Chapter Summaries

Uzumaki Kuming returned to Konoha and spent the evening catching up with Jiraiya and Shisui while Minato and the village elders discussed the Cloud Ninja’s demands. After Kuming left the others, he sensed a shadow heading toward the Hyuga Clan’s home and followed it.

• Jiraiya and Kuming reminisced at a hot spring after Shisui confirmed Kuming’s return to Konoha.
• Minato, Hiruzen, and the elders discussed the Cloud Ninja’s demands and suspected they were preparing for war.
• A police ninja reported that Kuming had returned, delighting Minato, Hiruzen, and Homura.
• Kuming, Jiraiya, and Shisui drank together, then Kuming headed out alone while Shisui took Jiraiya home.
• Kuming sensed a shadow moving toward the Hyuga Clan’s home and followed it.

Uzumaki Kuming followed a Cloud Ninja into the Hyuga compound and watched him abduct Hinata. After Hyuga Hiashi killed the intruder and rescued his daughter, Kuming revealed himself and told Hiashi to report the incident directly to Minato.

• Uzumaki Kuming tracked the Cloud Ninja as he avoided Konoha's patrols and approached the Hyuga compound.
• The Cloud Ninja entered Hinata Hyuga's room, killed her maid, knocked Hinata unconscious, and carried her away.
• Hyuga Hiashi confronted the intruder outside the compound and killed him with a Gentle Fist strike before checking on Hinata.
• Uzumaki Kuming appeared behind Hiashi and advised him to contact Minato instead of the Konoha Police Department.
• Hiashi recognized Kuming, who teased him for taking so long to recognize him.

Uzumaki Kuming explained to Hyuga Hiashi that the Cloud Ninja envoy’s attack was likely meant to provoke conflict and discussed the danger of his return creating a struggle with Minato Namikaze over the Hokage’s authority. Kuming left without deciding whether to reclaim power, intending to prioritize Konoha’s stability.

• Uzumaki Kuming told Hyuga Hiashi that the Cloud Ninja envoy had likely come to provoke Konoha, whether he succeeded in stealing the Byakugan or was caught.
• Uzumaki Kuming explained that Konoha’s losses and its possession of the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails had made it a target for the Cloud Ninja.
• Uzumaki Kuming said he had not decided how to meet his old friends because his return as the Fourth Hokage could create a power struggle with Minato Namikaze, the Fifth Hokage.
• Hyuga Hiashi offered to help Kuming reclaim authority, but Kuming said he did not want Minato’s supporters to turn against him or destabilize the village.
• Uzumaki Kuming left the Hyuga residence to think over the Hokage issue, while Hiashi watched him go.

After the Cloud Ninja delegation demanded that Konoha surrender Hyuga Hiashi for killing their leader, Minato Namikaze backed Hiashi as he turned the accusation against the envoys and had them seized. Hiashi told Nara Shikaku that Minato was back and stronger than before, leaving Shikaku reassured.

• The Cloud Ninja delegation confronted Minato Namikaze, threatened war, and demanded that Konoha hand over Hyuga Hiashi.
• Hiashi entered the Hokage’s office and accused the Cloud Ninja leader of trespassing and attempting to kidnap his daughter, then demanded to question the remaining envoys.
• Minato authorized Hiashi to take the envoys for questioning, and Nara Shikaku immobilized all five with Shadow Possession Jutsu.
• Hiashi punched one envoy unconscious, and Hyuga Clan ninja sealed the envoys’ chakra points and escorted them away.
• Shikaku asked whether Minato was all right, and Hiashi said Minato had returned with vastly greater chakra.

Uzumaki Kuming learned that Konoha was facing pressure from other villages over its Tailed Beasts, but he refused to seek the Hokage position and wanted to travel and train. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Mitokado Homura offered him the Ninja Academy principal position, which Kuming found appealing.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu visited Kuming, who told them he was well and that he had mastered the Nine-Tails' power.
• Kuming explained that the Nine-Tails was named Kurama, and the advisors realized his relationship with it had changed.
• Hiruzen told Kuming that Minato Namikaze was Hokage and described the pressure Konoha faced over holding four Tailed Beasts.
• Kuming said he supported Minato as Hokage and wanted to travel the Shinobi World and train in Senjutsu.
• Mitokado Homura suggested Kuming become principal of the Ninja Academy, and Kuming said the position sounded appealing.

Uzumaki Jiuming refused the offer to become Ninja Academy principal immediately, asking for two years to travel the Shinobi World before taking the position. While wandering through the woods, he encountered Obito Uchiha, Kakashi, and Rin Nohara and teased them about their weakness before they recognized him as the Fourth Hokage.

