Recaps

Orochimaru weighed ways to protect himself from the Anbu and continued his research, while Xia Yan monitored Antelope and discovered a change in the tree containing Obito's arm. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin challenged Uchiha Fugaku's leadership and moved ahead with restructuring the Military Police Force.

• Orochimaru decided to prioritize research into cells and Wood Release while keeping Impure World Reincarnation as a secondary option.
• After Anbu appeared at Orochimaru's laboratory, he concluded Xia Yan was using rumors to unsettle Danzo and welcomed the possibility of the scheme.
• Kakashi reported that Antelope had made no unusual move under covert surveillance, and Xia Yan ordered Kakashi to take leave.
• Xia Yan visited the sealed forest, where the tree containing Obito's arm stopped emitting its strange chakra, and he touched it to check the result.
• Uchiha Shin argued that the Military Police Force's Second Division could be restructured under either interpretation of its authority, then left after challenging Uchiha Fugaku to stop him if he intended to provoke the clan.
• The system responded when Xia Yan touched the tree, leaving him dumbfounded.

Xia Yan learned that the White Zetsu-derived seed could fuse up to three types of chakra, potentially letting him create a Kekkei Tōta, and considered targeting Obito to obtain higher-quality White Zetsu. After meeting Choza Akimichi on the way to dinner, Xia Yan joined Uchiha Shin and Sora, where he framed their conversation as an informal chat between friends.

• The system identified the seed as a fusion-type special seed and explained that it could nurture a power based on White Zetsu's adaptability, including fusing up to three types of chakra.
• Xia Yan decided that higher-quality White Zetsu might provide more fusion seeds and considered using the Third Mizukage and the Kaguya Clan as reasons to investigate Obito's activities in the Land of Water.
• Xia Yan merged the seed into his body and postponed choosing which three chakra natures to fuse until he had developed more high-level chakra.
• Xia Yan and Renka headed to a Yakiniku Restaurant, where Choza Akimichi greeted Xia Yan and offered to arrange a better setting for his meal.
• Xia Yan met Uchiha Shin and Sora, and Renka set up a soundproof barrier before Xia Yan told them to treat the meeting as a casual chat between friends.

At the Yakiniku Restaurant, Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka discussed Xia Yan’s meeting with the Uchiha and considered quietly supporting Minato Namikaze. Xia Yan advised Uchiha Shin to recruit approved civilian shinobi and act decisively to unify the clan, then promised to show him how to handle former allies he could not bring himself to oppose.

• Choza Akimichi told Shikaku Nara and Inoichi Yamanaka that Uchiha elders had brought a granddaughter to meet Xia Yan, and Shikaku considered offering discreet help to the Fourth Hokage.
• Xia Yan told Uchiha Shin that his efforts to open the Military Police Force needed more flexibility and suggested using Senju shinobi as a small, public example of civilian recruitment.
• Qiong explained that Uchiha Shin had followed the rules too closely, and Xia Yan advised him to unify the clan’s thinking, set out a clear plan, and deal ruthlessly with those leading it astray.
• Uchiha Shin asked how to handle former comrades who opposed him, and Xia Yan began to answer before a commotion in the restaurant interrupted them.
• Xia Yan told Uchiha Shin to watch and listen carefully, hinting that the commotion would show him how to handle the problem.

Xia Yan fueled public conflict over rumors of Orochimaru to pressure Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Shikaku Nara suspected the affair was part of a struggle between the Hokage. With Konoha matters temporarily in motion, Xia Yan left for the Land of Water to target Obito and the Fourth Mizukage as his chakra seeds neared maturity.

• Xia Yan watched rumors about Orochimaru provoke a brawl and told Uchiha Shin to handle it while drafting stricter Military Police Force guidelines.
• Shikaku Nara stopped Choza Akimichi from intervening and told him and Inoichi Yamanaka that the rumors might be tied to a conflict between Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Third Hokage's circle.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi read reports of rising fights over Orochimaru and suspected Danzo might be spreading the rumors, though he hoped Xia Yan was responsible instead.
• Xia Yan left a chakra-enhanced Shadow Clone in Konoha and traveled toward the Land of Water to confront Obito and the controlled Fourth Mizukage.
• Xia Yan checked his status and saw that his Fire-Attribute, Wind-Attribute, and Fusion-Type seeds had reached 99%, while his Senjutsu Chakra seed had reached 80%.

