Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Yan forced Ōnoki to accept that Hidden Stone would pay reparations on Yan’s terms, while Konoha’s troops turned their anger toward the Third Hokage for repeatedly waiving compensation after victories. Danzo saw the growing discontent as a chance to claim the Hokage seat once the troops returned to the village.

• Uchiha Yan rejected Ōnoki’s demand to negotiate with the Hokage and threatened to leave Hidden Stone’s forces on the front lines unless Ōnoki accepted his terms.
• Ōnoki recognized that he could not risk refusing and accepted defeat.
• Konoha’s troops discussed demanding reparations from Hidden Stone and criticized the Third Hokage for previously waiving compensation from defeated villages.
• Several people in the crowd fueled the complaints, and the Third Hokage’s standing among the troops rapidly declined.
• Danzo welcomed the discontent and resolved to use it to pursue the Hokage’s position.

Danzo plotted to use Uchiha Yan’s defiance against him, while Minato questioned the Third Hokage’s leadership and received Jiraiya’s support. On the battlefield, Uchiha Yan defeated Roshi and Han, whose uncontrolled Tailed Beast chakra erupted into the sky.

• Danzo decided to report Uchiha Yan’s battlefield defiance to the Third Hokage and sent Root ninjas to investigate who was turning Konoha against Hiruzen.
• Jiraiya heard the ninjas’ complaints about the Third Hokage, and Minato questioned why Hiruzen had favored Konoha’s enemies over its own people.
• Jiraiya told Minato to follow his conscience and promised to stand behind him, and Minato vowed to use his abilities to improve Konoha.
• Roshi and Han attacked Uchiha Yan to make him release Ōnoki, but Uchiha Yan split into two figures and struck both Jinchuriki into a crater.
• Roshi and Han lost consciousness, and their Tailed Beast chakra surged out of control as Uchiha Yan and his Shadow Clone retreated.

Uchiha Yan fought the freed Four-Tails and Five-Tails, defeating Four-Tails and forcing Five-Tails back into his seal. The battle left Roshi unconscious and Five-Tails safely hidden inside his Jinchuriki.

• Ōnoki tried to sneak away, but Uchiha Yan warned him to stay put.
• Jiraiya prepared to help when the two Jinchuriki began to lose control, but Minato convinced him to trust Yan.
• Four-Tails and Five-Tails broke free and attacked Yan, who dodged their attacks and battered Four-Tails into unconsciousness.
• Yan sealed Four-Tails and Roshi's chakra, then challenged Five-Tails.
• Five-Tails retreated into his seal rather than face Yan, prompting Yan and the onlookers to call him cowardly.

Uchiha Yan persuaded the Five-Tails to cooperate by promising it freedom, then demanded an enormous ransom from Ōnoki for the captured Jinchuriki and himself. The chapter ended with Uchiha Yan proposing to lower the price by taking Ōnoki’s legs or extracting the Tailed Beasts, leaving Minato confused by the mention of five legs.

• Uchiha Yan entered the Five-Tails’ seal and showed it how Shukaku and the Nine-Tails had gained freedom.
• The Five-Tails agreed to cooperate and offered to persuade the Four-Tails in exchange for similar freedom.
• Uchiha Yan brought Han and Roshi before Ōnoki and demanded two billion for their release and Ōnoki’s life.
• Ōnoki pleaded that Iwagakure could not afford the ransom, and Uchiha Yan blamed him for starting the war while crediting the Third Raikage with helping Konoha.
• Uchiha Yan offered to reduce the ransom by taking Ōnoki’s legs or extracting the Tailed Beasts from the Jinchuriki, and Minato asked Jiraiya what five legs meant.

Uchiha Yan forced Ōnoki to accept his terms and bound him with a Contract Seal before sending him away to gather the money. Back at the Konoha camp, Yan controlled Danzo’s Root guards and created a new body for the Five-Tails, leaving it free to move while retaining control over it.

• Jiraiya teased Minato while the Konoha ninjas laughed, and Danzo enjoyed seeing Ōnoki humiliated.
• Ōnoki agreed to Yan’s conditions, but Yan made him activate a Contract Seal that would hold until he paid; Ōnoki left to gather the money and was told to meet Yan in ten days.
• Yan brought the two Jinchuriki to the Konoha camp and announced that the war was over.
• Yan controlled the Root guards at Danzo’s command tent, sealed the tent from outside observation, and released the Five-Tails’ seal inside Han.
• Yan extracted the Five-Tails’ Origin Chakra, created an Origin Clone, and transferred most of the beast’s consciousness and chakra into it while leaving a trace inside Han.
• Kokuō thanked Yan for its new body, and Yan told it that he could still control it and restrict its battle mode.

