Chapter Summaries

Ming Jing and Asuma confronted the samurai and the three conspirators hiding in a bamboo house. Ming Jing exposed their scheme to kidnap people and killed Yamashita Kuchiki, then set out for the Royal Capital while his real self destroyed the house.

• Asuma defeated the samurai who attacked him while Ming Jing waited for the people inside the bamboo house to emerge.
• Hatano Koii shot Ming Jing with a poisoned arrow, but his apparent corpse vanished and a giant illusion of him loomed over the valley.
• Ming Jing questioned Yamashita Kuchiki, learned the kidnapped people had been sent to the Royal Capital, and heard that Yamanouchi Kikuto had killed the other two genin.
• Ming Jing crushed Yamashita Kuchiki, then left for the Royal Capital with Asuma.
• The real Ming Jing emerged after they departed and used Wind Style: Thousand Blades to shred the bamboo house, while Asuma noticed something was amiss but said nothing.

Ming Jing returned to the inn and told Taichi that Katsura Yuu and Saiko had been killed by the Six Great Clans of Akina. He arranged for Taichi to care for their surviving family members, then left with Yuexi, promising to wait for the captured experts to be returned before striking back.

• Ming Jing returned to the inn, changed clothes, and gathered Yuexi, Asuma, Taichi, and Furukawa to discuss what had happened.
• Ming Jing asked Taichi about Katsura Yuu and Saiko’s families, then ordered Taichi to become a second son to Katsura Yuu’s mother and a brother to Saiko’s younger sister, Yuna.
• Ming Jing told Furukawa that Katsura Yuu and Saiko had been sacrificed and identified the Six Great Clans of Akina as their opponents.
• Taichi vowed to avenge his subordinates, and Ming Jing told him to recover quickly before leaving with Yuexi and Asuma.
• Ming Jing told Yuexi they would go to the Royal Capital the next day and wait for the captured experts to be returned before wiping out the Six Great Clans of Akina.
• Yuexi comforted Ming Jing, telling him she would protect his smile.

Ming Jing returned to the Prime Minister's Residence and ordered a hunt for the Six Great Clans of Akina after learning they had killed his subordinates and kidnapped two experts. He sent Hizashi Hyuga and Yuexi to locate the experts and Masamune Yagyu to seal the Royal Capital, beginning a sweep for the clans' accomplices.

• Ming Jing returned to the residence with Yuexi, Asuma, Furukawa, and Taichi, and told Miki to summon Chief Yagyu to the council chamber.
• Hizashi Hyuga reported that negotiations in the Land of Grass had gone smoothly, while Ming Jing said the ten-year non-aggression clause would give them time to grow stronger.
• Masamune Yagyu apologized for leaving Ming Jing in danger, and Ming Jing reassured him before revealing that the Six Great Clans of Akina had killed his subordinates and kidnapped two experts.
• Ming Jing ordered Hizashi Hyuga to find the two experts within one day and Masamune Yagyu to seal the Royal Capital so no one could leave.
• Ming Jing sent Yuexi to assist Hizashi Hyuga, and both men left to carry out their assignments.

Sakai woke in the Kazuki Residence after Katsura Yuu left her in Kazuki Daichi’s care, while Masamune Yagyu sealed the Royal Capital and the Investigation Division began searching for Sakai and Matsumoto. Hizashi Hyuga and Yuexi headed to investigate Kazuki Daichi, then ran into Inuzuka Sen and Yura.

• Sakai woke in the Kazuki Residence, threatened Mako Eiko, and learned from Kazuki Daichi that Katsura Yuu had brought her there before leaving to rescue others.
• Kazuki Daichi told Sakai he would send her to the Prime Minister’s Residence if Katsura Yuu did not return, then learned that Masamune Yagyu had sealed the Royal Capital’s four gates.
• Hizashi Hyuga ordered the Investigation Division to find Sakai and Matsumoto within one day, and Yuexi posted their portraits.
• Hizashi Hyuga and Yuexi decided to investigate Kazuki Daichi’s residence, where Yuexi said she had no personal belongings from the experts to help track them.
• Inuzuka Sen greeted Hizashi Hyuga and Yuexi by grabbing Yuexi’s breasts, while Yura revealed that Sen had lost all her wages.

