Chapter Summaries

Qin Ru and Chiba were struck down by the Third Raikage during a sudden attack at the edge of the Land of Grass forest. Chiba urged Hirohiko to run as the Third Raikage stood over him.

• A figure crashed through the forest-edge trees and realized he had been thrown aside by an unknown attacker.
• Qin Ru remembered that Chiba had thrown him away just before the attacker’s punch landed.
• Qin Ru recognized the attacker as Chiba and watched his Sharingan awaken in shock.
• Chiba took the blow meant for Hirohiko and was left with the Third Raikage’s fist embedded in his chest.
• Chiba urged Hirohiko to run and recognized the Third Raikage as an opponent he could not defeat.

The Third Raikage killed Taki Chiba, then learned from Dodai that their mission had cost Maki and Saroi their lives. Dodai realized the Raikage had received suspiciously precise intelligence about their secret mission and feared a vast conspiracy.

• The Third Raikage confirmed Taki Chiba was dead and regretted that such a talented young ninja had died, though he believed eliminating him protected Kumogakure.
• The Third Raikage asked Dodai about the missing members of his mission, and Dodai reported that Maki and Saroi had fallen while Kuroi was heading toward the base.
• Dodai explained that a Konoha squad had attacked them and that two young Konoha prodigies had pursued him while a Hyuga girl pursued Kuroi.
• The Third Raikage said he had come after receiving intelligence that Dodai had been attacked.
• Dodai realized their secret mission could not have sent that intelligence and suspected the report had identified Taki Chiba, leading him to fear a major conspiracy.
• The Third Raikage noticed Dodai's horrified expression and asked what was wrong.

Dodai realized that someone had manipulated Kumogakure, Iwa, and Konoha into clashing and had lured the Third Raikage away from the rear battlefield. He urged the Raikage to return immediately, fearing Iwa was attacking their camp.

• Dodai concluded that someone knew the secret missions and routes of the Kumogakure, Iwa, and Konoha squads and had arranged their encounter.
• Dodai asked the Third Raikage about the rear battlefield, and the Raikage explained that Iwa and Kumogakure had recently fought to a standstill, with Iwa's camp pushed back.
• Dodai inferred that the plea for help had drawn the Third Raikage away while Kumogakure held an advantage, leaving its camp vulnerable to an Iwa attack.
• Dodai urged the Third Raikage to return at once and suspected that Iwa's leader had arranged the scheme, as he had during the earlier Defense Map mission.

Dodai and the Third Raikage prepared to return to Kumogakure’s rear battlefield after learning Iwa had attacked, while Dodai reflected on his mistakes and Taki Chiba’s tactics. The chapter ended with them realizing the boy they believed the Third Raikage had killed was still moving, just as Dodai spotted a new danger.

• Dodai panicked over Iwa’s attack on Kumogakure’s rear battlefield and blamed himself for the mission’s failure.
• The Third Raikage calmed Dodai and resolved to hurry back to the battlefield.
• Dodai agreed to return as quickly as possible and reassured the Third Raikage that he could travel safely.
• Dodai realized Taki Chiba had used a time-difference tactic to mislead him, though he could not explain how the boy’s group had caught up.
• The Third Raikage and Dodai saw the boy’s little finger move twice and realized he was not dead.
• Dodai suddenly warned the Third Raikage to be careful after noticing something at the edge of his vision.

Hirohiko trapped the Third Raikage with steel wires and struck him with a powerful Fire Release technique, but the Raikage emerged unscathed. As Hirohiko prepared to deal with Dodai and rescue Chiba, the Third Raikage counterattacked and pierced another Hirohiko with lightning.

• The Third Raikage told Dodai to fall back as Hirohiko’s shuriken and steel wires encircled him.
• Hirohiko pinned the shuriken in place and sent his Flame Dragon Fire Technique along the wires, engulfing the Third Raikage in flames.
• Hirohiko used his Sharingan to trap Dodai in a genjutsu and prepared to rush past him to reach Chiba.
• The Third Raikage burst through the flames with lightning and showed no injuries from Hirohiko’s attack.
• The Third Raikage struck another Hirohiko falling through the air with a bolt of lightning and told him he should have run.