Uchiha Yan forced the Four-Tails to bind itself to him, then sent it and the Five-Tails to Konoha before confronting Danzo. He left the ceasefire negotiations to the Third Hokage, deliberately letting discontent with the Hokage grow among the frontline shinobi.

• Uchiha Yan beat the Four-Tails into agreeing to bind itself to him and gain its freedom.
• Uchiha Yan sent the Four-Tails and Five-Tails to Konoha, then broke the Four Violet Flames Formation as Danzo entered the tent.
• Uchiha Yan dismissed Danzo’s accusations and left the two Jinchuriki in his care, warning him to keep them safe.
• Danzo asked Uchiha Yan what he planned to do about ceasefire negotiations, and Uchiha Yan said the Third Hokage should handle them.
• Uchiha Yan left after hinting that he and Danzo both wanted the frontline shinobi’s dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage to grow.

Danzo plotted to exploit the crisis over peace negotiations to discredit Hiruzen and take the Hokage position for himself. In Konoha, Hiruzen learned that Uchiha Yan had defeated Hidden Stone and realized Yan might also be turning the village against him, leaving him scrambling for a response.

• Danzo decided he would blame Hiruzen for the crisis, present himself as a victim, and claim the Hokage position while keeping Hiruzen alive to oppose the Uchiha.
• Hiruzen read the reports from Danzo, Jiraiya, and the Anbu, then erupted in anger over Uchiha Yan's actions against Hidden Stone.
• Hiruzen regretted not acting against Yan earlier and forced himself to calm down and plan a countermeasure.
• Hiruzen recalled reports that rumors blamed him for the Third Shinobi World War and suspected both Danzo and Uchiha Yan of steering opinion against him.
• Hiruzen reflected that he had prolonged the Hidden Stone front and sent the Uchiha clan there hoping to weaken them, but Yan had brought the fighting to an end.

The Third Hokage learned that Uchiha Yan’s actions had disrupted his plans to elevate Minato and left him vulnerable to pressure to resign. He and his advisers decided to delay peace negotiations with Hidden Stone, though the Third Hokage suspected Danzo was helping turn the village against him.

• The Third Hokage considered provoking Hidden Cloud into war but concluded it could not attack Konoha within a year, so he summoned Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura for advice.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura discussed how Uchiha Yan had ruined their plan to weaken the Uchiha clan and inflamed resentment toward the Third Hokage among villagers and frontline ninja.
• The Third Hokage warned that he might be forced to resign when the frontline forces returned, risking the power held by himself, his advisers, and Danzo.
• Utatane Koharu proposed prolonging negotiations with Hidden Stone to keep the frontline forces away, and the Third Hokage agreed to let her manage them.
• Mitokado Homura raised concerns about the cost, so Utatane Koharu proposed that the leaders lend money to the village to cover the delay.
• The Third Hokage suspected Danzo was behind the rumors against him and said Danzo’s letter urging swift negotiations was an attempt to exploit the crisis.

Third Hokage recognized that Danzo was positioning himself to survive the elders’ downfall, so he and his allies planned to delay peace talks and buy time. Uchiha Yan overheard them, then told his mother the Hidden Stone war was over and revealed that his efforts to turn villagers against the Third Hokage were only the beginning.

• Third Hokage explained that Danzo could avoid blame if the elders fell, while holding evidence that could ruin the Third Hokage if exposed.
• Third Hokage told Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura he would prolong the Hidden Cloud conflict to buy time, and they agreed to delay negotiations for up to ten days.
• Uchiha Yan secretly listened to the elders’ conversation and dismissed their plan to stall.
• Uchiha Yan reassured Uchiha Meixin that he had ended the Hidden Stone battle and expected the front-line shinobi to return within half a month.
• Uchiha Meixin said villagers were blaming the Third Hokage for the war, and Uchiha Yan admitted he had helped encourage that sentiment and intended to make the elders suffer.

Uchiha Yan told Tsunade that Danzo was helping stir trouble against the Third Hokage and explained how he had turned the Hokage’s scheme against the Uchiha clan back on him. He vowed he would leave Konoha and found a new village if he were not considering Tsunade and the village’s stability, and Tsunade embraced him in gratitude.

• Uchiha Yan visited Kushina and Tsunade, promised to take them traveling once they were free, and admitted he had helped spread rumors against the Third Hokage.
• Tsunade guessed that Danzo was eager to undermine the Third Hokage and explained why she believed Hiruzen Sarutobi had been a better Hokage than Danzo.
• Uchiha Yan told Tsunade about the Hidden Stone Battlefield and what he had sensed from the Third Hokage.
• Uchiha Yan said he had given the Third Hokage one last chance and would have left Konoha with the Uchiha clan to found a village of their own if he were not considering Tsunade and Konoha’s future.
• Tsunade thanked Uchiha Yan and embraced him while Kushina watched, confused.