Yuexi, Hizashi Hyuga, and Inuzuka Sen raided the Kazuki Residence after Hizashi used his Byakugan to detect three chakra signatures inside. Hizashi discovered the occupants were preparing to relocate and sent Inuzuka Sen toward the back gate while he held off their defenders.

• Hizashi Hyuga detected three people inside the Kazuki Residence, including one at jonin level, and the group split up to enter.
• Inuzuka Sen and Yura charged into the residence, Yuexi used an ice path to enter, and Hizashi pushed past the gatekeeper.
• Hizashi faced three ninjas, dodged Kouichi’s explosive-tagged kunai, and was briefly sent flying by the muscular man’s hidden burst of force.
• Inuzuka Sen and Yura struck the muscular man, while Hizashi used Gentle Fist: Air Palm to force a shadow-like ninja out of the cracked floor.
• Hizashi realized the defenders were planning to relocate and sent Inuzuka Sen toward the back gate as he pulled the muscular man into the air.

Yuexi searched the Kazuki Residence and found Sakai, who had been hidden there while dangerous intruders threatened the household. After reuniting with her, Yuexi questioned Kazuki Daichi about his supposed connection to Katsura Yuu and told him that Katsura Yuu was dead.

• Yuexi used Ice Release: Thousand Mirror Technique to search the Kazuki Residence, then spotted Sakai being led out through the back gate by Eiko.
• Inuzuka Sen and Yura stopped Sakai and Eiko, and Sakai tried to hide her identity by claiming her name was Yuexi.
• Yuexi revealed Sakai's identity and said they had been searching for her since she lost contact with Taichi.
• Sakai explained that Matsumoto had disappeared and that Katsura Yuu had sent her to Kazuki Daichi, whom Sakai believed was his friend.
• Yuexi questioned Kazuki Daichi about knowing Katsura Yuu, and he claimed to have been friends with Katsura Yuu's father.
• Yuexi told Kazuki Daichi that Katsura Yuu was dead, and he reacted with shock and sadness.

Yuexi and Hizashi Hyuga brought Sakai and Kazuki Daichi to the Prime Minister's Residence, while Inuzuka Sen and Yura set off to track Matsumoto. Ming Jing confronted Kazuki Daichi about the plot against him and ordered him to resign after the matter was over, leaving Kazuki's offer to reveal Matsumoto's location without leverage.

• Yuexi used a signal to end the fight at Kazuki Daichi's residence, and the group brought Sakai and Kazuki Daichi away with them.
• Sakai gave Hizashi Hyuga a scroll Matsumoto had used, allowing Inuzuka Sen and Yura to memorize his scent and pursue him.
• Hizashi Hyuga followed Inuzuka Sen and Yura, while Yuexi escorted Sakai and Kazuki Daichi to the Prime Minister's Residence.
• Ming Jing welcomed Sakai, then confronted Kazuki Daichi with the details of the plan to sabotage the railway project and undermine him.
• Ming Jing warned Kazuki Daichi to resign after the matter was over, but dismissed Kazuki's offer to help find Matsumoto as worthless.

Inuzuka Sen, Yura, and Hizashi Hyuga searched for Matsumoto, following a lead from the Investigation Division to a cabin outside the Royal Capital. Hizashi found a frightened figure inside and asked whether he was Mr. Matsumoto of the Land of Snow.

• Inuzuka Sen and Yura searched the Royal Capital without finding Matsumoto, so Hizashi Hyuga ordered the Investigation Division to gather information outside the city.
• An Investigation Division team reported that the Kazuki Residence's steward had often used the west gate, giving Hizashi a lead to pursue beyond the city.
• Yura realized they could follow Sakai's scent, and Inuzuka Sen picked it up and led the group into the forest, where Yura detected Matsumoto nearby.
• Hizashi used his Byakugan to find a cabin containing two people with Chakra, and Yura confirmed Matsumoto's scent came from it.
• Inuzuka Sen knocked two Rogue Ninja unconscious with Fang Over Fang while Hizashi entered the cabin and asked the figure inside if he was Mr. Matsumoto of the Land of Snow.

