Chapter Summaries

Kou comforted Sasuke after the boy accused him of abandoning the Uchiha during the massacre, explaining that his Mangekyō Sharingan had awakened only afterward. Sasuke came to trust Kou and fell asleep in his arms, unaware that Kou was activating the Inari God.

• Sasuke saw Kou's Mangekyō Sharingan and angrily accused him of failing to stop Itachi and avenge the Uchiha.
• Kou embraced Sasuke instead of retaliating and explained that his Mangekyō had awakened after he learned of the massacre.
• Sasuke believed Kou's sincerity, apologized through his actions, and clung to him as the only living clansman who shared his pain.
• Sasuke sobbed himself to sleep in Kou's arms, while Kou reflected on his motives and activated the Inari God with his right eye.

Kakashi arrived at Konoha Hospital with Tsunade and Hiruzen, where Naruto’s argument with Jiraiya ended with Jiraiya being knocked through the door. After Minato, possessing Naruto, apologized, Hiruzen called the group to discuss serious business.

• Kakashi met Tsunade and Hiruzen at Konoha Hospital and said they should discuss the Mist Village alliance with Jiraiya and Minato.
• Naruto argued with Jiraiya about caring for him and asked about the popular book The Incompetent Husband.
• Kushina took over Naruto’s body and struck Jiraiya, sending him through the hospital-room door and leaving him unconscious.
• Minato possessed Naruto, apologized to Jiraiya, and asked Kushina to apologize, but she did not respond.
• Tsunade scolded Jiraiya for telling Naruto about smut, while Hiruzen privately praised Jiraiya’s effort to keep Tsunade in Konoha.
• Hiruzen stopped the argument and called everyone to discuss serious business.

Minato and the others examined the Mist Village’s proposed alliance and questioned why Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura would support reforms that could weaken his faction. Jiraiya revealed that Yagura may have secretly belonged to the Reformist Faction all along.

• Minato judged an alliance with the Mist Village and its Odd Jobs Agency beneficial, but worried about Karatachi Yagura’s intentions.
• Minato explained that the alliance’s economic changes could strengthen Shiina Sora’s Reformist Faction and undermine Yagura’s conservatives.
• Kakashi suggested that the changes might be reforms Yagura himself wanted to see.
• Jiraiya recalled that Yagura had originally opposed the Bloody Mist policy before abruptly reversing course after becoming Mizukage.
• Jiraiya concluded that Karatachi Yagura may have been part of the Reformist Faction from the beginning.

Minato and Jiraiya speculated that Karatachi Yagura had secretly worked with the Reformist Faction, and Hiruzen left Konoha's alliance decision unresolved pending evidence. While Kakashi and Naruto returned home, Kou discovered that Sasuke had no trace of the chakra belonging to Otsutsuki Indra's reincarnation.

• Minato concluded that Karatachi Yagura and Shiina Sora had secretly been allies all along, and the others considered the danger this posed to Konoha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ended the discussion and asked the others to keep considering an alliance with the Mist Village until they had conclusive evidence.
• Naruto walked home with Kakashi, privately discussing plans to beat up people who had angered him until Minato and Kushina objected.
• Kakashi worried about Sasuke's pain and hoped he would recover as he followed Naruto home.
• Kou searched sleeping Sasuke with his Mangekyō technique and found no trace of the chakra of Otsutsuki Indra's reincarnation.

Sasuke woke at Kakashi's home with a scroll proving that his reunion with Uchiha Kou had been real, and realized Kou had known him since infancy. Watching from the roof, Kou questioned whether Uchiha Madara was still alive and prepared to investigate Naruto for Asura's chakra.

• In Sasuke's dream, Kou held infant Sasuke and recalled their family's past with Itachi and Shisui, then urged Itachi to consider the Uchiha clan's interests and visit Grandpa Candle Flame.
• Sasuke awoke at Kakashi's home and found a sealed scroll containing a tailored training plan and detailed guidance on Uchiha ninjutsu and the Sharingan.
• Sasuke realized the meeting with Uchiha Kou had not been a dream, searched for him, and concluded that they had known each other for a long time.
• Kou watched Sasuke from the roof and worried that Sasuke lacked Indra's chakra, raising doubts about Uchiha Madara's survival and motives.
• Kou sensed Naruto and another familiar presence approaching and decided to check whether Naruto had Asura's chakra before vanishing.

Kakashi gently told Naruto that he could accept his friends’ kindness without feeling he had to repay it, then was caught by Kurenai for abandoning his comrades. Naruto left Kakashi behind, leaving him to face Kurenai’s demand for an explanation.

• Kakashi teased Naruto about his attempts to make friends at the Ninja Academy and worried that Naruto felt he had to earn the kindness of people close to him.
• Kakashi told Naruto that Sasuke, Shikamaru, and the others were his friends without expecting anything in return, and that he could accept their kindness without guilt.
• Kurenai caught Kakashi by the shoulder and demanded an explanation for abandoning his comrades.
• Kakashi tried to use Naruto and Sasuke as an excuse to leave, but Kurenai pointed out that Naruto had already gone.
• Naruto waved as he disappeared into the distance, while Kurenai kept hold of Kakashi and refused his request for a truce.

