Chapter Summaries

Karin endured Kusagakure’s exploitation of her sick mother until Aokiji appeared and offered her a place as his companion in exchange for rescuing her mother. Kusagakure ninjas confronted Aokiji, who blocked their fire attack with Ice Release.

• Karin begged her mother not to leave for another medical session, but Kameida Seimon took her away while Karin worried about her worsening health.
• Aokiji found Karin outside their remote cabin and asked her to become his companion, offering to fulfill her personal wishes.
• Karin explained her Uzumaki background and asked Aokiji to rescue her mother.
• Several Kusagakure ninjas appeared, and Aokiji recognized that they had gathered to exploit Karin and her mother.
• A Kusagakure ninja attacked Aokiji with Great Fireball Jutsu, but Aokiji blocked the flames with a wall of ice.

Aokiji defeated Kusagakure’s ninja and demanded that Karin’s mother be brought to him. After revealing his Sharingan to Yamamoto, Aokiji said he would take care of the Uzumaki, and Yamamoto prepared to ask for compensation.

• Aokiji overwhelmed the Kusagakure ninja with powerful Fire Release and Ice Chains, then identified himself as Uchiha Aokiji.
• Aokiji ordered a captured ninja to bring Karin’s mother, comforted Karin, and waited for the messenger to return with Yamamoto and more ninja.
• Yamamoto explained that Karin’s mother was on the front lines and would return the next morning, then invited Aokiji and Karin to dinner.
• Aokiji showed Yamamoto his Sharingan and said he had an obligation to care for the scattered Uzumaki Clan.
• Yamamoto assumed Konoha wanted Karin as a potential Jinchuriki and prepared to demand compensation, but Aokiji asked, “How much?”

Aokiji forced Kusagakure to return Karin’s mother and brought the two Uzumaki to live with him. After seeing the many bite marks and her poor health, he turned back to Yamamoto to demand emotional damages.

• Aokiji rejected Yamamoto’s demand for valuable compensation, overturned the table, and froze the surrounding area to intimidate the Kusagakure shinobi.
• Yamamoto decided not to risk a fight and returned Karin’s mother the next day.
• Karin reunited with her mother and said they would live with Aokiji.
• Aokiji examined Karin’s mother’s numerous bite marks and confronted Yamamoto about her mistreatment.
• Aokiji demanded that Yamamoto discuss emotional damages, leaving Yamamoto stunned.

Aokiji forced Kusagakure to hand over the Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique after overpowering Yamamoto and the village’s elites. In the aftermath, Kusagakure’s factions agreed to investigate Aokiji’s connection to Konoha and seek a way to open the Box of Ultimate Bliss.

• Aokiji confronted Yamamoto over Kusagakure’s treatment of Karin and her mother, then demanded the Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique as compensation.
• When Yamamoto denied knowing the technique, Aokiji summoned Soul Fire, captured him, and drove back the Kusagakure ninja who tried to intervene.
• Aokiji revealed Soul Fire’s complete form, breaking the Kusagakure ninja’s resolve, and Yamamoto gave in to his demand.
• After Aokiji left with the technique, Yamamoto and the Kusagakure leaders discussed their defeat and the possibility of using the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• The Grass Fruit and Grass Flower factions agreed to send someone to Konoha to verify Aokiji’s actions while searching for a way to open the box.

Aokiji escorted Karin and her mother toward Konoha and learned that Konoha had rescued only Kushina from the Uzumaki Clan’s destruction. He offered the pair a home with the Uchiha and became Karin’s godfather.

• Karin’s mother asked where Aokiji was taking them, and he said he would bring them to Konoha.
• Karin’s mother explained that Konoha had answered the Uzumaki Clan’s distress call but rescued only Kushina to obtain a Jinchuriki.
• Aokiji revealed that he belonged to the Uchiha Clan and empathized with the Uzumaki Clan’s persecution and destruction.
• Aokiji invited Karin and her mother to live with the Uchiha and promised to protect them.
• Aokiji offered to become Karin’s godfather, and Karin’s mother accepted his offer.

Aokiji took Karin and her mother toward Konoha, recovered Kakuzu’s fortune, and then headed to the Land of Demons to seize Moryo’s soul. As Moryo defeated the priestesses’ sealing barrier, Aokiji appeared and captured him with blue flames.

