Arc 3Konoha’s Reckoning

Sasuke exposed Obito’s attack and uncovered corruption within the Hokage Building while organizing the clans to take control of Konoha’s defenses. After defeating Orochimaru and impeaching Hiruzen, Sasuke crushed Danzo’s armed rebellion and left him awaiting public trial.

  • Sasuke and his allies forced Obito to retreat, exposed his identity, and uncovered the Hokage Building’s role in weakening the Uchiha patrols.
  • Sasuke formed an alliance with several clans, revealed secret orders from the Old ANBU Unit, and secured council measures to restrict its authority.
  • Sasuke used the Chunin Exams invasion to expose Orochimaru’s crimes and Sunagakure’s plot, then captured Orochimaru alive as evidence against Hiruzen and Danzo emerged.
  • Inoichi’s investigation revealed Root’s crimes and Hiruzen’s decision to release Orochimaru, prompting Sasuke to demand a public review and present evidence against the Third Hokage.
  • Sasuke and the clan leaders impeached Hiruzen, secured the Hokage Building, and discovered that Danzo’s emergency succession order authorized Root to seize Konoha’s defenses.
  • Danzo led Root into Konoha to seize the Hokage Building and attack the Uchiha compound, but Sasuke and the allied clans contained the assault and exposed Danzo’s stolen seals and assassination plans.
  • Danzo used Izanagi and Shisui’s Eye against Sasuke, but Sasuke destroyed the eye’s chakra circuit and restrained Danzo after the clans defeated Root.
  • Sasuke’s allies held Danzo for a public trial, while Neji spotted the Third Hokage’s secret message asking Jiraiya to return.
Chapters 51–76 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 51Facing the abyss, countering genjutsu

Sasuke resisted Obito’s Mangekyo genjutsu and helped Fugaku and Kakashi force him back. Obito fled after leaving a bloody message accusing Kakashi’s left eye of holding the truth about Rin’s death.

  • Obito trapped Sasuke in a genjutsu, but Sasuke used his Sharingan, vitality, and Wood Release to break through it and injure Obito in reality.
  • Fugaku guarded Sasuke while Kakashi and Yamada Naoto watched the confrontation unfold.
  • Sasuke, Fugaku, and Kakashi coordinated their attacks, forcing Obito to materialize and take a blow from Sasuke before he escaped their trap.
  • Sasuke exposed Obito as a culprit behind the Nine-Tails Incident and the Fourth Hokage’s death, while Obito stayed silent.
  • Obito began to flee, then left a black spike with a sealing message that told Kakashi to ask his left eye about Rin’s death.

Ch. 52Exposing His Trump Card, Calling Him by Name

Sasuke exposed Obito’s identity and challenged his account of Rin’s death while coordinating Kakashi, Fugaku, and the Konoha forces against him. Obito’s attack on Kakashi’s left eye was interrupted as the Sharingan began spinning on its own.

  • Sasuke identified the sealed spike’s bone fragment as carrying altered chakra linked to the Three-Tails and Kirigakure, then explained that Rin had thrown herself into Kakashi’s Chidori to protect Konoha.
  • Sasuke named the masked attacker as Obito Uchiha and arranged for the evidence to be recorded, while a barrier prevented Obito from seizing Yamada Naoto.
  • Obito attacked Sasuke and Kakashi, but Sasuke used a lightning talisman to strike Obito when he materialized, and Kakashi addressed him by name.
  • Neji and the Konoha Military Police Force joined the confrontation as Sasuke threatened to expose evidence about the Nine-Tails Incident, Kannabi Bridge, and the false Madara identity.
  • Obito abandoned his attempt to take the scrolls and reached for Kakashi’s left eye; Sasuke cut Obito’s wrist, and Kakashi’s Sharingan began spinning on its own.

Ch. 53Close-quarters combat, overwhelming taijutsu

Sasuke and the Uchiha forces cornered Obito during his night raid, using coordinated attacks and recorded evidence to expose the limits of his Kamui. Obito prepared to flee, then turned to attack the recording ninja, leaving Sasuke ready for his next move.

