Chapter Summaries

After learning that Sarutobi Makio died on a mission, Aokiji feared Tsunade was cursed and rushed to request extra training. Tsunade accepted an A-rank assignment from Sarutobi Hiruzen to receive the Fire Country Daimyo’s nephew, unaware that Hiruzen hoped the meeting would secure more financial support for Konoha.

• Tsunade told Aokiji that Sarutobi Makio had died after accidentally stepping on an Explosive Tag during a mission.
• Aokiji panicked, fled from Tsunade, and asked Elder Itachi for extra training so he would not become her next victim.
• Tsunade visited Sarutobi Hiruzen, who assigned her to receive the Fire Country Daimyo’s nephew in Konoha.
• Tsunade reluctantly accepted the assignment after Sarutobi Hiruzen warned that mishandling the visit could cause a diplomatic incident.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen privately hoped Tsunade’s meeting with the Daimyo’s nephew would lead to greater financial aid for Konoha.

Aokiji practiced Ice Release shuriken and kunai techniques, won money from Jiraiya, and teased him about a wealthy man pursuing Tsunade. Jiraiya rushed to confront the man, while Tsunade remained unimpressed and reflected on how she had mistaken passing fondness for love.

• Aokiji hit eight targets with Ice Release: Shuriken and collected his bet from Jiraiya.
• Aokiji demonstrated Ice Release: Kunai and considered how the techniques saved him money on weapons.
• Aokiji and Orochimaru discussed the wealthy man pursuing Tsunade, and Jiraiya worried that she might choose him.
• Jiraiya hurried off to warn Tsunade, while Aokiji and Orochimaru followed to watch the confrontation.
• Tsunade stood between Jiraiya and the handsome young man, feeling annoyed by both and recalling Grandma Mito's advice about love.

Tsunade and Aokiji traded teasing remarks before Jiraiya chased off Lan Ren, who had tried to pursue Tsunade. Uchiha Madara planted a deadly genjutsu in Lan Ren and left him to die that night, intending to provoke a crisis between Konoha and the Daimyo’s family.

• Aokiji teased Tsunade about her popularity, and she mocked him for having an unusual personality and no admirers.
• After Tsunade left, Lan Ren insulted Jiraiya, who cursed him back and warned him to stay away from Tsunade.
• Lan Ren decided to return home and tell his father that Konoha had mistreated him so the Daimyo’s side could cut the village’s budget.
• Lan Ren bumped into Elder Itachi and cursed at him, but the old man silently passed by after planting a genjutsu that would make Lan Ren kill himself that night.
• Uchiha Madara reflected that he wanted to protect Tsunade from Lan Ren’s designs and create trouble for Konoha by killing a relative of the Daimyo.

Lan Ren became an idiot after an unknown assailant struck him with a powerful Genjutsu, leaving Konoha responsible for the noble’s condition. Sarutobi Hiruzen refused Danzo’s proposal to kill Lan Ren’s retainers, and Danzo warned him he would regret it.

• Lan Ren ordered his servant to punish Elder Itachi for knocking him down, but Itachi vanished before the servant arrived.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen learned that Lan Ren had awakened an idiot and rushed to the hospital, where Lan Ren’s retainers blamed Konoha.
• Danzo silenced the retainers with his killing intent and later told Hiruzen that a powerful mental Genjutsu had damaged Lan Ren’s brain beyond treatment.
• Danzo said Konoha had no lead on the culprit and suspected the attack was meant to drive a wedge between Konoha and the Daimyo.
• Danzo proposed killing the retainers, but Hiruzen rejected the idea, insisting that he was the Hokage.

Danzo carried out a massacre to provoke a conflict with the Daimyo’s allies and announced he would form Root, while Sarutobi Hiruzen secretly maneuvered him into taking responsibility for the village’s dark work. Days later, Aokiji and his companions discussed a man who had suddenly become an idiot, prompting Aokiji to suspect what had happened.

• After Sarutobi Hiruzen rejected his proposal, Danzo’s confidant urged him to establish the hidden roots needed to strengthen Konoha.
• Danzo and Anbu killed the retainers, and Danzo brought a severed head to Hiruzen’s office while explaining his plan to frame another country and use the crisis to strengthen Konoha.
• Danzo told Hiruzen he would create Root to handle the village’s unspoken affairs, then left to prove he was more suited to become Hokage.
• After Danzo left, Hiruzen revealed to Danzo’s confidant that he had manipulated Danzo into shouldering Konoha’s darkness and left the man to clean up the office.
• Several days later, Jiraiya and Tsunade told Aokiji and Orochimaru that a man had apparently become an idiot, and Aokiji dropped his food as he suspected the cause.

