Chapter Summaries

Danzo forced Chikage to accept a properly registered border mission by providing two hundred thousand ryō, but Chikage welcomed the opportunity and gained a system reward for the trip. Preparing for the danger ahead, he examined Sharingan options in the System Shop and weighed whether to spend his points.

• Danzo ordered Root to complete the mission paperwork, provide two hundred thousand ryō, and demand Chikage’s signature for a nine o’clock departure.
• Chikage verified the official letter and funds, accepted the mission, and assigned Hikari and Yashiro to handle the department while he was away.
• Chikage unlocked a hidden achievement that doubled his business-trip clock-in and clock-out rewards, then clocked out and reassured Hikari about the mission.
• At home, Chikage considered the dangers Root might prepare and opened the advanced System Shop to find a way to strengthen himself.
• Chikage saw that the Three-Tomoe Sharingan cost eight thousand points while the Mangekyō cost fifty thousand, and weighed how to spend his eighteen thousand five hundred points.

Chikage weighed the Shop’s abilities for his border mission and rejected options that failed to suit his enormous chakra reserves or offered too little value. He continued searching for a permanent combat ability, planning to conceal his true strength while dealing with Danzo’s Root assassins.

• Chikage reviewed the benefits and cost of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, then rejected it because it would not make the best use of his chakra reserves.
• Chikage considered several kekkei genkai, Sage techniques, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Explosive Tags, but dismissed them as unsuitable, unaffordable, or poor value for the mission.
• Chikage recalled that Uchiha Hikari had worried about his departure and that Squad Captain Yashiro had offered to send Second Squad elites with him, but Chikage had refused to keep his strength and travel money to himself.
• Chikage planned to appear weak at the border, eliminate the Root ninja assigned to ambush him, and return to Konoha to reconcile his expenses and seek compensation.

Chikage redeemed Lightning Release Chakra Mode and the One-Tomoe Sharingan to prepare for his dangerous trip to the border. He was confronted by Uchiha Fugaku, who had rushed over after hearing that Chikage accepted Root’s assignment.

• Chikage rejected the Eight Gates and Strength of a Hundred Technique, then redeemed Lightning Release Chakra Mode for fifteen thousand points.
• Chikage tested his new lightning cloak and decided it would help him survive an attack during his border trip.
• Chikage spent another thousand points to redeem the One-Tomoe Sharingan and gained sharper vision and motion tracking.
• Uchiha Fugaku arrived at Chikage’s home late at night and demanded to know why he had accepted Root’s assignment to investigate smuggling at the border.

Chikage awakened his Sharingan, prompting Fugaku to believe Danzo had driven him into a deadly mission through fear and pressure. Chikage stopped Fugaku from confronting Hiruzen Sarutobi and argued that refusing the official mission would give Danzo grounds to target the Uchiha, but Fugaku still feared for Chikage’s life.

• Fugaku noticed Chikage’s newly awakened One-Tomoe Sharingan and concluded that the danger of Danzo’s mission had traumatized him.
• Fugaku decided to go to the Hokage Building and demand that Hiruzen Sarutobi cancel the mission, even if the Uchiha had to break with the village.
• Chikage stopped Fugaku, insisting that he had to go on the mission because canceling it could cost the Uchiha their 200,000 ryo in special-purpose funds.
• Fugaku objected that Root’s Assassination Unit would kill Chikage, while Chikage urged him to calm down and discuss the situation inside.
• Chikage explained that Danzo was following official procedure and might be waiting for the Uchiha to disobey so he could accuse them of defying the village’s laws.
• Fugaku remained unwilling to let Chikage go, pointing to his Sharingan as evidence of how much the mission had already affected him.

Chikage persuaded Fugaku to let him travel alone to investigate the Smuggling Case, arguing that he could use the mission funds to protect himself. Fugaku gave him fifty powerful Explosive Tags, and Chikage prepared to leave for the border the next morning.

• Fugaku assumed Chikage's Sharingan had awakened under pressure, and Chikage agreed with the explanation while insisting he would go on the mission.
• Chikage argued that Root could not attack him openly and that he could use the two hundred thousand ryo to hire guards and buy supplies.
• Fugaku offered to send Yashiro's team, but Chikage rejected the plan and persuaded him that any escort would draw suspicion or risk escalating a conflict with Root.
• Fugaku reluctantly agreed to let Chikage travel alone and gave him a Sealing Scroll containing fifty specially made High-Explosive Explosive Tags.
• Fugaku warned Chikage to prioritize returning alive and promised to watch Danzo's movements, while Chikage planned his route to the border.

