Chapter Summaries

Qingfeng tried to choose Uzumaki Sanryo or Yakura to accompany him to Leaf Village, but Nagato assigned Konan instead. Nagato privately sent Konan to Konoha to protect her from the dangers facing the Akatsuki Organization, while she refused to leave him.

• Qingfeng asked Nagato to send Konan with him to Leaf Village, and Nagato agreed despite Qingfeng's immediate regret.
• Qingfeng explained to Uzumaki Sanryo and Yakura that Nagato intended to keep them in the organization and that Sanryo could not safely return to Leaf Village yet.
• Nagato told Konan to go to Konoha, monitor Uchiha Qingfeng, and establish a normal identity there, while warning that the Akatsuki Organization was entering a dangerous new phase.
• Konan refused to leave Nagato, but Nagato insisted that he was sending her away to protect her and had Deva Path Pain take him back into the darkness.

Uchiha Qingfeng prepared to take Konan into Leaf Village while tensions over his disappearance continued to worsen. As the village’s new Genin graduated, Danzō began planning to expose Orochimaru and find a way to deal with the Uchiha.

• Uchiha Qingfeng prepared to sneak Konan into Leaf Village while avoiding Orochimaru, who might recognize her.
• Inuzuka Hana, Uzuki Yugao, Mitarashi Anko, and Uchiha Izumi graduated from the Ninja Academy and waited for their squad leader.
• Uchiha Itachi remained isolated after returning from his mission, leaving Sasuke worried, while Kakashi trained with Yamato at the Hatake Clan Land.
• Uchiha Fugaku grew more forceful in the Military Police Force and continued opposing Danzō, while Minato Namikaze waited for a chance to remove Danzō from power.
• Danzō learned that the Uchiha were meeting with smaller clan heads and decided to use evidence of Orochimaru’s human experiments to destroy him.

Orochimaru took Konoha's four sisters as his disciples after Anko asked him to make them stronger for Qingfeng's sake. Later, Ryoma Aburame warned Orochimaru that Danzō planned to target him, but Orochimaru chose to stay in Leaf Village and wait for Hiruzen Sarutobi to decide whom to protect.

• Orochimaru explained that Anko had been left without a three-person team and agreed to lead her.
• When Anko asked about becoming stronger, Orochimaru said the sisters would likely reach only Jonin at best through conventional training.
• The other three asked to join Orochimaru for Qingfeng's sake, and he agreed to take all four as disciples.
• Orochimaru dismissed the sisters and returned to his laboratory to continue his experiment.
• Ryoma Aburame warned Orochimaru that Danzō was preparing to use the same methods he had used against Hatake Sakumo.
• Orochimaru refused to flee and waited to learn whether Hiruzen Sarutobi would protect him or deal with Danzō.

Uchiha Qingfeng tried to return to Leaf Village ahead of Konan, hoping to make arrangements before bringing her in, but she refused to trust him and followed him through the night. The chapter ended with Konan catching him near the village and demanding an explanation.

• Uchiha Qingfeng decided not to trade Suikazan Fuguki's corpse at a Land of Fire bounty exchange because he wanted to keep the potential income for System lottery draws.
• Near Leaf Village, Qingfeng asked Konan to wait in town while he went ahead to prepare, but she insisted on entering the village with him.
• At the inn, Konan refused to let Qingfeng sleep elsewhere, so he waited until midnight and slipped out with Jashin-chan.
• Konan secretly followed Qingfeng as he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to travel toward Leaf Village.
• Konan called out to Qingfeng from above, and he asked her to land so Konoha's Ninja would not discover her.
• Konan confronted Qingfeng for sneaking away, and he claimed he had only gone ahead to make preparations, but she said she did not believe him.

Uchiha Qingfeng brought Konan into Leaf Village and hid her at his Pharmacy before leaving to stage his return through the village gate. He reentered at dawn and realized news about him had spread widely among the village Ninja.

• Qingfeng led Konan through Konoha’s barrier by holding her hand and avoided a patrolling Ninja as they made their way to his Pharmacy.
• Qingfeng brought Konan inside and told her to stay in his room while he left and returned through the village gate in daylight.
• Qingfeng left the village on foot, disguised himself as weather-beaten, and put on his Leaf Village Headband.
• At the gate, Qingfeng registered as having completed his mission, and the guards recognized his name.

