Chapter Summaries

The Fire Lord and the Elder plotted to provoke conflict between the Uchiha and Senju clans, then exploit the resulting clash between Konoha and the Akatsuki Ninja Village. As the New Year approached, Konoha appeared peaceful, but Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Hiruzen Sarutobi each worried over troubled relationships and unresolved plans.

• The Elder persuaded the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire that they could stir up a civil war between the Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan and use the aftermath to weaken Konoha and the Akatsuki Ninja Village.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire agreed to pursue the plan patiently, while the Elder left after receiving herbs from him.
• With heavy snow falling, the Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan set aside their grievances for the New Year, easing tensions across Konoha.
• Hashirama Senju felt hurt when Uchiha Madara rejected his invitation and chose to stay alone at Naka Shrine with the Stone Tablet.
• Tobirama Senju grew more troubled by his assassination plan and year-end workload, while Hiruzen Sarutobi worried about Shimura Danzō's strange behavior.

After the Land of Fire Elder’s family was attacked, he appealed to the Daimyo and vowed to find the culprit, while Tobirama Senju panicked as public anger threatened to expose his secret alliance with Uchiha Makoto. Uchiha Makoto agreed to manage the crisis and planned to divert attention with news of an unprecedented marriage alliance.

• The Land of Fire Elder escaped an ambush that killed his wife, youngest son, and granddaughter, then told the Daimyo that ninjas had tried to kill him.
• The Daimyo ordered an investigation, while the Elder considered Konoha, the Akatsuki Ninja Village, and Rogue Ninjas as possible suspects.
• News of the massacre spread, public anger mounted, and the Daimyo demanded that the Hokage and Light Shadow investigate as the Uchiha Clan promised to seek justice.
• Tobirama Senju contacted Uchiha Makoto, admitted he was frightened by the growing crisis, and asked him not to betray their role in the assassination.
• Uchiha Makoto recognized that public opinion had turned dangerous but said he could divert attention by revealing the marriage alliance between his son and the Hokage’s granddaughter.

Uchiha Makoto proposed using the Uchiha-Senju marriage and a sensational story about their shared ancestry to divert attention from the Land of Fire Elder's assassination. Tobirama Senju reluctantly accepted the marriage and agreed to spread a limited version of the story, though he refused to let the Senju Clan be portrayed as the younger branch.

• Tobirama Senju asked Uchiha Makoto how they could distract the public from the Elder's assassination investigation.
• Tobirama suggested blaming a foreign ninja village or starting a war, but Uchiha Makoto condemned the idea for endangering innocent lives.
• Uchiha Makoto proposed publicizing the marriage between his son and Hashirama Senju's granddaughter, along with a tale that Indra and Asura were the Sage of Six Paths' sons.
• Tobirama objected to Makoto's claim that the Senju Clan descended from the younger, supposedly inferior Asura, and accused him of slandering the Senju.
• Tobirama reluctantly agreed to the marriage and to spreading a restricted version of the shared-ancestor rumor, provided the Senju were not called the younger branch.

Uchiha Makoto and Tobirama Senju manipulated the investigation into the Land of Fire Elder’s family assassination, steering Hashirama Senju toward blaming Bandits. The Daimyo rejected their report and summoned the Elder, suspecting the truth was more troubling than either village’s involvement.

• The Land of Fire Elder recounted the attack at a meeting with the Daimyo, Konoha, and Akatsuki Ninja Village, and the Daimyo ordered the villages to solve the case within ten days.
• Uchiha Makoto privately spoke with Hashirama Senju about Uchiha Madara, then joined Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju in examining the crime scene.
• Tobirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto guided Hashirama Senju toward concluding that Bandits had attacked the Elder’s family, while Hashirama Senju remained uneasy.
• After ten days, Tobirama Senju prepared a report blaming Rogue Ninja and proposed a joint operation to suppress Bandits, with Uchiha Makoto urging the plan and Hashirama Senju reluctantly agreeing.
• The Daimyo read the report, denounced it as treason, and ordered that the Elder be brought to him.

