Chapter Summaries

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.

Ueno Kei opened up to Tsunade and Jiraiya about his grief and anger over his teacher’s death and his conflict with Danzo. Tsunade comforted him, and their warmth reminded him that Konoha was still his home.

• Tsunade told Ueno Kei to rein in his hostility toward Danzo because Danzo was their senior.
• Ueno Kei admitted how deeply his teacher’s fate hurt him and how hard he had been suppressing his emotions.
• Tsunade embraced Ueno Kei and comforted him, while Jiraiya jokingly asked for an embrace too.
• Tsunade held Ueno Kei so tightly that he began to suffocate, and Jiraiya urged her to let him go.
• Ueno Kei recognized that Tsunade and Jiraiya were trying to ease his grief and resolved not to give in to despair.

Tsunade formally became Konoha’s Fifth Hokage at a village ceremony. Afterward, Ueno Kei urged her to address Sunagakure’s breach of agreement and left to handle the understaffed Anbu.

• Tsunade appeared at the Hokage Building with Jiraiya and Ueno Kei and declared that she would protect Konoha as its Fifth Hokage.
• Konoha’s citizens cheered Tsunade’s appointment, and the ceremony ended after half a day.
• Tsunade relaxed with Shizune, Jiraiya, and Ueno Kei after the ceremony, while Jiraiya explained that he had refused the Hokage position.
• Ueno Kei reminded Tsunade to negotiate with Sunagakure over its breach of agreement, then departed for the Anbu to address its personnel shortage.

Sasuke defected from Konoha with the Sound Four after they killed an Anbu guard who discovered him. Tsunade assigned a group of young ninja to pursue him, but Ueno Kei arrived as Naruto promised to bring Sasuke back and someone objected to the mission.

• Sasuke crossed Konoha’s barrier and attacked the Anbu guard who challenged him.
• The Sound Four killed the guard before he could signal for help and recognized Sasuke as their leader.
• Sasuke and the Sound Four headed toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rice Fields.
• Konoha discovered the guard’s body and reported Sasuke’s defection to Tsunade.
• Tsunade gathered Shikamaru, Naruto, Neji, Choji, Kiba, and Sakura to pursue Sasuke, while Ueno Kei hurried to her office.
• Naruto vowed to bring Sasuke back, but an icy voice declared that Naruto would not be allowed to pursue him.

Ueno Kei clashed with Naruto and Sakura over how to pursue Sasuke, whom Naruto believed Orochimaru had tricked into leaving Konoha. Tsunade sent Naruto’s team after him while Kei ordered Sasuke declared a rogue ninja and marked for death.

• Naruto argued that Sasuke had been deceived by Orochimaru and insisted that he would bring him back to Konoha.
• Ueno Kei offered to send Anbu after Sasuke, but Tsunade said Konoha lacked the manpower and told Naruto’s team to pursue him first.
• Tsunade persuaded Kei to finish handling Sunagakure before joining the pursuit, and Kei ordered Shikamaru to prioritize killing Sasuke and the Otogakure ninja.
• Kei rebuked Naruto for endangering his teammates by assuming Sasuke could be brought back unharmed.
• Kei ordered an Anbu to declare Sasuke a rogue ninja and instruct Konoha ninja to kill him on sight, offering a reward to other villages for Sasuke’s head.

Ueno Kei sent Naruto and Nara Shikamaru’s team to pursue Sasuke, warning Shikamaru to prioritize the mission and his teammates’ safety while allowing them to spare Sasuke if they could. After they left, Ueno Kei went to meet Sunagakure’s envoy Baki to negotiate compensation, supplies, and the return of prisoners.

• Ueno Kei warned Nara Shikamaru not to risk his teammates’ lives for Sasuke, while leaving open the possibility of bringing Sasuke back alive.
• Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, and the others received their passes and departed from Konoha’s gates to pursue Sasuke.
• Tsunade reassured Ueno Kei that Naruto’s team was strong and that Kakashi would join them after completing his mission.
• Ueno Kei left to meet Sunagakure’s envoy Baki and discuss the terms of peace and the new alliance treaty.
• Baki, Kankuro, and Temari waited anxiously at the meeting place in Konoha.

