Chapter Summaries

Yichen guided Han and Tomoko through selecting Ninja Academy disciples, steering Han toward students who supported Jinchuriki and choosing six students for himself based on unusual talents. The next day, news of the selections and several young Jonin spread through the academy, leaving graduating student Akio frustrated that Yichen had not chosen him.

• Yichen used the students’ views on Jinchuriki to help Han narrow his candidates, and Han chose Toda Yui, Fuchigami Kunzan, and Kanda Risan as his disciples.
• Tomoko selected three ordinary civilian students, while Yichen chose six disciples, including students he believed had potential in hand seals, genjutsu, sealing, gravity, summoning, and Paper Style Jutsu.
• The academy learned that Yichen had taken six disciples and that Tomoko had become a Jonin at thirteen.
• Akio revealed that Kajiyamari and Kawakita had also become Jonin, prompting the students to marvel at the three young promotions and envy Yichen’s new disciples.

Yichen introduced his six new disciples, assessed their abilities, and designed individual training plans for them. A month later, he struggled to form balanced teams and took Suda Himezuki to meet Shironeko and Dango, promising her a ninja cat to train alongside.

• Yichen had Uchiyama Takuhiro, Yoshimura Kazumasa, Suda Himezuki, Katsuya, Kanako, and Kawazoe Yura introduce themselves, then gave them ingredient scrolls and took them out for a meal.
• Yichen created training plans suited to each disciple’s skills, assigning foundational work to most, Chakra Control practice to Yoshimura Kazumasa, and Ninjutsu practice to Uchiyama Takuhiro.
• After a month, Yichen realized none of his six disciples was a strong close-combat fighter, so he chose Uchiyama Takuhiro for one group and planned for Suda Himezuki to partner with a ninja cat in the other.
• Yichen took Suda Himezuki to the Natural Energy Seal area and explained Sage Mode and Dango’s potential to train in it.
• Yichen told Suda Himezuki that Shironeko had agreed to provide ninja cats for her and Matsutani Shinya, and encouraged her to train alongside her kitten as it grew.

Yichen oversaw Dango’s safe delivery of four kittens, arranged for his disciples to care for them, and continued Sage Arts training. After Yichen successfully entered Sage Mode, Ōnoki began his first attempt at the practice.

• Yichen brought Suda Himezuki to Shironeko’s residence, where Matsutani Shinya reported completing Balance Training and received instructions to work on Chakra Control and care for a kitten.
• Dango safely gave birth to four healthy kittens, and Suda Himezuki and Matsutani Shinya each chose one to adopt later.
• Yichen told Shironeko that the kittens would stay with Dango for a month before their adopters took them home, while Ōnoki would select two other ninja to adopt the remaining kittens.
• Yichen formed Team Three with Yoshimura Kazumasa, Suda Himezuki, and Katsuya, and Team Four with Kawazoe Yura, Uchiyama Takuhiro, and Kanako, then took them on missions and training rotations.
• Yichen successfully entered Sage Mode inside the Natural Energy Seal, and Saka observed that his Sage Face Markings had become sparser.
• Ōnoki began his first Sage Arts training attempt after Ikura applied liquid Natural Energy to the back of his hand.

Ōnoki made progress practicing sage techniques, while Ikura worried that he would take far longer to master them than Yichen. New intelligence revealed that the Uchiha Clan had moved out of Konoha’s center and that the Cloud ninja and Mist ninja were pursuing an alliance, prompting Ōnoki to approve Yichen’s trip to the Land of Water after Iwagakure confirmed Konoha’s next move.

• Ōnoki reported that absorbing Natural Energy had gone smoothly, and Ikura suggested the Sage Locations’ overwhelming Natural Energy made sage techniques difficult for many ninja to learn.
• Ōnoki urged Ikura to begin Balance Training, while Ikura reflected on how Yichen had surpassed him in learning S-rank Ninjutsu and other pursuits.
• Ōnoki summoned Yichen, Ikura, Saka, and Mei to his office and shared reports that the Uchiha Clan had moved out of Konoha’s central district and Fugaku Uchiha had become its clan head.
• Saka proposed increasing contact with the Uchiha Clan, and the others agreed that Iwagakure should pursue closer relations with them.
• The group learned that Yotsuki A and Karatachi Yagura had taken part in high-level exchanges between the Cloud ninja and Mist ninja, and Ōnoki decided Iwagakure would not sabotage their possible alliance.
• Ōnoki approved Yichen’s trip to the Land of Water once Konoha’s actions were confirmed, warning him not to go deep into the country.

Yichen arranged specialized training for his six disciples, then urged Han to make peace with the Five-Tails by recognizing it as a lonely living being with a name. After spies reported that Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and other Konoha elites had disappeared, Yichen left the village, leaving his disciples with Tomoko.

