Chapter Summaries

On the day of the Chunin Exams’ official matches, Lin Ke watched the Konoha Crush unfold and chose to intervene when Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage attacked the Third Hokage. He destroyed the Four Violet Flames Formation, leaving Orochimaru’s invasion plan in jeopardy as Anbu arrived.

• Lin Ke watched Naruto defeat Temari and Rock Lee battle Gaara while considering the coming attack and his own role in it.
• Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage revealed their betrayal, attacked the Third Hokage, and raised the Four Violet Flames Formation around the rooftop.
• The Third Hokage interrupted Orochimaru’s attempt to summon a third coffin but was caught by the Fourth Kazekage’s Quicksand Gold.
• Lin Ke cut through the barrier with his Chakra Scalpel and landed beside the Third Hokage as Anbu rushed in.
• The Fourth Kazekage warned Orochimaru that his plan had problems, while Baki and the other guards fell back to defend themselves.

Lin Ke awakened Stand: Sethan and used it to restore the Third Hokage to his prime while a fully transformed Gaara ravaged the arena. Orochimaru and the Sound Four escaped, leaving Lin Ke and the other Konoha ninja to face Sunagakure’s fighters.

• The First and Second Hokage emerged through Impure World Reincarnation, and Orochimaru placed control talismans in their brains.
• Lin Ke transformed his shadow into a monstrous Stand, which appeared as Gaara’s rampage pushed the arena toward collapse.
• Lin Ke touched the Third Hokage’s shadow with Sethan and reversed his age, restoring his youth and strength.
• The Third Hokage and Second Hokage fought the Fourth Kazekage while Lin Ke realized Orochimaru and the Sound Four had fled.
• Baki attacked Lin Ke with an invisible Wind Blade, but Yuhi Kurenai, Temari, and Kankuro joined the fight nearby.

As the Kage battle left Konoha’s forces at a tense standoff with Sunagakure, Lin Ke rushed to stop Gaara’s transformation. Yakushi Kabuto escaped after confronting Second Pillar and Naruto’s team, while Rock Lee lay helpless before Shukaku until a sudden blade flash interrupted the monster’s attack.

• Baki held back Kankuro and Temari and sent them to find Gaara as the Sunagakure ninja prepared for the possibility of surrender.
• Lin Ke sprinted after the trail Shukaku had left when the ruined arena collapsed.
• Yakushi Kabuto severed Second Pillar’s arm with a Chakra Scalpel and tried to recruit him to Orochimaru’s side.
• Naruto attacked Kabuto’s Shadow Clone while Shikamaru restrained it, and the real Kabuto vanished from a nearby rooftop.
• Rock Lee exhausted his body leading Gaara away from the village, and Shukaku raised a claw to kill him before a flash of blade light appeared.

Lin Ke defeated Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, then treated Rock Lee’s critical injuries while the Third Hokage fought Rasa. The chapter ended with the Third Hokage sparing Rasa and asking why he was waiting.

• Lin Ke cut through Gaara’s tailed beast transformation, knocked him unconscious, and caught him before he hit the ground.
• Temari and Kankuro confronted Lin Ke, but Set God’s shadow regressed them to two-year-olds and left Crow uncontrolled.
• Lin Ke laid Rock Lee down, treated his failing heart and lungs, and used the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique on him.
• The Third Hokage defeated the reanimated Hokage and broke through Rasa’s Quicksand Gold defenses while enduring Rasa’s attacks.
• Rasa accepted the prospect of death, but the Third Hokage stopped his attack and asked what he was waiting for.

Rasa surrendered Sunagakure to Konoha after Baki took responsibility for the invasion and killed himself, bringing the fighting to an early end. As Konoha began treating the wounded and capturing remaining enemies, Lin Ke found Second Pillar injured and treated him.

• Baki arrived, claimed responsibility for the invasion with Orochimaru, and killed himself with a Wind Blade.
• Lin Ke returned with Rock Lee, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari, and Rasa surrendered on behalf of Sunagakure.
• Sunagakure's ninjas surrendered and were taken into custody as Konoha's Medical Team treated the wounded.
• Temari grieved as Baki's head was sealed, while Kankuro was led away with her.
• The Third Hokage praised Lin Ke, and Jiraiya arrived after the fighting had ended.
• Lin Ke found Second Pillar wounded beside three Sound Ninja Village corpses, learned that Naruto and the others had gone to support the school, and treated his injured arm.

