Recaps

Orochimaru kept Gua in his laboratory to study his blood, while Gua stalled by sharing scientific advice. Fugaku arrived after Gua failed to come home and took him away from Orochimaru.

• Orochimaru told Gua he wanted to study his body and asked to draw his blood with a questionable syringe.
• Gua persuaded Orochimaru to delay the blood draw by offering advice about his laboratory equipment and experiments.
• Nai searched for Gua at Itachi's house, and Fugaku realized Gua was missing and suspected Orochimaru had taken him.
• Fugaku blasted open the laboratory door, damaged Orochimaru's equipment, and pulled Gua behind him.
• Orochimaru claimed he had only come to discuss science with Gua, and Gua assured Fugaku he was unharmed.

After Fugaku confronted Konoha’s leaders over Orochimaru’s experiments and his attempt to capture Gua, Hiruzen ordered an investigation. Gua returned to school after a day at home and learned Orochimaru had been exposed but had not defected, with a trial expected soon.

• Fugaku brought Uchiha members to confront Hiruzen about Orochimaru, and Hiruzen ordered an investigation.
• Dashan told Gua about the confrontation, while Nai worried more about Gua’s safety than the Uchiha’s political gains.
• Dashan and Nai kept Gua home for a day to recover, and Gua spent it reading Jiraiya’s erotic book.
• Gua went back to school and heard that Orochimaru’s experiments had been uncovered, his trial was approaching, and he had not defected.
• Izumi greeted Gua with unusual excitement when he arrived at school.

Izumi and Itachi worried about Gua after Orochimaru had taken him, but Gua returned to school safe and reassured them. As class began, Ye Chuan Dahei taught a history lesson praising Hashirama Senju while leaving the former Uchiha leader unnamed.

• Izumi worried about Gua's absence and rumors of Orochimaru taking him, then found him on the way to school and confirmed he was fine.
• Izumi walked to class with Gua and told him she had wanted to visit his home but feared his father would yell at her.
• Itachi asked Gua if he was all right, and Gua thanked him for worrying.
• Gua resolved to grow strong enough to stop Itachi if the clan massacre came.
• Ye Chuan Dahei taught a history lesson that praised Hashirama Senju and disparaged the unnamed former Uchiha leader.

After school, Gua helped Itachi recover from lessons that portrayed the Uchiha as villains, and Itachi resolved to protect both his clan and Konoha. Meanwhile, Fugaku reflected on the clan’s future and the village’s lasting hostility toward the Uchiha.

• Itachi questioned Gua about whether the Uchiha were as bad as their teacher claimed, then awakened two tomoe while defending his clan.
• Gua escorted Itachi home and affirmed that peaceful coexistence between Konoha and the Uchiha was possible if they worked for it.
• Itachi told Gua he wanted to protect the Uchiha, Konoha, and the warmth and love around him, then happily reunited with Mikoto.
• Itachi nervously addressed Fugaku as his father, and Fugaku nodded before leaving, surprising Itachi and Mikoto.
• Fugaku sat by the Naka River and wondered whether the village’s treatment of the Uchiha could change, concluding that the village needed the clan to be evil.

Gua reassured his worried parents after walking Itachi home, then answered Dashan’s questions about the Uchiha before heading to bed. The next day, Nai brought Gua to Konoha’s central plaza to watch Orochimaru’s public trial, where the crowd gathered with divided opinions about his fate.

• Gua returned home late after taking Itachi home, and Nai and Dashan checked that he was unharmed.
• Gua told Dashan that Itachi had seemed off, and Dashan asked what Gua thought of the Uchiha; Gua said they were great.
• Gua ate dinner with his parents and went to bed, reflecting on his idle training and poor talent.
• Gua heard that the Third had scheduled a public trial for Orochimaru and given the village a day off to attend.
• Nai brought Gua to Konoha’s central plaza, where the crowd debated whether Orochimaru should be excused, expelled, or executed.

