Chapter Summaries

After months of training, Sasuke reviewed his progress in sealing, swordsmanship, and ninjutsu, then decided to explore smaller countries in search of rogue ninjas and useful techniques. The next day, he headed for the Docks to rest before continuing his travels.

• Sasuke finished bathing, washed and dried his clothes, then caught fish and hunted game to prepare a substantial meal.
• While eating, Sasuke assessed his progress in Sealing Technique and found he could incorporate Water and Fire nature transformations into some seals.
• Sasuke reflected on his improved swordsmanship and Chidori techniques, while deciding not to experiment with activating his cells without Kumogakure's secret technique.
• Sasuke concluded that his strength had risen enough to qualify as a Special Jonin and potentially stand among the Jonin if he went all out.
• Sasuke decided to travel through smaller countries to hunt rogue ninjas and seek useful secret techniques.
• After a quiet night, Sasuke headed for the Docks at speed, intending to rest for a few days.

Sasuke learned that Kumogakure and Kirigakure ninjas had been searching for him, then left the Land of Whirlpools for the Land of Grass to avoid trouble and continue training. He did not know Danzo had already revealed his whereabouts to his pursuers.

• Sasuke visited Musashi Ichiro at the Docks and learned that several groups, including ninjas from Kumogakure and Kirigakure, had searched for him.
• Sasuke concluded that the Kumogakure pursuers wanted revenge for the Forging Tournament but could not understand why Kirigakure was interested in him.
• Sasuke decided to travel through smaller countries and avoided the Land of Rain because of Akatsuki and the danger of exposing his Sharingan to Obito Uchiha.
• Sasuke boarded a ship to the Land of Fire and then headed toward the Land of Grass.
• Danzo passed Sasuke's whereabouts to Kumogakure and Kirigakure, and their pursuers set out after him.

Sasuke traveled through the Land of Fire while Danzo secretly helped Kumogakure and Kirigakure pursue him. Kumogakure's ninjas ambushed Sasuke, and their leader revealed that someone in Konoha wanted him dead.

• Sasuke continued traveling while training, despite knowing that his habits could expose his whereabouts.
• Danzo secretly passed Sasuke's information to Kumogakure and Kirigakure, arranging for the groups to follow separate routes.
• Kumogakure's ninjas set traps along Sasuke's route, while Kirigakure's group waited near the northwestern border.
• Sasuke sensed danger on a strangely deserted road and stopped before reaching the traps.
• A Kumogakure Jonin led two Chunin out to confront Sasuke while two others continued blocking the road.
• The Jonin told Sasuke that someone in Konoha wanted him dead, and Sasuke suspected Danzo.

Sasuke fought a Kumogakure squad that had ambushed him on Danzo’s tip, using War Soul and Lightning Release to kill one Chunin. He clashed with the squad’s Jonin, whose strength surprised him, as the battle continued.

• Sasuke drew War Soul and met the Kumogakure Jonin and two Chunin in a lightning-charged sword fight.
• Sasuke used War Soul’s extended reach to break away from the Jonin and catch a Chunin off guard with Chidori Sharp Spear, killing him.
• The Jonin revealed that he had joined the ambush to help his younger Brother avenge a failed private mission against Sasuke.
• The Jonin unleashed Lightning Slash, and Sasuke countered with Chidori Blade, their collision sending a shockwave through the area.

Sasuke fought four Kumogakure ninja while avoiding the Sharingan, using sealed Ninjutsu scrolls to break their coordinated assault. With two enemies forced back, he prepared to face the remaining pair, including his own enemy.

• Sasuke battled a Jonin and a Chunin, using swordsmanship and Tai Chi to turn their attacks against each other.
• Two more Chunin returned and joined the fight, leaving Sasuke outnumbered and wounded.
• Sasuke considered using the Sharingan but worried that Danzo's people might be watching.
• Sasuke used two scrolls containing sealed Ninjutsu to summon an earth dragon and a water dragon, forcing the Jonin and one Chunin back.
• Sasuke freed his hands and prepared to fight the remaining two ninja, including his enemy.

Sasuke fought the Kumogakure squad and killed its remaining Chunin, leaving only the enraged Jonin alive. The two warriors prepared to settle the battle with a final strike.