Ming Jing captured the Six Great Clans of Akina’s representatives and agents in the Royal Capital, then turned his attention to the Land of Fire’s railway project. The railway plan remained unresolved on how to build stable bridges and tunnels through difficult terrain.

• Ming Jing reunited with the traumatized Matsumoto and ordered Hizashi Hyuga to find the Six Great Clans of Akina’s new base without alerting them.
• Ming Jing, Yuexi, and Masamune Yagyu watched Kazuki Daichi host the clan representatives, then arrested them and had the Apprehension Division raid their bases across the Royal Capital.
• Ming Jing delegated the remaining clan matter to Yuexi and invited Matsumoto and Sakai to discuss the railway from the Royal Capital to Konoha.
• Sakai described the railway’s challenges with high mountain crossings and tunnels, while Matsumoto questioned whether Earth Release structures would remain standing after ninjas withdrew their Chakra.
• Ming Jing proposed using ninjas to excavate tunnels before workers reinforced them, and Matsumoto and Sakai agreed to record the idea and test its results.

Shikouin joined Yakumo's class and demonstrated her strength by defeating several classmates, then challenged Naruto and Sasuke to future matches. After Yakumo, Karin, and Shikouin stopped some boys from bullying Hinata, Yakumo publicly declared that Hinata was important to the Kurama Clan and would be protected.

• Shikouin entered Yakumo's class and defeated Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzuka, and Aburame Shino during sparring, prompting Sasuke and Naruto to challenge her.
• Yakumo reprimanded Shikouin for insulting her classmates, while Shikamaru wondered whether a match between Shikouin and Sasuke might reflect rivalry between their clans.
• Yakumo, Karin, and Shikouin found three boys tormenting Hinata, and Shikouin stopped one boy from attacking Yakumo.
• Yakumo brought Hinata to the podium and announced that anyone who bullied her would be opposing the Kurama Clan.

Ritsu no Otsugi and her delegation arrived in the Royal Capital of the Land of Fire, where Ming Jing welcomed her and brought her to the Prime Minister's Residence. Ritsu no Otsugi met Yuexi, who was surprised by her beauty and called her cute.

• Ritsu no Otsugi admired the Land of Fire as her convoy approached its Royal Capital, while Mugen read beside her.
• Zuo Yang Kurama told Ritsu no Otsugi that Ming Jing was waiting to welcome her at the city gate, and Mugen reassured the nervous daimyo about her appearance.
• Ming Jing greeted Zuo Yang Kurama and welcomed Ritsu no Otsugi into the capital, while Mugen stayed with the carriage after believing a book's advice about women showing themselves in public.
• At the Prime Minister's Residence, Yuexi arranged the delegation, and Ritsu no Otsugi noticed Yuexi's feelings for Ming Jing.
• Ming Jing introduced Yuexi as his best subordinate and acting head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Yuexi called Ritsu no Otsugi cute.

At a farewell banquet for Yuexi, Ming Jing received the treaty Zuo Yang Kurama had negotiated with the Land of Earth and learned that Yachiryu’s mission in the Land of Rice was nearing completion. He decided to visit the Land of Rice with Yuexi after she dealt with the Six Great Clans of Akina.

• Ming Jing hosted Ritsu no Otsugu and her group at a banquet before Yuexi, Taichi, Hizashi Hyuga, and Masamune Yagyu departed for Akina.
• Ming Jing apologized to Zuo Yang Kurama for leaving him to handle the negotiations, and Zuo Yang Kurama handed him the signed treaty.
• Ming Jing reviewed the treaty, which required the Land of Earth to apologize and pay compensation and ransom in exchange for the return of its prisoners.
• Zuo Yang Kurama told Ming Jing that he had sent Takuo to assist Yachiryu in the Land of Rice, where their mission was nearly complete.
• Ming Jing decided to travel to the Land of Rice with Yuexi after she settled the Six Great Clans of Akina.

