Chapter Summaries

Shuichi learned that Iwagakure had encircled a large Kumogakure force, prompting Konoha to shift its forces and attack the Land of Lightning. Third Raikage A broke through the encirclement to save his troops but died after holding off Iwagakure, and Shuichi later reviewed the battle’s outcome with the Third Hokage.

• Kumogakure troops killed the Stone scouts who discovered their movement, while White Zetsu copied the dead Keita to pass the intelligence to Iwagakure and Konoha.
• Shuichi received Orochimaru’s report that Iwagakure had encircled over two thousand Kumogakure ninjas, and Konoha withdrew from the Land of Whirlpools to join the offensive against Kumogakure.
• Third Raikage A used the Heavenly Transfer Technique to reach the encircled force and tore through Iwagakure’s defenses, allowing most of the Kumogakure troops to escape.
• A stayed behind to draw Iwagakure’s attack and was worn down and killed after three days of fighting, while Iwagakure and Kumogakure both suffered heavy casualties.
• The Third Hokage canceled Shuichi’s mission, then later told him that around two-thirds of the encircled Kumogakure force had escaped and gave him a report on the battle.

Shuichi and the Third Hokage discussed Konoha’s plan to concentrate its forces against Sunagakure, while Kakashi received his Jonin appointment. Back in the Land of Rivers, Shuichi’s squad ambushed and eliminated a Sunagakure patrol as the village’s advance grew bolder.

• Shuichi and the Third Hokage agreed that Konoha needed to focus its forces on one front, with Sunagakure a likely target for a major offensive within a month.
• Shuichi met Kakashi, who had received his Jonin appointment, and warned him to use Chidori carefully.
• A Sunagakure patrol advanced through the eastern Land of Rivers, confident after its recent victories and eager to avenge losses to Konoha.
• Shuichi’s squad ambushed the patrol, killing the two ninja carrying Signal flares before the rest could summon help.
• Hyuga Akiha and Aburame Shihei stopped and defeated the remaining Sunagakure ninja, and Shuichi’s squad cleared the scene and moved toward its next target.

Shuichi returned to Kikyo Castle and spoke with Tsunade as Konoha prepared for a decisive campaign against Sunagakure. After scouting a secret stronghold, he learned that Orochimaru’s forces were waiting to track Sunagakure while Konoha planned to sever Iwagakure’s supply line at Kannabi Bridge.

• Shuichi explained that Sunagakure had likely destroyed settlements in the Land of Rivers and returned with his squad to Kikyo Castle.
• Tsunade questioned Konoha’s prolonged war effort, and Shuichi discussed slowing attacks before Shizune arrived.
• At night, elite ninja left Kikyo Castle, while a supply convoy departed Aoba City and Genji remarked that its load was smaller than during the previous great war.
• Shuichi and his teammates scouted a route to a hidden Konoha stronghold and confirmed that Sunagakure had not tampered with it.
• Orochimaru told Shuichi that Konoha would use Kikyo Castle as bait and planned to cut Iwagakure’s supply line at Kannabi Bridge.

Sunagakure debated launching a major war against Konoha as Iwagakure pressured the Land of Fire, while Namikaze Minato turned the tide of a battle in the Land of Grass. Shuichi’s squad continued scouting deep in the Land of Rivers, where he believed the Battle of Kannabi Bridge was nearing its end.

• Sunagakure's elders urged an invasion of the Land of Fire, and Fourth Kazekage Rasa agreed to begin preparations, including deploying Bunpuku.
• Namikaze Minato arrived to aid Mimura Hamaki's outnumbered Konoha squad against Iwagakure's Explosion Corps.
• Minato used Flying Thunder God to kill the Iwagakure Ninja, then left to hurry to his students.
• Shuichi's squad hid near a road leading to the Land of Fire Border while scouting Sunagakure's main force.
• Shuichi thought the Battle of Kannabi Bridge should be ending soon.

Shuichi revealed his Explosion Release to ambush a Sunagakure squad, using buried clay explosives and a coordinated attack to kill several enemies. The battle continued as he killed Saki with Flying Thunder God, while Yukari watched two longtime teammates die.

• Shuichi received Orochimaru's report that Konoha had destroyed Kannabi Bridge, then learned a Sunagakure squad was approaching.
• Shuichi told Hyuga Akiha and Aburame Shihei that he had mastered Explosion Release and planted explosive clay along a narrow pass.
• Gen's Sunagakure squad found the disguised Konoha decoy, and Shuichi's trap exploded, killing Tekki.
• Shuichi and Aburame Shihei attacked from Ink Birds with Shuriken, while Yukari used Wind Release to deflect some of them.
• Saki attacked Shuichi, but Shuichi used Flying Thunder God to appear behind him and fatally slash him.

