Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Fugaku agreed to Konoha’s deployment plan after negotiating limits on the number of Uchiha genin sent to the front. Sarutobi Hiruzen assembled more than a thousand ninja to reinforce the northeastern border, but Shimura Danzō confronted him over sending the Uchiha to the front lines.

• Uchiha Fugaku reviewed Sarutobi Hiruzen’s personnel list and negotiated limits on how many Uchiha genin would be deployed.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to Fugaku’s conditions, preserving the established rules protecting the clans’ basic interests.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen gathered more than a thousand Konoha Ninja, including eighty jōnin, to reinforce strongholds near the Land of Hot Springs.
• Shimura Danzō rushed to the Hokage’s Office and demanded that Sarutobi Hiruzen explain why he was allowing the Uchiha Clan to go to the front lines.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen defended the deployment as a conventional way to assess the Uchiha, while Shimura Danzō warned that it could drag the entire clan into danger.

Hiruzen rejected Danzō’s demand to distrust the entire Uchiha Clan, while the clan’s leaders treated Konoha’s deployment order as a chance to change their standing in the village. Shōji saw the mobilization as an opportunity to advance his plans as the selected Uchiha and other forces prepared to go to war.

• Hiruzen insisted that some Uchiha, including Shisui and Shōji, could be trusted, and Danzō left after warning him he would regret his decision.
• Fugaku, Genran, Chie, and the other Uchiha leaders supported volunteering for the deployment, believing the clan could gain the recognition of other Ninja Clans.
• Shōji received the deployment order and hoped the nearly hundred Uchiha named in it would help his plan progress.
• The selected Uchiha began preparing supplies alongside a force of major Ninja Clans and Commoner Ninja totaling more than 1,300 people.

Konoha prepared more than thirteen hundred reinforcements for outposts facing Kumogakure, with Nara Suzaku coordinating their deployment. Shōji departed with the Uchiha contingent, leaving his younger siblings and grandmother behind as they headed toward the Land of Hot Springs.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen reinforced Konoha's northeastern defenses because Kumogakure's border provocations had caused casualties and threatened a wider war.
• Nara Suzaku was appointed to coordinate the reinforcements and placed the Uchiha personnel on the second departure list.
• Shōji told Uchiha Yang to protect Uchiha Saki and Uchiha Chihaya while he was away, then said goodbye to his family.
• Shōji left home and joined more than a hundred gathered Uchiha clansmen, determined to continue despite having no path back.
• The chapter described the Land of Hot Springs as a likely battlefield between Konoha and Kumogakure, where the villages had fought for decades.

Konoha’s deployment to the Land of Hot Springs became a test of the Uchiha Clan’s position when Nara Suzaku ordered most of its personnel to reinforce the dangerous Mount Hot Spring stronghold. Uchiha Kogen accepted the change, and the reinforcements were told to reach their assigned posts by morning.

• The chapter explained that Fourth Raikage A was probing Konoha’s strength while Kumogakure cautiously escalated the border conflict.
• Uchiha Kogen challenged Nara Suzaku after learning that over two-thirds of the Uchiha contingent would be sent to strongholds in the Land of Hot Springs, including Mount Hot Spring.
• Nara Suzaku said the Hokage had ordered the reassignment because Mount Hot Spring needed reinforcements, and other clans were also transferring personnel there.
• Uchiha Kogen swallowed his anger and agreed that the Uchiha Clan would follow the village’s arrangements.
• Nara Suzaku ordered all the clans to depart that afternoon and reach their strongholds before morning as Kumogakure’s attacks intensified.

After Kogen announced that the Uchiha Clan would be reassigned to the dangerous Mount Hot Spring frontline alongside other clans and Suzaku, Shōji volunteered to go there. His offer surprised the clan members who remembered his influence at their recent meeting.

• Suzaku reflected that the reassignment was a routine reinforcement plan, not a plot to sacrifice the Uchiha, as Konoha's outpost near Mount Hot Spring urgently needed help against Kumogakure.
• Kogen reported the reassignment to the Uchiha Clan, whose members mostly grumbled while some elders worried that the deployment might still expose them to losses.
• Shōji decided that the dangerous outpost offered a chance to fight and improve, and believed his Mangekyō Sharingan gave him a strong chance of surviving battles.
• Shōji asked Kogen to add his name to the roster for the Mount Hot Spring Outpost, drawing the attention of the gathered Uchiha.

