Recaps

Shunren, an orphaned Uchiha who could not learn Ninjutsu, sought another way to gain strength before the coming Third Shinobi World War. He discovered he could shape Yin Release into weapons, but his attempt to create a powerful sword quickly failed.

• Shunren failed at the Transformation Technique after three years of training and decided to pursue alternatives to Ninjutsu.
• Shunren reviewed the Uchiha scroll on Yin Release and worried that the Third Shinobi World War would begin in less than a year.
• Shunren shaped spiritual energy into a kunai and found that it cracked after repeated strikes against a real one.
• Shunren tried to form a black-and-white sword inspired by his former world, but it shattered after one second.

Shunren struggled to stabilize a weapon created with Yin Release, then rushed to school after overtraining and oversleeping. On the way, he encountered the late Obito and greeted him coolly.

• Shunren projected a sword with Yin Release, but it shattered after a few seconds, leaving him unsure how to make his creations stable.
• Shunren trained until both his mind and body gave out, then fell asleep and woke at 9:50, already late.
• Shunren hurried through Konoha while passersby mocked his lack of ninjutsu, but he ignored their gossip.
• Shunren spotted another boy rushing across the rooftops and recognized him by his goggles.
• Obito greeted Shunren cheerfully, and Shunren replied, "Hello, Obito."

Shunren avoided getting close to Obito, then arrived late to class and was assigned a mock battle against Asuma Sarutobi. As Asuma taunted him, Shunren prepared to face the academy’s top student.

• Shunren ignored Obito’s attempts to befriend him, choosing to keep his distance rather than risk owing him favors.
• At the Ninja Academy, Feimu reprimanded Obito and Shunren for arriving late; Shunren admitted he had overslept after training Yin Release and exercising.
• Feimu ordered Shunren to take part in a mock battle and named Asuma Sarutobi as his opponent.
• The students reacted to Shunren’s matchup with Asuma, the top student in their year, who taunted Shunren by asking if he was scared.

Shunren fought Asuma in a practice match and turned the tide with a sudden counterattack after Asuma gained the upper hand. Asuma got back up and equipped Flying Swallow, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Asuma mocked Shunren for being unable to use the Uchiha name, and Obito tried to defend him.
• Shunren asked Teacher Feimu to begin the match, and Feimu gave the signal.
• Asuma caught Shunren's first punch and struck back, then the two exchanged a flurry of punches.
• Asuma hit Shunren and pressed his advantage, but Shunren threw him, evaded his kick, and landed a Konoha Whirlwind.
• Asuma rose, threatened to retaliate, and fitted Flying Swallow onto both hands.

Asuma attacked Shunren with his Flying Swallow blades, but Shunren used his keen observations and strong mental energy to evade the strikes. Kurenai recognized Shunren’s precise Chakra control and wondered if he was suited to Genjutsu.

• Asuma drew his Flying Swallow blades and ignored Feimu’s warnings, while Shunren refused to take out a weapon.
• Asuma charged and slashed at Shunren, who retreated and narrowly avoided the blades.
• Obito noticed that Shunren seemed to predict Asuma’s attacks, and Shunren relied on intense concentration and mental energy to dodge them.
• The fight moved from the training ground toward the woods, where Shunren ran up a tree trunk using Chakra control.
• Kurenai recognized Shunren’s control as exceptional for a Genin and concluded that he might be suited to practicing Genjutsu.

Shunren used the wooded terrain to evade Asuma during their mock battle, but Asuma refused to accept a draw and escalated the fight with a Wind Release technique and Flying Swallow. As Shunren began to fall toward Asuma’s waiting weapon, he opened his palm to stop him.

• Kurenai felt relieved to find that Shunren might share her interest in Genjutsu, while she worried about Asuma’s competitiveness.
• Shunren lured Asuma into the woods and dodged his attacks by using the trees as cover.
• Asuma refused to end the fight when Shunren offered him the win, then used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough and threw Flying Swallow at him.
• Flying Swallow cut through the branch beneath Shunren, leaving him falling toward Asuma, who waited below with another weapon.
• Shunren noticed Feimu trying to intervene too late and opened his palm toward Asuma.

Shunren used Yin Release to create a sword and broke Asuma’s Flying Swallow during their mock battle, grazing Asuma’s neck. The battle ended in a draw, though the onlookers recognized Shunren as the victor, and he left to rest.

• Asuma rushed at the falling Shunren and slashed at him with Flying Swallow while Obito, Kurenai, and Feimu failed to intervene.
• Shunren used Yin Release to form a sword that broke Flying Swallow and briefly remained in his hand before disappearing.
• Shunren’s strike grazed Asuma’s neck, drawing blood, and Shunren apologized for failing to control his strength.
• Kurenai recognized Shunren’s technique as Yin Release, and Shunren told Feimu he had used up his Chakra and requested an end to the mock battle.
• Feimu ended the battle in a draw, while the onlookers regarded Shunren as the victor and Guy eagerly considered challenging him.

