Chapter Summaries

After Chiba left the Hokage's Office, the Third Hokage reflected on Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura's unexpected acceptance of Chiba's proposal. He sent appointment scrolls to the front lines and the Hyuga Clan, while wondering whom Chiba intended to deal with.

• Danzo left the Hokage's Office after supporting Chiba's appointment, leaving the Third Hokage puzzled by his changed behavior.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura told the Third Hokage he no longer needed to consult them about Chiba's affairs and praised Chiba as incredible.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura declined to discuss the next steps for defense, leaving the decision to the Third Hokage.
• The Third Hokage ordered Kazuki to deliver Chiba's appointment scroll to Watanabe Kenshin, Nara Shikaku's deputy at the front lines.
• The Third Hokage gave Kazuki another appointment scroll for the Hyuga Clan and wondered whom Chiba planned to target.

Chiba returned to the cabin and resumed his training after settling the Defense Force commander issue with the Third Hokage. In a secret chamber, Danzo learned that Chiba’s vigilance toward Root had been dispelled but remained puzzled by how Chiba had disrupted his plans, concluding that he had underestimated him.

• Chiba hurried back to the cabin, believing he would remain free of missions for now after the Third Hokage amended the appointment letter and prepared to bring Watanabe Kenshin back as Defense Force commander.
• Chiba found the cabin empty and resumed striking the wooden posts behind it.
• A man in the Raccoon Mask delivered surveillance intelligence to Danzo in a secret chamber.
• Danzo read that Chiba’s vigilance had been dispelled and wondered how Chiba had learned of his plans for the Defense Force.
• Danzo ordered the man in the Raccoon Mask to withdraw and continue the mission, then admitted to himself that he had underestimated Chiba.

Chiba considered increasing his training but kept to his current routine, then grew alarmed when Yukina and Nao were late returning home. He feared Danzo or an enemy village had made a move, but learned they had simply gone to Rin's house for dinner and left him a note.

• Chiba finished his training and decided not to increase his workload while he was still adapting to his current routine.
• Chiba noticed that Yukina and Nao had not returned by nearly eight and worried something had happened to them.
• Chiba recalled his proposal to appoint a Hyuga Clan main-family member as Deputy Captain of the Defense Force, which had passed without objection and would limit Danzo's ability to interfere.
• Chiba hurried to leave the house, but Yukina and Nao arrived carrying bags and told him they had eaten dinner at Rin's house.
• Yukina reminded Chiba that she had left a note, and Chiba realized he had overlooked it among his scrolls.

Chiba cooked egg fried rice in the cabin kitchen while Nao tried to keep Yukina from helping him, but an accidental touch left Yukina blushing and wondering whether Chiba had held her hand. Nao remained exasperated by their slow-moving relationship as she waited for Hirohiko to return.

• Yukina leaned close to Chiba as he cooked and offered to help, then blushed and stepped away.
• Nao asked Chiba to make her egg fried rice, and Chiba reluctantly agreed because he had promised she could order him around.
• Yukina tried to take over cooking so Chiba could eat, but Nao insisted that Chiba make the food for her.
• Chiba gently moved Yukina's hand away and resumed cooking, leaving her to carry the plated rice to the table.
• Yukina froze when she realized Chiba might have held her hand, while Nao sighed and wished Hirohiko would return.

Chiba spent the eighth day training and preparing for the Annihilation Plan while worrying that Hirohiko had not returned from his mission. As Chiba, Nao, and Yukina waited at the cabin, a weary voice announced someone’s return, and all three rushed to the door.

• Chiba trained intensely and remained confident that the Annihilation Plan would proceed according to the scroll he had given the Third Hokage.
• Chiba noticed that Nao was worried because Hirohiko had not returned by the expected time.
• Yukina came back with groceries and chatted with Nao while Chiba prepared dinner.
• A weary voice announced, “I’m back,” and Chiba, Nao, and Yukina rushed toward the front door.