Shōji volunteered to reinforce the dangerous Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, and Uchiha Kogen approved his assignment. The Konoha reinforcements then split into groups and headed for their posts, with Shōji traveling under Kogen’s command.

• Shōji volunteered to serve at the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, drawing the attention of the Uchiha clansmen.
• Kogen questioned Shōji’s resolve, then added him to the outpost roster after Shōji reaffirmed his choice.
• Kogen selected thirty-seven Uchiha, including himself, for the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost and assigned the others to different posts.
• Suzaku coordinated the Konoha force as it split into groups and advanced into the Land of Hot Springs.
• Shōji departed with Kogen for the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, which was assigned four hundred of the more than thirteen hundred reinforcements.

Suzaku led several hundred reinforcements, including Uchiha ninja, to the battered Hot Springs Mountain Outpost and reassured its commander, Ido, that the defenses could hold. For Shōji, the outpost marked his first real battlefield, and the Kumo Ninja launched a sneak attack on the night the reinforcements arrived.

• Suzaku arrived at the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost with three to four hundred reinforcements, and commander Ido welcomed them with relief.
• Ido questioned the presence of Uchiha ninja after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, but Suzaku signaled him to keep quiet, and Ido accepted the Hokage's decision.
• Suzaku ordered the reinforcements to report to their camps, stay equipped, and prepare for patrol and combat duties.
• Shōji surveyed the outpost's battle damage and struggled with fear and excitement as he faced his first true battlefield.
• The Kumo Ninja learned of the reinforcements, and they launched a sneak attack on the outpost that night.

Kumogakure probed Konoha’s reinforcements with a night raid, and Suzaku ordered a forceful response to display Konoha’s strength without escalating the conflict too far. After the fighting, Shōji spoke with Uchiha Homura about how the war would change them, leaving Homura struck by Shōji’s transformation.

• The Kumogakure commander reported Konoha’s large reinforcements to the village and sent surprise squads to probe the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost.
• Suzaku recognized the raid as an attempt to assess the reinforcements and ordered his forces to encircle and capture as many attackers as possible.
• The night battle raged around the outpost, though both sides held back some of their forces.
• Shōji spent the night unable to sleep and met Uchiha Homura at dawn, who teased him about looking exhausted.
• Shōji told Homura that the war meant something different for them, and Homura remarked that Shōji had changed.

Shōji joined a Konoha counterattack against Kumogakure, assigned to a squad targeting an eastern reconnaissance outpost. As the squad neared its target, Hyuga Tenki detected something and halted them.

• Shōji reminded Uchiha Homura to avoid rash actions and keep the Shōji Faction inconspicuous.
• Suzaku and Ido organized a counterattack to strike Kumogakure’s main outpost, reconnaissance posts, and supply depots.
• Shōji was assigned to an eastern-sector squad led by Akimichi Motoyasu, with Hyuga Tenki serving as its scout.
• Hyuga Tenki activated his Byakugan and stopped the squad just before they reached the mission target.

Akimichi Motoyasu’s Konoha squad ambushed a fifteen-member Kumo Ninja unit, but the enemy’s sensor detected them before the encirclement was complete. Shōji entered his first real battle and trapped a Kumo chūnin in a Sharingan genjutsu.

• Hyuga Tenki detected fifteen approaching Kumo Ninja, including at least three Jōnin, and reported their strength to Akimichi Motoyasu.
• Motoyasu assigned battle positions, and the Konoha Ninja dispersed through the forest to form an encirclement.
• A Kumo sensory ninja sensed the ambush before the Konoha squad had fully surrounded them and warned his comrades.
• Motoyasu charged the Kumo Jōnin captain as the two sides clashed, while the Aburame and Gekko Jōnin engaged other Kumo Jōnin.
• Shōji fought a Kumo chūnin, revealed his Sharingan, and caught his opponent in genjutsu.

Uchiha Shōji killed for the first time and then overwhelmed the Kumo Ninja, shifting the battle in Konoha’s favor. When the Kumo forces retreated, Shōji pursued a fleeing Kumogakure Jōnin who had wounded a Konoha fighter.

