Chapter Summaries

Zhang Miao tested his mantis puppet’s swordsmanship and used a transformation to tease Grandma Chiyo by taking the form of her dead son, Yama. Their reunion was interrupted when Baki arrived to speak with Chiyo.

• Zhang Miao controlled his mantis puppet with Chakra Threads and made it move rapidly while practicing Killer B’s Seven-Sword Style.
• Grandma Chiyo and Ebizo watched Zhang Miao’s skill, and Chiyo brought out Sasori’s Crow puppet to encourage his interest in puppetry.
• Zhang Miao transformed into Yama, hugged Grandma Chiyo, and joked that he was Sasori’s father; Chiyo scolded him and told him to change back.
• Ebizo spotted someone approaching, and Baki arrived and addressed Grandma Chiyo as an advisor.
• Zhang Miao made a pun about Baki’s name, leaving Grandma Chiyo, Ebizo, and Baki speechless.

Zhang Miao’s Sword Saint defeated Grandma Chiyo’s Crow in a puppet match, leaving Baki with Crow’s wreckage to take back for Kankuro. Grandma Chiyo went to fetch a tougher puppet so Zhang Miao could challenge it next.

• Baki asked Grandma Chiyo for a beginner puppet for Kankuro, and she agreed to lend him Crow.
• Grandma Chiyo challenged Zhang Miao to defeat Crow before facing her Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.
• Zhang Miao’s Sword Saint dodged Crow’s attack and destroyed it with Blade Storm.
• Grandma Chiyo admitted defeat while Baki and Ebizo stared in disbelief.
• Grandma Chiyo told Baki to take Crow’s wreckage for Kankuro to repair, then went to find a puppet that could withstand Zhang Miao.

Zhang Miao defeated Grandma Chiyo’s Black Ant puppet after Baki collected Crow’s wreckage, then urged Baki to take both puppets back and learn from repairing them. Baki returned to Sunagakure with the wreckage and reported to Rasa, who planned for Kankuro and Temari to meet Chiyo’s grandson when they collected the blueprints.

• While Grandma Chiyo fetched another puppet, Baki gathered Crow’s wreckage and packed it into a sack.
• Grandma Chiyo used Black Ant to trap Zhang Miao’s Sword Saint, but Zhang Miao strengthened his Chakra Threads and destroyed Black Ant.
• Grandma Chiyo refused to bring out the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu and went inside with Ebizo, leaving Black Ant’s wreckage behind.
• Zhang Miao told Baki that Black Ant belonged with Crow and promised to get him their blueprints; Baki collected the wreckage and thanked him.
• Baki returned to Sunagakure and reported the encounter to Rasa, who told him to bring Kankuro and Temari when he collected the blueprints.

Baki brought Temari and Kankuro to meet Zhang Miao so they could become acquainted, but Zhang Miao immediately declared Temari his wife and Kankuro his brother-in-law. The visit ended with Zhang Miao trying to whisk Temari away to play while the adults watched in disbelief.

• Baki took Temari and Kankuro to Grandma Chiyo's residence at Rasa's request, hoping they would befriend Zhang Miao.
• Grandma Chiyo led them to Ebizo's room, where Zhang Miao was smoking and gambling with Ebizo over shogi.
• Zhang Miao gave Temari an apple, kissed her cheek, and declared that she was his wife.
• Zhang Miao tried to take Temari to his room, but Baki called him back.
• Kankuro introduced himself and asked to be Zhang Miao's friend, so Zhang Miao called himself Kankuro's brother-in-law.

Zhang Miao brought Temari and Kankuro to his room while Baki met with Ebizo and Grandma Chiyo to receive puppet blueprints. As Baki stayed to play shogi with Ebizo, Ebizo reflected on Zhang Miao’s effect on Chiyo and hoped she would recover from her grief.

• Zhang Miao led a blushing Temari back to his room, and Kankuro followed, calling him brother-in-law.
• Grandma Chiyo fetched the puppet blueprints for Baki while Ebizo challenged him to shogi, and Baki quickly lost.
• Grandma Chiyo revealed that Ebizo had lost more than three million to Zhang Miao at shogi, then handed Baki the blueprints and went fishing.
• Ebizo reflected on Chiyo’s grief over her son and daughter-in-law’s deaths and Sasori’s defection, and hoped Zhang Miao would help her heal.
• Baki tried to leave at dusk, but Ebizo invited him to dinner and another game of shogi.

