Recaps

Fugaku and Shōji considered Ōnoki’s ordinary arrangements for the Uchiha Clan and decided to focus on helping the clan adapt to Iwagakure while fulfilling its obligations. Ōnoki explained to Kitsuchi why treating the Uchiha ordinarily was best, leaving him to consider the lesson as a potential successor.

• Fugaku asked Shōji whether Ōnoki’s arrangements were a test, and Shōji said they seemed fair but advised against overthinking them.
• Shōji urged Fugaku to gather the clan, help its members adapt to Iwagakure, and place its ninja and children into the roles and schools Ōnoki had proposed.
• Fugaku agreed that the Uchiha Clan should show what it could do for Iwagakure, including contributing its adult fighters.
• Kitsuchi asked Ōnoki why he had changed his mind about assigning Shōji and Shisui to the directly subordinate Anbu.
• Ōnoki told Kitsuchi that ordinary, balanced treatment was best for the Uchiha Clan and for certain people in the village, then urged his son to understand the principle.

Ōnoki placed his hopes for Iwagakure’s future on Kitsuchi and the Uchiha clan, while ordering Kitsuchi to strengthen the borders and rein in Deidara and Kurotsuchi. Shōji returned to the Uchiha clan and gathered its remaining Jōnin to discuss how the clan would survive in Iwagakure.

• Ōnoki considered Kitsuchi his only viable successor for now and reflected that Shōji might be a future candidate if the Uchiha clan earned Iwagakure’s broad support.
• Ōnoki told Kitsuchi to coordinate with Akatsuchi, Bunya, and others to reinforce and rotate the border defenses against possible threats from Konoha and Kumogakure.
• Ōnoki ordered Kitsuchi to warn Deidara to limit his explosions and tell Kurotsuchi to stop neglecting her training to visit him.
• Ōnoki watched over Iwagakure and resolved to make it the strongest shinobi village, believing the Uchiha clan could help it reach that goal.
• Shōji returned to the Uchiha clan, summoned Genran, Chie, Sōgen, and the other elders, then gathered the clan’s remaining Jōnin for a meeting on its future in Iwagakure.

At the Clan Meeting, the Uchiha agreed to change their conduct and integrate into Iwagakure, with Fugaku proposing that Itachi attend its Ninja Academy as a sign of goodwill. The chapter ended with hard-line clan members demanding revenge on Konoha, a desire Shōji shared but considered impractical to pursue immediately.

• Shōji, Fugaku, Shisui, and the other Uchiha leaders agreed that the clan needed to adapt to Iwagakure and take part in its missions and institutions.
• Fugaku proposed that Itachi join the earliest group at Iwagakure's Ninja Academy, and Kogen, Yashiro, Tekka, and others agreed to send their children as well.
• Shōji saw that most of the clan was willing to change, though some members remained committed to the clan's old ways and revenge against Konoha.
• The most radical Uchiha asked when they could avenge their dead and those persecuted by Konoha.
• Shōji understood the clan's hatred, including the grief and anger of children such as his younger brother Uchiha Yang, but believed Konoha could not yet be defeated easily.

Shōji urged the Uchiha Clan to postpone revenge, recover from their hardships, and honor their new place in Iwagakure, promising they would reclaim justice within three to ten years. The Clan accepted his promise, while Fugaku grew more certain that Shōji should eventually succeed him as Clan Head.

• Shisui struggled with his lingering attachment to Konoha when the Clan discussed revenge, and Shōji interrupted to argue that they needed peace and time to recover.
• Shōji reminded the Uchiha that their current strength was insufficient to defeat Konoha and urged them to cooperate with Iwagakure and repay the village's support.
• Shōji promised that the Clan would reclaim its justice within three to ten years, and the Uchiha members voiced their trust in him.
• Fugaku and the elders were impressed by Shōji's judgment, and Fugaku resolved to propose him as the next Clan Head once matters settled.
• At dusk, Shōji left Fugaku's residence feeling the tension in his heart ease after the Clan's first half-month in Iwagakure.

Shōji urged Shisui to move past his guilt and build a future apart from Konoha, while reaffirming that he would lead the Uchiha Clan in reclaiming what it had lost. The clan began preparing to join Iwagakure’s ordinary departments, and Shōji expected Ōnoki to have a separate role in mind for him.