Uchiha Yan prepared Tsunade to take charge of Konoha, then confronted Utatane Koharu as she arrived at the Hidden Stone Battlefield to negotiate peace. Koharu’s attempt to exclude him and delay talks backfired, leaving the Konoha troops questioning whether the Third Hokage wanted the war to continue.

• Uchiha Yan told Tsunade that Konoha would soon be in her hands, and she promised she was ready.
• Ten days later, Danzo greeted Utatane Koharu’s delegation with sarcasm and led them to meet the Hidden Stone delegation, which had already waited three days.
• Uchiha Yan offered Ōnoki a reduced ransom of one billion if they settled the peace talks that day, and Ōnoki agreed.
• Utatane Koharu demanded that Uchiha Yan leave the negotiations, but he refused and said he would take over with Danzo if she walked out.
• Danzo accused Utatane Koharu of obstructing peace, while the gathered Konoha ninjas began to suspect the Third Hokage did not want the war to end.

Utatane Koharu tried to delay the peace talks with Ōnoki, but he accepted Konoha’s harsh reparations and forced her to face accusations of favoring the Hidden Stone. The talks stood ready to conclude as Danzo publicly pressed Koharu to explain herself.

• Konoha ninja outside the negotiations cursed Hiruzen and accused him of deliberately delaying the peace talks, unsettling Utatane Koharu.
• Utatane Koharu began negotiating with Ōnoki while Uchiha Yan, Danzo, and a crowd of Konoha ninja watched.
• Utatane Koharu presented Konoha’s proposed reparations of 2.5 billion, expecting Ōnoki to reject them, but Ōnoki accepted and signed immediately.
• Ōnoki mocked Koharu for worrying about the Hidden Stone’s costs and demanded that both sides sign and seal the peace treaty.
• Danzo accused Koharu of siding with the Hidden Stone and asked whether she wanted the war to continue.

Uchiha Yan secured a one-billion-ryō ransom from Ōnoki and freed Han and Roshi, while Danzo and Utatane Koharu’s political maneuvering turned against them. Utatane Koharu failed to seize the ransom after the shinobi publicly backed Uchiha Yan, and she left recognizing that he and Ōnoki had already arranged the deal.

• Jiraiya and Minato discussed Danzo’s attempt to undermine the Third Hokage, while Jiraiya confirmed Tsunade would vie for the Hokage’s seat.
• Utatane Koharu and Ōnoki signed the agreement, and Ōnoki paid Uchiha Yan one billion ryō to secure Han and Roshi’s release.
• Uchiha Yan released Han and Roshi, and Ōnoki departed with the Hidden Stone shinobi.
• Utatane Koharu demanded that Uchiha Yan hand the ransom over to the village, but he refused and mocked her.
• Uchiha Yan asked the assembled shinobi whether he should give Utatane Koharu the money, and they loudly backed him and accused the elders of greed.
• Utatane Koharu realized Uchiha Yan and Ōnoki had made a prior deal, conceded defeat, and left.

Uchiha Yan secured control of the Yuki Clan and sent Number One to replace the Land of Fire’s Daimyo as part of his plan to force the Third Hokage from office. Meanwhile, Utatane Koharu returned to Konoha and explained to the Third Hokage and Mitokado Homura why she had signed the peace treaty.

• Danzo ordered the Konoha forces to withdraw after the Hidden Stone began pulling out, leaving a hundred ninja to guard the camp.
• Number One told Uchiha Yan that he had moved the Yuki Clan to a remote island and gained control after the Bloody Mist purges began.
• Uchiha Yan placed Secrecy Contract seals on the Yuki Clan members and assigned them cultivation techniques suited to their abilities.
• Uchiha Yan ordered Number One to impersonate the Land of Fire’s Daimyo and prepare to condemn the Third Hokage publicly.
• Utatane Koharu returned to Konoha and told the Third Hokage and Mitokado Homura that Danzo had undermined her and Uchiha Yan had threatened her life.

Third Hokage and his advisers confronted the fallout from Uchiha Yan’s defiance and Danzo’s break with them. Hiruzen planned to abdicate before public pressure forced him out, but Utatane Koharu unexpectedly proposed Tsunade as his successor.