Ueno Kei negotiated with Baki over supplies and the release of Sunagakure’s captured ninja. After they reached an agreement, Konoha released the prisoners, and Baki led them back to the Land of Wind with supplies due in five days.

• Ueno Kei joined the talks and pointedly reminded Baki that Sunagakure needed its captured ninja returned.
• Baki acknowledged the prisoners’ importance and agreed to discuss the terms directly.
• Ueno Kei and Baki bargained over compensation, including a large supply of Sunagakure medicinal herbs for Konoha’s wounded.
• After gaining Tsunade’s approval, Ueno Kei had Kankuro and Temari taken to the captured Sunagakure ninja, who were released.
• A day later, Baki led the Sunagakure ninja back to the Land of Wind and agreed to deliver the supplies in five days.

Ueno Kei left Konoha to reach Naruto after Shin located him, while Naruto and Sasuke confronted each other at the Valley of the End. Sasuke declared he would sever their bond in a fight to the death as Ueno Kei raced toward them.

• Ueno Kei finished reporting to Tsunade and set off to support Naruto despite her reassurance that Kakashi was following him.
• Ueno Kei summoned Shin, who pointed him toward Naruto, and hurried ahead at great speed.
• At the Valley of the End, Yakushi Kabuto urged Sasuke to hurry to Otogakure, but Sasuke insisted on handling Naruto himself.
• Sasuke told Naruto that he regarded him as a brother but would abandon everything to avenge the Uchiha Clan.
• Sasuke awakened his three-tomoe Sharingan and challenged Naruto to decide their life and death in battle.

After Naruto lost to Sasuke at the Valley of the End, Ueno Kei arrived ready to kill the deserter, but Naruto begged him to let Sasuke go. Ueno Kei spared Sasuke, who left with Yakushi Kabuto, while Naruto was carried away devastated.

• Ueno Kei and Kakashi carried the injured, grief-stricken Naruto after the battle with Sasuke.
• Ueno Kei arrived at the Valley of the End and found Kakashi and Naruto facing Sasuke and Yakushi Kabuto.
• Ueno Kei drew the Lingyu Blade and prepared to punish Sasuke for deserting Konoha.
• Naruto tearfully pleaded with Ueno Kei and Kakashi to let Sasuke go, and Ueno Kei sheathed his blade.
• Yakushi Kabuto led Sasuke away, and Naruto watched Sasuke leave before closing his eyes.

After Sasuke escaped, Naruto collapsed from exhaustion and emotional distress. Ueno Kei and Kakashi brought him back to Konoha, where he recovered in the hospital with Ueno Kei staying by his side.

• Ueno Kei let Sasuke leave after Naruto pleaded with him, and Naruto collapsed as Sasuke disappeared.
• Ueno Kei caught the unconscious Naruto, and Kakashi carried him back toward Konoha with Ueno Kei.
• Naruto woke briefly on the way back, apologized to Ueno Kei, and then fell asleep again.
• Ueno Kei brought Naruto to Konoha Hospital and insisted that Tsunade examine him, though his injuries were mostly superficial.
• After Tsunade left, Ueno Kei stayed beside Naruto until he woke and greeted him.

After Naruto grieved over Sasuke’s defection, Jiraiya and Ueno Kei helped him face the choices and consequences ahead. Naruto chose to stop Sasuke from destroying Konoha without killing him, and Jiraiya accepted that as Naruto’s path.

• Jiraiya rushed to the hospital after hearing Naruto had been injured while pursuing Sasuke.
• Naruto cried as he wondered whether he had done something wrong and why Sasuke had left him behind.
• Jiraiya told Naruto that Sasuke had chosen his own path and had to bear its consequences, just as Naruto would have to bear his own choices.
• Jiraiya asked what Naruto would do if Sasuke tried to destroy Konoha, and Naruto insisted he would stop Sasuke without killing him.
• Jiraiya accepted Naruto’s decision as the path he had chosen, leaving Ueno Kei to reflect on the responsibility that came with it.