Naruto met Kou, who was disguised as an ordinary child, while walking alone at night. Kou’s words stirred an inexplicable sense of family in Naruto, and the chapter ended as Kou invited him to sit and talk.

• Naruto worried about Kakashi on his way home, then noticed a lone figure ahead and ran over despite Kushina’s warnings.
• Kushina feared Naruto might be in danger, but Minato recognized that the figure was a child.
• Kou, disguised with the Transformation Jutsu, reproached Naruto for wandering alone and showed no fear of him.
• Kou called Naruto a good person for worrying about him, leaving Naruto stunned and Minato and Kushina suspicious.
• Naruto asked Kou whether they had met before, and Kou invited him to sit and talk.

Naruto met the mysterious Kou on a park bench, where Kou gave him half a popsicle. Minato and Kushina warned Naruto to be cautious and stall for time, but Naruto ate the popsicle anyway, leaving Kou to question his lack of vigilance.

• Kou sat beside Naruto in a quiet park at night and handed him half a popsicle.
• Kushina urged Naruto to distance himself from Kou and call for help, while Minato warned that Kou was powerful and knew Konoha’s terrain well.
• Minato advised Naruto to cooperate with Kou and wait for Kakashi or Kurenai to notice the situation.
• Naruto misunderstood his parents’ warning and ate the popsicle, which Minato and Kushina watched in dismay.
• Kou criticized Naruto for accepting food from a stranger, and Naruto said he already knew Kou must have bad intentions.

Kou revealed to Naruto that he had cared for him when he was very young, then asked how Naruto had been all these years. Watching through Naruto’s eyes, Minato and Kushina recognized Kou and began to identify him.

• Naruto ate Kou’s popsicle and asked whether Kou knew Kakashi and why he seemed familiar.
• Kou told Naruto that he knew him and had looked after him when he was very small.
• Kou redirected the conversation and asked Naruto how he had been all these years.
• Naruto was moved by Kou’s gentle expression, while Minato and Kushina realized who Kou was.

Kou listened as Naruto described fighting villagers who had bullied him and insisted that he was happy because the people he cared about accepted him. Reassured by Naruto’s sincere smile, Kou ended their heart-to-heart and prepared to get down to business.

• Naruto told Kou how he had wrecked a mask shop and beaten its owner after being driven away.
• Naruto recounted beating up children who bullied a girl, while Kou wondered whether Asura’s chakra had left Naruto and whether Madara was watching him.
• Kou suggested that Naruto hated Konoha and could not be happy there, but Naruto defended the people who treated him well.
• Naruto explained that he no longer needed approval from people who hated him, since being acknowledged by those he cared about was enough.
• Kou felt reassured that Naruto was doing well, then stood and told him their heart-to-heart was ending because he had gotten the answer he wanted.

Kou revealed his identity to Naruto, used his Mangekyō ability to explore Naruto’s inner world, and discovered that the Nine-Tails was sealed in an unfamiliar space. There, he encountered Minato and Kushina alive and was left stunned by their appearance.

• Kou told Naruto his name was Uchiha Kou, then used his Mangekyō Sharingan to examine Naruto’s chakra and found two mysterious powers.
• Kou entered Naruto’s inner world, found the Nine-Tails behind a massive prison gate, and subdued it with his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Kou heard familiar voices behind him and turned to find Minato and Kushina standing together.
• Kou stared at them in disbelief and asked whether they were really not dead.

Kou reunited with Minato and Kushina as souls inside Naruto and learned that they had used Minato’s Soul-Sealing Dharma Seal to preserve themselves while sealing the Nine-Tails. Kushina revealed that the technique had been created for Kou, leaving him to realize that he had changed more than he thought.

• Kou confirmed that Minato and Kushina were real, and the couple teased each other before turning to his questions.
• Minato explained that he and Kushina existed as souls inside Naruto, sustained by the Nine-Tails’ chakra through the Soul-Sealing Dharma Seal.
• Kou recognized that Minato had developed the sealing technique, and Kushina corrected its name and explained it had been prepared for Kou.
• Kou realized that Minato, Kushina, and Jiraiya had developed techniques for his sake and understood that he had changed many things after all.

Kou learned that Minato and Kushina had awakened inside Naruto only a year earlier, too late to prevent the Uchiha clan massacre, and regretted that his defection had weakened the clan’s last hope. He resolved to change the future but reaffirmed that he would not return to Konoha, leaving Minato to ask why he had joined Akatsuki.

• Kou asked Minato when he and Kushina had awakened inside Naruto, and Minato said it had happened about a year earlier.
• Kou connected their late awakening to Shisui’s death and realized the Uchiha clan massacre might have been avoidable if he had not defected.
• Kou accepted that he could not change the past and resolved to use his current strength to reverse the situation.
• Kou told Minato he did not blame him for what happened to the Uchiha clan and firmly refused to return to Konoha.
• Minato accepted Kou’s decision but asked him to explain why he had joined Akatsuki.

