Recaps

Ueno Kei found Naruto training with Jiraiya and a giant toad summon, then entrusted Jiraiya with protecting Konoha and the Third Hokage before leaving the village. Jiraiya promised to protect his teacher and the village, reassuring Ueno Kei as his ominous premonition lingered.

• Ueno Kei recalled that Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's son and the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, a secret he had never revealed to Naruto.
• Ueno Kei spotted Naruto clinging to Jiraiya's giant toad summon and realized Jiraiya had taught him the toad summoning technique.
• Jiraiya appeared and asked Ueno Kei about his discovery at the border, while Ueno Kei said it had brought no good news.
• Ueno Kei solemnly asked Jiraiya to look after the village and the Third Hokage while he was away.
• Jiraiya promised to protect Konoha and the Third Hokage, calling Konoha his home.

Ueno Kei questioned Jiraiya's decision to teach Naruto the Summoning Technique, and Jiraiya explained Naruto's talent and possible connection to the Toad Clan's Great Sage. After resting through the afternoon, Ueno Kei woke at dusk and saw Naruto finally lose his grip on Gamabunta.

• Ueno Kei asked Jiraiya whether Naruto should learn the Summoning Technique before mastering chakra control, and Jiraiya praised Naruto's talent and determination.
• Jiraiya said Naruto might be connected to the Toad Clan's Great Sage and that the clan had matters concerning the Nine-Tails.
• Jiraiya dragged Ueno Kei toward a place where women were bathing, but Ueno Kei sat under a tree and fell asleep.
• Ueno Kei woke at dusk, and Jiraiya pointed out that Naruto was still trying to hold on to Gamabunta.
• Naruto ran out of strength, released his grip on Gamabunta, and fell from his back.

Naruto endured a day atop Gamabunta and earned the toad’s acknowledgment before waking to find Ueno Kei had returned. Kei gave Naruto a set of custom-made clothes, leaving him eager to see them.

• Naruto challenged Gamabunta to stay on his head for a day, but fell unconscious just before sunset.
• Ueno Kei caught Naruto and asked Gamabunta to look after him, and Gamabunta agreed before returning to Mount Myoboku.
• Naruto woke the next day, remembered losing his endurance challenge, and went to wash up.
• Ueno Kei greeted Naruto and explained that he had returned in time for Naruto’s final Chunin Exams match.
• Ueno Kei unsealed a pile of custom-made clothes and urged Naruto to put them on.

Ueno Kei gives Naruto a new ceremonial outfit and removes his whisker marks, but their preparations make Naruto late for his opening match against Hyuga Neji. Just as Shiranui Genma is about to declare Naruto’s forfeit, Naruto arrives in a striking new look and astonishes the crowd.

• Ueno Kei dresses Naruto in new white, red, and black outfits and removes his whisker marks with a special chakra blade.
• Naruto vows to defeat Hyuga Neji, his first opponent, and rushes with Ueno Kei toward the exam venue after realizing they are late.
• At the venue, Shiranui Genma prepares to declare Naruto’s forfeit as the five-minute deadline approaches, while Neji and the other contestants wait.
• Sakura, Hinata, and Naruto’s peers worry as Shiranui Genma begins announcing the forfeit.
• Naruto shouts for them to wait, then appears in a white ceremonial robe, stunning everyone present.

Naruto entered the arena for his match against Hyuga Neji, shocking the crowd with his resemblance to the Fourth Hokage while remaining unaware of the suspicion Ueno Kei hoped to stir. Their fight began with Naruto using a wind technique, but Neji gained the advantage in close combat and forced Naruto to reconsider his approach.

• Naruto's appearance in white robes reminded the crowd of the Fourth Hokage, while Ueno Kei and the Third Hokage reflected on the resemblance.
• Shiranui Genma announced Naruto's match against Hyuga Neji and started the fight.
• Naruto rushed Neji, then used Wind Style—Great Breakthrough, forcing Neji to dodge the powerful gust.
• Neji counterattacked in midair with Gentle Fist and sent Naruto crashing into the arena wall.
• Naruto evaded Neji's next strike and decided to avoid close combat if he could.

Naruto fought Neji in the Chunin Exam, using shadow clones to counter the Byakugan before Neji identified his original body. Naruto unleashed a powerful Wind Release technique as Neji closed in.