The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and the Land of Fire Elder discussed the suspicious assassination of the Elder’s family and planned to pressure the ninja villages while exploiting the Senju-Uchiha rift. Meanwhile, Tobirama Senju began plotting to study Hashirama Senju’s Wood Style, then surprised Hashirama by proposing that Tsunade and Uchiha Taiichi’s betrothal be formally announced to the Daimyo.

• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire summoned the Land of Fire Elder, vented his anger about the ninja, and gave him Tobirama Senju’s investigation report, which blamed bandits for the assassination.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and the Land of Fire Elder feared that Konoha and Akatsuki Ninja Village might have conspired, so they decided to spread public outrage and press the villages to continue investigating.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire sent the Land of Fire Elder to enlist the Uchiha Clan’s help in finding evidence against the Senju Clan.
• Tobirama Senju fantasized about taking Hashirama Senju’s blood and tissue to uncover the secret of Wood Style and surpass his brother.
• Tobirama Senju proposed that Hashirama Senju ask the Daimyo to witness Tsunade and Uchiha Taiichi’s betrothal, leaving Hashirama astonished by his sudden support.

Uchiha Makoto secured Hashirama Senju’s agreement to arrange the Uchiha-Senju marriage through the Daimyo, while Tobirama Senju regretted helping him. Meanwhile, the Land of Fire Elder drew the Uchiha Great Elder into an alliance by suggesting Tobirama Senju was behind the suspicious assassination report, leaving the two plotting to target him.

• Uchiha Makoto proposed that Hashirama Senju and he visit the Daimyo to arrange the marriage between their clans, and Hashirama agreed.
• The Uchiha Great Elder met privately with the Land of Fire Elder, who questioned whether the assassination of his family had truly been an accident.
• The Land of Fire Elder claimed Tobirama Senju had a secret deal with Uchiha Makoto and promised to help the Uchiha Clan gain the Hokage position if they helped uncover the truth.
• The Uchiha Great Elder said his Sharingan had identified the assassins as elite shinobi, contradicting the official report.
• The Land of Fire Elder blamed Tobirama Senju for the deception, and he and the Uchiha Great Elder decided he was a safer target than Hashirama Senju or Uchiha Makoto.

The Land of Fire Elder persuaded the Uchiha Great Elder to suspect Tobirama Senju of arranging the assassination and urged the clan to investigate. When the Daimyo and the Elder confronted Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto over the investigation, Makoto defended Konoha by blaming the Elder for the village’s difficulties.

• The Land of Fire Elder suggested Tobirama Senju had planned the attack, and the Uchiha Great Elder agreed to investigate him.
• The Uchiha Great Elder returned to the crime scene with clan members to search for evidence against Tobirama Senju.
• The Land of Fire Elder told the Daimyo that the Uchiha would conduct a separate investigation, and the Daimyo approved their scheme to fuel conflict between Konoha and the Senju.
• The Daimyo received Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, and Uchiha Makoto, while the Land of Fire Elder challenged the villages’ ability to protect the country.
• Uchiha Makoto stopped Hashirama Senju from kneeling and argued that the Land of Fire Elder’s own negligence had contributed to the crisis.

Uchiha Makoto pressured Tobirama Senju into siding with him during a dispute with the Land of Fire Elder, whose family had been killed in an assassination. Makoto then announced a marriage alliance between the Uchiha and Senju families, leaving the Land of Fire Daimyo alarmed and objecting that the children were too young.

• The Land of Fire Elder accused Uchiha Makoto of evading responsibility, and Makoto asked Tobirama Senju to support his argument.
• Tobirama Senju sided with Makoto, fearing the Elder would expose his role in the assassination if he did not.
• The Land of Fire Elder threatened to hire other great ninja villages to investigate the attack, while Hashirama Senju tried to appease him.
• Uchiha Makoto changed the subject by announcing that his newborn son and Hashirama Senju's granddaughter would be promised in marriage, with the Land of Fire Daimyo as witness.
• The Land of Fire Daimyo objected that the children were too young and questioned whether they would choose each other.

Uchiha Makoto pushed the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire to approve a marriage alliance between the Senju and Uchiha families, securing his public endorsement and the Daimyo’s offer to adopt the two children. After Makoto and the Senju left, the Feudal Lord and the Land of Fire Elder planned to use the Uchiha Clan to frame Tobirama Senju and undermine the alliance.