Xia Yan infiltrated Kirigakure by killing an Anbu ninja and taking his identity, then headed toward the Kaguya Clan while the village’s factions watched the clan. The chapter ended as two approaching figures attacked Xia Yan with a Ninja Blade.

• Xia Yan used a smuggling ship to reach the Land of Water, then killed an Anbu ninja and took his identity to enter Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi and Ao told Genji that the Mizukage’s policies and the situation with the Kaguya Clan were worsening, but Genji refused to openly oppose the Mizukage.
• Xia Yan joined the Anbu squad, entered Kirigakure, and staged the dead ninja’s apparent suicide by burning his house and leaving a Suicide Note.
• Xia Yan set out for the Kaguya Clan’s compound and sensed that several squads were secretly watching it.
• Two figures ran toward Xia Yan while the other watchers stayed in place, and one of them thrust a Ninja Blade at him.

Xia Yan was exposed while investigating the Kaguya Clan and fought Mei Terumi and Ao, discovering Ao’s Byakugan and Mei Terumi’s kekkei genkai. After defeating both, he prepared to claim Ao’s eye as the battle drew the attention of the Kaguya Clan and Kirigakure Anbu.

• Xia Yan was challenged by two Anbu near the Kaguya Clan, and their questions exposed him as an outsider.
• Xia Yan fought the pair with Earth Release, then revealed Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, causing Ao to recognize the Nine-Tails.
• Mei Terumi attacked with Lava Release, and Xia Yan realized she and Ao were the two Anbu who had confronted him.
• Kaguya Shigeaki ordered his clansmen to investigate the disturbance while a group of Kirigakure Anbu also moved toward the fight.
• Xia Yan told Mei Terumi and Ao that more than nine Tailed Beasts existed, then struck Mei Terumi and evaded their combined attacks.
• Xia Yan overwhelmed Ao, broke his kunai, and kicked him into Mei Terumi, leaving both on the ground as he approached.

Xia Yan defeated Mei Terumi and Ao, killed Ao, and took his Byakugan while letting Mei Terumi live in exchange for her cooperation. As Obito learned that a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was in Kirigakure, Xia Yan obtained Kimimaro and began combining chakra natures to create a Kekkei Tōta.

• Xia Yan offered Mei Terumi and Ao a choice, but Ao staged a distraction so Mei Terumi could escape and carry their intelligence back to Kirigakure.
• Xia Yan used Shadow Clones to catch both ninja, sealed their chakra, killed Ao, and removed his Byakugan; he kept Mei Terumi alive under their agreement.
• Obito Uchiha discussed Kirigakure's worsening situation with Black Zetsu, who revealed that he had found a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the village.
• Xia Yan brought the young Kimimaro to a secluded cottage with Mei Terumi unconscious nearby, then prepared to use the fruits he had grown.
• Xia Yan consumed Fire Release and Wind Release chakra fruits and a fusion fruit, choosing Earth Release, Wind Release, and Water Release for his new Kekkei Tōta.

Xia Yan fused Fire, Wind, and Earth chakra into a new Kekkei Tōta and began testing its power in Kirigakure. While Obito and Black Zetsu investigated the unexpected Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Kaguya Clan crisis escalated, Xia Yan used his new technique and disappeared before anyone could find him.

• Black Zetsu warned Obito that an unfamiliar Nine-Tails Jinchuriki had appeared in Kirigakure, and they decided to gather intelligence rather than try to capture him.
• An Anbu told Karatachi Yagura that Kirigakure’s Anbu and the Kaguya Clan had clashed and both sides had suffered deaths, so Yagura ordered his forces to prepare.
• Xia Yan used a fusion property to combine Fire, Wind, and Earth chakra, creating a powerful new chakra he recognized as Kekkei Tōta.
• Xia Yan tested his new power with the Ninja Art: Konohanasakuya-hime, splitting a lake and tearing open the ground before leaving the scene.
• Xia Yan planned to use the Kaguya Clan crisis as cover to seek out Obito and obtain more materials for further chakra fusion.

Xia Yan watched Obito and Black Zetsu manipulate Kirigakure into attacking the Kaguya Clan, then traced their chakra as the battle began. He prepared a Tailed Beast Bomb against the Fourth Mizukage, Obito, and Black Zetsu, leaving the attack about to begin.

