Chapter Summaries

Chiba caught the Flying Thunder God Kunai that Yukina brought, giving him a choice between teleporting to Kakashi and keeping it as a safeguard while he examined Hirohiko. As Chiba turned to Yukina, she suddenly lost consciousness after overusing her Byakugan.

• Yukina arrived with the lost Flying Thunder God Kunai, and Chiba caught it.
• Chiba considered whether to use the kunai to teleport to Kakashi or save it for a later emergency.
• Yukina noticed Hirohiko unconscious, and Chiba examined him, saying he should be fine.
• Yukina worried that her Byakugan's reduced range meant she might be going blind, then tried to calm herself.
• Chiba called out to Yukina, and she collapsed as darkness overtook her vision.

Chiba confirmed that Yukina and Hirohiko were exhausted but not seriously injured, then decided to release the seal on the Flying Thunder God Kunai to get them to safety. Minato Namikaze appeared immediately, and Chiba faced him with his companions still unconscious.

• Chiba examined Yukina and confirmed that her collapse was caused by exhaustion, while Hirohiko remained unconscious.
• Chiba considered escaping toward the Iwa and Kumogakure battlefield, but realized he could not safely carry Yukina and Hirohiko there while they were unconscious.
• Chiba decided to release the seal on the Flying Thunder God Kunai despite losing its function as a distress signal.
• Chiba used the sealing formula to remove the seal from the kunai.
• Minato Namikaze appeared before Chiba almost instantly and asked what was wrong.

Minato Namikaze arrived to rescue Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina, and Chiba was amazed by the speed of the Flying Thunder God. When Minato asked what Chiba planned to do next, Chiba realized he had overlooked something that could have ruined his plan concerning fate.

• Minato Namikaze teleported to Chiba and asked whether Hirohiko and Yukina were all right.
• Chiba confirmed they were safe and marveled at the Flying Thunder God's space-time speed.
• Minato Namikaze assessed the battlefield and concluded that Chiba Team had survived a fierce battle against formidable enemies.
• Minato Namikaze asked Chiba what he planned to do next, believing Chiba should have a say in the mission.
• Chiba realized he had overlooked a crucial flaw in his conclusion and thought Minato's question had saved his plan concerning fate.

Chiba realized Minato Namikaze might send him and his injured teammates back to the village, ending his chance to alter fate. He persuaded Minato to send Hirohiko and Yukina home while he joined Kakashi’s team for the Kannabi Bridge mission, leaving him ready to protect them covertly.

• Minato Namikaze noticed Chiba’s cold sweat and asked if he was injured, but Chiba assured him he was fine.
• Chiba realized Minato could take him and his injured teammates straight back to the village, preventing him from returning to the battlefield and changing fate.
• Chiba asked about Kakashi’s location, and Minato Namikaze said Kakashi and the others were near the Border Line.
• Chiba argued that Hirohiko and Yukina should return to the village for treatment while he joined Kakashi’s team on the Kannabi Bridge mission.
• Chiba proposed using his apparent presence elsewhere as a hidden backup to protect Kakashi’s mission, and Minato Namikaze reacted with interest.

Chiba proposed using his group as a diversion while Kakashi’s team carried out its covert mission, and Minato Namikaze agreed. After realizing an enemy was still trapped in Chiba’s Earth Release technique, Minato used Flying Thunder God to take Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina away.

• Chiba proposed that his group draw enemy attention to help Kakashi’s team complete its mission.
• Minato Namikaze recognized the value of Chiba’s plan and agreed to cooperate.
• Chiba noticed Minato had seen the stone pillar lotus and urged everyone to leave immediately.
• Minato Namikaze realized an enemy might still be trapped inside Chiba’s technique and prepared to depart.
• Chiba placed his hand on Minato, and Minato activated Flying Thunder God to transport them.

