Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Jin challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen’s attempt to keep Uchiha Fugaku as Minister of the Konoha Military Police Force, presenting the village’s anti-Uchiha rumors as evidence of Fugaku’s failures. He left the Meeting Room stunned by accusing Fugaku of failing to stop the rumors and suggesting they had even threatened Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Hokage position.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen defended Uchiha Fugaku and argued that the Uchiha could not remove him without concrete evidence.
• Uchiha Fugaku rejected Sarutobi Hiruzen’s support and admitted he was unworthy of remaining Minister of the Konoha Military Police Force.
• Uchiha Jin said the Uchiha had evidence and began listing Fugaku’s failures as clan head and minister.
• Uchiha Jin traced the village’s anti-Uchiha rumors to Fugaku’s failure to resolve the clan’s reputational crisis.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen tried to stop Uchiha Jin, but Jin argued that Fugaku’s failure to arrest those spreading the rumors had endangered Konoha’s order and Sarutobi Hiruzen’s Hokage position.

Uchiha Jin challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen and the elders over their attempt to blame the Uchiha for villagers’ resentment and rumors. He argued that the village’s mishandling of wartime benefits and its rules were the real problems, leaving the elders unable to answer his accusations.

• Uchiha Jin pressed Sarutobi Hiruzen to admit that Uchiha Fugaku had been neglected in his duties amid the rumors, but Sarutobi defended him and urged the Uchiha to examine their own conduct.
• Uchiha Jin condemned the proposed suspension of consolation money and disability allowances, explaining how it would harm families of dead and injured shinobi.
• Uchiha Jin accused Sarutobi Hiruzen of targeting the Uchiha by approaching their clan specifically, and Sarutobi froze without an answer.
• Mitokado Homura claimed the village had intended to explain its financial difficulties to each clan and admitted that it had handled the matter poorly.
• Uchiha Jin argued that the Uchiha had repeatedly defended the village and enforced its rules, then demanded that the elders examine their own failings and the village’s regulations.

Uchiha Jin challenged the Hokage and Elders over their treatment of Uchiha Fugaku, arguing that outdated village laws had fueled conflict between the Uchiha and ordinary residents. He revealed that the Military Police Force had unanimously decided to reform itself and revise Konoha’s laws.

• Mitokado Homura berated Uchiha Jin for insulting the Hokage and Elders, and Jin retorted that unjust authorities deserved criticism.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed that Fugaku had neglected his duties by allowing rumors to spread but insisted that this alone did not justify removing him from office.
• Jin confirmed that the First and Second Hokage had authorized the Military Police Force to formulate and revise village rules and laws.
• Jin argued that outdated laws had worsened clashes between Uchiha law enforcers and villagers, and accused Fugaku of failing to address the problem.
• Jin announced that the Military Police Force had unanimously approved internal reforms and a revision of Konoha’s existing laws.

Jin confronted Sarutobi Hiruzen over the Uchiha Clan’s authority to revise laws, then secured the roles of Uchiha Clan Head and Konoha Military Police Force commander. He left with Uchiha Fugaku, promising that this was only the beginning.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen objected to the Uchiha Clan revising Konoha’s laws, but Jin said the clan had the authority to act without his permission.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed not to interfere with the leadership change and persuaded Jin to postpone law revisions until after the Fourth Hokage took office.
• Jin announced that he would become the new Uchiha Clan Head and commander of the Konoha Military Police Force, and the meeting attendees congratulated him.
• After the meeting, Uchiha Fugaku worried that Jin had antagonized Sarutobi Hiruzen, but Jin said Fugaku would get used to such confrontations and told him to return to the clan grounds.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and his advisers discussed Uchiha Jin’s push to amend Konoha’s laws and the Uchiha Clan’s growing leverage. Shimura Danzō argued that Hiruzen had lost authority and dismissed Minato Namikaze as a controllable fool, prompting Hiruzen to demand an explanation.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen vented his anger over the Uchiha Clan’s proposed legal amendments, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura noted that Uchiha Jin seemed unlike other Uchiha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen warned that the Uchiha Clan’s influence and control of law enforcement could let Jin win support from other clans and undo the Hokage Faction’s previous efforts.
• Utatane Koharu suggested negotiating with the Uchiha and trading them some authority in exchange for influence over the revised laws.
• Mitokado Homura questioned whether the advisers should simply oppose the amendments, but Utatane Koharu argued that the Uchiha could enforce the new laws and rally other clans regardless.
• Shimura Danzō said Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer had the Hokage’s authority and called Minato Namikaze a hotheaded fool who would be easier to control, so Hiruzen demanded to know what Danzō meant.

