Chapter Summaries

Ran discussed the Land of Whirlpools’ deep-rooted problems and received Ōnoki’s public offer of help. As the audience grew restless during the afternoon performances, Xinyu introduced the Minazuki Siblings, whose Ice Release began producing snowflakes over the sunlit arena.

• Ran said he would keep trying to save the Land of Whirlpools, and Ōnoki promised publicly that Iwagakure would help if it could.
• The audience grew tired of the afternoon performances, and students worried that the later acts would struggle to hold their attention.
• After a mediocre performance drew the first open criticism of the day, Xinyu addressed the audience and introduced the Minazuki Siblings.
• The Minazuki Siblings stepped onto the stage in snowflake-patterned robes, and snow began drifting down despite the blazing sun.

The Minazuki Siblings performed an elaborate Ice Release song and dance, ending with an Ice Whale that transformed into a bird and vanished. As the Kage discussed the performance and prepared to vote, Torikaze decided to cast his vote for Aburame Tengen.

• The Minazuki Siblings created falling ice crystals, frost vines, and a forest while Minazuki Nan sang and Minazuki Rei danced.
• Minazuki Nan emerged riding an ice deer, and he and Rei sang together before a storm erased the icy scenery.
• An Ice Whale circled the arena, transformed into a giant bird, and flew away, leaving the Kage puzzled but impressed.
• Torikaze explained that he had suggested the legendary beast idea to the siblings, while the Kage praised their performance and discussed voting.
• Torikaze chose to vote for Aburame Tengen, whose unrehearsed performance had first inspired him to establish the Academy of Arts.

After the Academy of Arts performances ended, Xinyu introduced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who demonstrated their weapons against a Crystal figure that resisted every attack. The swordsmen struggled to damage it as the audience jeered, leaving their showcase unresolved.

• Torikaze decided to vote for Aburame Tengen, whose surprise performance had impressed him.
• The Minazuki Siblings and the remaining performers finished their acts, and the audience discussed which shows deserved the top three places.
• Xinyu announced that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen would perform a finale demonstrating their weapons.
• Juzo Biwa and the others attacked the Crystal figure, but it fought back and withstood their blades, wires, and explosions.
• The audience mocked the swordsmen as they failed to damage the Crystal figure, and the frustrated group wondered whether Torikaze had made a fool of them.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen defeated Torikaze’s Crystal man after combining their sword abilities, and Torikaze opened voting after the performances ended. The Five Kage cast their votes, with Ōnoki, the Kazekage, the Mizukage, Minato, and Mifune each choosing their favored performers.

• The Seven Ninja Swordsmen cracked the Crystal man with Hiramekarei, then shattered it with a coordinated attack and Jinin Akebino’s Kabutowari.
• Torikaze announced that the performances had ended and gave the audience thirty minutes to vote, with the Kage’s higher-value votes to be made public.
• Ōnoki voted for the Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai group, while the Kazekage voted for Aburame Tengen.
• The Mizukage voted for the Minazuki Siblings, and Minato voted for Akeibi and the other two girls.
• Mifune voted for the Kanda Mihara Duo, surprising the audience.

The Kage and Torikaze cast their special votes, and villagers finished voting as the Konoha Art Academy graduation performance came to a close. Torikaze left the rankings to his Intelligence Puppet and returned home, relieved that his year of work had paid off.

• The Kazekage voted for Aburame Tengen's insect program, the Mizukage voted for the Minazuki Siblings, Minato Namikaze voted for Akeibi's group, and Mifune voted for the Kanda Mihara Duo.
• Torikaze gave his special vote to Aburame Tengen, surprising Tengen and earning him a second special vote.
• Torikaze announced the end of the performance, and villagers across the villages submitted their ballots before the voting deadline.
• The Kage discussed travel for the Senju clan head's wedding, and Torikaze offered to teleport Karatachi Yagura while saying the electric train would be ready around the following year.
• Torikaze invited the Kage to eat hotpot, assigned vote counting to his Intelligence Puppet, and returned home to rest.