Uchiha Qingfeng bought a neighboring house for Konan and hid her there before Hiruzen Sarutobi came to his Pharmacy. Hiruzen tried to recruit Qingfeng into the Anbu and offered him an immediate Jonin appointment, but Qingfeng had not accepted.

• Qingfeng bought the neighboring house and, after asking Konan for money, moved her into it and warned her to stay hidden.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Qingfeng had returned and went to the Pharmacy, while news of the return reached Uchiha Fugaku, who told someone to bring Itachi.
• Qingfeng welcomed Hiruzen, who asked how he viewed the relationship between the clan and the village.
• Qingfeng said the clan and village depended on one another and rejected Hiruzen's offer to join the Anbu for now.
• Hiruzen told Qingfeng that his strength qualified him for the Anbu and offered to appoint him a Jonin immediately.

Uchiha Qingfeng returned to Leaf Village and explained his disappearance to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who avoided discussing Danzō directly. After meeting with Uchiha Fugaku, Minato Namikaze, and Uchiha Itachi, Qingfeng urged them to preserve the status quo until they could strike decisively.

• Uchiha Qingfeng told Hiruzen Sarutobi that he had been taken to the Land of Water, where an Uzumaki Clan member removed his Chakra seal and helped him escape.
• Konan watched the crowd gathered outside and realized Qingfeng had connections to Minato Namikaze and the Uchiha Clan Head.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi left without making progress and planned to try speaking with Uchiha Fugaku and Minato Namikaze about Danzō.
• Uchiha Qingfeng welcomed Uchiha Fugaku, Minato Namikaze, and Uchiha Itachi, then sent the young women waiting outside away until later.
• Uchiha Itachi described Leaf Village's recent events, including the Military Police Force's actions and Kakashi's estrangement from Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Uchiha Qingfeng advised the others to maintain the status quo until someone acted, then respond with overwhelming force.

Danzō decided to use his secret bond with Asuto Sarutobi to target Uchiha Fugaku, while Uchiha Qingfeng’s friends visited his pharmacy and brought him a mysterious box of money. Qingfeng suspected the cash came from Gen'yūshi, who may have sold his hidden Explosive Tags.

• Danzō settled on killing Uchiha Fugaku and went to meet Asuto Sarutobi, his only personal disciple and the Anbu Commander-in-Chief.
• At the pharmacy, Qingfeng warned Anko and the other girls to be careful around their new team leader, Orochimaru.
• Inuzuka Hana and the others told Qingfeng that an old man had left a box for him, and Qingfeng opened it to find banknotes.
• Qingfeng recognized the old man as Gen'yūshi and wondered whether he had sold the Explosive Tags hidden around the village.

Orochimaru visited Uchiha Qingfeng to complete their overdue transaction, then gave him research documents about Danzō's experiments with the First Hokage's cells. He left after sensing Qingfeng's Sage Mode, while Qingfeng kept Orochimaru's serum and papers to himself.

• Qingfeng counted the ten million ryō from Gen'yūshi, and Anko took a handling fee while also slipping money to Uzuki Yugao.
• Orochimaru brought Qingfeng three bottles of serum and received a Storage Scroll, ending their transaction.
• Orochimaru sensed Qingfeng's sage aura and abandoned his plan to capture him.
• Orochimaru gave Qingfeng papers about Danzō's research into the First Hokage's cells, calling them a farewell present.
• Qingfeng pocketed the papers and told the others the serum improved physical fitness, while refusing to let anyone inspect it.

Danzō exposed Orochimaru’s human experiments, forcing Hiruzen Sarutobi to choose between protecting his old friend and arresting his former disciple. After confronting Orochimaru in his laboratory, Hiruzen finally resolved to fight him.

• Danzō distributed evidence of Orochimaru’s live experiments to Konoha’s leaders and ninja.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Danzō, but could not bring himself to punish him and went to deal with Orochimaru personally.
• Orochimaru stayed in his laboratory despite receiving Ryoma Aburame’s warning and waited for Hiruzen.
• Orochimaru challenged Hiruzen over his decision to protect Danzō and criticized his repeated excuses made in the village’s name.
• Hiruzen stopped Orochimaru as he tried to leave, and the former teacher and disciple prepared to fight.

Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi fought after Orochimaru’s human experiments were exposed, while Uchiha Qingfeng suspected Danzō had engineered the crisis for another purpose. Qingfeng sent the girls and Uchiha Itachi home, warning them that the battle was only the beginning and danger would come that night.

• Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi clashed with ninjutsu, and Hiruzen destroyed Orochimaru’s Myriad Snake Formation with Fire and Lightning Style attacks.
• Anbu gathered near the battle as Cloud Village envoys watched and considered taking advantage of the conflict.
• Uchiha Qingfeng learned from Uchiha Itachi that Orochimaru’s human experiments had been exposed and that he was fighting the Third Hokage.
• Uchiha Qingfeng suspected Danzō had leaked the information to force Hiruzen to act and feared Danzō might target him and his companions.
• Uchiha Qingfeng forced the three girls out of his pharmacy and told them and Uchiha Itachi to go home because more danger was coming that night.

Uchiha Qingfeng went to the Konoha Military Police Department and witnessed an Anbu Ninja attempt to assassinate Uchiha Fugaku. Fugaku awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and used Susanoo to counterattack, leaving the attacker trapped beneath his fist.

• Anko complained to Uzuki Yugao about Qingfeng, then found herself clutching the money he had given her instead of throwing it away.
• Qingfeng avoided the battle between Orochimaru and the Ninja, then headed to the Konoha Military Police Department to see Uchiha Fugaku.
• An Anbu Ninja told Fugaku that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted him to help block Orochimaru's escape, and Fugaku agreed to follow after a delay.
• The Anbu Ninja stabbed Fugaku in the lower back as they passed, but Fugaku awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and formed a purple-red Susanoo.
• Fugaku's Susanoo struck the Anbu Ninja in the chest after the attacker was delayed by the rubble, and Fugaku declared that he would kill him.

Uchiha Fugaku killed an Anbu assassin with Susanoo, and Qingfeng discovered the dead man was Asuto Sarutobi, the Third Hokage’s eldest son. After Qingfeng concealed the body and Danzō fled, Fugaku collapsed from the assassin’s poison, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Fugaku used Susanoo to crush the Anbu assassin, then drank an antidote after Qingfeng told him the assassin had warned that his kunai was poisoned.
• Fugaku recognized the assassin as Asuto Sarutobi, the Anbu Commander-in-Chief and the Third Hokage’s eldest son, and Qingfeng hid the body at the Military Police Force headquarters.
• Qingfeng told the returning officers, led by Uchiha Itachi, that the assassin was dead and the matter was over.
• Danzō watched his disciple die, abandoned his plan to save Fugaku, and left, confident that his poison would kill him.
• Itachi pointed out Fugaku’s worsening condition, and Qingfeng saw that Fugaku had collapsed with dark purple skin.

Qingfeng forced a large dose of his pet antidote on Fugaku, curing him of the poison, then left with Itachi to check on the battle between the Third Hokage and Orochimaru. The Third Hokage sent Orochimaru flying from the village, while a Cloud Village captain abandoned his attempt to target the Uchiha and moved on to a backup target.

• Fugaku pushed Itachi away as Itachi checked whether he was still breathing and began entrusting the Uchiha clan and Sasuke to him.
• Qingfeng examined Fugaku, forced a Secret Detox Soldier Pill into his mouth, and had Itachi pour water until Fugaku swallowed it.
• The antidote quickly cured Fugaku, who ordered Qingfeng and Itachi to stay until the battle ended and then accompany him to see the Third Hokage.
• Qingfeng slipped away with Itachi to watch the battle and saw the Third Hokage knock Orochimaru out of the village with an enlarged staff.
• A Cloud Village captain saw Fugaku's Susanoo kill a Konoha Anbu Ninja, abandoned his attempt to capture the Uchiha, and decided to pursue a backup target instead.

Cloud Village Ninja infiltrated the Hyuga Clan to abduct Hinata and steal her Byakugan, using a diversion to draw Hyuga Hiashi away. Fried escaped with Hinata but held her hostage when Hiashi caught up, while the chapter also ended with Orochimaru declared an S-rank Rogue Ninja.

• Fried directed two Cloud Village Ninja to lure Hyuga Hiashi away while he entered the Hyuga home to seize Hinata.
• Hyuga Hiashi chased the decoys, allowing Fried to carry Hinata out of the clan grounds.
• Hyuga Hiashi caught up with Fried, and Hinata called for her father as Fried threatened her and reached for her eyes.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi listed Orochimaru as an S-rank Rogue Ninja after Anbu failed to find him.

