Chapter Summaries

Kou and Anko shared a teasing late-night conversation that turned serious when Anko confessed that his rejection hurt and asked him to return to Konoha. Kou asked what she and Konoha liked about him, then revealed that the person she loved had never existed from the beginning.

• Anko accepted Kou's invitation to sit and drink beer with him, then teased him about their old pretend relationship and his reactions to her.
• Anko flirted with Kou and reached toward him, but he stopped her and scolded her for copying a move from Icha Icha Paradise.
• Kou told Anko he would not make a move on someone he regarded as his own brother, leaving her hurt by his words.
• Anko asked Kou to consider returning to Konoha, even if they could only be friends and comrades.
• Kou asked what Anko and everyone in Konoha liked about him, then told her that the person she liked had never existed from the start.

Kou explained to Anko that he had deliberately presented himself as a kindhearted, village-minded Uchiha to serve as a bridge between the Uchiha and Konoha. He revealed that this persona was a mask he had worn since childhood, leaving Anko to face the truth that she never knew the real him.

• Kou explained that the Uchiha's conspicuous clan-first attitude kept them apart from Konoha, unlike the more restrained Hyuga.
• Kou said Fugaku had tried to change the Uchiha's conduct and that both the clan and Konoha needed a person who could ease their standoff.
• Kou revealed that he had resolved from childhood to become that person, earning support from both the Uchiha and Konoha by appearing to embody the Will of Fire.
• Kou admitted he had worn a false mask because it offered protection and resources to someone who feared dying on the battlefield.
• Kou told Anko that the kindhearted Uchiha Kou she knew had never existed and that she knew nothing about the real him.

Kou revealed the truth about his deception to Anko and decided he could no longer stay beside her. Anko stopped him with a sealing technique, but Kou broke free and vanished, leaving her alone in the night.

• Kou reflected that his deception and his bonds with his companions were both real, but decided he could no longer keep lying to them.
• Anko called Kou back, cried, and demanded that he comfort her, while Kou said she would eventually let go of her feelings for him.
• Anko used the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal to bind Kou and told him she would regret it if she let him leave before she had time to think.
• Kou sensed Kakashi and Kurenai nearby, released himself from Anko's seal, and vanished before she could stop him.
• Anko lunged for Kou after he disappeared, then stood alone, crying as his scent faded in the night wind.

Minato briefed Hiruzen and Jiraiya on Madara, Obito, and Kou, while the three worried about the damage those revelations had caused. At the Ninja Academy, Kakashi showed the Mist Village delegation around, and Kou spotted young Sasuke among Might Duy’s students.

• Jiraiya and Hiruzen reacted to the news that Madara had survived and manipulated Obito, and Hiruzen regretted his past distrust of the Uchiha.
• Jiraiya reassured Hiruzen that Kou was safe, then joked about his injuries from spying on Tsunade at the bathhouse.
• Minato told Hiruzen and Jiraiya that Anko had been left crying after Kou departed and that Kurenai had taken her home.
• Minato admitted he had not decided when to tell Kakashi that Obito was alive, but promised to explain the truth himself when the time was right.
• Kakashi escorted Kisame, Utakata, and Kou to the Ninja Academy, where Might Duy enthusiastically led children in green bodysuits.
• Kou recognized young Sasuke glaring from the front row of Might Duy’s class.

Might Duy’s fitness class brought the children to the training ground in green bodysuits, where they dreaded his strenuous exercises. Kakashi arrived with Kou and two companions, and Might Duy immediately asked Kou if they had met before.

• Shikamaru and Choji complained about Might Duy’s fitness class while Ino and Sakura grumbled about their bodysuits and admired Sasuke.
• Sasuke resented Kakashi for staying away all night, leaving him unable to ask for time off to practice with Kou’s training scroll.
• Shino advised Sasuke to rest, but Sasuke failed to recognize him, leaving Shino crestfallen as Kiba laughed.
• Might Duy announced a five-kilometer warm-up run, prompting the children to wail.
• Kakashi arrived and greeted Might Duy, but Duy rushed over to Kou and asked whether they had met before.

