Chapter Summaries

Genma met Kabuto, learned that he had refused to become a ninja so he could support Yakushi Nonō, and resolved to help protect him from Orochimaru and Danzo. After Orochimaru watched them and left, Genma accompanied Kabuto to the medical tent and helped treat the wounded.

• Genma watched Kabuto heal his wound and learned that Kabuto had refused to become a ninja to stay with Yakushi Nonō and help the orphanage.
• Genma promised to visit Kabuto's orphanage and thought about how to protect Kabuto from Orochimaru and Danzo.
• Kabuto finished healing Genma, introduced himself, and said he needed to return to the medical tent to help Yakushi Nonō.
• Orochimaru emerged from the medical tent and stared at Genma and Kabuto before walking away.
• Genma warned Kabuto not to lose himself and accompanied him to the medical tent, where they treated the wounded.

Genma learned that Orochimaru’s costly victory over Kirigakure had brought a brief lull to the front, while the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and the Third Raikage’s death reshaped the war. He welcomed Kakashi and Rin to camp, worried about the danger surrounding them, and challenged Guy to demonstrate his new move.

• Yakushi Nonō showed warmth toward Kabuto and the other orphans while Genma ate with the medical team and watched her care for them.
• Genma learned that Orochimaru had used feigned retreats to destroy many Kirigakure ninja, though the battle had left Konohagakure with hundreds of wounded.
• After six months of relative calm, news arrived that the Battle of Kannabi Bridge had occurred and the Third Raikage had died holding off ten thousand enemies.
• Kakashi and Rin arrived at Orochimaru’s camp without Obito, and Genma suspected that the mastermind behind the scenes had taken Obito and was targeting Rin.
• Genma, Might Guy, and Raiton tried to welcome Kakashi, and Genma challenged Guy to fight him using the new move his father had taught him.

After Obito’s death, Genma and the others mourned him as the war intensified and more missions arrived. Genma was assigned to a deep reconnaissance mission with Kakashi, Rin, and Might Guy, and the teams received their briefing.

• Might Guy challenged Genma to spar, but Kakashi declined and Rin noticed his grief.
• Washi asked where Obito was, and Rin tearfully revealed that he had sacrificed himself; the group shared memories and decided to fund a gravestone.
• Kirigakure’s activity increased, new Genin arrived, and Genma and his friends began receiving more missions.
• Genma was assigned to a reconnaissance team with Kakashi, Rin, and Might Guy.
• A mission officer gathered three teams, showed them a map with three marked locations, and explained that enemy movements required deep reconnaissance.

Kakashi's squad approached the Kirigakure camp to scout it, but an ambush revealed that the enemy might be waiting along their route. Kakashi and Genma decided to test three directions with Shadow Clones to determine the enemy's positions.

• Kakashi's squad crossed the forest and valley, and Genma took over scouting with Shadow Clones when Kakashi grew tired.
• Genma observed the Kirigakure camp from a distance, and Kakashi sent Pakkun toward it with a Shadow Clone transformed into a shuriken to signal when to retreat.
• A massive earth wolf swallowed Genma as mist spread around the squad, and attackers struck from the fog.
• Kakashi, Guy, and Genma defeated the attackers, and Genma warned that they might have encountered trouble along their route.
• Kakashi suspected the enemy force had left its camp to ambush them, so he created six Shadow Clones and asked Genma to make three more to probe three directions.

Genma, Kakashi, Kai, and Rin chose the route back through the enemies and fought their way through increasingly heavy resistance. They reached a canyon and spotted figures along the ridge as thunder and lightning filled the sky.

• Kakashi and Genma compared intelligence from their Shadow Clones and chose to return by the route they had come.
• Genma moved behind Rin to protect the rear as enemies attacked from three sides, and the group broke through a larger force blocking their path.
• Kakashi decided to hold off the pursuers, and Kai joined him; Rin and Genma turned back to fight alongside them.
• The four stood back-to-back and defeated more than twenty Mist Ninja before Genma handed out Ration Pills.
• Kakashi led the group onward, and they reached a canyon where lightning revealed figures gathered along a distant ridge.