  • Kakashi, Fugaku, Sasuke, and the others trapped Obito in the study and documented his intrusion as a crime.
  • Sasuke and the others coordinated attacks that forced Obito to use Kamui repeatedly, while Sasuke tracked its limits and struck him with a powerful kick.
  • Sasuke caught Obito's chain in sealing tags, and Fugaku cut it off as Yamada Naoto sealed it as evidence.
  • Sasuke set up a chakra-sensing bronze mirror to record the gaps in Obito's intangibility, while Kakashi demanded to know whether Obito caused the Nine-Tails Incident.
  • Obito began to escape, but Sasuke stopped Fugaku from pursuing and threatened to expose the raid; Obito then abandoned his escape and targeted the recording ninja.

Ch. 54Righteous Extortion and Wretched Retreat

Sasuke drove Obito out of Konoha after turning the masked man's attack into evidence and leverage, while Kakashi confronted Obito about Rin and the Nine-Tails Incident. The chapter ended with Sasuke learning that the Third Hokage had ordered him placed under preemptive control and sent ANBU to take over the Uchiha perimeter barrier before dawn.

  • Yamada Naoto's team escaped through a hidden passage as Sasuke, Fugaku, Kakashi, and Neji cornered Obito, and Sasuke cut off a piece of Obito's mask for evidence.
  • Kakashi recognized Obito and demanded to know why he had not returned, while Obito blamed Konoha for Rin's death and denied Kakashi's appeal to the village.
  • Sasuke threatened to expose Obito's identity and past crimes, then forced him to retreat without taking Kakashi's eye.
  • Obito refused to answer whether he caused the Nine-Tails Incident, and Sasuke warned him against involving Itachi or sending more black nails to Konoha.
  • Sasuke ordered Kakashi to prepare two reports and told Yamada Naoto to secure evidence and investigate who had opened the barrier for Obito.
  • A Military Police Force shinobi delivered the Third Hokage's order to take over the Uchiha perimeter barrier and place Sasuke under preemptive control on suspicion of village betrayal.

Ch. 55Exposing dirty secrets, dismantling trust

After the Third Hokage ordered ANBU to take control of the Uchiha crime scene, Sasuke used internal memoranda to win Ino-Shika-Cho's support for a review of the Hokage Building's forces and offices. The Hokage then ordered patrol records destroyed and named Kakashi as a scapegoat, invoking the White Fang precedent.

  • Sasuke ordered the Konoha Military Police Force to stop the old ANBU contingent and Barrier Team from taking over the crime scene, while Kakashi returned to the Hokage Building to deliver Sasuke's message.
  • Neji reported that Matsui from the old ANBU contingent had signed the order reassigning the northeast patrol, and Sasuke connected the order to the Third Hokage's office.
  • Sasuke showed Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza memoranda documenting efforts to weaken their clans and proposed a mutual protection alliance in exchange for their support at the Council of Elders meeting.
  • Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza signed the agreement to support Sasuke's lockdown and review of the Barrier Team, old ANBU contingent, and Internal Affairs Office.
  • Yamada Naoto reported that the Hokage Building had ordered northeast patrol records destroyed and listed Kakashi as the first scapegoat, with the White Fang precedent cited as a possible punishment.

Ch. 56A blood-sworn alliance, a secure foundation

Sasuke and five clans formed a blood-sealed alliance to restrict the Hokage Building’s power and investigate the night attack. Matsui Takashi was arrested after evidence linked him to forged orders, but a new secret order to empty the Uchiha patrol zone revealed another threat.

