Chapter Summaries

Ye Liangnai forced Sarui to surrender by threatening Killer B, then refused to release him and demanded compensation. Sarui agreed to negotiate rather than risk his army, and Ye Liangnai invited him to discuss terms in the Land of Waves.

• Ye Liangnai trapped Killer B in a barrier of dark red flames and threatened to extract the Eight-Tails unless Kumogakure ended the war.
• Ye Liangnai counted down, and Sarui announced that the Cloud Ninja surrendered.
• Ye Liangnai dismissed the barrier, seized Killer B, and demanded compensation instead of releasing him.
• Sarui threatened to fight to the death, and Ye Liangnai called on Kisame Hoshigaki and Kimimaro Kaguya to prepare for battle.
• Sarui accepted compensation negotiations, and Ye Liangnai invited him to talk in the Land of Waves.

The Fourth Raikage accepted Sarui’s terms, ending the brief war between Kumogakure and Kirigakure. Ye Liangnai collapsed from his wounds after the victory, survived emergency treatment, and woke the next day as news of Kumogakure’s defeat alarmed the other great powers.

• The Fourth Raikage woke and confirmed Sarui’s decision to accept Ye Liangnai’s terms, warning that he would attack Kirigakure if Ye Liangnai stopped growing stronger.
• Ye Liangnai promised the Fourth Raikage that such an attack would never happen, and the Cloud Ninja retreated as the war ended.
• After returning to the Land of Waves, Ye Liangnai vomited blood and collapsed, and Mei Terumi ordered the medical ninja to save him.
• The medical team treated Ye Liangnai for three hours and brought him out of danger.
• Ye Liangnai awoke a day later and regretted pushing himself so recklessly.
• News of Kumogakure’s defeat spread, and the leaders of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure recognized Kirigakure as a threat.

After Ye Liangnai defeated Kumogakure, the Third Hokage and Ōnoki worried about his growing power, while the leader of the Land of Rainbows panicked as his schemes against the Land of Water became difficult to stop. In the Land of Waves, Ye Liangnai visited Killer B and was then ordered by Mei Terumi to help handle negotiations with Kumogakure despite his injuries.

• The Third Hokage and Ōnoki feared Ye Liangnai might grow powerful enough to dominate the ninja world.
• The leader of the Land of Rainbows recalled his forces and tried to halt his economic intervention and schemes in the Land of Water, but learned they were already underway.
• Ye Liangnai visited Killer B in the Land of Waves dungeon and told him Kumogakure's representatives could soon secure his release through negotiations.
• Mei Terumi scolded Ye Liangnai for leaving bed while injured, then told him to help handle the negotiations with Kumogakure.

Ye Liangnai and Mei Terumi negotiated with the Fourth Raikage over Kumogakure’s terms after the conflict. The Raikage rejected the harsher proposal, and negotiations stalled under pressure to choose between two unequal agreements.

• Mei Terumi briefed Ye Liangnai on the negotiations as they headed to the meeting room, where the Fourth Raikage and Sarui were waiting.
• Ye Liangnai mocked the Fourth Raikage for complaining about their delay and insulted Kumogakure’s fighting strength, angering its representatives.
• Ao distributed Kirigakure’s first set of terms, including compensation, trade cooperation, recognition of the Two-Tails Jinchuriki as a Kirigakure citizen, and a five-year trading port arrangement.
• The Fourth Raikage objected to the trading port’s terms, so Ye Liangnai presented a harsher alternative demanding greater compensation, more ports, and other concessions.
• Mei Terumi demanded that the Fourth Raikage show sincerity, while he clenched his fists and let lightning flare as the negotiations grew tense.

After Kirigakure concluded its negotiations with Kumogakure, Hama Goro sought an alliance, and the returning army was celebrated as heroes. With compensation and new trade-port negotiations supporting the recovery, Mei Terumi turned her attention to rebuilding and governing Kirigakure.

• The Fourth Raikage accepted Ye Liangnai's first option, and Mei Terumi and the Fourth Raikage finalized the agreement after three hours of negotiations, releasing Killer B.
• Hama Goro asked to form an alliance with Kirigakure, and Mei Terumi invited him to discuss the terms.
• Kirigakure's army withdrew from the Land of Waves, and Ye Liangnai traveled home with Zabuza, Hozuki Suigetsu, and the others.
• Mei Terumi and the returning army received a warm welcome in Kirigakure, where the citizens celebrated their victory.
• Mei Terumi returned to the Mizukage's seat and began handling the village's recovery, funded by Kumogakure's compensation and the Nako Stone treasure.
• Kumogakure's funds arrived, and the Land of Water's daimyo sent officials to negotiate arrangements for a trade port with the Land of Lightning.