Kakashi brought Kou and the Mist Village guests to watch Might Duy teach at the academy, where Duy nearly recognized Kou before Kakashi pulled him aside. After Duy canceled the lesson, the children celebrated, and Sasuke walked off alone after ignoring Kakashi’s wave.

• Might Duy tried to approach Kou, but Kisame stopped him, and Duy then recognized Kakashi instead of Kou.
• Kakashi introduced Kou’s group as visitors from the Mist Village, and Duy welcomed them while recalling his past battle with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Kakashi whispered something to Duy, who apologized to Kou’s group and asked them to wait while he spoke with Kakashi.
• Duy canceled the children’s conditioning lesson, and the students cheered and sang the school song of the Will of Fire.
• Kakashi waved at Sasuke, but Sasuke turned away and walked toward the grove before Kakashi led Duy away.

Kou revisited a secluded grove in Konoha and unearthed an iron box connected to his memories of Obito. As he held it, he remembered their Academy days, when they were close before Obito became the enemy he feared most.

• Kou warned Kisame not to underestimate Konoha's genin and left him and Utakata to look around the training ground.
• Kisame approached Ino and Sakura, who stopped their conversation as he tried to smile at them.
• Kou entered a secluded grove and remembered practicing shuriken throwing there, as well as Shisui and Itachi using the targets.
• A bird landed on Kou's shoulder, and he recognized it as one that seemed to remember him.
• Kou dug beneath the old tree and uncovered an iron box holding memories of his past with Obito.

At the Ninja Academy, Kou practiced shuriken throwing with Rin while they waited for Obito, who led them to a bird’s nest he had found in an old tree. Obito revealed that he had brought paper and pens to leave a message for their future selves.

• Kou practiced throwing shuriken and hit eight of ten targets, while Rin praised his accuracy.
• Obito appeared covered in mud and hurried Kou and Rin into the woods to show them something.
• Obito showed them the bird they had once rescued nesting in an old pine tree.
• Kou guessed that Obito had climbed the tree, fallen, and gotten muddy while playing with the bird, and Obito admitted it.
• Obito opened a metal box containing paper and pens and said he wanted to write a message for their future selves.

Kou revisited the tree where he and Obito had once planned a time capsule, but left before opening it when he heard Uncle Dai arrive. In the Mist Village, Obito met a visitor in the shadows and reaffirmed his plan to create a world where Kou and everyone else could find happiness.

• Obito proposed that he, Rin, and Kou make a time capsule, and Kou scolded him for revealing that he might graduate early.
• Sixteen years later, Kou returned to the tree with the iron box but put it away and headed to the training grounds after hearing Uncle Dai call out.
• Obito sat with Yagura in the Mizukage's office and sensed a visitor concealed in the shadows.
• Obito told the visitor that his plan was proceeding steadily and that his goal had not changed.
• Obito read the old paper bearing Kou's hopes for the future, then vowed to create a world where Kou and everyone else could be happy.

Kou finalized an alliance between the Mist Village and Konoha, then departed with Kisame and Utakata. As they traveled toward the border, Kisame reflected on Konoha’s young ninja, while Asuma returned to Konoha behind them.

• Kou negotiated an alliance with Jiraiya and Konoha’s leaders, then secretly visited Anko before the agreement was finalized.
• Jiraiya, Hiruzen, and Kakashi saw Kou, Kisame, and Utakata off at Konoha’s gates, and Kou asked Konoha to look after Mist Village staff establishing an Odd Jobs Agency in the Land of Fire.
• On the road, Kisame criticized the character of Konoha’s young ninja, but Kou said children raised in peace should be allowed to act like children.
• Kou privately worried that the Mist Village might one day become his enemy, then sensed someone returning to Konoha.
• As the Mist Village delegation continued toward the border, a tall, muscular figure walked toward Konoha’s gates along their route.

After seeing off the Mist Village delegation, Konoha’s leaders were surprised by Asuma’s early return, and his reunion with Sarutobi Hiruzen exposed their estrangement. In the Hokage’s office, Asuma rejected Hiruzen as his father and insisted that someone else held that place in his life.