  • Sasuke secured blood seals from the Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans for an alliance agreement limiting the Hokage Building’s control of core defenses.
  • Sasuke sent Kakashi to seize records from the Old ANBU Unit’s Internal Affairs Office while summoning Matsui Takashi to the Council of Elders meeting.
  • Hiashi reported that Matsui had signed an order reassigning the northeast patrol, and Kakashi brought sealed Internal Affairs records to the meeting.
  • Sasuke presented evidence that Matsui had invoked the White Fang Precedent and acted without approval, and the Third Hokage failed to deny Matsui’s claim that he followed the Hokage’s wishes.
  • Kakashi subdued Matsui, and the Council of Elders relieved him of his duties and suspended the Internal Affairs Office from issuing defense deployment orders.
  • A Barrier Team ninja revealed that the Internal Affairs Office had secretly ordered the Uchiha patrol zone emptied, and Sasuke spotted an unburned corner of the order on an ANBU member.

Ch. 57Council of Elders meeting: a word that carried absolute weight

Sasuke and the Council of Elders exposed the Hokage Building’s secret orders and moved to curb the Third Hokage’s authority. After Matsui Takashi was taken for interrogation, a hidden message accused someone on the Council of Elders of helping the Masked Man enter Konoha.

  • Sasuke revealed a secret order to transfer Uchiha patrols to the Old ANBU Unit, and Inoichi read the operative’s mind to learn that Noguchi drafted it and Matsui countersigned it using the Hokage Seal.
  • Sasuke secured the council’s approval to seal away the Hokage Seal, block two compromised appointees, cut the Old ANBU Unit’s budget, and suspend implicated personnel.
  • Kakashi asked for access to the report on his father, and Sasuke presented an approved retrieval order as the Third Hokage left the meeting.
  • Konoha Military Police Force ninja took Matsui Takashi away, but he revealed hidden coordinates to the Hokage Building Underground and a message claiming a Council of Elders member had opened the door for the Masked Man.

Ch. 58Intercepted intelligence, Orochimaru's ambition

Sasuke's team uncovered an intelligence room beneath the Hokage Building and learned that Orochimaru planned to impersonate the Kazekage during the Chunin Ninja Exams. As Sasuke prepared to use the plot to force the Third Hokage to hand over security authority, a note warned that the real Kazekage was already dead.

  • Inoichi read Matsui Takashi's memories and learned that someone bearing an old Hokage Building advisors' insignia had ordered him silenced.
  • Neji traced the coordinates to a concealed passage beneath the Hokage Building, and Sasuke led a small team to investigate it.
  • Sasuke's team opened a hidden intelligence room and found supplies, delegation passes, and reports outlining Orochimaru's plan to replace the Kazekage.
  • Sasuke ordered the village to strengthen civilian protections but chose not to warn the Third Hokage, intending to use the plot to secure control of Chunin Ninja Exams security.
  • An unidentified person left a note warning Sasuke's team that the Kazekage was dead and that the person beside the Third Hokage was Orochimaru.

Ch. 59Volunteering to take over security

Sasuke secured authority for the Konoha Military Police Force to take over security for the Chunin Ninja Exams while investigating the suspicious Sunagakure delegation. As his team tracked a suspicious box and a figure in the Kazekage's robes, Neji discovered the box contained enough Explosive Tags to destroy half a street.

  • Neji found that Orochimaru's message had been delivered by a snake, and Sasuke ordered the Third Hokage to be told only about suspicious activity around the Sunagakure delegation.
  • Sasuke proposed a village-wide security takeover, and the Third Hokage signed the authorization after Sasuke and the clan advisers pressed him to close the security gaps.
  • Sasuke assigned the Konoha Military Police Force, Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi roles in security while setting layered barriers and a covert route to mislead Orochimaru.
  • Neji reported that guards had carried a box from Sunagakure's main tent toward a way station, and Sasuke ordered his team to follow it without alerting Sunagakure.
  • Neji detected Explosive Tags inside the box, while a figure in the Kazekage's robes emerged from the tent and looked toward Sasuke's alley.

Ch. 60Cold at the Top, on the Eve of Judgment

Sasuke coordinated Konoha’s preparations to expose Orochimaru and contain the planned attack during the Chunin Ninja Exams. As the invasion began and civilians were evacuated, Neji detected an unknown fifth person sabotaging the barrier around the Third Hokage and Orochimaru.