• Sasuke used Chidori: Sharp Spear to kill one Chunin, then focused on the last two enemies as the Jonin charged at him.
• Sasuke severed the remaining Chunin’s arm and pierced him through before throwing his corpse behind him.
• The Jonin activated Lightning Armor and battled Sasuke, while the last Chunin’s presence obstructed the Jonin’s attacks.
• The Jonin cut his own subordinate in two, and Sasuke retreated before preparing to fight him with both hands on War Soul.
• Sasuke and the Jonin charged at each other at high speed, each intent on ending the fight with one strike.

Sasuke defeated a Kumogakure Jonin after battling the enemy squad alone, then reunited with Kurenai Yuhi's team. The recovered scrolls contained Kumogakure Lightning Release techniques, including a secret technique Sasuke had wanted.

• Sasuke and the Kumogakure Jonin clashed with Lightning Release blades, and Sasuke cut through his opponent before collapsing from exhaustion and injuries.
• Kurenai Yuhi, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Hyuga Hinata arrived with the caravan, and Kurenai confirmed the Jonin was already dead.
• Sasuke told Kurenai that the Kumogakure ninjas had pursued him from the Land of Iron and that he had killed the squad using his swordsmanship.
• Kurenai and Hinata searched the dead ninjas' tool pouches and found several scrolls containing Kumogakure Lightning Release techniques.
• Kurenai handed the scrolls to Sasuke and asked him to give them to the village after studying them.

After killing Kumogakure ninja who ambushed him, Sasuke traveled with Kurenai Yuhi's team while recovering from his wounds. He remained determined to continue training outside Konoha and planned to head to the Land of Grass, where he worried he might encounter Akatsuki.

• Kurenai Yuhi directed Team 8 to seal the Kumogakure ninja corpses, and Sasuke had Inuzuka Kiba treat his wounds before changing clothes and putting his weights back on.
• Sasuke told Aburame Shino he planned to visit the Land of Grass before heading to the Land of Waterfalls, and he told Hinata he would keep training outside Konoha alongside Naruto.
• An emergency response team collected the sealed bodies to take back to Konoha, while Sasuke suspected Danzo had arranged the attack but kept silent without evidence.
• Sasuke set out with Kurenai Yuhi's team the next morning to recover while traveling, and he asked merchants about the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls, and nearby regions.
• While recuperating, Sasuke considered whether Konoha could withstand a full Akatsuki assault and thought about how to handle its members, especially Itachi.

After recovering, Sasuke resumed traveling and training toward the Land of Grass, unaware that Kirigakure had sent two Jonin and six Chunin to seize his sword, War Soul. With intelligence from Danzo’s people, the Kirigakure squad tracked Sasuke’s route and prepared an ambush near the border, while Tsunade’s efforts to monitor Danzo failed to stop the leaks.

• Sasuke recovered during two weeks with a merchant caravan, then departed and continued training cautiously on the road.
• Kirigakure ordered two Jonin and six Chunin to capture Sasuke and take War Soul for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
• Sasuke considered the Land of Grass’s history and confinement techniques as he approached its border.
• Kirigakure’s squad used intelligence from Danzo’s people to predict Sasuke’s route and wait near the Land of Fire border.
• The Kirigakure ninja discussed Sasuke’s strength and planned to exploit their numbers and Water Release to capture him.
• Tsunade dispatched Anbu to monitor Danzo again, but Kirigakure continued receiving intelligence as Sasuke walked toward their ambush.

Sasuke sensed Kirigakure ninja following him as he neared the Land of Grass and realized they planned to ambush him. When they rushed to surround him, Sasuke drew War Soul and charged toward the forest to break through.

• Sasuke continued training with his weights and traveled toward the Land of Grass.
• Sasuke sensed a group watching him and suspected the pursuers were from Kirigakure.
• Kirigakure’s ninja followed Sasuke in a loose encirclement, planning to seize War Soul and possibly kill him.
• Sasuke avoided stopping for lunch, leading the two Kirigakure Jonin to suspect he had discovered them.
• The Kirigakure ninja tightened their encirclement and charged, and Sasuke rushed left toward the forest with War Soul.