Aokiji left a meal with Tsunade to train, then completed the Mystical Palm Technique and reached the threshold of becoming a medical ninja. When Biwako offered to take him as her disciple, he politely declined, unaware that Sarutobi Hiruzen had hoped the offer would help win him over and monitor the Uchiha Clan.

• Aokiji heard that a man had left Konoha after apparently going insane and suspected the story concealed a plot, so he left the meal with Tsunade to train.
• Tsunade agreed to keep Aokiji's strength quiet, then demanded he pay his share of the meal before he departed.
• At the hospital, Aokiji used the Mystical Palm Technique successfully and officially crossed into becoming a medical ninja.
• Biwako offered to take Aokiji as her disciple, but he declined because he did not want to deepen his ties to Tsunade and her circle.
• Biwako regretted Aokiji's refusal, while the chapter revealed that Sarutobi Hiruzen had encouraged her offer to win Aokiji's loyalty and monitor the Uchiha Clan.

Biwako learned from Tsunade that Aokiji was exceptionally talented but avoided medical training and hid his strength to stay safe. After leaving the Medical Team to focus on training, Aokiji received a forehead protector from Tsunade and was told he had become a Genin.

• Biwako asked Tsunade about Aokiji and learned of his talent, caution, and shared lewd interests with Jiraiya.
• Tsunade explained that Aokiji had begun training because he feared dying in an attack if he remained weak.
• Aokiji told Elder Itachi he had withdrawn from the Medical Team after learning the Mystical Palm Technique, and Elder Itachi accepted his decision.
• Aokiji spent the next few days training with Elder Itachi or by himself.
• Tsunade gave Aokiji a forehead protector and announced that he was now a Genin.

Two years later, Aokiji clashed with a teammate during a mission after refusing to fight, and his team leader agreed to request his transfer. Sarutobi Hiruzen received another complaint about Aokiji but kept him in Konoha because of his rare talent and his potential value as an observer within the Uchiha Clan.

• During a caravan mission, Aokiji slept through a battle and told a resentful Chunin that fighting was not his job as a medical ninja.
• The Chunin attacked Aokiji, but Aokiji dodged him and mocked his strength before the Jonin captain stopped their fight.
• The Chunin asked the captain to remove Aokiji from the team, and the captain agreed to report the request to the Third Hokage.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen read the Jonin's application and reviewed the earlier complaints from teams that had worked with Aokiji.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen decided Aokiji's exceptional talent and Uchiha ties made him too valuable to abandon, as he hoped to recruit him as another observer of the Uchiha Clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen struggled to find a team willing to take Aokiji, so Tsunade suggested assigning him solo missions and letting the pay motivate him. Aokiji eagerly completed low-rank work until Elder Itachi arrived with two Super S-rank Missions.

• Sarutobi Hiruzen asked several Jonin to take Aokiji onto their teams, but they all declined because of his reputation and effect on team morale.
• Tsunade returned early from a mission and told Sarutobi Hiruzen to motivate Aokiji with money by assigning him team-sized missions alone.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen followed Tsunade's advice, and Aokiji enthusiastically completed C- and D-rank missions for the full reward while refusing missions above C-rank.
• Elder Itachi came to Aokiji and announced that he had two Super S-rank Missions for him.

Aokiji learned that Elder Itachi wanted him to investigate Uchiha Madara’s lost materials and stolen corpse, secretly hoping the search would restore the Uchiha Clan’s power. Uchiha Madara planned to plant clues and steer Aokiji toward Tsunade while he was away on missions.

• Aokiji protested the two Super S-rank missions, but Elder Itachi ordered him to investigate Uchiha Madara’s missing materials and stolen corpse.
• Elder Itachi explained that Madara’s Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan made his body valuable and said the clan wanted to recover his power while keeping the search secret from Konoha’s leaders.
• Aokiji asked why he had been chosen, and Elder Itachi cited his strength, caution, and freedom to travel without a team or Jonin leader.
• Aokiji understood that the clan hoped to use Madara’s corpse to regain its former strength, while Madara remained alive and nearby.
• Uchiha Madara resolved to leave clues for Aokiji and guide him toward Tsunade during his missions so they would meet.