• Naruto created several shadow clones, but Neji used the Byakugan and Gentle Fist to fend off their attacks.
• Neji realized Naruto's chakra reserves made a drawn-out fight dangerous and focused on finding the original.
• Neji spotted Naruto's anger when he thought of Hinata and charged directly at him.
• Naruto sent his clones after Neji while completing hand seals for Wind Release—Dimensional Slash.
• Naruto formed three crescent-shaped wind blades around himself as Neji approached.

Naruto used Dimension Slash against Hyuga Neji, who survived with Rotation before trapping Naruto in his Eight Trigrams Domain and striking him with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Two Palms. Neji thought he had won, but Naruto's apparent body was a Shadow Clone, and Neji was hit from behind.

• Naruto formed three wind blades with Dimension Slash and released them at Hyuga Neji.
• Neji used Rotation to block the attack but emerged battered and bleeding.
• Neji declared Naruto was within his Eight Trigrams Domain and struck him with Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Two Palms.
• Shiranui Genma and the jonin present thought Neji had won as he approached Naruto's motionless body.
• Naruto spoke from behind Neji, and the body on the ground vanished in a puff of smoke.
• Naruto struck Neji from behind and sent him flying.

Naruto defeated Neji and urged him to take control of his own destiny. As an invasion threat emerged near Konoha, Ueno Kei organized the village’s defenses but kept most of the Anbu inside, leaving the enemy’s identity unknown.

• Naruto revealed that Neji had struck a clone after Naruto hid his real body during their clash, and Shiranui Genma declared Naruto the victor.
• Naruto told Neji that destiny had always been in his own hands, and Neji departed looking less bitter.
• An Anbu informed Ueno Kei that unidentified invaders had attacked Konoha’s outer sentries, and the Hokage ordered Kei to investigate and stop them outside the village if possible.
• Ueno Kei ordered Anbu squads to protect the Hokage, dignitaries, and civilians, then assembled six squads to investigate the threat.
• The Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage exchanged pointed remarks about the Hokage’s successor while Second Pillar fought Gaara.
• Ueno Kei sent the six Anbu squads out in two groups but kept most Anbu inside Konoha, believing the threat might be better handled at the village barrier.

Ueno Kei sent summoned lizards to scout beyond Konoha while he investigated the area himself. At the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru launched the invasion, trapped the Third Hokage in a barrier, and summoned four legendary shinobi to face him and Jiraiya.

• Ueno Kei summoned Shin and the other lizards, ordering them to search outside Konoha for anything unusual, then left to investigate.
• An Anbu member cast the Temple of Nirvana Technique at the Chunin Exams, putting most spectators to sleep as explosions and attacks by Sound and Sunagakure ninja began across Konoha.
• The Fourth Kazekage revealed himself as Orochimaru and trapped the Third Hokage inside a Four Violet Flames Formation while Kaguya Kimimaro blocked the Anbu squads.
• The Third Hokage told Orochimaru that he had recognized him from the disguised Kazekage corpse and his scent of snakes, and Jiraiya appeared to help confront him.
• Orochimaru used the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to summon the First Hokage, Second Hokage, Third Kazekage, and Fourth Kazekage, leaving the Third Hokage and Jiraiya facing five enemies.

As the Third Hokage and Jiraiya fought Orochimaru’s resurrected Kage, Ueno Kei learned that the invasion had already reached Konoha and hurried to help defend the village. A large force of Sand Ninja and Sound Ninja surrounded him to keep him from returning.

• Jiraiya summoned two toads from Mount Myoboku, while the Third Hokage summoned Enma to battle the four resurrected Kage.
• Ueno Kei captured and interrogated a Sand Ninja, learning that the invasion included forces already inside Konoha and hidden troops within the village.
• An Anbu reported that over a thousand Sand Ninja and Sound Ninja, along with large summoned beasts, had invaded Konoha while Jiraiya and the Third Hokage were occupied at the arena.
• Ueno Kei ordered Anbu squads to retreat into Konoha and prioritize protecting civilians, then set off toward the village.
• Nearly thirty Sand Ninja and Sound Ninja ambushed Ueno Kei, and their leaders confirmed that their mission was to hold him back.