Sasuke escaped a Kirigakure ambush after killing a Chunin with War Soul, then led two pursuing Jonin on a prolonged chase. As night fell, he left two disguised Shadow Clones behind to learn the number and distance of the Chunin following them.

• Sasuke cut through a charging Kirigakure Chunin with War Soul and continued toward the forest.
• Two Kirigakure Chunin found their comrade split in half and stayed behind to remove the body and erase the evidence.
• Sasuke ran ahead of two Jonin, planning to wear them down and avoid fighting the full force of two Jonin and six Chunin at once.
• Sasuke and the Jonin pursued each other through the afternoon, each intending to exhaust the other.
• As darkness fell, Sasuke used the trees to leave two transformed Shadow Clones behind to assess the pursuing Chunin.

Sasuke used two Shadow Clones to ambush Kirigakure’s pursuing squads, injuring three Chunin and learning how the enemy was arranged. After the cleanup squad arrived, a clone launched a lethal attack, severing one pursuer’s leg.

• Sasuke’s Shadow Clones ambushed the second echelon of three Chunin with water arrows, wounding all three and slowing their pursuit.
• The Chunin defended themselves and overwhelmed one clone’s Water Dragon Bullet Technique, causing it to vanish and send its memories back to Sasuke.
• The wounded Chunin treated themselves and rested while the remaining clone watched, and Sasuke continued fleeing ahead of the Jonin.
• The third echelon found signs of a battle and began clearing the traces, revealing to Sasuke’s clone that all pursuers had been accounted for.
• Sasuke’s clone ambushed the cleanup squad with a High-Pressure Water Stream Technique and severed one man’s leg.

Sasuke used a Shadow Clone to delay two Kirigakure Chunin, then turned to fight the two Jonin pursuing him. After testing their abilities and separating them with Fire Release, he prepared to face them together.

• Sasuke's Shadow Clone used Water Stream Whip to pressure two Chunin, severing one man's leg before running out of Chakra and vanishing.
• Sasuke learned the positions and strength of the enemy's three groups and chose to confront the two Jonin pursuing him.
• Sasuke used Phoenix Sage Fire to make the Jonin split apart, then exchanged Taijutsu blows with one of them.
• Sasuke used Great Fireball against the first Jonin, who blocked it with Water Formation Wall, and attacked the second Jonin while steam obscured the first.
• Sasuke judged the Jonin's combat experience and prepared to test his boxing against their combined attack.

Sasuke fought two Kirigakure Jonin, using their attacks to sharpen his taijutsu before they trapped him in an open, flooded battlefield. The Jonin demanded his sword, but Sasuke refused and challenged them to fight with Water Release.

• Sasuke traded taijutsu blows with the two Jonin and instinctively refined his boxing as they fought across the ground and trees.
• The Jonin retreated and used Great Waterfall Technique, while Sasuke raised a Water Formation Wall to block their attack and escaped onto the water's surface.
• The Jonin explained that Kirigakure wanted Sasuke's sword and claimed someone from Konoha had supplied intelligence about him.
• Sasuke mocked Kirigakure for seeking his sword instead of commissioning one, then refused to surrender it.
• Sasuke used Water Stream Whip and challenged the Jonin to take his sword by force.

Sasuke fought two Kirigakure Jonin, using modified Water Release and Lightning Release techniques to keep them under pressure. The Jonin regrouped and combined their Water Dragon Bullet techniques, launching two entwined dragons at him.

• Sasuke used Water Dragon Whirlwind to sweep up the Jonin’s water dragons and send a torrent toward the Jonin on the right.
• Sasuke attacked the Jonin on the left with water arrows, a high-pressure stream, and Thunderclap Chains, forcing him to retreat underwater.
• Sasuke tried to strike the submerged Jonin with Chidori Sharp Spear, but the man dodged while the other Jonin returned and attacked.
• The two Kirigakure Jonin stood together and combined their Water Dragon Bullet techniques into two entwined dragons that charged at Sasuke.

Sasuke used steam, clones, and careful misdirection to overcome the two Kirigakure Jonin despite their combat experience. He killed both men and retrieved War Soul, but another Jonin approached as the battle ended.

