Chapter Summaries

Ming Jing returned to the Royal Capital and dealt with matters at the Prime Minister’s Residence while preparing to attend the daimyo’s welcoming banquet. At the banquet, he learned that the neutral Internal Minister came from Muchuan County and thanked him for saving its people.

• Ming Jing returned to the Kurama Clan’s residence, where Koji Kurama teased him about Yakumo waiting for him.
• Yakumo grabbed Ming Jing’s hand while he slept, then agreed to lunch at the Zhonghua Grand Hotel with Hong Lian and Mirai.
• Ming Jing visited the Prime Minister’s Residence with Qing Yan and Hizashi Hyuga, who detected a hidden watcher; Yuexi revealed that the Left Minister’s people were spying on them.
• Ming Jing ordered Yuexi to dismiss sixteen suspected infiltrators, and the Left Minister responded by planning a smear campaign against him.
• Ming Jing attended the daimyo’s welcoming banquet, where the Internal Minister introduced himself as a grateful native of Muchuan County.

At a banquet, Ming Jing used a minister’s criticism to secure the daimyo’s approval for a nationwide remeasurement of cultivated land, alarming the nobles and officials. As their families scrambled to tally their holdings, Ming Jing sent investigators across the country and dispatched caravans to gather information abroad.

• The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs challenged Ming Jing over the Prime Minister’s Residence dismissing sixteen people, and Ming Jing proposed remeasuring all cultivated land nationwide.
• The daimyo approved the proposal and ordered the nobles to report their families’ farmland within three days.
• Ming Jing told Yuexi he had caught the officials off guard, then ordered subordinates to investigate farmland conditions across the country.
• The nobles and officials hurried to assess their landholdings as news of the remeasurement spread, and Jiraiya decided he wanted to meet Ming Jing.
• Ming Jing sent six caravans to gather information about the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Grass.

The Left Minister and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs tried to recruit Masamune Yagyu to oppose Prime Minister Ming Jing, offering to restore the Ministry of Military Affairs and grant it troops. Masamune refused without the daimyo’s order, and the officials left plotting another way to challenge Konoha’s influence.

• Masamune Yagyu led his family’s sword practice when Kazuma Yagyu announced the Left Minister and the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had come to visit.
• The Left Minister offered to restore the Ministry of Military Affairs to the Daimyo’s Mansion and let it train two thousand soldiers if Masamune would act against Ming Jing.
• Masamune refused to help without the daimyo’s order and used his Sword Intent to frighten the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs into collapsing.
• Masamune told Kazuma that the ministers had only wanted to borrow the Yagyu Family’s strength for their own scheme.
• After leaving the Yagyu residence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs official proposed a secret plan to the Left Minister, who ordered him to carry it out soon.

Ming Jing received an invitation to a banquet hosted by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and planned to use it to confront his political opponents. At the gathering, he met Masamune Yagyu, whose arrival put Hizashi Hyuga and Takuo Kurama on guard.

• Masamune Yagyu accepted an invitation to discuss the Ministry of Military Affairs, and he told Kazuma Yagyu to accompany him.
• Ming Jing considered simplifying the Land of Fire's taxes after the farmland remeasurement and accepted the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' banquet invitation.
• Ming Jing told Yuexi he would bring her, Qing Yan, Takuo Kurama, and Hizashi Hyuga to the banquet to settle matters with their opponents.
• Ming Jing arrived at the banquet with his companions, where Takuo Kurama and Hizashi Hyuga warned him that Masamune Yagyu was dangerous.
• The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs introduced Ming Jing and Masamune Yagyu, then led them into the hall, where Takuo Kurama quietly withdrew.

At a banquet, Ming Jing supported abolishing the Ministry of Military Affairs and accepted Kazuma Yagyu’s challenge to decide its fate in a samurai-style duel. Qing Yan’s defense withstood Kazuma’s opening attacks, and Ming Jing recognized Kazuma’s footwork as a technique Tamamachi Kiki had used.

• Ming Jing told the Ministry of Internal Affairs official that the Ministry of Military Affairs should be abolished and restructured.
• Kazuma Yagyu objected that the ministry was the Yagyu Family’s life’s work, then challenged one of Ming Jing’s subordinates to a duel with the ministry’s future at stake.
• Masamune Yagyu supported his son, and Ming Jing chose Qing Yan to fight Kazuma.
• Qing Yan activated his Indestructible Golden Body as Kazuma charged and struck him with his katana.
• Kazuma repeatedly slashed at Qing Yan, but his attacks left only shallow marks, and Ming Jing recognized his footwork from Tamamachi Kiki.