Kakashi sent Genma and Rin to seek reinforcements while he and Might Guy stayed behind to fight the pursuing Mist Ninja. Genma and Rin were intercepted on their way to the main camp, and Genma faced Dazui and Orii as Rin escaped toward help.

• Kakashi ordered Genma to take Rin and bring reinforcements, while Might Guy stayed with him to face the pursuers.
• Kakashi and Might Guy fought the Mist Ninja in the forest, using their speed to turn the enemies’ attacks against one another.
• Genma abandoned the underground route when he suspected sensory ninja were tracking them, then resumed traveling aboveground with Rin.
• Three enemies ambushed Genma and Rin; Genma struck one down and used Shadow Clones to hold off the others while Rin slipped past.
• Dazui stopped Orii from pursuing Rin and confronted Genma, who recognized them as Kumogakure ninja.
• Dazui attacked Genma with a lightning-wrapped phantom fist as Orii appeared behind him and thrust a Kunai toward his heart.

Genma fought Dazui and Orii, using his blade skill to withstand their coordinated attacks while Dazui relied on Lightning Release Body Refinement. The battle left Genma under pressure, and Orii disappeared after being struck by an apparent Lightning Substitution.

• Genma charged Orii with precise sword strikes, but Dazui blocked one with his bracer and revealed his Lightning Release Body Refinement.
• Genma stalled the pair while wrapping extra bandages around his numb hands to resist the lightning.
• Dazui rushed Genma as Orii threw shuriken, forcing Genma to evade and block their coordinated attacks.
• Dazui and Orii continued pressing Genma through the trees until a pillar of earth pierced what appeared to be Orii, which vanished in a flash of lightning.

Genma fought Dazui and Orii, using their coordinated attacks and his own feints to injure them. After killing Orii, he slashed through Dazui’s lower leg, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Genma used the Shadow Clone as a distraction, but Dazui struck him after Genma stabbed Orii.
• Genma realized Dazui and Orii were not from the same village after seeing that Dazui had let him kill Liu Shui.
• Dazui and Orii worked together to wear down Genma, who eventually cut Dazui’s leg.
• Orii lost a hand while trying to protect Dazui, and Genma struck him again, causing him to collapse.
• Dazui charged Genma in rage, but Genma dodged his fist and cut through his lower leg.

Genma fought off a large group of ninja, enduring serious wounds before turning the tide and killing most of them. With only three enemies left, he faced their renewed attack; the chapter ended with an author’s note about his writing.

• Genma killed Dazui and another man, then braced himself as more than a dozen ninja emerged from the forest.
• Genma evaded shuriken and cut down several attackers, but lightning and water techniques drove him into close combat.
• Mist concealed the enemy’s movements, and Genma was pinned to a tree before revealing that he had been replaced by a Wood Clone.
• Genma fought through a coordinated assault, then sharpened his defense and cut down the surrounding ninja until only three remained.
• One of the last ninja angrily charged Genma with a Kunai.

Genma survived a deadly encounter, reunited with Rin’s reinforcements, and returned to the war as the conflict between Konohagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure intensified. After Kakashi vanished in the aftermath of another mission, Genma found himself surrounded by powerful and unusual figures at the camp.

• Genma defeated the last attackers, fled toward the approaching reinforcements, and reunited with Rin, who led him to Kakashi and Guy.
• Yakushi Nonō healed Genma’s wounds, and the rescued team returned to the war after a day of rest.
• A month later, Kakashi was found alone and bloodied after a major Kirigakure operation, then became a frenzied fighter known as Cold-Blooded Kakashi before disappearing from camp.
• Hideyoshi and numerous Shiranui, Hyuga, and Uchiha ninjas arrived as the camp struggled with the joint threat from Kumogakure and Kirigakure.
• Might Duy and young Uchiha Itachi appeared at camp, leaving Genma and his companions astonished by the gathering of powerful figures.

After returning to Konoha, Genma visited his injured master Str and revealed that he had mastered Blade Momentum. Str praised his progress and explained that the war had been the opportunity he had meant for Genma to use.