• Shisui thanked Shōji, who explained that his decision to spare uninvolved people did not mean he had forgiven Konoha or abandoned the clan’s goals.
• Shisui admitted that Shōji had helped the clan escape a vicious cycle and said he could live with the outcome.
• Shōji told Shisui to move forward and suggested he work in another department under Ōnoki if he could not accept the clan’s path.
• Shisui accepted Shōji’s advice, expressed faith in his leadership, and returned to his residence.
• The Uchiha Clan planned to enter ordinary Iwagakure departments, while Shōji waited to learn what arrangement Ōnoki had for him.

After returning to his family, Shōji found comfort in their peaceful daily life and guided Yang and Saki toward a measured future. The Uchiha Clan began integrating into Iwagakure when more than a hundred members officially joined its ninja ranks.

• Shōji shared a meal with Chihaya, Yang, and Saki, and felt reassured by their calm, harmonious home life.
• Shōji refused Yang's request to enter the Ninja Academy immediately but promised to train him and send him next year if he built a solid foundation.
• Shōji reflected that the Uchiha Clan's place in Iwagakure would depend on its own efforts to integrate.
• Onoki approved the clan members' appointment requests after reviewing them.
• More than a hundred Uchiha selected by Fugaku and Elder Sōgen, including Shisui, Yashiro, and Kogen, donned Iwagakure's red uniforms and became Iwagakure Ninja.

Uchiha children prepared to enter Iwagakure’s Ninja Academy as Fugaku and the clan elders began placing Uchiha members in village posts. With Ōnoki supporting their integration, the clan settled into its new duties, and Shōji received his own assignment.

• Itachi agreed to lead more than thirty Uchiha children into Iwagakure’s Ninja Academy the following month.
• Fugaku, Sōgen, Genran, and the other elders carefully selected the children, while Ōnoki intended to help the Uchiha integrate rather than obstruct them.
• Yashiro, Kogen, Inaho, Tekka, and other Uchiha members began serving in Iwagakure’s guard forces and southern border fortress.
• Shisui became an Iwagakure Ninja specializing in high-level missions, with Bunya assigned as his partner.
• After the other Uchiha had taken up their posts, Ōnoki appointed Shōji deputy captain of Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad.

Onoki appointed Shōji deputy captain of Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad, surprising the newly arrived ninja with the position’s prestige. Shōji accepted, while Onoki viewed the role as the first step in assessing whether Shōji might someday be fit to become Tsuchikage.

• Onoki offered Shōji the position of deputy captain of the Jōnin Squad, and Shōji was surprised by the appointment.
• Onoki urged Shōji to be bold, and Shōji accepted the position and promised to obey.
• Onoki asked Kitsuchi to familiarize Shōji with the Jōnin Squad’s work and procedures.
• After Shōji and Kitsuchi left, Onoki considered Shōji a potential future Tsuchikage and saw the appointment as a way to assess his suitability.

Ōnoki weighed Kitsuchi and Shōji as possible successors, recognizing Shōji’s leadership potential while planning to assess his character over the next several years. Shōji joined Kitsuchi at Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad office, where his appointment as deputy captain surprised the gathered elite ninja.

• Ōnoki considered Kitsuchi his preferred successor but saw Shōji as a possible future Tsuchikage and planned to examine his character and abilities.
• Shōji left the Tsuchikage Office with Kitsuchi, unaware that Ōnoki had begun considering him as a successor.
• Kitsuchi brought Shōji to the Jōnin Squad office, where around forty elite Iwagakure Ninja worked.
• Kitsuchi announced Ōnoki’s order appointing Shōji deputy captain, startling the gathered Jōnin and drawing a frown from Kamizuru Iwatetsu.
• Shōji noticed Ido, the former deputy captain and one of Ōnoki’s trusted subordinates, who remained expressionless.

Shōji joined Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad as vice leader and met the senior ninja whose cooperation he would need to earn. Kitsuchi showed him the department’s duties, leaving Shōji to begin learning a role that would test his abilities and help reshape the squad’s authority.

• Kitsuchi introduced Shōji to the Jōnin Squad, whose members greeted him politely despite their private doubts about his age and experience.
• Shōji greeted the squad’s members, paying particular attention to Ido and Kamizuru Iwatetsu, whose positions made them important figures in the department and village.
• Kitsuchi explained that Shōji would take on responsibilities delegated by both him and Ido as part of Ōnoki’s planned changes to the Jōnin Squad.
• Kitsuchi outlined the squad’s routine work and its role in drafting plans for major military, political, and diplomatic actions, then told Shōji to spend the next few days getting accustomed to his duties.