• Jiraiya tried to persuade Tsunade to remain in Konoha after the alliance negotiations, but she insisted on leaving.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were surprised when Asuma arrived at Konoha’s gates ahead of schedule.
• Asuma warmly greeted Kakashi but ignored Hiruzen, then asked why everyone had gathered at the gates.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade made excuses to leave, and Kakashi followed, leaving Asuma alone with Hiruzen.
• Hiruzen stopped Asuma from leaving by telling him that Kou had returned to Konoha.
• In the Hokage’s office, Asuma rebuked Hiruzen for trying to act as his father and said he had always acknowledged someone else as his father.

Asuma learned that Kou had returned to Konoha on an Akatsuki mission and was secretly cooperating with the village. The Third Hokage urged Asuma to stay in Konoha and avoid endangering Kou, and Asuma resolved to save him one day.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Asuma that Kou had returned to check on the Nine-Tails jinchuriki for Akatsuki.
• Hiruzen explained that Kou had not joined Akatsuki willingly and had reached a cooperative agreement with Konoha.
• Asuma became enraged at the thought of Kou being coerced, but Hiruzen warned him that acting rashly could put Kou in danger.
• Hiruzen urged Asuma to remain in Konoha for Kou's sake and mentioned that Kurenai was still waiting for him.
• Asuma nodded and vowed to save Kou from Akatsuki one day.

Overwhelmed by paperwork and the disappearance of his snacks, Kou got help from Mei Terumi, whose excellent work impressed him. Mei reflected on how Mist Village had changed and invited Kou to take a day off with her.

• Kou discovered that his snack drawer was empty and blamed Kenji, but pretended to work when Mei Terumi entered.
• Mei Terumi brought Kou documents she had processed, and he praised her work as flawless.
• Kou teased Mei Terumi about losing the Reformist Faction leadership election to him and suggested she could take his position.
• Mei Terumi looked out over the renewed Mist Village and said her dream had come true.
• Mei Terumi offered her hand to Kou and suggested they take a day off to appreciate their home.

Kou and Mei Terumi walked through Mist Village and saw how warmly the villagers now welcomed them, prompting Mei to reflect on her past failures and Kou to wonder whether his help had changed her growth. Their walk ended when they spotted Zabuza and Haku outside a doujinshi shop, leaving Kou with a sudden sense of foreboding.

• Villagers enthusiastically greeted Kou and Mei Terumi, pressed food and gifts on them, and thanked Mei for helping the community.
• Mei Terumi admitted that she had once failed to understand the villagers, while Kou recalled how his planning had helped the Reformist Faction win their support.
• Kou privately wondered whether his involvement had spared Mei Terumi hardships that might have helped her mature, then tried to hide his thoughts when she questioned him.
• Kou and Mei Terumi spotted Zabuza holding a colorful magazine while Haku stood nervously beside him outside the Kumogakure Doujinshi Association Mist Village Branch.
• Kou recognized Zabuza and Haku and felt a strong sense of foreboding.

Kou and Mei Terumi found Zabuza furious because Haku had given him a doujinshi as a birthday gift, and Suigetsu admitted he had suggested it. Zabuza chased Suigetsu through the street while Kou considered restricting minors’ access to the popular doujinshi.

• Zabuza confronted Haku over the doujinshi birthday gift, and Haku hid behind Kou as Mei Terumi tried to calm them down.
• Haku explained that he had bought the gift because Zabuza’s birthday was approaching, while Zabuza insisted someone else had given him the idea.
• Kimimaro and Suigetsu arrived after completing a mission to collect names for Odd Jobs Agencies.
• Suigetsu revealed that he had recommended the doujinshi to Haku, prompting Zabuza to draw the Kubikiribōchō and chase him.
• Mei Terumi covered Haku’s eyes as Zabuza hacked Suigetsu into blobs of water, and Kou resolved to consider an anti-addiction system for minors.

Kou and Mei Terumi spent a peaceful day visiting Elder Genji and the orphanage before Kou returned home to find Obito waiting with Akatsuki’s recruitment mission. As Kou reviewed the list of potential recruits, Raiga Kurosuki’s name caught his attention.

