Chapter Summaries

Shōji learned that the Wandering Miko might be Yakushi Nonō and saw a chance to recruit her and Kabuto while dismantling Danzo’s spy network. He took charge of the investigation in Iwagakure and set plans to draw the spy out without alerting her.

• Shōji told Ōnoki that the Wandering Miko might be a coerced Root spy who could be turned, and Ōnoki tasked him with eliminating the Konoha spies while judging whether to recruit her.
• Ōnoki told Rōshi that he considered Shōji a potential successor, while Rōshi argued that Kitsuchi should become Fourth Tsuchikage before Shōji took the position as Fifth.
• Shōji arranged accommodations and recovery for Reina and her daughter, planned consolidation training for the three young ones, and went to meet Ogata about the spy case.
• Ogata gave Shōji intelligence narrowing the Wandering Miko to one of thirty people, but warned that the missing contact could already have alerted Konoha.
• Shōji told Ogata to continue the existing investigation while secretly trying to lure the spy out and spreading a rumor that she was a blonde woman.

Shōji and Ogata struggled to identify the Wandering Miko while Yakushi Nonō prepared to flee Iwagakure. Shōji finally connected a hospital scent to the spy’s cover identity, and he and Ogata rushed to investigate the hospital.

• Yakushi Nonō realized her contact had likely been captured, prepared escape plans, and continued working at Iwagakure Hospital while seeking more information about Reina.
• Nonō deliberately exposed a Kumogakure spy to mislead Iwagakure’s investigation, leaving Shōji and Ogata frustrated when they failed to find her.
• Shōji and Ogata agreed to intensify their screening as four days had passed since the capture of the Konoha operative.
• Ogata explained that the faint scent on him came from wound spray, reminding Shōji of a similar medical scent he had noticed while investigating earlier sites.
• Shōji concluded that the Wandering Miko’s cover identity was likely hospital medical staff, and he and Ogata hurried to Iwagakure Hospital with their subordinates.

Shōji and Ogata confirmed that Echizen Rinko was Yakushi Nonō and launched a pursuit, while Nonō fled toward the border and tried to evade Iwagakure’s forces. Shōji tracked her down and confronted her, as Danzō separately sent Root operatives to recover her intelligence and kill her.

• Shōji used his sensitivity to Natural Energy to guide Ogata and the Iwagakure Ninja to Nonō’s abandoned house, where they confirmed her identity as Echizen Rinko.
• Shōji split the pursuit force and ordered Ogata to follow Nonō’s trail while he coordinated with Kitsuchi and the Jōnin Squad.
• Danzō ordered two Root squads to retrieve Nonō’s intelligence and kill her, assigning Kabuto to carry out the killing.
• Nonō avoided Iwagakure’s outposts by choosing remote routes and considered retreating through the Land of Iron, the Land of Waterfalls, or the Land of Lightning.
• Shōji used his enhanced senses and Sharingan to close in on Nonō and locate her within five li.
• Nonō sensed danger but could not detect Shōji until he emerged from a tree’s shadow and identified her as Yakushi Nonō.

Uchiha Shōji persuaded Yakushi Nonō to cooperate with Iwagakure by warning that Shimura Danzō might target her and the orphanage children. Nonō agreed to meet the reception force and judge Danzō’s intentions, while Root’s teams unknowingly approached a trap.

• Nonō recognized Shōji and prepared to fight, but he urged her to cooperate with Iwagakure and warned that Danzō might kill her and endanger the orphanage children.
• Shōji offered to help monitor and rescue the children, and Nonō agreed to cooperate temporarily so she could discover whether Yakushi Kabuto was among Danzō’s reception force.
• Nonō agreed to contact the reception force, and she and Shōji set out to meet them.
• Ogata received Shōji’s instructions and ordered Kuro and Axi to change direction and rendezvous at the three o’clock position.
• Two Root teams carrying Danzō’s kill order followed their trail toward a trap, unaware that Nonō had temporarily switched sides.
• The masked Root leader told Tora to handle the exposed spy when they intercepted the Iwagakure ninja.