Mei Terumi rejected the Land of Water nobles’ unfair trade-port deal and was threatened and sexually humiliated by their envoy. Ye Liangnai beat the envoy and promised to make the daimyo return Kirigakure’s stolen benefits, leaving Mei Terumi worried about the consequences.

• Mei Terumi protested that the Land of Water’s daimyo had claimed most of the trade-port profits while burdening Kirigakure with construction costs and taxes.
• The envoy insulted Mei Terumi, threatened Kirigakure, and described her as suitable for enslavement, so Mei Terumi slapped him.
• Ye Liangnai arrived, struck the envoy, and beat him until he apologized and fainted.
• Ye Liangnai had Anbu lock the envoy in the Anbu prison and promised Mei Terumi he would handle the daimyo and protect Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi asked Ye Liangnai whether his plan would really be all right.

Ye Liangnai retaliated against the Land of Water's daimyo by ordering a raid on the daimyo's port and taking the Finance Minister's son hostage for ransom. He also planned to expand Kirigakure's intelligence network and establish a merchant association to sell the Nako Stone treasures.

• Ye Liangnai sent Kimimaro Kaguya and his pirates to attack the daimyo's port, and commissioned a mission through Yaqi Town.
• Ye Liangnai reassured Mei Terumi that Kirigakure would not submit to the daimyo, while she warned him not to escalate the conflict too far.
• Ye Liangnai threatened the Finance Minister's son in the dungeon, ordered his thumb cut off, and demanded a five-hundred-million ransom within three days.
• Ye Liangnai ordered Anbu to infiltrate the circles of important figures in the Land of Water and report their movements.
• Ye Liangnai proposed buying struggling merchant associations in the Land of Waves to sell the treasures from Nako Stone.

Ye Liangnai volunteered to devise rules for overseeing Kirigakure’s new operations, while Mei Terumi urged him not to take on too much. In the Land of Water, the daimyo and his ministers blamed Mei for failing to demand greater compensation and ordered Kirigakure’s annual funding cut by one-tenth.

• Mei Terumi approved Ye Liangnai’s idea but warned that keeping people loyal would require strict oversight and a system of rewards and punishments.
• Ye Liangnai accepted responsibility for designing the oversight system, and Mei Terumi reminded him to delegate and take care of himself.
• The Land of Water’s daimyo and ministers praised themselves for Kirigakure’s profits and accused Mei Terumi of failing to maximize the gains from the war.
• An official from the Ministry of Rites defended Mei Terumi’s reasonable settlement, but the daimyo dismissed him after other ministers accused him of disloyalty.
• The daimyo ordered the Finance Minister to warn Mei Terumi to be less timid and to deduct one-tenth of Kirigakure’s annual funding.

Two black-clad men threatened the Finance Minister with his son's severed finger and demanded a ransom, while a pirate raid plunged Daimyo City into chaos. The Daimyo ordered his forces to pursue the raiders after they escaped without being caught.

• Two black-clad men restrained the Finance Minister, showed him his son's finger, and demanded five hundred million in ransom at Yachi Town.
• A samurai named Denjiro approached the Minister's room but left when summoned by the Daimyo, allowing the black-clad men to escape after binding the Minister.
• The Finance Minister tried to call for help, but the black-clad men warned the guards that he was resting and threatened anyone who disturbed him.
• At Daimyo Port, at least five hundred pirates attacked Daimyo City, overwhelmed its guards, and seized several high-ranking officials.
• The pirates retreated before the elite troops could catch them, and the Daimyo ordered the Minister of War to pursue and destroy them.

The Land of Water’s Daimyo grew furious when Finance Minister Toi Ichiro failed to appear, but Toi sent a message and refused to leave his urgent business. The Daimyo granted him one more chance, while an infiltrator working for Ye Liangnai realized the attempt to manipulate the court had failed.

• The Daimyo ordered that Toi Ichiro be dismissed if he failed to appear within half an hour, and sent an official to investigate his absence.
• The official found Toi Ichiro at his residence, but Toi tore a strip from his robe, wrote a message on it, and hurried away without going to the Daimyo.
• The official reported Toi Ichiro’s refusal to attend, and the enraged Daimyo began to announce his replacement.
• The Minister of Etiquette, the Minister of Justice, and their allies pleaded for Toi Ichiro, while the Minister of Personnel and his supporters backed the Daimyo.
• The Daimyo gave Toi Ichiro one more chance and dismissed the ministers, unaware that the opposing factions had coordinated their performance.
• A black-clad man who had appeared at Toi Ichiro’s home recognized that Ye Liangnai’s plan to plant informants among the ministers had failed.