• Uzumaki Jiuming asked Hiruzen Sarutobi for two years to travel before becoming Ninja Academy principal, and Hiruzen agreed.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Mitokado Homura that Jiuming would not change his mind once he had decided to leave.
• Jiuming left his home to visit Kushina, then heard Obito Uchiha challenge Kakashi to a fight in the woods.
• Rin Nohara sensed someone approaching, and Jiuming emerged from the trees and mocked the three students for being weak.
• Kakashi and Rin recognized Jiuming as the Fourth Hokage, and he said he was disappointed they had improved so little.

Uzumaki Kuming challenged Kakashi, Obito Uchiha, and Rin Nohara to prove their strength, then easily countered their attacks. Kakashi emerged from beneath the ground with a Kunai at Kuming’s neck and declared that Kuming had lost.

• Uzumaki Kuming criticized Kakashi and Obito Uchiha for seeming weak and challenged the three to show him their strength.
• Kakashi accepted the test, and Obito charged Kuming while Kakashi and Rin moved into position.
• Kuming grabbed Obito’s wrist and kicked him away, then dodged Kunai thrown from behind.
• Kakashi and Obito coordinated a surprise attack with shuriken and Obito’s Flame Dragon Bullet, but Kuming’s lightning neutralized the jutsu and cut apart the shuriken.
• Kakashi leaped from beneath the ground and held a Kunai to Kuming’s neck, declaring that Kuming had lost.

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin Nohara tested their skills against Uzumaki Kuming, but Kuming easily countered their attacks. Kakashi then prepared to try a newly developed jutsu, leaving the result unresolved.

• Kuming numbed Kakashi's wrist with lightning, took his dropped Kunai, and threw it beside Obito to show he had not been defeated.
• Kakashi, Obito, and Rin used smoke to conceal their approach, but Kuming crushed Kakashi's Lightning Dog and emerged unharmed from their fire-and-Chidori attack.
• Kuming slammed Kakashi into the ground, only for the body to vanish as a Shadow Clone.
• Obito offered to use his Sharingan Genjutsu while Kakashi drew Kuming's attention, and Kakashi accepted the plan.
• Kakashi approached Kuming alone and warned that his newly developed jutsu was difficult to control; Kuming urged him to use it without restraint.

Kakashi tested his self-developed Lightning Armor and sword technique against Kuming, while Obito and Rin joined the fight. Kakashi and Obito were swiftly subdued, but Rin’s unexpectedly powerful punch forced Kuming to use twenty percent of his strength.

• Kakashi covered himself in Lightning Armor and used it to attack Kuming at greatly increased speed, but Kuming blocked his strikes without moving.
• Kakashi unleashed his Chaotic Slashes, yet Kuming emerged unharmed while Kakashi collapsed from exhaustion and a wounded hand.
• Obito rushed out and cast a Sharingan genjutsu on Kuming, who interrupted it with a rap on the head.
• Kuming warned Obito that the attack could have killed him and noted Kakashi had used too much Chakra to continue fighting.
• Rin dropped from above and punched Kuming with enough force to crack the ground, making him use twenty percent of his strength to withstand her increasing power.

Uzumaki Kuming tested Rin Nohara’s fighting ability and discovered that her strength and the Three-Tails’ Chakra exceeded his expectations. He told Rin, Obito Uchiha, and Kakashi that they would travel with him soon and train to become pillars of Konoha’s future.

• Rin Nohara used Strength of a Hundred against Uzumaki Kuming, who threw her into a snow-covered tree and asked who taught her the technique.
• Rin said Kushina had taught her, then clashed fists with Kuming as Obito Uchiha watched in shock at her strength.
• Rin’s fighting spirit surged during the contest, and a Tailed Beast Cloak formed around her as the Three-Tails’ Chakra leaked through her intact seal.
• Kuming consulted Kurama, who suggested that a resonance between the Tailed Beasts might explain the Chakra’s appearance.
• Kuming reassured Rin that the transformation was a good thing and declared that she, Obito, and Kakashi would travel with him and grow into pillars of Konoha.

After returning to Konoha, Uzumaki Kuming reunited with Kushina and met Naruto, who asked him to teach him ninjutsu so he could fight those who bullied him. Kuming grew concerned about Naruto, while he and Kushina caught up at home.