Yakushi Kabuto accepted Danzo’s mission to kill Yakushi Nonō, while Root arranged an ambush and Uchiha Shōji secretly tracked the operation. As Nonō and her escort entered the ambush area, Shōji confronted the waiting Root members, and the chapter ended as his Chakra erupted.

• Hato ordered Kabuto to separate from the group and prepare to kill Nonō, while Resentment was told to create an opening and eliminate them if necessary.
• Shōji watched Root’s movements from hiding, relying on Ogata’s Iwagakure forces to encircle the area from a distance.
• Hato met Nonō, confirmed her mission was complete, and sent her away with Black Silver while he searched for the pursuing Iwagakure Ninja.
• Shōji identified Hato as an Aburame and followed Nonō toward the ambush before sensing three Root members waiting in a low valley.
• Three Root members appeared and began fighting as Shōji unleashed a powerful surge of Chakra.

Shōji killed the Root operatives guarding Kabuto and helped Kabuto and Nonō recognize each other after Danzō’s photograph trick. He left them to talk and intercepted Hato, whose insect techniques failed to stop Shōji before he discovered Hato had used an insect clone.

• Shōji killed Resentment and the other Root operatives who had confronted Nonō and Kabuto.
• Shōji explained that Danzō had deceived Nonō with a misleading photograph, and Kabuto convinced her that he was her son.
• Shōji left Nonō and Kabuto together and headed toward the approaching Aburame Clan Root operative, Hato.
• Hato sensed the disturbance, turned toward the battle site, and ordered his three subordinates to scout for Iwagakure pursuers.
• Shōji confronted Hato, broke through his insect attacks, and struck what appeared to be Hato with his blade.
• Hato’s body dispersed into insects, and Shōji used his senses to locate Hato’s true body.

Shōji defeated Danzo’s Root operatives and persuaded Nonō and Kabuto to seek refuge with Iwagakure to protect themselves and the orphanage children. After capturing Aburame Ryūma and signaling Ogata’s force, Shōji left the operation poised to deliver valuable prisoners and intelligence to Iwagakure.

• Nonō decided to defect to Iwagakure with Kabuto after Danzo’s actions convinced her that staying with Root endangered them and the orphanage children.
• Kabuto accepted Nonō’s decision, and she asked him to tell her about his experiences over the past few years.
• Shōji overwhelmed Hato with his attacks, shattered his mask, and recognized him as Aburame Ryūma.
• Shōji used his Sharingan to subdue Ryūma, fired a signal flare, and led Iwagakure’s ninja to capture or kill the remaining Root operatives.
• Ogata praised Shōji for securing Nonō’s location and capturing Root members, while Shōji explained that Ryūma was a valuable prisoner.

Shōji brought Nonō and Kabuto to Iwagakure after they agreed to join the village, and Nonō shared intelligence about Konoha’s Root while requesting help for the orphanage children. Ōnoki approved Shōji’s plan to pressure Konoha but objected when Shōji volunteered to lead the mission there himself.

• Ogata took the subdued Aburame Ryūma into custody while Shōji returned to speak with Nonō and Kabuto.
• Nonō agreed to join Iwagakure and asked Shōji to conceal their deaths and help locate or rescue the orphanage children in Konoha.
• Shōji promised to seek permission to travel to Konoha, and Nonō and Kabuto accepted Iwagakure’s restrictions and surveillance.
• Nonō and Kabuto met Ōnoki, and Nonō disclosed intelligence about Shimura Danzō and Root before leaving with an Iwagakure Ninja.
• Ōnoki asked Shōji how to respond to Konoha’s infiltration, and Shōji proposed condemnation and increased border pressure.
• Shōji volunteered to lead a mission to Konoha, but Ōnoki rejected the plan because the danger to Shōji was too great.

Shōji persuaded Ōnoki to let him lead a delegation to Konoha, then prepared his clan and trained Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara before departing. In Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned the elders and Danzo after receiving Iwagakure’s demand for accountability.