Shimura Danzō challenged Minato Namikaze’s suitability to become Fourth Hokage, arguing that Minato’s ideals could lead him to support the Uchiha Clan against the village leadership. Danzō revealed that he wanted the position himself, and Hiruzen questioned why he needed Hiruzen’s support if so many clans backed him.

• Shimura Danzō questioned whether Minato Namikaze remained fit to become Fourth Hokage, but Sarutobi Hiruzen defended Minato’s impartiality and character.
• Danzō cited Minato’s willingness to address clan affairs and argued that Minato might support the Uchiha Clan’s reforms if he became Hokage.
• Hiruzen rejected Danzō’s warning, saying Minato would not let the Uchiha change laws on their own and that the elders could prevent such an outcome.
• Danzō proposed replacing Minato with a more suitable Hokage candidate and declared that he meant himself.
• Danzō claimed that many clans supported his rise and asked Hiruzen whether he supported him; Hiruzen replied that Danzō did not need his support.

Shimura Danzō openly broke with Sarutobi Hiruzen and sought the Hyuga Clan’s support as he prepared to challenge Minato Namikaze for the Fourth Hokage position. Hiruzen warned Minato that Danzō had gained powerful allies and ordered him to take down the Uchiha Clan.

• Shimura Danzō left the Hokage Office on bad terms with Sarutobi Hiruzen and went to demand a clear answer from the Hyuga Clan.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen dismissed the ninja gathered outside Konoha and summoned Minato Namikaze to the Hokage Office.
• Hiruzen told Minato that Shimura Danzō would compete for Hokage with Orochimaru’s support and backing from clans including the Hyuga.
• Minato warned that Danzō’s ruthless rule could turn Konoha into another Village of the Bloody Mist.
• Hiruzen ordered Minato to take down the Uchiha Clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen questioned Minato Namikaze about Uchiha Jin and warned him that Shimura Danzō was gaining support among clans dissatisfied with him. Minato learned that securing the Uchiha Clan’s backing was now essential to becoming the Fourth Hokage.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Minato Namikaze what he thought of Uchiha Jin, and Minato described Jin’s change from a withdrawn academy classmate into an amiable man who saw villagers as companions.
• Minato Namikaze told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Uchiha Jin had given him novels, while concealing how deeply those books had influenced him.
• Minato Namikaze agreed that the Konoha Military Police Force’s laws needed revision and said the village should lead the process to ensure fairness.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen warned Minato Namikaze not to criticize the Uchiha publicly because he needed their support.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen explained that Shimura Danzō had gained support from clans dissatisfied with Minato, including the potentially swayed Hyuga Clan, and said the Uchiha Clan’s backing was necessary for Minato to become the Fourth Hokage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen explained to Minato Namikaze why the Uchiha and Hyuga clans held crucial political power, then urged him to negotiate with Uchiha Jin for the clan’s support. Minato agreed, and Hiruzen learned that Jin had once outmatched Minato in a direct fight, leaving Jin’s current strength uncertain.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Minato Namikaze that the Uchiha Clan had nearly a hundred Jonin-level fighters and that the Hyuga Clan’s votes could bring Shimura Danzō close to four hundred Jonin Trust Votes.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen advised Minato Namikaze to negotiate with Uchiha Jin, offer benefits, support the Uchiha Clan’s proposed legal amendments, and seek its backing.
• Minato Namikaze agreed to speak with Uchiha Jin.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Minato Namikaze how strong Uchiha Jin was, and Minato recalled that Jin had beaten him in direct combat while the Flying Thunder God Technique had kept Minato from losing outright.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen urged Minato Namikaze to spar with Uchiha Jin again and assess his current strength, and Minato agreed.

Minato Namikaze met Uchiha Jin on Sarutobi Hiruzen’s orders to offer the Uchiha Clan positions and influence in exchange for its support. The chapter ended with Jin weighing Hiruzen’s unexpectedly generous offer of posts in the Border Defense Force.

• Minato Namikaze explained that Shimura Danzō’s public campaign and the Uchiha Clan’s push to revise Konoha’s laws had left Sarutobi Hiruzen eager to secure Uchiha support.
• Uchiha Jin asked what Sarutobi Hiruzen had offered, and Minato Namikaze listed a Torture Squad leader, two Anbu positions, and several Border Defense Force posts.
• Uchiha Jin recognized that the Torture Squad and Anbu positions cost Hiruzen little and could help him influence the Uchiha Clan.
• Uchiha Jin was surprised that Hiruzen had also offered the Uchiha Clan a Battalion Commander, two Mid-Squad Leaders, and three squads in the lucrative Border Defense Force.