• Zabuza beat Suigetsu and took him to the Mist Village hospital, while Haku went along to check on his injuries.
• Kimimaro said goodbye to Kou and Mei Terumi before they visited Elder Genji at the orphanage and spent the afternoon talking with him and the children.
• Kou escorted Mei Terumi home, and she spoke hopefully about their future as they parted.
• Kou returned home and found Obito waiting in his living room with a list of potential Akatsuki recruits.
• Obito told Kou that Nagato had approved the list and would soon hold a meeting to assign recruitment duties.
• Kou read the names and paused at Raiga Kurosuki, a former Seven Ninja Swordsmen member from Mist Village.

Kou learned that Obito had recruited Raiga Kurosuki and transplanted Ranmaru’s Red Eye into him to monitor Itachi. Obito’s visit made Kou confront how temporary his life as Shiina Sora was, and he resolved to build a place of his own and make Obito regret manipulating him.

• Kou questioned Raiga Kurosuki’s suitability for Akatsuki and learned Obito intended him to monitor Uchiha Itachi.
• Obito revealed that he had taken Ranmaru from Raiga and transplanted one of the boy’s Red Eyes into him to secure Raiga’s cooperation.
• After Obito left, Kou realized the life he had built as Shiina Sora could end at any time.
• Kou decided to create a place where he could belong and vowed that Obito would regret toyng with people’s fates.

Tayuya trained children at Kou’s former Orochimaru base while Jirobo urged her to adapt to their new life under Kou. Reviewing the weak forces at his disposal, Kou planned to strengthen the Land of Rice Fields by targeting outside sources of power, including Impure World Reincarnation.

• Tayuya stopped a sparring match before her kunai could kill a defeated boy, then ordered the children back to training after a short break.
• Jirobo told Tayuya that serving Kou was better than living under Orochimaru and warned her she would be left behind if she failed to adapt.
• Kou reviewed Orochimaru’s personnel dossier and concluded that his available subordinates lacked the strength to support his plans.
• Kou examined a development proposal that included recruiting the Fuma Clan and pursuing the Hidden Star Village’s Mysterious Peacock Method, the Tsuchigumo Clan’s Rage Hair Heaven, and the Seven-Tails jinchuriki Fu.
• Kou fixed his attention on the Impure World Reincarnation scrolls as another strategic objective for building his force.

Kou reviewed four strategic objectives in the base library and then left for an Akatsuki recruitment mission with Konan and Kakuzu. Orochimaru appeared to remain under Kou’s genjutsu, but his eyes moved after Kou disappeared.

• Kou considered how to improve Impure World Reincarnation so he could use the dead in future conflicts.
• Kou weighed the Starfall Meteorite’s potential to unlock the Mysterious Peacock Method and possibly remove its life-shortening side effects.
• Kou judged the Tsuchigumo Clan’s Rage Hair Heaven highly compatible with his abilities and prioritized protecting the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from Akatsuki.
• Orochimaru alerted Kou that it was time to leave, and Kou departed for the recruitment mission with Konan and Kakuzu in mind.
• After Kou vanished, Orochimaru’s eyes shifted toward the research materials and documents on the desk.

In the Land of Hot Water, Kakuzu tried to recruit Kou as his doujinshi teacher, while Konan considered using Kou’s commercial value to fund Akatsuki and Amegakure. Elsewhere, Itachi completed a mission with Raiga Kurosuki and wondered whether he should return to Konoha amid its planned alliance with Mist Village.

• Kakuzu bowed to Kou and begged him to teach him to draw doujinshi for profit, but Kou repeatedly refused and the two nearly fought.
• Hidan interrupted their argument, threatened them, and charged at them, so Kou and Kakuzu punched him and left him badly beaten.
• Kakuzu continued proposing a profit-sharing deal as he followed Kou and Konan, while Konan resolved to pursue a plan to use Kou’s economic value for Akatsuki and Amegakure.
• At an abandoned temple near Iwagakure, Itachi completed a mission alongside Raiga Kurosuki, who criticized him before leaving.
• Itachi reflected on Raiga’s arrival in Akatsuki as Konoha prepared to ally with Mist Village and considered returning to Konoha.