• Shōji argued that he was the best choice to lead a mission to Konoha, and Ōnoki agreed while ordering him to prioritize his safety and promising support at the Land of Grass border.
• Ōnoki instructed Shōji to coordinate the delegation, send Konoha a formal demand for an explanation, and have Ogata’s group seek intelligence from captured Root members.
• Shōji visited Uzumaki Reina and Karin, checked how they were settling into Iwagakure, and later spent time with his younger siblings and prepared his students for his absence.
• Shōji guided Itachi, Kurotsuchi, and Deidara in training, told them to pause missions and focus on strengthening their skills, and appointed Itachi acting captain while he was away.
• After Konoha received Iwagakure’s demand, Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō and ordered Anbu to monitor Root.
• Danzo delayed going to the Hokage Office Building while he gave orders to trusted Root subordinates, then arrived to find Homura and Koharu already waiting.

Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Shimura Danzō over Root’s failed operation to extract Yakushi Nonō as Iwagakure reinforced its forces near the Land of Grass. He ordered Root to suspend operations while Konoha prepared for an Iwagakure delegation expected the following week.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded that Danzo explain the loss of two Root squads and the failed extraction of Nonō, while Danzo claimed it had been a routine mission.
• Mitokado Homura warned that Iwagakure had gathered over a thousand forces near the Land of Grass border as Konoha’s forces were strained by its conflict with Kumogakure.
• Danzo denied hiding anything and blamed Iwagakure’s actions on provocation and Uchiha Shōji, while Hiruzen judged that Iwagakure was testing Konoha and preparing a delegation visit.
• Hiruzen ordered Danzo and Root to conduct no operations without his permission and assigned directly subordinate Anbu to monitor them; Danzo objected but left after Hiruzen refused to yield.
• Hiruzen asked Utatane Koharu to watch Danzo and Mitokado Homura to prepare for Iwagakure’s delegation, then began drafting a careful reply to the Third Tsuchikage.

Sarutobi Hiruzen reinforced Konoha’s northwestern border after receiving a reply from Iwagakure, prompting villages across the shinobi world to react to the growing risk of war. Ōnoki confirmed that Iwagakure’s preparations were complete, while Kumogakure’s Dodai proposed a different way to seize the Land of Hot Springs.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen sent several hundred elite shinobi to reinforce Konoha’s northwestern border near the Land of Grass.
• Boro ordered Kusagakure’s personnel to withdraw inward, while Yugakure’s leader kept the village’s shinobi away from the fighting.
• Rasa ordered Sunagakure to monitor the situation and consider reclaiming the Northern Fortress only if Konoha and Iwagakure entered a major war.
• The Fourth Raikage A ordered Kumogakure to press into the Land of Hot Springs, but Dodai warned that an advance could let Iwagakure profit and promised an alternative approach.
• Ōnoki dismissed Konoha’s reply, asked Kitsuchi whether Iwagakure’s preparations were complete, and Kitsuchi confirmed that they were.

Ōnoki sent Shōji to lead Iwagakure’s peace delegation to Konohagakure as Kumogakure dispatched its own delegation, bringing the nations toward a critical three-way meeting. Shōji arrived in Konoha under intense suspicion, leaving Sarutobi Hiruzen and the other leaders unsettled by his presence.

• Ōnoki ordered his forces to watch the borders and sent Shōji to determine Konoha’s attitude, with a fifteen-person Iwagakure delegation.
• A Kumogakure delegation set out for Konohagakure soon after Shōji’s group, and both delegations headed toward talks that could determine whether war erupted.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted Kumogakure’s offer of peace negotiations and assigned Nara Shikaku to handle liaison and security arrangements.
• Shōji’s delegation reached Konohagakure after three days, where Konoha’s escort tightened its surveillance upon recognizing him as the leader.
• Mitokado Homura and other Konoha leaders received Shōji at the village gate and wondered whether Iwagakure’s choice of him concealed a scheme.

