Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed Yuu’s battlefield tactics after Konoha’s victories against Iwagakure and realized Yuu excelled not only in strength but also in strategy. Hiruzen tried to reassure himself that Yuu was a monster and not worth comparing himself to.

• Reports arrived that Yuu’s precise judgments had helped Konoha strike Iwagakure’s supply lines and gain the advantage.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi revisited the Strategy Department’s proposal to use Yuu’s Sunagakure campaign as a case study in the Ninja Academy.
• Hiruzen recalled Yuu’s solo exploits and had dismissed the idea of teaching his strategies to younger ninja.
• After learning Yuu had planned attacks from the rear on the Stone Battlefield, Hiruzen read the proposal and was astonished by Yuu’s strategic ability.
• Hiruzen compared himself unfavorably with Yuu, then comforted himself by calling Yuu a monster who should not be compared to.

Hiruzen Sarutobi celebrated Yuu’s achievements and believed they had strengthened his faction, until an urgent report revealed that Iwagakure had mobilized against Yuu and Tsunade was asking Konoha for reinforcements. The chapter left Hiruzen stunned and furious at Yuu over the looming crisis.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi gloated that Danzo’s hopes of becoming Hokage had been crushed and imagined his faction choosing the next Hokage.
• An Intelligence Unit ninja rushed into Hiruzen’s office with an urgent report from the Stone Battlefield.
• The ninja reported that Iwagakure had committed its full strength to the front, and Ōnoki had issued a Kill Order against Saiki Yuu.
• Tsunade requested that Konoha send reinforcements as Iwagakure prepared to fight Yuu to the death.
• Hiruzen dropped his pipe, read the report, and roared at Yuu in despair.

Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Yuu’s taunting message had driven Ōnoki and Iwagakure toward a decisive battle with Konoha. He discovered the provocation stemmed from his own misleading description of Iwagakure’s ninja and ordered reinforcements sent to the Stone Battlefield.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi read the intelligence report that Yuu had killed two Elite Jonin and several Jonin from Iwagakure, then provoked Ōnoki with a humiliating message.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi assumed Yuu’s private letter was an apology, but it accused him of lying about Iwagakure’s ninja and asked to take over the Cloud Battlefield.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi realized his description had prompted Yuu to insult Iwagakure and feared that a decisive battle with Iwagakure was now unavoidable.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered reinforcements assembled and sent to the Stone Battlefield.

Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to keep Yuu on the Stone Battlefield by sending him an apologetic letter and promising rare wine. Yuu accepted the offer, having only pretended he wanted to transfer to the Cloud Battlefield, and remained alongside Tsunade as Konoha’s reinforcements headed their way.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi judged that war with Iwagakure was unavoidable and refused to let Yuu leave for the Cloud Battlefield.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi wrote Yuu an apologetic letter, promised him rare fine wine, and ordered the Intelligence Unit to deliver it privately.
• Tsunade gave Yuu the letters from Konoha, including Hiruzen Sarutobi’s private message.
• Yuu read Hiruzen Sarutobi’s letter and smiled at the promise of rare wine.
• Yuu revealed that he had only pretended to want to go to the Cloud Battlefield and stayed with Tsunade on the Stone Battlefield.

Yuu used the Hokage’s letter to extort him, then learned from Tsunade that Iwagakure had gathered nearly all its forces for a major attack. The chapter left Yuu facing a battle that could include Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s two Jinchuriki.

• Yuu let Tsunade read the Hokage’s letter after demanding a playful payment from her.
• Tsunade was astonished by the letter and said the old man had gone all out.
• Yuu revealed that his threat to go to the Cloud Battlefield had only been a way to extort the Hokage.
• Tsunade warned Yuu that Iwagakure had assembled nearly all its forces and might bring its Jinchuriki to the battlefield.
• Tsunade said Iwagakure’s Ōnoki and the two Jinchuriki made three formidable opponents, while Yuu would be Konoha’s main force.

Yuu vowed to take down Ōnoki and Iwagakure after learning their forces were not as formidable as he had expected. Meanwhile, Ōnoki assembled Iwagakure’s main forces for a decisive battle against Konoha and assigned the Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki to kill Yuu.

• Yuu angrily blamed Ōnoki for letting Iwagakure’s ninjas grow complacent and vowed to defeat him.
• Higashi reported that all reinforcements had arrived at Iwagakure’s frontline camp, where Ōnoki gathered his forces.
• Kitsuchi promised to kill Saiki Yuu and restore Iwagakure’s honor.
• Ōnoki ordered Roshi and Han to take on Saiki Yuu, and both Jinchuriki agreed to kill him.
• Iwagakure assembled more than ten thousand troops, and Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s Think Tank began planning the decisive battle against Konoha.

Ōnoki prepared Iwagakure for a possible all-out war with Konoha while weighing the threat of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Nine-Tails. After Saiki Yuu’s insult became public, Iwagakure’s need to restore its reputation sharpened the standoff, which ended with both villages poised for war.