• Sasuke closed in on the two Jonin and used the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique to create steam that obscured their vision.
• Sasuke sent a Shadow Clone into the steam while his true body entered the water, using their confusion to set up an attack.
• The Jonin countered Sasuke's Shadow Clone with a Water Clone, but Sasuke used his own clones to outmaneuver and kill him.
• Sasuke sank into the water to retrieve War Soul as the other Jonin rushed toward him.
• Sasuke's Water Clone disguised as the dead Jonin drew the arriving Jonin into a trap, allowing Sasuke to stab him from behind.

Sasuke killed the remaining Kirigakure Chunin after defeating their Jonin, then handed the bodies over to a Konoha patrol and chose to train near the border rather than travel to the Land of Grass. Tsunade used the incident to pressure Kirigakure for administrative authority over the Land of Whirlpools, and Konoha began massing ninja at the border.

• Sasuke recovered his Chakra while a Shadow Clone waited for the approaching Kirigakure Chunin.
• Sasuke and his Shadow Clone ambushed and killed three Chunin with the High Pressure Water Arrow Technique, then Sasuke killed the final two.
• Sasuke decided to train in the Land of Fire before heading to the border, where he planned to turn over the Kirigakure bodies.
• Sasuke met a Konoha patrol before dawn, showed his identification, and handed over the bodies and Ninja Tool Pouches.
• Tsunade challenged Kirigakure over its incursion and demand for Second Pillar's sword, while Konoha gathered forces at the border and demanded authority over the Land of Whirlpools.

Itachi trained in the Land of Grass for a year and awakened the Four-Tomoe Sharingan, while Sasuke continued developing his abilities in hiding. Sasuke discovered that his water-infused Rasengan could freeze, leaving him to consider how to use the ice sphere.

• Itachi left the Land of Rain for the Land of Grass and began training with weighted gear while keeping his Three-Tomoe Sharingan activated.
• Itachi trained for over half a year, recalling his past with Sasuke and hoping his damaged eyes could be saved.
• After a year of training, Itachi awakened the Four-Tomoe Sharingan and gained the ability Amaterasu, then concealed his eyes with sunglasses.
• Sasuke trained with four Shadow Clones in swordsmanship, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Sealing Technique, and the Rasengan while developing Lightning Style Jutsu.
• Sasuke infused his Rasengan with Water Release Chakra, and the spinning sphere froze into ice as he considered how to use it.

Sasuke experimented with combining Water Release Rasengan and Fire Release Chakra, discovering two new techniques. He left the training area eager to keep improving his ninjutsu, while deciding that combining his Rasengan techniques would have to wait.

• Sasuke threw an ice ball that exploded against a distant tree, then reflected on the limits of his bloodline and the Sharingan.
• Sasuke resumed training and found that carefully spinning a Water Release Rasengan froze its surface, naming the technique Rasengan Ice Howl.
• Sasuke compressed Fire Release Chakra into a Rasengan until it exploded, naming the technique Rasengan Flame Burst.
• Sasuke compared the two techniques and decided to postpone combining them while he worked on improving his Thunderclap Chains sealing technique.

Itachi Uchiha trained in the Land of Grass and awakened the Four-Tomoe Sharingan while rebuilding his neglected skills. Sasuke planned to bring Itachi back to Konoha with a team recruited from Orochimaru’s resources, after the brothers killed Danzo and exposed the Uchiha Clan’s destruction as a conspiracy.

• After a year of hard training, Itachi Uchiha awakened the Four-Tomoe Sharingan and recovered much of his former combat strength.
• Obito Uchiha stayed hidden, while the Akatsuki left Itachi Uchiha alone as he trained in the Land of Grass.
• Orochimaru recovered from his body transfer and asked Yakushi Kabuto for news about Sasuke.
• Yakushi Kabuto gave Orochimaru reports from Konoha, and Orochimaru was surprised by how quickly Sasuke had grown through his own strength.
• Sasuke planned to recruit Hozuki Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo from Orochimaru’s ranks to form a team for Itachi when he returned to Konoha.
• Sasuke planned for the brothers to kill Danzo and use the Sharingan on his body to prove the Uchiha Clan’s destruction was a conspiracy.