Uchiha Shōji led Iwagakure’s delegation into Konoha and confronted Sarutobi Hiruzen over Konoha shinobi attacking Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. Hiruzen agreed to verify the evidence over the next two or three days, and Shōji left the meeting expecting a satisfactory answer.

• Mitokado Homura greeted Shōji’s delegation at Konoha’s gate, and Shōji taunted him about their first meeting and his new allegiance to Iwagakure.
• Shōji and Ogata entered the Hokage’s office, where Sarutobi Hiruzen received them alongside Homura and Nara Shikaku.
• Shōji demanded to know how Konoha would answer for its shinobi entering the Land of Earth and causing bloodshed, but Shikaku claimed there had been no such mission.
• Shōji identified the attackers as a high-ranking spy, two Root squads, and an Aburame Clan Jōnin, rejecting Konoha’s denial.
• Hiruzen demanded evidence and time to investigate, and Shōji agreed to wait two or three days for Konoha’s response before leaving the meeting.

Uchiha Shōji tested Konoha’s response to Iwagakure’s demands, while Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered surveillance and increased Naruto’s protection. Shōji’s delegation began secretly gathering intelligence in Konoha as Danzo plotted to take the Sharingan’s power for himself.

• Shōji asked permission to visit the Uchiha shrine and retrieve inherited ceremonial items, provoking Sarutobi Hiruzen with a reminder of the clan’s past.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Mitokado Homura to watch Shōji’s delegation and reinforce border reconnaissance, then assigned Kakashi Hatake to protect Naruto around the clock.
• Danzo ignored Hiruzen’s warning and plotted to seize Shōji’s Sharingan, vowing to make him regret returning to Konoha.
• Shōji and Ogata arrived at the guest inn, where Shikaku warned them to follow Konoha’s rules and Shōji pressed the village not to delay its decision.
• Shōji assigned members of the Iwagakure delegation to secretly gather intelligence, and they dispersed into the night to carry out their missions.

Shōji infiltrated Konoha, recovered the Uchiha clan’s Stone Tablet, and investigated Nonō’s orphanage while his delegation gathered intelligence. After learning Konoha might reinforce its northwestern border, he urged Ogata to wait and watch, suspecting the Kumo Ninja might soon attempt to abduct Hinata.

• Shōji entered Naka Shrine, sensed a possible response from the Stone Tablet, and dug it out to take with him.
• Shōji returned the Stone Tablet to the inn, then spent the night investigating Konoha and Nonō’s orphanage.
• Ogata reported that Konoha might shift its focus northeast and reinforce the northwestern border, but the delegation had gained little useful intelligence.
• Shōji considered changing Iwagakure’s strategy, then decided to wait and observe Konoha’s dealings with the Kumo Ninja.
• Shōji suspected that the Kumo Ninja might attempt to abduct Hinata, though he was uncertain whether the event would occur in this altered timeline.

Shōji waited for Kumogakure’s delegation to arrive, expecting the negotiations to recreate the events of the Original Work so he could help Kumogakure and weaken Konoha and the Hyuga Clan. As Konoha’s leaders considered Kumogakure’s demand for the Land of Hot Springs, Sarutobi Hiruzen called his advisers together to decide how to respond.

