Recaps

Naruko tended Sasuke’s bruised face and told him she liked his looks, leaving him unexpectedly flustered. After Sasuke recovered, he agreed to meet Naruko at Ichiraku Ramen, despite his suspicion that the shop held a hidden danger, and followed her inside that weekend.

• Naruko turned Sasuke over, insisted she liked his handsome face, and carefully applied ointment to his bruises.
• Sasuke reflected on Naruko’s words and, seeing his injured face in a mirror, felt a new sadness about his appearance.
• Sasuke returned to the Ninja Academy routine, while Neji’s resentful looks reminded him that their duel still had repercussions.
• Naruko invited Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen, and he agreed despite remembering a strange warning from the shop’s owner in another timeline.
• Sasuke met Naruko outside Ichiraku Ramen that weekend and followed her into the shop.

At Ichiraku Ramen, Sasuke worried that Konoha’s ordinary route to strength would be too slow, so he asked Naruko for a faster way. He declared that he wanted to become Hokage to protect the Uchiha’s relationship with Konoha, but Naruko burst out laughing.

• Sasuke watched Teuchi and realized Ichiraku Ramen seemed ordinary again, then considered how to grow stronger without abandoning Konoha.
• Sasuke asked Naruko for a faster path to power, and she described the usual progression through a jonin instructor, missions, exams, and earned ninjutsu.
• Naruko questioned why Sasuke was so desperate to get stronger quickly, and Sasuke said he wanted to become Hokage.
• Sasuke explained that becoming Hokage would let him change the fragile relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha and prevent people like Shimura Danzō from making threats.
• Naruko snorted with laughter at Sasuke’s declaration.

Naruko warned Sasuke that becoming Hokage involved more than strength, then offered a risky shortcut to help him grow stronger. Sasuke hesitated to sneak into the Uchiha clan’s archive, but Naruko promised to go with him and take the blame if they were caught.

• Naruko described the Hokage’s burdensome duties, making Sasuke reconsider his idealized view of the position.
• Naruko told Sasuke that he could become stronger quickly by stealing, and Sasuke mistakenly thought she meant the Scroll of Seals.
• Naruko rejected stealing the Scroll of Seals and suggested Sasuke secretly memorize advanced ninjutsu kept by the Uchiha clan.
• Sasuke worried that sneaking into the clan archive would disappoint Fugaku, so Naruko offered to accompany him and take responsibility if they were caught.

After Naruko challenged Sasuke to accept the risks involved in pursuing his ambitions, Sasuke reconsidered his hesitation. The next day, Naruko insisted on joining his plan to steal Uchiha techniques, and Sasuke agreed on the condition that she follow his lead.

• Naruko told Sasuke that he would gain nothing if he refused to take risks and pay a price for his goals.
• Sasuke reflected on Naruko's words alone at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop and recognized that comfort had made him complacent.
• At the Ninja Academy, Naruko asked Sasuke about their plan to help him grow stronger and insisted on being his partner.
• Sasuke agreed to take Naruko along but ordered her to follow his instructions and not act on her own.
• Naruko reluctantly accepted Sasuke's conditions and released his arm.

Sasuke and Naruko set out at night to steal a Uchiha secret technique, but Sasuke revealed that an ancient Barrier guarded the scrolls. He led Naruko to Canaan Shrine to try a way through it, leaving them poised to face the Barrier.

• Naruko encouraged Sasuke to plan their attempt, and he decided to work out the details.
• Sasuke met Naruko at night and questioned her oversized, makeshift stealth outfit.
• Sasuke explained that an ancient Barrier protected the Uchiha scrolls and that only his father and four elders knew how to enter safely.
• Sasuke proposed trying the Barrier, and Naruko agreed to escape if their attempt triggered an alarm.
• Sasuke led Naruko through the compound to Canaan Shrine, where she asked if the Uchiha kept their secret techniques inside.

Sasuke and Naruko entered the Uchiha shrine’s hidden archive, where Sasuke bypassed its barriers and searched for useful scrolls. Naruko questioned the Uchiha stone tablet’s layered restrictions and concluded it concealed a major conspiracy, leaving Sasuke to consider her suspicion.