Ming Jing persuaded Masamune Yagyu to join his plan to replace the Ministry of Military Affairs with a Police Department. Masamune and Kazuma accepted positions in the new organization after Ming Jing offered generous salaries and promised to preserve Masamune’s swordsmanship.

• Ming Jing learned that Tamamachi Kiki was betrothed to Kazuma Yagyu and that the Yagyu Family had delayed their marriage because it could not afford the bride price.
• Takuo Kurama’s Dream Butterfly Technique incapacitated those present, but Masamune Yagyu shattered the butterflies with his Sword Intent.
• Ming Jing explained that he wanted to control officials obstructing his plans, not seize power, and asked Masamune to help improve life for ordinary people.
• Ming Jing proposed abolishing the Ministry of Military Affairs and creating a Police Department, offering Masamune the Apprehension Division directorship and Kazuma a deputy position.
• Masamune agreed on the condition that he would never betray his swordsmanship, and he and Kazuma pledged their service to Ming Jing.

Ming Jing forced the Ministry of Internal Affairs chief to accept Tsukishiro Yuexi’s promotion and secured approval to establish the Police Department. He then planned to use its authority and Konoha’s help to advance a nationwide farmland survey.

• Tsukishiro Yuexi recorded the Ministry chief’s bribes and other secrets while he slept, then sent him to meet Ming Jing.
• Ming Jing had Qing Yan slap the Ministry chief and used compromising records to secure his agreement to Yuexi becoming Vice Minister.
• Ming Jing appointed Hizashi Hyuga to lead the Police Department’s Investigation Division and persuaded Zuo Yang Kurama to serve as its third director.
• Ming Jing secured the daimyo’s approval for the Police Department to handle public security across the Land of Fire and to train patrol officers.
• Yuexi organized officials’ farmland figures, and Ming Jing decided to use the incomplete records to support future land confiscations.
• Ming Jing asked Yuexi to request thirty C-rank missions from Konoha to help survey farmland nationwide, offering installment payments with himself as guarantor.

Hiruzen Sarutobi negotiated payment for missions requested by Ming Jing’s Prime Minister’s Residence, and Ming Jing agreed to post twenty C-rank missions. Jiraiya then ambushed Ming Jing’s carriage, introduced himself, and was welcomed to the Kurama Clan residence, where he explained that he had come to see the prime minister from Konoha.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi received a request for thirty C-rank missions and offered to accept one-tenth of the Kurama Clan’s assets as collateral for installment payments.
• After reading Hiruzen Sarutobi’s reply, Ming Jing ordered Yuexi to post twenty C-rank missions covering ten connected counties and deliver the fees with the mission slips.
• Jiraiya ambushed Ming Jing’s carriage with smoke bombs, but Qing Yan and the Four Brothers attacked him before Ming Jing recognized him and stopped them.
• Jiraiya performed an elaborate introduction as the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, and Ming Jing invited him into his carriage and home.
• At the Kurama Clan residence, Jiraiya said he had come to see Ming Jing because he had heard the prime minister was from Konoha, and he praised the young man.

Ming Jing hosted Jiraiya in the Royal Capital and joined him and Zuo Yang Kurama in a discussion of Genjutsu and illusions. The next day, Ming Jing decided to return to Konoha, and Jiraiya agreed to travel with him.

• Ming Jing welcomed Jiraiya and invited him to stay at the Kurama residence, where he summoned Zuo Yang Kurama to discuss Genjutsu.
• Ming Jing, Zuo Yang Kurama, and Jiraiya discussed how psychological suggestion could create physiological illusions and how Genjutsu might be classified.
• Koji Kurama joined the discussion, and the four men talked until late before Jiraiya, Zuo Yang Kurama, and Koji Kurama went drinking.
• Yuexi gave Ming Jing twenty C-rank mission forms and asked whom he would send to Konoha; Ming Jing said he would go himself but could not take her away from the Royal Capital.
• Jiraiya remained at Ming Jing's home, and when Ming Jing invited him to return to Konoha together, Jiraiya accepted.

Ming Jing returned to Konoha, visited Hinata before meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi, and negotiated Konoha's help with surveying farmland. Hiruzen accepted the missions in exchange for a promise that fifteen affected ninja would receive priority for Police Department jobs if they later left the profession.

• Ming Jing returned to Konoha with Jiraiya, stayed at the Kurama Clan compound, and greeted Mai Kurama.
• Ming Jing visited the Hyuga Clan compound, delivered Hizashi Hyuga's letter to Hyuga Hiashi, and gave Hinata a gift.
• Ming Jing promised Hinata he would visit again on her birthday, then went to the Hokage Building to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Ming Jing asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to accept twenty C-rank missions to survey farmland, and Hiruzen agreed.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi proposed tax exemptions for fifteen ninja, but Ming Jing refused and offered them priority for Police Department jobs if they later left the ninja profession.