Uchiha Madara planned to make Aokiji fall in love with Tsunade, then kill her to drive him into darkness and make him inherit Madara’s will. He forced Aokiji to face Elder Itachi in a spar, where he ordered Aokiji to activate his Sharingan.

• Uchiha Madara planned to bring Aokiji and Tsunade together, kill Tsunade after they fell in love, and use Aokiji’s grief to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Madara intended for Aokiji to seek out Madara’s eyes after losing his sight and discover the information about the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
• When Aokiji refused both missions, Madara, controlling Elder Itachi, insisted that he complete them for the clan.
• Elder Itachi took Aokiji to a secluded river and challenged him to spar.
• Aokiji attacked with Water Fang Bullet and Ice Release: Cliff of Broken Swords, but Elder Itachi countered with the Great Fireball Technique.
• Elder Itachi told Aokiji to activate his Sharingan, leaving Aokiji stunned.

Elder Itachi revealed that he knew Aokiji had the Sharingan and urged him to hide its power until he became Hokage for the Uchiha Clan’s survival. Aokiji admitted that Tsunade and the other two of the Third Hokage’s disciples also knew about his Dual Kekkei Genkai, leaving Elder Itachi suspicious of everyone who knew.

• Elder Itachi restored Aokiji’s sealed memories and revealed that he had long known about Aokiji’s Sharingan.
• Elder Itachi threatened to expose Aokiji’s Dual Kekkei Genkai unless he served the clan and insisted that he avoid using the Sharingan until he became Hokage.
• Elder Itachi warned that Konoha’s leaders feared the Uchiha Clan’s ability to control Tailed Beasts and might blame or destroy the clan.
• Elder Itachi asked who else knew about Aokiji’s Dual Kekkei Genkai, and Aokiji named Tsunade and the other two of the Third Hokage’s disciples.
• Elder Itachi rebuked Aokiji for trusting them, and Aokiji looked back at him after considering that people closest to him might betray him.

Elder Itachi persuaded Aokiji to pursue the Hokage position and eventually unite the Ninja World, using the power of Kekkei Tōta and Uchiha Madara’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Aokiji agreed to search for Madara’s corpse and asked the clan to lend him a Kusanagi Sword.

• Aokiji questioned whether becoming Hokage was his only path, but Elder Itachi insisted that he was the clan’s best candidate.
• Elder Itachi told Aokiji to build his prestige through a future war rather than routine missions.
• Elder Itachi proposed transplanting Uchiha Madara’s eyes into Aokiji so he could gain Mangekyō Sharingan power without awakening it himself.
• Elder Itachi urged Aokiji to unify the Ninja World, arguing that absolute strength and an end to national borders were necessary for lasting peace.
• Aokiji agreed to search for Madara’s corpse and asked Elder Itachi to provide powerful ninja tools for protection.
• Elder Itachi offered support from the clan, and Aokiji asked whether they had a Kusanagi Sword.

Elder Itachi told Aokiji the legend behind the Kusanagi Swords and criticized the Hyuga Main Family’s control of its branch families. He argued that Konoha’s persecution of the Uchiha would lead to the village’s decline and insisted that Aokiji become Hokage to prevent it.

• Elder Itachi explained that the Kusanagi Swords were made from the Eight-Headed Serpent and that gathering all eight could resurrect and command the beast.
• Aokiji praised Elder Itachi’s knowledge, then dismissed the Hyuga Clan’s Gentle Fist techniques as impractical.
• Elder Itachi recalled the Hyuga Clan’s former taijutsu strength and described how the Caged Bird Seal let the Main Family control branch families and restrict their growth.
• Elder Itachi contrasted the Hyuga system with the Uchiha Clan’s belief in merit and accused Konoha of excluding and targeting the Uchiha.
• Elder Itachi declared that Aokiji had to become Hokage to prevent Konoha’s decline and protect peace.

Aokiji finished training with Elder Itachi, received two Ice Release A-rank Ninjutsu, and was urged to develop his own training path. After mastering the techniques, he accepted a merchant's unofficial C-rank job and left Konohagakure, while a blonde girl and her companions also set out.

