Recaps

Kitsuchi and Shōji prepared Iwagakure’s Northern Fortress for Sunagakure’s attack while Rasa gathered his forces and marched on the stronghold. The chapter ended as the Iwagakure commanders watched Sunagakure’s 4,500-strong army approach.

• Kitsuchi and Shōji agreed to commit the remaining rear garrison troops to the defense while keeping the war limited in scale.
• Kitsuchi ordered Hoshino to warn Iwatetsu to prepare to withdraw if needed, and Iwagakure’s forces reinforced the fortress barriers and traps.
• Iwagakure and Sunagakure reconnaissance squads clashed in the buffer zone as both sides completed their preparations.
• Rasa led more than 4,500 Sunagakure Ninja toward the Northern Fortress and left Yura with over 500 men to guard the camp.
• Kitsuchi and Shōji climbed to the fortress’s highest point and watched Rasa’s approaching army.

Shōji claimed Rasa as his opponent while Kitsuchi prepared to defend the Northern Fortress. Rasa led Sunagakure’s assault in person, and both armies took combat positions as the battle began.

• Shōji asked Kitsuchi to leave the Fourth Kazekage to him, and Kitsuchi agreed.
• Baki reported that Iwagakure had reinforced the fortress and that thousands of Ninja guarded it.
• Rasa rejected Baki’s request to stay at central command and assigned Baki to lead it while he advanced with the Kage Guard Squad.
• Rasa rallied four to five thousand Sunagakure Ninja and ordered them to attack the Northern Fortress.
• Kitsuchi ordered Iwagakure’s squads to prepare for combat as Sunagakure began its assault.

Sunagakure’s assault squads and Barrier Corps broke Iwagakure’s barrier after suffering nearly two hundred casualties. As more than four thousand Sunagakure Ninja surged toward the Northern Fortress, Shōji and two thousand Iwagakure Ninja charged out to meet them, while Kitsuchi took command.

• Rasa conserved his Chakra and sent Sunagakure’s vanguard to find and break the barrier’s weak point, accepting heavy losses as the price of the assault.
• Iwagakure Ninja activated traps and rained attacks on the vanguard, while Sunagakure’s cover squads tried to protect them.
• Sunagakure’s assault squads and Barrier Corps found a weak node and shattered the barrier after suffering nearly two hundred casualties.
• Shōji watched the Sunagakure army pour toward the fortress and recognized the danger of facing its full force alone.
• Shōji left command to Kitsuchi, then charged out with two thousand Iwagakure Ninja to meet the Sunagakure army head-on.

Shōji confronted Rasa on the battlefield, shattered his Gold Dust Spear Technique, and charged in for a direct duel. Rasa countered with the Gold Dust Realm Technique, forcing Shōji to cut through blades erupting from the ground; the chapter then ended with an author’s note asking readers to be understanding about writing mistakes.

• Shōji advanced toward Rasa, and the Kazekage recognized him and moved to stop him.
• Rasa attacked Shōji and the surrounding Iwagakure Ninja with the Gold Dust Spear Technique.
• Shōji charged forward and shattered the gold dust spear with a lightning-charged sword strike.
• Rasa used the Gold Dust Realm Technique to make gold dust blades erupt from the ground around Shōji.
• Shōji twisted through the air and cut apart the incoming blades with his Tachi.
• The author asked readers to point out typos and awkward phrasing without being harsh.

Shōji tested his strength against Rasa without relying on his Mangekyō Sharingan, countering the Kazekage’s long-range gold dust attacks with lightning and a close-range feint. Rasa survived the strike but was wounded, and the two remained poised to continue their battle.

• Rasa kept Shōji at a distance with sweeping gold dust blades, while Shōji chose to fight using only his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Rasa raised himself on a sand cushion and blocked Shōji’s guided lightning with a massive dust shield.
• Shōji used the lightning attack to distract Rasa, then rose on an earthen wall and lunged at him with his Tachi.
• Rasa dodged the strike and trapped Shōji’s blade behind a dust barrier, then retreated as Shōji blasted it apart.
• Shōji descended onto the earthen wall, while Rasa realized the attack had cut his clothes and wounded his right arm.

