Chapter Summaries

On Uchiha Kei’s birthday, Kakashi and the others tried to invite him and Hyuga Aya to dinner, but Imai Kenta told them to leave the pair alone. Kei and Aya revisited places from their past and shared a quiet moment by the river, while Kenta decided to bring them a gift.

• Kakashi and his companions asked Imai Kenta about Kei and Aya’s whereabouts and invited them to a birthday dinner.
• Imai Kenta teased Kakashi about the pair’s relationship and persuaded everyone to disperse.
• Kei and Aya revisited meaningful places around Konoha, including the river where they first met.
• Kei and Aya reflected on how their lives and fortunes had changed since their early missions.
• Aya leaned against Kei, and they shared a peaceful moment together as the wind blew.
• Imai Kenta decided to visit the pair with a present.

Uchiha Kei treated the bite Hyuga Aya had left on his arm and reassured Iori that he considered her his little sister, while Iori prepared to speak with him about her past. Osai brought Samui, Atsui, and Shi to meet Kei, hoping to learn Konoha’s real position in the bleak negotiations with Kumogakure.

• Hyuga Aya woke beside Uchiha Kei, bit his hand, mocked his lack of experience, and left him with a wound.
• At home, Iori applied medicine to Kei’s arm, and Kei urged her to call him Brother and promised to help her forget the lab.
• Iori reflected on the memories Kei might erase and resolved to become less fragile, but a knock interrupted her before she could speak.
• Osai brought Samui, Atsui, and Shi to the Uchiha compound, where Kumogakure’s delegation hoped to discover Konoha’s true negotiating position.
• Osai warned the young Ninja that Uchiha Kei had defeated the Fourth Raikage and that the mysterious Uchiha had singled him out as a worthy opponent.

Uchiha Kei received Kumogakure Captain Osai and his subordinates Samui, Atsui, and Shi, who sought a way to soften Konoha’s harsh negotiation terms. Osai offered cooperation and proposed hiring a powerful shinobi to protect Kumogakure’s Jinchuriki, and Kei ended by asking what the two Jinchuriki were worth.

• Uchiha Kei gave Osai ten minutes to explain why he and Samui, Atsui, and Shi had come to his home.
• Osai argued that Konoha’s negotiation terms were too harsh, but Kei said the visitors had approached the wrong person and dismissed their attempt to fish for information.
• Osai warned that Kumogakure’s collapse could benefit Iwagakure and offered to cooperate with Konoha, even at a higher price.
• Kei said he could pass Osai’s offer to the Hokage and suggested that Kumogakure might help Konoha deal with the Mysterious Organization.
• Osai raised the need to protect Kumogakure’s remaining Jinchuriki, and Kei asked what the Jinchuriki in Konoha and the one in prison were worth.

Minato, Kei, Shikaku, and the others discussed Kumogakure’s proposed aid deal and whether Konoha should return the Fourth Raikage and Dodai in exchange for resources and cooperation. Minato approved Kei’s approach, and the meeting ended with Kei noticing Imai Kenta’s exhaustion after he had fallen asleep in the lab.

• Minato and the others reviewed Kumogakure’s aid plans while Fugaku and Hiashi headed to the front lines to pressure the village.
• Kei explained that Kumogakure wanted to exchange for its captured leaders and discussed his conditions for an alliance against the Mysterious Organization.
• Kei proposed returning the Fourth Raikage and Dodai for resources, arguing that Dodai’s return could keep Konoha alert to Kumogakure’s capabilities.
• Shikaku, Minato, Kakashi, and Imai Kenta agreed with Kei’s proposal, while Kei said he would go to Kumogakure if Dodai disrupted the negotiations.
• Kei noticed Imai Kenta looked exhausted, and Imai Kenta explained that he had fallen asleep alone in the lab and stayed there until morning.

Uchiha Kei faced rumors about his night with Hyuga Aya while meeting with Namikaze Minato and Nara Shikaku to discuss Konoha’s affairs. He proposed using nearby small countries as test sites to expand Konoha’s influence and spread Minato’s ideas.

• Kakashi and Imai Kenta questioned Uchiha Kei about spending the night with Senior Aya and visiting a brothel, while rumors about him reached Namikaze Minato.
• Namikaze Minato cautioned Uchiha Kei to control himself, and Kei warned that Jiraiya could end up in Konoha Prison if he fueled the rumors.
• Uchiha Kei and Nara Shikaku discussed turning Konoha’s deal with Kumogakure into supplies of transformation techniques and secret techniques.
• Uchiha Kei told Namikaze Minato that they should plan for what would follow the Jonin Reform.
• Uchiha Kei proposed using nearby small countries as test sites to expand Konoha’s influence and spread Minato’s ideas.

