Chapter Summaries

After Obito and the others cheered Chiba up, Kushina saw that he was recovering from the betrayal and no longer alone. She left him Kento’s sword and two scrolls, along with a scroll entrusted by the Third Hokage, and Chiba wondered what Kento had left for him.

• Obito and the other youths left Chiba’s room after being scolded, while Kushina realized their antics had helped lift his spirits.
• Kushina asked Chiba about his injuries, and he said he was recovering; she told him she was simply glad he had returned safely.
• Kushina gave Chiba Kento’s Ninja Sword and two scrolls entrusted to her by Aburame Shitori, along with a scroll from the Third Hokage.
• Chiba thanked Kushina for worrying about him, then touched Kento’s scrolls and wondered what Kento had left for him.

Chiba read Shiga Takeyoshi’s file and learned that Shiga had been an Iwagakure spy whose revenge plot had helped cause the recent mission’s crisis. Understanding Shiga’s history and divided loyalties eased Chiba’s grief, though he still regretted that they could never fight as companions.

• Chiba opened the thick scroll the Third Hokage had given him and found Shiga Takeyoshi’s detailed ninja file.
• Chiba read Shiga’s records, including his orphan status, ninja statistics, training, missions, and the crimes listed after his betrayal was discovered.
• Chiba learned that Shiga had spied for Iwagakure after Rumi’s death, leaked intelligence, and helped arrange the fake Defense Map to seek revenge on those responsible.
• Chiba concluded that Shiga and Rumi had likely been biological siblings sent to Konoha as spies, but Shiga’s upbringing had tied him more closely to Konoha.
• Chiba accepted that Shiga had chosen revenge rather than betrayed a true companion, while regretting that he had hoped they could fight together.

Chiba read Shiga Takeyoshi’s classified dossier and understood that Shiga had been an Iwa spy, making his attempt to kill Chiba a choice rather than a betrayal. He reflected on Kento’s death and sacrifice, then reached for one of the two scrolls Kento had left behind.

• Chiba read Shiga Takeyoshi’s dossier and recognized how valuable detailed ninja intelligence could be.
• Chiba realized the Third Hokage had shown him the dossier to help him understand Shiga’s motives and let go of his grief.
• Chiba concluded that Shiga and he had been enemies all along, and that Shiga’s actions had been his own choice.
• Chiba remembered that Kento had killed Shiga with his sword and then died protecting Chiba.
• Chiba focused on the two scrolls Kento had left and picked one up.

Chiba read Kinoi Kento’s last letter and the scroll explaining Sparrow Flash, learning that Kento had left his sword for him and asked him to comfort Shiga. The scroll left Chiba grieving and blaming himself as he held Kento’s sword.

• Chiba read Kinoi Kento’s letter thanking him, asking him to pursue his goal, and requesting that he look after Shiga.
• Chiba opened Kento’s scroll and found detailed instructions and illustrations for Sparrow Flash and Twin Sparrow Flash.
• Chiba struggled with grief and anger that Kento had died before teaching him in person.
• Chiba picked up Kento’s sword, and a tear fell onto its blade.

Chiba regained his resolve after reading Kento’s letter and decided to focus on changing the fate that would cost him Rumi and drive Shiga into hatred. He began studying Sparrow Flash in the hospital, where Obito and the others’ noisy visit ended with Kushina chasing them away.

• Chiba accepted that Rumi’s death and Shiga’s betrayal seemed unavoidable, but resolved to prepare carefully and change the fate awaiting him and his friends.
• Chiba set Kento’s sword aside and studied the Sparrow Flash training scroll, revising his training plans to make time for swordsmanship, taijutsu, and technique development.
• Obito, Rin, Might Guy, Ebisu, and Kurenai shouted encouragement to Chiba outside the hospital while Genma Shiranui, Asuma, and Kakashi watched.
• Chiba briefly appeared at the window, then returned to his bed, embarrassing Obito and the others.
• Kushina scolded the group for making noise at the hospital, and the eight visitors fled as she chased Obito down the street.