After drawing with Asuma, Shunren left the academy and reflected on his abilities and his brief use of Yin Release. Kurenai followed him, discovered he had never learned Genjutsu, and insisted on taking him home to teach him.

• Asuma watched Kurenai hurry after Shunren and clenched his fist in anger.
• Shunren considered how he had beaten Asuma by staying calm and using Yin Release to project Kanshou, though he could sustain it for only three seconds.
• Kurenai caught up with Shunren and asked about his use of Yin Release, revealing that she wanted to talk with someone who shared her interest in Genjutsu.
• Shunren explained that he had never had access to the Uchiha Clan's Genjutsu teachings, and Kurenai became upset.
• Kurenai grabbed Shunren's wrist and announced that she would take him home and teach him Genjutsu.

Kurenai tested Shunren’s resistance to Genjutsu and taught him the Mirage Technique. Shunren quickly dispelled the barrier illusion and cast his own Genjutsu on his first try, creating an apparition he named Shirou Emiya.

• Kurenai took Shunren to the Yuhi Clan’s Genjutsu dojo and sent him into a barrier to test his mental reactions.
• Shunren overcame the barrier’s illusions of heights, falling, and darkness, then dispelled them by forming the Ram seal after Kurenai instructed him.
• Kurenai demonstrated the Mirage Technique, making Shunren mistake her illusion for her real body and take a punch.
• Shunren understood how Genjutsu could make falsehood seem real and copied Kurenai’s hand seals to cast the technique himself.
• Shunren created an apparition of a red-haired young man in unfamiliar clothes and told Kurenai she could call him Shirou Emiya.

Shunren and Kurenai tested their Genjutsu skills with the Mirage Technique, and Kurenai outmaneuvered him by turning his own trick against him. They began a second spar, determined to learn from their mistakes.

• Kurenai and Shunren used the Mirage Technique to create illusions of themselves and fought while trying to identify each other’s real bodies.
• Shunren spotted a fake Kurenai and kicked the real one, but Kurenai used another illusion to make him think he had won and placed a Kunai at his neck.
• Kurenai praised Shunren for learning and applying the technique quickly, and the two became friendly after their spar.
• Shunren accepted Kurenai’s invitation to continue sparring, and they began a longer, more intense Genjutsu battle.

Shunren trained alone in the Uchiha Clan's back mountain by using Genjutsu to spar with an illusion of Shirou Emiya. After Uchiha Mangshan and his followers mocked him, Shunren left, focused on the survival exercise scheduled in three days.

• Shunren used Genjutsu to create Shirou Emiya and practiced swordsmanship against the stronger illusion.
• Shunren defeated the illusion by avoiding its direct attacks and striking from the side.
• Uchiha Mangshan and his followers arrived and mocked Shunren for training with imaginary weapons and being unable to use Ninjutsu.
• Shunren ignored their insults and left, thinking about the upcoming survival exercise at the Land of Fire's western border.

Shunren arrived at the Ninja Academy for a border survival exercise and became Kurenai’s partner after she rejected Asuma’s offer. As Asuma’s anger over their friendship escalated, instructor Feimu intervened before a fight began.

• Shunren met Kurenai at the Academy, where they greeted each other as friends after practicing Genjutsu together.
• Asuma grew angry watching Shunren and Kurenai talk, driven by jealousy and resentment over Shunren’s earlier draw against him.
• Asuma told Shunren to leave so he could speak with Kurenai, but Kurenai rebuked him and refused to team up with him for the exercise.
• Kurenai declared that Shunren was already her partner, and Shunren accepted while Asuma glared at him furiously.
• Asuma looked ready to attack Shunren, but Feimu shouted that any students who fought would be barred from the exercise and receive a zero.

Shunren and Kurenai struggled to find a third teammate for the survival exercise while Shunren worried that the approaching war could make the outing dangerous. Feimu brought Shizune from another class to complete their team, and the group prepared to leave.

• Asuma left after Shunren stood up to him, and Feimu ordered the students to form teams of three.
• Shunren and Kurenai found themselves without a third teammate, so Shunren asked Feimu to find someone to fill the spot.
• Shunren warned Kurenai to prepare for danger, believing the survival exercise near the Land of Wind could coincide with the coming war.
• After Obito failed to arrive, Feimu went to another class and brought back Shizune to join Shunren and Kurenai.
• Shizune introduced herself shyly, and Shunren recognized her as a future medical ninja and Tsunade's disciple.

Obito arrived late and was reassigned to another class’s team as the students set out from Konoha for a survival exercise. Shunren, Kurenai, and Shizune discussed their ambitions and planned how to fight together, with Shunren agreeing to handle close combat despite his lack of Ninjutsu.