Kakashi, Obito, and Rin formed a defensive formation after Minato vanished without a trace, then prepared to continue their mission while wondering whether he had been attacked. Several figures suddenly appeared behind them.

• Rin noticed that Minato had disappeared, and Kakashi scanned the area for signs of an enemy attack.
• Kakashi ordered Obito and Rin into a back-to-back defensive formation.
• Rin worried that Minato had been harmed, while Obito insisted he could not have been silently killed.
• Kakashi argued that they had to consider the worst case, prompting an argument with Obito that Rin stopped.
• Kakashi urged them to stay calm and continue the mission, but several figures appeared behind them.

Minato Namikaze rescued Hirohiko and Yukina but was wounded by Chiba’s attacker, and Chiba remained behind in grave danger. With the Flying Thunder God Kunai no longer marking Chiba’s location, Minato could not return to save him, so he took the others back toward the village.

• Minato Namikaze found himself beside Hirohiko and Yukina with a cut on his cheek, while Chiba was nowhere to be seen.
• Rin examined Hirohiko and Yukina and said they were safe, though exhausted and unconscious.
• Minato Namikaze recalled that Chiba’s sudden strike had wounded him and that Chiba’s Flying Thunder God Kunai had been carried away with him.
• Kakashi realized Chiba was likely in a life-or-death situation, and Minato Namikaze said he first needed to take Hirohiko and Yukina back to the village.
• Obito protested when Kakashi led them onward, but Kakashi understood they could not save Chiba.

Obito argued with Minato Namikaze, Kakashi, and Rin over whether to rescue Chiba, but Minato explained that the distance and enemy territory made a rescue impossible. As the group fell silent, a voice from behind them insisted that Chiba would not die.

• Obito demanded that Minato Namikaze and Kakashi go back to save Chiba, while Rin tried to calm him and agreed there was no other way.
• Kakashi called Obito an idiot and argued that completing the mission came first, and Minato Namikaze stopped Obito from attacking him.
• Minato Namikaze explained that Chiba was too far away and rescuing him would require crossing the front line and enemy territory, so they would arrive too late.
• Obito asked if there was another way, and Minato Namikaze said there was not.
• A voice from behind the group declared that Chiba would not die.

Hirohiko woke and insisted he was well enough to go save Chiba, but Rin treated his severe blood loss and ordered him not to fight. Minato told the group to abandon the rescue and continue the Kannabi Bridge mission, while Kakashi led them onward to find a place to rest.

• Hirohiko sat up, refused Rin’s examination, and tried to stand, but his legs gave out.
• Rin gave Hirohiko Ration Balls and Blood-Increasing Pills, then warned him not to take part in battle.
• Obito took out his frustration over failing to rescue Chiba on Hirohiko, and Minato told him to stop.
• Minato helped Hirohiko up and explained that they had to heal him and complete the Kannabi Bridge mission instead of rescuing Chiba.
• Kakashi said they needed to find somewhere to rest and walked ahead.

Chiba and Minato Namikaze nearly escaped with Yukina’s help, but the Third Raikage ambushed them, nearly killing Minato and striking Chiba. Chiba realized that the Raikage was still a lethal threat and wondered whether fate was driving him toward a desperate battle.

• The Third Raikage launched a silent Hell Stab at Minato Namikaze, but Minato dodged at the last instant and disappeared.
• Chiba’s cheek was grazed by the attack, and his Rock Skin cracked where it touched the Raikage’s Lightning Release Chakra Cloak.
• Chiba considered how disastrous it would be if the Third Raikage reached Konoha, whose defenses were already strained.
• Chiba reflected that Yukina had returned the Flying Thunder God Kunai and Minato had arrived, but the Raikage’s sudden attack had blocked their escape.
• Chiba faced the prospect of fighting the Third Raikage with his exhausted, unrecovered body and wondered if fate was trying to eliminate him.