Shōji left Kitsuchi and Ido determined to build a position for himself and the Uchiha Clan in Iwagakure through strategy. The Uchiha-Iwagakure alliance alarmed other nations, prompting Sunagakure and Kumogakure to send envoys to Konoha, though the villages' rivalries prevented a united response.

• Shōji thanked Kitsuchi and Ido, then left their office resolved to establish his place in the Jōnin Squad and secure a future for the Uchiha Clan.
• Neighboring small nations and the major hidden villages grew wary as the Uchiha Clan strengthened Iwagakure, which was recognized as a power rivaling Konoha.
• Rasa sent Baki to Konoha to test the alliance treaty and seek support against Iwagakure's growing strength.
• The Fourth Raikage dispatched a special envoy to Konoha to assess its position and look for an advantage.
• Kumogakure's envoy left Konoha displeased while Baki remained, as rivalry and past hostility kept the major villages from uniting.

Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure settled into a temporary standoff, while Kirigakure descended into bloody internal conflict after Obito took control of Karatachi Yagura. The chapter left the Kirigakure clans and even Yagura’s closest subordinates wary of his strange behavior.

• Ōnoki judged that the villages’ rival interests made a united front against Iwagakure unlikely, while Kumogakure remained focused on the richer Konoha and Land of Fire.
• Kumogakure’s envoy left Konoha after testing its position, giving Konoha’s leaders the mistaken impression that Kumogakure’s main concern was Iwagakure and the Uchiha Clan.
• Kumogakure, Sunagakure, Konoha, and Iwagakure entered a temporary four-way standoff as Iwagakure and the Uchiha Clan prepared for a period of adjustment.
• Obito used his Mangekyō Sharingan and Madara’s method to control Karatachi Yagura, then destroyed two small clans and plunged Kirigakure into bloody internal conflict.
• The Yuki Clan, Kaguya Clan, and Hozuki Clan grew wary, while Karatachi Yagura’s Anbu, Jōnin Squad, and intelligence division also noticed his strange behavior.

Obito planned to destroy Kirigakure while controlling Karatachi Yagura, and Black Zetsu warned him not to let his revenge disrupt the Eye of the Moon Plan. Obito then pressed Black Zetsu for intelligence on recruits to strengthen Akatsuki before its Tailed Beast captures began.

• Kirigakure's major clans grew wary of Karatachi Yagura's brutal orders but did not suspect Obito's control.
• Black Zetsu reported the clans' movements to Obito and cautioned him against jeopardizing Madara's plan.
• Obito insisted that destroying Kirigakure would secure the Three-Tails and Five-Tails and would not hinder the plan.
• Black Zetsu recalled how he had guided Uchiha Madara to awaken the Rinnegan and summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
• Obito asked Black Zetsu to find potential Akatsuki members, saying the group lacked enough powerful shinobi to capture the Tailed Beasts.

Obito ordered Nagato and Konan to recruit Sasori, Hidan, and Orochimaru as Akatsuki prepared to capture the Tailed Beasts. The chapter revealed that Hanzō had already been killed by Nagato, who now stood over Amegakure as Pain.

• Black Zetsu reported that White Zetsu had located Sasori, Hidan, and Orochimaru after more than half a year of searching.
• Obito ordered Nagato and Konan to contact the three men and recruit them, saying Akatsuki needed to complete its preparations within five to ten years.
• Black Zetsu agreed to carry Obito's intelligence and orders to Nagato in the Rain Country.
• Obito vanished from the Mizukage's office, leaving Karatachi Yagura behind under his control.
• The chapter revealed that Nagato had killed Hanzō more than a year earlier, and Pain stood atop a spire in Amegakure.

Nagato received Obito’s orders and intelligence from Black Zetsu, then set out with Konan to recruit powerful members for Akatsuki’s Tailed Beast plan. They headed first for Orochimaru, who was working in a secret base in the Land of Rice Fields, unaware they were coming.

• Black Zetsu delivered intelligence and Obito’s orders to Nagato, while Konan warned that their intentions might be suspicious.
• Nagato dismissed Konan’s concerns and told her to prepare for Akatsuki to recruit powerful members.
• Konan and Kakuzu continued managing Akatsuki’s operations, supplies, and funding as Kakuzu took underground jobs and bounty missions.
• Nagato and Konan left Kirigakure to recruit Hidan, Sasori, and Orochimaru, choosing Orochimaru as their first target.
• Orochimaru continued his research in a secret base in the Land of Rice Fields, unaware that Nagato was approaching with his six Pain bodies.

