Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Jin’s speech inspired civilian ninja and small clans to join the Uchiha, while Hiruzen Sarutobi’s faction struggled to respond. After the Mist Village frontline ninja returned and the village settled into a lull, Jin received Hyuga Aya and Nara Kazama.

• Uchiha Jin ordered the Uchiha Police Force to spread his speech throughout Leaf Village and prepare to welcome new allies.
• Civilian Jonin and Ninja Clans visited the Uchiha, and the Uchiha accepted those with decent character.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi failed to stop the Uchiha’s growing influence because the Anbu was being reorganized and Danzo refused to cooperate.
• The Mist Village frontline ninja returned on the third day, shifting public attention and prompting a welcoming ceremony and visit to the Memorial Stone.
• Leaf Village and the Uchiha focused on the Kage Summit and integrating new combatants, leaving the village in a temporary calm.
• Uchiha Jin received Hyuga Aya and Nara Kazama.

Uchiha Jin used his Mangekyo’s Heavenly Domain to try to remove Hyuga Aya’s Caged Bird, discovering that its connection to her bloodline, soul, and Byakugan made the task dangerous. He destroyed most of the seal before his ocular power ran low and he had to stop, leaving Aya’s curse partly intact and Jin badly weakened.

• Hyuga Aya lamented that her former squad could not reunite because Shisui was away on a mission.
• Uchiha Jin asked Hyuga Aya to reveal her forehead so he could attempt to remove the Caged Bird, and Nara Kazama urged her to trust him.
• Uchiha Jin awakened the Heavenly Domain and saw that disrupting the Caged Bird’s balance could destroy Aya’s bloodline, soul, and Byakugan.
• Uchiha Jin commanded the Caged Bird to collapse, and the marks linked to Aya’s bloodline and Byakugan began to disappear.
• Uchiha Jin’s ocular power nearly ran out while the soul-linked seal remained partly intact, so he stopped and nearly collapsed.
• Shikaku Nara caught Uchiha Jin as Hyuga Aya hurried to support him and begged him not to risk himself further.

Uchiha Jin explained why he had used Heavenly Domain to mostly free Hyuga Aya from the Caged Bird and gave her a Signal Flare for protection. Aya accepted it, while Nara Kazama planned to recruit more clans and saw the gesture as a sign of Jin’s interest in her.

• Uchiha Jin reassured Hyuga Aya that he was recovering and said he would finish removing the remaining part of her Caged Bird after restoring his ocular power.
• Uchiha Jin reflected that he had helped Aya out of friendship, to test Heavenly Domain, and because he considered her a possible wife, while noting how severely the ability drained his ocular power.
• Uchiha Jin gave Hyuga Aya a Uchiha-made Signal Flare, making his willingness to protect her clear.
• Nara Kazama understood Jin’s intention and urged Aya to keep the Signal Flare, while saying he planned to recruit part of the Ino-Shika-Cho.
• Hyuga Aya accepted the Signal Flare, promised to use it if necessary, and thanked Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin discussed building support within the Uchiha and Ino-Shika-Cho with Nara Kazama, then warned Kazama and Hyuga Aya to stay alert. After they parted, Jin returned home to recover, while Aya headed back to the Hyuga Clan to meet Hizashi Hyuga.

• Nara Kazama promised Uchiha Jin he would secretly recruit some Nara clan blades to Jin's side.
• Jin told Hyuga Aya to use a Signal Flare if she sensed danger and assured her the Hyuga Clan could not threaten him.
• Jin warned Kazama to abandon the plan and flee to Uchiha if Shikaku Nara discovered anything.
• The three parted ways, and Jin returned home to sleep and recover his ocular power.
• Hyuga Aya returned to the Hyuga Clan to meet Hizashi Hyuga.

Hyuga Aya discovered that Uchiha Jin had seemingly freed her from the Caged Bird’s restraints, though she kept the secret as she returned to the Hyuga compound. Hizashi Hyuga summoned her and warned that the Main Family had decided she would become Hyuga Yu’s maid after his coming-of-age ceremony in one month.