Ueno Kei was held in a delaying fight as the invasion worsened, while Shimura Danzō kept Root in reserve despite pressure from Konoha's other elders. The chapter left Root waiting for Danzō's order as the battle continued across the village.

• A Sand Ninja jonin and a Sound Ninja jonin led more than thirty shinobi in a formation designed to stall Ueno Kei.
• Ueno Kei struggled to break away as Konoha's defenders and civilians faced an invasion by more than a thousand shinobi and summoned beasts.
• Shimura Danzō refused to deploy Root's more than two hundred shinobi, telling his subordinate to wait for his order.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu confronted Danzō and urged him to send Root into battle.
• Danzō dismissed their objections, and the two elders left in anger while he warned a Root member to watch what he said.

Danzo waited for the Third Hokage and Orochimaru to weaken each other so he could kill Orochimaru and claim the Hokage title. As Konoha’s forces fell back and Jiraiya and the Third Hokage struggled against Orochimaru and his reanimated fighters, the Third Hokage proposed using a fatal forbidden technique, which Jiraiya refused to allow.

• Danzo planned to send Root into the battle after the Third Hokage and Orochimaru had fought each other to exhaustion, hoping to become the Fifth Hokage.
• Konoha’s shinobi were forced back as they fought Sunagakure and Otogakure, while summoned beasts occupied some of the Anbu and others protected civilians.
• Orochimaru restricted Jiraiya’s Sage Mode and pressed the advantage alongside the First, the Second Hokage, the Third Kazekage, and Rasa.
• The Third Hokage told Jiraiya that they could not hold out and proposed ending the fight with a forbidden technique.
• Jiraiya rejected the plan because the technique would kill the Third Hokage, but the Third Hokage insisted it was their only option to protect Konoha.

Sarutobi Hiruzen began using the Reaper Death Seal against Orochimaru and the four reanimated Kage-level fighters while Jiraiya tried to protect him. Ueno Kei reached Konoha’s breached wall and summoned allies to help defend it.

• Jiraiya urged Sarutobi Hiruzen to trust his preparations instead of sacrificing himself with the Reaper Death Seal.
• The First and Second attacked Jiraiya and Sarutobi Hiruzen with Wood and Water Release, forcing them to defend and retreat.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen created Shadow Clones and began the Reaper Death Seal, while Orochimaru ordered the four Kage-level fighters to kill him.
• Jiraiya charged the approaching fighters to keep Sarutobi Hiruzen’s sacrifice from being in vain.
• Ueno Kei killed the Sand Ninja jonin leading the ambush, broke through the remaining attackers, and hurried toward Konoha.
• Ueno Kei arrived to find Morino Ibiki and Konoha’s Anbu defending the damaged wall, then summoned three allies against the Sand Ninja controlling the summoned beasts.

Ueno Kei rushed to the Chunin Exams arena but failed to stop Orochimaru from escaping, then learned that the Third Hokage had died defending Konoha. Grieving and blaming himself for being unable to protect those he cared about, Kei walked away as Kakashi and Jiraiya watched over him.

• Ueno Kei left Morino Ibiki and the three lizards to fight the invaders, then hurried toward the arena as the Four Violet Flames Formation faded.
• Ueno Kei and Jiraiya pursued Orochimaru, but Orochimaru used a cloud of gray mist to escape with his escorts.
• Konoha's forces defeated or captured most of the invading Sound and Sunagakure ninja, while the Third Hokage's death was revealed.
• Ueno Kei confronted Jiraiya over failing to protect the Third Hokage, then apologized and wept as he blamed his own weakness.
• Kakashi tried to follow Ueno Kei, but Jiraiya stopped him and said Kei had to work through his grief himself.

After Sarutobi Hiruzen’s funeral, Danzō argued with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura over the next Hokage, insisting that he was the best candidate. Koharu and Homura rejected him in favor of Jiraiya or Tsunade, just as a menacing voice challenged Danzō.

• Danzō mourned Sarutobi Hiruzen privately while reflecting on their decades of friendship.
• Ueno Kei attended Hiruzen’s funeral with an icy expression, but Naruto’s conversation with him reassured Jiraiya that he had not shut away his heart.
• Mitokado Homura accused Danzō of failing to support Hiruzen, while Danzō insisted that his actions had served Konoha.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura named Jiraiya and Tsunade as the only candidates for Fifth Hokage, rejecting Danzō’s claim that he should take the position.
• Danzō dismissed Jiraiya and Tsunade as unsuitable, and a cold, sinister voice challenged him about his own suitability.

