Chapter Summaries

Jingyi challenged the Third Hokage over Konoha’s silenced leaders and refusal to take responsibility, then left the meeting and returned home. He found Kushina waiting for him and asked what she had done while away.

• Jingyi argued that the Third Hokage had concentrated decision-making power among his faction and made the other leaders afraid to speak freely.
• Jingyi criticized the Third Hokage for shifting blame and argued that reputation mattered less than protecting and benefiting the village.
• Jingyi recommended ending the high-level meetings, refused to help with the war effort, and suggested sending the Shimura Clan to the front lines.
• Jingyi left the Hokage Office Building and returned home, where he found Kushina sprawled on the sofa.
• Kushina leaped into Jingyi’s arms, and he set her down and asked her to recount what she had done while away.

Jingyi learned that Kushina had destroyed Kumogakure’s secret Turtle Island, helping trigger its war with Kirigakure, and explained how Yagura used the conflict to weaken Kirigakure’s rival clans. He told Kushina that Iwagakure had also declared war on Kumogakure, drawing all Five Great Shinobi Villages into the conflict.

• Kushina told Jingyi that she and Big Fox had destroyed Turtle Island with Tailed Beast Balls after she found Kumogakure ninja there.
• Jingyi concluded that the destruction of Turtle Island and Kirigakure’s investigation had helped provoke Kumogakure into war.
• Jingyi explained that Yagura had sent the Kaguya, Snow, and Hozuki clans to the Disputed Waters to weaken opposition to his rule.
• Jingyi predicted that the Third Raikage would take the fight to the Land of Water and make Yagura regret provoking him.
• Jingyi told Kushina that Iwagakure had declared war on Kumogakure and that Konoha and Sunagakure would join the fighting, involving all Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Jingyi warned Kushina to hide her role in destroying Turtle Island while Konoha’s Third Hokage struggled with opposition to joining the war. The daimyo seized the conflict as a chance to damage Hiruzen Sarutobi’s reputation, then secretly ordered his aide killed to conceal his involvement.

• Jingyi told Kushina that Kumogakure would investigate Turtle Island’s destruction and reminded her to claim she had stayed in the village.
• Kushina returned to her room to rest while the Third Hokage agonized over Konoha’s alliance with Kumogakure and the villagers’ opposition to war.
• An aide told the daimyo that the wars involving Kumogakure, Kirigakure, and Iwagakure offered a chance to expose Hiruzen Sarutobi’s incriminating information.
• The daimyo ordered the aide to arrange the information’s release through outsiders and then privately told a shadow to kill the aide afterward.

The Daimyo suspected the Third Hokage had ordered the assassination attempt against him, while anti-war protests continued to overwhelm Konoha. When Hatake Sakumo brought Jingyi intelligence alleging that the Third Hokage and Shimura Clan had misused village funds, Jingyi decided to let the news spread before acting.

• The Daimyo concluded that the Third Hokage had the strongest motive for the assassination attempt, though he lacked proof.
• Round-the-clock anti-war protests strained the Third Hokage and left the Police Force exhausted.
• Hatake Sakumo delivered Jingyi intelligence that enemy spies might be operating in the village, along with allegations of financial misconduct.
• Jingyi read the allegations that the Third Hokage and Shimura Clan had misappropriated village funds and laughed at the trouble they would cause.
• Jingyi told Hatake Sakumo to pretend he had not seen the intelligence and planned to let the allegations spread before handling them.

Jingyi delayed releasing intelligence about the Third Hokage's misappropriation of village funds while investigating who had spread it, and discovered the Daimyo's Court was behind the leak. He brought the evidence to Tsunade, who confronted the Third Hokage as the scandal reached the Hokage Office.

• Jingyi used puppets to investigate the source of the spreading intelligence and learned that the Daimyo's Court had gathered it to retaliate against the Third Hokage.
• After two days, Jingyi brought the intelligence scroll home and told Tsunade that her teacher's affairs had been exposed.
• Tsunade read the scroll, rushed to the Hokage Office, and told Jingyi that she needed to confront the Third Hokage.
• Jingyi explained to Kushina that the Third Hokage's misappropriation of village funds had become public while the Hokage Office was distracted by the war and village protests.
• Tsunade burst into the Hokage Office and told the Third Hokage to read the evidence; he scanned the scroll, froze, and dropped it.

After a scroll exposed the leaders’ alleged misuse of village funds, the Third Hokage ordered the protests dispersed and prepared to counter the spreading scandal. He decided to send clan shinobi to fight alongside Sunagakure against Iwagakure, hoping battlefield merit would lessen the damage.