Uchiha Kei proposed extending Konoha’s influence by rebuilding and guiding the ninja forces of small countries, winning Namikaze Minato and Nara Shikaku’s support. He then considered his plans to strengthen his Eternal Mangekyo, Susanoo, and chakra while facing a growing list of other responsibilities.

• Uchiha Kei explained how Konoha could use small countries as allies, markets, and sources of resources while installing leaders loyal to the village.
• Namikaze Minato saw the proposal as a way to spread his ideals beyond Konoha, while Nara Shikaku recognized its strategic and financial benefits.
• Uchiha Kei, Namikaze Minato, and Nara Shikaku agreed that they would need to select a suitable country and plan the operation carefully before acting.
• Uchiha Kei resolved to study his Eternal Mangekyo abilities, develop Susanoo’s flight and power, and improve his chakra control.
• Uchiha Kei listed senjutsu, Aya’s experiment, improving Kenta, and administrative work among the other tasks he still had to handle.

After a meeting, Uchiha Kei invited Aya Hyuga out and went to the Hyuga compound to find her, while Imai Kenta took Kakashi to meet Uchiha Rin. The chapter left Kei outside the compound, where Hizashi Hyuga recognized him and understood he had come for Aya.

• Uchiha Kei agreed to invite Aya Hyuga out with friends and sent Imai Kenta and Kakashi to find Uchiha Rin.
• Imai Kenta and Kakashi talked about their friends’ relationships as they headed toward the Uchiha Clan compound.
• Uchiha Kei arrived at the Hyuga Clan compound, uncertain how Aya Hyuga would respond but resolved to see her.
• Hizashi Hyuga returned with Hyuga Clan members and greeted Uchiha Kei respectfully.
• Hizashi Hyuga realized Uchiha Kei had come to find Aya Hyuga.

Hyuga Aya struggled with her feelings after spending the night with Uchiha Kei, then joined him to meet their friends. As Kei helped her get ready, the two nearly kissed before Aya’s mother interrupted them.

• Hyuga Aya recalled leaning against Uchiha Kei and biting him, while admitting to herself that she might not have hated spending the night with him.
• Hyuga Aya’s mother worried about her daughter’s overnight absence and the village rumors, then told her that Uchiha Kei had come to visit.
• Uchiha Kei invited Hyuga Aya to join him, Kakashi, and Uchiha Rin for a gathering hosted by Imai Kenta, and Aya agreed to go.
• Uchiha Kei straightened Hyuga Aya’s clothes and combed her hair, and they leaned toward each other with their eyes closed.
• Hyuga Aya’s mother opened the living-room door and told Kei and Aya that their friends were waiting outside the clan compound.

Uchiha Kei discussed his plan to draw small nations into Konoha’s orbit by helping them develop and defend themselves, while gaining allies and strategic influence. The group also debated whether this expansion echoed the opposing visions of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara, and Kei left the final decision to time and discussion.

• Imai Kenta asked Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya why they were in sour moods after leaving the Hyuga Clan compound, and Aya snapped at him.
• Imai Kenta asked whether Uchiha Kei planned to make a move on the small nations, drawing Hyuga Aya and Uchiha Obito into the discussion.
• Uchiha Kei explained his plan to help small nations build their defenses and develop as Konoha-aligned villages in exchange for future benefits and a regional alliance.
• Hyuga Aya and Uchiha Obito recognized that the plan could give the small nations protection and help bring stability, while also strengthening Konoha.
• Imai Kenta asked whether Uchiha Kei had ambitions for the entire Ninja World, prompting Kei to compare the proposal with the competing visions of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
• Uchiha Kei acknowledged the concerns about expansion and said Minato and others still needed time to decide whether to try the plan.

Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya discussed Obito’s past and the events that led him to darkness after he announced he would leave Konoha. Their quiet walk ended with Aya asking how Kei would react if Imai Kenta killed her, and Kei rejected the hypothetical.

• At Imai Kenta’s farewell gathering, Uchiha Obito announced he would return to his mission, and Kakashi wished him luck.
• After the gathering, Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya walked alone and discussed Obito’s identity and how he had been manipulated after Nohara Rin’s death.
• Uchiha Kei told Hyuga Aya to leave the larger conspiracy alone for now, then took her hand as they spoke about her growing confidence.
• Hyuga Aya asked whether Kei would grieve if Imai Kenta were forced to kill her, and Kei answered that his world had no what-ifs.

Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya discussed their bond as they walked through Konoha, and Kei told her a story about the Little Prince and his rose. At Aya’s doorstep, Kei reminded her of her teasing words from that morning and moved closer, leaving their next encounter unresolved.

• Uchiha Kei refused to answer Hyuga Aya’s hypothetical about whether he would care if she died, saying he would not let such a thing happen.
• Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya walked to a park, where she asked what they were to each other.
• Uchiha Kei told Hyuga Aya about the Little Prince’s unique rose, and she reflected on how people become special to one another.
• Hyuga Aya questioned whether anyone could tame Uchiha Kei, but neither of them resolved what their relationship meant.
• Uchiha Kei walked Hyuga Aya to a corner near her home, then reminded her of her teasing comment from that morning and said he wanted to see whether he would disappoint her again.

Uchiha Kei joined Namikaze Minato and the others in planning Konoha’s exchange with Kumogakure, and they decided to let Kumogakure choose between ordinary and high-level Ninjutsu proposals. After the meeting, Imai Kenta questioned Kei about his unusually cheerful mood and his evening with Hyuga Aya.

• Namikaze Minato summoned Uchiha Kei and Imai Kenta to discuss Kumogakure’s urgent negotiations and review the proposal he had prepared with Nara Shikaku.
• Uchiha Kei asked whether Konoha should prioritize ordinary Ninjutsu for many ninja or high-level techniques, and the group debated which would better serve Konoha.
• Namikaze Minato argued that high-level Ninjutsu could safeguard Konoha against clans withholding their own valuable techniques, while Nara Shikaku and Imai Kenta favored acquiring powerful techniques for future needs.
• Uchiha Kei suggested preparing both proposals and letting Kumogakure choose, with the other proposal reserved for a later exchange; Namikaze Minato and Nara Shikaku divided up the work.
• Uchiha Kei declined to help with the proposals because he needed to oversee the Military Police Force’s expansion, and Imai Kenta later asked why he was in such a good mood.
• Uchiha Kei confirmed that he had walked Hyuga Aya home the previous night, then paused as he recalled their parting.

Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya shared a kiss, then affirmed that they loved each other’s distinct personalities rather than wanting to tame one another. Later, Kei reflected on his relationship with Aya and Imai Kenta, then asked Kenta what kind of partner he would prefer.

• Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya kissed, but Aya bit his lip and told him she would not be tamed or become anyone’s possession.
• Kei embraced Aya from behind and told her he loved her cool reserve, personality, and refusal to give in completely.
• Aya reminded Kei that he had once joked about using Genjutsu on a girl who did not like him and called whoever ended up with her unlucky; Kei said he was willing to be that unlucky one.
• Imai Kenta snapped Kei out of his thoughts and teased him about having had a good night, while reflecting on how close the three friends had become.
• Kei asked Kenta what kind of woman he would want and whether he would prefer someone unique who had been tamed; Kenta said he preferred that so he could do whatever he wanted.

Uchiha Kei reviewed the Military Police Force’s personnel reports while teasing Hyuga Aya and discussing her plans to grow stronger. The chapter left them together in his office as someone approached and Aya demanded that he let her go.

• Uchiha Kei held Hyuga Aya in his lap while reviewing the Military Police Force’s reports and explaining its expanded administrative system.
• Uchiha Kei recognized Kurenai and Might Guy on the personnel lists and noted that both had passed the Military Police Force’s test.
• Hyuga Aya said she planned to focus on Sage Mode and improving her understanding of chakra transformation.
• Uchiha Kei said he could make Orochimaru cooperate but would not reveal the Mangekyo’s secrets to him.
• Hyuga Aya noticed someone approaching and told Uchiha Kei to let her go.

Uchiha Kei and Nara Shikaku discussed Konoha’s concluded negotiations with Kumogakure and the need to obtain Ninjutsu before pursuing plans involving Dodai. At the hospital, Sarutobi Hiruzen learned how Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Kei had advanced political reforms, leaving him furious and unable to undo the changes.