The Third Raikage realized Minato Namikaze had dodged his attack and rescued two wounded shinobi, while reflecting on the damage Taki Chiba had inflicted on him. He concluded that missing the chance to kill Minato could decide the war in Konoha’s favor and leave Minato poised to become the Fourth Hokage.

• The Third Raikage saw that Minato Namikaze had evaded his thrust and rescued two wounded shinobi.
• The Third Raikage assessed the cracks and punctures in his Lightning Release Chakra Cloak, recalling how Taki Chiba’s attacks had breached his defenses.
• The Third Raikage recognized the blond shinobi as Minato Namikaze, Konoha’s Golden Flash, and identified his technique as the Flying Thunder God.
• The Third Raikage concluded that Minato’s survival could ensure Konoha’s victory and foresaw Minato becoming the Fourth Hokage.
• The Third Raikage regretted failing to kill Minato and felt agitated at the prospect of Konoha’s continued dominance.

With his defenses and heightened senses depleted, Chiba faced the Third Raikage’s next attack and resolved to fight for his life and the people he cared about. He seized the brief opening after the Raikage’s thrust stopped and rolled to the right.

• Chiba realized that the Third Raikage’s failed thrust had left him as the next target, and he lacked the strength and perception to confront the Raikage directly.
• Chiba thought of the friends and loved ones he could not bear to leave behind and vowed to survive and change fate.
• Chiba recognized the pause in the Third Raikage’s attack as his best chance to evade.
• A faint puff of dust rose beneath Chiba’s left foot as he rolled to the right.

Taki Chiba tried to evade the Third Raikage’s attack, but the Raikage believed the exhausted boy had lost his strength. Chiba detonated Hirohiko’s Modified Powerful Impact Explosion Ball at point-blank range, engulfing them both in the blast.

• After Minato Namikaze escaped, the Third Raikage focused on killing Taki Chiba and recognized him as a dangerous tactical and strategic threat.
• The Third Raikage attacked Chiba with his lightning blade and Black Lightning as Chiba twisted and rolled to evade.
• The Third Raikage wounded Chiba’s lower back and ankle, then concluded that Chiba’s technique had worn off and he was too weak to fight back.
• Chiba detonated Hirohiko’s Modified Powerful Impact Explosion Ball from his Ninja Tool Pouch beneath the Third Raikage’s chest and abdomen.
• The explosion engulfed Chiba and the Third Raikage, and its shockwave swept across the battlefield.

Chiba survived the Third Raikage’s killing blow by detonating Hirohiko’s pellet bomb at close range, though the blast left him gravely injured and cost him his left arm and both feet. As the Third Raikage charged at him again, a scroll bearing a Fire seal suddenly unfurled in front of the Raikage’s face.

• Chiba’s close-range detonation hurled him away from the Third Raikage and scattered the fireball with a bolt of black lightning.
• Chiba realized his gamble had saved his life, despite his severe burns and the loss of his left arm and both feet.
• Chiba pushed himself upright with his relatively intact right hand as the Third Raikage tore through the remaining flames.
• The Third Raikage charged at Chiba with a one-finger Hell Stab, but a scroll marked with a Fire character and Sealing Jutsu Formulas unfurled before his face.

Chiba used an explosion to escape the Third Raikage’s attack, but the Raikage pressed in to finish him. As Chiba released the fire sealing scroll, Amaterasu ignited on the Raikage’s fingertip, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Chiba detonated an explosion at close range, using its force to evade the Third Raikage’s strike and gain a moment to escape.
• The Third Raikage recognized Chiba’s desperation and resolved to kill him before he could make another unexpected move.
• The Third Raikage charged Chiba with a one-finger Hell Stab as Chiba rose and threw a fire sealing scroll between them.
• Chiba released the scroll’s seal, and Amaterasu ignited on the Third Raikage’s lightning-wreathed fingertip.