Hirohiko used a feint and an Exploding Tag Kunai to distract the Third Raikage and escape with the critically injured Chiba. He carried Chiba into the forest, where the blast’s shockwave struck them, and worried that his closest friend might die.

• Hirohiko’s Flame Dragon Fire Technique failed to injure the Third Raikage, who struck him from behind with a lightning-wreathed fist.
• The Third Raikage noticed Hirohiko’s hand seal as white mist obscured his view.
• Hirohiko appeared beside the injured Chiba and prepared to carry him away, but the Third Raikage attacked them.
• Hirohiko’s feigned throw and Exploding Tag Kunai forced the Third Raikage to abandon his attack and protect Dodai.
• Hirohiko carried Chiba into the forest and shielded him from the explosion’s shockwave, fearing for his life.

Hirohiko fled with the gravely injured Chiba and searched for a place to treat him, struggling to control his panic. At the battlefield, the Third Raikage realized the plan had to change after someone escaped his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Chiba disappeared.

• Hirohiko saw that Chiba was losing blood and feared he would die without immediate treatment.
• Hirohiko carried Chiba through the forest and found a concealed clearing between three giant trees.
• Hirohiko laid Chiba down and tried to steady his shaking hands before beginning treatment.
• The Third Raikage appeared beside Dodai as the explosion’s smoke cleared, and Dodai realized Chiba and another person had escaped.
• The Third Raikage looked toward the ancient forest and told Dodai that the plan had to change.

Hirohiko treated Chiba’s severe injuries with Medical Ninjutsu while struggling with guilt over putting his friend in danger. The Third Raikage recognized Hirohiko’s tactics as similar to Chiba’s and decided to stay behind to kill them both.

• Hirohiko suppressed his panic and began using Medical Ninjutsu sealing scrolls to treat Chiba’s injuries.
• The Third Raikage asked Dodai about Chiba’s Shadow Clone tactics and explained that Hirohiko had used a similar strategy to rescue Chiba.
• The Third Raikage ordered Dodai to return and declared that he would stay to finish off Hirohiko and Chiba.

Hirohiko stabilized Chiba’s life-threatening injuries but knew Chiba needed proper medical care soon. He hid Chiba in a trapped clearing, left a retreat signal for Yukina, and prepared to face the approaching Kumogakure ninja rather than flee.

• Hirohiko set Chiba’s broken ribs and used the Mystical Palm Technique to stop the bleeding, though he could not assess or treat possible internal injuries.
• Hirohiko covered Chiba in Rock Skin and rigged the surrounding trees with an alarm trap.
• Hirohiko left the agreed code on a tree branch to signal Yukina that something important was there and that they should retreat with it.
• Hirohiko decided that fleeing would leave both him and Chiba unable to escape the burly Kumogakure ninja, so he prepared to stand and fight.

The Third Raikage sent Dodai back to command Kumogakure’s rear forces, trusting him to counter Iwa’s expected ambush. He stayed behind to face Hirohiko, whose resolve impressed him but whose presence provoked his killing intent.

• Dodai questioned the Third Raikage’s decision to leave the rear battlefield and pursue Taki Chiba and the Uchiha boy.
• The Third Raikage explained that Dodai was better suited to return, restore contact with the camp, and prepare for Iwa’s ambush.
• Dodai accepted the Third Raikage’s trust and departed for the rear camp.
• The Third Raikage inferred that Hirohiko meant to hold him back so his companions could escape with the injured Taki Chiba.
• Hirohiko emerged from the forest, halted under the Third Raikage’s killing intent, and raised his Sharingan and kunai.