• Shōji beheaded a Kumo Ninja, briefly felt the shock of his first kill, and quickly regained his composure.
• Shōji joined the fight and slaughtered Kumo Ninja, drawing attention and turning the previously even battle in Konoha’s favor.
• Hato used the Thunderstorm Technique to push back Akimichi Motoyasu and the other Konoha Jōnin, then ordered the Kumo Ninja to retreat.
• A Kumogakure Jōnin broke through Konoha’s interception and severely injured the Gekko Clan Jōnin, so Akimichi Motoyasu sent Shōji after him.
• Shōji used Lightning Affinity Chakra to accelerate and pursue the exhausted Kumogakure Jōnin.

Shōji pursued and killed a fleeing Kumogakure Jōnin after overcoming the enemy’s earth, shuriken, and explosive attacks. He recognized the danger of the battlefield, and Akimichi Motoyasu arrived with others after the fight ended.

• Shōji caught up with the wounded Kumogakure Jōnin, who tried to escape by collapsing stone walls with an Earth Style technique.
• Shōji cut through the falling boulders and clashed with the Jōnin, who then attacked with shuriken, explosive tags, and falling rocks.
• Shōji evaded the attack and appeared behind the Jōnin, piercing his chest with his blade and killing him.
• Shōji checked his minor injuries and reminded himself to stay vigilant on the battlefield.
• Akimichi Motoyasu arrived with two or three others after finishing their own battle and came to support Shōji.

Shōji and Motoyasu led Konoha forces in a successful assault on Kumogakure’s eastern strongholds after defeating a Kumo patrol. Shōji wiped out the Kumo Ninja at his assigned reconnaissance stronghold, while Motoyasu attacked the logistics base.

• Motoyasu arrived to reinforce Shōji and found that Shōji had already killed a Kumogakure Jōnin.
• Konoha defeated all fifteen Kumo Ninja, losing no one and suffering five wounded, and then continued toward the eastern strongholds.
• Motoyasu assigned himself the logistics stronghold and sent Shōji and Shiki to attack the four reconnaissance strongholds with separate squads.
• Motoyasu’s force broke through the defenses at the largest logistics stronghold as the Kumo Ninja across the area raised the alarm.
• Shōji arrived at his assigned stronghold and slaughtered every Kumo Ninja there without needing support from his squad.

Uchiha Shōji led Konoha Chūnin in eliminating a Kumo Ninja outpost, while a second outpost had already been abandoned. Nara Suzaku’s wider offensive destroyed nearly ten outposts before Konoha’s forces withdrew safely, leaving the Southern Fortress in Kumo hands.

• Shōji killed the last Kumo Ninja at the first outpost, earning the respect of the Konoha Chūnin under his command.
• Shōji found the second outpost deserted and burning, then ordered his squad to return and rendezvous with Akimichi Motoyasu.
• The other Konoha raiding squads completed their assignments and destroyed nearly ten Kumo Ninja outposts despite minor difficulties.
• Nara Suzaku’s force attacked the Southern Fortress, but the experienced Kumo Ninja stabilized their defenses and stopped Konoha’s advance.
• After hearing that the raiding squads had succeeded, Suzaku ordered a controlled retreat, and the Kumo Ninja could not pursue the withdrawing Konoha forces.

Kumogakure suffered heavy losses after Nara Suzaku seized a brief advantage to strike its forces and outposts in the Land of Hot Springs. Dodai arrived with reinforcements as Konoha withdrew to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, where Suzaku prepared for a defensive standoff and future operations.

• Gintaku learned that Kumogakure had lost more than a hundred ninja, including over fifteen Jōnin, and requested reinforcements while stabilizing the front line.
• Dodai arrived with Kumo Ninja reinforcements and ordered Gintaku to restore outposts, replenish supplies, and demand provisions from Yuhara Castle.
• Nara Suzaku led Konoha's forces back to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost after scouts reported the Kumo reinforcements had arrived.
• Suzaku planned to hold a defensive posture while keeping the special operations team ready to strike at rebuilt Kumo defenses.
• Akimichi Motoyasu's unit returned to the outpost after losing two comrades, while Aburame Shiki was seriously wounded in an ambush.

After returning to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, Shōji earned Akimichi Motoyasu’s respect through his battlefield strength. The main force also returned with only a few wounded, and Shōji asked Uchiha Homura and Uchiha Ichijō about the fighting as he considered his next plans.