  • Sasuke and Kakashi intercepted a Sand Ninja cart carrying rigged explosive tags, while Sasuke chose to wait until Orochimaru acted publicly before making an arrest.
  • Sasuke warned Naruto and Sakura to evacuate if chaos broke out, then joined Fugaku and Kakashi at Hokage Rock as their teams tracked the Sound and Sand Ninja forces.
  • Sasuke’s forces detected coordinated genjutsu and communications interference, but Sasuke ordered them to let the first wave fall so the Konoha Military Police Force recruits could publicly rescue civilians.
  • Naruto and Sakura used an evacuation talisman to escape the genjutsu as Konoha Military Police Force members evacuated the affected spectators.
  • Orochimaru revealed himself beside the Third Hokage, and four Sound Ninja raised the Four Violet Flames Formation around them.
  • Explosions signaled that the invasion had begun, but Neji spotted a chakra-less fifth person beneath the VIP seats inserting a black sealing spike into the barrier’s core.

Ch. 61A lethal lockdown inside the barrier, Sasuke's trap within a trap

Sasuke stopped Orochimaru’s attempt to destroy the VIP seats, exposed the treachery to the village, and turned the barrier assault into recorded evidence. As Baki stirred unrest among the exam candidates, Sasuke left to confront the next crisis while the others guarded Orochimaru and his captured operative.

  • Neji identified a hidden fifth Sound Ninja and explosive tags in the Four Violet Flames Formation, so Kakashi used Kamui to send the explosives into the sky.
  • Sasuke ordered the Konoha Military Police Force to activate the Reverse Barrier, exposing and capturing the fifth Sound Ninja as the formation’s chakra flow was reversed.
  • Sasuke had Orochimaru’s words and the scene broadcast to the village and ordered recordings sent to the Military Police Force, the Council of Elders, and the Daimyo’s Residence.
  • Baki accused Konoha of endangering the examinees and stirred unrest inside the exam grounds while Shikaku warned Sasuke that Sunagakure was using the chaos to challenge the lockdown.
  • Sasuke assigned Fugaku, Kakashi, and Neji to guard Hokage Rock, Orochimaru, and the captive, then went to deal with Baki and the exam-ground crisis.

Ch. 62Sunagakure's envoy and the plot to sow discord

Sasuke exposed Baki’s attempt to incite a riot and sabotage Konoha’s supplies, while evidence tied Sunagakure’s envoy and ANBU to the plot. As Gaara began losing control, Baki ordered Sunagakure’s ninja to break through, and Sasuke commanded the Military Police Force to kill anyone who resisted.

  • Baki turned the candidates against Konoha and attacked a proctor, but Sasuke entered and stopped his wind blade.
  • Sasuke presented recordings and confessions linking Sunagakure ANBU to a plan to burn Konoha’s granary and frame the Sound Ninja.
  • Inoichi, Hiashi, and Shikaku corroborated the evidence, while Sasuke announced charges against Baki and the Sunagakure ANBU.
  • Sasuke played Orochimaru’s voice from the VIP seats, prompting Sunagakure’s candidates to question whether the person there was the Kazekage.
  • Kabuto abandoned his plan as Gaara began losing control, and Sasuke accused Baki of provoking him to release a monster.
  • Baki ordered Sunagakure’s ninja to protect Gaara and break through, and Sasuke ordered the Military Police Force to kill anyone who resisted.

Ch. 63Suppressing the Riot, the Uchiha's Iron Fist

Sasuke used wartime authority to crush the Sunagakure riot at the Chunin Exams, gaining public support while the ANBU withdrew and Obito took notice. The crisis shifted to the VIP platform, where Orochimaru began a forbidden technique against the Third Hokage as his identity was exposed to the village.