Lin Ke treated Sasuke after the battle, and Sasuke vowed to kill Danzo and Itachi himself while Lin Ke encouraged him not to bear his burdens alone. Orochimaru chose to avoid provoking Lin Ke and secretly traded scrolls with Danzo, while Itachi and Kisame watched Konoha recover before leaving the wall.

• Lin Ke healed Sasuke's arm, and Sasuke said he would kill Danzo and Itachi with his own hands.
• Lin Ke reassured Sasuke that he did not have to act alone, and Sasuke agreed before heading to the Ninja Academy to train.
• Lin Ke considered how to use Tailed Beast chakra and whether to seek help with Sealing Jutsu.
• Yakushi Kabuto reported his failure to Orochimaru, who decided not to capture Lin Ke until they understood his seal and exchanged scrolls with Danzo through an Anbu ninja.
• Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki watched Konoha recover, then jumped down from the high wall.

After Konoha’s leaders debated the aftermath of the war, the Third Hokage promoted Lin Ke to Special Jonin. Lin Ke celebrated with his trainees, but their walk to dinner was interrupted when two figures in Black and Red Cloud Robes appeared ahead.

• The Third Hokage and Konoha’s senior ninja discussed war reparations, Sunagakure’s prisoners, reconstruction, and other postwar matters.
• The Third Hokage announced Lin Ke’s promotion to Special Jonin, and Mitarashi Anko and the other jonin congratulated him.
• At the Seventh Training Ground, Lin Ke celebrated with Yuan Wei, Xia, and Second Pillar, who told him they would soon leave on missions.
• Lin Ke and his trainees stopped on the quiet streets when Xia sensed trouble and Lin Ke spotted two figures in Black and Red Cloud Robes.

Lin Ke summoned several dead shinobi to help defend Konoha from Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki, who had come to recruit him. As the battle began, Lin Ke stayed out of Itachi’s range and started to understand what connected him to the dead he summoned.

• Lin Ke warned his teammates not to look at Itachi, then summoned his Anbu father, Uchiha Fugaku, and Baki through Rashomon.
• Itachi revealed that Akatsuki had come to recruit Lin Ke because of his special secret technique, but Lin Ke refused.
• Kisame attacked with a massive wave and Water Shark Bullets, and Fugaku destroyed several bullets before charging at the Akatsuki members with Sasuke.
• Lin Ke’s father was smashed apart while protecting Yuan Wei and Xia, then returned to the Pure Land.
• Baki joined the fight after Lin Ke warned that helping could let him return to the world of the living, and Lin Ke began to suspect that attachment connected him to the dead he summoned.

Lin Ke explained the dead he summoned and the Akatsuki attack to Konoha’s leaders, then began sharing what he knew about the Uchiha matter. The chapter left him preparing to reveal more of his knowledge to the Third Hokage.

• Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki withdrew after Kakashi arrived, while Uchiha Fugaku returned Sasuke to Lin Ke’s care.
• Lin Ke told Baki that Sunagakure had surrendered, and Baki and Fugaku went back through Rashomon.
• Kakashi took Sasuke to the hospital, and Lin Ke told Yuan Wei and Xia they would have barbecue next time.
• Lin Ke reported the Akatsuki’s attack and his summoning technique to the Third Hokage, who urged him to use it carefully.
• The Third Hokage asked Lin Ke how much he knew about the Uchiha, and Lin Ke admitted he knew a portion.

Lin Ke spoke with the Third Hokage about Itachi, the Uchiha Clan’s massacre, and Konoha’s failures, while the Hokage agreed to speak with Second Pillar. At the hospital, Sasuke apologized to Lin Ke for acting recklessly and vowed not to become a burden again.

• The Third Hokage told Lin Ke that Itachi had infiltrated Akatsuki as a spy and confessed that his own naivety had contributed to the Uchiha Clan’s tragedy.
• Lin Ke told the Third Hokage that he and Sasuke were no longer children, and the Hokage said he would speak with Second Pillar about Akatsuki.
• After Lin Ke left, Jiraiya told the Third Hokage that he would leave the village soon and take Naruto with him, while refusing to become Hokage.
• At Konoha Hospital, Sasuke apologized to Lin Ke for charging at Itachi and becoming a burden to his companions.
• Lin Ke told Sasuke that he had grown quickly and could pursue revenge after another year or two, and Sasuke vowed there would not be a next time.