• Akimichi Motoyasu recognized Shōji’s contribution to the squad’s success and developed a more favorable view of him.
• Shōji returned to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost and headed to the cafeteria to replenish his energy.
• Shōji noticed Nara Suzaku leading the main force back to the outpost, with only three or four people injured.
• Nara Suzaku took the clan leaders to the central command tent while Shōji went to speak with Uchiha Homura and Uchiha Ichijō.
• Shōji asked Homura and Ichijō how the frontal battle had gone and what losses they had suffered.

Shōji learned that Konoha’s attack had inflicted heavy losses on Kumogakure while keeping its own casualties low, but nearly arriving reinforcements had exposed how dangerous the situation remained. The force returned to the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost, where Homura urged caution as the threat of a wider war lingered.

• Shōji heard that Konoha had killed over a hundred Kumo Ninja while losing fewer than half as many, including no Uchiha Clan members.
• Shōji learned that Kumogakure’s reinforcements had arrived almost simultaneously with Konoha’s return, raising the danger that the main force could have been surrounded.
• Homura confirmed that the reinforcements had nearly caught Konoha, while Ichijō dismissed the danger and said the Uchiha would face them head-on.
• Homura warned Ichijō that battlefield courage must not become arrogance, and Ichijō accepted his cousin’s admonition.
• Shōji reflected that even powerful ninja could die amid formations, barriers, and sealing techniques on a battlefield of thousands.

Shōji planned to gain influence within the Uchiha Clan while preparing for possible conflict with its leaders, and his victories against Kumo impressed Nara Suzaku. After Dodai arrived with reinforcements, Kumo rebuilt its outposts and began hunting Konoha squads across the Land of Hot Springs.

• Shōji resolved to secure part of the Uchiha Clan’s strength before approaching Fugaku, while keeping open the possibility of using force if Fugaku or Shisui acted against his plans.
• Nara Suzaku reviewed the battle reports, recognized Shōji’s role in the eastern victories, and considered the Uchiha fighters’ strength before turning to preparations for another Kumo attack.
• Dodai arrived in the Land of Hot Springs with more than a thousand Kumo Ninja reinforcements, and Kumo resumed attacks throughout the region.
• Dodai obtained supplies from the Land of Hot Springs’ Daimyo, rebuilt Kumo’s reconnaissance outposts, and dispatched elite squads to hunt Konoha teams operating alone.

Dodai led Kumo Ninja on a surprise raid against Konoha’s rear supplies, but Suzaku reacted quickly and limited the damage. The fighting continued as a war of attrition in the Land of Hot Springs, and Shōji was stationed in the Mount Fengzui region, a frequent route for Kumo raids.

• Dodai bypassed the Hot Springs Mountain Outpost and attacked Konoha’s rear logistics supply points.
• Suzaku realized the Kumo force had detoured south, warned the supply outposts, and redeployed troops, limiting casualties and losses.
• Dodai withdrew after recognizing Konoha had responded, giving Kumogakure a small advantage.
• Suzaku reorganized his defenses and assigned Uchiha Shōji and others to mobile raiding squads.
• Konoha and Kumogakure entered a prolonged war of attrition that harmed civilians in the Land of Hot Springs.
• Shōji carried out interception and raiding missions in the Mount Fengzui region, where Kumo squads often tried to reach Konoha’s rear supplies.

Over half a year on the front line, Shōji became a Jōnin and a feared Konoha fighter, leading sabotage missions and helping contain Kumogakure’s pressure. As winter approached, he led his squad near Mount Fengzui, where they found traces of a Kumo Ninja reconnaissance team.

• Shōji tried to protect civilians in the Land of Hot Springs when he could, despite the dangers of the front line.
• After Nara Suzaku recommended him and Sarutobi Hiruzen approved, Shōji became a Jōnin and began leading his own squad on sabotage missions.
• Shōji killed more than thirty Kumo Ninja, including three Jōnin, and Dodai ordered plans to encircle and eliminate him.
• As Kumo Ninja activity increased around Mount Fengzui, Nara Suzaku strengthened reconnaissance, and Shōji’s squad repeatedly patrolled the area.
• A Chūnin reported that a Kumo Ninja reconnaissance squad had passed through nearby and tried to erase its tracks.