Torikaze planned an immediate tour for the performers and prepared to send Ran on a mission to the Land of Whirlpools. Ran tallied the votes from the other villages, where the Minazuki Siblings narrowly led the Akeibi Trio and Aburame Tengen placed third by a wide margin over fourth.

• Torikaze decided the performers would begin their tour after two days of preparation rather than wait until Nawaki's wedding.
• Torikaze and Chisato agreed that Ran would leave for the Land of Whirlpools after a day or two to adjust.
• Xinyu asked Ran to tally the votes while she supervised the arena cleanup.
• Ran counted the other villages' votes, putting the Minazuki Siblings first with 2,352 votes, the Akeibi Trio second with 2,331, and Aburame Tengen third.
• Xinyu reviewed Ran's results and remarked on the huge gap between third and fourth place.

Ran and Xinyu reviewed the voting results while waiting for Konoha’s count, then Torikaze announced the rankings and arranged for Ran to return to the Land of Whirlpools with Chisato in two days. Ran looked forward to rebuilding his country and hinted that his plans for its nobles would be violent.

• Xinyu and Ran discussed the contest rankings and Ran’s upcoming return to the Land of Whirlpools.
• Torikaze received the voting results from the villages and told Xinyu to post the combined rankings and restart the livestream.
• Torikaze told Ran to return home with Chisato in two days while the village arranged a tour and training for the top three.
• Torikaze reassured Ran that his parents were well and that Chisato would help settle affairs in the Land of Whirlpools.
• Ran said he had a detailed plan for governing his country, and Torikaze inferred that the nobles would become his targets.

Ran prepared to return to the Land of Whirlpools and carry out sweeping reforms, while Torikaze resumed the broadcast to announce the graduation performance rankings. Aburame Tengen won third place, earning his family’s support and bringing new attention to the Aburame Clan.

• Ran told Torikaze he had a detailed, potentially violent plan to reform the Land of Whirlpools, including confronting nobles who opposed him.
• Xinyu delivered the finalized rankings, and Torikaze resumed the broadcast after memorizing the list.
• Torikaze announced Aburame Tengen as the performance’s third-place contestant.
• Aburame Tengen celebrated the news with his family, and his father admitted he had been wrong to think Tengen was neglecting his duties by pursuing art.
• Aburame Tengen’s performance brought visitors to the Aburame Clan compound and sparked new interest in the clan.

Torikaze announced the final rankings of the performance program, with Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai taking first place and the Minazuki Siblings placing second. As the winners celebrated and the other performers considered their futures, Ran prepared to return to the Land of Whirlpools after speaking with Xinyu.

• Aburame Tengen's fame brought visitors and new attention to the Aburame Clan after his group placed third.
• Torikaze announced the Minazuki Siblings in second place and Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai in first.
• Akeibi, Mei Terumi, and Kaguya Zhai celebrated their win over grilled meat and discussed their performance.
• Minazuki Rei and Minazuki Nan celebrated second place over hotpot and resolved to improve their next program.
• Torikaze told Ran to rest before returning to the Land of Whirlpools and advised him to make things clear with Xinyu.
• Students whose groups ranked low saw the results and wondered whether to continue pursuing performance.

After the graduation performance rankings were posted, Torikaze offered the ranked students a chance to teach at the Academy of Arts while continuing to develop their careers. The next morning, forty students joined the Academy as teachers, while the four who placed fourth chose to strike out on their own.

• Villagers and students saw Torikaze's notice offering ranked performers teaching positions, continued training, and support if they left after three years.
• Many students who ranked outside the top three decided to join the Academy of Arts rather than give up or pursue fame alone.
• The villagers dispersed after hearing that the top three would perform again at Lord Nawaki's wedding at the end of the month.
• Torikaze learned that four students from fourth place had chosen to seek fame independently, while the other forty attendees wanted to teach at the Academy.
• Torikaze explained that teachers would be evaluated monthly and could be dismissed after three penalties, then directed the new hires to review and sign their contracts.

Torikaze finalized the Academy of Arts’ new teaching staff and discussed the Land of Whirlpools with Chisato and Ran. Ran prepared to return there to deliver his grandfather’s letters and address the country’s decline, with Chisato planning to accompany him in disguise.