• Nara Shikaku told Uchiha Kei that Konoha and Kumogakure had reached an understanding and planned to propose an alliance against the Mysterious Organization.
• Nara Shikaku explained that Kumogakure would provide a satisfactory amount of Ninjutsu and pay for the exchanged items immediately under a contract, while leaving further compensation talks for later.
• Uchiha Kei understood that Nara Shikaku had come to discuss Dodai.
• Sarutobi Kento reported to Sarutobi Hiruzen that the Mysterious Uchiha had defeated the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and wiped out Kumogakure’s force, allowing Konoha to emerge from the war.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen learned that Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Kei had pushed through reforms that threatened his political network, and he cursed in anger as he realized he could not reverse them.

Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya discussed the Third Hokage’s awakening and Kei’s confidence that he could not derail their plans. Over dinner, Aya reflected on how unexpectedly close they had become and warned Kei not to pursue dangerous Genjutsu.

• Hyuga Aya asked Uchiha Kei whether the Third Hokage had woken up, and Kei said he had but could no longer change much.
• Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya joked about their future meals and went to an Akimichi barbecue restaurant, where Akimichi Choza arranged a private room for them.
• Hyuga Aya asked whether Kei feared retaliation from the Third Hokage, and Kei said he followed rules by choice and would not act without confidence.
• Uchiha Kei said Hyuga Aya had been his greatest surprise, recalling how she had once threatened to kill herself to force his hand.
• Hyuga Aya told Kei she would not let him off if he dared to study the Genjutsu he had mentioned.

Sarutobi Hiruzen met with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura and recognized that Namikaze Minato’s reforms were too established to stop. He ordered them to investigate the captive Fourth Raikage and Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, then turned to a plan to eliminate Dodai and seek revenge on the clans and Uchiha Kei.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen learned that the Kumogakure negotiations were keeping Konoha occupied while Namikaze Minato and his allies advanced their reforms.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to find where the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki were being held, but they had no information.
• Utatane Koharu told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Dodai had been captured during a mission by Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Kei and was now imprisoned under Uchiha Kei’s watch.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen judged Dodai too dangerous to return to Kumogakure and ordered Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to watch Konoha Prison and kill him if they had the chance.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen decided to take revenge on the Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Cho, and Hyuga, especially Uchiha Kei.

Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya left a dinner with Akimichi Choza, then noticed Uchiha Shisui being followed; Kei planned to confirm Shisui’s loyalties. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen resolved to study the new system, seek revenge on the Uchiha Clan, and put a plan in motion as an unnamed visitor arrived.

• Akimichi Choza treated Uchiha Kei and Hyuga Aya with unusual courtesy, and Aya deduced that Nara Shikaku had privately spoken with Kei about the political changes.
• Kei and Aya spotted Uchiha Shisui being tailed, and Kei decided to wait and determine whether Shisui remained loyal to him.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen reflected on losing influence and blamed the Uchiha Clan for helping undermine his rule.
• Utatane Koharu told Hiruzen that someone had arrived, and he ordered her to let the visitor in because he needed them for his plan.

The Third Hokage summoned Uchiha Shisui, promised to resume teaching him, and tried to sway him by arguing that changes to the clan system threatened Konoha. Shisui listened but remained cautious, intending to consult Uchiha Shin or Uchiha Kei before changing his position.

• Uchiha Shisui arrived at the hospital rooftop after Root summoned him and found the awakened Third Hokage waiting.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen apologized for failing to teach Shisui and promised to teach him again the next morning.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen warned Shisui that people were trying to disrupt Konoha's peace and told him to listen without repeating his words.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen argued that clan legacies preserved the Ninja world's strength and accused unnamed people of forcing clans to surrender their training resources.
• Uchiha Shisui listened without revealing his doubts and planned to seek guidance from Uchiha Shin or Uchiha Kei before changing his mind.

Uchiha Kei challenged Shisui to think critically about Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha’s entrenched clan system, then joined Kakashi to escort Dodai for a prisoner exchange with Kumogakure. On the way, Kei confirmed that Uchiha Rin was undercover in a dangerous organization and held a high position there.

• Uchiha Shisui visited Uchiha Kei and said he doubted Sarutobi Hiruzen’s arguments, so Kei urged him to consider whether Konoha should preserve clan privileges or create a system based on ninja rank.
• Uchiha Kei decided that Sarutobi Hiruzen was now his enemy and added Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to his blacklist.
• Kakashi told Uchiha Kei that Konoha and Kumogakure had agreed to exchange prisoners in stages, beginning with Dodai, and asked Kei to escort him.
• Kakashi revealed that the prisoner exchange would also help him identify disloyal members of Anbu who might leak information.
• On the way to Konoha Prison, Uchiha Kei confirmed to Kakashi that Uchiha Rin was undercover in a dangerous organization and held a high position there.