Shuichi and his teammates fought Sunagakure’s remaining forces after a landmine blast, with Shuichi using feints and the Flying Thunder God Technique to defeat the Puppeteer Takuya. He left Takuya dead and rushed toward the remaining Jonin.

• Shuichi and Akiha pressured Yukari while Shihei used insects to trap and drain a Sand Village ninja, then guarded against the swordsman’s attack.
• Shuichi assessed the battlefield and detonated a Shadow Clone’s Explosion Release Clay beneath Naomi, catching Tekki and two other enemies in the blast.
• Shuichi targeted Takuya, who recognized the Flying Thunder God Technique and prepared his puppets to counter it.
• Takuya pierced Shuichi’s Shadow Clone with a poisoned sword, then attacked an Earth Clone with hidden needles, but both attacks were feints.
• Shuichi emerged with Lightning Cutter and killed Takuya, then rushed toward the remaining Jonin.

Shuichi’s squad wiped out a Sunagakure unit, then discovered that a much larger invasion force was advancing toward Kikyo Castle. As Shuichi followed the enemy toward the coming battle, Tsunade ordered Konoha’s forces to secure their flanks and prepare ambushes.

• Shuichi used a Shadow Clone and a mud trap to kill Gen, while Akiha and Shihei cornered Yukari, who killed herself rather than surrender.
• Shuichi’s squad left the battlefield after reporting its intelligence to Orochimaru and deciding not to pursue more enemy squads.
• Sunagakure forces surrounded and destroyed a Konoha patrol near Kikyo Castle as Tosha ordered the assembled squads to advance according to plan.
• From a hidden cave, Akiha spotted more than three hundred Sunagakure Ninja, and Shuichi led his squad out to follow them.
• Tsunade learned that four of eight reconnaissance squads had gone missing and ordered Konoha to secure the northern and southern flanks before setting ambushes.

Sunagakure and Konoha began a large-scale battle outside Kikyo Castle, where Rasa and Chiyo’s attacks pushed Konoha’s forces toward defeat. Shuichi watched from behind the Sunagakure army, waiting for the order to act, as the battle’s outcome remained uncertain.

• Rasa ordered Sunagakure’s main force to advance toward Kikyo Castle after scouts saw Konoha Ninja leaving the castle.
• Konoha and Sunagakure exchanged volleys of ninja tools and then collided in close combat, with explosions and heavy casualties on both sides.
• Shuichi and two companions followed behind Sunagakure’s forces while an Ink Bird monitored the battlefield, waiting for the right moment to intervene.
• Rasa used Magnetic Sand to trap and crush Konoha Ninja, then broke through their defenses with Sand Shuriken and Golden Sand Wave.
• Chiyo attacked with the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu, using Three Treasures Absorption and a barrage of ninja tools to kill Konoha Ninja.
• Tsunade prepared to join the battle, but a Medical Unit ninja urged her to wait; a Sunagakure captain then noticed something strange as his squads advanced.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya joined Konoha’s assault as reinforcements approached, forcing Rasa’s army to prepare to retreat. Shuichi killed Tosha and helped Orochimaru and Jiraiya devastate the Sunagakure Puppeteer unit with the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.

• Manda burst into the Sunagakure formations, and Orochimaru attacked the defenders with snakes while Tsunade ordered Konoha to counterattack.
• Jiraiya arrived with summoned toads, and Rasa spotted Konoha reinforcements approaching, so he signaled Sunagakure to regroup and retreat.
• Orochimaru engaged Tosha, and Shuichi emerged from underground and killed him with Lightning Cutter.
• Shuichi and Orochimaru joined forces against the Sunagakure ninja while Jiraiya turned the Puppeteers’ ground into a swamp.
• Shuichi and Orochimaru used the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique to overwhelm the trapped Puppeteers, leaving only a few survivors at the edges.

Shuichi fought Chiyo before joining Konoha’s assault on Sunagakure, but Rasa released Shukaku to save his village from defeat. Shukaku devastated the battlefield, and Tsunade summoned slugs to heal Konoha’s elites as Shuichi sought help.

• Shuichi destroyed several of Chiyo’s puppets, then left her to attack Sunagakure’s forces across the battlefield.
• Akimichi Choza and Konoha reinforcements arrived, turning the battle against Sunagakure and forcing Rasa to order a retreat.
• Rasa persuaded Bunpuku to release Shukaku, who agreed to attack Konoha despite Bunpuku’s wish to avoid war.
• Shukaku appeared on the battlefield and used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough to sweep away large numbers of Konoha Ninja.
• Tsunade summoned a giant slug that split up to attach to and heal Konoha’s elites, and Shuichi ran over for one because his Chakra was low.

Shukaku’s rampage disrupted Konoha’s attack on Sunagakure, and the Konoha commanders discovered that its Jinchuriki was alive and stable within it. With the battle worsening, Shuichi volunteered to deal with the One-Tail as Rasa ordered Sunagakure squads to obstruct Konoha.