Hirohiko welcomed Hyuga Yukyō, who had come to check on his injured eye and thank him for caring for Nao. After urging Hirohiko to let Chiba examine Nao, Hyuga Yukyō revealed he had a serious favor to ask, leaving Hirohiko surprised.

• Hyuga Yukyō visited Hirohiko and asked about the bandage covering his left eye.
• Hirohiko thanked Hyuga Yukyō for taking Nao to the hospital and preparing her medicine during his absence.
• Hyuga Yukyō urged Hirohiko to have Chiba examine Nao, despite their rivalry, but Hirohiko explained that even Tsunade had been unable to cure her.
• Hirohiko agreed to seek Chiba's help and promised to tell Hyuga Yukyō if he needed anything.
• Hyuga Yukyō said he had come to ask Hirohiko for a favor, and Hirohiko was startled by his serious manner.

Chiba studied Kento’s Sparrow Flash scroll and decided to add sword training to his routine so he could grow stronger before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge. Yukina visited him late at night with clothes for his discharge and said she would not be able to see him for a while, leaving Chiba wondering what had happened.

• Chiba learned from Kento’s scroll that Sparrow Flash required precise Chakra release and a steady sword swing, while Twin Sparrow Flash demanded exceptional talent.
• Chiba resolved to practice sword swings as part of his taijutsu training and to improve before Kakashi’s promotion to Jonin brought a turning point in fate.
• Yukina arrived at Chiba’s hospital room late at night and asked how he was feeling.
• Yukina gave Chiba clothes she had washed for his discharge and told him she would not be able to visit for a while.
• Chiba realized Yukina had not come to announce that she was moving back and wondered what had happened.

Chiba worried that Yukina and Hirohiko had encountered trouble, especially that Hirohiko might be consumed by the Uchiha’s darkness and become his enemy. He decided to check on Hirohiko later, but Keiko caught him awake and made him go to bed.

• Chiba noticed Yukina had left without explaining why she could not visit again soon, and he worried that she and Hirohiko were in trouble.
• Chiba feared Hirohiko might succumb to grief and darkness after Shiga’s death, and resolved to stop him if he saw anything wrong.
• Chiba considered visiting Hirohiko or sneaking out to check on him, but Keiko found him awake and scolded him for staying up while injured.
• Chiba hurried into bed and turned out the light, while Keiko smiled to herself after hearing him call her “Lady Keiko.”

Chiba practiced Kento’s Sparrow Flash sword technique in the hospital and wondered how Hirohiko and Yukina had healed his severe injuries so quickly. Keiko caught him hiding his sword after he denied doing anything strange, and a curtain was cut apart, exposing his practice.

• Chiba practiced Sparrow Flash, cut his thigh with an uncontrolled swing, and healed the shallow wound with Medical Ninjutsu.
• Chiba judged that he needed extensive practice to control Sparrow Flash and decided not to attempt the more difficult Twin Sparrow Flash.
• Chiba suspected Hirohiko and Yukina had secretly used a Hyuga healing technique on him, possibly leaving Yukina in an anemic coma and increasing his Chakra reserves.
• Chiba hid his Ninja Sword beneath his pillow when someone knocked, then relaxed when Hirohiko entered the room.
• Keiko appeared behind Hirohiko and questioned Chiba, who denied doing anything strange as a curtain suddenly split apart from his sword practice.

Keiko checked Chiba’s injuries and told him he could leave the hospital the next day, while Hirohiko considered asking him to examine Nao’s illness. After bringing Chiba grilled meat, Hirohiko asked him for a favor, and Chiba eagerly agreed.

• Keiko warned Chiba not to damage public property again, then checked his injuries and changed his bandages.
• Hirohiko watched Keiko care for Chiba and considered asking Chiba to examine Nao’s illness.
• Keiko found Chiba fully healed and said he could be discharged the next day.
• Hirohiko brought Chiba grilled meat, and Chiba wondered whether something had happened to him.
• Hirohiko asked Chiba for help, and Chiba agreed without hesitation.