Shōji and Rasa fought in a fierce duel, with Rasa using Gold Dust techniques to trap and bury Shōji. Shōji survived inside Susanoo, leaving the battle ongoing as Kitsuchi continued commanding the Iwagakure forces.

• Rasa dodged Shōji’s opening strike with only a minor wound and unleashed numerous gold dust spears and cubes.
• Shōji charged through Rasa’s attacks, cutting apart the gold dust constructs with his lightning-clad Tachi.
• Rasa gathered the scattered gold dust around Shōji, trapped him, and crushed him with the Gold Dust Grand Burial Technique.
• Shōji emerged unharmed inside a Purple-Gold Susanoo, shocking Rasa and reassuring Kitsuchi.
• Kitsuchi returned his attention to commanding the battle as the Iwagakure forces remained slightly disadvantaged.

Shōji unleashed his second-form Susanoo and overwhelmed Rasa with successive attacks, leaving the Kazekage gravely wounded. Rasa’s Kage Guard Squad intervened, allowing him to retreat as his plan collapsed.

• Shōji judged that he needed his Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo to fight a stronger Kage-level opponent like Rasa.
• Shōji entered Susanoo’s second form and shattered Rasa’s sand defenses with a powerful slash.
• Shōji followed with relentless Susanoo and Lightning Release attacks, exhausting Rasa’s Chakra and heavily wounding him.
• Rasa’s Kage Guard Squad rushed in and positioned themselves between the fighters.
• Rasa retreated under his guards’ protection, recognizing that his plan had failed.

Shōji defeated Kazekage Rasa and helped turn the battle decisively in Iwagakure’s favor, forcing the Sunagakure army to retreat. The chapter ended with Iwagakure securing victory and the prospect of peace negotiations on its terms.

• Rasa withdrew under the Kage Guard Squad’s cover while Shōji evaded their attacks and cut down the guards.
• News that Rasa had been badly wounded and forced to retreat spread across the battlefield, crushing Sunagakure morale and bolstering Iwagakure’s.
• Kitsuchi and the Iwagakure forces pursued the retreating Sunagakure army only a limited distance, avoiding a riskier advance.
• Shōji returned to Northern Fortress after deciding his purpose in the battle was fulfilled.
• Iwagakure won the local war, leaving Sunagakure to face peace negotiations and the victor’s demands.

Iwagakure defeated Rasa’s Sunagakure forces after Shōji’s decisive victory shattered their morale, inflicting devastating losses while suffering fewer than five hundred casualties. Kitsuchi ordered the postwar cleanup and preparations for negotiations, then told Shōji to rest as the story left Iwagakure awaiting Sunagakure’s next move.

• Shōji’s overwhelming defeat of Rasa broke Sunagakure’s morale and turned the battle into an inevitable defeat.
• Iwagakure routed Rasa’s army, killing over a thousand Sunagakure Ninja and capturing three to four hundred while suffering fewer than five hundred casualties.
• Kitsuchi ordered his forces to recover Iwagakure’s dead, handle Sunagakure’s corpses, guard the prisoners, and send intelligence back to the village.
• Kitsuchi told Shōji to rest while Iwagakure watched for Sunagakure’s movements.

After defeating Rasa, Shōji considered how Iwagakure would negotiate with Sunagakure and arranged rest for his injured clan members. Once everyone had left, Shōji finally relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.

• Shōji reflected on his victory over Rasa and concluded that Sunagakure would likely be forced to surrender and negotiate with Iwagakure.
• Shōji summoned Yashiro and the Uchiha clansmen who had fought alongside him, learning that one had died and several had been injured.
• Shōji comforted the injured clansmen and sent them to rest, then spoke with Yashiro about upcoming arrangements.
• Shōji dismissed the wounded Yashiro and, exhausted from the war and using his Mangekyō Sharingan, went to bed.
• Shōji decided to postpone reviewing his battle until the next day and fell asleep.

After Iwagakure celebrated its victory over Sunagakure, Rasa returned to the frontline camp and convened a meeting to decide the village’s next steps. He ordered Baki to summon Chiyo and Ebizo, saying he alone was responsible for the defeat.