• Sasuke used his remembered knowledge of the Uchiha barriers to guide Naruko safely into the archive.
• Sasuke searched the scrolls for techniques that could strengthen his combat abilities while Naruko examined a massive stone tablet.
• Sasuke explained that the tablet recorded Uchiha history and that its later text supposedly required the Mangekyō Sharingan to read.
• Naruko argued that the tablet’s restrictions made its contents unlikely to be mere family achievements and declared that it concealed a huge conspiracy.
• Sasuke paused his search and looked at Naruko, having never considered that possibility before.

Naruko convinced Sasuke that the Uchiha tablet might be a deceptive tool for manipulating ambitious clan members, and Sasuke found a record suggesting Obito Uchiha could still be alive. He left the archives convinced that hidden dangers remained and that he needed far greater power to protect what he cherished.

• Naruko argued that the tablet’s increasingly vague promises might be designed to lure gifted Uchiha into pursuing power, and Sasuke considered whether an eye beyond the Mangekyō Sharingan existed.
• Naruko suggested that someone could have altered the tablet and planted enticing claims to manipulate the clan.
• Sasuke connected the tablet to Obito Uchiha and rushed to search the clan archives for his records.
• Sasuke found a file stating that Obito had been declared dead at the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, though his remains were not fully recovered, and that he had given his left Sharingan to Kakashi Hatake.
• Sasuke concluded that Obito might still be alive and that the tablet could be part of a hidden scheme, renewing his determination to gain enough power to face concealed threats.

Sasuke and Naruko explored Canaan Shrine’s forbidden archive, where Sasuke memorized the Sun Breathing sword style and several advanced elemental techniques. As they tried to leave, Setsuna Uchiha and the Military Police Force caught them, and Naruko claimed she had persuaded Sasuke to come.

• Sasuke found and memorized the Sun Breathing scroll, then studied advanced Fire Release and Lightning Release techniques.
• Sasuke and Naruko returned the scrolls, erased signs of their visit, and retraced their route out of Canaan Shrine.
• Setsuna Uchiha and more than a dozen Military Police Force members appeared and blocked the shrine’s exit.
• Setsuna confronted Sasuke for entering the forbidden grounds and bringing Naruko, an outsider.
• Sasuke stepped in front of Naruko, but she pleaded with Setsuna and said the break-in had been her idea.

Naruko and Sasuke were caught trespassing in the Uchiha clan’s forbidden grounds, and Setsuna demanded Naruko’s detention. Fugaku arrived and dismissed the incident as a harmless prank, leaving Naruko apologizing and trying to take the blame for Sasuke.

• Naruko argued that Uchiha clan members had to obey Konoha’s laws, but Setsuna challenged her over the punishment for trespassing on sacred grounds.
• Sasuke stepped forward to accept responsibility, but Setsuna ordered the officers to detain Naruko as an outsider.
• Sasuke activated his Sharingan and shielded Naruko from the officers as Setsuna prepared to intervene himself.
• Fugaku arrived with Itachi and stopped the confrontation; Setsuna accused Sasuke and Naruko of trying to steal forbidden techniques.
• Fugaku noted that the barrier was intact and nothing had been taken, then told Naruko to go home.
• Naruko apologized to Fugaku and insisted that she had dragged Sasuke there, asking him to punish her instead.

Fugaku Uchiha defended Naruko’s release and negotiated a punishment for Sasuke after they trespassed on forbidden grounds. He offered to accept punishment himself, leaving Setsuna unable to press the matter as he led the police officers away.

• Fugaku Uchiha sent Itachi Uchiha to take Naruko home safely, and Naruko left after reassuring Sasuke with a worried glance.
• Setsuna Uchiha accused Fugaku of letting Naruko escape punishment, but Fugaku argued that punishing the Hokage’s daughter could damage the Uchiha’s relations with Konoha.
• Fugaku ordered an investigation into which scrolls Sasuke had read and said he would cover the required merit points, while deferring Sasuke’s fifty-stroke punishment until he earned merit.
• When Setsuna called Sasuke’s punishment too lenient, Fugaku offered to be punished in his son’s place for failing to discipline him.
• Setsuna declined to challenge Fugaku and led the police officers away, leaving Fugaku and Sasuke alone in the courtyard.