Ueno Kei confronted Shimura Danzō over his role in the Third Hokage’s death and tried to attack him, but Jiraiya stopped him by reminding him of his teacher’s wishes. Kei stood down, averting a clash between the Anbu and Root.

• Ueno Kei entered the Hokage’s office and accused Shimura Danzō of betraying Konoha and contributing to Sarutobi Hiruzen’s death.
• Danzō’s guards and four Root Anbu blocked Kei’s attack and surrounded him.
• Kei knocked the four Anbu out of the office and prepared to attack Danzō, while Mitokado Homura urged him to stop.
• Jiraiya restrained Kei and reminded him of Sarutobi Hiruzen’s hopes for Konoha.
• Kei remembered his teacher’s words, sheathed the Lingyu Blade, and agreed to stand down.

After Sarutobi Hiruzen’s death, Ueno Kei kept command of the Anbu while Danzō was checked by the elders. Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura pressed Jiraiya to become the Fifth Hokage, but he secured one month to find Tsunade first.

• Shimura Danzō demanded that Ueno Kei hand over the Anbu token, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu backed Kei’s command and told Danzō the daimyo approved Jiraiya or Tsunade as Hokage.
• Shimura Danzō left with his subordinates, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura urged Ueno Kei to lead the Anbu responsibly and help keep Konoha stable.
• After Ueno Kei left, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura told Jiraiya they wanted him to become the Fifth Hokage and travel to Kyoto to meet the daimyo.
• Jiraiya asked for one month to find Tsunade, promising to return and take the Hokage position if he failed.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura agreed to the deadline and suggested sending two Anbu shinobi with Jiraiya.

Jiraiya asked to bring a genin on his mission as Kisame and Itachi entered Konoha undetected. Ueno Kei managed the village’s post-attack shortages and defenses before an Anbu member reported an unexpected incident.

• Jiraiya asked Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura to let him take a genin with him.
• Kisame and Itachi slipped past Konoha’s barrier and entered the village to carry out the Leader’s assignment.
• Ueno Kei handled casualty reports and ordered Sunagakure prisoners held in the Anbu until peace negotiations.
• Ueno Kei deployed most of the Anbu members still able to work to guard Konoha against other villages.
• An Anbu member rushed into Ueno Kei’s office with news of an unexpected event.

Ueno Kei raced to confront Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki after they appeared in Konoha, leaving Kakashi and the others behind. He caught up with the pair outside the village, where Itachi calmly asked why Kei had stopped them.

• An Anbu told Ueno Kei that Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki had been spotted in Konoha, and Kei hurried to investigate.
• Kei arrived as Might Guy kicked Kisame away, but Itachi noticed Kei and led Kisame in a quick retreat.
• Kei left Kakashi with Might Guy and used Lightning Release to pursue Itachi and Kisame alone.
• Kei drew a sealing array on his chest before catching the pair on Konoha's northeastern outskirts.
• Kisame recognized Kei as the Third Hokage's young disciple and mocked his age, while Itachi calmly asked why Kei had stopped them.

Ueno Kei confronted Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki after pursuing them away from Konoha, aiming to keep them from escaping. He resisted Itachi’s Tsukuyomi with a sealing technique, but the fight continued as Itachi warned Kisame not to underestimate him.

• Ueno Kei faced Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki and said he intended to keep them there.
• Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan as Ueno Kei rushed in and attacked Kisame with Thunderlight.
• Itachi used Tsukuyomi on Ueno Kei, who activated a Prison Seal prepared on his chest and recovered with blue light in his eyes.
• Ueno Kei attacked Itachi with Chidori, surprising him by resisting Tsukuyomi.
• Kisame asked to fight Ueno Kei, but Itachi cautioned him and refused to treat the confrontation lightly.

Ueno Kei fought Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, using a prepared technique to resist Itachi’s genjutsu but struggling against their coordinated attacks. After Amaterasu damaged and forced him to seal away the Lingyu Blade, Itachi’s Mangekyō perception enabled a predicted strike that sent Kei crashing into a mountain wall.