• Obito and Black Zetsu decided to exploit the conflict with the Kaguya Clan, using the Fourth Mizukage to provoke Xia Yan and help destroy the clan.
• Genji received evidence of multiple battle sites and a missing body, then ordered the investigation’s findings concealed and burned the scroll.
• Xia Yan learned that Kirigakure was preparing to attack the Kaguya Clan and freed Mei Terumi, telling her that her village had known he was there.
• Xia Yan sensed the Fourth Mizukage’s chakra and traced a strange thread to Obito and Black Zetsu as Kirigakure’s ninja and the Kaguya Clan began fighting.
• Xia Yan gathered pale golden chakra and announced Ninja Art: Tailed Beast Bomb, aiming toward the Fourth Mizukage.

Xia Yan shattered Kirigakure’s barrier with a Tailed Beast Bomb and attacked the Mist ninja to provoke Obito into revealing himself through Karatachi Yagura. Obito began a Tailed Beast Transformation and prepared a Tailed Beast Bomb as Xia Yan formed one of his own, leaving the two attacks poised to clash.

• Obito and Black Zetsu watched the Kaguya Clan fight Kirigakure’s forces while waiting for the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to appear.
• Xia Yan destroyed the barrier with a Tailed Beast Bomb, entered the battlefield, and challenged Karatachi Yagura as the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Xia Yan fought through the Mist ninja, killing many and taunting Karatachi Yagura until Obito took control and sent him into battle.
• Karatachi Yagura used the Water Mirror Technique to counter Xia Yan’s Tailed Beast Bomb, then began a Tailed Beast Transformation and attacked him alongside the Mist ninja.
• Karatachi Yagura began forming a Tailed Beast Bomb as Xia Yan formed one of his own and flashed beside him.

Xia Yan defeated Karatachi Yagura in a clash of Tailed Beast Bombs, then faced Genji and Kirigakure’s forces as they rallied against him. With Little Nine-Tails’ help, Xia Yan entered the second state of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and manifested a giant Nine-Tails, while Obito and Black Zetsu prepared to risk everything to keep the Three-Tails.

• Xia Yan survived the Tailed Beast Bomb collision unharmed, while Karatachi Yagura was left weakened and many Mist Ninja were killed or injured.
• Genji confronted Xia Yan, rallied Kirigakure’s ninja, and led them in an attack after Xia Yan identified himself as a Konoha ninja.
• Little Nine-Tails helped Xia Yan enter the second state of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, and Xia Yan manifested a giant Nine-Tails to withstand the Mist Ninja’s attacks.
• Obito and Black Zetsu decided to make a final attempt to keep the Three-Tails, with Black Zetsu suggesting that Karatachi Yagura blow himself up if necessary.
• Xia Yan’s giant Nine-Tails rampaged through Kirigakure, killing large numbers of ninja as their attacks failed to hurt it.

Xia Yan devastated Kirigakure with the Nine-Tails’ power, destroyed the Mizukage Building, and battled Obito-controlled Karatachi Yagura in his Three-Tails form. As the second stage of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode began to fail, Xia Yan unleashed a powerful blade technique against the Three-Tails, leaving Genji and the surviving Mist Ninja convinced they were witnessing a god’s power.

• Xia Yan used a Tailed Beast Bomb to destroy the Mizukage Building, shocking and enraging the Mist Ninja.
• Genji rallied the Mist Ninja and ordered civilians and weaker ninja into underground shelters as Karatachi Yagura completed his Three-Tails transformation.
• Xia Yan and the Three-Tails fired Tailed Beast Bombs at each other, and their collision devastated the battlefield and killed most of the nearby ninja.
• The Three-Tails attacked Xia Yan with his spinning shell, while Xia Yan raised an earth wall and prepared a powerful blade technique with help from a Shadow Clone.
• Xia Yan used Ninja Art: Konohanasakuya-hime against the charging Three-Tails, and Genji and the surviving Mist Ninja declared that they had seen the power of a god.

Xia Yan devastated Kirigakure, defeated Karatachi Yagura, and confronted Obito after exposing the limits of his Kamui. The chapter ended with Xia Yan asking whether Obito was “in favor now, or against” after a shadow clone severed his right hand.

• Xia Yan used a combined blade strike to destroy the Three-Tails’ body and cleave a mountain, then drained and sealed some of its chakra from Karatachi Yagura.
• Xia Yan left the surviving Mist Ninja with Karatachi Yagura, while Obito and Black Zetsu watched and Black Zetsu suspected Xia Yan’s power came from an Ōtsutsuki woman.
• Xia Yan ambushed Obito and Black Zetsu, cut Black Zetsu in two, and discovered that Obito could evade physical attacks with Kamui.
• Xia Yan tested Obito with a shadow clone and deduced that Kamui required Obito to become solid when attacking and limited his intangibility to five minutes.
• Mei Terumi escaped confinement, saw Kirigakure’s destruction, and learned from Genji that the village was in serious trouble.
• Xia Yan attacked Obito with a Tailed Beast Bomb while a shadow clone severed Obito’s right hand, then asked whether Obito was in favor or against.