• Shōji told Ogata to halt further operations and wait to see whether Kumogakure would send a peace delegation and target the Hyuga Clan again.
• Konoha discovered traces of Iwagakure’s espionage, but the delegation’s sudden quietness puzzled Sarutobi Hiruzen until news came that Kumogakure’s delegation was approaching.
• Shōji went to observe the Kumo Ninja’s arrival and welcomed the prospect of helping them obtain the Land of Hot Springs or the Byakugan.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen delayed negotiations to pressure Shōji’s delegation, while Shōji saw through the tactic and remained unconcerned.
• Kumogakure’s lead Jōnin Mayoi demanded that Konoha withdraw completely from the Land of Hot Springs in exchange for a ceasefire.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen summoned Danzō, Homura, Koharu, Shikaku, and Inoichi to discuss Kumogakure’s demand and Konoha’s position.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Konoha’s senior leaders debated how to respond to Kumogakure and Iwagakure’s military pressure. Hiruzen chose limited concessions to Kumogakure while preserving Konoha’s border defenses, as Shimura Danzō continued planning to target Uchiha Shōji.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen briefed Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu on the large Kumogakure and Iwagakure forces near Konoha’s borders.
• Shimura Danzō urged Konoha to negotiate with Kumogakure and pressure Iwagakure, arguing that Iwagakure’s delegation led by Uchiha Shōji was probing Konoha’s strength.
• Nara Shikaku assessed that both villages were using pressure to force Konoha’s concessions and recommended stabilizing relations with Iwagakure while prioritizing negotiations with Kumogakure.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu supported Shikaku’s cautious approach, while Danzō maintained that Konoha should eliminate the Uchiha threat.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen instructed Shikaku to negotiate a withdrawal from the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost while keeping Konoha’s defensive positions near Mount Fengzui.

Shikaku and Inoichi questioned Hiruzen’s cautious handling of the Iwagakure and Kumogakure delegations, while Shōji waited for the Kumo Ninja’s hidden plan to unfold. Konoha and Kumogakure signed a peace agreement, and the village celebrated, unaware that the agreement coincided with Kumogakure’s second mission.

• Hiruzen assigned Shikaku to oversee the Mount Fengzui outpost and ordered Homura and Inoichi to continue negotiations with Iwagakure.
• Shikaku told Inoichi that Hiruzen’s policy toward Kumogakure was too conservative, and both agreed to avoid unnecessary involvement while hoping Jiraiya or Tsunade would eventually lead Konoha.
• Shōji remained unconcerned during negotiations, while Homura struggled to discern Iwagakure’s intentions and Shōji waited to see whether Kumogakure would attempt to abduct Hinata.
• Mayoi agreed to terms that gave Kumogakure the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, and the two villages completed a peace agreement as Kumogakure prepared to carry out its second mission.
• Hiruzen announced the peace agreement to Konoha, and villagers celebrated the end of the long war.

Shōji left Konoha after the peace agreement, expecting Kumogakure to exploit the celebration and loosened security to target the Hyuga Clan. Danzo instead sent Root to intercept Shōji’s delegation, and Shōji began cutting through the ambushers as the Kumo Ninja set out to abduct Hinata Hyuga.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen relaxed Konoha’s security restrictions so citizens could celebrate the peace agreement, creating a brief gap in the village’s defenses.
• Shōji led the Iwagakure delegation out of Konoha, telling Ogata that he planned to return later and watch for trouble.
• Shimura Danzō sent more than a hundred Root members to intercept Shōji’s party as they traveled through the Land of Fire.
• Mayoi ordered Retto and the Kumo Ninja to infiltrate the Hyuga compound and abduct three-year-old Hinata Hyuga.
• Shōji detected Root’s ambush, exposed the attackers with a Great Fireball Technique, and identified them as Danzo’s forces.
• Root charged Shōji, who activated his Sharingan and lightning armor, then killed several attackers with his Tachi.

Shōji annihilated Danzo’s Root force, sent Ogata and the others toward the Land of Grass with the bodies as evidence, and returned to Konoha to watch for the Kumo Ninja’s move against the Hyuga Clan. He arrived as Hyuga Hiashi defeated Retto after rescuing Hinata.

• Shōji slaughtered the Root elites, while their leader ordered one member to escape and report the defeat to Danzo.
• Shōji let the messenger flee, finished off the remaining Root members, and told Ogata to send the news to the Third Hokage and withdraw with the bodies.
• Ogata, Hu Yin, and the Iwagakure Ninja sealed the corpses and left for the border, while Shōji returned to Konoha.
• Shōji watched the Hyuga Clan compound for signs of the Kumo Ninja and detected a disturbance nearby.
• Hyuga Hiashi rescued Hinata from Retto and attacked the wounded Kumo Ninja.