Lin Ke encouraged Sasuke to discuss his conditions with the Third Hokage and pursue a future beyond revenge, while Sasuke admitted he wanted to join the Anbu. Later, a Root agent tried to recruit Sasuke, who refused to act without Lin Ke’s guidance but kept the agent’s contact codes.

• Lin Ke treated Sasuke and told him the Third Hokage was willing to talk, urging him to state his conditions.
• Lin Ke teased Sasuke about Sakura and offered to summon Uchiha Fugaku for advice, but Sasuke said he did not like Sakura.
• Sasuke told Lin Ke he planned to join the Anbu after becoming a Chunin so he could gain combat experience.
• After Lin Ke left, Sasuke thanked him and reflected on how much he wanted to protect the person who had protected him.
• A Root agent appeared in Sasuke’s hospital room and tried to recruit him, but Sasuke refused to act rashly and let the agent leave contact codes behind.

Lin Ke warned Sasuke not to rush into confronting Danzo, then reported Root’s harassment of Sasuke to the Third Hokage, who ordered Danzo summoned. Meanwhile, Temari and Kankuro remained under Anbu supervision in Konoha as they awaited peace talks and worried about Sunagakure’s losses.

• Lin Ke gave Sasuke a scroll, cautioned him about Danzo, and summoned Uchiha Fugaku so father and son could talk.
• Lin Ke reported Danzo and Root to the Third Hokage, who explained Root’s history and promised to handle the harassment.
• The Third Hokage ordered an Anbu member to summon Shimura Danzō after reviewing Konoha’s political and military difficulties.
• Morino Ibiki warned Temari and Kankuro that Anbu would accompany them until the peace talks were finished and forbade them from leaving Konoha.
• Temari worried about Sunagakure’s devastating losses and clenched her hand as she thought of Teacher Baki.

Uzumaki Naruto left the village with Jiraiya to train, while Hatake Kakashi told Haruno Sakura and Second Pillar that a new member would join Team 7. Later, Lin Ke was summoned to the Jonin Waiting Room for a mission and was unexpectedly hugged by someone who recognized him.

• Uzumaki Naruto agreed to leave the village with Jiraiya for training, and Hatake Kakashi encouraged him while offering Haruno Sakura a Genjutsu teacher.
• Lin Ke, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, and Second Pillar said goodbye to Uzumaki Naruto as he departed with Jiraiya.
• Hatake Kakashi told Haruno Sakura and Second Pillar that a new member would be assigned to Team 7 to fill Uzumaki Naruto's vacancy.
• Lin Ke entered the Jonin Waiting Room after Anbu summoned him for a mission from the Third Hokage.
• Someone called out to Lin Ke and hugged him as the other Jonin looked on.

Lin Ke discussed training and socialized with Mitarashi Anko and Asuma before the Third Hokage summoned him to a meeting about welcoming the Land of Wind Mission. The meeting appointed him to the delegation, and he left with invitations from his master and the Ino-Shika-Cho clan heads to visit their families.

• Lin Ke told Mitarashi Anko he had been training in Earth and Wind Release, and Asuma joined their conversation about Haruno Sakura's Genjutsu talent.
• An Anbu summoned Lin Ke to the Third Hokage's office, where he found Nara Shikaku, the clan heads, Hatake Kakashi, and Shimura Danzō gathered.
• Nara Shikaku nominated Lin Ke to join the delegation welcoming the Land of Wind Mission, and the Third Hokage appointed Hyuga Hiashi to lead it with Hatake Kakashi and Lin Ke as members.
• After the meeting, Nara Shikaku invited Lin Ke to dinner, while Yamanaka Haiichi and Akimichi Choza encouraged him to visit their families.

Lin Ke accepted Shimura Danzō’s apology and Sharingan scroll while privately maintaining his intent to kill him. Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi decided Lin Ke had to die to keep Sasuke on the path he had planned for him.

• Hyuga Hiashi invited Lin Ke and Hatake Kakashi to visit the Hyūga compound before the Land of Wind delegation arrived.
• Lin Ke left for the training grounds, but Shimura Danzō stopped him and apologized for his subordinate approaching Sasuke.
• Danzō gave Lin Ke a scroll of Uchiha Sharingan techniques and experiences, which Lin Ke accepted before leaving.
• Danzō regarded Lin Ke as a potentially useful future subordinate and left the Hokage Building confident in his plan to regain power.
• At the eastern border, Uchiha Itachi worried that Lin Ke was changing Sasuke’s path and decided to kill him.