After returning to Konoha, Xia Yan reviewed his gains and ordered an investigation into Orochimaru after learning that a young Uchiha had disappeared. Orochimaru continued his Hashirama-cell experiments with Danzo’s help, while Xia Yan sent Kakashi and Pakura to investigate the hidden Root laboratories.

• Xia Yan returned to Konoha with a Byakugan, Kimimaro, and valuable White Zetsu body parts, and considered how to develop their powers.
• Xia Yan discussed his engagement to Renka with Qiong before reading a report about Orochimaru and a missing Uchiha.
• Orochimaru’s experiment using an Uchiha subject failed, and he proposed capturing stronger Sharingan users to continue researching Hashirama Senju’s cells.
• Danzo warned Orochimaru that capturing more Uchiha would draw attention, but Orochimaru insisted the experiments were his decision and planned to continue regardless.
• Xia Yan learned the missing Uchiha had vanished after completing a mission and asked Qiong to have her family watch Uchiha Itachi.
• Xia Yan ordered Qiong to investigate Orochimaru and Anbu-restricted laboratories, then approved sending Kakashi and Pakura to investigate together.

Xia Yan moved to strengthen the case against Orochimaru while reviewing the Anbu and considering Uchiha Shin’s growing plans. Uchiha Shin decided to act against members of his clan under cover of Orochimaru’s scandal, and sent his son Uchiha Kong to help carry out the operation.

• Xia Yan planned to fabricate evidence against Orochimaru and reviewed developments in the Anbu, the Military Police Force, and Uchiha Shin’s preparations.
• Xia Yan went to the Anbu prison, where he found Kakashi gripping a Root ninja by the throat while Shisui and Yamato guarded the entrance.
• Uchiha Shin told the elders that the clan’s interests and village stability could no longer be pursued together, alarming them with the implication that he was about to act.
• Uchiha Shin told Uchiha Kong to handle the operation and use Orochimaru’s scandal as cover for their actions within the Uchiha Clan.
• Uchiha Kong agreed to meet Xia Yan and help ensure the operation left no trouble behind, while Uchiha Shin urged him not to become like his father.

Xia Yan explained how Jingu Hiroshi died after helping undo Minato Namikaze’s Reaper Death Seal, then showed Kakashi a resurrection technique and outlined a plan to bring back Rin and Obito. The chapter left Kakashi committed to keeping the secret and helping investigate the technique while Orochimaru was forced out of Konoha and used as a covert asset.

• Xia Yan revealed the Root ninja’s tongue bore a sealing curse, so Kakashi had to wait for the Interrogation Squad before questioning him.
• Xia Yan ordered Kakashi to capture Root members alive when possible, assigned Pakura to join him, and arranged for Hidan to leave his cell under restrictions.
• Xia Yan told Kakashi that Minato Namikaze had used the Reaper Death Seal and that Jingu Hiroshi died while helping Xia Yan undo it.
• Xia Yan gave Kakashi a scroll describing a technique that could revive the dead, and Kakashi considered using it to bring back Rin and Obito.
• Xia Yan proposed combining cloning, Impure World Reincarnation, Spirit Transformation, and Living Corpse Reincarnation to restore the dead in new bodies.
• Xia Yan and Kakashi agreed that Orochimaru could not remain in Konoha, suspected Danzo and possibly Hiruzen Sarutobi had enabled his work, and planned to use him as a covert asset.

Xia Yan inspected the powers he had cultivated in his secluded plantation while Uchiha Shin prepared to strike against his clan’s political opponents with Anbu support. After absorbing a mutated primordial Byakugan power, Xia Yan began opening his newly transformed eyes.

• Uchiha Shin confirmed that the Anbu would support his operation, and Qiong said Anbu squads would coordinate with the Military Police Force while a captain stood ready to help.
• Uchiha Shin learned that the Anbu’s temporary squad members were Uchiha, keeping the operation an internal clan matter, and resolved to proceed against the Great Elder Uchiha Shen and his allies.
• Xia Yan checked the plantation and harvested an intermediate Wood Release chakra seed from the tree containing Hashirama Senju’s flesh, but he could not plant it without an intermediate Yang Release secret technique.
• Xia Yan sensed a powerful, destructive chakra from the tree containing Ao’s Byakugan and discovered that it had produced mutated primordial Byakugan power.
• Xia Yan absorbed the mutated power, endured intense pain in his eyes, and began opening his newly formed eyes.