• Feimu angrily sent the late Obito Uchiha to join another class’s short-handed team.
• Shunren asked Shizune about Medical Ninjutsu, and she explained that she knew some medicine preparation and hoped to become a medical-nin.
• Kurenai and Shizune shared their ambitions, while Shunren said he probably would not take the early Genin graduation exam.
• Shunren proposed that he fight up close, Kurenai use Genjutsu from the rear, and Shizune provide long-range support.
• Kurenai questioned Shunren’s Taijutsu and his ability to use his trump card, but Shunren said he had trained enough to maintain it for five or six seconds.
• Kurenai promised to finish enemies with Genjutsu, and Shizune offered to handle recovery with the medicine she had prepared.

Shunren’s group reached the border of the Land of Fire and set up camp for their survival exercise, where Shunren stayed alert while his teammates rested. A disguised attacker killed the Konoha teacher Feimu and looked toward Shunren’s position, leaving the camp’s safety in doubt.

• Shunren and the other students reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind and pitched camp on a mountainside.
• Shunren told Shizune to set traps, and his group arranged watches while the students settled in for the night.
• Shunren sensed a disguised rabbit nearby and recognized it as Feimu, a Konoha teacher observing the students.
• An unseen attacker stabbed Feimu with a poisoned blade, took his body, cleaned the blood, and glanced toward Shunren.

Shunren witnessed the mysterious man kill Feimu and barely survived the man’s search by using the Mirage Technique to mislead him. After reuniting with Kurenai and Shizune, Shunren hurried them out of the woods.

• The mysterious man returned to the grove, searched for Shunren, and threw Shuriken into suspicious hiding places, wounding Shunren.
• Kurenai and Shizune pretended to be Konoha teachers, prompting the mysterious man to leave rather than risk facing three Chunin.
• Shunren sent a Mirage Technique phantom to lure the mysterious man, who mistook it for an ordinary Clone Technique and believed Shunren knew nothing.
• After the mysterious man finally left, Shunren emerged from the bushes and removed two Kunai from his shoulder.
• Kurenai and Shizune arrived, and Shunren led them out of the woods.

After an attacker wounded Shunren and killed Feimu, Shunren recognized the enemy but hid the truth from Kurenai and Shizune. The next morning, the enemy appeared disguised as Feimu and sent the students on a border patrol, leaving Shunren alert to an impending danger he could not yet understand.

• Shizune treated Shunren’s shoulder wounds while he concealed the attacker’s identity and warned Kurenai and Shizune not to tell anyone about the night’s events.
• The next morning, Shunren recognized the teacher addressing the students as an impostor wearing Feimu’s face, though he pretended not to notice.
• The impostor questioned Shunren about his nighttime watch, then appeared convinced that Shunren had not uncovered his disguise.
• The impostor announced that the students would patrol the national border in groups, and Shunren prepared to stay vigilant.

During the survival exercise, Shunren led Kurenai and Shizune away from their assigned patrol area and toward a Uchiha border outpost. He used his shoulder wound to gain entry and get it treated, leaving his reasons for choosing the outpost unexplained.

• The survival exercise began, and Shunren worried about the danger facing the scattered rookie students.
• Shunren insisted that Kurenai and Shizune head west toward the stationed troops rather than patrol their assigned area to the east.
• A Uchiha guard detected the group, checked them for Chakra, and escorted them to Captain Fushan at the outpost.
• Fushan sent Hezi to treat the students, and Shizune chatted with the medical-nin as she removed Shunren's bandages.
• Hezi saw that Shunren's wound had penetrated muscle, and he claimed he had fallen and triggered his own trap.

An impostor wearing Feimu’s face slaughtered students and teachers during Konoha’s drill, then tested Asuma, Guy, and Rin, who recognized the danger and escaped. After marking them as having passed, he revealed a Sand Ninja disguise and ordered his forces to eliminate the Uchiha.

• The impostor posing as Feimu killed students and a Konoha teacher, wiping out 47 student groups and three teachers as he crossed the forest sectors.
• Rin sensed the impostor’s bloodshed and warned Asuma and Guy that he was not Feimu.
• The impostor attacked Asuma, but Asuma blocked his strike, and Guy knocked away the incoming Shuriken.
• Rin threw a smoke bomb, and Guy opened the third gate to carry Asuma and Rin to safety.
• The impostor marked Asuma, Guy, and Rin as having passed, removed Feimu’s mask, and ordered his disguised Sand Ninja forces to eliminate the Uchiha force.

After Hezi healed Shunren, the Uchiha garrison came under attack by disguised “Sand ninja,” who had already massacred students and teachers at the training area. Shunren tried to lead Kurenai and Shizune to safety, but the battle left both girls frozen with fear.