After Sasuke broke down in Fugaku's arms and received his father's forgiveness, he went to the Ninja Academy the next day. He and Naruko argued over her advice and ended the day refusing to speak to each other.

• Fugaku comforted Sasuke, who apologized tearfully and clung to his father.
• At the Ninja Academy, Naruko asked Sasuke if Fugaku had punished him, and Sasuke told her that her plan had nearly caused Fugaku to be punished by the First Elder.
• Naruko apologized for not understanding the Uchiha clan rules and promised to consider them before offering advice again.
• Sasuke grumbled that Naruko was causing trouble, and she angrily blamed him for asking for a shortcut to get stronger.
• Naruko returned to her seat in a huff, and Sasuke stayed silent rather than explain himself.
• The two avoided each other for the rest of the day, and Sasuke struggled to focus in class.

After a day of avoiding Naruko, Sasuke realized how much he valued their bond and decided to apologize with a gift. He went to the bookstore to find her a book, where the owner recommended a romance novel.

• Sasuke practiced Sun Breathing at the Training Ground until he collapsed from exhaustion.
• Watching the clouds, Sasuke thought about Naruko and realized he regretted blaming her for their failed plan and hurting her.
• Sasuke decided to buy Naruko a gift and apologize, but struggled to choose something she would like.
• Sasuke went to the Konoha Bookstore and asked the owner for a new book suitable for girls.
• The bookstore owner enthusiastically recommended Super-Hot Paradise, a popular romance novel by Lone Cry Beneath the Moon.

Sasuke bought Naruko a copy of "Super-Hot Paradise" as a gift, then learned that Minato's family would visit the Uchiha Residence to apologize for Naruko's earlier mischief. The families met formally at the gate, where Minato and Fugaku exchanged apologies and welcomed each other inside.

• Sasuke bought "Super-Hot Paradise" for Naruko and returned home with it.
• Mikoto told Sasuke that Minato, Kushina, and Naruko would visit that evening to apologize to the Uchiha.
• Fugaku, Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke waited at the gate to welcome Minato's family.
• Minato apologized to Fugaku for Naruko's reckless actions and said he had scolded her.
• Fugaku replied that Sasuke also bore responsibility and invited Minato's family inside.

Minato visited Fugaku’s home with his family, easing Uchiha concerns by offering a personal apology and announcing Itachi’s coming promotion to ANBU squad leader. As the adults celebrated over dinner, Mikoto urged Sasuke to take Naruko away from the table, leaving them facing an awkward chance to speak alone.

• Minato greeted Fugaku as an old friend, and the Uchiha watching them took the exchange as a sign of cordial relations with the Hokage.
• Mikoto and Kushina exchanged compliments about Sasuke and Naruko while the two teens blushed and avoided each other’s eyes.
• Itachi observed Sasuke’s nervous behavior around Naruko while Naruko continued to sulk and ignore him.
• Fugaku thanked Minato for guiding Itachi, and Minato announced that he intended to promote Itachi to ANBU squad leader.
• Mikoto noticed Sasuke and Naruko’s unease and suggested that Sasuke take Naruko to his room or the garden.

Naruko and Sasuke reconciled in Sasuke's room after he apologized and offered her a gift. They agreed to invent a private Reconciliation Seal so they would never stay angry or ignore each other.

• Naruko reluctantly went to Sasuke's room while Sasuke followed her, carrying a wrapped book as an apology gift.
• Sasuke apologized, and Naruko said his apology was not sincere enough before he offered her the gift.
• Naruko asked Sasuke to make the Academy's Reconciliation Seal, then proposed they create a unique one of their own.
• Sasuke agreed to their promise, and the two began designing their private seal together.

Naruko and Sasuke made up with a private reconciliation sign, and Naruko revealed that she had written the book Sasuke bought for her. She apologized by giving him an ancient Uzumaki Ninja Sword, and the chapter ended with Itachi bringing them Three-Color Dango.