• Hyuga Aya tested her Byakugan and chakra, finding that she could see without blind spots and felt none of the Caged Bird’s usual restraints.
• Hyuga Aya decided to keep Uchiha Jin’s apparent ability to counter the Caged Bird secret.
• A Branch Family member brought Hyuga Aya to meet Hizashi Hyuga at his courtyard.
• Hizashi Hyuga warned Hyuga Aya to stay away from Uchiha Jin because the Hyuga Clan would remain neutral between him and the Hokage.
• Hizashi Hyuga told Hyuga Aya that the Main Family had arranged for her to serve as Hyuga Yu’s maid after his coming-of-age ceremony in one month.

Hyuga Aya accepted the Caged Bird curse calmly because she trusted Uchiha Jin to remove it and planned to leave the Hyuga Clan. Nara Kazama returned to the Nara Clan and went straight to Nara Koji to discuss urgent matters.

• Hizashi Hyuga wondered why Hyuga Aya showed no distress after learning that she would receive the Caged Bird, and hoped she might find a way to escape her fate.
• Hyuga Aya relied on Uchiha Jin's promise to undo her Caged Bird and planned to flee the clan when the danger drew near.
• Nara Kazama hurried to Nara Koji's house instead of going home after returning to the Nara Clan.
• Nara Koji explained that he had stayed up because he expected Kazama to visit after the Stone Village Frontline ninja returned.

Kazama Nara went with Koji Nara to a hidden chamber and discovered the leaders of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans preparing a plan. The chapter ended with the clans discussing how to stage a split and deceive both Uchiha Jin and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

• Kazama Nara urged Koji Nara to bring back the contacted clansmen, and Koji said they were ready to set out.
• Koji Nara led Kazama Nara through a hidden passage to a secret chamber.
• Kazama Nara found Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Torifu Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka gathered there.
• Torifu Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Koji Nara confirmed their clans were prepared to act.
• Shikaku Nara warned that the three clans would need to convincingly pose as enemies of one another.
• The clan leaders discussed how to stage their betrayal, divide assets, and explain the situation to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Shikaku Nara and the other clan leaders revealed to Nara Kazama that the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had deceived him as part of a plan to protect their clans. Kazama began to accept their explanation but challenged them over why he had never been assigned an Ino-Shika-Cho team.

• Akimichi Torifu asked Shikaku Nara to explain the situation to Nara Kazama, whom the clans needed to take the lead.
• Shikaku Nara told Kazama that his father had been his biological brother, that neither had schemed over clan leadership, and that the Nara Clan's chosen leader was the loser of the selection.
• Shikaku Nara revealed that the Ino-Shika-Cho clans had staged years of suppression as part of a plan to ensure their survival, and Nara Koji added details about how it worked.
• Nara Kazama reflected on his resentment and realized he might never have wanted to become Clan Leader without it, so he began to believe Shikaku Nara.
• Kazama asked why he had never been paired with an Ino and a Cho, and Nara Koji explained that Yamanaka Maki and Akimichi Taita were still waiting for Nara Sara to join their team.

Shikaku explained why the Nara had kept Kazama close to Uchiha Jin and offered to let him take over as Clan Leader. Kazama set aside his despair and urged the clan to fully support Jin, warning that the Uchiha would defeat the Hokage faction and that internal division would only hurt the clan.

• Shikaku revealed that the Nara had abandoned plans to transfer Kazama because Jin was powerful, ambitious, and had awakened the Mangekyo.
• Shikaku admitted he was tired of being Clan Leader and offered the position to Kazama after the village’s turmoil ended.
• Kazama felt empty after learning the truth, but decided he could not abandon Jin or the clan.
• Kazama told Shikaku and the others to join Jin’s camp, arguing that Jin was far stronger than they imagined and that the Hokage faction was doomed to lose.
• Kazama warned that splitting the clan into opposing camps would bring needless losses to the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and the village.

Nara Kazama urged the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka leaders to side with Uchiha Jin, then explained that Jin could remove Hyuga Aya’s Caged Bird and recover his Mangekyō ocular power. The leaders recoiled at the implications and left the discussion recognizing that the Uchiha held overwhelming leverage over the village.

• Nara Kazama proposed that the three clans throw in their lot with the Uchiha, but Shikaku Nara insisted they follow their original plan and asked for evidence.
• Nara Kazama revealed that Uchiha Jin could remove Hyuga Aya’s Caged Bird and that his depleted ocular power would recover.
• Torifu Akimichi concluded that Jin’s recovering Mangekyō made him far more dangerous than most users and compared his power with Kagami Uchiha’s and Uchiha Madara’s.
• Shikaku Nara noted that removing the Caged Bird could win over the Hyuga Branch Family and questioned how Jin’s Mangekyō could perform such unrelated abilities.
• Nara Kazama recounted Jin saying, “God said that the Caged Bird should collapse,” and described Jin’s words as rules.
• The clan leaders fell silent as they realized the Uchiha had already secured victory and were merely trying to take control of the village without excessive losses.