Hirohiko asked Chiba to examine Nao, whose Chakra disruption caused recurring severe illnesses, and Chiba resolved to try to cure her. Hirohiko accepted the offer and relaxed enough to eat with Chiba.

• Chiba considered Hirohiko’s explanation that permanent Chakra disruption could cause blindness and recurring severe illness.
• Hirohiko asked Chiba to treat Nao, then worried that the request might burden him.
• Chiba asked whether Hirohiko’s Brother had caused Nao’s condition, and Hirohiko confirmed it.
• Chiba promised to examine Nao after his discharge and insisted that he would cure her.
• Hirohiko accepted the grilled meat, and he and Chiba laughed together as they ate.

After recovering, Chiba returned Shiga Wuyue’s classified file to the Third Hokage, who mourned Wuyue and considered Chiba’s future as the village’s health appeared to worsen. The Third Hokage asked Chiba to explain the Defense Map mission, giving Chiba an opening to request time away from missions.

• The Third Hokage asked whether Chiba had recovered, and Chiba confirmed that he had.
• The Third Hokage reflected on Wuyue’s death and hesitated to appoint Chiba as a unit commander.
• Chiba noticed the Third Hokage’s failing health and inferred that Minato Namikaze might soon become Hokage as the Kannabi Bridge battle approached.
• After leaving the hospital, Chiba returned Shiga’s classified file to the Third Hokage before going to see Nao.
• The Third Hokage asked Chiba for his account of the Defense Map mission while weighing whether Chiba could lead three teams on an upcoming operation.

Chiba reported how his plan split Iwa and Kumogakure and helped complete the Defense Map mission, while worrying that the Third Hokage might assign him to the front lines before the Kannabi Bridge Battle. The Third Hokage praised Chiba’s plan and began to present him with a mission.

• Chiba gave the Third Hokage a detailed account of the mission and explained the plan that had driven a wedge between Iwa and Kumogakure.
• The Third Hokage admired Chiba’s strategy and considered his talent, character, and future potential.
• Chiba worried that another mission would disrupt his training or keep him from the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, and hoped the Third Hokage would discover a reason to restrict his assignments.
• The Third Hokage asked to keep Chiba’s plan for his son Asuma to study and mentioned possibly including it in textbooks.
• The Third Hokage picked up a frontline battle report and began telling Chiba that he had a mission.

Chiba feared the Third Hokage would send him on another dangerous mission, leaving him unable to prepare for the Kannabi Bridge Battle, but the Hokage realized enemy villages already knew of Chiba and were targeting him. The Hokage withdrew the mission and sent Chiba away to rest, while worrying about how close he had come to putting the boy in danger.

• Chiba worried that the Third Hokage had failed to understand his warning and would send him into more battles.
• The Third Hokage realized enemy shinobi had treated Chiba with unusual caution because his reputation had spread among rival villages.
• The Third Hokage concluded that Chiba was being targeted and should not be sent to the front or on missions.
• The Third Hokage put down the scroll and told Chiba he had found a better candidate for the mission.
• Chiba asked whether the mission was dangerous, then accepted the Hokage's answer and left the office to rest.
• The Third Hokage watched Chiba leave and worried that he had nearly put the boy in extreme danger.

Chiba walked home through a suddenly silent commercial street as villagers stared at him without their usual contempt, leaving him confused and deeply uneasy. He fled to the path toward his cabin while the villagers wondered why he had run and the bun shop owner watched him go.

• Chiba entered Konoha's crowded commercial street and found that the villagers had fallen silent and made way for him.
• Chiba noticed that the villagers looked at him with unfamiliar curiosity instead of the disgust and scorn he usually faced.
• Chiba hurried through the street and turned onto the path to his cabin, abandoning his plan to buy ingredients.
• After Chiba disappeared into the forest, villagers absentmindedly wondered why he had run when they meant him no harm.
• The bun shop owner watched Chiba leave and thought that he rarely visited for buns now, while his wife remarked that Yukina took care of him.