Tsukishiro Yuexi ordered Hizashi Hyuga and Masamune Yagyu to attack Akina Village and leave no survivors, taking responsibility for the order herself. As the two fought the Six Great Clans, an infiltrator named Taichi launched an attack, and Hizashi struck Nagatoshi Watanabe with his Cannon Fist.

• Tsukishiro Yuexi ordered the Police Department to destroy Akina Village and told Hizashi Hyuga and Masamune Yagyu that she alone would bear the blame.
• Hizashi Hyuga reached the village and used Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher to split it open, drawing out the heads of the Six Great Clans.
• Masamune Yagyu arrived with Izuminokami Kanesada, and Morikazu Kazuha recognized him as a formidable opponent.
• Taichi attacked Aito Hatano from within the crowd, while Masamune Yagyu blocked Morikazu Kazuha from intervening.
• Nagatoshi Watanabe attacked Hizashi Hyuga, who used Gentle Fist: Water Binding Stream to pin him down and followed with Eight Trigrams: Cannon Fist.

Yuexi entered Akina Village during the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ extermination campaign, while Hizashi Hyuga and Masamune Yagyu defeated members of the village’s families. As Yuexi froze attackers in her path, she saw that the families were also killing one another and wondered why they had not united against the outsiders.

• Yuexi used wind techniques to whip river spray into the air and create a rain cloud as the attack on Akina Village began.
• Hizashi Hyuga struck Nagatoshi Watanabe and Matsumoto Takashi with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, leaving them paralyzed and coughing blood.
• Masamune Yagyu defeated Morikazu Kazuha in a sword duel, then refused Morikazu’s plea to spare the Kazuha Family’s bloodline because he was following orders.
• Yuexi entered the burning village and froze armed men who charged at her with Frost Touch.
• Yuexi saw the Matsumoto and Watanabe families attacking the Yamashita Family, the Hatano and Yamashita families fighting each other, and the Kazuha and Uchiyama families being overwhelmed by outsiders.

Tsukishiro Yuexi and Konoha’s forces hunted down the Six Great Clans of Akina in their village. After the fighting ended, Yuexi unleashed a snowstorm of blades that destroyed the village.

• Saiko Hatano tried to escape the village, but Yuexi pursued and killed her with a Water Bullet Technique.
• Hizashi Hyuga and Masamune Yagyu left Yamashita Yamato and Uchiyama Beida to Taichi, who killed both after Yuexi ordered him to stop torturing them.
• Yuexi ordered Taichi to copy scriptures three hundred times and told him to withdraw their forces.
• With the Police Department withdrawn, Yuexi used Ice Release: Snow-Filled Bow and Blade Technique to bombard Akina Village until nothing larger than a small plank remained.

Ritsu no Otsugi joined Ming Jing for breakfast and went sightseeing with him around the Royal Capital of the Land of Fire. At the Temple of Fire, they met Chiriku, who recognized Ming Jing as Prime Minister.

• Ritsu no Otsugi chose a red kimono for breakfast, and Ming Jing praised her outfit while imagining Hinata dressed as Mugen.
• Ming Jing invited Ritsu no Otsugi to tour the Royal Capital, and they walked through the rainy streets beneath an oil-paper umbrella.
• Ritsu no Otsugi bought two platters of dried fruit from a peddler, who gave her generous portions.
• After the rain stopped, Ming Jing brought Ritsu no Otsugi to the Temple of Fire, where they met a monk sweeping the steps.
• The monk introduced himself as Chiriku and greeted Ming Jing as Prime Minister, surprising him because the temple had stayed closed for six years.

Ming Jing and Ritsu no Otsugu toured the Temple of Fire with Chiriku, who demonstrated the power of his Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin technique. As they left, Chiriku entrusted Ming Jing with the temple’s secret technique in case the temple needed rebuilding in the future.