• Ōnoki stayed wary of Konoha’s forces and planned for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Nine-Tails to enter the battle.
• Iwagakure mobilized weapons and supplies for the Stone Battlefield, drawing attention across the Shinobi World.
• Interested parties revealed Saiki Yuu’s words to Ōnoki, and other villages understood why Iwagakure was preparing to fight.
• The Shinobi World recognized that Iwagakure believed it had to kill Saiki Yuu to restore its honor and protect its mission income.
• Konoha and Iwagakure stood ready to erupt into war.

The Third Raikage celebrated Saiki Yuu’s public jab at Ōnoki, delaying thoughts of the war against Konoha. At Konoha’s front line, Minato arrived from the Cloud Battlefield, boosting Tsunade’s confidence.

• The Third Raikage recalled how Kumogakure’s reckless campaigns in the Land of Earth had repeatedly fallen into Iwagakure’s traps and fueled his resentment toward Ōnoki.
• After hearing Saiki Yuu had said Ōnoki should learn from Kumogakure, the Third Raikage ordered a grand feast and put off considering an attack on Konoha.
• Minato arrived at Konoha’s front line camp, surprising Yuu, and said the Third Hokage had sent him.
• Tsunade welcomed Minato and said his arrival gave them more confidence, recognizing his fame as the Yellow Flash and his Flying Thunder God Technique.

Yuu learned from Minato that Jiraiya had helped get him transferred to the Stone Battlefield and grew angry after confirming that Kumogakure’s ninja were especially physically strong. Tsunade reported that Iwagakure’s Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki had reached the front lines, leaving the Konoha leaders to plan how to separate them from the main force.

• Yuu asked Minato whether Jiraiya had sent him a message, and Minato revealed Jiraiya had been asking about a game Yuu liked.
• Yuu realized Jiraiya had joined forces with Hiruzen Sarutobi to trick him into transferring to the Stone Battlefield and vowed to settle the score.
• Yuu asked Minato about Kumogakure’s physical strength, and Minato confirmed that Cloud ninja were formidable at taijutsu.
• Tsunade told Yuu and Minato that Iwagakure’s Four-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki had arrived at the front lines.
• Tsunade and Shikaku Nara considered how to draw the Jinchuriki away from Iwagakure’s main force.

Yuu decided to use himself as bait to attack Iwagakure camps, despite Tsunade’s fears, and left for the Stone Battlefield with Minato. Tsunade had insisted Minato accompany him, and Yuu reminded Minato that he still owed him a hundred wild game meals.

• Yuu proposed attacking several Iwagakure camps alone and asked Shikaku to mark camps with plenty of liquor.
• Tsunade argued against Yuu’s plan, then agreed on the condition that Minato accompany him.
• Yuu complained to Minato about being made to come along, but accepted his presence.
• Yuu told Minato he would forgive him this time but still expected a hundred wild game meals.

Yuu and Minato approached an Iwagakure camp to complete their mission, but Yuu ignored Minato’s infiltration plan and headed out to attack directly. The Stone Ninjas confidently discussed the war and the powerful fighters at the front, unaware of Yuu’s approach.

• Yuu reminded Minato that Jiraiya owed him a hundred meals of wild game, and Minato reluctantly accepted responsibility for hunting them.
• Minato led Yuu to an Iwagakure camp and began explaining how he planned to infiltrate it and plant Explosive Tags.
• Yuu ignored Minato’s plan, handed him his sword, and prepared to attack the camp with his fists.
• The Stone Ninjas discussed whether Iwagakure could win the war and praised Roshi, Han, and the Tsuchikage.
• The Stone Ninjas boasted that Roshi or Han would defeat Saiki Yuu, then one of them noticed something.

Saiki Yuu attacked an Iwagakure camp and broke through its gate with a punch. The Stone Ninjas recognized him but grew hopeful when they saw he was not carrying a sword.

• Yuu rushed the Iwagakure camp and shattered its gate with an Armament Haki-coated fist.
• The Stone Ninjas gathered at the breach after raising the alarm.
• The camp commander recognized Yuu as the feared Saiki Yuu and panicked.
• A Stone Ninja noticed Yuu had no sword, prompting the others to reconsider their chances.

Saiki Yuu arrived at an Iwagakure camp without his sword, and the Stone Ninja mistook him for an easy target. As several Special Jonin attacked, Yuu used Armament—Hardening to shatter their hands.

• The Iwagakure commander rallied the Stone Ninja by urging them to kill Yuu and avenge their fallen comrades.
• Yuu mocked the Stone Ninja and clenched his fists, provoking them into attacking.
• Several Iwagakure Special Jonin used Earth Style—Stone Transformation Technique to petrify their right arms and charged Yuu.
• Yuu activated Armament—Hardening as the Special Jonin struck him, and their hands broke while they screamed in pain.

Yuu fought the Iwagakure forces at their camp, shattering their hardened fists and covering himself in Full Body Armament Haki. He charged into the remaining stone ninja and began cutting through them with his Observation Haki guiding his attacks.