Fugaku told Mikoto that Chikage had accepted a deadly border mission to protect the Uchiha, and that the fear and pressure had awakened his One-Tomoe Sharingan. After recognizing Chikage’s resolve, eight-year-old Itachi volunteered to protect him in secret.

• Fugaku told Mikoto that Danzo had assigned Chikage a border mission as a trap and that Chikage had accepted it while securing official paperwork and 200,000 ryo in mission funds.
• Fugaku revealed that Chikage had awakened his One-Tomoe Sharingan under the pressure of the mission.
• Itachi overheard his parents and concluded that Chikage was strong in spirit and had used rules to protect the Uchiha.
• Fugaku said Chikage had refused a larger escort because it could expose the clan and give Danzo leverage.
• Itachi asked Fugaku to let him protect Chikage in secret.

Itachi persuaded Fugaku to let him secretly follow Chikage and protect him from Root, while Chikage prepared to leave for the border. The chapter left Chikage receiving an enormous supply of food and medical supplies from Mikoto before his trip.

• Itachi argued that he could secretly watch over Chikage without drawing attention, and demonstrated his plan to leave a Shadow Clone behind.
• Fugaku agreed to let Itachi depart early the next morning, warning him to hide his identity and intervene only if Chikage faced mortal danger.
• Itachi packed his ninja tools and resolved to prevent Root from killing Chikage.
• Chikage checked his equipment and mission funds before heading toward Konoha's entrance.
• Fugaku and Mikoto met Chikage on the street, and Mikoto gave him a large packed lunch and a bag of medicine.

Chikage left Konoha to investigate a smuggling case while Fugaku and Mikoto worried that Root had marked him for assassination. The chapter left Chikage rushing to clock in on time, unaware that Itachi had already left to watch over him from the shadows.

• Mikoto loaded Chikage with food and supplies, and Fugaku warned him that Root operatives might attack him on the road.
• Fugaku told Chikage to stay in a crowded border town, abandon the mission if necessary, and prioritize his life over the funding.
• Chikage reassured Fugaku and Mikoto, then hurried toward the village gate to make his nine o'clock clock-in.
• Fugaku told Mikoto that Itachi had left that morning to secretly protect Chikage.
• Chikage reached Konoha's gate at 8:55 and handed the Chunin his Official Dispatch for registration.

Chikage traveled to Hot Water Town on a Konoha-funded mission, enjoying daily clock-in rewards and arranging luxury lodging with itemized expenses. As he planned to investigate border smuggling, a rogue ninja gang inspected stolen Konoha weapons and supplies.

• Chikage left Konoha with two hundred thousand ryo in mission funds and received double daily points for clocking in on his business trip.
• Uchiha Itachi secretly followed Chikage to protect him from danger.
• After three days of travel, Chikage arrived in Hot Water Town and booked a luxurious room, directing the innkeeper to itemize his expenses.
• Chikage clocked out at five, relaxed in his private hot spring, and planned to buy intelligence about border smuggling the next day.
• In a secluded valley, Scarface inspected crates of Konoha weapons and explosive tags while the Cloaked Man asked whether the count matched.

Root’s smuggling operation was exposed to the reader as Danzo’s scheme, and Scarface’s rogue ninja were hired to capture Uchiha Chikage alive. While they waited in a valley, Chikage stayed in Hot Water Town, collected his business-trip reward, and began using the mission funds to investigate the smuggling case.

• The Cloaked Man paid Scarface for smuggled Konoha supplies and hired his men to capture Uchiha Chikage alive.
• Scarface received a dossier portraying Chikage as a weak genin, but decided Root’s information was a deliberate deception and kept his men hidden in a valley.
• Chikage collected 200 daily points for his business trip, ate breakfast at the Hot Springs Inn, and set out to spend the mission funds with receipts.
• Chikage visited an information broker and offered 100,000 ryō for six months of smuggling rumors, a black-market merchant list, trade-route activity records, and five days of informant surveillance.