• Chiriku guided Ming Jing and Ritsu no Otsugu through the Temple of Fire, including its Hall of Rebirth and the hall of Thousand-armed Guanyin.
• After the tour, Chiriku served Ming Jing and Ritsu no Otsugu a vegetarian meal, and Ming Jing asked to see Chiriku’s secret technique.
• Chiriku used the Vase Seal to manifest Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin and attacked with its forty-two arms.
• Ming Jing dodged Chiriku’s attacks with Dynamic Vision, was struck after Chiriku accelerated, and then revealed that the apparent hit had been a Genjutsu.
• Ming Jing tested the Guanyin’s defenses with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, then ended the sparring match.
• Chiriku gave Ming Jing a scroll containing the Temple of Fire’s secret technique and asked him to rebuild the temple if misfortune befell it.

Ming Jing studied the Temple of Fire's senjutsu and negotiated lower grain prices for the Land of Grass with Ritsu no Otsugu. After the meeting, he reunited with the Four Brothers and prepared to travel to the Land of Rice with Yuexi and Qing Yan.

• Ming Jing read Chiriku's scroll and realized Welcome · Thousand-armed Kill was senjutsu he could use as a reference for Sage Mode.
• At the state meeting, Ritsu no Otsugu demanded grain prices below their level from a month earlier, and Ming Jing agreed.
• Ming Jing and Ritsu no Otsugu laughed together after the formal meeting, but Zuo Yang Kurama interrupted their conversation with news that Up, Down, Left, Right had returned.
• Ming Jing assigned Up, Down, Left, Right to take over Hong Lian's duties and decided Hong Lian should return to the Clan Head's side.
• Ming Jing told Zuo Yang Kurama he planned to take Yuexi and Qing Yan to the Land of Rice in a few days.

Qing Yan and Kanon asked Anbei Xin to forge a weapon for Ming Jing, and Qing Yan offered to help with the dangerous metalworking. Back in the Royal Capital, Ming Jing and Hizashi Hyuga agreed to prepare for Ming Jing and Hinata’s engagement, while Ming Jing reflected on Hinata’s strengths.

• Qing Yan and Kanon arrived in the Land of Artisans and brought Ming Jing’s letter and short blade to Anbei Xin.
• Anbei Xin learned that the blade’s chakra-conductive metal could be combined with aluminum and titanium, but the forging required temperatures beyond what people could withstand.
• Qing Yan offered to use his steel-transformation technique to endure the heat, and Anbei Xin took the blade and design plans to study the process.
• After Yuexi returned to the Royal Capital with the Police Department’s forces, Hizashi Hyuga told Ming Jing what she had done and urged him not to encourage her feelings.
• Hizashi Hyuga proposed that Ming Jing and Hinata get engaged first, and Ming Jing agreed to prepare for an engagement around the New Year.
• Ming Jing reflected on Hinata’s independent character and concluded that she would be a fitting future mistress for the Kurama Clan.

Yuexi confronted Ritsu no Otsugu about her feelings for Ming Jing, then advised Ming Jing and Hizashi Hyuga to delay his engagement to Hinata until his eighteenth birthday. The chapter ended with Ming Jing questioning Yuexi about taking responsibility for the massacre of the Six Great Clans of Akina.

• Yuexi asked Ritsu no Otsugu to consider whether she could match the sacrifices Yuexi had made for Ming Jing, leaving Ritsu no Otsugu shaken.
• Ritsu no Otsugu returned to her room and asked Mugen to leave her alone.
• Ming Jing and Hizashi Hyuga told Yuexi they were discussing when to hold Ming Jing and Hinata's engagement.
• Yuexi argued that they should wait until Ming Jing turned eighteen to announce the engagement, and Hizashi Hyuga accepted that her reasoning made sense.
• Ming Jing asked Yuexi why she had taken responsibility for killing the 1,846 members of the Six Great Clans of Akina, and Yuexi said she had done it to share his burdens.