The Ino-Shika-Cho clans agreed to join Uchiha Jin while keeping their options open, and Nara Kazama insisted on being honest with his friend. At five in the morning, the clans began their secret migration, and Kazama woke Jin to receive them.

• Nara Kazama asked the clans not to reveal their discussion and said he would tell Uchiha Jin the truth about their situation.
• Shikaku Nara and Nara Koji agreed to trust Jin, and Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi accepted the Nara Clan's judgment.
• Torifu Akimichi reaffirmed the Ino-Shika-Cho clans' alliance and their commitment to share risks and prosperity.
• The clans finished planning after two in the morning and set five in the morning as the time to defect.
• The three Ino-Shika-Cho clans began a secret migration, while Nara Kazama went ahead to wake Uchiha Jin.

Uchiha Jin organized the Uchiha and their allies to receive the Nara Clan while urging Shisui to use the Anbu against Root. Shisui considered the order and summoned Sarutobi Linghua, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s watcher, to speak with him.

• Uchiha Jin alerted Fugaku, Tekka, Shibi Aburame, and others that the Nara Clan was coming, and they gathered nearly eighty Jonin to meet them.
• Fugaku mobilized allied clans and headed to the Police Force while Tekka gathered personnel and Uchiha Jin stayed at clan headquarters.
• Uchiha Jin sent Shisui instructions to launch a sweep against Danzo and Root, using any pretext and accepting the risk of wrongful arrests.
• Inoichi Yamanaka planned for the Anbu to discover some allied clansmen and stage clashes so Hiruzen Sarutobi would not suspect his loyalties.
• Shisui read Uchiha Jin’s message, reflected on his lack of authority and the Uchiha being used against Root, then called Sarutobi Linghua into his office.

Shisui led the Uchiha Anbu on a special operation against Danzo’s Root strongholds, using Anbu authority to justify the raids. After destroying the first stronghold, he ordered the team to move on to the next target.

• Shisui ordered teams 1 through 7 to gather and said he would lead the special operation himself.
• Twenty-eight masked Uchiha assembled, while Sarutobi Linghua watched Shisui and tried to work out his intentions.
• Shisui’s team surrounded a general store that served as a Root stronghold and confronted five Root ninjas at the entrance.
• Shisui claimed Anbu authority to search for an enemy spy, counted down, and killed the Root leader before the others joined the fight.
• The Uchiha wiped out the five Root ninjas, searched the building, took its valuables, and followed Shisui toward another stronghold.

Shisui led his Anbu unit through successive Root strongholds, while the Uchiha organized escorts to bring the Ino-Shika-Cho clansmen to their compound. The clansmen arrived confused and reluctant, forced by their own Clan Leaders to join the Uchiha.

• Shisui led the Uchiha Anbu in destroying Root strongholds one after another with little resistance.
• A watching Anbu squad debated how to respond, and its captain sent a subordinate to report to their division captain.
• Fugaku, Shibi Aburame, Ichiro Inuzuka, Uchiha Jin, and others dispatched groups to find Ino-Shika-Cho members and escort them to the Uchiha compound.
• The selected Ino-Shika-Cho clansmen traveled in small groups, carrying their belongings and wondering why their Clan Leaders had ordered them to defect.
• The clansmen quietly discussed their confusion as they ran, while others reminded them to obey their clans' instructions.

The Ino-Shika-Cho members fought past Anbu obstruction and were escorted into the Uchiha compound, while Shisui destroyed Root strongholds across Leaf Village. As he headed for the last two strongholds, Danzo blocked his path.

• Anbu tried to stop a group of Ino-Shika-Cho members from joining the Uchiha, but a Nara argued that they had the right to leave and ordered the group to fight when Anbu refused to let them pass.
• The Ino-Shika-Cho members battled three Anbu until an Uchiha Jonin and an Aburame Jonin arrived, defeated the Anbu, and escorted them toward the Uchiha compound.
• Shisui and the Uchiha attacked Root strongholds as battles broke out across Leaf Village, leaving civilians inside and the other clans unaware of the chaos.
• By around seven in the morning, the last Ino-Shika-Cho members had entered the Uchiha compound, and the fighting there ended.
• Shisui uprooted nearly all of Root’s strongholds and headed for the last two, but Danzo arrived and blocked his path.