A Kirigakure spy’s plan to turn the daimyo against the Finance Minister faltered, so Ye Liangnai traveled to Yaqi Town with the Minister’s son. At the Bounty Office, Yoshiro attacked Ye Liangnai, who cut off his hand, but Yoshiro revealed Dark Release and sent a chakra-devouring hand toward him.

• A Kirigakure spy left the ministers’ meeting disguised as one of them after the plan to divide the daimyo and Finance Minister was shelved.
• Ye Liangnai ordered an Anbu to take the Finance Minister’s son to Yaqi Town and departed, while Mei Terumi worried about what might happen in his absence.
• Ye Liangnai entered the Bounty Office and sent his Anbu to find the Finance Minister.
• Yoshiro confronted Ye Liangnai, and Ye Liangnai cut off Yoshiro’s hand with a sudden attack.
• Yoshiro revealed his Dark Release, which swallowed the Anbu’s water blades, then formed a massive chakra hand and reached for Ye Liangnai.

Ye Liangnai effortlessly defeated Yoshiro and was identified by the crowd as the famed ninja. The Finance Minister arrived with the money Ye Liangnai had demanded, and an Anbu opened the case while the crowd stared at its contents.

• Ye Liangnai split Yoshiro's Dark Release and wounded him with a sword strike, warning him not to provoke him again.
• The crowd speculated about Ye Liangnai's identity as the Finance Minister arrived with his son Quan.
• Spectators recognized Ye Liangnai and recalled his reputation and Quan's earlier arrogance toward the Fifth Mizukage.
• The Finance Minister handed Ye Liangnai a case of money and demanded that he release Quan.
• Ye Liangnai told an Anbu to check the payment, and the Anbu opened the case to reveal a huge amount of money.

Ye Liangnai paid the Akatsuki Organization five hundred million to invade Daimyo City and kidnap the daimyo of the Land of Water. Pain accepted the mission, and the Akatsuki set off as Ye Liangnai looked forward to the turmoil.

• An Anbu confirmed that the Finance Minister had paid the full ransom, and Ye Liangnai released Watanabe Izumi.
• Watanabe Izumi threatened Ye Liangnai under his breath, so the Finance Minister covered his mouth and hurried away with him.
• Ye Liangnai used the ransom money to hire the entire Akatsuki Organization for one operation and told its representative he expected results.
• An Anbu worried that Ye Liangnai's scheme against the daimyo could bring consequences, but Ye Liangnai dismissed his fears and anticipated the coming spectacle.
• Hidan, Zetsu, Kakuzu, and Sasori discussed the mission to kidnap the daimyo, and Deva Path Pain led the Akatsuki toward the Land of Water.

Ye Liangnai returned to Kirigakure as Mei Terumi learned that Zabuza and the others were coming back and a trade representative was being contacted. The Daimyo of the Land of Water cut off Kirigakure’s economic support and demanded Ye Liangnai’s execution, so Mei Terumi rushed to stop Ye Liangnai from retaliating.

• Ye Liangnai returned to Kirigakure, where Mei Terumi reported that Zabuza and the others were about to arrive and Hama Goro had gone to contact the chamber of commerce’s representative.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Water confronted the Finance Minister over his deal with Ye Liangnai, then ordered all economic aid and preferential policies for Kirigakure revoked.
• The Daimyo demanded that Mei Terumi hand over Ye Liangnai for public execution and offered resources in exchange for her submission.
• Two days later, Ao informed Mei Terumi of the Daimyo’s orders, and she hurried to the Anbu to prevent Ye Liangnai from acting against him.

Mei Terumi urged Ye Liangnai to handle the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water’s sanctions without plunging the country into chaos, and he promised to take the lead. Once she left, Ye Liangnai resolved to answer the ruler’s attack forcefully, while reactions to the dispute spread across the nations.

• Mei Terumi found Ye Liangnai managing the Anbu calmly and asked how he would respond to the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water’s actions.
• Ye Liangnai assured Mei Terumi that he would not throw the Land of Water into chaos and asked her to let him act before she tried negotiating.
• After Mei Terumi left, Ye Liangnai revealed his anger and decided to make the Land of Water’s ruler understand that Kirigakure could not be bullied.
• People in the Land of Water debated why the Feudal Lord had cut Kirigakure’s support and whether he had a way to replace the village.
• The Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and other major nations questioned the wisdom of weakening Kirigakure, while nearby small countries hoped to exploit the conflict.