• Genma reflected on his growth and returned to Konoha with his team after the higher-ups arrived at camp.
• Genma tracked down Str’s secluded home and met Tsubaki Li Zi, who told him Str had been injured and was being cared for.
• Genma found Str reading in the courtyard with one arm missing, and Str jokingly called Li Zi his wife.
• Genma told Str he had mastered Blade Momentum and asked about the next stage of training.
• Str examined Genma’s progress, praised the hardship he had endured, and revealed that he had meant the war to be Genma’s opportunity.

Genma sought Str’s guidance on advancing his Blade Momentum and learned that wielding it meant applying its principles beyond conventional blade techniques. Str also revealed that he had cut off his own arm and was content with his choice, leaving Genma ready to begin a broader kind of training.

• Genma asked Str how to wield Blade Momentum, and Str encouraged him to think through the training while seated together.
• Genma asked how Str lost his arm, and Str explained that he had cut it off himself and planned to use a prosthetic while caring for his mistress.
• Str asked how Genma would train, and Genma admitted he could think only of combat and ordinary blade tasks.
• Str explained Total Concentration Training, in which a practitioner connected their momentum to everyday activities and maintained that state for longer.
• Str described using chopsticks as fists and shared how his own training had once led him to damage rice bowls.
• Genma realized that wielding Blade Momentum meant finding ways to apply its principles through objects beyond the blade.

Genma refined his Blade Momentum training by treating his blade as an extra limb, and made progress through daily practice. His mother Riya then told him that his father had died in battle and warned him not to seek revenge or take reckless risks, leaving Genma to promise he would act cautiously.

• After speaking with Str, Genma focused on becoming proficient with Blade Momentum through varied practice rather than applying it to every activity.
• Genma began using his blade as an extra limb for daily tasks and gradually improved at applying Blade Momentum.
• Riya returned home in tears and told Genma that his father had died in battle, with no body recovered.
• Riya asked Genma to promise he would not seek revenge or attempt anything beyond his abilities.
• Genma comforted Riya and promised to act safely and steadily until he had enough strength.

Genma visited Konoha Orphanage to see Kabuto and brought fish cakes for the children, who carefully questioned his intentions before accepting them. He explained that Kabuto had treated him after he was injured, but Kabuto and the director were away at Konoha Hospital.

• Genma brought a scroll of hot fish cakes to Konoha Orphanage after training, hoping to visit Kabuto.
• A purple-haired boy told Genma that Kabuto and the director were helping at Konoha Hospital, while Grandpa Shin'un was at the orphanage.
• The children gathered around Genma, and a light-brown-haired girl insisted on checking that the food was safe and asking why he had brought it.
• Genma ate a fish cake to prove it was safe, then told the girl that Kabuto had treated him after a battlefield injury and that he had come to see him and the children.

Genma visited the orphanage, where he met Shinyun and proposed donating money and creating future work opportunities for the children through his clan’s fish cake shops. Shinyun cautiously considered the proposal, and Genma stayed to help prepare lunch and eat with the children while waiting for the director.

• Genma shared fish cakes with the orphanage children and learned from Yurisha that Urushi had gone to help at the hospital with Yakushi Nonō.
• A purple-haired boy brought Genma to meet Shinyun, who asked why he had come to see Kabuto and the director.
• Genma offered to donate money and suggested that clever children might work for his clan, but Shinyun asked for certainty before raising their hopes.
• Genma explained that his clan planned to open fish cake shops throughout the Land of Fire and said he wanted to thank Kabuto for treating his injury.
• Shinyun spoke about hoping the children could live ordinary lives, and Genma agreed to stay and eat lunch with them while waiting for the director.

Genma donated money and books to the orphanage, then pursued plans to develop technology while training his Spiral Drill and swordsmanship. Three months later, as his generation prepared to leave Konohagakure, he remained troubled by Hideyoshi’s unexplained disappearance and sought ways to preserve hope of reviving those he cared about.