• Obito left the forest determined to get stronger and protect Rin after realizing she and Kakashi had surpassed him.
• Kuming returned to Konoha, got his hair trimmed, bought new clothes, and went to Minato and Kushina's home.
• Naruto recognized Kuming, and Kushina greeted her younger brother warmly and introduced him to Naruto as his uncle and the Fourth Hokage.
• Naruto asked Kuming to teach him ninjutsu so he could beat the people who bullied him, but Kushina scolded him for fighting.
• Kuming asked Kushina what was happening, but she brushed off his concern and invited him inside to catch up.

Uzumaki Kuming visited Uchiha Fugaku’s home and reunited with Mikoto, who told him that rumors blaming the Uchiha for the Tailed Beast attack had deepened hostility between the clan and Konoha. She explained that Fugaku’s proposal to relocate the clan had divided the Uchiha, whose meetings had become factional battlegrounds.

• Uzumaki Kuming noticed matching black tattoos on an Uchiha guard and Ayako Uchiha as he entered Fugaku’s residence with Naruto.
• Sasuke Uchiha met Kuming and Naruto, recognized Kuming as his brother’s teacher, and took Naruto outside to play.
• Mikoto Uchiha greeted Kuming and privately asked him to help Fugaku.
• Mikoto told Kuming that rumors accusing the Uchiha of controlling the Tailed Beast had fueled hostility toward the clan.
• Mikoto explained that a clash between Uchiha and village ninja had killed several ninja, prompting Fugaku to propose relocating the clan.
• Mikoto said Fugaku’s proposal split the clan and turned its meetings into battles between opposing factions.

Uzumaki Kuming told Mikoto Uchiha that Fugaku might need to eliminate the Uchiha Clan's dissenters to prevent a break with Konoha. After catching Ayako Uchiha spying, Kuming tracked her to a secret meeting and confronted the conspirators.

• Mikoto told Kuming that the Uchiha Clan's rift with Konoha was worsening despite Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi's efforts.
• Kuming advised Mikoto that Fugaku might have to kill the dissenters to stop the conflict before it became irreversible.
• Kuming detected Ayako Uchiha spying outside the room and pursued her after she fled.
• Ayako told a middle-aged man that the Fourth Hokage had caught her spying, and he realized she had led Kuming to their hideout.
• Kuming smashed open the hideout's door and entered as the middle-aged man recognized him as the Fourth Hokage and Uzumaki Kuming.

Uzumaki Kuming entered Ayako Uchiha’s home and stopped a surprise attack by Uchiha Zhi and a young man. When their cursed seals triggered a massive explosion, Kuming contained the blast with a barrier, leaving the house destroyed and Uchiha shinobi gathering around him.

• Uzumaki Kuming entered the room, where Ayako Uchiha, Uchiha Zhi, and a young man were present.
• Uchiha Zhi used his Sharingan to cast genjutsu and attacked Kuming, while the young man struck at him from the side.
• Kuming broke the genjutsu and swiftly knocked both attackers down, then restrained them and incapacitated Ayako Uchiha.
• As Kuming questioned Uchiha Zhi, the cursed seals on him, Ayako Uchiha, and the young man spread and caused their bodies to swell.
• Kuming raised a barrier around the house and contained the explosion inside it.
• Uchiha shinobi rushed to the scene as Kuming dismissed the barrier, revealing a deep pit where the house had stood.

Uzumaki Kuming investigated an explosion on Uchiha territory and denied causing it, then left to report to Fugaku. At a clan meeting, Fugaku confronted the Third Elder over his son’s misconduct, until the Great Elder challenged Fugaku to choose between leading the clan and serving Konoha.

• Uzumaki Kuming dispelled his barrier and investigated the crater, where Uchiha Inabi suspected him of causing the explosion.
• Uzumaki Kuming sensed unfamiliar chakra, denied responsibility, and told Uchiha Inabi to secure the scene and contact the Police Force’s Forensics Division.
• Uzumaki Kuming used the Body Flicker Technique to leave for the Uchiha Clan Compound and seek Fugaku.
• Uchiha Fugaku defended the Fifth Hokage’s decision to strip the Third Elder’s son of his Jonin rank, then accused him of using Genin as bait to escape.
• A young man secretly delivered a message to the Great Elder, who rose and demanded that Uchiha Fugaku choose whether he was clan head or a Konoha Jonin.

Uchiha Fugaku confronted Great Elder Uchiha Jin and Third Elder Uchiha Qing, who tried to seize control of the clan and overthrow him. The Uchiha meeting hall descended into a coup, while Fugaku fought Jin and Mikoto was intercepted as she tried to get help.