• The Third Hokage ordered the Hokage Guard Team and Police Force to disperse the protesters and arrest anyone who refused to leave.
• Tsunade told the Third Hokage that Jingyi had given her the intelligence and that the Anbu had begun investigating, then warned him and the other leaders to prepare for the worst.
• Tsunade berated the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura for misappropriating village funds and failing to cover their tracks.
• The Third Hokage told Utatane Koharu to summon elders and clan heads so he could select shinobi to support Sunagakure against Iwagakure.
• The Third Hokage assigned Mitokado Homura to lead shinobi to the battlefield, and Homura accepted.

Tsunade accepted the Hokage Seal in case the Third Hokage could no longer lead, while rumors spread that he had diverted village funds to train ninja for his family and allied clans. The Third Hokage forcibly dispersed protesters and prepared families for war, but the scandal was already circulating, and Jingyi reviewed the interrogation results of those involved.

• The Third Hokage gave Tsunade the Hokage Seal, and she promised to take responsibility for the village if necessary.
• Fugaku Uchiha sent the Police Force to help the Hokage Guard Team disperse the protesters, arresting some and forcibly removing the rest.
• Jingyi told Fugaku Uchiha that rumors accused the Third Hokage of misusing village funds to train ninja for the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, and warned him to keep the Police Force cooperative.
• After the Third Hokage met with the heads and elders of several families, they returned home and began preparing ninja to leave for the battlefield.
• The rumors spread through secret conversations despite arrests, and Jingyi concluded that they could no longer be contained.
• Eagle brought Jingyi the interrogation report, and Jingyi read it and remarked that using money to pave the way was a good method.

Jingyi learned that the man behind the village rumors had been killed before he could be questioned, while the Third Hokage prepared to contain the scandal by sending beneficiary families to war against Iwagakure. As Konoha’s allies grew impatient for action, the chapter left the village facing pressure to begin fighting.

• Eagle told Jingyi that Kaiyuan Goro, who had spread the news, was found dead with a precise kunai wound, leaving investigators without usable intelligence.
• Jingyi sent Eagle to report everything to the Third Hokage, while keeping his own information to himself.
• Tsunade told Jingyi that the Third Hokage planned to send families that benefited from the scandal to the front lines against Iwagakure.
• Jingyi and Tsunade discussed Mitokado Homura becoming commander-in-chief and the risks to the Third Hokage’s plan if Konoha lost the war.
• Kumogakure grew impatient with Konoha and Sunagakure for accepting supplies and money without joining the fighting.

The Third Hokage faced growing pressure over diverted village funds while Konoha prepared to join Sunagakure in attacking Iwagakure through the Land of Grass. When Jingyi told the leaders to stop investigating the leak, Tsunade and the Third Hokage suspected the Daimyo's Court was involved.

• The Third Raikage welcomed Konoha's message that its ninja forces would soon deploy, hoping Konoha and Sunagakure would tie down Iwagakure's troops.
• Konoha villagers and lower-ranking ninja continued demanding that the Hokage Office disclose its spending, worsening the Third Hokage's crisis.
• Mitokado Homura led Konoha's force toward the Land of Grass to join Sunagakure and attack the Land of Earth.
• Utatane Koharu reported that the Hokage Guard Team and Police Force had found no new leads, while Jingyi said the Anbu had made some progress.
• Jingyi told Tsunade, the Third Hokage, and Utatane Koharu to end the investigation, but Utatane Koharu insisted they continue.
• Tsunade and the Third Hokage suspected the Daimyo's Court might be behind the information leak.

Tsunade learned that the Third Hokage had ordered the assassination of nobles at the Daimyo's Court, triggering retaliation against Konoha, and took the Hokage Seal to negotiate with the Daimyo. She left Jingyi to keep order and watch Shimura Danzō, whom they expected to flee before Tsunade returned.

• Jingyi revealed that a dead Daimyo's aide had exposed the Daimyo's Court's investigation into Konoha's assassinations of nobles.
• Tsunade confronted the Third Hokage, who admitted he had ordered the assassinations, and took the Hokage Seal before departing for the Daimyo's Court.
• The Third Hokage assured Tsunade that Jingyi could deal directly with anyone who caused trouble while she was away.
• After Tsunade and Jingyi left, the Third Hokage predicted that he, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura might be forced to retire, while Shimura Danzō faced harsher consequences.
• Tsunade warned Jingyi that Shimura Danzō might try to escape, and Jingyi said he hoped Danzō would flee so he could stop him.