Shisui defended his destruction of Danzo’s Root strongholds as an operation against enemy spies, then led the Uchiha to wipe out the remaining two. Danzo returned to the Root base instead of confronting Hiruzen Sarutobi, unwilling to accept defeat.

• Danzo confronted Shisui over the destruction of his strongholds, but Shisui claimed Anbu had acted against spies and disobedient Root ninja for the Leaf Village.
• Danzo dismissed Shisui’s explanation and left, deciding that Hiruzen Sarutobi was the one worth confronting.
• Shisui ordered the Uchiha to destroy the two remaining Root strongholds, and they followed him despite their doubts.
• After wiping out the last two strongholds, Shisui and the Uchiha returned to the Anbu base.
• Danzo went back to the Root base rather than challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi, but he refused to simply admit defeat.

Danzo blamed Hiruzen Sarutobi for Shisui’s continued attacks on Root and ordered Root to strike Anbu posts across Konoha. After the fighting subsided, frightened villagers emerged to find the village in ruins and wondered what had happened.

• A Root member told Danzo that Anbu had destroyed Root’s remaining two strongholds.
• Danzo mistook Shisui’s actions for Hiruzen Sarutobi’s orders and decided to retaliate.
• Danzo ordered Root to abandon its missions, attack Anbu strongholds and sentry posts, and use a thousand Explosive tags.
• After the great migration of Ino-Shika-Cho and the Anbu mission ended, Konoha’s residents cautiously emerged from their homes.
• The villagers saw the ruins and smoke, speculated about the fighting, and waited to hear from the Hokage.

Masked Anbu fought among themselves across the Leaf Village, and their headquarters was destroyed in a massive explosion. Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded answers, but Inoichi Yamanaka said he knew nothing and reported that Nara Kazama had led clan members to defect to the Uchiha, leaving Hiruzen more suspicious and bewildered.

• Civilians saw masked Anbu fighting each other and fled indoors as chaos returned to the village.
• An explosion destroyed the Anbu headquarters and shattered windows across the surrounding area.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi surveyed the damage from the Hokage Building rooftop and demanded that Inoichi Yamanaka explain what had happened.
• Inoichi Yamanaka claimed he was also confused and told Hiruzen that Nara Kazama had led disaffected clan members to join the Uchiha.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned by the report and wondered whether Ino-Shika-Cho had become disloyal.

Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Shisui to explain the chaos in Leaf Village and learned that Shisui had raided Root under Hiruzen’s own orders. Hiruzen let Shisui go and blamed the incident on Cloud Village, while accepting that Danzo would remain beyond his reach for now.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Inoichi Yamanaka to summon Shisui to the Hokage rooftop.
• Shisui told Hiruzen Sarutobi that he had raided Root to capture enemy spies and that Danzo had killed Anbu members and destroyed Anbu headquarters.
• Shisui suggested arresting Danzo as the greatest enemy-village spy, leaving Hiruzen unable to fault him because Shisui had followed Hiruzen’s orders.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi warned Shisui to follow the rules in the future, ordered him to blame the incident on Cloud Village, and dismissed him.

Shikaku Nara deduced that Uchiha Jin had used the Anbu-Root clash to advance the Ino-Shika-Cho relocation and weaken Hiruzen Sarutobi’s authority. He reassured Inoichi Yamanaka that Hiruzen could not afford to alienate their clans, then went to answer the Hokage’s summons.

• Shisui went to recruit people to rebuild the Anbu while Inoichi Yamanaka told Shikaku Nara what had happened.
• Shikaku concluded that Uchiha Jin had turned the conflict into a cover for the Ino-Shika-Cho relocation and a way to strain Hiruzen Sarutobi’s ties with the Elders.
• Inoichi worried that Hiruzen suspected the clans that had stayed behind, but Shikaku argued that Hiruzen was too isolated to risk driving them toward the Uchiha.
• Inoichi predicted that Hiruzen would summon Shikaku for advice, and an Anbu soon arrived with the summons.
• Shikaku told Inoichi not to make further moves, to keep working for Hiruzen, and to trust the Uchiha to protect the relocated clan members.