• Itachi Uchiha agreed to fight Ueno Kei alongside Kisame Hoshigaki, and Kei relied on a chakra surge technique to break free of genjutsu.
• Itachi distracted Kei with shuriken before Kisame attacked with Samehada, which absorbed Kei’s Thunder Release chakra.
• Kisame blasted Kei into the air with Water Release and used chakra-laden water to weigh him down.
• Itachi used Amaterasu, setting Kei’s Lingyu Blade ablaze and cracking it, so Kei sealed the blade and the black flames inside a scroll.
• Kei tried to retreat but Itachi anticipated his movement with the Mangekyō’s perception and struck him into a mountain wall.

Ueno Kei fought Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki until Jiraiya arrived to help, forcing the Akatsuki pair to retreat. Itachi called their encounter a draw as he and Kisame escaped.

• Kisame Hoshigaki attacked Ueno Kei with Samehada, but Ueno Kei used lightning and fire techniques to hold him back and create distance.
• Jiraiya arrived and joined Ueno Kei, while Kisame Hoshigaki asked Itachi Uchiha whether they should retreat.
• Itachi Uchiha decided that he and Kisame Hoshigaki could not defeat Jiraiya and Ueno Kei, and the pair prepared to leave.
• Kisame Hoshigaki unleashed a massive water wave that forced Ueno Kei and Jiraiya to retreat temporarily.
• Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki escaped, and Itachi called the fight a draw before promising to meet Ueno Kei again.

Ueno Kei failed to test his strength against Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, but learned from Jiraiya the truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre. He vowed to protect Konoha and rebuild it as a united village, while Jiraiya took Uzumaki Naruto out of Konoha.

• Ueno Kei regretted that Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki escaped before he could test his strength or learn Itachi Uchiha's true intentions.
• Jiraiya reproached Ueno Kei for pursuing the two rogue ninja alone, and Ueno Kei asked him about the Uchiha clan massacre and Itachi Uchiha's defection.
• Jiraiya explained the massacre to Ueno Kei, who concluded that Shimura Danzō's extreme methods had twisted Konoha.
• Ueno Kei vowed before his departed teacher to protect Konoha and make its people live happily.
• Jiraiya arrived at Uzumaki Naruto's home, then left Konoha with Naruto, who was delighted.

Sasuke considered accepting Orochimaru’s offer of power to avenge his clan, but memories of Naruto complicated his resolve. In the Originless Realm, Ueno Kei checked on the Lingyu Blade as the Great Elder continued cleansing its Amaterasu flames and preparing to repair it.

• In the Uchiha Clan’s forbidden grounds, Sasuke vowed to avenge his family and listened as Yakushi Kabuto urged him to seek Orochimaru’s help.
• Yakushi Kabuto left Sasuke to decide, promising to send someone to receive him later.
• Sasuke thought of Naruto and wished he could have been his brother, then reaffirmed that nothing would stop his revenge.
• In the Originless Realm, Ueno Kei visited the Lingyu Blade, and the Great Elder said the lake was compressing and cleansing its Amaterasu flames.
• The Great Elder promised to repair the Lingyu Blade and said he had prepared materials for a seal array that could make it nearly impossible to destroy.
• Ueno Kei left to attend to village matters and planned to return the next day.

Ueno Kei attended the meeting where Senju Tsunade was recognized as Konoha’s Fifth Hokage, and preparations began for her succession ceremony. After Shimura Danzō challenged Tsunade’s leadership, Ueno Kei defended her, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura’s changing attitude toward Danzō left him suspicious.

• Ueno Kei learned that Senju Tsunade and Jiraiya had returned to Konoha and went to the Hokage Office Building.
• Ueno Kei arrived at a gathering of Konoha leaders and found Tsunade seated in the Hokage’s chair.
• Utatane Koharu announced that Tsunade’s succession ceremony would take place in three days and assigned preparations to the assembled jonin.
• Shimura Danzō criticized Tsunade’s appointment, and Ueno Kei rebuked him for disrespecting the Fifth Hokage.
• Tsunade asserted her authority to Danzō, who left, and Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura departed after advising Tsunade to prioritize Konoha.
• Ueno Kei suspected that Koharu and Homura’s attitude toward Danzō had shifted for a reason.