  • Fugaku killed a Sunagakure attacker, and Sasuke ordered the Military Police Force to suppress the riot while Yamada Naoto recorded the evidence.
  • Sasuke restrained Gaara’s leaking chakra, ordered the Sand ninja to disarm, and authorized the execution of armed resisters after one tried to destroy the evidence.
  • Sasuke confronted the ANBU over protecting the VIP seats instead of stopping the riot, and the ANBU withdrew as civilians praised the Military Police Force and the Uchiha.
  • Black Zetsu reported Sasuke’s rise to Obito, who decided to wait and see whether Orochimaru would force out Sasuke’s hidden abilities.
  • After the last Sand resister was pinned, Kakashi warned Sasuke that Orochimaru was forming a forbidden technique to kill the Third Hokage, while the water mirror revealed Orochimaru’s pale face beneath the Kazekage mask.

Ch. 64The broadcast begins: the false Kazekage's true face

Orochimaru revealed himself as the false Kazekage, and Sasuke broadcast evidence of his crimes and the Third Hokage’s failures across Konoha. As Sunagakure turned against the Sound Ninja, Orochimaru continued summoning the First and Second Hokage, leaving a coffin opening as the village watched.

  • Orochimaru removed his disguise in front of the Third Hokage, while Sasuke arranged for his words and the confrontation to be broadcast throughout Konoha.
  • Sasuke showed footage linking Sunagakure forces to stolen Explosive Tags and arson, then accused Baki of failing to verify the false Kazekage’s identity.
  • Orochimaru admitted he had killed the Kazekage and began Impure World Reincarnation; Kakashi trapped the third coffin underground with Kamui.
  • Sasuke broadcast footage of Orochimaru killing Fourth Kazekage Rasa, prompting Baki to order Sunagakure to attack the Sound Ninja and recover Rasa’s remains.
  • The Konoha Military Police Force let Sunagakure pass toward the Sound Ninja while guarding civilian areas, as Orochimaru continued summoning the First and Second Hokage.
  • A crack opened in the first coffin and a withered hand emerged while Orochimaru taunted the Third Hokage through the village-wide broadcast.

Ch. 65Irrefutable evidence, Orochimaru showed his true colors

Sasuke exposed Orochimaru’s crimes and the Third Hokage’s past knowledge of his experiments while containing the Impure World Reincarnation. As Orochimaru tried to kill the Third Hokage, Sasuke intervened to keep him alive for a public trial, but Orochimaru launched another attack.

  • Orochimaru revealed that the Third Hokage had discovered his laboratory, and Sasuke broadcast footage linking Orochimaru’s experiments to Danzo’s Root and Konoha supplies.
  • Sasuke used Wood Release and the Konoha Military Police Force’s formation plates to suppress the reincarnation coffins, while Orochimaru’s admissions and evidence were recorded for the village and the Daimyo’s Residence.
  • Sasuke presented records tying Orochimaru to the Kazekage’s murder, impersonation, and attempted body theft, prompting villagers to question the Third Hokage’s past decisions.
  • Orochimaru attacked the Third Hokage with the Kusanagi Sword, and Sasuke crossed the barrier to shield him with a Susanoo arm and declare that he wanted the Third Hokage alive for trial.
  • Orochimaru stretched his neck over Sasuke’s Susanoo arm and lunged at the Third Hokage with a second Kusanagi blade.

Ch. 66Another reversal: the Konoha Crush Plan collapses

Sasuke exposed the collapse of Orochimaru’s invasion and prepared to confront Orochimaru as he summoned a swarm of snakes. The chapter ended when Root opened a cabinet beneath the Hokage Building and found Danzo’s Black Seal List, addressed to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

  • Sasuke used the Water Mirrors to reveal that Konoha had trapped the Sound Ninja forces, intercepted their supply point, and contained the fighting outside the Exam Venue.
  • Sasuke showed that the Hokage Building and Scroll of Seals were under joint guard, while Neji discovered Root operatives moving through the Old Well toward the Internal Affairs Storehouse.
  • Sasuke ordered Neji to let Root touch the sealed cabinet so the Image Recording Array could capture evidence, and Shikaku confirmed the recording was active.
  • Orochimaru reversed his summoning blood contract and unleashed white snakes, prompting Sasuke, Kakashi, and Fugaku to prepare to stop him.
  • Neji reported that Root had opened the wrong cabinet and found Danzo’s Black Seal List, whose first line said it was to be opened personally by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Ch. 68Wood Release Suppression, the Shock of Capturing Orochimaru Alive

Sasuke captured Orochimaru alive after subduing his Yamata Snake Body, then blocked the Third Hokage from taking custody and ordered a witnessed mind reading. As Inoichi began searching Orochimaru’s memories, Neji reported that Root had fled with the last page of the Black Seal List, which contained a newly written name.