As the Daimyo's Court retaliated for Shimura Danzō's assassination attempt and Tsunade moved to resolve the crisis, Utatane Koharu warned Danzō that Jingyi Hyuga would soon target him. Danzō fled to confront the Third Hokage, who told him to leave Konoha and declared that they owed each other nothing.

• Jingyi refused to let family ties alone settle the dispute, while Tsunade left for the Daimyo's Court to address the crisis.
• Utatane Koharu warned Shimura Danzō that Jingyi Hyuga was coming for him after Danzō's attack on nobles prompted the Daimyo's Court to retaliate and accuse Hiruzen of misusing public funds.
• Utatane Koharu told Danzō that Tsunade had taken the Hokage Seal and Hiruzen was preparing to retire, so Danzō changed into combat gear and escaped through a passage beneath his courtyard.
• Shimura Danzō went to the Hokage Office at night, where the Third Hokage urged him to leave Konoha because he could no longer protect him.
• The Third Hokage said he and Danzō owed each other nothing, arguing that he had repaid Danzō's past services by protecting him and supporting the Shimura Clan.

Shimura Danzō tried to escape Konoha through a secret passage after the Third Hokage refused to help him. Jingyi and his puppets surrounded him, and Shikaku Nara, Hyuga Hiashi, and Fugaku Uchiha emerged from hiding as Danzō insulted Jingyi.

• Shimura Danzō left the Third Hokage after threatening to return, while the Third Hokage chose not to help him escape in order to protect the Sarutobi Clan.
• Shimura Danzō used a secret passage he had prepared and slipped through a gap in its fence to flee toward the outskirts of Konoha.
• Jingyi's puppets surrounded Shimura Danzō, and Jingyi revealed that he had been watching the passage.
• Jingyi told Shimura Danzō that he would lend his head to quell the villagers' anger, and Danzō cursed Jingyi for not killing him earlier.
• Shikaku Nara, Hyuga Hiashi, and Fugaku Uchiha emerged from hiding after Danzō insulted Jingyi.

Jingyi offered to spare Shimura Danzō if he answered a question about the Hyuga Branch Family’s mark, then exposed his forehead to prove he had no Caged Bird Seal. The witnesses were left stunned as Hyuga Hiashi struggled to explain the mark’s absence.

• Jingyi asked Shimura Danzō to identify the Hyuga Branch Family’s mark and promised to spare him if he answered correctly.
• Jingyi sent Fugaku Uchiha to bring the Third Hokage as a witness, and the Third Hokage arrived after hearing what had happened.
• Jingyi warned Shimura Danzō that a wrong answer would lead to his death and his body being turned into a puppet.
• Shimura Danzō challenged Jingyi to remove his forehead protector, confident that the Caged Bird Seal would be there.
• Jingyi removed his forehead protector and revealed a smooth forehead with no Caged Bird Seal, leaving the witnesses stunned.
• Shimura Danzō suspected a Hyuga Clan conspiracy, while Hyuga Hiashi insisted the clan elders had personally placed Jingyi’s seal.

Jingyi revealed his Tenseigan, killed Shimura Danzō while forcibly examining his memories, and used what he learned to force the Third Hokage to command Konoha’s troops on the front lines. The Third Hokage agreed to leave for the battlefield the next day, while Jingyi kept Danzō’s secrets to maintain control over him.

• Jingyi revealed that the Byakugan could evolve into the Tenseigan and explained why he had pretended to suffer from Bloodline Disease.
• Shimura Danzō tried to stab Jingyi, but Jingyi immobilized him and slowly choked him while the Third Hokage watched.
• Jingyi examined Shimura Danzō’s memories, killing him when the process destroyed his brain.
• Jingyi implied that Danzō’s memories exposed the Third Hokage’s past crimes and demanded that he go to the front lines.
• The Third Hokage agreed to command the troops against Iwagakure starting the next day.

Jingyi had Shimura Danzō’s remains burned and sent the ashes to the Third Hokage, who left to bury them himself. Tsunade confronted the Daimyo about his retaliation against Hiruzen Sarutobi, then urged him to set their dispute aside for stability.

• Jingyi told Fugaku Uchiha to dispose of Shimura Danzō’s body, and Shikaku Nara explained that Jingyi would not publicly turn it into a puppet.
• Fugaku Uchiha burned the body, and Hyuga Hiashi gave him a box for the ashes to deliver to the Third Hokage.
• The Third Hokage accepted the ashes, remembered his bond with Shimura Danzō, and left to bury them.
• Tsunade arrived at the Daimyo's Court and warned the Daimyo that his retaliation against Hiruzen Sarutobi had gone too far.
• The Daimyo defended his actions by complaining about Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Tsunade told him to put the dispute aside and focus on stability.