Gua and Izumi squeezed through the crowd to watch Orochimaru's joint tribunal, while Izumi embarrassed herself by confronting Gua's mother, Nai. The tribunal began with Orochimaru restrained in the square as villagers shouted at him.

• Gua refused Nai's offer to lift him up, then met Izumi in the crowd as she pushed her way over to him.
• Izumi tried to take Gua to the front, and Nai challenged her; Gua revealed that Nai was his mother.
• Nai recognized Izumi as Uchiha Mizukagami's daughter, invited her to dinner, and teased her while Izumi grew embarrassed.
• Gua and Izumi squeezed to the front, where they saw Orochimaru restrained in wooden stocks as villagers shouted insults at him.
• Izumi silently fretted over her argument with Nai, and the gavel sounded to begin Orochimaru's joint tribunal.

Orochimaru confessed to his crimes at a public hearing, then defended his experiments as valuable scientific work and minor mistakes. The hearing ended with Utatane Koharu furious and Orochimaru still facing no clear punishment.

• Utatane Koharu questioned Orochimaru about abducting Konoha ninja, conducting human experiments, stealing Hashirama cells, and abducting Uchiha Gua, and Orochimaru admitted to every charge.
• The Third Generation silently hoped to protect Orochimaru, while Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura struggled after Orochimaru's unexpected confessions disrupted their planned hearing.
• Orochimaru asked how he would be punished, and Utatane Koharu turned the question back to him.
• Orochimaru argued that the shinobi world needed science, claimed his experiments had strengthened their subjects, and said his contributions outweighed his faults.
• Utatane Koharu angrily accused Orochimaru of talking nonsense, and Orochimaru replied that he would not mind receiving a medal.

Orochimaru’s supporters reversed public opinion during the inquiry, leaving Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura unable to press their case. Fugaku declined to speak after Gua warned him off, and the Third Generation ruled that Orochimaru would be suspended pending review, prompting objections from the crowd.

• Several ninja testified that Orochimaru had cured their ailments, and the crowd’s opinion of him quickly turned favorable.
• Utatane Koharu called on Fugaku to speak against Orochimaru, but Gua silently warned him not to step forward.
• Fugaku heeded Gua’s warning and remained in the crowd despite Koharu’s pressure.
• The Third Generation told Koharu not to press Fugaku and proposed suspending Orochimaru pending review.
• The crowd argued over whether the suspension was a serious punishment or merely paid leave.

After Orochimaru’s trial ended with his expulsion from the Konoha High Command and house arrest, Gua encountered Fugaku, who invited him to visit his home. Izumi then asked Gua to get Three-Color Dango with her, while his parents secretly watched them go.

• Several rescued shinobi defended Orochimaru and blamed the Uchiha, shifting public opinion in his favor.
• The Third Hokage expelled Orochimaru from the Konoha High Command and placed him under house arrest.
• Fugaku invited Gua to visit his home, and Gua accepted after greeting Fugaku and Itachi.
• Izumi invited Gua to get Three-Color Dango, and he agreed to go with her.
• Uchiha Nai and Uchiha Oyama secretly watched Gua leave with Izumi and teased each other about his chances with her.

Izumi took Gua to browse Konoha’s snack and toy street, then shared three-color dango with him by the Naka River and talked about seeing the sea together someday. Itachi joined them and said Fugaku had become less strict, while Gua wondered whether Fugaku’s change was connected to the Uchiha’s shifting fate.

• Izumi took Gua through Konoha’s snack and toy street, but grew frustrated when he lagged behind and answered her with brief remarks.
• Izumi and Gua bought dango from an old woman, and Izumi treated Gua to the skewers.
• Izumi and Gua sat by the Naka River, where Izumi said she wanted to eat dango with Gua by the sea when they grew up.
• Izumi tossed their bamboo skewers into the river, saying the dango would travel to the sea together, while Gua worried about the litter.
• Itachi came to find Gua and Izumi, explaining that Fugaku had become less strict and had readily let him leave home.