• Aokiji used his Sharingan to make three bandits hand over their money and kill themselves, then promised to enroll Karin in school in Konoha.
• Aokiji bought Karin and her mother new clothes, left them money at a restaurant, and used genjutsu to learn about Kakuzu’s former pawnshop and associates.
• Aokiji confronted the wealthy tycoon who had taken Kakuzu’s inheritance and forced him to obey, then returned with two suitcases full of money for Karin’s mother to carry.
• Aokiji told Karin and her mother that he was going to the Land of Demons to retrieve Moryo’s soul.
• Moryo broke free of the priestesses’ seal and overwhelmed Suiren and Shion after they sacrificed their lives to contain him.
• Aokiji appeared in blue flames, seized Moryo’s possessed body with a giant claw, and revealed himself above it.

Aokiji stopped Suiren and Shion from sealing Moryo, then had Soul Fire devour its weakened soul and transform into Complete Soul Fire. After suffering severe Mangekyō Sharingan backlash, he prepared to return to Konoha with Karin and her mother, while leaving Suiren and Shion to consider sending Sango there to learn ninjutsu.

• Aokiji used Soul Fire to burn Moryo's body and expose its soul, allowing Suiren and Shion to attack it with sacred lightning.
• Suiren cast a sealing jutsu, but Aokiji tore apart the sealing net and refused to let her imprison Moryo.
• Aokiji ordered Soul Fire to eat Moryo, and its soul strengthened Soul Fire enough for Aokiji to transform it into Complete Soul Fire.
• Aokiji's eyes bled from the form's strain, forcing him to deactivate his Mangekyō Sharingan and Soul Fire.
• Aokiji spoke with Suiren about the past, learned Shion's daughter was named Sango, and suggested that Sango could come to Konoha to learn ninjutsu.
• Aokiji found Karin and her mother after leaving the shrine and told them they were returning to Konoha.

Aokiji brought Karin and her mother, survivors of the Uzumaki Clan, into Konoha and told Fugaku about his recent actions and suspicions toward the village leadership. After gaining Fugaku’s support, Aokiji announced he intended to disband the Konoha Military Police Force and set out to expose a mole in the Uchiha Clan.

• Aokiji used his Sharingan to prove he was a Konoha ninja, and Fugaku arrived at the gate and brought him, Karin, and her mother into the village.
• Aokiji revealed to Fugaku that Karin and her mother belonged to the Uzumaki Clan and planned to settle them near the Uchiha.
• Aokiji gave the Military Police Force members large sums of money, then told Fugaku he had obtained it by robbing the rich to help the poor.
• Aokiji questioned Konoha’s failure to aid the Land of Whirlpools and compared it to the village’s treatment of the Uchiha during Nine-Tails Night.
• Aokiji asked Fugaku to convene an Uchiha Clan meeting and announced he planned to disband the Konoha Military Police Force; Fugaku agreed to support him.
• Aokiji told Fugaku they would root out a mole in the Uchiha Clan so Fugaku could see the village’s true attitude toward them.

Aokiji and Fugaku narrowed their search for a spy in the Uchiha Police Force to its inconspicuous logistics staff and identified Uchiha Lower Moon as their leading suspect. Aokiji questioned Lower Moon and ended by directly asking whether he was a spy sent by the higher-ups.

• Aokiji brought Fugaku to the Police Department and explained that its unlikely location made it a good place for a spy to hide.
• Aokiji concluded that the spy was likely among the logistics staff and said the most inconspicuous person without relatives would be the strongest candidate.
• Fugaku named Uchiha Lower Moon, and Aokiji had him brought in for questioning.
• Aokiji asked Lower Moon whether he wanted to become a regular Police Force member, but Lower Moon declined and appeared relieved when Aokiji let him go.
• After repeatedly calling Lower Moon back, Aokiji asked him whether he was a spy sent by the higher-ups.

Aokiji used his Mangekyō Sharingan to expose Kagen as a Root spy and learned that Konoha’s higher-ups planned to have Uchiha Itachi massacre the Uchiha Clan. Fugaku and the Police Force learned of the plan, and the clan’s members began calling for war.

• Aokiji placed Kagen under Genjutsu, and Kagen admitted that Lord Danzo had sent him to spy on the Uchiha Clan.
• Kagen revealed that Meizu and Gyūki were his twin brother, that they had replaced the real Kagen, and that Uchiha Itachi was also a spy.
• Kagen confirmed that the higher-ups knew about the coup and planned for Uchiha Itachi to slaughter the entire Uchiha Clan.
• Fugaku smashed a table in fury, and Aokiji urged him to calm down when the Police Force rushed into the office.
• Aokiji had Kagen repeat the revelations to the Police Force, whose members opened their Sharingan and demanded that the clan strike first and go to war.

Aokiji persuaded the Uchiha Clan’s elite to abandon hopes of reconciling with Konoha and join him in creating the Land of Flame. As he began uncovering the truth behind Shisui’s death, he learned that Shisui had also been a spy for the higher-ups, leaving the clan shaken by its betrayal.