• Hezi finished treating Shunren and revealed that she was also related to the Uchiha by blood.
• A messenger reported that many Ninja Academy students and teachers had been found dead near the mountain, and Fushan questioned whether the Sand ninja were responsible.
• The Sand ninja attacked the garrison with Shuriken, catching several Uchiha ninja off guard.
• Hezi told Shunren, Kurenai, and Shizune to escape down the back of the mountain, then rushed out to treat the wounded.
• Shunren led Kurenai and Shizune out of the tent and protected Kurenai from a stray Shuriken as the Uchiha fought back.
• Shunren saw that Kurenai and Shizune were too frightened to move.

Shunren, Kurenai, and Shizune fought a Sand ninja who outmatched them, and Shunren’s illusions and swords failed to overcome his strength. After Shizune scattered Senbon across the enemy’s path, he praised their tactics and offered them a chance to live.

• Shunren used Yin Release: Projection and Kanshou and Bakuya to attack the Sand ninja, but the enemy saw through his illusions and knocked him away.
• Kurenai and Shizune joined the fight, but Kurenai was struck in the thigh by a Shuriken after Shizune deflected most of the enemy’s volley.
• Shunren launched a second surprise attack with his sword, but the enemy dodged it and Shunren’s blade cut only his chin.
• Shunren charged again, but the enemy broke his ribs with a punch and sent him spitting blood.
• Shizune scattered Senbon across the enemy’s path, prompting him to praise the three and offer them a chance to live.

The Uchiha squad was wiped out after Uchiha Fushan destroyed Hezi’s awakened Sharingan and fought to his death. Shunren identified the surviving attackers as Shimura Danzō’s Root Anbu and exposed their plan to force him and his companions into Root, then drew his swords to face them.

• The Uchiha fought the attackers until Uchiha Fushan and Hezi were the last survivors, and Fushan gouged out Hezi’s awakened Sharingan to keep it from the enemy.
• Uchiha Fushan killed three more enemies in a final charge and died after destroying his own eyes; only five of the more than sixty attackers survived.
• The attackers offered to spare Shunren and his companions if they killed the wounded Hezi, but Shunren recognized them as Konoha’s Root Anbu.
• Shunren explained that Root had disguised itself as Sand Ninja, attacked the students and teachers, and used Hezi’s execution to blackmail the children into joining.
• The Root ninja who had posed as Feimu challenged Shunren, and Shunren summoned his black and white swords.

Shunren struggled against a Root Ninja, then used Yin Release to create a massive black cleaver as all six Root Ninjas attacked him. He launched Getsuga Tenshō, but the chapter ended before revealing its effect.

• Shunren's mental-energy swords cracked, and a Root Ninja disarmed him and countered his attacks.
• Shunren used his disappearing sword to land a single kick, but it barely hurt the Root Ninja.
• Shunren concentrated his mental energy and began forming a giant blade through Yin Release, suffering severe pain and bleeding from his face.
• All six Root Ninjas drew their weapons and attacked Shunren together.
• Shunren invoked Yin Release: Projection, manifested a massive black cleaver, and swung it with Getsuga Tenshō.

Shunren exhausted himself projecting Zangetsu and unleashed Getsuga Tenshō against six Root Anbu, saving Kurenai and Shizune but collapsing. As Shizune stabilized him, two surviving Root Anbu rose and threatened the girls.

• Shunren projected Zangetsu for one second and fired Getsuga Tenshō at the six Root Anbu.
• The Root Anbu blocked the slash with six Water Formation Walls, but the attack killed three and left the others dead or badly injured.
• Zangetsu shattered, and Shunren collapsed after exhausting his Chakra and mental energy.
• Shizune injected Shunren with a cardiac stimulant and steadied his breathing while Kurenai acknowledged that he had saved them.
• Two Root Anbu got back up, assessed their companions, and turned on Kurenai and Shizune, who prepared to fight.

Kurenai, Shizune, and Shunren fought against Danzo’s Root Anbu, but their strength was nearly spent and they were overwhelmed. Just as a Root member prepared to take Shunren, a wounded Anbu sensed a dozen of the Hokage’s Anbu approaching and ordered a retreat.

• Kurenai’s Mirage Technique fooled a Root Anbu briefly, but he struck her with Earth Release, while another knocked Shizune down.
• Shunren sprang up and cut off one Root Anbu’s arm, but the other tackled him and left him unable to move.
• Shizune deflected a Kunai meant for Shunren, then took a Kunai wound while shielding herself with her backpack.
• Kurenai tried to attack the Root Anbu but was punched in the abdomen and fell.
• Shunren struggled to fight back, but his Projection failed, and a wounded Root Anbu sensed twelve of the Hokage’s Anbu nearby and called for an immediate retreat.