Gua spent the day with Izumi and Itachi, then went home to a lavish dinner where his parents teased him about Izumi. When Nai asked whom he would save if she and Izumi fell into the river, Gua chose his mother without hesitation.

• Itachi wedged himself between Izumi and Gua, questioned them about spending time together, and privately told Gua they were too young to be dating.
• Gua and Izumi parted at dusk after Izumi asked what Itachi had said, and she called out that she would see Gua tomorrow.
• Gua found Nai and Dashan smiling mysteriously at home and joined them for a lavish dinner.
• Nai asked Gua about Izumi and praised how she had protected him, while Dashan agreed that Izumi was a good kid.
• Nai asked whom Gua would save if she and Izumi fell into the river, and Gua answered that he would save his mother.

Gua took a lavish lunchbox his mother prepared for Izumi to school, where Itachi shared some of its food. In class, Gua learned the basics of the Transformation Technique and unlocked it as an idle-training option.

• Gua's mother, Nai, gave him a lunchbox for Izumi, and Itachi guessed that it was meant for her.
• Gua shared three potato croquettes with Itachi on the way to school, and Itachi was touched by his thoughtfulness.
• Gua placed the lunchbox on Izumi's desk, and Izumi felt pleased when Hana Inuzuka told her who had left it.
• Ye Chuan Dahei taught the class about the Three Body Technique and explained the Transformation Technique.
• Gua followed Ye Chuan Dahei's chakra-circulation instructions, unlocked Transformation Technique for idle training, and replaced Great Fireball with it.

Gua idle-trained the Transformation Technique throughout class, then surprised Ye Chuan Dahei and his classmates by demonstrating how well he had learned it. Ye Chuan Dahei apologized after assuming Gua had been neglecting the lesson.

• Gua spent the day idle-training the Transformation Technique while Ye Chuan Dahei taught the class.
• Ye Chuan Dahei threw chalk at Gua, then called Itachi to demonstrate the Transformation Technique.
• Itachi transformed into Ye Chuan Dahei, and the teacher told Gua to demonstrate the technique himself.
• Gua transformed into a convincing Ye Chuan Dahei, stunning the teacher and his classmates.
• Ye Chuan Dahei asked whether Gua had learned from his father, and Gua denied it.
• Ye Chuan Dahei praised Gua's hard work and apologized for misunderstanding him.

Gua sparred with Itachi after school and defeated him with a single kick, surprising them both with his strength. The Third Generation and Danzo watched and began discussing how to handle Gua and the Uchiha, while the Third Generation offered to suppress the clan in exchange for Danzo dropping his objections to Orochimaru’s experiments.

• Itachi asked Gua how he had learned the Transformation Technique, and Gua said he had never worked hard and might simply be talented at it.
• Itachi challenged Gua to a taijutsu spar after school, and Izumi left angrily when she learned about it.
• By the Naka River, Gua sent Itachi flying with one kick, leaving Itachi stunned by how much stronger Gua had become.
• Gua encouraged Itachi to focus on ninjutsu, and Itachi accepted that he might never catch up to Gua in taijutsu.
• The Third Generation and Danzo watched the spar, and Danzo called Gua a monster who could threaten the village.
• The Third Generation agreed to speak with Fugaku about suppressing the Uchiha, while asking Danzo to stop pursuing the matter of Orochimaru’s human experiments.

Gua tested his growing strength and still found no sign of his Sharingan, while the Third Hokage and Danzo argued over what to do about his talent. After Itachi resolved to train harder, Fugaku gently reminded him not to disturb Sasuke, and Itachi decided to sleep instead.

• Gua punched a crooked tree, checked his reflection for the Sharingan, and headed home without awakening it.
• The Third Hokage agreed that Gua was an unusually powerful genius, but stopped Danzo from proposing action against him.
• Gua told Nai that Itachi had sparred with him, disappointing her hopes that he had spent time with Izumi; she served him Miso Soup for dinner.
• Itachi concluded that Gua had secretly trained for a long time and vowed to become stronger, but his shouting woke Sasuke.
• Fugaku told Itachi to keep quiet and close his window before bed, and Itachi gave up training for the night.