• Naruko and Sasuke created a unique finger sign and promised to use it as their reconciliation code.
• Naruko revealed that she had written Super-Hot Paradise under the pen name Lone Cry Beneath the Moon and made Sasuke promise to read it and give her his opinion.
• Naruko apologized for her part in Sasuke and his father's reprimand and offered him a Ninja Sword as a gift.
• Naruko explained that the sword had once belonged to the Uzumaki Clan and that the Fourth Hokage had given it to her mother.
• Itachi brought Naruko and Sasuke Three-Color Dango, and Naruko eagerly took a skewer.

After the Uchiha banquet, Sasuke read Naruko’s book through the night, then argued with her about its imagined Senju-Uchiha romance on the way to the Ninja Academy. Naruko challenged his assumptions about the clans’ hatred by pointing to Hashirama and Madara’s alliance and the founding of Konoha.

• Naruko teased Sasuke about feeding him dango, and he blushed before eating on his own.
• The Namikaze family said goodbye to the Uchiha family, and Naruko reminded Sasuke to read her book before leaving.
• Sasuke lay awake thinking about Naruko, her gifts, and her apology, then unwrapped Super-Hot Paradise and began reading it.
• The next morning, Naruko stopped Sasuke on his way to the Ninja Academy and asked what he thought of her book.
• Sasuke criticized the story of a Senju princess and Uchiha heir falling in love during the Warring States Period, citing the clans’ enmity.
• Naruko asked how Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha could have founded the Hidden Leaf Village together if their clans’ hatred was absolute.

Naruko teased Sasuke by revealing that she had based her romance novel’s Uchiha heir on him, then explained that she had invented the tragic ending’s name and evil-god lore. Sasuke was left shaken because Naraka and the story’s details matched what he had seen in the Canopy Screen from another spacetime.

• Naruko reminded Sasuke that Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha overcame their clans’ feud through friendship, leaving him unable to argue that hatred was impossible to overcome.
• Naruko revealed that the proud, awkward Uchiha heir in her novel was based on Sasuke, embarrassing him as they walked toward school.
• Sasuke asked why Naruko had ended the romance in tragedy, and she said she preferred endings that left readers with lasting regrets.
• Sasuke asked Naruko about Naraka, and she explained that she had made up the name and borrowed the evil-god idea from old legends.
• Sasuke realized that Naruko’s supposedly invented story matched the account he had seen in the Canopy Screen from another spacetime.

Sasuke, alarmed by Naruko’s strangely accurate invented story, asked her to train with him so he could become stronger. Their after-school sparring began with Sasuke quickly pinning Naruko, who refused to admit defeat.

• Sasuke resolved to grow stronger after reflecting on the unsettling coincidence in Naruko’s story.
• Sasuke asked Naruko to train with him after school, and she agreed on the condition that she could help choose their training.
• At the training ground, Sasuke began their sparring with a fast Taijutsu attack and used his Sharingan to see through Naruko’s Clone Technique.
• Sasuke disarmed and tripped Naruko, pinning her facedown on the grass within seconds.
• Sasuke teased Naruko about being caught, while Naruko blushed and insisted that he let her go without conceding.

Sasuke and Naruko trained together after Sasuke tickled her during their sparring match. While resting beneath the stars, Naruko explained that becoming Hokage required political support and warned Sasuke that the Uchiha would struggle to earn it.

• Sasuke tickled Naruko during their sparring match, making her break free and accuse him of fighting dirty.
• Sasuke reflected that Naruko had less chakra and less unpredictable power than Naruto in another timeline.
• Sasuke practiced Sun Breathing sword stances while Naruko worked on chakra control and taijutsu.
• Naruko told Sasuke that she dreamed of becoming a famous writer, and Sasuke confirmed that he wanted to become Hokage.
• Naruko explained that Hokage candidates needed support from Konoha's leadership and major clans, then warned Sasuke that the Uchiha's reputation and unresolved history would make that difficult.

Sasuke wondered whether Naruko’s suggestion to change his surname meant marrying into her family, leaving him flustered and unable to sleep. A month later, the Canopy Screen began showing Boruto trying to prank Kage Rock before Sarada stopped him and Mitsuki arrived.