  • Sasuke used Wood Release and Susanoo to restrain Orochimaru’s Yamata Snake Body while the Konoha Military Police Force protected the recording array.
  • With help from Kakashi, Fugaku, and the Hyuga Team, Sasuke stopped Orochimaru’s escape attempts and sealed his chakra.
  • Sasuke captured Orochimaru alive, and Yamada Naoto announced that the battle had been recorded from start to finish.
  • Kakashi, Hiashi, Shikaku, and Inoichi opposed the Third Hokage’s attempt to hand Orochimaru to the ANBU, citing Root’s seizure of cabinets in the Hokage Building Underground.
  • Sasuke ordered Inoichi to read Orochimaru’s mind under witnesses, and Inoichi began the technique as Orochimaru convulsed.
  • Neji reported that Root’s death squad was retreating after tearing off the last page of the Black Seal List, where someone had written a new name.

Ch. 69Soul-Sucking, the Secret of the Impure World Reincarnation

Sasuke exposed Orochimaru and Danzo’s crimes through Inoichi’s interrogation, while evidence also showed that Hiruzen had once let Orochimaru escape. The village detained Orochimaru and turned its attention to Danzo’s remaining Root forces, but Orochimaru ended by revealing that the real First Hokage Seal was elsewhere.

  • Sasuke ordered Neji to let one Root death squad member escape so Danzo would learn that the list had not been completely destroyed.
  • Inoichi uncovered Orochimaru’s Impure World Reincarnation records and testified that Orochimaru had murdered the Fourth Kazekage and used his guards as sacrifices; Baki halted Sunagakure’s resistance and agreed to cooperate.
  • Inoichi read Danzo’s transaction ledger, linking Root to missing refugees, Uchiha casualties, orphan abductions, and experiments on Hyuga branch family members; Hiashi, Shikaku, and Fugaku approved capital punishment.
  • Inoichi revealed a memory showing that Hiruzen had found Orochimaru’s laboratory and let him leave Konoha, prompting Sasuke to record the evidence against Hiruzen.
  • Inoichi discovered that Danzo’s remaining Root forces were at a northwest forest bunker called Owl Nest, and Neji identified Hiruzen’s name on the Black Seal List.
  • Sasuke ordered Orochimaru imprisoned in the Uchiha Dungeon and kept Kakashi to watch Hiruzen; as Orochimaru was taken away, he said Danzo’s new name was meant for a sacrifice and that the real First Hokage Seal was not with Hiruzen.

Ch. 70Post-War Reckoning, Trust Crisis at the Hokage Building

Sasuke forced a public joint review of Orochimaru’s crimes and the Hokage Building’s failures, while evidence increasingly implicated the Third Hokage in shielding Orochimaru. As Kakashi prepared to reveal signed records, Neji discovered a sealed box tied to an emergency succession order.

  • Inoichi extracted Orochimaru’s damaged memory, revealing a box marked with both the Daimyo’s crest and Root’s seal, and Sasuke had Orochimaru confined for a joint trial.
  • Hiashi, Shikaku, Kakashi, and other clan leaders backed Sasuke’s demand for a public review, and Sasuke presented evidence before the village and the Daimyo’s Residence envoy.
  • Sasuke questioned the Third Hokage about security failures, Root’s access to the Hokage Building, and human experiments; Kakashi and Baki added evidence against the Hokage Building.
  • Sasuke projected the Third Hokage’s memory of releasing Orochimaru and recorded his admission that doing so had been a major dereliction of duty.
  • Sasuke ordered Kakashi to reveal old records and ledgers bearing Hiruzen Sarutobi’s signature, but Neji reported finding a sealed box that would trigger the Third Hokage’s Emergency Succession Order if the records became public.