Kakashi approached Gua after school and awkwardly introduced himself, while Gua wondered why the jonin wanted to meet him. Shisui then invited Gua and Itachi to get together before he graduated early, and they agreed.

• Izumi returned Gua's washed lunch box and invited him to spend Sunday with her.
• Kakashi stopped Gua, Itachi, and Izumi, introduced himself to Gua, and left when Shisui arrived.
• Shisui invited Gua and Itachi to meet up before he graduated early, and Izumi declined.
• Gua and Itachi agreed to join Shisui, and Itachi said Fugaku would approve.

Gua went into the woods to find food for the cookout with Shisui and Itachi, but his search led him to a concealed black-clad figure. When Gua tried to slip away, the figure threw a kunai at him.

• Shisui, Itachi, and Gua met in the woods and started a fire, with Shisui explaining that they would gather their own food as ninja training.
• Gua searched the dark woods for prey but found nothing and eventually heard a faint rustling.
• Gua followed the sound and sensed that whatever made it was not an ordinary animal.
• Gua spotted a black-clad figure crouched in a treetop and tried to leave without being noticed.
• The figure threw a kunai at Gua as he moved.

Gua encountered a masked Anbu being pursued by a black-clad spy and fled with them to Shisui and Itachi. Shisui confronted the pursuer, unaware that the injured Anbu was about to stab him from behind, while Kakashi watched from the shadows.

• A black-clad man attacked a disguised figure, and Gua recognized the figure's mask as Anbu's before fleeing as the two pursued one another.
• Gua ran to Shisui and Itachi, warned them about the ninja, and led them to prepare for danger.
• The injured Anbu reached Shisui and claimed a spy had infiltrated the village and was trying to kill him.
• Shisui put Gua and Itachi behind him and confronted the black-clad man while Kakashi watched from a tree and criticized Shisui's mistakes.
• The injured Anbu pulled a kunai from his wound and stabbed toward Shisui's back.

Gua killed the Root operative who had tried to assassinate Shisui after the man invoked Danzo and village rules to avoid execution. Shisui and Itachi were left frozen by Gua’s sudden action.

• Gua awakened his one-tomoe Sharingan and threw a kunai that killed the disguised attacker while Shisui trapped him in genjutsu.
• Shisui chased the second attacker, and he, Gua, and Itachi subdued him as Kakashi discovered the dead impostor was a member of Root.
• The man in black admitted he worked for Danzo and argued that Shisui had no right to kill a fellow villager.
• Shisui and Itachi hesitated over whether to execute the attacker, but Gua stabbed him in the throat with a kunai.

Gua, Shisui, and Itachi buried the two Root members Gua had killed and returned home. There, Gua learned that Orochimaru had become the chief scientist of Konoha’s newly established Scientific Research Base, while Dashan protested the lenient treatment.

• Shisui worried that Danzo would hold them responsible for Gua killing a Root member, but agreed that sparing him would have caused more trouble.
• Gua, Shisui, and Itachi dug a hole and buried the two Root members in a remote spot.
• Shisui escorted Gua and Itachi home, then left alone after asking them to look after each other.
• Gua returned home and told Nai that the picnic had ended early because they had caught nothing.
• Gua read that Hiruzen Sarutobi would direct the Konoha Scientific Research Base and Orochimaru had been appointed its chief scientist.
• Dashan complained that Orochimaru had faced little punishment despite the evidence the Uchiha had gathered against him.

Fugaku erupted over the Third Hokage’s suspicion of the Uchiha and considered rebellion, while Itachi suggested leaving Konoha. Meanwhile, Orochimaru’s science campaign began, and Gua realized it focused on modifying living bodies rather than the science he expected.