• Uchiha Makoto argued that the marriage alliance served the interests of Konoha and the Akatsuki Ninja Village, while threatening the Land of Fire Elder over the family conflict.
• Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju supported Makoto’s demand that the Feudal Lord announce the marriage throughout the Land of Fire.
• The Feudal Lord agreed to announce the marriage and offered to adopt the two children as his son and daughter.
• After Makoto, Hashirama Senju, and Tobirama Senju left, the Feudal Lord and the Land of Fire Elder discussed how to counter the alliance.
• The Land of Fire Elder proposed manipulating the Uchiha Clan into blaming Tobirama Senju and exploiting its rift with Uchiha Makoto.

Uchiha Makoto’s marriage announcement and rumors about the Sage of Six Paths’s inheritance stirred the Ninja World and gave the Uchiha Clan a chance to claim seniority over the Senju Clan. As Konoha’s leaders let the rumors spread to ease political pressure, the Uchiha Great Elder went to the Land of Fire Elder with newly gathered evidence.

• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire witnessed the Uchiha-Senju marriage, took the children as his godson and goddaughter, and announced the union publicly.
• Uchiha Makoto’s rumors about the Sage of Six Paths’s favoritism spread, prompting clans and scholars across the Ninja World to search historical records for evidence.
• Uchiha members embraced the claim that Indra had been the elder brother, while Senju members searched their archives and found records that made the rumors seem plausible.
• Hashirama Senju welcomed the rumors as a way to unite the clans, and Tobirama Senju stopped his clan from retaliating while the scandal eased pressure over the Land of Fire Elder’s assassination investigation.
• Tobirama Senju questioned Uchiha Makoto about how he knew the ancient secrets, but Makoto refused to explain and mocked him.
• The Uchiha Great Elder brought newly collected evidence to the Land of Fire Elder.

The Uchiha Great Elder discovered clues that the attack on the Land of Fire Elder had been a planned assassination, possibly carried out by Konoha's Anbu. Pressured by the Elder's threats and promises of support for the Uchiha's Hokage ambitions, he revealed the clues, leaving the Elder pleased but the accusation against Tobirama Senju unproven.

• The Uchiha Great Elder concluded that the attack on the Land of Fire Elder had been a planned assassination and that the methods resembled those of Konoha's Anbu.
• The Uchiha Great Elder hesitated to investigate further because exposing the Anbu could implicate Hashirama Senju and destabilize Konoha, though it might also help the Uchiha claim the Second Hokage position.
• The Uchiha Great Elder gave the Land of Fire Elder a report overturning the claim that bandits had attacked him, but withheld the Anbu clues.
• The Land of Fire Elder praised the Uchiha Clan and suggested Tobirama Senju was a suspect, then threatened further investigation while promising support for the Uchiha's ambitions.
• The Uchiha Great Elder revealed that the assassins might have come from Konoha's Anbu, and the Land of Fire Elder smiled at the revelation.

The Land of Fire Elder persuaded the Uchiha Great Elder to help pressure Konoha into investigating Tobirama Senju and Konoha's Anbu by spreading rumors and evidence. The Uchiha Great Elder agreed, seeing the investigation as a chance to gain access to Anbu while limiting the clan's risk.

• The Land of Fire Elder pretended to be outraged by evidence linking Tobirama Senju and Konoha's Anbu to the assassination, then pressed the Uchiha Great Elder to take a side.
• The Uchiha Great Elder stayed silent, fearing the consequences of openly accusing Tobirama Senju and provoking Hashirama Senju.
• The Land of Fire Elder proposed spreading the evidence beyond the Land of Fire so public pressure would help justify an internal investigation of Konoha's Anbu.
• The Uchiha Great Elder judged the plan to be relatively safe and recognized that Tobirama Senju's recusal could give the Uchiha Clan access to Anbu.
• The Uchiha Great Elder pledged that the Uchiha Clan would support the investigation and use its Sharingan to scrutinize Konoha's Anbu.

Tobirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto responded to rumors about the Land of Fire Elder's assassination by deciding to contain the Uchiha Clan's investigation rather than strike the Elder again. Uchiha Makoto planned to persuade the Uchiha Great Elder to keep quiet, while warning Tobirama Senju that Uchiha Madara could become Hokage.

• Tobirama Senju brought Uchiha Makoto intelligence about rumors that their role in the Land of Fire Elder's assassination might be exposed.
• Tobirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto suspected the Uchiha Clan had infiltrated the sealed crime scene and agreed that killing the Land of Fire Elder now would only worsen matters.
• Tobirama Senju privately considered poisoning the Land of Fire Elder later, while Uchiha Makoto recognized his intentions and noted that Tobirama Senju had already sent Anbu ninjas after the Elder's family.
• Tobirama Senju proposed killing the Uchiha Great Elder, but Uchiha Makoto refused to harm a clan member and suggested granting the Great Elder's demands instead.
• Uchiha Makoto said he would use the marriage alliance between their clans to persuade the Uchiha Great Elder to overlook the assassination and warned that Uchiha Madara could claim the Hokage's position.
• Tobirama Senju grew furious as Uchiha Makoto pointed out that the Uchiha Clan might make Uchiha Madara Hokage.

Uchiha Makoto taunted Tobirama Senju over his hopeless rivalry with Uchiha Madara, then visited the Uchiha Great Elder to discuss Makoto’s son and his marriage alliance with the Hokage’s granddaughter. The Great Elder celebrated the alliance as an honor for the Uchiha Clan, while Makoto privately believed the clan would never knowingly serve as Akatsuki Ninja Village’s moles.

• Uchiha Makoto reminded Tobirama Senju that Uchiha Madara vastly outclassed him and had never even treated him as a rival.
• Tobirama Senju endured Makoto’s taunts and reflected on his desperate need to gain strength equal to his elder brother’s.
• Uchiha Makoto arrived at the Uchiha Great Elder’s residence and considered why the clan could not openly serve as Akatsuki Ninja Village’s moles.
• Uchiha Makoto and the Uchiha Great Elder chatted about Makoto’s son and his marriage alliance with the Hokage’s granddaughter.
• The Uchiha Great Elder praised the marriage alliance as a great honor for the Uchiha Clan.

Uchiha Makoto persuaded the Uchiha Great Elder to abandon the Land of Fire Elder’s plot against Tobirama Senju and focus on Madara becoming the Second Hokage. When the Daimyo summoned Konoha and Akatsuki Ninja Village, Makoto prepared to close the assassination case and demand compensation from the nobles.

• The Uchiha Great Elder celebrated Makoto’s engagement alliance with Tsunade and discussed rumors about the Uchiha and Senju ancestors.
• Makoto warned the Great Elder that accusing Tobirama of the Land of Fire Elder’s assassination could threaten Konoha and the marriage alliance.
• Makoto convinced the Great Elder that Madara could claim the Second Hokage position, so the Uchiha should not help the Land of Fire Elder target Tobirama.
• An envoy summoned the Uchiha, Konoha, and Akatsuki Ninja Village to the Daimyo, and the Great Elder decided to abandon his agreement with the Land of Fire Elder.
• Tobirama worried that his fate depended on Makoto, while Makoto planned to close the assassination case and seek compensation from the Daimyo and nobles.

The Land of Fire Elder accused Konoha’s Anbu of attempting to assassinate him and demanded an explanation from Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. Uchiha Makoto defended them by dismissing the evidence and accusing the Elder of treachery, leaving the palace caught off guard.

• The Land of Fire Elder presented intelligence alleging that Konoha’s Anbu had tried to assassinate him and pressed Hashirama Senju for an explanation.
• Hashirama Senju read the report, questioned Tobirama Senju, and asked him to explain what had happened.
• Uchiha Makoto stepped in, claimed the attack had been caused by bandits disguised as rogue ninjas, and crumpled the report.
• Uchiha Makoto challenged the Land of Fire Elder’s reliance on rumors and accused him of questioning Konoha’s loyalty for an ulterior purpose.
• Uchiha Makoto turned to the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and declared that the treacherous minister had exposed himself.