Chikage spent public funds on intelligence, patrol supplies, barbecue, and a hot-spring stay while keeping receipts, leaving his enemies enraged and Itachi convinced the apparent leisure was a masterful trap. Scarface’s rogue ninja prepared to kidnap Chikage that night, while Itachi admired his supposed strategy.

• Chikage paid an information broker one hundred thousand ryo for black-market intelligence and surveillance, insisting on an itemized receipt.
• Chikage spent fifty thousand ryo at a barbecue restaurant on a meal and five days of patrol food and supplies, then returned to the inn to relax in its private hot spring.
• Skinny Monkey reported Chikage’s activities to Scarface, who realized that Chikage had spent the day eating and relaxing while his own men waited hungry in the valley.
• Scarface grew furious and ordered his rogue ninja to arm themselves and kidnap Chikage that night.
• Itachi watched Chikage from a rooftop and mistook his spending and leisure for a calculated plan to lure out the hidden enemies while covering every expense.

Chikage recognized the rogue ninjas’ false tip about Konoha supplies in Black Wind Valley as a trap, but accepted it and set out to confront them while keeping receipts for his expenses. Uchiha Itachi watched him leave and concluded that Chikage intended to turn the ambush against its planners.

• The scar-faced rogue ninja ordered a lackey to plant false information about Konoha military supplies in Black Wind Valley to lure Chikage into an ambush.
• Blondie delivered the false tip to Chikage, who paid the remaining intelligence fee and collected a stamped receipt.
• Chikage packed his gear, settled his Hot Springs Inn expenses with a stamped voucher, and left for Black Wind Valley.
• Uchiha Itachi watched Chikage depart and realized he had recognized the trap and planned to use it against the rogue ninjas.

Chikage lured a band of rogue ninja into ambushing him at Black Wind Valley, then revealed his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and attacked them. Itachi watched from above and realized Chikage had never needed his covert protection.

• Itachi concluded that Chikage had deliberately drawn attention to himself to make the enemy gather at Black Wind Valley.
• Scarface and more than a dozen rogue ninja set traps around an abandoned mine and planned to capture Chikage alive.
• Chikage walked into the valley, exposed the ambush, and mocked the rogue ninja before they attacked.
• Chikage activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, repelled the attackers, and charged at Scarface while invoking his authority to kill anyone resisting arrest.
• Itachi watched Chikage overwhelm the rogue ninja and recognized that the mission had been under Chikage's control all along.

Chikage defeated the rogue ninja in Black Wind Valley, but Root assassins ambushed him and nearly captured him. Uchiha Itachi intervened, and Chikage prepared to face Root again with his lightning cloak restored.

• Chikage defeated the scarred man and his rogue ninja, then prepared to take the man into custody as a witness for his business trip expenses.
• Four Root assassins ambushed Chikage and used coordinated wind and earth jutsu and chakra-suppressing chains to restrain him.
• The dog-masked leader moved to stab Chikage, but Itachi appeared and drove the Root ninja back with Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu.
• Chikage broke the sealing chains and recognized the masked rescuer as eight-year-old Uchiha Itachi.
• Itachi offered to help, but Chikage pulled him behind him, restored his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and faced the Root assassins.

Chikage defeated four Root ninja after revealing the full power of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, while Uchiha Itachi watched. They captured the operatives as evidence against Danzo, and Chikage clocked out on time to earn 200 daily points.

• Chikage realized the Root ninja had nearly killed him with coordinated attacks, and Itachi insisted on helping him fight.
• Chikage unleashed his Lightning Armor and broke through the Root ninja's defenses, knocking out the man in the dog mask with one punch.
• Chikage pursued and incapacitated the other three Root ninja, ending the battle in less than two minutes.
• Chikage told Itachi to gather the captured ninja's equipment and bind them as evidence that Danzo had ordered an attack on the Konoha Military Police Force's vice-captain.
• Chikage left Black Wind Valley at five o'clock and received 200 daily points for clocking out during a business trip.

Chikage and Itachi returned from Black Wind Valley with Root prisoners and evidence, and Chikage explained why the Uchiha should rely on rules and negotiations rather than submission or war. Itachi’s beliefs about the Will of Fire were shaken as Chikage challenged the village’s leaders to live by the selflessness they demanded.