• Dashan told Nai that Fugaku had returned from meeting the Third Hokage furious and demanding an explanation.
• Fugaku declared rebellion at home, then told Itachi that the Third Hokage had accused the Uchiha of hiding Gua’s talent and preparing to rebel.
• Itachi suggested the Uchiha leave Konoha, but Fugaku said the clan would not agree and that leaving was not viable.
• Konoha began distributing science pamphlets promoting Orochimaru’s research into cells, tissue, and human modification.
• Gua read the pamphlet and concluded that Orochimaru’s version of science pursued bodily evolution, so the village had taken the tech tree in the wrong direction.

Gua reluctantly went with Orochimaru to the research base, fearing that Orochimaru had uncovered his involvement in killing Root members. Orochimaru claimed he wanted to learn from Gua and later admitted he had lied about mastering Impure World Reincarnation, while Gua remained suspicious and considered defecting.

• Orochimaru stopped Gua on his way home and said he had abandoned his plans to defect so he could discuss science with him.
• Orochimaru asked Gua to accompany him to the research base, and Gua reluctantly agreed because he was too weak to refuse.
• Orochimaru asked whether Gua had killed the Root members, then claimed Impure World Reincarnation could make the dead reveal what happened.
• Gua stayed silent and worried that Orochimaru could expose him to Danzo, leaving him no choice but to flee with his family.
• Orochimaru caught up with Gua and admitted he had not mastered Impure World Reincarnation, while privately hoping to see how Gua would change Konoha.

Gua visited Orochimaru’s renovated laboratory and helped him spot a possible link between the weather and his inconsistent experiments. The chapter ended with Orochimaru asking how to prevent experiments from failing in hot weather, and Gua suggesting he conduct them when it was cold.

• Orochimaru led Gua into his laboratory and showed him the renovations and improved equipment.
• Anko recognized Gua and told Orochimaru that she had heard rumors about him from other girls.
• Anko reported that Orochimaru’s plant-tissue experiment had failed again, prompting Orochimaru to ask Gua why his results kept changing.
• Gua examined Orochimaru’s records and noticed that experiments failed on hot days and succeeded on cold days.
• Orochimaru asked what to do when experiments failed in the heat, and Gua suggested performing them when it was cold.

Gua suggested that Orochimaru build a refrigeration unit for low-temperature experiments, then trained his techniques and discovered how far his awakened Sharingan could predict movement. After Kakashi reported their meeting to the Third Hokage, the Hokage confronted Orochimaru, accusing him of abducting Gua again.

• Gua suggested that Orochimaru build a refrigeration unit, and Orochimaru eagerly saw him out.
• Gua went home, told Nai he had attended Orochimaru's science lecture, and set the Substitution Technique to idle training alongside taijutsu and eyesight.
• Gua used his one-tomoe Sharingan to predict a leaf's movement, then grew tired and regretted not asking Orochimaru for something.
• Kakashi told the Third Hokage that Gua seemed interested in science after secretly following him and seeing him visit Orochimaru's research facility.
• The Third Hokage accused Orochimaru of abducting Gua, but Orochimaru insisted he had only discussed science with him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Orochimaru about meeting Gua, then reflected on the Uchiha and his late teacher. Danzo suspected Orochimaru had taken two missing Root members, but Orochimaru refused to help him use their deaths against the Uchiha and placed his hopes in Gua.

• Hiruzen accused Orochimaru of lying about why he had met Gua, but eventually accepted Orochimaru's claim that Gua was a scientific genius.
• Hiruzen returned to his lonely home and wondered what his late teacher would do about the Uchiha and Gua.
• Root members told Danzo they could not find two missing comrades, and Danzo suspected Orochimaru had taken their bodies.
• Danzo confronted Orochimaru and demanded the bodies so they could be used against the Uchiha, but Orochimaru denied having them and ordered Danzo to leave.
• After Danzo left, Orochimaru said he was trusting Gua to change Konoha's future.