• Third Hokage regretted underestimating Uchiha Yan and asked Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura how to handle the crisis.
• Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu warned that Danzo was exploiting the conflict to seize the Hokage position and would rule ruthlessly.
• Utatane Koharu accused Danzo of causing Kagami’s death and claimed his bandaged right eye held Kagami’s Sharingan.
• Third Hokage said he would issue an edict of self-blame and abdicate before Danzo could force him out through public opinion.
• Mitokado Homura asked who Third Hokage would recommend as the next Hokage, and Utatane Koharu proposed Tsunade.

Utatane Koharu, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Mitokado Homura agreed that Tsunade was the only suitable successor who could influence Uchiha Yan, and Hiruzen asked her to become the Fourth Hokage. Tsunade accepted, warned them not to obstruct Yan, and made clear that she intended to take revenge on Danzo.

• Utatane Koharu explained that Tsunade was the best Hokage candidate because of her standing, abilities, and influence over Uchiha Yan.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed that Jiraiya and Orochimaru were unsuitable and decided that Tsunade should succeed him rather than risk Danzo taking power.
• Hiruzen asked Tsunade to become the Fourth Hokage, and Tsunade recognized that the elders were yielding to Yan's plan.
• Tsunade declared that Danzo would die for his role in her brother's death, and Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura agreed not to stop her.
• Tsunade accepted the Hokage position and warned the elders not to target or obstruct Uchiha Yan.

Tsunade agreed to become Hokage and discussed with Uchiha Yan how to secure support and remove Danzo and the other elders from power. Uchiha Yan went to recruit Orochimaru, offering him a new meditation technique in exchange for supporting Tsunade.

• After finishing the handover details with the Third Hokage, Tsunade visited Uchiha Yan and confirmed that she was expected to take the Hokage seat.
• Tsunade told Uchiha Yan that she would serve as Hokage for now, and he promised to secure Orochimaru and Jiraiya's support and deal with Danzo.
• Uchiha Yan proposed stripping the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura of office and making them repay money taken from the village; Tsunade agreed.
• Uchiha Yan traveled to Orochimaru's underground laboratory and asked him to support Tsunade's appointment.
• Uchiha Yan gave Orochimaru a scroll describing Spirit Snake Meditation, and Orochimaru reacted with surprise and admiration.

Uchiha Yan secured Orochimaru’s support for Tsunade by offering him a tailored spiritual cultivation technique and the prospect of leading a new Technology Department. He also won Jiraiya’s promise to support Tsunade, while explaining that neither he nor his family wanted the Hokage position.

• Orochimaru accepted Uchiha Yan’s offer to rally his supporters behind Tsunade after receiving the Meditation Method and being promised research resources.
• Uchiha Yan proposed that Orochimaru lead a new Technology Department if Tsunade became Fourth Hokage, and Orochimaru agreed.
• Uchiha Yan teleported to Jiraiya and asked him to give Tsunade his full support when she took over from the Third Hokage.
• Jiraiya agreed to help Tsunade secure the position after Uchiha Yan explained that the Third Hokage’s resignation was inevitable.
• Uchiha Yan said he was not interested in becoming Hokage and revealed that Tsunade was accepting the role for his sake.

Uchiha Yan and Jiraiya discussed Tsunade taking over as Hokage, while Jiraiya refused to be considered for the role. After the returning troops arrived, the Third Hokage abdicated and the villagers debated who should become the Fourth Hokage, with Tsunade emerging as the popular choice.

• Uchiha Yan told Jiraiya he did not trust his character enough to make him Hokage, and Jiraiya defended his writing and habits.
• Jiraiya rejected the idea of becoming Hokage, saying he preferred to roam the Ninja World.
• Danzo returned at the head of the frontline troops, hoping to build prestige, but the Third Hokage directed the procession to the village square.
• The Third Hokage accepted responsibility for the village’s losses and announced that he was abdicating.
• Villagers debated candidates for the Fourth Hokage and increasingly supported Tsunade, while Orochimaru mocked Jiraiya’s poor reputation.

Danzo left after villagers denounced him, while the Third Hokage announced a vote to choose the Fourth Hokage in three days. After the crowd dispersed, Uchiha Hao reunited with his pregnant wife, and his family began planning their wedding.

• Danzo heard villagers condemn his record and blame him and the Third Hokage, then vowed to claim the Hokage seat and left with a Root ninja.
• The Third Hokage proposed Tsunade as the next Hokage and announced that clan representatives and Jōnin would vote on candidates in three days.
• Uchiha Senichi's family returned home, where Uchiha Hao reunited with Kyoko and gently embraced her.
• Uchiha Senichi and Meixin agreed to arrange Hao and Kyoko's wedding before their baby arrived.
• At dinner, Meixin asked why Mikoto had not come, and Uchiha Yan reminded her that he was only nine and could not marry until he was eighteen.