• Chikage helped Itachi load the unconscious Root ninja and sealed weapon evidence onto a wagon, then set off for Hot Water Town.
• Itachi asked why Chikage hid his strength, and Chikage warned that openly displaying it would make Konoha’s leaders crack down harder on the Uchiha.
• Itachi described Shisui’s call for compromise and the village’s worsening treatment of the clan, asking whether yielding could bring peace.
• Chikage rejected both endless tolerance and war, telling Itachi to insist on rules and negotiate for the Uchiha’s interests.
• Itachi questioned how negotiating interests fit with the Will of Fire, and Chikage replied that leaders often demanded selflessness from others without practicing it themselves.

Chikage challenged Itachi’s belief that the Uchiha should surrender their interests to win the leadership’s goodwill, and Itachi began to accept that they needed to defend themselves. Meanwhile, Danzo planned to exploit Chikage’s absence by provoking the Konoha Military Police Force, and Yashiro encountered a suspicious dispute on South Street.

• Chikage pointed out that the captured Root ninja and other evidence could expose Root’s involvement in the Border Smuggling Case.
• Chikage argued that the Uchiha’s repeated concessions only encouraged Konoha’s leadership to take more from them, and Itachi reconsidered his beliefs.
• Itachi bowed to Chikage and asked to seek his guidance, but Chikage told him to focus on school and eat well.
• Danzo heard that Chikage had entered the Border Trade Route and ordered his operatives to stage petty thefts on South Street and escalate the resulting incidents.
• Yashiro and the Second Squad arrived at a fruit stall dispute, where Yashiro ordered the vendor and customer to stop.

With Chikage away investigating a border case, Yashiro struggled to enforce the rules on South Street, while Fugaku discovered how much work Chikage handled for the Second Squad. The chapter ended with Fugaku and the officers buried in paperwork and wishing Chikage would return soon.

• Yashiro paid a vendor to settle a fruit dispute because Chikage had taken the regulations book with him, then fled another complaint about a ninja dog and an unissued fine notice.
• Fugaku tried to take over Chikage’s administrative work but made an error on a supply expense list and learned how many reports and disputes Chikage handled each day.
• Uchiha Hikari brought Fugaku more paperwork, including supply expenses, merchants’ letters of thanks, and the squad’s quarterly budget.
• Yashiro brought in detention statements for petty theft suspects, and Fugaku berated the officers for submitting incomplete reports.
• Yashiro asked when Chikage would return, and Fugaku ordered the officers to rewrite their statements as the Second Squad groaned under the workload.

Chikage returned to Konoha and helped the Konoha Military Police Force resolve a staged disturbance on South Street by documenting the damage, gathering witness statements, and applying the regulations. After the two men were arrested, Chikage exposed them as operatives sent to provoke the police.

• Uchiha Yashiro tried to stop two burly men from smashing a porcelain stall, but they accused the Uchiha of abusing their authority and claimed the stall owner had cheated them.
• Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Hikari arrived, but Yashiro explained that the police lacked evidence and could not arrest the men without risking further accusations.
• Chikage returned from a border mission and ordered Uchiha Hikari to record the damage and gather evidence before acting under Article Thirty-Five.
• Uchiha Hikari confirmed that witnesses had seen the men start smashing the stall, and Chikage read the penalties for property damage and disrupting public order.
• Uchiha Yashiro arrested the two men, and Chikage identified them as peripheral operatives by the kunai calluses on one man's hand.
• The villagers applauded the Konoha Military Police Force for following the proper procedures.

Uchiha Chikage returned to Konoha with four captured Root assassins and evidence linking them to the border smuggling case. As he and Fugaku headed to the Hokage Building, Hiruzen and Danzo learned what had happened and rushed to respond.

• Chikage showed Fugaku four unconscious Root elites bound in his carriage and said he had captured them at the border with help from a masked citizen, Uchiha Itachi.
• Chikage submitted his expense vouchers and urged Fugaku to take the captives to the Hokage and demand an explanation from Danzo.
• Fugaku assembled the Second Squad to escort Chikage's carriage to the Hokage Building.
• An Anbu ninja told Hiruzen that Chikage had returned with four Root captives, prompting Hiruzen to summon Danzo.
• Danzo learned that all four assassins had been captured and were being taken to the Hokage Building, then ordered his carriage prepared so he could go there and prevent the captives from talking.