• Yuu shattered the arms of several Iwagakure ninja, leaving them howling in pain.
• Yuu used Full Body Armament Haki to cover himself in a metallic sheen.
• The Iwagakure jonin ordered his forces to attack Yuu despite their fear.
• Yuu appeared among the charging stone ninja and used Observation Haki to track their movements as he attacked them with his fists, legs, and elbows.

Yuu slaughtered the Stone Ninjas with taijutsu, shattering their confidence in Iwagakure’s petrification techniques. Minato arrived beside him as the camp’s surviving commander broke down.

• Yuu killed the Stone Ninjas with punches, kicks, and elbows, overcoming their petrified bodies.
• The surviving Stone Ninjas fled, but Yuu caught and killed them.
• The Iwagakure jonin was left alone with Yuu and became terrified and enraged at seeing Iwagakure’s close-combat techniques defeated.
• Minato appeared beside Yuu with Yuu’s sword and watched the jonin’s breakdown without sympathy.

Yuu forced the Iwagakure ninja to fetch Fine Wine 520, while Minato realized Yuu’s true motive had nothing to do with undermining Iwagakure. The story then shifted to Ōnoki and Iwagakure’s Think Tank planning their battle against Konoha, with most strategies prioritizing Yuu’s death.

• Yuu told the Iwagakure jonin to make the stone ninja train their bodies so he could cut them more easily.
• Yuu demanded all the Fine Wine 520 in the camp, and the frightened jonin hurried to the warehouse.
• Minato lost his admiration for Yuu’s supposed insight, but Yuu mistook his reaction for further admiration.
• Yuu asked Minato to help him with something, leaving Minato uneasy.
• Ōnoki discussed battle strategies with Iwagakure’s Think Tank, and most plans prioritized killing Yuu.

Ōnoki debated whether Iwagakure should risk its war effort to kill Saiki Yuu, but an urgent report revealed that Saiki Yuu had attacked a camp in Iwagakure’s rear. The report began to describe how he had killed the camp’s stone ninja, then stopped before revealing what happened next.

• The Think Tank argued that Iwagakure should prioritize winning the war rather than risking its forces to kill Saiki Yuu.
• Ōnoki weighed the danger of committing Roshi and Han to an assassination attempt and began to waver.
• An Iwagakure Intelligence Unit member interrupted the meeting with urgent news about Saiki Yuu.
• The intelligence member reported that Saiki Yuu had appeared at a rear camp and killed everyone there, then began to explain how he did it.

Saiki Yuu slaughtered an Iwagakure camp using taijutsu and left a taunt praising muscle training, enraging Ōnoki. The phrase spread across the Shinobi World, where the Third Raikage and Kumogakure welcomed it as praise for their training methods.

• Ōnoki rushed to the Iwagakure camp, believing Saiki Yuu had insulted Iwagakure's Earth Style techniques.
• Ōnoki found the camp's ninja dead and read Saiki Yuu's message: “Train your body every day. Muscles are Iwagakure's future.”
• Ōnoki ordered every search unit to locate Saiki Yuu and sent Roshi and Han to kill him.
• The story of Saiki Yuu's taunt spread through the Shinobi World after he had attacked the camp with taijutsu alone.
• The Third Raikage laughed at the message, extended his banquet, and offered to send Kumogakure elites to teach Iwagakure muscle training.

Kumogakure celebrated Saiki Yuu’s praise by pausing its battles against Konoha, leaving the Cloud Battlefield eerily calm. Orochimaru and Jiraiya anticipated that Yuu would come to the front once the Stone Battlefield war ended.

• Kumogakure’s shinobi felt acknowledged by Saiki Yuu’s praise and began calling him the cutest enemy.
• Jiraiya learned that Minato had been transferred to the Stone Battlefield and that Kumogakure had stopped fighting to hold banquets.
• Jiraiya complained about Kumogakure’s reaction while Orochimaru looked forward to seeing their response when Yuu arrived.
• Orochimaru warned Jiraiya that the Stone Battlefield war might end soon and Yuu would then come to the Cloud Battlefield.
• Jiraiya realized Yuu would likely join the Cloud Battlefield and grew worried about facing him.

Jiraiya worried that Yuu would soon crush Iwagakure and considered catching rare game to appease him, while Ōnoki struggled to locate Yuu as he continued attacking Iwagakure’s camps. The chapter left Iwagakure’s frontline under growing pressure, with Yuu’s latest strike reaching close to the Land of Earth’s borders.

• Jiraiya considered hunting rare game for Yuu and hoped Iwagakure would hold out longer before Yuu attacked.
• Jiraiya and Orochimaru recalled Yuu’s past violence and silently agreed that Iwagakure should last a while longer.
• Ōnoki demanded to know why his forces had not found Saiki Yuu after deploying more than half of Iwagakure’s Surprise Attack Unit.
• Ōnoki learned that Saiki Yuu had destroyed another camp, this time near the borders of the Land of Earth.