Tsunade secured the Daimyo's support for Konoha and arranged protection for the Daimyo's Court as the village prepared for war with Iwagakure. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage decided to go to the front lines, leaving Tsunade's takeover of Konoha to proceed more smoothly.

• Tsunade showed the Hokage Seal, and the daimyo promised Konoha supplies and money for the war against Iwagakure.
• The daimyo asked for protection, and Tsunade said Jingyi Hyuga's puppets and Anbu personnel would guard the palace while Shimura Danzō would soon be dealt with.
• Tsunade left the Daimyo's Court to return to Konoha and take charge of the village.
• Utatane Koharu saw the box containing Shimura Danzō's cremated remains, and the Third Hokage explained that Jingyi had cremated him to protect Tsunade's reputation.
• The Third Hokage told Utatane Koharu that he would lead the Hokage Guard Team to the front lines to atone for his mistakes and help the village.

With the Third Hokage and Utatane Koharu heading to the battlefield, Jingyi and Shikaku Nara struggled to decide who would manage Konoha’s neglected offices and finances. Jingyi considered who could succeed Tsunade as Hokage, then seized on Orochimaru’s return as a chance to hand him a difficult task.

• Utatane Koharu joined the Third Hokage’s group departing for the battlefield to serve in the Medical Department and earn merit for the village.
• Shikaku Nara explained that the clans would struggle to clear their names once Tsunade reviewed the Finance Department’s records, which revealed the enormous funds the Third Hokage had diverted to them.
• Jingyi asked Shikaku Nara to oversee the Hokage Office, but Shikaku refused because he was exhausted from auditing the accounts and burdened with other work.
• Jingyi decided to leave the administrative mess for Tsunade and considered Nawaki or Minato as a possible successor.
• Orochimaru returned to the village, and Jingyi immediately told him that a difficult task was waiting.

Jingyi forced Orochimaru to handle Hokage Office paperwork while Tsunade was away, and took the Kusanagi Sword Orochimaru gave him. After Tsunade returned, she told Jingyi she did not want to become Hokage and asked who else could lead the village.

• Jingyi dragged Orochimaru into the Hokage Office and made him a temporary official to handle paperwork.
• Orochimaru gave Jingyi a Kusanagi Sword, and Jingyi promised to show him unusual experimental materials later.
• Tsunade returned to the village, went home to eat with Jingyi, and learned that Orochimaru was handling the Hokage Office's work.
• Tsunade told Jingyi she had no interest in becoming Hokage and asked whom he considered a suitable candidate.
• Jingyi named Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Nawaki, and Minato, while noting that the younger candidates needed training and that Orochimaru and Jiraiya had drawbacks.

Jingyi advised Tsunade on the Hokage succession, and she reluctantly became the Fourth Hokage. As war continued, Jingyi told her to reassure the villagers, publicize financial support, and focus on stabilizing the village and earning money.

• Jingyi ruled out Hatake Sakumo and assessed Tsunade, Orochimaru, Minato, and Nawaki as Hokage candidates, while Tsunade resisted taking the position.
• Jingyi told Tsunade to take over work at the Hokage Office, and she completed the appointment process and became the Fourth Hokage.
• Tsunade’s announcement blamed Shimura Danzō for the Third Hokage’s wrongdoing, noted Danzō’s execution and the Third Hokage’s deployment to the front, and helped calm the villagers.
• Jingyi instructed Tsunade to publicize Kumogakure’s aid and the Daimyo’s Court’s support, and to promote training for civilian ninjas.
• Tsunade raised concerns about Iwagakure’s strong performance, and Jingyi said Konoha should contain Iwagakure while steadily developing and making money.

The Third Hokage and Tsunade discussed keeping Konoha’s support for Kumogakure limited, while Hiruzen Sarutobi and Chiyo traded barbs at their shared front-line camp. The chapter left the commanders assessing Iwagakure’s refusal to divide its forces into small engagements.

• Tsunade questioned whether Konoha should reduce its support for Kumogakure, and she was told that dissolving the alliance remained an option if Kumogakure objected.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi took command at the Land of Grass camp, replacing Mitokado Homura, who shifted to managing supplies.
• Chiyo mocked Konoha’s turmoil, and Hiruzen countered by bringing up Sunagakure’s reparations and the Kazekage’s mining.
• Mitokado Homura urged Hiruzen and Chiyo to stop arguing and focus on their mission against Iwagakure’s Earth Release Corps.
• Hiruzen and Chiyo discussed Iwagakure’s numerical advantage and coordinated fighting, noting that its forces refused to split up for small-scale combat.