Xia Yan activated his newly acquired eyes and discovered they combined some Byakugan and Sharingan traits with a unique chakra mode. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin detained his former allies as Uchiha Tatsumi fought Kakashi in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

• Xia Yan activated his eyes, gained long-range vision and the ability to perceive chakra natures, and saw that his pupils had turned pale blue.
• Xia Yan learned that his eyes had multiple stages, Super Insight, and a chakra mode, then headed to examine the trees planted with Kimimaro's bone and the Three-Tails' power.
• Uchiha Shin told the elders he had detained that the clan faced a hidden threat and began recounting events from over a year earlier, when he planned to send Shisui into the Anbu.
• Uchiha Sora and her group attempted to arrest Uchiha Shen, but a masked Sharingan user defeated her before Kakashi arrived to intervene.
• Kakashi fought Uchiha Tatsumi in the courtyard, blocked his ambush, and dodged his attacks before Tatsumi rushed at his neck.

Kakashi’s Sharingan behaved strangely during his fight with Uchiha Tatsumi, draining his chakra and briefly revealing unusual sight before Tatsumi defeated him with genjutsu. Xia Yan arrived, recognized that Kakashi’s eye had awakened a new power, and revealed the Jōgan’s chakra mode as he faced the Uchiha.

• Kakashi used a Lightning Release Clone and Chidori to attack Uchiha Tatsumi, but Tatsumi caught him in genjutsu and kicked him into a wall.
• Kakashi realized his Sharingan had consumed far more chakra than usual and admitted defeat, while Uchiha Tatsumi and Uchiha Shen prepared to finish the encounter.
• Xia Yan checked his status and found that his Jōgan had awakened, then sensed Kakashi’s trouble and teleported into the Uchiha compound.
• Xia Yan examined Kakashi’s Sharingan with Super Insight, saw its shuriken-like pattern, and told Kakashi that Obito’s eye had given him a gift.
• Xia Yan manifested a blue chakra cloak from the power of his Jōgan and faced Uchiha Tatsumi and the other Uchiha.

Xia Yan defeated Uchiha Tatsumi using Jōgan chakra mode, then explained the Uchiha Clan’s rival factions and looming conflict to Kakashi. He helped Kakashi awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, which he presented as Obito’s gift, leaving Kakashi resolved to help the clan and village avoid disaster.

• Xia Yan overwhelmed Uchiha Tatsumi with Jōgan chakra mode and stopped him from completing a large-scale Fire Release jutsu, leaving the Uchiha matter to Uchiha Shen and his clansmen.
• Xia Yan told Kakashi that the Uchiha Clan was divided between the Dove Faction, led by Uchiha Shin, and hardliners seeking a coup, and Kakashi recognized that their conflict with Konoha could erupt into war.
• Xia Yan told Kakashi that the abnormal activity in his Sharingan was a gift from Obito, then asked him to look into the Jōgan.
• Kakashi’s Sharingan reacted to Xia Yan’s eyes, and its power manifested as a distortion of space that Xia Yan identified as Kamui.
• Kakashi saw that his left eye had become a Mangekyō Sharingan, and Xia Yan told him Obito had entrusted him with its power.
• Kakashi accepted the Mangekyō as Obito’s gift and resolved to help settle the Uchiha Clan’s situation.

Xia Yan reassured Kakashi about his actions and considered using Seeds to improve the abilities of people he trusted. Meanwhile, Uchiha Shin explained his alliance with Xia Yan to the captured elders, then secretly spared Uchiha Shen and declared that he did not regret defying Xia Yan.

• Xia Yan urged Kakashi to learn to control his Mangekyō Sharingan and warned him to keep his emotions from dictating his actions.
• Kakashi accepted Xia Yan's advice and resolved not to disappoint him or Obito again.
• Uchiha Shin and Uchiha Sora discussed Xia Yan's power and the need to calm the clan before Uchiha Shin met the captured elders.
• Uchiha Shen pieced together why Uchiha Shin had cooperated with Xia Yan, and Uchiha Shin admitted he had agreed to help remove the clan leader for the clan's survival.
• Uchiha Shin told Uchiha Shen that he had to die because of his influence, but he deliberately missed him with his kunai and said he needed an ally against Xia Yan.