Over two years, Ming Jing consolidated his power in the Land of Fire and brought the Land of Grass under economic dependence, then set out to negotiate with its daimyo. In a town along the way, he recognized the starving red-haired girl Karin and decided to bring her home as Yakumo’s companion.

• Ming Jing weakened the Left Minister, strengthened the Police Department, and made the daimyo of the Land of Fire a figurehead.
• Ming Jing used trade, grain sales, and bribed officials to make the Land of Grass dependent on the Land of Fire, prompting its daimyo to invite him to discuss their countries’ affairs.
• Ming Jing agreed to visit the Land of Grass and departed with Yuexi’s arrangements, Qing Yan, Hizashi Hyuga, and the Four Brothers.
• On the journey, Ming Jing sent a letter to the Hokage through Zuo and later stopped with his convoy in a town in the Land of Grass.
• Karin ran into Qing Yan, escaped after he released her, and Ming Jing recognized her and asked Hizashi Hyuga to help find her.

Akira Kurama and his companions found Karin being attacked by three rogue ninja, and Akira took her in after Qing Yan rescued her. Karin accepted his offer to become his little sister and friend to Yakumo, then bathed, changed, and ate at the inn.

• Hizashi Hyuga noticed Karin’s old wounds looked like human bite marks as the group tracked her through the alleys.
• The group found three rogue ninja biting Karin, and Akira ordered Qing Yan to stop them.
• Qing Yan killed the attackers, and Akira caught Karin and asked her name and whether she had family.
• Akira invited Karin to live with him and be Yakumo’s friend and sister, and Karin accepted and called him Brother Ming Jing.
• Akira reassured Karin that he would protect her, then arranged new clothes and a bath before sharing food with her at the inn.

Karin settled into her new family as Akira Kurama began teaching her to read during their journey through the Land of Grass. Meanwhile, the Third Princess, Ritsu no Otsugu, tried to ambush Akira Kurama but learned his convoy had already passed and set off in pursuit.

• Karin woke in her new home, changed into clothes Akira Kurama had left for her, and joined him for breakfast.
• Akira Kurama's party departed, and he began teaching Karin to read in his carriage.
• Ritsu no Otsugu left Kusagakure after its ninjas refused to help her capture Akira Kurama over food prices.
• The Third Princess and her guards waited in ambush with a woodcutter, then learned Akira Kurama's convoy had passed that morning.
• Ritsu no Otsugu led her mosquito-bitten guards after the convoy to try to catch it from behind.

Ming Jing and his party stopped at Green Water Hot Spring Inn, where he relaxed in a private mountaintop spring while the Third Princess arrived after chasing them. The Third Princess finished dinner and headed to the same hot spring, leaving her encounter with Ming Jing imminent.

• Ming Jing chose to stay overnight at Green Water Hot Spring Inn with his party and arranged rooms for everyone.
• Karin offered to scrub Ming Jing’s back, but he teased her and went to bathe alone.
• Jian Dao led Ming Jing to a private open-air spring, where Ming Jing relaxed and fell asleep.
• The Third Princess arrived at the inn with her guards, ate a hearty meal, and asked for her reserved room.
• The Third Princess changed into a yukata and went up the mountain toward the inn’s best hot spring.

Third Princess rescued Ming Jing from the mountaintop hot spring, but he mistook her for a boy and caused an embarrassing misunderstanding. After recognizing him as Akira Kurama, the Prime Minister of the Land of Fire, she declared him her captive and demanded that he obey her.

• Third Princess found Ming Jing floating face-down in the hot spring and dragged him out before he sank.
• Ming Jing thanked Third Princess, mistook her for a boy, and tried to make her his sworn younger brother.
• Third Princess covered herself with her bathrobe and introduced herself as Ritsu no Otsugi.
• Third Princess recognized Akira Kurama as the Prime Minister of the Land of Fire and announced that she had captured him.
• Third Princess identified herself as the Third Prince of the Land of Grass and ordered Ming Jing to obey her.

Third Princess abducted Ming Jing as a playful attempt to influence his grain negotiations, but Hizashi Hyuga exposed the act and turned the situation around. Ming Jing planned to use Third Princess’s kindness as part of his strategy for choosing a new daimyo of the Land of Grass.

