust him. She rejected his attempt to bring her back and declared she would settle old and new debts with the village.

• Jiraiya denied the rumors about the Senju Clan, Dan, and Nawaki, but Tsunade said she had evidence from her own investigation.
• Tsunade explained that she had abandoned revenge after Hatake Sakumo’s suicide showed her how much control Sarutobi Hiruzen held over Konoha, and she had left with Shizune to protect her.
• Tsunade revealed that Orochimaru had known about her investigation, while Jiraiya had not been told because she did not trust him.
• Tsunade said Jiraiya’s insistence on bringing her back had revived her resentment toward Konoha’s leaders, and she refused to return to the village.
• Jiraiya asked why Tsunade and Orochimaru had excluded him, and Tsunade blamed his ties to Mount Myōboku and his habit of avoiding difficult decisions.