Baki joined Ebizo and Zhang Miao for an extravagant dinner, then reported his mission to Rasa, who suggested sharing the bottle of alcohol Ebizo had given him. The next morning, Baki came to take Temari and Kankuro home, but both children looked to Zhang Miao before answering.

• Kankuro summoned Baki and Ebizo to dinner, where Baki was astonished by Zhang Miao's plentiful food and alcohol.
• Ebizo gave Baki a bottle of alcohol, and Baki later reported the mission and dinner to Rasa while omitting Zhang Miao's affection with Temari and Kankuro calling him Brother-in-Law.
• Rasa praised Baki and proposed drinking the alcohol, but refused to invite Yashamaru because he was watching Gaara.
• Baki worried that Zhang Miao might be more dangerous than Gaara and decided to bring Temari and Kankuro back the next day.
• Baki arrived during breakfast and asked Temari and Kankuro to return home, but they looked to Zhang Miao for his opinion.

Zhang Miao traveled with Baki, Temari, and Kankuro to Sunagakure, where he spotted the lonely young Gaara and went to approach him. The chapter left Zhang Miao facing Gaara while Temari and Kankuro headed home.

• Baki planned to take Temari and Kankuro back to Sunagakure, and Zhang Miao insisted on accompanying them to meet the Fourth Kazekage, whom he called his future father-in-law.
• Grandma Chiyo gave Baki gift baskets for the Kazekage and told him to keep Zhang Miao from smoking, gambling, and kissing girls; she also gave Zhang Miao a scroll containing his “Sword Saint.”
• After leaving Grandma Chiyo’s sight, Zhang Miao lit a cigarette and pressured Baki into taking one, declaring them members of the same gang.
• Baki led Zhang Miao, Temari, and Kankuro through the guarded One Line Sky checkpoint and into Sunagakure.
• Zhang Miao recognized the lonely young Gaara, told Temari and Kankuro to go home, and walked toward him.

Zhang Miao met the isolated young Gaara and comforted him when Gaara feared he would be rejected. Gaara accepted Zhang Miao’s friendship and apple, while Zhang Miao received five Gaara ninja fragments.

• Baki, Temari, and Kankuro watched in alarm as sand blocked Zhang Miao from touching Gaara.
• Zhang Miao praised Gaara’s Sand of Protection and reassured him that he was not afraid.
• Baki left for the Kazekage’s Office with Temari and Kankuro after tossing Zhang Miao an apple.
• Zhang Miao introduced himself to Gaara, gave him the apple, and promised to stay with him when he felt sad.
• Gaara ate the apple happily, and Zhang Miao received five Seven-Star Kage-Level Gaara Ninja Fragments.

Zhang Miao comforted Gaara by telling him that the sand protecting him carried his mother Karura’s love, then urged him to follow his lead. Yashamaru took Gaara home and went to report Zhang Miao to Rasa, only to find Rasa in the middle of an awkward conversation with Zhang Miao.

• Zhang Miao told Gaara that the automatically protective sand embodied Karura’s love and comforted him as he cried.
• Zhang Miao encouraged Gaara to follow him and find his own path, but Yashamaru appeared and called Gaara home for lunch.
• Zhang Miao let Gaara go and planned to meet the Kazekage, while Yashamaru worried about Zhang Miao’s Body Flicker Technique and decided to report him.
• Yashamaru left Gaara eating porridge and hurried to Rasa’s office, where he overheard Zhang Miao asking Rasa for eighty or a hundred tons of Gold Sand as a dowry.
• Rasa opened the office door looking furious, and Yashamaru awkwardly claimed he had just arrived.

Zhang Miao met Rasa after approaching Gaara, then offered to temporarily seal Gaara’s tailed beast. He left Rasa considering the offer while demanding a village beauty pageant and a hundred tons of Gold Sand as his supposed compensation.

• Rasa learned from Yashamaru that Gaara had not lost control, and Zhang Miao announced that he had met Gaara.
• Zhang Miao introduced himself to Yashamaru as Temari’s fiancé and received Yashamaru ninja fragments from the system.
• Rasa questioned Zhang Miao’s purpose in Sunagakure, and Zhang Miao said he had come to ask for Temari’s dowry of a hundred tons of Gold Sand.
• Zhang Miao revealed that he knew the tailed beast was named Shukaku and offered to seal Gaara for at least a dozen years.
• Rasa asked what Chiyo wanted in return, and Zhang Miao claimed she required a beauty pageant so he could choose one hundred and eight concubines.