• Kitsuchi let the Iwagakure Ninja relax while maintaining basic security, as both he and Ōnoki believed Sunagakure could no longer continue the war.
• Ōnoki celebrated the victory, sent negotiators toward the border with new orders, and spread the news through Iwagakure.
• Fugaku, Sōgen, Genran, and the other Uchiha clansmen celebrated, seeing the victory as a chance for their clan to earn recognition and become firmly established in Iwagakure.
• Rasa returned to the Sunagakure camp and ordered Baki, Fugi, and the others to strengthen its defenses before convening a high-level meeting.
• Rasa told Baki to request more medical supplies, send the wounded home, inform Chiyo and Ebizo, and ask the elders to take charge of affairs; he said he alone bore responsibility for the defeat.

Rasa ordered Sunagakure to abandon its forward outposts and seek a ceasefire with Iwagakure after admitting the village could no longer win the war. Fugi reached Northern Fortress to begin negotiations, leaving both sides on alert in case talks failed.

• Rasa placed Yura in charge of the frontline defenses and ordered him to abandon the forward outposts.
• Rasa sent Fugi to Northern Fortress to propose a ceasefire to Kitsuchi.
• Baki, Yura, Fugi, and the other Sunagakure Ninja accepted Rasa's orders and left the main tent.
• Fugi arrived at Northern Fortress, where Kitsuchi was waiting for negotiations.
• Iwagakure and Sunagakure reached a tentative agreement, but both sides remained prepared for the war to resume.

With Konoha and Kumogakure clashing, Rasa prepared Sunagakure for possible further pressure from Iwagakure, but Ōnoki kept his forces on standby. Iwagakure and Sunagakure began negotiations, where Shōji’s presence visibly shocked Sunagakure’s delegation.

• Rasa transferred nearly a thousand Sunagakure Ninja to the front lines while preparing for negotiations and keeping his guard up.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to remain on standby, judging that it had already gained enough and that further aggression could unite Konoha and Kumogakure against it.
• After seeing Iwagakure pull back somewhat, Rasa felt his tension ease as both villages finished preparing for negotiations.
• On the third day after the battle, Sunagakure sent Baki and Fugi with five elite Anbu, while Iwagakure sent Ido and Hoshino with Shōji as their sole escort.
• Baki, Fugi, and the Sunagakure guards reacted with shock when they saw Shōji, then took their seats at the negotiation table.

Baki negotiated peace terms with Iwagakure on Sunagakure’s behalf, resisting demands he considered beyond his village’s limits. The talks stalled over territorial cessions, with Ido offering a partial concession but insisting on keeping land north of Lianyuan Mountain.

• Baki endured Shōji’s scrutiny and began peace talks with Ido and Hoshino.
• Baki and Ido reached agreements on several minor details before clashing over Sunagakure’s compensation.
• Baki rejected ceding the Northern Fortress and surrounding territory, arguing that the Land of Wind’s daimyo would also have to approve the transfer.
• Ido argued that Iwagakure had already occupied the land and questioned Sunagakure’s sincerity about peace.
• Baki said Sunagakure could concede territory around the Northern Fortress but would not accept Iwagakure’s claim to land west of it near Lianyuan Mountain.
• Ido agreed to drop the demand for territory south of Lianyuan Mountain but insisted that land to its north was non-negotiable.

Ido negotiated Sunagakure’s surrender terms, conceding limited territory while demanding steep compensation and other concessions. As Baki prepared to argue for better terms, Shōji cut him off.

• Ido offered Sunagakure Northern Fortress and the nearby Lanthanum Metal deposits, along with Iwagakure’s final territorial concession around Lianyuan Mountain.
• Baki and Fugi accepted the territorial terms as negotiable, but disputed the compensation, prisoner, supply, and mission-share clauses.
• Ido explained that Iwagakure had already reduced its demands and offered one final ten-percent cut, suggesting installments and Land of Wind mineral deposits as collateral.
• Baki protested that Sunagakure could not afford the terms without endangering its ninja and civilians, but resolved to keep negotiating.
• A cold voice interrupted Baki and declared that there would be no buts.