Orochimaru tried to evade the Akatsuki after discovering an intruder in his underground hideout, but Deva Path Pain confronted him. Mistaking each other’s intentions, Orochimaru and Nagato agreed to keep the terms of his recruitment unchanged.

• Orochimaru heard an explosion in his underground chamber and fled through a hidden passage, abandoning his research materials.
• Deva Path Pain appeared before Orochimaru, who recognized him as the Akatsuki leader and grew wary.
• Orochimaru and Nagato each mistakenly assumed the other knew about the connection between the Akatsuki and the masked Uchiha.
• Orochimaru said he would accept the leader’s visit but insisted that their previously discussed conditions remain unchanged.
• Nagato agreed to keep the conditions unchanged, accepting the discrepancy without knowing the true details of Orochimaru’s earlier deal.

Orochimaru joined Akatsuki under Deva Path Pain, while both men misunderstood the role of the other’s unseen connections. In Iwagakure, Shōji focused on developing his Uchiha abilities and researching ways to strengthen his eyes without taking Yang’s.

• Orochimaru accepted Deva Path Pain’s offer to join Akatsuki and appeared already wearing its robe and a ring marked “Sora.”
• Deva Path Pain accepted the unexpected deviation and led Orochimaru away, while remaining wary of the “Uchiha Madara” impersonated by Obito.
• Obito continued pursuing his Kirigakure Collapse Plan, unaware of his part in Orochimaru’s recruitment.
• Shōji set aside outside affairs and devoted himself to training, studying his eyes, and learning to control the third form of Susanoo.
• Shōji ruled out taking Yang’s eyes to pursue the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and instead considered bloodline genes as a possible path to stronger dōjutsu.

Shōji planned to use First Hokage Wood Release cells to strengthen his bloodline and pursue the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, but his early experiments in Iwagakure repeatedly failed. After more than half a month there, he had begun adapting to life and work in the Jōnin Squad.

• Shōji reasoned that the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan was the power he needed to survive and change the world, and he speculated that Wood Release cells might help him evolve his Sharingan.
• After settling his clan in Iwagakure, Shōji made work, training, and research into Wood Release cells part of his routine.
• Shōji wasted more than a quarter of the cells trying to understand Orochimaru's research materials and considered seeking a researcher or negotiating with Orochimaru for help.
• Shōji put away his materials and returned to his Jōnin Squad duties, gradually adapting to Iwagakure after more than half a month.

Shōji cautiously served in Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad, while the Uchiha clansmen quietly proved their willingness to integrate into the village. Ōnoki recognized Shōji’s political judgment and the two developed an unspoken understanding, leaving the clan’s acceptance and Iwagakure’s future tied to their continued cooperation.

• Shōji handled only the duties within his authority and avoided using his power as deputy squad leader while the Uchiha Clan adjusted to Iwagakure.
• The Uchiha clansmen in other positions worked diligently and quietly, surprising Kitsuchi, Ido, and Kamizuru Iwatetsu.
• Ōnoki saw the Uchiha’s conduct as evidence that they could develop a sense of belonging in Iwagakure and strengthen the village.
• Ōnoki regarded Shōji as shrewd and leaderlike, while expecting Kitsuchi to develop the judgment needed to inherit the title of Tsuchikage.
• Ōnoki and Shōji gradually developed mutual respect, trust, and an unspoken understanding.

After three months in Iwagakure’s Jōnin Squad, Shōji received his first A-rank mission from Ōnoki: protecting Snow Country’s ruler, Kazahana Sōsetsu, and his heir, Kazahana Koyuki. The mission revealed that the original story had changed, and Shōji was ordered to prepare to leave the next morning as Snow Country’s political crisis grew urgent.

• Shōji and the Uchiha Clan continued settling into Iwagakure, where Ōnoki’s fair treatment and Shōji’s work in the Jōnin Squad helped them gain stability and goodwill.
• Three months after joining the squad, Shōji received an A-rank mission directly from Ōnoki in the Tsuchikage Office.
• Ōnoki explained that Snow Country had sent its Imperial Minister to request help with a political struggle, and Shōji realized the mission had shifted from Konoha to Iwagakure.
• Shōji learned that his mission was to protect Kazahana Sōsetsu and Kazahana Koyuki for one month, rather than to eliminate the rebel forces.
• Ōnoki told Shōji to prepare that day and depart the next morning because Snow Country’s situation was urgent.