Hirohiko faced the Third Raikage alone after Chiba was injured and, drawing on Chiba’s example, devised a way to stall rather than defeat him. He left the Third Raikage hesitating before his trap array, determined to hold him back long enough to succeed.

• Hirohiko assessed the Third Raikage’s speed and strength and realized that one direct hit could leave him unable to fight.
• Hirohiko thought about how Chiba handled hopeless battles, then backed against a massive tree and set a five-linked Exploding Tag trap array in front of himself.
• The Third Raikage recognized Hirohiko’s calm and suspected that the trap and the tree were part of a plan, so he stopped advancing.
• Hirohiko realized he only needed to stall the Third Raikage and began to understand how Chiba seized the initiative in battle.

Hirohiko tried to delay the Third Raikage with psychological tactics, but the Raikage calmly advanced, confident he could defeat him while waiting for the Hyuga Clan girl. Hirohiko finally activated a sealing scroll and Sharingan genjutsu, while something cracked behind him.

• The Third Raikage decided against attacking from behind and slowly advanced toward Hirohiko, wary of his tactical ability.
• Hirohiko realized the Raikage had seen through his stalling and was using his confidence and killing intent to pressure him.
• Hirohiko reached for a sealing scroll and raised his fingers, deciding he had to act before the Raikage's presence broke his resolve.
• The Third Raikage prepared to strike when Hirohiko revealed his move, while also waiting for the Hyuga Clan girl to return from pursuing Kuroi.
• A cracking sound came from behind Hirohiko as he released a sealing jutsu and used Earth Release: Rock Hardening Technique, then activated Genjutsu: Sharingan.

Hirohiko used Rock Skin and a pair of shadow clones to set up a wind-net attack and genjutsu against the Third Raikage. The Third Raikage broke free with Lightning Release Chakra Mode and struck Hirohiko in the face.

• Hirohiko hardened his body with Rock Skin, but the Third Raikage exploited the brief pause in his movement and drove a lightning-wreathed fist toward him.
• Two Hirohiko shadow clones emerged from behind a tree and trapped the Third Raikage in a Wind Style: Net attack.
• Hirohiko caught the Third Raikage’s attention with his Sharingan Genjutsu Eye as the clones disappeared.
• The Third Raikage unleashed Lightning Release Chakra Mode, shattered the wind nets, and cut Hirohiko’s Rock Skin with the scattered blades.
• The Third Raikage’s lightning-cloaked fist smashed into Hirohiko’s face, accompanied by the sound of rock and bone breaking.

The Third Raikage believed he had killed Hirohiko and began searching for Taki Chiba, but the apparent corpse turned out to be a Water Clone. Hirohiko reappeared behind him and triggered a hidden Exploding Tag trap beneath his feet.

• The Third Raikage examined the five-linked Exploding Tag trap and concluded that Hirohiko had used his real body as bait, though he could not understand why.
• The apparent corpse slumped against the tree, which cracked and fell after the Third Raikage's punch had blasted through it and the tree behind it.
• The Third Raikage considered searching for Taki Chiba and refrained from using Dodai's sensory abilities so the nearby Hyuga Clan girl would not be alerted.
• As the Third Raikage prepared to enter the forest, Hirohiko's corpse burst into water, revealing it was a Water Clone.
• Hirohiko landed behind the Third Raikage and warned him not to stand inside a trap as an Exploding Tag ignited beneath the Raikage's feet.
• The Exploding Tag detonated in a brilliant, blazing-white fireball.

After his explosion failed to confirm the Kumogakure ninja’s defeat, Hirohiko struggled against exhaustion and resolved to keep protecting Chiba. He swallowed the last emerald-green Ration Ball Chiba had given him, and it immediately caused him intense pain.