• Torikaze hired forty new teachers, set monthly evaluations and penalties, and planned the academy’s next accelerated course.
• Torikaze returned to the Cloud Clan Grounds, where Chisato and Ran discussed the Land of Whirlpools and Ran explained that his uncles were tied to its corrupt nobles.
• Ran said his grandfather had given him letters for his uncles, and Chisato decided to follow him in disguise in case they refused to repent.
• Torikaze told Ran to depart for the Land of Whirlpools the day after tomorrow, and Ran looked forward to using his newly gained skills to reform it.
• Torikaze invited Chisato and Ran to discuss a touring performance with the top three; Chisato declined, while Torikaze suggested Ran might help open a route to the Land of Whirlpools.

Torikaze prepared to discuss the touring performances after Ran agreed to leave for the Land of Whirlpools, while Chisato and Torikaze talked about Hogen’s budding relationship with Ouyashiro Chinami. At the Hokage Tower, Torikaze and Minato awarded the six performers support for their tours and told them to prepare new works before setting out.

• Ran agreed to depart for the Land of Whirlpools the day after tomorrow to address its problems.
• Chisato and Torikaze discussed Hogen’s relationship with Ouyashiro Chinami and agreed to keep an eye on the two.
• Torikaze went to Minato’s office, where Minato summoned the six performers from the top three groups.
• Torikaze announced that Konoha would promote the tours and provide each group with staff, with team sizes based on their rankings.
• Minato told the performers that the Five Kage had chosen their routes and required them to create at least two acceptable works within half a month.

Minato assigned the three performance groups their routes and warned them that their upcoming tour would decide whether they survived as star groups. The competitors left the Hokage Office under pressure, while Minato and Torikaze discussed how fierce the path to stardom would become.

• Minato told the six competitors to create at least two acceptable new works within half a month and ordered the Kirigakure shinobi to follow his and the Mizukage's joint command.
• Minato assigned Aburame Tengen the Land of Water route, the Minazuki group the Land of Wind route, and the first-place group the Land of Earth route, barring them from using the Electric Train.
• Minato warned the groups that they would compete for audience loyalty and that a group that lost too many fans could be eliminated and eventually disband.
• Torikaze offered Konoha's support for the next half month, and the six competitors left the Hokage Office anxious about the contest ahead.
• Minato and Torikaze discussed the pressure of the star path, and Minato asked whether they could return home to rest.

Torikaze and Minato finalized preparations for the performers’ tour while Konoha remained peaceful. As Ran prepared to leave for the Land of Whirlpools, he visited Xinyu, thanked her for her guidance, and kept his feelings for her unspoken.

• Torikaze told Minato to give the touring staff intensive training before easing their workload, and Minato said their regional preparations were already underway.
• Torikaze and Minato discussed transporting performance props by horse-drawn carriage and Sealing Scrolls, then left the office after Minato made a Shadow clone.
• The Kage gradually departed Konoha, while Ran packed his belongings and prepared to return to his country.
• Ran visited Xinyu at the Hokage Tower and told her he was leaving to save the Land of Whirlpools.
• Xinyu praised Ran’s growth and wished for the Land of Whirlpools to rise again, while Ran kept his love for her to himself.

Ran and Xinyu acknowledged their feelings but agreed to part because neither could abandon their responsibilities, leaving open the possibility of reuniting later. Before returning to the Land of Whirlpools, Ran attended a farewell gathering and received advice from Tomohiro about ruling with both kindness and authority.

• Xinyu told Ran she understood his feelings, and they agreed to live well and pursue their goals while hoping they might reunite someday.
• Ran left the Hokage Tower feeling relieved, then answered Chisato's call and hurried back to the Cloud Clan Grounds.
• Torikaze and the others held a farewell gathering for Ran before his departure from Konoha.
• Tomohiro thanked Ran for helping the Uzumaki Clan and advised him to show authority as well as kindness when governing the Land of Whirlpools.
• Ran accepted Tomohiro's advice and said he would work gradually to change his mild temperament.