Shōji delivered Iwagakure’s final ultimatum to Sunagakure, threatening war if they refused the agreement. Baki took the agreement back to the Kazekage, leaving Shōji and Ido to wait for Sunagakure’s decision.

• Shōji threatened Baki and Fugi with war and said Iwagakure would take what it wanted if Sunagakure refused to hand it over.
• Shōji challenged Sunagakure to resist and mocked them by invoking their Kazekage and One-Tail Jinchuriki.
• Baki stopped Fugi from attacking Shōji, took the agreement, and said he would bring it to the Kazekage for review.
• Baki and Fugi left with the five elite Sunagakure Anbu and returned toward their main camp.
• Ido warned Shōji that his threats could backfire, but Shōji said the likely outcome was favorable and agreed to wait for the Kazekage’s decision.

After Iwagakure imposed humiliating peace terms, Rasa accepted the agreement, judging that Sunagakure was too weak to resist. He remained Kazekage, though the treaty left him facing criticism and an uncertain future.

• Ido and Hoshino negotiated with Baki and Fugi for nearly two hours, and Shōji’s threat helped secure harsher terms for Iwagakure.
• Baki and Fugi brought the treaty to Rasa and described Shōji’s ultimatum.
• Rasa condemned his own failure but ordered Baki and Fugi to tell Iwagakure that Sunagakure accepted the agreement.
• Fugi showed his anger, but Baki stopped him, and both left after obeying Rasa’s command.
• Rasa remained alone, aware that the treaty would bring criticism but that no one in Sunagakure could challenge his position.

Sunagakure surrendered to Iwagakure, and the villages finalized an agreement ending their local war. As both sides reorganized their defenses and withdrew troops, the outcome sent shockwaves through the shinobi world, especially in Konoha and Kumogakure.

• Baki brought Rasa’s signed agreement to Iwagakure, and Ido confirmed that Sunagakure had accepted the terms.
• Iwagakure allowed Baki to take back the Sunagakure Ninja prisoners as a gesture of goodwill.
• Shōji watched Baki depart and reflected that Sunagakure would not reclaim its former position.
• Kitsuchi, Shōji, and Ido arranged Iwagakure’s new southern defenses, placing Bunya in command of the Southern Fortress and Hoshino as his deputy.
• Sunagakure began withdrawing most of its forces while leaving one thousand men to guard its new northern border.
• News of the war’s conclusion shook the upper ranks of Konoha and Kumogakure, while Kirigakure remained absorbed in its internal problems.

After Sunagakure’s swift defeat by Iwagakure, Fourth Raikage A grew furious that the war had disrupted Kumogakure’s plans to pressure Konoha. Dodai advised him to continue applying controlled pressure along Konoha’s border rather than abandon the plan.

• News of Sunagakure’s crushing defeat and Rasa’s humiliating loss to Uchiha Shōji spread, damaging the village’s reputation.
• Fourth Raikage A smashed another desk and complained that Sunagakure had ended the war before Kumogakure could fully deploy its forces.
• Dodai judged that Rasa had miscalculated by seeking a decisive battle against Shōji and Kitsuchi, making Sunagakure’s rout inevitable.
• Fourth Raikage A asked whether Dodai would advise abandoning the plan against Konoha.
• Dodai recommended maintaining pressure on Konoha’s borders while carefully limiting the intensity of Kumogakure’s attacks.

Fourth Raikage A ordered Kumogakure to keep pressuring the Land of Hot Springs while canceling its broader follow-up plan, as Konoha debated how to respond. Konoha reinforced the border and chose stability, while news of Orochimaru’s defection spread through the village and the Shinobi World.

• Dodai advised Fourth Raikage A to avoid launching the first major attack and to continue operations in the Land of Hot Springs.
• Fourth Raikage A canceled the follow-up plan, told Dodai to notify Darui and Yugito, and ordered Simba and the others to the front line.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu agreed to reinforce Konoha’s defenses in the Land of Hot Springs and postpone other concerns.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen explained that the Daimyō had pressed Konoha to stabilize the border because northern nobles’ trade had been affected.
• News of Orochimaru’s defection, which had happened around the time the Uchiha Clan left, spread through Konoha and the Shinobi World.