Uchiha Jin considered Sarutobi Hiruzen’s offer to revise Konoha’s laws and share authority over the Konoha Military Police Force, recognizing that the village wanted to limit the Uchiha Clan’s power. He agreed to surrender some authority only if Sarutobi Hiruzen paid more, while defending the Uchiha Clan’s strict approach to law enforcement.

• Minato Namikaze told Uchiha Jin that Sarutobi Hiruzen demanded Uchiha support for his rise to power, a role in revising village laws, and village participation in the Konoha Military Police Force.
• Uchiha Jin explained that Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to reduce the Uchiha Clan’s power and that other clans might turn against them if they kept exclusive control of the force.
• Uchiha Jin told Minato Namikaze to inform Sarutobi Hiruzen that the offer covered only the first two demands and that he would need to pay more for the Uchiha Clan to share authority.
• Minato Namikaze asked how Uchiha Jin planned to divide control of the Konoha Military Police Force and argued that law enforcement should account for people’s circumstances.
• Uchiha Jin argued that strict, consistent enforcement was necessary to prevent favoritism and preserve fairness for villagers who obeyed the law.

Uchiha Jin warned Minato Namikaze not to let kindness distort a leader’s decisions and used the history of the Ninja Sect to argue that laws must be enforced impartially. Minato reconsidered his assumptions and acknowledged the Uchiha Clan’s commitment to law enforcement.

• Uchiha Jin cautioned Minato Namikaze that a leader’s kindness must not affect decisions about enforcing the law.
• Uchiha Jin told Minato about Indra and Asura’s opposing beliefs, then described how Taizang broke village rules by cutting and selling public trees.
• Uchiha Jin argued that Taizang had alternatives and that leniency for breaking the law would undermine justice.
• Uchiha Jin urged Minato to enforce laws strictly while using policies and support to address special circumstances.
• Minato Namikaze reflected on Jin’s argument and admitted he had taken the matter for granted.

Uchiha Jin outlined a plan to divide the Konoha Military Police Force into law enforcement, judicial, and supervisory departments, while transferring law-making to an independent Law Conference. Minato Namikaze supported the reforms and intended to promote village-wide oversight after becoming Fourth Hokage, as Jin began explaining how the Law Conference would operate.

• Uchiha Jin explained that separating law enforcement, judgment, and supervision would reduce unjust cases and make the Konoha Military Police Force fairer.
• Minato Namikaze praised the Supervisory Division and said even the Hokage should be subject to oversight, promising to set an example as Fourth Hokage.
• Uchiha Jin proposed assigning most law enforcement and judicial posts to recruits from other clans, civilian ninja, and capable ordinary people, while the Uchiha led the Supervisory Division.
• Minato Namikaze agreed that the Uchiha were suited to supervision but warned that the division could not be monopolized by their clan.
• Uchiha Jin proposed an independent Law Conference to write the village’s fundamental laws and began explaining its structure.

Uchiha Jin explained his plan for an independent Law Conference to Minato Namikaze, including its membership, elections, and oversight. He urged Minato to keep the plan secret from Sarutobi Hiruzen until Minato became Hokage, warning that Hiruzen would resist limits on his authority.

• Minato asked whether the Law Conference would be independent of the Hokage, and Uchiha Jin said it had to remain beyond anyone’s control to preserve its fairness.
• Uchiha Jin outlined a ninety-two-member Law Conference, its monthly public meetings, bill-passing rules, annual elections, and the Supervisory Division’s authority over councilors.
• Uchiha Jin reserved permanent seats for the Uchiha and Senju clans, and Minato accepted the arrangement despite questioning whether Tsunade would take her seat.
• Uchiha Jin told Minato to discuss transferring some authority and reforming the Military Police Force with Sarutobi Hiruzen, but not to reveal the Law Conference plan.
• Uchiha Jin explained that Hiruzen had become attached to holding power and would oppose the Law Conference, so its implementation should wait until Minato took office.

Jin and Minato Namikaze discussed village politics and learned that Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted Minato to assess Jin’s strength. Jin chose to make their spar public, and the chapter ended as both prepared to fight seriously at Konoha’s Seventh Training Ground.

• Minato Namikaze agreed to keep the Law Conference matter to himself while he and Jin reviewed their plans until dusk.
• Minato Namikaze revealed that Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent him to test Jin’s strength, and Jin decided the spar would intimidate the village’s factions.
• Jin and Minato Namikaze traveled to Konoha’s Seventh Training Ground and formally began their spar.
• Jin and Minato Namikaze fought at close range for a minute, with Minato’s reflexes helping him counter Jin’s Sharingan.
• Jin drew Zanka no Tachi and unleashed his Chakra, while Minato Namikaze prepared to give the fight his all.

