Chapter Summaries

The Third Hokage assigned Chiba to a B-rank mission to eliminate bandits near the Land of Fire–Land of Grass border, despite his age and lack of mission experience. Chiba joined Morino Ibuse’s squad, while Hokoma objected that previous teams—including Minato’s—had failed to complete the mission.

• Chiba arrived at the Third Hokage’s office and mistakenly feared he was being questioned about Kushina’s stolen Library pass.
• The Third Hokage assigned Chiba to a B-rank mission under Jonin Morino Ibuse to eliminate bandits near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
• Chiba accepted the mission, and Morino Ibuse took him to meet the rest of the squad.
• After they left, Hokoma told the Third Hokage that three teams had already failed the mission and argued that Chiba was too young and inexperienced.
• The Third Hokage refused to reconsider, saying he believed in Chiba’s potential, and reflected on Hokoma’s concern for the orphan.

Chiba joined Morino Ibuse, Kinoi Kento, and Fujiki Shigeru at Konoha Dango before their B-rank mission. After Fujiki insulted Morino and provoked Kento, Morino kept the group from fighting and began explaining the mission to Chiba.

• Chiba followed Morino Ibuse to Konoha Dango, where he spotted Kurenai Yuhi and Anko Mitarashi but did not greet them.
• Morino Ibuse introduced Chiba to Kinoi Kento and Fujiki Shigeru, his new teammates for the mission.
• Fujiki Shigeru mocked Chiba's age and dismissed Morino as the dead last among Jonin, prompting Kinoi Kento to defend their teacher.
• Morino Ibuse stopped Kento from drawing his sword and ordered food for the group, including red bean soup for Chiba.
• Morino Ibuse began explaining the B-rank mission as the team ate.

Chiba learned that his first mission was a B-rank assignment to eliminate bandits repeatedly reported dead along the border of the Land of Grass and the Land of Fire. Concerned by the bandit leader’s unexplained returns, he headed to Konoha Hospital to seek Yuriko’s advice before departing the next morning.

• Morino Ibuse dismissed the team and told Chiba, Fujiki Shigeru, and Kinoi Kento to gather at the village gate at eight the next morning.
• Fujiki Shigeru left rudely, and Kinoi Kento’s anger surfaced as he defended his teacher after Chiba departed.
• Chiba recalled that previous Konoha teams, including Minato Namikaze’s, had killed the bandit leader and supposedly wiped out the bandits, yet new reports said the leader had returned.
• Chiba considered the mission’s strange history, resolved to stay cautious and focus on surviving and completing it, then set aside his concerns.
• Chiba headed to Konoha Hospital to find Yuriko and ask how to treat muscle damage before the mission began.

Chiba arrived late for his first mission and nearly attacked Fujiki Shigeru after Fujiki insulted his teacher, but Morino Ibuse intervened. As the team left Konoha, Chiba secretly used an Earth Style technique to make Fujiki fall into a pit.

• Chiba woke late, rushed to the mission meeting, and arrived ten minutes behind schedule.
• Fujiki Shigeru insulted Chiba and his teacher, prompting Chiba to reach for his shuriken while Morino Ibuse stepped between them.
• Morino Ibuse reminded Chiba that the mission came first, and Chiba put away his shuriken but warned Fujiki not to provoke him again.
• Chiba left ahead of the others, and Fujiki fell into a pit that Chiba had secretly created with a one-handed hand seal.
• Two Chunin guards discussed Chiba's near-attack and praised Morino Ibuse after the team departed.

As the team traveled toward the Land of Grass, Kinoi Kento passed along Shiga Takeyoshi’s sincere thanks to Chiba, and the two awkwardly struggled to talk. Near the border, Chiba fell into a lake, leaving Morino Ibuse and the others to realize it was an accident rather than an enemy attack.

• Morino Ibuse led Chiba, Kinoi Kento, and Fujiki Shigeru through the forest toward the Land of Grass.
• Kinoi Kento told Chiba that Shiga Takeyoshi thanked him for teaching Shiga to believe in the potential of idiots, an idea that had helped on missions and saved his life.
• Chiba and Kinoi Kento awkwardly exchanged a few words about Shiga and Chiba’s unusual qualities before falling silent again.
• Morino Ibuse announced that they were nearing the border and would reach the Land of Grass after crossing a lake.
• Chiba stepped into empty air and fell into the lake, while Kinoi Kento dodged aside and Morino Ibuse briefly mistook the splash for an enemy attack.