Zhang Miao haggled with Rasa for gold dust as payment for helping stabilize Gaara, then demanded an equal dowry for Temari. Rasa finally agreed to provide four hundred tons, and Zhang Miao gained a way to earn Rasa's ninja fragments by mentioning dowry.

• Rasa refused Zhang Miao's demands for a beauty pageant and one thousand tons of gold dust, but offered one hundred tons for sealing Gaara.
• Zhang Miao raised his request to two hundred tons, and Rasa agreed to pay after the sealing was complete.
• Zhang Miao demanded another two hundred tons as Temari's dowry and threatened to complain to Chiyo when Rasa objected.
• Rasa agreed to prepare four hundred tons of gold dust and have it delivered to Chiyo by noon the following day.
• Rasa vanished, and the system awarded Zhang Miao ten Rasa ninja fragments and promised ten more whenever he mentioned dowry to Rasa.

Zhang Miao left the Kazekage's Office and went to Gaara, who welcomed him warmly. He promised to stay with Gaara that night and take him to Grandma Chiyo the next morning to reinforce his seal, leaving Yashamaru hopeful.

• Baki tried to take Zhang Miao to the reception department, but Zhang Miao refused and left the Kazekage Building.
• Zhang Miao met Gaara at the village entrance and shared Mitarashi Dango with him.
• Zhang Miao accepted Gaara's wish to call him big brother and promised to have dinner and stay with him.
• Gaara ran inside to find Yashamaru, who approached Zhang Miao warily.
• Zhang Miao told Yashamaru he would take Gaara to Grandma Chiyo to reinforce his seal so Gaara could live and sleep normally.

Zhang Miao reassured Gaara that he was his brother while warning him to distrust people with hidden intentions, and he drove Yashamaru away. Yashamaru reported to Rasa, who ordered him to monitor Gaara after tomorrow’s sealing and warned him not to provoke Zhang Miao.

• Yashamaru agreed to believe Zhang Miao but said he would ask Rasa to let him accompany Zhang Miao.
• Gaara called Zhang Miao his brother, and Zhang Miao promised not to fear, betray, or hurt him.
• Zhang Miao warned Gaara that people might pretend to care for him while harboring ill intentions, then threatened Yashamaru and sent him away.
• Yashamaru reported Gaara’s attitude and Zhang Miao’s words to Rasa.
• Rasa ordered Yashamaru to accompany Baki for the sealing and then monitor Gaara, warning him not to start a conflict with Zhang Miao.

Zhang Miao sealed Shukaku inside Gaara with the Eight Trigrams Seal, allowing Gaara to fall asleep safely for the first time. Yashamaru discovered the sleeping child and was left to decide whether to report the change to Rasa.

• Zhang Miao called Gaara over and used the Eight Trigrams Seal to seal Shukaku inside him.
• Gaara grew sleepy and fell asleep in Zhang Miao’s arms, then Zhang Miao carried him inside and put him to bed.
• Yashamaru returned and argued with Zhang Miao, who warned him not to wake Gaara.
• Yashamaru found Gaara asleep and noticed that the unsettling Chakra had disappeared.
• Zhang Miao told Yashamaru to either keep standing there or tell Rasa what had happened and bring him over.

Zhang Miao used a temporary seal to help Gaara sleep, and Rasa confirmed that Gaara was safe before leaving him in Zhang Miao’s care. Zhang Miao prepared a meal and called Gaara his little brother, determined to protect him from the loneliness and betrayal he had suffered.

• Yashamaru chose to report Gaara’s sleep and vanished chakra reaction to Rasa, who hurried to Gaara’s residence.
• Rasa found Gaara asleep and saw sand block his hand, then assumed Chiyo Advisor was testing a temporary seal.
• Zhang Miao praised Rasa’s guess and reminded him to deliver four hundred tons of gold dust; Rasa agreed and left Gaara in Zhang Miao’s care.
• Zhang Miao reflected on Gaara’s painful past, called him his little brother, and found that sand also stopped his hand from touching him.
• Zhang Miao finished preparing dinner and softly called for Gaara to wake up and eat.