• Naruko told Sasuke he could become Hokage if he changed his surname, then left him to ponder what she meant.
• Sasuke imagined marrying Naruko and taking her surname, then spent the night embarrassed and conflicted about giving up the Uchiha name.
• A month later, the Canopy Screen displayed a new story about Kirigakure and showed Sarada spotting Boruto with a paint bucket near Kage Rock.
• Sarada intercepted Boruto, and they fought with Taijutsu until Boruto called a truce and agreed to abandon the prank.
• Mitsuki appeared at Kage Rock, and Boruto invited him to join them.

Boruto told Sarada he wanted to become a strong ninja like Sasuke and support her dream of becoming Hokage, then persuaded Mitsuki to help him continue his prank on Kage Rock. Meanwhile, Naruto and Chojuro discussed the attack on Hinata and the risk that its possible ties to Kumogakure could threaten the peace between the villages.

• Boruto told Sarada he did not want to become Hokage and instead wanted to train under Sasuke and protect her.
• Sarada said Sasuke had left on an urgent mission, promised to ask him about Boruto when he returned, and told Mitsuki to watch Boruto.
• After Sarada left, Boruto asked Mitsuki to alert him if she came back, then swung down to paint on Naruto's face on Kage Rock.
• Mitsuki watched Boruto and silently wondered whether he could become his sun.
• Chojuro apologized to Naruto for failing to protect Hinata and said hired killers had specifically targeted her alongside the pirates.
• Naruto reassured Chojuro, said Konoha's ANBU was investigating, and discussed the attack's possible connection to Kumogakure and the difficulty of resolving old resentments.

Chojuro proposed a Kirigakure exchange for young ninjas, and Naruto agreed while suggesting Konoha host the next joint Chunin Ninja Exams. The Canopy Screen then showed Naruto catching Boruto vandalizing Kage Rock and ordering him to clean it, with Mitsuki helping.

• Chojuro told Naruto that Kumogakure would send three young people, including Darui's younger son Damian, to Kirigakure as exchange students, and asked Konoha to participate.
• Naruto agreed to send promising young people and proposed that Konoha host the next joint Chunin Ninja Exams; Chojuro accepted.
• Naruto spotted Boruto's graffiti on his Hokage carving and rushed to Kage Rock to catch him.
• Naruto made Boruto clean the graffiti and told Mitsuki to keep an eye on him, while Mitsuki joined in scrubbing the cliff.
• Boruto promised Mitsuki burgers when they finished, and the two continued cleaning as the sunset fell over Kage Rock.

Jiraiya teased Naruto about Boruto’s prank, helping him see it as a sign of the happy family life he had once lacked. The Canopy Screen then showed Kakashi preparing a disguise for a mission, leaving his face hidden behind a mosaic as he transformed himself into a weary ronin.

• Jiraiya laughed at Boruto painting Naruto’s face on Kage Rock and compared the prank to Naruto’s own childhood mischief.
• Naruto protested that he had grown up, but Jiraiya recalled his past pranks and embarrassing escapades.
• Jiraiya told Naruto that Boruto’s prank showed how he had become a father whose son felt comfortable acting spoiled around him.
• Naruto stopped defending himself and criticized Boruto’s painting, while Jiraiya reflected that fate could come around in a good way.
• The Canopy Screen showed Kakashi removing his mask, though a mosaic concealed his face, and altering his appearance with makeup, clothes, and a weathered katana.
• Kakashi finished disguising himself as an aimless, down-and-out swordsman.

Kakashi disguised himself as the wandering samurai Gintoki Sakata and tested his disguise in Konoha before entering Kumogakure. Guy recognized him by intuition, but Kakashi escaped and began convincing Kumogakure’s checkpoint guards that he was a genuine samurai.

• Kakashi walked through Konoha in disguise, and the people he knew passed him without recognizing him.
• Guy identified Kakashi through their bond of youth, but Kakashi denied it and fled into an alley.
• Several days later, Kakashi arrived at Kumogakure’s entrance under the alias Gintoki Sakata with forged documents.
• Kakashi told the checkpoint screener he was a wandering samurai seeking a place to stay and demonstrated his swordsmanship.