• Aokiji calmed the Uchiha Police Force, sent Inabi to secure the room, and asked the remaining members how they wanted to respond to the threat against their clan.
• After the Uchiha proposed a coup, Aokiji revealed how the village and the Fire Country Daimyo had conspired against him and declared his ambition to take control of both the village and the Land of Fire.
• Aokiji convinced the Uchiha to follow him in founding the Land of Flame, and Kagen revealed that Danzo had killed Shisui.
• Aokiji questioned why Danzo had killed Shisui and suspected that Shisui might have been a spy for the higher-ups.
• Kagen confirmed that Shisui was a spy and explained that he had not mentioned him earlier because Shisui was already dead, leaving the Uchiha distressed by the clan’s infiltration.

Aokiji questioned the Uchiha clan about Shisui’s spy connections and took charge of investigating Itachi’s knowledge of his death. He then asked whether anyone had met the masked man calling himself Uchiha Madara, and Uchiha Yashiro raised his hand.

• Aokiji calmed the Uchiha clan and suggested Shisui’s death might have involved an unknown twist, then learned from Kagen that Shisui’s father, Suikyo, had also been a spy.
• Aokiji suspected Itachi knew about Shisui’s death, but rejected Fugaku’s offer to question his son and said he would investigate Itachi himself.
• Aokiji warned that Danzo might seek Itachi’s Mangekyō Sharingan and asked the clan about a masked man who claimed to be Uchiha Madara.
• Aokiji revealed that the masked man had a Sharingan, possibly a Mangekyō, and strange abilities, then urged the clan to disclose any encounters with him.
• Uchiha Yashiro slowly raised his hand, drawing a surprised reaction from Fugaku.

After exposing the masked man’s plot, Aokiji united the Uchiha and prepared to take over as clan head while planning to disband the Konoha Military Police Force. He met Naruto, invited him home, and used his Sharingan to enter Naruto’s inner world, where he confronted the Nine-Tails.

• Yashiro confessed that the masked man had urged him to launch a coup, and Aokiji warned the Uchiha that the scheme would have led to their destruction.
• Aokiji declared that he would protect the clan, ordered everyone to keep the events secret, and announced that he intended to disband the Konoha Military Police Force.
• Fugaku agreed to hand the clan head position to Aokiji, who asked him about the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, Han of Iwagakure.
• Aokiji encountered Naruto, learned that he had skipped the Ninja Academy, and invited him to visit his home because an Uzumaki girl was staying there.
• Aokiji showed Naruto his Sharingan and entered his inner world, where he greeted the Nine-Tails.

Aokiji contacted the Nine-Tails, then erased Naruto’s memories of their encounter and won the boy’s trust by comforting him. Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo discussed Aokiji’s actions and considered using the upcoming annual conference to attack him politically.

• Aokiji identified himself to the Nine-Tails as a former Five-Tails Jinchuriki, then left Naruto’s mental space without explaining his purpose.
• Aokiji dispelled the Genjutsu on Naruto and erased his memories, then persuaded him that he was not the Demon Fox and invited him to dinner.
• Naruto accepted Aokiji’s invitation, and Aokiji sensed that someone was observing them through the Telescope Jutsu.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo discussed Aokiji’s contact with Naruto and his decision to bring an Uzumaki mother and daughter to Konoha.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Danzo that Aokiji had taken a Kusagakure Secret Technique, and Danzo proposed using the dispute to attack him at the upcoming annual conference.

Aokiji invited Naruto and Sasuke to his home, where they met his adopted daughter Karin and discovered she was also from the Uzumaki Clan. As Naruto and Karin bonded, Aokiji worried that Naruto might fall for her, but decided to let their relationships develop naturally.

• Naruto found Sasuke talking with Aokiji, and Aokiji invited both boys to his home despite their mutual bickering.
• Aokiji showed Naruto and Sasuke an Ice Clone, and Sasuke explained that Ice Release was a Kekkei Genkai.
• Aokiji introduced his adopted daughter Karin to Naruto and Sasuke at his home.
• Karin and Naruto discovered they were both members of the Uzumaki Clan and eagerly got to know each other over dinner.
• Aokiji worried that Naruto might fall for Karin instead of Sakura, then decided not to interfere and let things take their natural course.

Jiraiya returned to Konoha for the year-end meeting and reunited with Aokiji, who appeared much younger and revealed a Mangekyō Sharingan. When Danzo exposed Aokiji’s unauthorized actions in Kusagakure, Aokiji admitted responsibility and said he would handle the consequences.