After the turmoil caused by Orochimaru’s defection and Iwagakure’s actions subsided, Shōji returned to Iwagakure with his clan and other ninja. The chapter ended with him reflecting on how Ōnoki’s welcome had helped the Uchiha Clan feel at home in the village.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted that Orochimaru’s defection would become public and ordered investigations into Orochimaru’s former confidants.
• Danzo ordered Root to find someone, then vowed to make Hiruzen, Shōji, and the shinobi villages recognize his power.
• The Four Great Shinobi Villages showed restraint, ending Iwagakure and Sunagakure’s hostilities while Konoha and Kumogakure continued limited clashes.
• After the agreement was signed, Shōji led Iwagakure Ninja, including members of his clan, back to the village ahead of schedule.
• Shōji felt a sense of belonging in Iwagakure and credited Ōnoki’s care with helping the Uchiha Clan integrate.

Shōji returned to Iwagakure after the war and presented the peace agreement to Ōnoki, who praised his achievements and appointed him temporary overseer of the Jōnin Squad. Shōji left the Tsuchikage Office moved by Ōnoki’s trust and headed home to rest.

• Shōji led the returning Iwagakure Ninja to the village and dismissed them for three days of rest.
• Shōji brought the peace agreement with Sunagakure to Ōnoki for confirmation.
• Ōnoki praised Shōji for capturing the Southern Fortress and defeating Kazekage Rasa, then asked him to oversee the Jōnin Squad until Kitsuchi and Ido returned.
• Shōji accepted the temporary responsibility and left the Tsuchikage Office reflecting on Ōnoki’s trust in him.
• Shōji headed back to his clan’s compound, looking forward to resting.

Shōji returned to the Uchiha compound, reported to Fugaku, and visited the family of a fallen clansman and several wounded clan members before coming home. He reunited with Yang, Saki, and Chihaya, who urged him to rest after noticing his exhaustion.

• Shōji reported to Fugaku, declined the clan head position again, and assured him he understood the Mangekyō Sharingan's risks.
• Fugaku warned Shōji to use restraint with his Mangekyō Sharingan, while Shōji considered possible ways to prevent blindness.
• Shōji offered condolences to the family of the clan member killed in the campaign and visited injured clan members.
• Yang and Saki welcomed Shōji home and admired him for defeating the Kazekage.
• Chihaya stopped Yang from asking Shōji about the battle and told Shōji to rest.

After returning home, Shōji rested and reflected on his battle with Rasa as he planned how to improve his fighting abilities. He realized his Mangekyō Sharingan use was beginning to blur his vision and feared he would go blind within four or five years if he continued fighting at the same intensity.

• Shōji promised Uchiha Yang and Little Saki that he would tell them about the battle against the Kazekage and train with them the next day.
• Shōji rested until dinner, then went to his study to review his fight against Rasa and plan his training.
• Shōji identified his genjutsu as a possible weakness and considered learning techniques that did not depend on the Sharingan.
• Shōji concluded that controlling powerful opponents with genjutsu was difficult and that he wanted to add another combat option to his arsenal.
• Shōji noticed his vision had grown slightly blurry from Mangekyō Sharingan use and estimated that continued fighting could leave him blind in four or five years.

Shōji considered how to prevent Mangekyō Sharingan blindness and decided to seek Orochimaru’s research materials, while resolving to forge a different path from the Original Work. After the war, his duties in Iwagakure kept him working around the clock, leaving him unable to train with his younger siblings.

• Shōji judged the First Hokage’s Wood Release cells to be the most reliable way to address Mangekyō blindness and considered approaching Orochimaru for research help.
• Shōji reflected that the Original Work’s events had become unreliable and resolved to prevent this life from following its course.
• Iwagakure’s leaders and middle-ranking personnel began postwar negotiations, garrison planning, reassignment, and compensation work.
• Ōnoki appointed Shōji to temporarily oversee the Jōnin Squad, and Shōji had to review plans before submitting them for approval.
• Shōji began working around the clock from the second day after returning and could not train with his younger brother and sister.