Ch. 71Dropping Dirt, the Third Hokage's Dereliction of Duty

Sasuke exposed records implicating Hiruzen Sarutobi in shielding Orochimaru, diverting funds to Root, and tolerating a campaign against Hatake Sakumo, prompting clan leaders and ANBU to break from the Hokage Building’s control. The chapter ended as Neji discovered a hidden Root takeover order inside the sealed box, which began burning and named Shimura Danzō as its taker.

  • Sasuke ordered Neji to document the sealed box without opening it, then revealed records of Hiruzen Sarutobi’s handling of Orochimaru’s human experimentation case and had Inoichi Yamanaka confirm the evidence against Orochimaru’s memories.
  • Sasuke presented accounts showing Hokage Building funds diverted to Root, and Shikaku, Yamazaki Masanari, and clan representatives called for financial oversight.
  • Kakashi and Sasuke revealed an ANBU record linking the Hokage Building to public opinion manipulation against Hatake Sakumo, and Kakashi challenged Hiruzen over the White Fang case.
  • Shikaku proposed suspending the Hokage Building’s direct command over the old ANBU, several clans approved, and Kakashi called on ANBU members to remove their masks and undergo joint review.
  • Neji found a hidden order directing Root to take over Konoha’s defense if Hiruzen was impeached, but the sealed box began burning and revealed Shimura Danzō as its taker.

Ch. 72Joint Impeachment, The End of Hiruzen Sarutobi

Sasuke exposed evidence that the Hokage Building had prepared for Root to seize power, and the clans and Daimyo’s Residence suspended Hiruzen and transferred authority to a provisional council. Sasuke then let Danzo’s forces enter Konoha so Danzo would openly reveal his rebellion, while Danzo received a message welcoming him as its leader.

  • Neji uncovered sealed documents naming Danzō as Hiruzen’s emergency successor and authorizing Root to take over defense if Hiruzen lost capacity.
  • Sasuke presented a joint impeachment petition, which clan leaders and the ANBU review team supported before Yamazaki Masanari suspended Hiruzen and sealed his powers and assets.
  • Hiruzen handed the Hokage’s private seal to Sasuke, who ordered the Hokage Building secured and the Old ANBU Unit disarmed.
  • Neji and Hiashi reported Root’s gathering at the Owl Nest, and Sasuke refused to seal Konoha, intending to expose Danzo as a rebel if he entered the village.
  • Danzo ordered nearly a thousand Root fighters into Konoha to seize the Hokage Building and execute Sasuke, then found a message welcoming him as the rebel leader Shimura Danzō.

Ch. 73Driven to Desperation, Danzo's Frenzied Counterattack

Danzo launched a three-pronged Root assault on Konoha under a forged Daimyō order, while Sasuke used the village’s evacuation and surveillance to document Root’s rebellion. As Danzo led his forces toward Hokage Rock, Neji spotted that the Hokage Seal Box carried by one of his guards had a different seal from the one Sasuke held.

  • Danzo ordered Root squads to seize the Hokage Building, attack the Uchiha compound, and control civilian routes, declaring that Konoha needed to shed blood.
  • Sasuke confirmed that civilians had been evacuated and told Neji’s Byakugan Team not to stop Root before its members made their intentions clear.
  • Root squads entered using old Hokage Building keys and tried to plant Explosive Tags at the Uchiha North Old Warehouse, but the Byakugan Team disabled the tags and Choza’s clan blocked their retreat.
  • The Third Hokage urged Root to surrender, but its members stabbed themselves with black-seal kunai and continued the attack; Sasuke then ordered the clans to hold position and draw Danzo out.
  • Danzo exposed his unstable transplanted arm and personally led Root toward the Hokage Building Square, where Sasuke waited on Hokage Rock.
  • Neji warned Sasuke that a guard behind Danzo carried a Hokage Seal Box whose surface seal differed from the one the Third had handed over.