Chiba treated Hirohiko’s severe wounds after he returned from a Kumogakure ambush, while Hirohiko recounted witnessing a terrifying display of power. The chapter ended with Hirohiko describing a golden flash that killed fifty ninja in an instant, leading Chiba to suspect Minato Namikaze.

• Nao worried about Hirohiko’s condition, but Chiba reassured her and began treating his wounds.
• Hirohiko told Chiba that Kumogakure’s Jinchuriki and an S-Rank Ninja had led about three hundred men in a surprise attack on the front line.
• Chiba suspected the attackers were Killer B and the Fourth Raikage, and feared the Konoha front line would suffer heavy losses.
• Hirohiko said that a ninja had killed fifty people in an instant and described the attack as a golden flash.
• Chiba suspected the golden flash was Minato Namikaze.

Chiba treated Hirohiko’s wounds and learned that Minato Namikaze had reversed a devastating Kumogakure attack, though Konoha suffered crippling losses. With the war turning against Konoha, Chiba feared the Third Hokage would summon him and send him to the front before he was ready.

• Chiba removed Hirohiko’s bandages, examined his injuries, and began treating the burns and cuts with Medical Chakra.
• Hirohiko recounted how three Kumogakure units and the AB Combination ambushed Konoha’s forces, leaving them near defeat despite Orochimaru’s command.
• Minato Namikaze arrived and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to kill fifty enemies, rally Konoha’s forces, and drive Kumogakure into retreat.
• Konoha’s forces won the battle but suffered losses exceeding three hundred-man units, leaving the village at a major disadvantage in the war.
• Chiba worried that the Third Hokage would send him to the front lines and that refusing orders could put him in danger.

Chiba examined Hirohiko after the ambush and confirmed his injuries were superficial, but noticed his left eye might be blind. At home, Chiba reassured Nao that Hirohiko was safe and took over cooking before Yukina could finish; someone then arrived asking for Chiba.

• Chiba treated Hirohiko's wounds and quietly told him to get a thorough hospital checkup the next day.
• Chiba noticed Hirohiko's left pupil did not react and suspected he had lost sight in that eye, but Hirohiko brushed off his concern and went to bathe.
• Chiba decided to seek ophthalmology materials from Watanabe while Hirohiko went for his examination.
• Chiba startled Yukina and Nao with his expression, then reassured Nao that Hirohiko was safe and only superficially injured.
• Nao ordered Chiba to cook and Yukina to answer the door, and the visitor asked whether Chiba was there.

A young Konoha ninja visited Chiba, whose strained silence with the newcomer suggested a deep unresolved grievance. The chapter ended when the man abruptly bowed to Chiba and shouted an apology, striking his head against a chair.

• Yukina admitted the young Konoha ninja and told Chiba that someone had come to see him.
• Chiba recognized the visitor and froze, unable to greet him as the two exchanged an awkward hello.
• Nao urged them to sit and speak, while Yukina and Nao sensed that Chiba held a serious grievance against the man.
• The young ninja suddenly stood, bowed deeply to Chiba, shouted an apology, and hit his head on a chair.

Watanabe Kenshin apologized to Chiba for past mistakes that had cost lives, but Chiba said he could neither forgive nor blame him. Chiba invited Kenshin to discuss the village’s safety, leaving them poised to address the Annihilation Plan.

• Watanabe Kenshin bowed deeply and apologized to Chiba, startling Chiba, Nao, and Yukina.
• Kenshin reflected on how his reckless decision had caused comrades and three children to die, and how he had spent years carrying guilt before seeking forgiveness from those affected.
• Chiba told Kenshin that he could neither forgive him nor blame him, since the mistake was not entirely Kenshin’s fault.
• Chiba asked Kenshin to set aside his repentant posture and explain what he had come to discuss for the village’s safety.
• Chiba pushed aside the chair Kenshin had struck and invited him to sit, saying he wanted to avoid further mistakes and losses.

After receiving a devastating report from the front, the Third Hokage blamed himself for neglecting Chiba and decided Konoha needed a morale-boosting victory. A new report revealed Minato had rescued all the scattered personnel and defeated enemy elites, prompting the Hokage to grant him freedom of action in the war.