Kou told Minato and Kushina that he knew the masked man's full identity and confirmed that Obito had caused the Nine-Tails Incident and forced him into Akatsuki. The chapter ended with Kou naming Obito as the person responsible for their deaths and the Uchiha clan massacre.

• Minato asked Kou how much he knew about the masked man, and Kou said he knew everything about him.
• Kou confirmed that Obito had infiltrated Konoha as Uchiha Madara and caused the Nine-Tails Incident.
• Kou explained that he had planned to retire after leaving Konoha but joined Akatsuki after Obito forced him into it.
• Minato asked whether the masked man was Obito, and Kou confirmed it.
• Kou told Minato and Kushina that Obito had caused their deaths and massacred the Uchiha clan alongside Uchiha Itachi.

Kou explained to Minato and Kushina that Obito had survived the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, become the masked man, and embraced Madara’s plan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He withheld his own role in controlling the Mist Village and other details, leaving Minato and Kushina to absorb what he had chosen to reveal.

• Minato reacted with bitter acceptance when Kou confirmed the masked man’s identity, while Kushina was shocked that Obito had survived and caused the Nine-Tails’ attack.
• Minato calmed Kushina and asked her to let Kou finish explaining before questioning him.
• Kou recounted how Madara saved Obito with Hashirama Cells, arranged for him to witness Rin’s death, and persuaded him to pursue the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
• Kou described how he encountered Obito, joined Akatsuki to protect himself, inherited Madara’s legacy, and awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan after the Uchiha clan was slaughtered.
• Kou concealed his role in controlling the Mist Village and other personal details, deciding to remain beside Obito until he learned whether Madara was still alive.

Minato and Kushina learned more about Madara’s role in Obito and Rin’s tragedy, while Kou explained why he had kept the truth from Obito. Kushina struggled to process the revelations but found comfort in Minato’s reassurance that their family would stay together.

• Minato connected Madara’s long-running schemes to Obito’s disappearance and Rin’s death, while Kou remembered the battlefield where Rin died.
• Minato asked whether Obito knew Madara had arranged Rin’s death, and Kou said he had deduced the truth himself and had not told Obito.
• Kou warned that revealing the truth might not make Obito abandon the Eye of the Moon Plan, and Minato’s hope that Obito could turn back faded.
• Kou noticed Kushina’s confusion and alerted Minato, who comforted her as she struggled to make sense of what she had learned.
• Kushina thanked Minato for staying by her side as the warmth of her family helped calm her turmoil.

Kou agreed to cooperate with Minato against Obito in exchange for the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Minato passed him the training methods along with Konoha’s concern for him. Their reunion was interrupted when Anko found Kou and stared at him in tears.

• Minato asked Kou what he planned to do next, and Kou offered to share intelligence about Obito and Akatsuki in exchange for learning the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Minato agreed to cooperate and bumped fists with Kou, passing him the technique’s training methods and memories of Konoha’s concern for him.
• Kou sensed a serious problem in the real world and saw Anko standing nearby, having dropped her groceries as she stared at him in tears.

Kou left Naruto’s consciousness after Kushina urged him to answer Anko honestly, then faced Anko in the real world. The chapter ended with Anko rushing into his arms, leaving Kou wondering if he could still escape Konoha.

• Minato teased Kou about facing Anko and refused to explain the situation to her.
• Kushina told Kou that Anko’s feelings were genuine and urged him to give her an answer.
• Kou returned to the real world, released Naruto from his genjutsu, and let Naruto recognize him as Uchiha Kou.
• Naruto noticed Anko’s anger and warned Kou that he knew her.
• Kou tried to greet Anko, but she rushed forward and crashed into his arms.

Kou reunited with Anko in Konoha, where her relief and affection gave way to suspicion about his presence as an Akatsuki rogue ninja. Anko restrained him with snakes and sent Naruto to fetch Kakashi and the others, warning that Kou was dangerous.

• Kou reflected on his unexpected encounters that night and wondered how to face Anko after their five years apart.
• Anko hugged Kou, then bound him with the Snake Gaze Binding Spell and told Naruto to find Kakashi and Red.
• Anko and Kou argued about his disappearance, and Anko accidentally revealed how much she cared about him.
• Naruto laughed at Anko's obvious affection until she threatened to revoke his dango-shop VIP privileges.
• Anko told Naruto that Kou was an Akatsuki member who had likely used genjutsu on him and warned him not to let his guard down.

Anko tried to arrest Kou while Naruto insisted that Kou was a good person and ran to Kakashi. After Kou escaped her snakes, he told Anko he had changed his mind about leaving and wanted to talk about their past.

• Naruto vouched for Kou, then obeyed Anko and ran toward Kakashi after Kou reassured him.
• Anko announced that she was arresting Kou, but Kou used the Substitution Technique to escape the snakes and appeared behind her.
• Kou tossed Anko a can of beer, and she drew a kunai and vowed not to let him leave unless he killed her.
• Kou stopped Anko from charging and said he had changed his mind about leaving Konoha.
• Kou told Anko that he wanted to talk with her about their past.