Uchiha Makoto turned the Land of Fire Elder’s accusations into a pretext to have Akatsuki Ninja seize him, forcing the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire to intervene. After the feudal lord and Hashirama Senju urged calm and Tobirama Senju publicly affirmed his loyalty, Makoto eased the standoff but made clear that Akatsuki’s ninja would obey him, not the feudal lord.

• Uchiha Makoto accused the Land of Fire Elder of threatening him and ordered Akatsuki Ninja to seize him in the palace.
• Akatsuki Ninja surrounded the Land of Fire Elder with Kunai and Shuriken as Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju urged Makoto not to hurt him.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire placated Makoto and defended the elder, while Makoto recognized that the feudal lord was backing the elder’s efforts to implicate Tobirama Senju.
• Tobirama Senju declared that he and Konoha had nothing to hide and were loyal to the Land of Fire, easing Makoto’s stance.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire ordered Akatsuki Ninja to put away their weapons, but they waited for Uchiha Makoto’s command before releasing the elder.

Uchiha Makoto intimidated the Land of Fire Elder and resisted the Daimyo’s pressure over the assassination case, while the Elder tried to revive a plan to investigate Konoha’s Anbu. The Uchiha Great Elder refused to take the lead, leaving the matter for Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto to decide.

• Uchiha Makoto ordered the Akatsuki Ninja Village shinobi to put away their weapons but kept them surrounding the Land of Fire Elder, humiliating the Elder and angering the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire.
• The Feudal Lord considered striking back against the shinobi villages but chose to endure and continue his plan to sow discord between the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan.
• The Land of Fire Elder softened his tone and urged Hashirama Senju to treat the assassination case seriously, and Hashirama recalled that parts of the earlier investigation had seemed strange.
• The Land of Fire Elder suspected that Tobirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto had conspired and pressed the Uchiha Great Elder to propose a thorough investigation of Konoha’s Anbu.
• The Uchiha Great Elder declined to lead an investigation, saying Konoha needed to prove its innocence but leaving the decision to Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Makoto.

Uchiha Makoto secured permission for the Akatsuki Ninja Village to investigate Konoha’s Anbu, then threatened the Land of Fire’s Daimyo into funding a campaign against Rogue Ninja. The Daimyo challenged Makoto’s warning, and Makoto left the threat hanging with a blunt “Hard to say!”

• Uchiha Makoto proposed that Akatsuki Ninja investigate Konoha’s Anbu, and Hashirama Senju agreed while Tobirama Senju reluctantly accepted.
• The Land of Fire Elder tried to join the investigation, but Makoto rebuked him and redirected the discussion toward the danger posed by Rogue Ninja.
• Makoto urged the Land of Fire’s Daimyo to release emergency funds to hunt the bandits, implying the Daimyo could be targeted next.
• The Daimyo sarcastically questioned whether Rogue Ninja would dare attack him and accused the villages of incompetence.
• Makoto insisted that no protection was absolute and told the Daimyo to heed his advice; when asked whether refusal would leave his safety uncertain, Makoto replied, “Hard to say!”

Uchiha Makoto forced the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire to fund a bandit-suppression campaign, then negotiated how to divide the money with him and Tobirama Senju. After Makoto tried to charge Konoha for the Daimyo’s share, he used Tobirama’s confession to the elder’s family assassination to silence him.

• Uchiha Makoto threatened the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire until the Daimyo agreed to fund the bandit-suppression operation, and the Land of Fire Elder was forced to contribute as well.
• Two days later, Uchiha Makoto planned to levy a Blood Tax from the nobles, while Tobirama Senju prepared to support the operation despite his objections to such extortion.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire demanded thirty percent of the collected money, and Uchiha Makoto reluctantly agreed to the Daimyo’s share during private negotiations with Tobirama Senju present.
• After leaving the palace, Uchiha Makoto told Tobirama Senju he would deduct the Daimyo’s share from Konoha’s portion, provoking Tobirama’s protest.
• Uchiha Makoto turned Tobirama Senju’s admission that he had carried out the elder’s family assassination into a threat to investigate Konoha’s Anbu.