Lin Ke discovered that a shadow clone could absorb tailed beast chakra and remain independently after the technique was dispelled, leaving him to investigate its strange properties. The next morning, exhausted from experimenting all night, he went with Hatake Kakashi into the Hyuga Clan compound.

• Lin Ke considered ways to use the stored Shukaku chakra and rejected absorbing or eating it himself.
• Lin Ke tested whether a shadow could drain a cube of tailed beast chakra, then made a shadow swallow some of the chakra.
• The shadow remained after the Shadow Clone Technique was dispelled, retaining its own stamina while staying connected to Lin Ke and obeying his commands.
• Lin Ke spent the night experimenting and split off five shadows, leaving himself exhausted.
• Hatake Kakashi noticed Lin Ke looked tired, and a Hyuga clansman led Lin Ke and Kakashi into the Hyuga Clan compound.

Lin Ke reflected on the Hyuga clan’s rigid hierarchy, trained with Sasuke, and used a Summoning Jutsu to bring Sasuke’s mother from the Pure Land. The chapter ended with Baki agreeing to teach Lin Ke Wind Blade if Lin Ke let him meet Temari.

• Lin Ke caught Sasuke’s attack and considered how the truth about Itachi had slowed Sasuke’s progress, deciding not to push him toward greater pain.
• Lin Ke used Sasuke’s identity to broadcast through the Pure Land, then continued investigating his Shadow Clone and tailed beast chakra technique.
• Lin Ke summoned Sasuke’s mother, and Sasuke tearfully ran to reunite with her.
• Lin Ke asked Baki to teach him Wind Blade, and Baki agreed in exchange for a chance to meet Temari.

Lin Ke spoke with Uchiha Mikoto and used his Summoning Jutsu to experiment with contacting souls in the Pure Land. His attempts to impersonate famous figures drew a flood of responses, but most souls realized he was lying and blocked him.

• Lin Ke considered selling his small apartment and renting a larger place closer to the village center.
• Baki reflected on Sunagakure's weakened position and considered investing in Lin Ke after seeing his powerful Summoning Jutsu.
• Uchiha Mikoto thanked Lin Ke for taking care of Sasuke and offered her help, then Rashomon pulled her, her husband, and Baki away.
• Lin Ke encouraged Second Pillar to train and practiced using the Summoning Jutsu to contact people through their relationships and identities.
• Lin Ke broadcast that he was Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, and the Sage of Six Paths, drawing overlapping replies from souls including Nawaki and Uchiha Mikoto.
• Lin Ke impersonated Nagato and added claims about Konoha facing a crisis, but the souls who recognized his lies blocked him.

Lin Ke summoned Baki so he could meet with Temari, then received a Wind Blade scroll in exchange. After Temari proposed meeting Baki again, Lin Ke set a price for future summons and continued creating shadows, ending with nine in his room.

• Lin Ke summoned Baki at Temari’s apartment and left them to talk, asking Temari to give him Wind Blade afterward.
• Lin Ke returned home, created three shadows with Tailed Beast Chakra Cubes, and named his shadow army the Black Shadow Legion.
• Temari gave Lin Ke a Wind Blade scroll and asked whether she could see Baki again.
• Lin Ke agreed to arrange another meeting in exchange for a new ninjutsu technique or money, then shut the door when Temari had neither.
• Lin Ke used Delicate Illness Extraction Technique on himself and created more shadows until nine stood in his room.

Lin Ke welcomed the Land of Wind Mission with Hatake Kakashi, then learned that Kakashi wanted him to heal Rock Lee’s severe injuries. Lin Ke agreed, leaving Lee’s recovery in his hands.

• Lin Ke and Hatake Kakashi joined Hyuga Hiashi in welcoming the Land of Wind Mission, whose envoy sought peace talks after Sunagakure’s failed invasion plan.
• After reporting to the Third Hokage, Kakashi invited Lin Ke to lunch at Ichiraku Ramen and admitted he had a favor to ask.
• Kakashi told Lin Ke that Yan Shui had recovered and suspected Lin Ke had healed him.
• Kakashi asked Lin Ke to help Rock Lee, whose injuries had left him unable to continue as a ninja.
• Lin Ke agreed to treat Rock Lee, and Kakashi thanked him before they ate.