• The Third Hokage read the battle report about Kumogakure's ambush and blamed himself for failing to consult Chiba while Konoha's forces suffered heavy losses.
• The Third Hokage coughed up blood and resolved that the Fourth Hokage should be chosen soon, but first Konoha needed to overcome its disadvantage.
• The Third Hokage ordered an Anbu to summon Chiba, but another Anbu arrived with news of a major victory at the front.
• The new report said Minato had regrouped all thirty-one scattered personnel, rescued them, and single-handedly defeated thirty Kumogakure elites and seventy Iwa elites.
• The Third Hokage canceled his order to summon Chiba and granted Minato freedom to choose his missions and movements during the war.

Hirohiko returned to the cabin and found Chiba and Watanabe Kenshin planning the Defense Force’s strategy. Watanabe asked Chiba to command the Defense Force while he served as bait.

• Hirohiko entered the kitchen and saw Chiba and Watanabe Kenshin studying a terrain map and discussing an ambush plan.
• Chiba rejected Watanabe Kenshin’s proposed ambush site and suggested placing realistic dummy people at concealed locations.
• Yukina served rice and leftover curry, and Hirohiko and Chiba hurriedly insisted that there was enough food.
• Watanabe Kenshin stood and asked Chiba to command the Defense Force when the time came, declaring that he would be the bait.

Watanabe Kenshin asked Chiba to let him join the bait squads, hoping to atone for his past failure and strengthen the Defense Force. Chiba refused him and ordered him to abandon the plan, leaving Nao, Yukina, and Hirohiko confused by his anger.

• Chiba recognized that Watanabe Kenshin was risking his life out of guilt and respect for his willingness to take responsibility.
• Watanabe Kenshin asked Chiba to let him become bait, explaining that his sacrifice could spare others and help unite the Defense Force.
• Chiba refused, saying the Third Hokage had appointed Watanabe Kenshin commander and that a commander should not replace elite troops in the field.
• Chiba told Watanabe Kenshin to leave and abandon the idea, then asked Yukina to see him out.
• Nao, Yukina, and Hirohiko exchanged confused looks as Watanabe Kenshin stood frozen by Chiba's cold response.

Yukina reassured Watanabe Kenshin that Chiba’s refusal was not personal, then learned Chiba had recommended Watanabe for Defense Force Captain. At the Hokage’s Office, Hyuga Shinsuke said the Hyuga Clan accepted the appointment with a different candidate, and the Third Hokage approved the change.

• Yukina told Watanabe Kenshin to trust Chiba’s judgment, and Kenshin thanked her before leaving.
• Yukina asked Chiba why he had refused Kenshin, and Chiba explained that he had recommended Kenshin for Captain of the Defense Force.
• Nao teased Chiba and Yukina over their behavior while Hirohiko watched them eat.
• Hyuga Shinsuke told the Third Hokage that the Hyuga Clan would accept the appointment with a changed candidate.
• The Third Hokage permitted the candidate change after Shinsuke assured him it did not conflict with the Official Order.

After Yukina and Nao went upstairs, Chiba questioned Hirohiko about testing a medicine and used his account of its effects to refine a new formula. As Chiba went to answer a late-night knock, the story left the visitor unidentified.

• Yukina and Nao went upstairs, leaving Chiba and Hirohiko alone in the kitchen.
• Chiba asked Hirohiko about the medicine he had tested, and Hirohiko described its effects and severe but brief side effects.
• Chiba recorded Hirohiko's results and devised a revised formula intended to reduce the side effects while preserving the medicine's effectiveness.
• Chiba asked whether Hirohiko would test the next batch, and Hirohiko agreed without hesitation.
• Someone knocked at the front door, and Chiba went to answer while Hirohiko watched.

Hizashi Hyuga visited Chiba’s home to deliver Yukina’s appointment as Deputy Captain of the Defense Force. Chiba questioned why the Hyuga Clan had chosen Yukina, and Hizashi agreed to explain the decision.