Ch. 74Root’s Death Squad, A Coup Drenches Konoha in Blood

Sasuke and Konoha’s clans trapped Danzo’s Root forces in the village square, exposing the assassination roster hidden in a box passed off as a Hokage Seal. Sasuke activated the suppression order and Konoha’s barriers, but Danzo revealed he carried another seal bearing the Third Hokage’s crest.

  • The Third Hokage urged Sasuke to spare the suspicious Fire Seal Box, while Yamazaki Masanari declared Danzo’s order forged and Kakashi recorded Danzo’s attack on the envoy.
  • Danzo ordered Root to attack, but Shikaku, Fugaku, and Neji’s forces contained the squad; Danzo then exposed Sharingan implanted in his arm, and he and Kakashi revealed the Third Hokage knew about his Izanagi trump card.
  • Sasuke let the guards bring the Fire Seal Box forward, and Neji opened it to find bottles containing sealing tags and assassination rosters targeting clan heads.
  • Danzo used Izanagi to survive Fugaku and Kakashi’s attacks, while Sasuke fired the signal gun and activated Konoha’s barriers and the Council of Elders’ suppression order against Root.
  • Danzo revealed an old seal bearing the Third Hokage’s personal crest, leaving the Third Hokage stunned as Danzo claimed he had stolen more than one seal.

Ch. 75A turtle in a jar: the Konoha Military Police Force's inescapable net

Sasuke and the Konoha clans cornered Danzo in the Square, exposing his illegal use of the Hokage’s auxiliary seal and forcing him to spend nearly all of his Izanagi eyes. The chapter ended with Danzo activating his final Sharingan and revealing Shisui’s eye as Sasuke’s Susanoo rose over the Square.

  • Sasuke ordered the clans to suppress Root, while Yamada Naoto recorded Hiruzen Sarutobi’s admission that he had lost his private auxiliary seal without reporting it.
  • Hiashi, Shikaku, Fugaku, and Choza helped defeat or capture Root fighters, including two who claimed to act under the Hokage’s secret orders.
  • Sasuke joined the fight against Danzo and used the barrier’s Reverse Seal Verification Formation to expose Danzo’s illegal activation of the old seal.
  • Fugaku, Kakashi, Neji, and Sasuke forced Danzo to expend eight Sharingan through Izanagi, while Sasuke restrained him with Susanoo and Wood Release.
  • Danzo activated the Reverse Four Symbols Seal, but Sasuke’s allies secured the evidence beyond its sealing radius as Sasuke restrained Danzo.
  • Danzo revealed Shisui Uchiha’s eye hidden inside the auxiliary seal and prepared to use Kotoamatsukami, while Sasuke summoned a towering Susanoo hand over the Square.

Ch. 76Lawful suppression, the Uchiha's absolute military might

Sasuke exposed and stopped Danzo’s attempt to use Kotoamatsukami, then led the Konoha forces in crushing Root’s rebellion and capturing Danzo for public trial. As the Third Hokage secretly summoned Jiraiya, Neji spotted the message-bearing toad leaving Konoha.

  • Danzo activated Shisui’s Eye and ordered Sasuke to kneel, but Sasuke used lightning to destroy the chakra circuit linked to the stolen eye.
  • Sasuke presented the rebellion-suppression order and declared Danzo a rebel; Danzo threatened Root members’ families, and Shikaku broadcast the threat to the evacuation shelters.
  • Fugaku, Sasuke, Kakashi, Neji, and allied clans defeated Root’s forces, while Kakashi cut the explosive fuses leading to the civilian district.
  • Sasuke’s Susanoo destroyed Danzo’s escape tunnel, and Fugaku, Kakashi, and Neji restrained him for a public trial the next day.
  • The Third Hokage secretly sent a message asking Jiraiya to return, but Neji spotted the toad carrying it toward the southwest outer road.
Arc 3 of 6