• Shukaku fired a Tailed Beast Ball into the crowded battlefield, causing heavy damage and throwing Konoha’s forces into disarray.
• Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Shuichi discussed the One-Tail and learned from Tsunade that Rasa’s clone had appeared without Chiyo nearby.
• Sarutobi Keito and Uchiha Fugaku led Konoha shinobi in a combined Fire Release attack that scorched Shukaku, but its tail sent several ninja flying.
• Hizashi Hyuga used his Byakugan to confirm that the Jinchuriki was alive inside Shukaku and had a stable Chakra flow.
• Shuichi volunteered to deal with the One-Tail, and Orochimaru backed his plan while the other commanders agreed to cover him.
• Rasa ordered Sunagakure squads to interfere with Konoha, especially the Sealing Squad.

Shuichi used a Wind Release: Rasenshuriken to destroy Shukaku and kill Jinchuriki Bunpuku during the battle between Konoha and Sunagakure. The chapter ended with the Sand shinobi reeling as Shukaku dispersed.

• Shukaku attacked Konoha’s forces with Sand Bullets while Sand shinobi ambushed them, and Jiraiya protected Konoha’s rear.
• Hizashi Hyuga located Bunpuku inside Shukaku, and Shuichi slipped underground to approach the beast with two Shadow Clones.
• Orochimaru sent a Great Snake Array against the Sand shinobi as Shuichi and his clones emerged behind Shukaku, forming a giant Wind Release shuriken.
• Shuichi’s Rasenshuriken severed Shukaku’s tail, then tore into the beast and exploded after reaching close to Bunpuku.
• Orochimaru caught Shuichi with a python as the blast hollowed out Shukaku’s upper body and killed Bunpuku.
• Shukaku spoke briefly before disappearing, leaving the Sand shinobi shocked that their Tailed Beast had been defeated.

Shuichi helped Konoha rout Sunagakure after killing Shukaku, then hunted down and killed the fleeing puppeteer Shashi. At Kikyo Castle, Tsunade treated Shuichi’s severely damaged right arm and warned that his new Wind Release: Rasenshuriken had caused extensive injuries.

• Shuichi urged Orochimaru to order a counterattack, and Konoha’s forces broke Sunagakure’s exhausted main force after Shukaku’s death.
• Shuichi joined the pursuit despite his injuries and intercepted Shashi after the puppeteer escaped a Konoha squad.
• Shuichi tracked Shashi underground and killed him as he emerged near dusk.
• At Kikyo Castle, Tsunade treated Shuichi’s right arm and explained that the Rasenshuriken had damaged his meridians, bones, muscles, and cells.

After creating the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken and helping defeat Sunagakure, Shuichi returned to Konoha to report his achievements and request Shukaku’s tail and Fuinjutsu training materials. With his apprenticeship effectively complete, he began considering whether to pursue Magnet Release.

• Tsunade treated Shuichi’s injured hand and warned that the close-range Rasenshuriken was dangerous, while Shuichi described ways he might improve it.
• Konoha’s forces pursued Sunagakure, targeting dangerous Jonin and encouraging weaker ninja to surrender, until Sunagakure’s forces retreated into the Land of Wind.
• Shuichi returned to Konoha and explained the Rasenshuriken and Shukaku’s defeat to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who agreed that he should rest and granted his requests for Shukaku’s tail and a chance to study Fuinjutsu.
• Orochimaru and Sarutobi Hiruzen recognized that Shuichi had outgrown his apprenticeship, and Shuichi decided to investigate Magnet Release as a possible second Kekkei Genkai.

After Konoha’s victory at Kikyo Castle, Sunagakure agreed to peace and Shuichi became famous as Purple Aurora. He met with Kakashi after Obito’s death, then approached Uchiha Fugaku to begin influencing the Uchiha clan’s future.

• Iwagakure halted its invasion as Konoha’s forces became free to respond, while Sunagakure began peace talks and agreed to pay reparations in exchange for Konoha releasing prisoners.
• Shuichi learned that a fellow Konoha ninja had coined the nickname Purple Aurora, which spread across the Shinobi World after Shuichi killed a tailed beast.
• Shuichi met Kakashi at the Memorial Stone and saw that Kakashi had covered his left eye with his forehead protector after receiving Obito’s Sharingan.
• Shuichi accompanied Kakashi to the Hokage’s Office, where the Third Hokage, Minato, and Fugaku discussed the Sharingan; Shuichi left them to talk privately.
• Shuichi waited outside and approached Fugaku after he and Minato parted, intending to protect the Uchiha clan and prevent its future massacre.