Chiba encountered a crow carrying a message tube and realized it was delivering a message to the Third Hokage, not watching him. He reflected on the Uchiha Clan’s predicament as he walked home, where a sight at the cabin left him frozen.

• Chiba stopped in the woods and recognized the crow as one associated with Uchiha Shisui.
• Chiba reasoned that the crow was not observing him and noticed a message tube attached to its leg.
• The crow flew toward the Hokage Building, and Chiba concluded it was carrying a message to the Third Hokage.
• Chiba suspected Konoha’s leadership had informants within the Uchiha Clan and reflected on Madara’s warnings and the clan’s fate.
• Chiba walked toward his cabin, but froze when he saw what was waiting there.

Kakashi returned to Chiba’s cabin after two years away and found stacks of Sealing Jutsu notes on the table. Seeing them and imagining Chiba’s tireless study, he recognized how much his friend had grown and understood that the cramped arrangement helped Chiba save time.

• Kakashi returned to the cabin during his month of leave and found papers and scrolls covering the dining table.
• Kakashi recalled that Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina had brought the Defense Map back after breaking through Iwa and Kumogakure’s encirclement.
• Kakashi examined the Sealing Jutsu formulas and realized Chiba had been studying the difficult discipline.
• Kakashi compared Chiba’s progress with his own and acknowledged that Chiba’s achievements might rival his wartime growth.
• Kakashi tidied the papers and bedding, then realized Chiba’s cramped study arrangement was meant to save time.

Kakashi explored Chiba’s home and discovered a clearing scarred by Chiba’s bloody training, leaving him worried about why Chiba pushed himself so hard. He joined Obito and the others outside just in time to welcome Chiba home from the hospital.

• Kakashi wondered whether Yukina’s life with Chiba had the Hyuga Clan’s approval and whether Chiba might marry into the clan.
• Kakashi found that the bathing room had been enclosed and noticed the familiar training posts and firewood behind the cabin.
• Kakashi discovered a new clearing marked by damage and blood, recognized it as the result of Chiba’s training, and worried that Chiba was risking his life to grow stronger.
• Obito called Kakashi to help prepare a banner, and Kakashi joined the others outside.
• Chiba emerged from the woods, and the group shouted their congratulations on his discharge.

Chiba was discharged from the hospital and found that Rin, Kurenai, and the others had prepared a celebration for him. Might Guy presented his long-prepared gift by diving face-first into the dirt and attempting to form a V with his body, leaving everyone stunned.

• Rin, Kurenai, Genma Shiranui, Ebisu, Asuma, and Might Guy welcomed Chiba with a discharge celebration.
• Guy solemnly promised Chiba an explosive gift of youth, making Chiba brace for an attack.
• Guy leaped forward, crashed face-first into the dirt, and muffled out, "V!"
• Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Genma Shiranui, Asuma, Ebisu, and Chiba reacted with embarrassment, concern, or disbelief.
• Guy struggled to bend his body into a V shape, and everyone realized that was his gift.

Chiba’s friends gathered to celebrate his discharge from the hospital, and Hirohiko arrived with Nao. After Hirohiko and Nao joined the group, Rin revealed the barbecue prepared for the farewell party.

• Might Guy struggled to touch his feet and flopped away while Chiba, Kakashi, and the others ignored him and invited Hirohiko to the celebration.
• Hirohiko arrived with Nao, and Obito recognized her as someone he had met before.
• Nao and Hirohiko appeared holding hands, surprising Obito, Kakashi, and the others.
• Hirohiko asked to join the celebration with Nao, and Chiba accepted his encouragement to stay.
• Kakashi agreed to let Hirohiko and Nao join, and Rin revealed the barbecue grill and food.