Ōnoki assigned Shōji to escort Snow Country’s Kazahana Sōsetsu, and Shōji resolved to protect Sōsetsu and Kazahana Koyuki amid the unstable political situation. At Iwagakure’s gate, Snow Country’s minister Haraue Masamune met the young shinobi chosen for the mission and worried that his youth meant inexperience.

• Ōnoki told Shōji that Bunya could not make the trip and assigned him the Snow Country mission.
• Shōji considered the risks of the mission and made keeping Kazahana Sōsetsu and Kazahana Koyuki alive his priority.
• Haraue Masamune arrived at Iwagakure to request an escort on Kazahana Sōsetsu’s behalf, concerned about unrest in Snow Country.
• Shōji arrived at the main gate, and Haraue Masamune felt disappointed by how young the assigned shinobi looked.

Uchiha Shōji met Lord Harusato and began escorting him back to Snow Country, earning the minister’s confidence after his identity became clear. Meanwhile, Snow Country’s lord Kazahana Sōsetsu faced a secret rebellion plotted by his younger brother.

• Shōji introduced himself to Haraue Masamune as the Iwagakure jōnin assigned to protect him.
• Haraue recognized Shōji’s reputation and welcomed him as their escort.
• Shōji and Haraue’s party set out toward the Land of Earth’s northern coast to return to Snow Country by ship.
• The chapter described Kazahana Sōsetsu’s devotion to Snow Country and his daughter, Kazahana Koyuki.
• Sōsetsu discovered that his younger brother was secretly gathering supporters and plotting a rebellion.

Kazahana Dōtō prepared to seize Snow Country’s throne and the nonexistent Kazahana Clan secret treasure, unaware that Kazahana Sōsetsu had summoned powerful outside help. As Shōji arrived in Snow Country, Dōtō’s coup was nearing its decisive stage.

• Kazahana Dōtō kept the Snow Ninja forces under his control secret from Kazahana Sōsetsu and prepared to surround Kazehana Castle.
• Kazahana Dōtō ordered Nadare Rōga to command the Snow Ninja forces and told his other subordinates to ensure no one, especially Sōsetsu and his niece, escaped.
• Kazahana Dōtō believed the Kazahana Clan’s secret treasure would help him dominate the shinobi world, though it was only a geothermal generator and no treasure existed.
• Shōji sailed from the Land of Earth and entered Snow Country’s icy waters after more than three days at sea.

Shōji and Haraue Masamune neared Rin City while escorting the Snow Country delegation, and Shōji urged them to continue to Kazehana Castle without resting. When they saw the port city engulfed in smoke and battle, Shōji left Haraue behind and raced across the sea to protect Kazahana Sōsetsu.

• Shōji discussed Snow Country’s tourism potential with Haraue Masamune, who offered him a guide after the mission.
• Shōji persuaded Haraue to set out for Kazehana Castle immediately after reaching Rin City instead of resting.
• Shōji and Haraue saw smoke, flames, explosions, and signs of battle rising from Rin City.
• Shōji told Haraue he would go ahead to protect Kazahana Sōsetsu, and Haraue entrusted the daimyo’s safety to him.
• Shōji leaped from the ship and raced across the sea toward Kazehana Castle.

Shōji raced into Rin City to gather intelligence and protect Kazahana Sōsetsu, then ambushed rebel commander Fuyukuma Hyōga. Fuyukuma survived the attack thanks to his Chakra Armor, leaving Shōji facing him inside the city lord’s residence.

• Lord Harusato urged his men to hurry toward the harbor while resolving to contain the rebellion or die trying.
• Shōji entered Rin City at high speed to capture a high-ranking rebel and obtain intelligence, with protecting Kazahana Sōsetsu as his main priority.
• Snow Ninja spotted Shōji and tried to alert Fuyukuma Hyōga, but Shōji reached the city lord’s residence first.
• Shōji struck Fuyukuma with a kunai and Lightning Release technique as Fuyukuma took control of the residence.
• Fuyukuma retreated after his Chakra Armor blocked the attack, and Shōji recognized the armor as the reason he had survived.