Gaara slept peacefully after Zhang Miao cared for him, and Zhang Miao later entered the seal space connected to Gaara while sleeping beside him. There, Shukaku mistook Zhang Miao for the Nine-Tails because Zhang Miao’s Nine-Tails Chakra manifested as nine tails.

• Gaara fell asleep during his meal, and Zhang Miao carried him back to bed.
• Gaara grabbed Zhang Miao’s sleeve in his sleep and relaxed when Zhang Miao stayed beside him.
• Zhang Miao fell asleep and woke in a dark, boundless desert where he heard someone calling for Kurama.
• Zhang Miao found Shukaku imprisoned in an iron cage, and Shukaku mistook him for the Nine-Tails.
• The system explained that Zhang Miao’s Nine-Tails Chakra manifested as nine tails, leading him to realize he had entered Gaara’s tailed beast sealing ground.

Zhang Miao spoke with Shukaku inside Gaara’s spiritual realm and promised to have Grandma Chiyo remove one layer of the seal. After returning to the room, he shared food and tea with Baki and offered to sell him a large stock of cigarettes and alcohol.

• Zhang Miao explained to Shukaku that he was Gaara’s big brother, not the Nine-Tails, and revealed that he had created the seal on Shukaku’s cage.
• Shukaku angrily accused Zhang Miao of bullying him and rejected the promise that he would soon be able to see the outside world through Gaara’s eyes.
• Zhang Miao left Gaara’s spiritual realm, found Baki waiting outside, and invited him in for food and tea.
• Zhang Miao offered to sell Baki cigarettes and alcohol at Sunagakure’s market prices, claiming he had about two hundred million worth of stock.

Zhang Miao arranged to sell Maki five million worth of cigarettes and liquor, then left Sunagakure with Gaara, Yashamaru, Maki, and a group of skilled ninjas. They reached Chiyo's secluded home, where Chiyo welcomed Zhang Miao with an embrace.

• Maki agreed to buy five million worth of Zhang Miao's cigarettes and liquor, with payment and trade planned for the journey the next morning.
• Zhang Miao told Gaara he would live with him outside the village and promised that Yashamaru would come too.
• Maki and Yashamaru arrived with more than a dozen Sunagakure ninjas, and Zhang Miao led the group out of the village with Gaara.
• Gaara explored the desert as they traveled, and Zhang Miao carried him when he grew tired.
• Chiyo ran out to embrace Zhang Miao when the group reached her secluded home, and he received ten seven-star Kage-level Chiyo Ninja Fragments.

Zhang Miao brought Gaara to Grandma Chiyo and explained his plan to replace Gaara’s seal and help him understand the tailed beast within him. After Zhang Miao revealed his Wood Style, Grandma Chiyo agreed to help and invited Gaara inside.

• Gaara woke up, and Zhang Miao introduced Grandma Chiyo as his grandmother before taking him into the house.
• Grandma Chiyo recognized Gaara as a Spirit Medium and warned Zhang Miao that he was dangerous, but Zhang Miao said he had already handled the seal.
• Zhang Miao asked Grandma Chiyo to present his new seal as her own and remove Gaara’s original seal so he could work toward becoming a perfect Jinchuriki.
• Zhang Miao demonstrated Wood Style and said he could subdue Gaara if he lost control.
• Grandma Chiyo praised Zhang Miao, then opened the door and called Gaara inside.

Zhang Miao and Grandma Chiyo removed Gaara’s old seal and put him to sleep while completing a new one. Zhang Miao then sold Baki cigarettes and alcohol for five million taels, leaving Baki and Yashamaru to keep watch outside until the Kazekage arrived.

• Gaara happily joined Zhang Miao after finishing his apples, while Yashamaru stayed outside.
• Grandma Chiyo drew a seal circle, and Gaara lay down inside it at Zhang Miao’s request.
• Grandma Chiyo released the old seal and said the new seal was complete, then sent the escorting ninjas back to report to Rasa.
• Baki stayed with Yashamaru to confirm the seal, and Zhang Miao brought out two hundred cartons of cigarettes and one hundred bottles of alcohol for sale.
• Baki paid Zhang Miao five million taels and said he would use his Sand Lizard Summoning Beast to transport the goods.
• Baki and Yashamaru remained outside the house, taking turns keeping watch until the Kazekage arrived the next day.