Chiba initially fell into the lake while trying Water Walking, but quickly figured out the correct amount of Chakra and stood on the water. As Morino Ibuse led the team onward, more than a dozen Kunai flew toward them from ahead.

• Chiba used too much Chakra on his first attempt at Water Walking and fell into the lake.
• Fujiki Shigeru scorned Chiba and accused him of being unfit to join the team.
• Chiba tested Chakra against the water, found the right amount, and stood and bounced on its surface.
• Chiba apologized to Morino Ibuse for holding the team back, and Morino praised him for learning Water Walking so quickly.
• As Morino Ibuse prepared to continue the journey, more than a dozen Kunai flew toward the team from ahead.

Chiba and Morino Ibuse’s team was ambushed by bandit-like ninja at a lake, but Chiba’s decoy attack and Water Release let them defeat all fourteen attackers surrounding them. As they escaped into the forest, a fresh barrage of explosive-tag kunai revealed that more enemies were still waiting.

• Chiba shielded Morino Ibuse, Kinoi Kento, and Fujiki Shigeru from a barrage of explosive-tag kunai with Water Wall.
• A burly enemy leader ordered the group to surrender, but Chiba began forming hand seals and drew their attention.
• Chiba’s underwater clone struck the leader and two other ninja, giving Morino Ibuse an opening to kill six with his swordsmanship.
• Chiba used Water Dragon Bullet to incapacitate the remaining five attackers, while the leader fell into the lake.
• Chiba grabbed Kinoi Kento as Morino Ibuse seized Fujiki Shigeru, and they leaped into the forest just before another barrage of explosive-tag kunai filled the area.

Chiba and Morino Ibuse’s team escaped an explosive ambush, while Ibuse and Kinoi Kento reflected on Chiba’s quick thinking and combat skill. The burly man behind the attack let them retreat to draw reinforcements, then began dismantling his hidden weapons.

• Chiba told Morino Ibuse that he had created his Shadow Clone during the Water Wall, and Ibuse recognized how sharply Chiba had reacted and planned his attacks.
• Morino Ibuse compared Chiba’s decisiveness to Minato, while Kinoi Kento acknowledged the gap between their abilities and Fujiki Shigeru remained shaken by the explosions.
• At the lake, a burly man watched the team escape and dismissed the bandits who had failed to stop them.
• The burly man decided the team’s retreat would make them seek reinforcements, then began dismantling the hidden kunai-firing mechanisms.

After escaping an ambush, Chiba persuaded Morino Ibuse to stop and start a fire, believing the choice might reveal the truth behind their strange mission. Morino Ibuse struck down Fujiki Shigeru for insulting his comrades, and the team began preparing to rest while Fujiki was assigned to keep watch.

• Chiba explained that the ambush involved at least fifty enemies and argued that starting a fire could help uncover the mission’s truth.
• Morino Ibuse questioned Chiba’s uncertain plan, then agreed to start a fire and assigned Kinoi Kento to gather wood, Chiba to fetch water, and Fujiki Shigeru to keep watch.
• Fujiki Shigeru grabbed Morino Ibuse’s collar and angrily objected, but Chiba stopped Kinoi Kento from attacking him.
• Morino Ibuse knocked Fujiki Shigeru to the ground for acting like a coward and insulting his comrades’ resolve, then ordered him to keep watch.
• Chiba and Kinoi Kento began gathering water and firewood as Morino Ibuse went to find food.

Chiba reasoned that the enemy ninjas were inexperienced and too weak to capture the group, and convinced Morino Ibuse that returning for reinforcements could play into their plan. After the group continued onward without being attacked, Chiba’s deduction was confirmed, though Morino confronted him for eating the entire deer leg.

• Chiba explained that the enemy’s inexperienced reactions and failure to attack after the Exploding Tags suggested they were paper tigers trying to frighten the group.
• Chiba warned that requesting reinforcements could be part of the enemy’s plan and urged the group to continue toward their hideout instead.
• Chiba admitted that the enemy’s true objective and how they learned the group’s route remained unclear, but Morino Ibuse agreed they should press on.
• After the fire burned without drawing an attack, Chiba concluded that the enemy had only meant to scare them.
• Morino Ibuse noticed Chiba had eaten the deer leg and lectured him about food distribution while Kinoi Kento prepared more meat.
• The group passed the night without incident, confirming Chiba’s deduction.