Xia Yan learned that Uchiha Shin had disobeyed part of his order while protecting the Anbu involved, and chose not to punish him. After Pakura found Orochimaru’s laboratory, Xia Yan planned to exploit Orochimaru’s attacks on Uchiha for his own benefit, while Orochimaru and Danzo plotted to target Uchiha Fugaku.

• Xia Yan heard from an Uchiha Anbu messenger that Uchiha Shin had taken responsibility for disobeying his orders, and let the messenger leave without punishment.
• Pakura told Xia Yan that the Anbu had found Orochimaru’s laboratory, and Xia Yan questioned a Root ninja whose interrogation revealed Orochimaru had targeted Uchiha with Three-Tomoe Sharingan to advance his Wood Release research.
• Xia Yan decided to let Orochimaru take the blame for future attacks and asked Pakura to identify likely Uchiha targets.
• Xia Yan spoke warmly with Pakura, called her a friend, and invited her to visit his home after the Orochimaru matter was resolved.
• Danzo proposed that Orochimaru target Uchiha Fugaku, and Orochimaru agreed while realizing Danzo hoped the attack would restore Root’s influence.
• Orochimaru left Danzo’s laboratory planning to seek protection at Anbu Headquarters.

Xia Yan met Orochimaru, who revealed Danzo’s plot against Uchiha Fugaku and offered to trade information and research for protection. Xia Yan agreed to cooperate, demanded Fugaku’s Sharingan as proof of Orochimaru’s value, and marked him with Flying Thunder God before returning home to await the attack.

• Xia Yan collected chakra and elemental seeds from Konoha’s trees, then followed a white snake to meet Orochimaru’s clone.
• Orochimaru told Xia Yan that Danzo planned to attack Uchiha Fugaku and use the fallout to restore his own power.
• Orochimaru offered his research and information in exchange for Xia Yan’s protection after he left Konoha.
• Xia Yan agreed to cooperate and demanded Uchiha Fugaku’s eyes as a pledge, promising to protect Orochimaru within the Land of Fire.
• Xia Yan used his Jōgan to locate Orochimaru’s real body, marked him with Flying Thunder God, and warned him not to remove the mark while they worked together.
• Xia Yan returned home and considered how Orochimaru’s attack on Fugaku could weaken Hiruzen Sarutobi and reveal whether Fugaku possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Xia Yan arranged an opportunity for Orochimaru to attack Uchiha Fugaku and went to the Konoha Orphanage to recruit Kabuto Yakushi while negotiating Anbu support for Yakushi Nonō. As Orochimaru's team waited near the Uchiha grounds, Fugaku's Death Servants arrived, signaling that he was approaching.

• Xia Yan learned that Kumogakure was redeploying and training its border guards, then used the Anbu leave roster to identify a window for Orochimaru to act.
• Xia Yan visited the Konoha Orphanage, where Yakushi Nonō recognized him as the Anbu Director and feared he had come to recruit her.
• Xia Yan offered to keep Yakushi Nonō at the Orphanage with Anbu support and took Kabuto Yakushi with him for a dangerous mission.
• Orochimaru and Root waited near the Uchiha grounds during Kakashi's leave, hoping Uchiha Fugaku would visit his son, Uchiha Itachi.
• Uchiha Fugaku's Death Servants arrived, and Orochimaru realized Fugaku was coming and prepared to attack.

Orochimaru ambushed Uchiha Fugaku’s guards to obtain Sharingan for his experiments, then confronted Fugaku and discovered he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. As Fugaku fought off Orochimaru and the Root ninja, Xia Yan arrived and decided to take one of Fugaku’s eyes to weaken his influence and secure experimental material.

• Orochimaru and the Root ninja ambushed Uchiha Fugaku’s death servants, capturing several before one activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan and fought back.
• Uchiha Fugaku arrived at the Small Lake with Uchiha Itachi, recognized Orochimaru and the Root ninja, and questioned whether Konoha had ordered the attack.
• Fugaku awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and defeated the attacking Root ninja while protecting Itachi.
• Orochimaru joined the fight and revealed that Lord Danzo had ordered the attack, while Fugaku’s Mangekyō abilities began to disrupt Orochimaru’s chakra.
• Xia Yan used his Jōgan to observe the battle, identified Fugaku’s eyes as the Mangekyō Sharingan, and decided to take one of them.