• Hirohiko watched the explosion and saw no sign that the Kumogakure ninja had escaped, recalling that the enemy’s body had withstood his cutting Wind Release.
• Hirohiko realized that his Shadow Clones and Water Clone had drained his strength, but reaffirmed that using Chiba’s clone tactics was his best option to stall for time.
• Hirohiko resolved to protect Chiba and accepted that his plan was the only one he could think of.
• Hirohiko took the last emerald-green Ration Ball from his Ninja Tool Pouch and swallowed it.
• Hirohiko’s veins bulged and his eyes reddened as he cried out in agony.

The Third Raikage survived the Uchiha boy’s devastating Exploding Tag trap and recognized the boy’s exceptional skill with traps and clones. Realizing the boy might have used his assumptions to conceal an escape, the Third Raikage abruptly rushed toward the ancient trees.

• The Third Raikage emerged unharmed from the explosion and assessed the crater’s intense heat and destruction.
• The Third Raikage concluded that the Uchiha boy’s Exploding Tag craft, trap-setting, and clone techniques rivaled elite ninja skills.
• The Third Raikage searched for the boy and considered whether he had fled or hidden nearby.
• The Third Raikage realized the boy might have exploited his belief that escape was impossible, then raced toward the ancient trees.

The Third Raikage searched the primeval forest for the Uchiha Clan brat and the wounded Taki Chiba, reasoning that they would leave traces as they fled. Uneasy that the brat might have a more complex plan, he began a fast spiral search from the forest’s outer edge inward.

• The Third Raikage found no traces on a branch and realized he had searched in the wrong direction.
• He concluded that the Uchiha Clan brat would not abandon Taki Chiba and would leave tracks while carrying the wounded companion.
• The Third Raikage searched beyond the distance the Uchiha Clan brat could have traveled, but found nothing and sensed that he had overlooked something.
• The Third Raikage began circling the forest from the outside inward to find the Uchiha Clan brat, Taki Chiba, and possibly the Hyuga Clan girl.

The Third Raikage realized the Uchiha Clan brat had tricked him into searching the wrong direction and had fled across the grasslands with Taki Chiba. He followed their tracks, believing he could still catch them and reach the rear battlefield in time.

• The Third Raikage found no traces of the Uchiha Clan brat in the primeval forest and realized he had fallen for a psychological trick.
• The Third Raikage deduced that the Uchiha Clan brat had hidden Taki Chiba, then escaped across the grasslands with him.
• The Third Raikage concluded that the pair’s slow flight had left tracks and that he still had time to pursue them and respond to Iwa’s possible surprise attack.
• The Third Raikage raced into the grasslands, spotted trampled tracks, and sped after them.

Hirohiko fled across the grassland carrying Chiba, relying on Chiba’s emerald-green Ration Ball to keep his strength up. Remembering Chiba’s character and the danger behind him, Hirohiko stopped and turned to face the pursuer approaching from the primeval forest.

• Hirohiko realized his escape tactic had bought him only a little time before his opponent would track him across the grassland.
• Hirohiko reflected that Chiba’s Ration Ball had restored his stamina, Chakra, and mental energy while increasing his Chakra refinement, despite its painful side effects.
• Hirohiko remembered Hyuga Yukyō’s high regard for Chiba and resolved to keep Chiba alive.
• Hirohiko stopped on the grassland, turned toward the primeval forest, and faced the direction of the vanishing lightning.

The Third Raikage followed Hirohiko’s tracks and triggered a weak Exploding Tag that revealed his position, while Hirohiko prepared another trap with the unconscious Chiba nearby. The Third Raikage survived the first blast, then stepped on a second trap and was caught in another explosion.

• The Third Raikage followed the footprints left by Hirohiko carrying Chiba, suspecting that Hirohiko had another plan despite the obvious trail.
• Hirohiko saw the first explosion nearby and hurried to set another trap, lowering the figure covered in Rock Skin from his back and laying out Kunai connected by Steel Wire.
• The Third Raikage emerged from the first blast unharmed and realized the weaker Exploding Tag had been meant to delay him and alert Hirohiko.
• The Third Raikage stepped forward, triggered another trap, and was swallowed by a second blazing explosion.