• Jiraiya arrived in Konoha for the annual meeting and met Kakashi, who pointed out that Aokiji had arrived.
• Aokiji entered with Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Yashiro, and Uchiha Inabi, and Jiraiya recognized his old friend despite his youthful appearance.
• Aokiji used his Mangekyō Sharingan to stare down Danzo, and Jiraiya noticed the unusual pattern and resolved to speak with him privately.
• The meeting began, the village agreed to prioritize peace and recovery, and the Uchiha Clan remained unusually quiet.
• Danzo revealed that Aokiji had caused trouble in Kusagakure, and Aokiji admitted he had done it and said he would handle the matter.

At a Konoha meeting, Aokiji defended his actions in Kusagakure and bluntly refused to return the village’s Secret Technique, even threatening to destroy Kusagakure. He revealed that he needed the ninjutsu to revive Tsunade, shocking the elders and leaving them demanding an explanation.

• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura questioned Aokiji about his unauthorized trip to Kusagakure, and he explained that he had acted to defend Karin and her mother.
• When Mitokado Homura challenged him for taking Kusagakure’s Secret Technique, Aokiji argued that seizing another village’s prized techniques by force was standard practice.
• Aokiji pretended that the elders wanted him to cover his tracks and threatened to wipe out Kusagakure, alarming Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered Aokiji to return the Secret Technique, but Aokiji refused, claiming he had seized it fair and square.
• Aokiji said he needed the ninjutsu to revive Tsunade, and the four elders demanded to know what he meant.

Aokiji defended taking Kusagakure’s Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique and challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen over Konoha’s weakness. He cited Konoha’s handling of Kumogakure’s kidnapping attempt and called on Hyuga Hiashi to support his accusation.

• Aokiji told Sarutobi Hiruzen that the Dragon Life Reincarnation Technique might revive the dead, though it was still under research and he could not confirm it worked.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen warned Aokiji that seeking to revive Tsunade could lead him down an extreme path, while Aokiji dismissed the warning and mocked the Hokage’s moralizing.
• Aokiji argued that Kusagakure was too weak to protect the technique and asked why he should not take it before another great nation did.
• Aokiji asked when Konoha had become so weak, and a thick-browed jonin defended the village’s strength.
• Aokiji brought up Konoha’s alliance with Kumogakure and condemned the village for yielding to Kumogakure’s demand after its ninja tried to abduct the Hyuga heir.
• Aokiji asked Hyuga Hiashi to confirm that Konoha had handled the incident weakly.

Aokiji challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen over Konoha’s past concessions and the decision to hide Naruto’s identity, accusing the village leadership of failing to protect him. The meeting ended with Danzo inadvertently admitting Naruto had been used to absorb the villagers’ resentment after Nine-Tails Night.

• Hiashi agreed to support Aokiji’s questions about Konoha’s past decisions, while Aokiji considered using his accusations to win the Hyuga Clan over.
• Aokiji questioned Hiruzen’s concessions to Kumogakure and Iwagakure, arguing that appeasement invited further attacks.
• A young Jonin defended Hiruzen, but Aokiji intimidated him with his blood-red eyes and dismissed Hiruzen’s claim of authority.
• Aokiji challenged Hiruzen to explain why Naruto’s identity as the Fourth Hokage’s son had been hidden, pointing out that Naruto’s appearance and treatment made his parentage easy to guess.
• Danzo said Naruto had been needed to stabilize the villagers’ emotions after Nine-Tails Night, revealing the leadership’s use of Naruto as a scapegoat.

Aokiji challenged Sarutobi Hiruzen over Konoha’s treatment of Naruto, but Hiruzen defended the village’s decision as a way to test and strengthen Naruto. The crowd turned against Aokiji and the Uchiha Clan, while Aokiji resolved to wait for the higher-ups to make a mistake.

• Aokiji invoked the Fourth Hokage and Kushina’s sacrifice to condemn the village for allowing Naruto to suffer discrimination.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen deflected Aokiji’s accusations by raising suspicions that Aokiji had controlled the Nine-Tails during Nine-Tails Night.
• Pressed for an answer, Sarutobi Hiruzen admitted that the village had used Naruto to calm unrest, then claimed it had also hidden Naruto’s heritage to test and strengthen him as a future Perfect Jinchuriki.
• The ninja present accepted Hiruzen’s explanation, and their guilt over doubting him deepened their suspicion of the Uchiha Clan.
• Danzo cast further doubt on Aokiji’s identity and motives by pointing to his Sharingan and apparent death, while Aokiji decided to wait for the higher-ups to make a mistake.