Ran said goodbye to Tomohiro and the Uzumaki Clan before leaving for the Land of Whirlpools with Chisato and three students. He and the students began the flight on Seiryu and the other cranes, with Ran adjusting to the speed and wind as they headed toward their destination.

• Tomohiro advised Ran to show more authority as a future ruler, and Ran thanked him for his guidance and support.
• Ran and Tomohiro discussed their parting, and Ran left the Uzumaki Clan a development template before saying goodbye to its people.
• Chisato told Ran it was time to leave, and Torikaze summoned Seiryu, Ryuufuu, and their three children to carry the travelers.
• Ran climbed onto Seiryu while Chisato and the three students mounted the other cranes, and the group took off from Konoha.
• Seiryu formed a wind barrier for Ran and teased him about being pampered as the cranes flew toward the Land of Whirlpools.

Ran and his companions flew toward the Land of Whirlpools, where he hoped to restore his homeland and reunite with his family. As they reached the sea, Chisato reflected on how time had changed the bonds with her former teammates and decided to gather them for a reunion.

• Seiryu and Ryuufuu carried Ran, Chisato, and the three students at full speed toward the Land of Whirlpools.
• Ran promised to host a welcoming banquet and told Chisato she could choose whatever seafood she wanted.
• The three students grew excited as they approached the homeland they had heard Clan Head Tomohiro describe.
• Ran looked out over the sea and vowed to bring the Land of Whirlpools back onto the right track.
• Chisato remembered traveling and completing missions with Torikaze and her other companions, then said she wanted to gather everyone for a reunion.

Ran returned to the Land of Whirlpools with Chisato and the others after completing his training, ready to reunite with his parents and change the country. Torikaze’s clone told the Third Prince that Ran had arrived, bringing the long wait for the country to function again to an end.

• Chisato reminisced about her former teammates as Ran and the others traveled by crane toward the Land of Whirlpools.
• Ran fell asleep during the journey, and Seiryu secured him with a Cloud Release chain before waking him near home.
• Chisato concealed the group with the Presence Concealment Technique, and they landed inside the Daimyo Estate.
• The Qingyun Liufeng family returned to Konoha after delivering Ran, while Chisato led him and the three youths into the estate.
• Torikaze’s clone told the Third Prince that Ran had returned and that the Land of Whirlpools could begin functioning again.

Ran reunited with his father, the Third Prince, and revealed his plan to purge corruption in the Land of Whirlpools. The Third Prince agreed to let Ran lead, though he objected to killing his uncles, and read Ashina’s letters urging him not to interfere.

• Torikaze reassured the Third Prince that Ran could improve the Land of Whirlpools and that he would support the country.
• Ran reunited with the Third Prince, who described his brothers’ lives and worried about his aging Second Brother’s health.
• Torikaze gave Ran documents showing that his uncles and nobles had engaged in corruption to seize power.
• Ran announced a thorough purge and warned that he would kill unrepentant uncles, while imprisoning those who repented and their families.
• The Third Prince objected to killing his brothers, but Ran showed him Ashina’s letters, which urged the Third Prince to stop interfering with Ran’s decisions.

Ran and the Third Prince agreed to purge the corrupt officials, while Torikaze and Chisato helped plan the arrests and remove a spy. Ran then spoke with his father about his return and his mother, as he prepared to reform the Land of Whirlpools.

• Ran threatened to kill his uncles if they refused to repent, and showed the Third Prince Ashina's letters demanding they be imprisoned for life if they repented.
• The Third Prince accepted Ashina's wishes and agreed to stay out of Ran's decisions about the purge.
• Chisato killed a spy in the Daimyo Estate, and Ran planned to invite everyone on the list so Chisato could capture them together.
• Chisato warned Ran that the Daimyo Estate's staff might not be fully trustworthy and advised him to recruit loyal retainers.
• Ran told the Third Prince that he planned to spare officials who surrendered their wealth and execute those who refused.
• The Third Prince told Ran that his mother was in the back garden, and Ran promised to cook for his parents after the country settled down.