Jin and Minato Namikaze fought at Konoha's Seventh Training Ground, displaying their powerful abilities as Sarutobi Hiruzen watched through a Crystal Ball. Minato activated Sage Mode just as Jin unleashed Zanka no Tachi: North: Heaven and Earth Ashes, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Telescope Technique to watch Jin and Minato Namikaze clash at the Seventh Training Ground.
• Jin engulfed Minato in flames, but Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear behind him and sever his head; Jin's body kept fighting as it reassembled.
• Jin blocked Minato's Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, absorbed the surrounding flames into Zanka no Tachi, and used its heat to melt the ground with a near-fatal slash.
• Jin repeatedly pursued Minato's Flying Thunder God jumps, destroying the Special Kunai Minato relied on to mark his destinations.
• Minato revealed that he had been preparing Sage Mode, while Jin raised his blade and unleashed Zanka no Tachi: North: Heaven and Earth Ashes.

Minato Namikaze exhausted himself redirecting Uchiha Jin’s slash away from Konoha, then learned the attack would have missed the village if he had not tried to block it head-on. Uchiha Jin warned Minato to strengthen his offense and address his limited Chakra, and left as others approached.

• Minato Namikaze and Gamabunta combined wind and water techniques to hold back Uchiha Jin’s Heaven and Earth Ashes.
• Minato Namikaze used three Shadow Clones and Flying Thunder God Guiding Thunder Chain Transmission to send the attack through a spatial vortex outside Konoha.
• Minato Namikaze collapsed from spending nearly all his Chakra, and Uchiha Jin told him the slash had been aimed diagonally upward.
• Minato Namikaze apologized for misjudging the attack, while Uchiha Jin urged him to learn stronger offensive techniques and compensate for his limited Chakra.
• Minato Namikaze recalled his efforts to add Chakra Nature Transformation to the Rasengan, and Uchiha Jin sensed others approaching and vanished.

Sarutobi Hiruzen assessed Minato Namikaze’s chances against Uchiha Jin and considered whether becoming a jinchuriki could strengthen him. He then learned that Jin would support Minato’s bid for Hokage on better terms and planned to promote Minato to the Daimyo, while Minato concealed a strange glint in his eyes.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen concluded that Minato Namikaze could not confidently defeat Uchiha Jin, even without restraints or with Sage Mode.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen considered taking the Eight-Tails from the captured Killer B and making Minato a jinchuriki, but set the idea aside over the risk of Kumogakure’s retaliation.
• Minato Namikaze told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Uchiha Jin would support his bid for Hokage and share Military Police Force authority, though Jin had rejected the low terms and proposed letting the clans help draft laws in exchange for influence.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen said he would negotiate with Uchiha Jin himself and planned to recommend Minato to the Daimyo during his report of duties.
• Minato Namikaze questioned the early recommendation, and Sarutobi Hiruzen explained that the Hyuga Clan supported Danzō and that he only meant to build momentum for Minato.
• A strange glint appeared in Minato Namikaze’s eyes as Sarutobi Hiruzen failed to notice it.

Shimura Danzō learned that Sarutobi Hiruzen had secured the daimyo’s early recognition of Minato Namikaze, giving Minato an advantage in the Hokage election. Danzō ordered Tenzo to assassinate Hiruzen and decided to seek help from Uchiha Jin by offering the Uchiha Clan the Sealing Book.

• Shimura Danzō erupted in anger after Root’s agent delivered a report on Sarutobi Hiruzen and Minato Namikaze’s conversation.
• Aburame Ryōma explained that the daimyo’s recognition would strengthen Minato Namikaze’s legitimacy and sway undecided factions toward him.
• Shimura Danzō summoned Kou, whose real name was Tenzo, and ordered him to kill Sarutobi Hiruzen with Root’s assistance.
• Aburame Ryōma warned that Root could not spare its experienced members, but Shimura Danzō said he had another plan.
• Shimura Danzō decided to approach the Uchiha Clan and offer them the Sealing Book to gain their cooperation.

Jin visited Orochimaru’s underground laboratory, where Orochimaru explained that Itachi’s condition was Bloodline Atavism and that Hashirama Cells might restore his vitality. Jin offered to bring Orochimaru a talented assistant and then captured his interest with several Scrolls.

• Jin found Orochimaru working with many clones while Itachi lay unconscious on an operating bed.
• Orochimaru explained that he lacked suitable assistants, and Jin promised to bring him a talented person once Minato took office.
• Orochimaru said Itachi’s condition came from unusually pure Uchiha blood that required extra vitality to develop.
• Orochimaru reported that Itachi had high compatibility with Hashirama Cells and that he was testing how to balance them.
• Jin produced several Scrolls, causing Orochimaru to abandon his attempts to hurry Jin away.