• Uchiha Jin demanded that Fugaku choose between serving the Uchiha Clan and Konoha, then revealed that he and Uchiha Qing had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and stripped Fugaku of leadership.
• Fugaku revealed his own Mangekyō Sharingan and warned the elders that they could not defeat Uzumaki Kuming, but Jin attacked anyway as clan members began fighting one another.
• Fugaku blocked Jin's attack and told Mikoto to find Kuming without alerting the village, while Mikoto urged him to signal for help and expose the coup.
• Mikoto tried to leave the shrine but was intercepted by the coup's forces, while Fugaku questioned Jin's motives and fought to hold him off.
• Jin refused to explain himself, attacked Fugaku with shuriken and a punch, and directed a sword to stab Fugaku from behind.

Uchiha Fugaku fought Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Qing as Jin’s Mangekyō ability turned a short sword against him, while Qing tried to exploit Fugaku’s absence to attack Uchiha Mikoto. Fugaku helped Mikoto escape through the steam-filled battle, then remained behind to face the fight.

• Uchiha Fugaku used a Shadow Clone to block a short sword attacking from behind, then dodged it until Uchiha Jin’s eye pain caused it to fall.
• Uchiha Fugaku charged at Uchiha Jin, but Uchiha Qing’s Mangekyō threat made him retreat underground with the Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu.
• Uchiha Qing tracked Fugaku beneath the ground and rushed toward Uchiha Mikoto, hoping to force Fugaku out.
• Uchiha Fugaku surfaced near Uchiha Mikoto and launched a fireball at Uchiha Jin, but Uchiha Qing blocked it with the Water Style: Water Formation Wall.
• Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto emerged from the steam together, and Mikoto left safely while Fugaku stayed behind.

Uchiha Fugaku fought Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Qing during the coup, revealing Susanoo and trying to make their followers surrender. Jin formed his own Susanoo and was struck by Fugaku’s strongest attack, while Uzumaki Kuming heard the explosion and rushed toward it.

• Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Qing attacked Fugaku with a combined Wind and Fire Style technique, and Fugaku blocked it with Susanoo.
• Fugaku urged Jin and Qing’s followers to surrender, promising to pardon them, but Jin blinded a young man who asked to be forgiven, and Qing killed him.
• Uchiha Jin told Qing to care for his grandson and formed a purple Susanoo despite the strain on his body.
• Fugaku’s Susanoo punched Jin’s Susanoo into a vacant lot, then hurled Yasakani no Magatama at him.
• Uzumaki Kuming heard the explosion from the Uchiha grounds and vanished toward the battle while carrying an unconscious young man.

Konoha ninja gathered outside the Uchiha Compound after an explosion, where Obito and Kakashi confirmed that the supposedly dead Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Kuming, had returned. Inside the Shrine, Uchiha Fugaku’s battle with Uchiha Jin and Uchiha Qing escalated when Qing’s space-time ability redirected Fugaku’s attack back at him.

• Konoha ninja rushed to the Uchiha Compound, but the guards barred them under orders from the returned Fourth Hokage, Uzumaki Kuming.
• Obito told the crowd that Kuming was alive, and Kakashi confirmed the news, prompting some ninja to leave and spread word through the village.
• Mikoto escaped the Shrine and hurried home, hoping to bring Kuming to help Fugaku, unaware that Kuming was not there.
• Fugaku’s Yasakani no Magatama damaged Jin’s Susanoo, but Jin survived the attack and struggled to keep fighting.
• Qing used his Mangekyō ability to warp space and erase one of Fugaku’s Susanoo arms, then redirected Fugaku’s next Yasakani no Magatama toward him.
• The redirected magatama struck Fugaku’s Susanoo from behind and exploded.

Uzumaki Kuming arrived at the Uchiha Clan Compound after Uchiha Qing’s powerful attack left Uchiha Fugaku wounded. Kuming prepared to face Qing and Uchiha Jin, who chose to fight together, while Fugaku stayed back with an unconscious captive.

• Uchiha Qing’s redirected attack devastated the Uchiha Clan Shrine and damaged Fugaku’s Susanoo, but Fugaku insisted Qing was still no match for him.
• Uzumaki Kuming appeared beside Fugaku, stopped him from striking, and tossed him an unconscious Uchiha.
• Uchiha Qing and Uchiha Jin recognized Kuming as the Fourth Hokage and decided to fight him together rather than flee.
• Fugaku warned Kuming about Qing’s and Jin’s Mangekyō Sharingan abilities and asked him to keep the brothers alive if possible.
• Kuming told Fugaku to stand back, then transformed with golden Chakra and challenged Qing and Jin to entertain him.