After the Land of Water’s daimyo cut off Kirigakure’s economic support, Ye Liangnai had the Akatsuki Organization abduct the daimyo, his sons, and several ministers. Mei Terumi worried that the crisis could destabilize both the Land of Water and Kirigakure, while Ye Liangnai left to handle the consequences himself.

• Mei Terumi announced that Kirigakure would negotiate peacefully with the Land of Water’s daimyo, while the Fourth Raikage doubted the dispute would end without Ye Liangnai taking action.
• Watanabe Izumi celebrated Kirigakure’s predicament and vowed to make Ye Liangnai and Mei Terumi pay.
• The Akatsuki Organization abducted the daimyo, his three sons, and several senior ministers, leaving the Land of Water’s leadership in disarray.
• Mei Terumi confronted Ye Liangnai, but he told her to guard Kirigakure and insisted that he would handle the matter himself.
• Mei Terumi went to deal with Yagura’s imprisoned former confidants before they could exploit the crisis and stir up trouble in Kirigakure.

While Ye Liangnai handled the Land of Water's daimyo, Kirigakure elders tried to exploit his absence to stir up trouble, but his allies intercepted them. Mei Terumi found the aftermath erased and spoke with Yugito, who had stayed behind to guard the village.

• The elders planned to incite Kirigakure's villagers and force Mei Terumi to act against Ye Liangnai.
• Juzo Biwa, Zabuza, Kisame Hoshigaki, and six Anbu blocked the elders and killed them after they tried to cause trouble.
• The Anbu sealed away the bodies and erased all traces before Mei Terumi arrived.
• Mei Terumi concluded Ye Liangnai was suited to become Anbu commander and discussed his decisiveness with Yugito.
• Yugito explained that Ye Liangnai had asked her to remain in Kirigakure and guard the village, and she complained that the threat had been suppressed too quickly.

Ye Liangnai met with the Akatsuki Organization in Faban Town and recovered the Land of Water’s daimyo and his companions, while Zetsu warned him that the Uchiha Clan might soon make a move. The daimyo and ministers angrily demanded their release and an apology, unaware of what Ye Liangnai intended to do next.

• Mei Terumi praised Yugito’s strength and welcomed the prospect of working with her, and Yugito departed.
• Kisame Hoshigaki began guarding the imprisoned Karatachi Yagura, who accepted his captivity and praised Kisame’s ability.
• Ye Liangnai met Deva Path Pain and the Akatsuki Organization in Faban Town, where they released the Land of Water’s daimyo and his companions.
• Zetsu told Ye Liangnai that the Uchiha Clan of Konoha seemed poised to act, and suggested their move might benefit him.
• Ye Liangnai kept the daimyo and ministers restrained as they shouted threats and demanded an apology.

Ye Liangnai rejected negotiations with the Land of Water’s leaders and moved to replace the daimyo’s rule, while Zabuza’s forces took control of Daimyo City. The other great nations feared his actions would inspire rebellion and began preparing to stop him.

• Ye Liangnai cut off the Minister of Etiquette’s arm, threatened the captive daimyo and ministers, and declared that he would establish a new order in the Land of Water.
• Ye Liangnai had the Anbu silence and remove the captives while turmoil spread through Daimyo City over the daimyo’s abduction.
• Pirates blocked the city’s departure ports, obscure ministers named the daimyo’s youngest son temporary ruler, and Zabuza arrived with five thousand Kirigakure troops.
• Zabuza claimed Kirigakure was acting on the daimyo’s orders and had dissenters killed as his forces took control of the city.
• A sealed order called for relocating the capital, but Daimyo City’s residents prepared to resist if the daimyo did not arrive within two days.
• The other four great nations reacted to Ye Liangnai’s actions with alarm and called for preparations to prevent him from succeeding.

Ye Liangnai seized control of the Land of Water, relocated its capital beside Kirigakure, and prepared for a war against the other great nations. As their armies were ordered to attack, Kirigakure's villagers and leaders feared the village could not survive.

• The daimyo of the other four nations ordered their ninja villages to join an assault on Kirigakure, while Konoha was distracted by an Uchiha rebellion and Akatsuki blocked Kumogakure's advance.
• Ye Liangnai brought the Land of Water's daimyo to Daimyo City, won soldiers and officials to his side, and used evidence of corruption to publicly execute four ministers.
• Ye Liangnai secured the relocation of the capital and established a shogunate that gave Kirigakure influence over the Land of Water's major decisions.
• Ye Liangnai led forty thousand surrendered troops and hundreds of thousands of residents toward Oruryu Town, near Kirigakure, gaining time to prepare for war.
• Kirigakure's villagers, elders, and Mei Terumi blamed or doubted Ye Liangnai as they feared the combined forces of four great ninja villages.