Chiba used the Sealing Fire Jutsu Scroll to unleash Amaterasu, catching the Third Raikage in inextinguishable Black Flames even as Hell Stab pierced Chiba’s chest. The Third Raikage burned while Chiba collapsed, badly injured and hoping the flames would finish the fight.

• The Third Raikage pierced the scroll and drove his Hell Stab finger through Chiba’s chest.
• The scroll’s black fire character erupted into Amaterasu, scattering Black Flames across the Third Raikage’s body.
• The Third Raikage recoiled in agony as the flames spread over him and began consuming his Lightning Release Chakra Cloak.
• Chiba crashed to the ground, his charred skin fracturing as he watched the burning Third Raikage.
• Chiba recalled choosing to use the Sealing Fire Jutsu Scroll as his final gamble after Hirohiko had been rescued.

Chiba’s Amaterasu trapped the Third Raikage in flames that he could not extinguish, and the Raikage stopped moving as the fire consumed his Lightning Release Chakra Cloak. Chiba realized the flames might kill him, but he collapsed in pain, unsure whether the Third Raikage was truly finished.

• Amaterasu formed a cone-shaped belt of black fire that burned the Third Raikage and withered the surrounding grass.
• The Third Raikage concluded the flames could not be extinguished and realized Chiba had tricked him into a potentially fatal attack.
• Unable to move or escape the flames, the Third Raikage raged at the humiliating prospect of dying alongside Chiba.
• Chiba noticed the Third Raikage had stopped moving and wondered whether Amaterasu could overcome his Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• Chiba recognized that Amaterasu might be the Third Raikage’s weakness, then collapsed back to the ground with a bitter smile.

Chiba’s Amaterasu attack was revealed to have struck only a Lightning Release Shadow Clone, leaving him helpless before the Third Raikage. As the Third Raikage moved to kill him, Chiba faced what seemed to be his death.

• The Third Raikage’s Lightning Release Shadow Clone dispersed in the black flames, revealing that he had escaped Chiba’s attack.
• The Third Raikage told Chiba that his clone had saved him from the black flames and explained that he considered the cost worthwhile for Kumogakure.
• Chiba lay severely burned and powerless, grieving that he had come close to changing the battle’s course.
• The Third Raikage formed a lightning blade and thrust it toward Chiba’s heart to finish him.

The Third Raikage was about to kill the helpless Chiba when Dodai and Kumogakure’s battered rear force arrived. Learning that they had failed to stop Iwa’s attack and that Kumogakure was on the verge of defeat, the Third Raikage broke into laughter as Chiba also laughed.

• The Third Raikage drove his lightning blade into Chiba’s chest as Chiba, unable to move, still held onto a trace of hope.
• Dodai and several hundred Kumogakure ninja arrived behind the Third Raikage, looking dusty and dejected.
• The Third Raikage demanded to know what had happened, and Dodai said he had not made it in time.
• The Third Raikage realized Iwa had won on the rear battlefield, leaving Kumogakure trapped between Iwa and Konoha and facing defeat.
• Dodai struggled with guilt over the disaster as the Third Raikage began laughing and looked down at Chiba, who was laughing too.

Dodai suspected that Konoha had sent Taki Chiba’s team into Kumogakure’s rear to create an opening for its forces. He stopped the Third Raikage from killing Chiba, leaving the Raikage calmer and Chiba alive for now.

• Dodai recognized Taki Chiba beneath the Third Raikage’s lightning and realized Chiba had delayed the Raikage long enough for Konoha forces to reach the rear battlefield.
• The Third Raikage demanded to know why Chiba was laughing, and Chiba taunted him for being afraid.
• The Third Raikage prepared to drive his lightning blade into Chiba, but Dodai urgently stopped him.
• Dodai warned the Third Raikage that killing Chiba could play into Konoha’s trap and questioned why Konoha had sent a valuable young team into such danger.
• The Third Raikage reconsidered Konoha’s possible purpose and calmed down, while Dodai recognized that Chiba could still be useful.