• Genma donated one million ryo to the orphanage, gave Kabuto books and a fish cake, and left after speaking with him and Nonō.
• Genma wrote to Tony about recruiting skilled people and advancing technology in the Shinobi World, then resumed training.
• Genma tried to combine Earth Style Chakra with his B-Rank Spiral Drill, but made little progress and focused on swordsmanship instead.
• After three months of rest, Genma learned that the Uchiha Clan had suffered heavy losses and received a letter from Fugaku Uchiha about Hideyoshi’s death.
• Genma questioned how Hideyoshi had vanished despite apparently throwing away his Exploding Tags, but found no evidence that explained what happened.
• Genma considered Kabuto a promising candidate for cloning research but avoided recruiting him directly because of the risks.

Genma and his teammates were sent to Orochimaru's camp as Konohagakure withdrew, but an enemy attack prompted Might Duy to rush into the forest. Genma followed, knowing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were involved, and Kurenai caught up with him as he prepared to face them.

• Genma and his companions arrived at Orochimaru's camp, where a Hyuga elder was in charge because Orochimaru had returned to Konohagakure.
• On the fifth day of the withdrawal, a unit signaled an enemy attack, and Might Duy raced into the forest.
• Genma left a Shadow Clone behind and headed after Duy, while Kurenai and Raiton broke away from the camp to follow him.
• Genma followed Duy's massive footprints and worried as he struggled to keep up.
• Kurenai caught Genma, grabbed his ear, and demanded to know why he had left her and Raiton behind.
• Genma knew the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were attacking and intended to kill the three who survived Duy's assault, but he had kept his friends away because he feared for their safety.

Genma brought Kurenai, Raiton, and Kosuke toward Might Duy’s battle against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen despite the danger. Seeing Genma press on inspired Guy to return to fight beside his father, while Ebisu stayed behind to seek reinforcements.

• Genma agreed to let Kurenai accompany him, and Raiton caught up with them as Kosuke appeared and joined their group.
• Genma explained that the enormous footprints likely came from Might Duy’s overwhelming strength, and the four hurried toward a massive disturbance in the distance.
• Genma’s group reached Guy, Ebisu, and Washi, who urged them to flee, but Genma continued toward the battle.
• Seeing Genma charge toward his father’s fight reminded Guy of Genma’s earlier support for Might Duy and restored Guy’s resolve.
• Guy chose to fight alongside his father, Washi joined him, and Guy asked Ebisu to get reinforcements.

Might Duy defeated four of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen but collapsed from his injuries, leaving Genma, Kosuke, Kurenai, Raiton, and Washi to face the three survivors. The chapter ended with the fighting still underway as Might Guy rushed to Duy’s side.

• Genma, Kosuke, Kurenai, and Raiton arrived to find Duy charred on the ground and the three surviving Seven Ninja Swordsmen badly injured.
• Kosuke attacked Suikazan Fuguki, Genma engaged Juzo Biwa, and Kurenai and Raiton confronted Raiga Kurosuki.
• Genma used his swordsmanship to overpower the injured Juzo Biwa, while Kosuke’s Konoha Style: Willow technique drove Suikazan Fuguki back.
• Raiga Kurosuki avoided being pulled underground by Washi and fought him alongside Kurenai and Raiton.
• Washi saw Might Guy rush toward Duy, who raised a thumb at him from the ground.

Genma killed Juzo Biwa after a fierce sword fight, then joined Kurenai and Raiton against Raiga Kurosuki. Raiga unleashed a lightning strike that hit everyone nearby, but they survived behind a thick earthen barrier.

• Washi understood how Might Duy had guided and inspired Guy, then went to support Genma, Kurenai, and Raiton while Guy stayed with his father.
• Juzo Biwa bit through his serrated teeth and launched a final attack, but Genma used the force of their clash to turn Juzo's broken sword against him.
• Juzo asked Genma's name before Genma killed him and moved to help the others.
• Genma stabbed Raiga Kurosuki in the back as Kurenai and Raiton pressed him, but Raiga used his twin blades, Kiba, to summon a powerful lightning strike.
• The lightning hit Raiga, Kurenai, and Raiton, but an earthen barrier shielded them from serious harm.