Chiba and his team found a starving, war-ravaged village in the Land of Grass before tracking the bandits toward Santou Town. After Morino Ibuse located their base, the team set out, while a merchant watched them leave and prepared to notify Lord Bi.

• Morino Ibuse led Chiba, Kinoi Kento, and Fujiki Shigeru to a devastated village in the Land of Grass, where the villagers had been stripped of food and money and their able-bodied adults taken away.
• Morino Ibuse told the team to leave, but Kinoi Kento secretly gave his rations and money to a girl carrying a baby before rejoining them.
• The team crossed into the Land of Fire and waited at a dumpling shop in Santou Town while Morino Ibuse gathered information.
• Morino Ibuse returned with the bandits' location, and the team headed toward the Land of Rain.
• A burly merchant watched the team depart and decided it was time to notify Lord Bi.

Chiba realized the supposed bandit hideout was a trap targeting Konoha and urged Morino Ibuse to retreat. A group of Kumogakure ninja surrounded them at the cliff, leaving Chiba and his team trapped.

• Chiba noticed the location did not resemble a bandit hideout and suspected the mission intelligence was part of a conspiracy against Konoha.
• Chiba questioned whether Morino Ibuse's trusted intelligence contact was still reliable and pointed out that the mission might have changed into a trap.
• Morino Ibuse ordered the team to abandon the mission and return, but a kunai struck beside his foot and stopped him.
• A burly, scarred ninja emerged from the forest and praised Chiba's deduction as the four Konoha ninja took combat stances.
• Chiba recognized the attackers as likely Kumogakure ninja, and several more appeared, blocking the team's route and trapping them between the enemies and the cliff.

Morino Ibuse ordered Chiba to escape while he and Kinoi Kento held off the Kumogakure group, but the enemy revealed that Konoha reinforcements had been killed. As Morino prepared to fight, Chiba stopped him and said he had a plan, signaling that he intended for them all to return together.

• Morino Ibuse told Chiba to flee and warn the village that its intelligence might have been compromised, while he and Kinoi Kento stayed behind to delay the enemy.
• Fujiki Shigeru anxiously searched the forest for reinforcements, and the burly enemy captain revealed that he knew about the request for aid.
• The captain's men dragged out the bodies of four Konoha ninja, causing Fujiki Shigeru to collapse and then angrily blame Morino Ibuse and the others.
• Morino Ibuse knocked Fujiki Shigeru unconscious and prepared to attack the enemy with Kinoi Kento.
• Chiba grabbed Morino Ibuse's hand to stop him, claimed he had a plan, and declared through his confident smile that they would all return together.

Chiba exposed a Kumogakure plot to provoke Konoha by staging bandit incidents and luring reinforcements. As the Cloud ninja decided to kill the Konoha team to keep the plan secret, Chiba gave the signal to attack.

• Chiba told Morino Ibuse and Kinoi Kento to wait for his signal while he questioned the burly bandit leader.
• Chiba identified the attackers as Kumogakure ninja and deduced that they had used triplets to impersonate a bandit leader across earlier missions.
• The burly man’s reactions confirmed Chiba’s deductions, and Chiba realized the Cloud ninja were trying to delay the team and draw more Konoha reinforcements.
• The burly man and the other Cloud ninja formed the intent to kill the Konoha team and conceal their plot.
• Chiba called for Morino Ibuse to move and used Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu to launch a barrage at the Cloud ninja.

Chiba and Morino Ibuse attacked the Cloud ninja, but the burly man’s strength and lightning techniques turned the fight against them. Chiba used a Shadow Clone and Earth Spear to kill Ma, then urged his allies to flee as the remaining Cloud ninja launched attacks.

• A Cloud ninja was struck by a shuriken, and the surviving Cloud ninja formed a three-front, three-back formation around the burly man.
• The burly man broke Kinoi Kento’s Sparrow Flash and nearly stabbed him, but Chiba caught Kinoi Kento’s sword and rescued him.
• Chiba and Morino Ibuse struck the burly man, who survived their attacks and used Lightning Release: Binding Flow to paralyze Chiba and cut him in half.
• The burly man discovered that Chiba was a Shadow Clone, and Chiba emerged from the smoke to use Earth Release: Earth Spear, piercing Ma’s chest.
• Chiba shouted for his allies to run as the remaining Cloud ninja launched lightning, fire, and water attacks at him.