• Chiba welcomed Hizashi Hyuga into his home, where Hirohiko was also present.
• Hirohiko offered to fetch Yukina, but Hizashi stopped him and said he had come only to deliver a letter.
• Hizashi handed Chiba Yukina’s appointment letter, explaining that the Third Hokage had appointed her Deputy Captain of the Defense Force and that the clan head had ordered him to deliver it.
• Chiba wondered why the Hyuga Clan had chosen Yukina for the prestigious post instead of Hiashi.
• Chiba asked Hizashi to explain the decision, and Hizashi agreed.

Chiba considered the suspicious circumstances surrounding Yukina’s appointment and the Hyuga Clan’s plans, then decided to keep watch while focusing on Nao’s medicine. He began preparing an improved medicine, planning to tell Hirohiko about his concerns later.

• Hizashi Hyuga invited Chiba to visit the branch family and spar, and Chiba agreed.
• Hirohiko returned to reading so he could finish a mission novel and its review before the deadline.
• Chiba reviewed his medicine notes and borrowed equipment, then reconsidered the unusual circumstances of Yukina’s appointment and living arrangements.
• Chiba decided to monitor Yukina’s situation and tell Hirohiko about his concerns when he could.
• Chiba set aside his investigation and began preparing a new medicine for Nao.

Yukina learned she had been appointed Deputy Commander of the Defense Force and reacted with excitement that she had missed Hizashi, who had raised and taught her. Chiba began to suspect Hyuga Shinsuke had concealed something about Yukina’s circumstances, while Hirohiko misread Chiba’s awkward response as a sign he had finally noticed Yukina romantically; Yukina fled upstairs before anything was resolved.

• Chiba told Yukina that Hizashi had delivered her appointment letter, naming her Deputy Commander of the Defense Force starting the next day.
• Yukina stamped her foot in frustration that Chiba had not woken her when Hizashi visited, then explained that Hizashi had raised her and taught her Gentle Fist.
• Chiba wondered why Hyuga Shinsuke had left Yukina in Hizashi’s care and worried that Yukina’s situation might be less secure than he had believed.
• Hirohiko coughed to remind Chiba that Yukina was apologizing, and Chiba hurriedly told her she did not need to be formal with him.
• Hirohiko assumed Chiba had realized Yukina liked him, but Yukina rushed upstairs before Chiba could finish speaking.

Chiba misunderstood why Yukina had hidden in her room, while Nao saw through both his mistaken assumptions and Yukina’s embarrassment. Nao left Chiba wondering what she had realized about him and Yukina.

• Nao confronted Chiba for supposedly making Yukina hide under the covers, and Chiba concluded that she was angry because he had kept her from seeing Hizashi Hyuga.
• Chiba apologized for not waking Yukina, while Nao recognized his mistaken reasoning and called him hopeless.
• Nao asked whether Chiba was truly letting Yukina become deputy captain of the Defense Force, and he said the Third Hokage’s transfer order could not be changed.
• Nao suspected Chiba had influence over the decision, then went to the kitchen and remarked that Chiba and Yukina were both idiots.
• Chiba realized Nao had figured something out about him and Yukina, but remained uncertain what she meant.

Chiba worried that changing one person’s fate would not prevent other tragedies, so he began making plans to protect everyone around him. He asked Hirohiko to investigate the Hyuga Clan and told Yukina to compile daily intelligence on Watanabe Kenshin and the Defense Force.

• After finishing his training, Chiba reflected on whether changing Obito’s fate would be enough to save Kushina and everyone else.
• Hirohiko returned home, and Chiba urgently asked whether he still sparred with Hyuga Yukyō.
• Hirohiko confirmed he had a sparring session the next day, and Chiba asked him to increase them to twice a week and gather information about Yukina and the Hyuga Clan.
• Hirohiko agreed to investigate the Hyuga Clan’s situation and the relationships among Yukina, Hyuga Shinsuke, and Hyuga Hiashi.
• When Yukina and Nao returned, Chiba told Yukina to prepare daily intelligence reports on Watanabe Kenshin, his plans, and the Defense Force.