Uchiha Qingfeng rescued Hinata from Fried, then angered Hyuga Hiashi by teasing her and criticizing his treatment of her. Hinata walked home with her father, while Qingfeng stayed behind to point out the unburied body.

• Qingfeng saw Fried threatening Hinata and threw a Shuriken to interrupt him.
• Qingfeng stabbed Fried's wrist, caught Hinata, and Hyuga Hiashi struck Fried with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
• Qingfeng traded insults with Hyuga Hiashi and pinched Hinata's cheek before encouraging her to stand on her own.
• Hinata managed to stand and followed Hyuga Hiashi home, glancing back at Qingfeng as she left.
• Qingfeng called after Hyuga Hiashi to remind him that Fried's body still needed to be buried.

Uchiha Qingfeng witnessed the aftermath of Hyuga Hiashi killing three Kumogakure envoys and recognized that the incident could spark a war. As Hiruzen Sarutobi took everyone to the Hokage Building to settle the dispute, Qingfeng went along, hoping to prevent Neji's father from becoming a scapegoat.

• Uchiha Qingfeng guessed that the dead men were Cloud Village envoys, and Hyuga Hiashi feared his actions could provoke war.
• A surviving Kumogakure ninja accused Hyuga Hiashi of murder and claimed another envoy had gone to fetch the Hokage.
• Uchiha Qingfeng confirmed Hyuga Hiashi's account to Hiruzen Sarutobi, while the Kumogakure ninja denied it and demanded an explanation.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Qingfeng, and the Kumogakure ninja to go to the Hokage Building with the bodies to discuss a resolution.

Hiruzen Sarutobi faced pressure from Kumogakure to hand over Hyuga Hiashi, while Konoha’s leadership considered sacrificing him to prevent war. Uchiha Qingfeng argued against giving in, and the chapter ended with Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku arriving after overhearing the discussion.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Hyuga Hiashi whether he had killed the three Cloud Village envoys, and Hiashi admitted it.
• The Kumogakure ninjas demanded Hiashi’s life and corpse, threatening war if Konoha refused.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and his advisers discussed avoiding war, and Hiruzen hinted that Hiashi could send his younger brother Hizashi in his place.
• Uchiha Qingfeng urged Konoha to stand firm against Kumogakure, but Hiruzen dismissed his argument.
• Hyuga Hiashi left the room as Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Fugaku waited outside, having overheard the discussion.

After Fugaku survived an assassination attempt by an Anbu masked attacker, Hiruzen discovered that the dead assailant was his son Asuto and joined Minato in investigating Root. Danzō fled as the search exposed Root’s experiments, while Ryoma Aburame’s information tied Danzō to the poison.

• Fugaku told Hiruzen that an Anbu-masked attacker had tried to kill him with a poisoned kunai, and credited Qingfeng with saving his life.
• Konoha police brought in the attacker’s corpse, and Hiruzen recognized it as his son Asuto Sarutobi.
• Minato urged Hiruzen to investigate Danzō and Root, pointing to poison linked to Sunagakure and Root.
• Hiruzen led Minato, Fugaku, and the advisers to Root, where Danzō ordered his subordinates to destroy evidence before fleeing into the darkness.
• The search uncovered Root’s experimental equipment, and Ryoma Aburame was revealed as Minato’s source for the poison evidence.

Minato Namikaze and Qingfeng confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi with evidence of Danzō’s crimes, while witnesses exposed Root’s actions. Hiruzen tried to delay judgment and shield Danzō, but Qingfeng revealed evidence implicating Hiruzen himself, leaving the Third Hokage visibly shaken as Danzō hid in the village.

• Minato Namikaze presented evidence against Danzō, but Hiruzen Sarutobi questioned Root operatives whose seals prevented them from giving useful testimony.
• Itachi brought Yamato and Kakashi as witnesses, and Kakashi described assassination attempts while Yamato demonstrated Wood Style and recounted his childhood.
• The advisors blamed Danzō, and Hiruzen tried to postpone the matter until the next day.
• Qingfeng showed Hiruzen evidence left by Orochimaru that implicated the Third Hokage, and Hiruzen quickly turned it face-down.
• Danzō hid in a secret base, confident that Hiruzen would protect him again.