Shuichi met with Uchiha Fugaku and used his knowledge of Kekkei Genkai to argue that the Sharingan’s emotional amplification could make Uchiha prone to losing control. He explained that Konoha’s policies had partly protected the clan, but the chapter left the Uchiha’s post-Nine-Tails political ambitions unresolved.

• Shuichi thanked Fugaku for saving Ishikawa Tatsuki and Kurenai during Kirigakure’s invasion, then invited him to talk privately.
• Shuichi revealed his Explosion Release Kekkei Genkai and explained that he had learned it from scratch in about half a year.
• Fugaku described the Sharingan as a Yin Release Kekkei Genkai, and Shuichi suggested that all Kekkei Genkai carried side effects.
• Shuichi argued that the Sharingan amplified emotions and made its users prone to losing control, and Fugaku acknowledged that Uchiha records linked awakenings most often to losing loved ones.
• Shuichi explained that the Second Hokage’s policies had kept most Uchiha safe by limiting their exposure to danger, while noting that the Nine-Tails’ Rampage had led the clan to seek greater political power.

Shuichi deepened his understanding of Uchiha Fugaku and later investigated the nature of Magnet Release using a piece of Shukaku’s tail. After discovering that Shukaku’s power relied on sealing and control rather than true magnetic force, he decided to train with its Chakra for two months and assess the results.

• Shuichi spoke with Fugaku, shared his perspective on the Uchiha, and exchanged contact information with him.
• Several days after the western Konoha front fell quiet, Shuichi began researching Magnet Release with a piece of Shukaku’s tail.
• Shuichi tested combinations of nature transformations but could not sense Wind Release or Earth Release in Shukaku’s Chakra.
• Shuichi pressed Shukaku’s flesh against a cut in his palm and analyzed the Chakra that entered his body.
• Shuichi concluded that Shukaku’s Magnet Release used Chakra with sealing and control properties, while the Third Kazekage and Toroi possessed true magnetic abilities.
• Shuichi chose to let Shukaku’s Chakra stimulate his own control ability for two months while continuing his other training.

Shuichi developed a defensive and aerial-support style using Magnet Release and White Sand, then conceived a new weapon after drawing inspiration from memories of his previous life. He brought Kirigakure's Thunder Swords: Kiba to Master Sato and commissioned a gun-type ninja tool, planning to test it at the Daimyo's Mansion.

• Shuichi tested Magnet Release with White Sand, discovering it could crush targets and detect movement from dozens of meters away.
• Shuichi packed White Sand into a Jonin Vest and ninja shoes, using it to strengthen his defense and practice brief aerial maneuvers.
• Shuichi grew frustrated with Magnet Release's limited benefits, then found inspiration in memories of entertainment and technology from his previous life.
• Shuichi visited Master Sato and offered him 300,000 ryo to secretly forge a new weapon from Kirigakure's Thunder Swords: Kiba.
• Shuichi showed Sato blueprints for a gun-type ninja tool and its bullets, then said he would test the weapon near the Daimyo's Mansion for half a month.

Shuichi tested his prototype Gun-type Ninjutsu Tool, then worked with Sato to finalize two pistols built from Chakra Metal. He left the shop showing Sato that the pistols’ extra rings were for spinning them with his finger.

• Shuichi tested the prototype by firing pointed and round-nosed bullets, finding that the shots were more powerful than his Vacuum Orbs.
• Shuichi imagined using twin guns in combat and concluded that his combined Explosion Release, Magnet Release, and Chakra control made the weapon difficult for others to replicate.
• Over several days, Shuichi and Sato tested the guns and bullets, settled on standard specifications, and made two finished pistols.
• Shuichi kept the remaining Chakra Metal for future adjustments and filled the guns’ hollow sections with Magnet Release White Sand so he could control them and call them back.
• When Sato asked about the ring on each gun, Shuichi spun a pistol around his finger and demonstrated its purpose.

Shuichi returned to Konoha with new gun-based ninja tools, where Orochimaru introduced him to his new disciple, Mitarashi Anko. After Shuichi tested Anko’s abilities, Orochimaru accepted her as a student and gave Shuichi a sample of the modified First Hokage Cells from Danzo’s research.

• Shuichi commissioned special Senbon and rubber sleeves from Sato, then returned to Konoha with two boxes of bullets and continued training with his guns and Flying Thunder God.
• Sanada Tomohisa brought Mitarashi Anko to meet Orochimaru and Shuichi, who introduced themselves as her teacher and Senior Brother.
• Shuichi sparred with Anko, testing her weapons, close combat, and Fire Release before concluding that she had the potential to become a Jonin.
• Orochimaru officially accepted Anko as his disciple and returned her to the Ninja Academy with Shuichi.
• Orochimaru told Shuichi that Danzo had recovered most of his strength after receiving a modified arm, then gave him a sample of the First Hokage Cells to study.