• Elder Itachi gave Aokiji two Ice Release A-rank Ninjutsu scrolls and explained why he needed to make his own training choices.
• Aokiji spent more than a month learning the techniques on his own.
• After catching a weasel during a D-rank mission, Aokiji agreed to take a merchant's C-rank job directly to avoid Konoha's agency fee.
• Aokiji filed a travel report, packed away his Ninja Headband, and left Konohagakure for the job.
• A beautiful blonde girl set off with her teammates and an escort target.

Aokiji rested in the Land of Commerce and watched a crowd clash with a company over the high price of its medicine. After returning to the inn for the night, he was unaware that Tsunade’s five-person squad had entered the city.

• Aokiji checked into an inn and explored the crowded market in the Land of Commerce.
• Aokiji brushed off a butcher and a sex worker while wandering through the market.
• Aokiji watched Lord Yaowan defend his company’s high medicine prices to angry patients.
• The patients threw rotten food at Yaowan and his companion, and samurai from the Land of Iron intervened to restrain the crowd.
• Aokiji ate at a restaurant, returned to the inn, and went to sleep.
• Tsunade led a five-person squad into the city that night.

Tsunade discovered that a Pharmaceutical Company had deliberately poisoned patients to keep them dependent on its medicine, while its owners hired Kirigakure ninjas to eliminate her team. The Kirigakure attack caught Tsunade off guard and trapped her in a Water Prison as her teammates fought to reach her.

• Tsunade examined a patient and realized the remaining special medicine could be adjusted to cure the illness.
• Yaowan told Chizao that a Konoha medical ninja had uncovered their scheme, and Chizao decided to hire Kirigakure ninjas to kill the team.
• Tsunade finished analyzing the illness, then became suspicious when Chicang Jonin returned unusually quickly from buying supplies.
• Kirigakure ninjas attacked Tsunade and her companions with the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
• A Kirigakure ninja disguised as Chicang Jonin trapped Tsunade in a Water Prison while the other attackers engaged her teammates.

After finding a gravely wounded Konoha ninja, Aokiji learned that Tsunade had been captured by Kirigakure and chose to pursue her despite the danger. As he set off to rescue her, a hidden figure watched and praised him.

• Aokiji captured a rare beast and headed back toward the Land of Fire.
• Aokiji found a dying Konoha ninja and used the Mystical Palm Technique, but the ninja died after telling him that Kirigakure had captured Tsunade.
• Aokiji weighed the risks of pursuing the kidnappers against the danger of Tsunade falling into Kirigakure's hands.
• Aokiji decided to chase after Tsunade and rescue her, despite being outmatched by a Jonin.
• A hidden figure emerged after Aokiji left and said that Aokiji had not disappointed him.

Aokiji used the Land of Iron’s snow to locate Tsunade and raced to rescue her from Kirigakure captors. He freed her from one attacker, but the remaining ninjas surrounded him as he launched a Fire Release technique.

• Aokiji used Ice Release: Ice Eye to locate Tsunade northeast of his position in the snowfield.
• Aokiji formed an ice horn and sprinted across the snow to reach her quickly.
• Tsunade awoke bound and poisoned, learned that Kirigakure planned to take her back for possible experiments, and considered killing herself rather than being captured.
• An explosion triggered an avalanche, and Aokiji appeared while a hidden clone grabbed the ninja carrying Tsunade and dragged him beneath the snow.
• The Kirigakure ninjas surrounded Aokiji, who began Fire Release: Dust Cloud Technique.

Aokiji rescued the poisoned Tsunade from the Kirigakure ninja and fought off their pursuit. The chapter ended as he unleashed Ice Release: Diamond Dust Fist against two enemies who had expected another Fire Release attack.

• Aokiji covered his escape with scorching dust, carried Tsunade away, and misled the Kirigakure ninja with scattered footprints.
• Tsunade revealed she had been poisoned and could not move, so Aokiji dropped her and triggered an avalanche with Explosive Tags.
• Aokiji used Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique to strike Kirigakure ninja leaping over the avalanche.
• Aokiji activated his Sharingan and narrowly evaded attacks from the remaining pursuers.
• Two Kirigakure ninja countered with Water Release: Water Wall, but Aokiji answered with Ice Release: Diamond Dust Fist.