Chiba and Kinoi Kento used a retreat and ambush to kill two more Cloud ninja, but the burly captain realized they were trying to provoke his squad and decided to attack. The confrontation remained poised as the captain vanished toward them, while Morino Ibuse stayed hidden below the cliff.

• Chiba raised an Earth Wall and fled with Kinoi Kento, while Morino Ibuse carried the unconscious Fujiki Shigeru over the cliff.
• The burly Cloud man mourned Ma and warned his squad not to chase recklessly, but two Cloud ninja rushed to the cliff's edge.
• Chiba and Kinoi Kento sprang up from below and killed the two pursuers with Shuriken.
• The burly man deduced that the Konoha ninja were trying to force a fight, then ordered his squad to watch for Morino Ibuse and charged toward Chiba and Kinoi Kento.

Chiba and Kinoi Kento used a deception to defeat Lord Moroi and the Cloud ninja attacking them. Morino Ibuse survived the fight, and Chiba prepared to pull the wounded Kento up from the cliff.

• Lord Moroi attacked Chiba while Morino Ibuse sprang from below with Twin Sparrow Triple Flash, but Lord Moroi’s allies unleashed Lightning Release: Thousand Needle Lightning Flow.
• Chiba and Morino Ibuse’s apparent deaths proved to be Shadow Clones, and the disguised Chiba struck Lord Moroi with Kento’s transformed appearance.
• Chiba’s Monster Strength punch sent Lord Moroi flying into the ravine, while Morino Ibuse killed the three remaining Cloud ninja.
• Morino Ibuse recognized Chiba’s ingenuity as Chiba found Kento hanging from the cliff with a wounded man under one arm.
• Kento said he could hold on, and Chiba promised to pull him up.

Chiba treated Kinoi Kento’s wound after the group defeated the Cloud ninja, while Morino Ibuse recalled how Chiba’s risky ambush had turned the battle around. The survivors prepared to return to the village, but Chiba found that his legs had gone weak and he could not stand.

• Chiba used Medical Ninjutsu to heal Kinoi Kento’s chest wound while Morino Ibuse buried the four fallen Konoha ninja.
• Morino Ibuse remembered how Chiba devised a Shadow Clone ambush that killed the Cloud ninja and their burly leader.
• Kinoi Kento recovered enough to sit up, and Morino Ibuse carried the unconscious Fujiki Shigeru as he ordered everyone back to the village.
• Chiba struggled to rise after treating Kento, but his legs gave way and he remained crouched.

After the mission, Chiba’s lingering fear left him too weak to stand, and Kinoi Kento helped him up. Seeing Chiba’s vulnerability changed Kento’s view of geniuses and renewed his determination, while the group paused to rest before continuing.

• Chiba admitted that he was still trembling with fear and asked Kinoi Kento to help him up.
• Kinoi Kento realized geniuses could be afraid too, regained his fighting spirit, and admired Chiba for overcoming his fear during the mission.
• Chiba asked Kinoi Kento not to tell Hirohiko and Yukina that he had been frightened.
• Morino Ibuse noticed Kento’s softened attitude and ordered the group to rest for ten minutes.
• Kinoi Kento thanked Chiba awkwardly, and Chiba responded just as bashfully.

Morino Ibuse, Kinoi Kento, and Chiba raced back toward the village with the injured Fujiki Shigeru, while Chiba considered his medical training and the Cloud ninja’s possible plans. Chiba grew increasingly uneasy that Kumogakure’s actions might bring war, and the group hurried onward.

• Morino Ibuse carried Fujiki Shigeru through the forest and said Third Lord would decide how to deal with him after they returned to the village.
• Kinoi Kento blamed Fujiki Shigeru for the deaths of four reinforcements, but Morino Ibuse accepted responsibility for failing as captain and stopped Kento from arguing further.
• Chiba became lost in thought about applying Yuriko’s medical teachings, ran into a branch, and then caught up with Morino Ibuse and Kinoi Kento.
• Chiba reflected that his experience healing Kinoi Kento could help him develop Gate of Pain Mode and worried that Kumogakure’s actions might trigger war.
• Chiba sensed an ominous pressure and hurried to keep pace as Morino Ibuse and Kinoi Kento accelerated toward the village.