• Third Princess bound Ming Jing and escorted him to her room, while Investigation Division members reported the incident to Hizashi Hyuga.
• Third Princess demanded that Ming Jing sell grain to the Land of Grass at cost, and he frightened her with an elaborate story about how low prices would cause world war.
• Hizashi Hyuga broke into the room, freed Ming Jing, and revealed that Third Princess’s guards were asleep and that Ming Jing had never been in danger.
• Ming Jing called Third Princess his savior and told Hizashi Hyuga to treat her well, then invited her to hear the negotiations with the daimyo the next day.
• Ming Jing told Hizashi Hyuga that Third Princess’s kindness could make her a suitable replacement daimyo if the current daimyo refused to cooperate.

Ming Jing met the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and learned that the daimyo’s succession struggle was entangled with Kusagakure and the Land of Earth. After reviewing his agents’ reports, Ming Jing realized his arrival offered a chance to counter the Land of Earth’s influence.

• Ritsu no Kano welcomed Ming Jing at the Daimyo’s Mansion and anxiously kept his daughter, Ritsu no Otsugu, away from him.
• Ming Jing accepted the Land of Grass’s simple wagashi graciously, easing the tension during their meeting.
• Six agents who had spent a year investigating the Land of Grass reported that Ritsu no Kano was unwell and had begun testing his two sons as successors.
• Number Three and Number Four reported that Ritsu no Ota was weak-willed but supported by Kusagakure and his adoptive mother, Ritsu no Yūki.
• Number Five and Number Six reported that Ritsu no Otsugi was impulsive and backed by the Land of Earth, whose shinobi guarded him.
• Ming Jing recognized that he had arrived at a useful moment and began devising a plan.

Ming Jing sent for reinforcements and used public outings with Ritsu no Ota to make his support for the First Prince widely known. Alarmed by the threat to his succession, Ritsu no Otsugi asked his Iwagakure protectors to help remove his brother, and Sumitsuchi agreed to devise a pretext.

• Ming Jing summoned Gama-shin and sent a letter to Jiraiya, while another letter ordered Masamune Yagyu and Takuo Kurama to come to the Land of Grass.
• Ming Jing invited Ritsu no Ota to tour the capital and spent the following days appearing with him, spreading the impression that the Land of Fire supported the First Prince.
• Ritsu no Otsugi grew alarmed by the rumors and summoned Shū, Han, and Sumitsuchi to discuss how to stop Ritsu no Ota.
• Ritsu no Otsugi proposed killing his elder brother, while Sumitsuchi warned against attacking Ming Jing directly.
• Sumitsuchi agreed to help create a reason to kill Ritsu no Ota and secure Ritsu no Otsugi's succession.

Sumitsuchi led an attack on the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Grass to install Ritsu no Otsugi as daimyo, but Ritsu no Otsugi fled after learning the target was his father. When Ming Jing heard about the assault, he ordered Hizashi Hyuga to find out whether Ritsu no Otsugi was involved and decided to wait.

• After concluding Akira Kurama would not support Ritsu no Otsugi, Sumitsuchi ordered Ritsu no Otsugi to gather his followers and summoned Han and Shū for an operation.
• Sumitsuchi told Han and Shū they would attack the Daimyo's Mansion and make the Second Prince the new daimyo; both agreed to join him.
• At the Hour of the Ox, Sumitsuchi revealed the target to Ritsu no Otsugi and led nearly a thousand followers toward the mansion, intending to depose his father.
• Ritsu no Otsugi panicked and fled his residence with valuables, hoping to avoid punishment.
• Qing Yan and Hizashi Hyuga woke Ming Jing with news of the attack, and Ming Jing sent Hizashi to confirm whether Ritsu no Otsugi was participating before deciding to wait.

Hizashi Hyuga searched for Ritsu no Otsugi while Ming Jing sent him to deliver another letter, and Sumitsuchi, Shū, and Han attacked the Daimyo's Mansion to capture the daimyo. As the battle intensified with reinforcements arriving for both sides, Jiraiya reached Ming Jing's residence.

• Hizashi Hyuga reported that he had found no trace of Ritsu no Otsugi, and Ming Jing sent him to leave a letter at the Second Prince's residence.
• Hizashi Hyuga searched Ritsu no Otsugi's residence with Inuzuka Sen and told her to capture him alive while he returned.
• Ritsu no Ota heard that his younger brother had attacked the Daimyo's Mansion, gathered his men, and rushed to rescue the daimyo.
• Sumitsuchi, Shū, and Han broke into the Daimyo's Mansion, defeated its guards, and fought Kusagakure ninjas led by Boichi near the daimyo's bedchamber.
• Four Grass Ninjas arrived with eighty men, claiming that the First Prince had come to rescue the daimyo.
• Jiraiya arrived at Ming Jing's residence after traveling day and night in response to Ming Jing's warning that the Land of Grass was going to war.