• Yichen designed individual training plans for his six disciples, drawing on Konan's notes for Kanako and arranging guidance from Shironeko, Dango, and the Giant Panda for Suda Himezuki.
• Yichen planned theory and interrogation practice for Katsuya and worked with Yoshimura Kazumasa on faster, simpler, and new hand seals.
• Yichen asked Han about his relationship with the Five-Tails and encouraged him to become its friend by learning its name.
• Han agreed to try befriending the Five-Tails, and he returned to his disciples after they called for him.
• Five days later, Yichen's spies reported that Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and several other Konoha Elite Jonin had disappeared.
• Yichen entrusted his six disciples to Tomoko and left the village.

Yichen infiltrated Konoha to find Izumi Uchiha and Sokai Uchiha, but after avoiding several powerful ninja, he broke into Orochimaru’s underground room and copied four Sharingan Genjutsu. When he returned to the room and caught a Little Green Snake that had watched him, he wondered whether Genjutsu could help him deal with it.

• Yichen entered Konoha disguised as an ordinary person, refined Chakra in a tavern, and used a technique to suppress its fluctuations.
• Yichen searched the outskirts of the Uchiha Clan’s settlement for Izumi Uchiha and Sokai Uchiha, but instead encountered Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha and then saw a father and son in green bodysuits running on their hands.
• Yichen waited until night to infiltrate Orochimaru’s home and found a hidden entrance into a sealed basement.
• Yichen found experimental data and a scroll of four Sharingan Genjutsu, memorized the techniques, and left the basement.
• A Little Green Snake emerged after Yichen left, and Yichen returned, caught it, and considered trying Genjutsu on it.

Yichen infiltrated Konoha to search for ninja-related materials and eventually entered the Uchiha Clan compound to approach his target. After knocking Sokai Uchiha unconscious, he escaped with the boy while a Jonin realized too late what was happening.

• Yichen used Mirror Heaven and Earth to make the Little Green Snake spit out a scroll of Orochimaru's Fire Style cultivation insights, then killed the snake and destroyed the scroll after memorizing it.
• Yichen searched the Senju Clan compound but found that Hiruzen Sarutobi had removed its valuable materials, then encountered Inuzuka Clan trackers and killed three Chunin while fleeing to the tavern.
• Konoha tightened security after the deaths, keeping Yichen confined and watched until the movement restrictions were lifted.
• Yichen entered the Uchiha Clan compound with building materials and found Sokai Uchiha playing with other children.
• When a Jonin approached, Yichen feigned a fall, then knocked Sokai unconscious as the boy helped gather the scattered materials and ran off with him.

Yichen escaped Konoha with Sokai Uchiha while fighting through patrols and three Anbu squads. After Fugaku Uchiha learned of the village’s security net against the Uchiha Clan, he abandoned the pursuit, though the Anbu continued tracking Yichen.

• Yichen used the Lightning Release Stimulation Method to outrun the Uchiha jonin pursuing him and fled Konoha with Sokai Uchiha.
• Yichen evaded patrols and defeated most of three Anbu squads with a Water Cutting Technique after countering their Combination Ninjutsu.
• Fugaku Uchiha arrived, learned that the village had deployed Anbu to guard against the Uchiha Clan, and pursued Yichen.
• Yichen left a Water Clone to ask Fugaku to give the Uchiha Clan a chance to survive, and Fugaku destroyed it before turning back toward Konoha.
• Fugaku told the pursuing ninja that he had lost Yichen, while the Anbu continued tracking the fugitive and the others returned to report to the Third Hokage.

Yichen escaped Konoha and brought Sokai Uchiha to Iwagakure, where Ōnoki gave the boy a new identity and agreed to Yichen’s bet. Yichen then traveled to the Land of Water to investigate Konoha’s movements and found an unusually large force of Mist ninja.

• Yichen evaded the Konoha Anbu, retrieved his equipment from a safehouse, and woke the captured Sokai Uchiha.
• Yichen explained the history and politics of the ninja world to Sokai, then promised to let him return to Konoha if the Uchiha became Hokage or moved back to the village center by the time Sokai graduated.
• Yichen took Sokai to Iwagakure, where Ōnoki gave him the new identity Libra Zhongxing and agreed to Yichen’s bet.
• Yichen left Iwagakure for the Land of Water and disguised himself as a Mist Ninja Anbu while investigating Konoha’s activity without contacting Iwa spies.
• Yichen searched the islands near the meeting point between the Land of Water and the Land of Lightning and encountered an unusually large force of Mist ninja.

Yichen uncovered a Mist-Konoha ambush against the Cloud ninja and intervened by bringing Killer B to the Third Raikage’s battlefield. The chapter ended as Killer B unleashed the Eight-Tails Ox-Demon amid the battle.

• Yichen discovered that the Mist ninja had secretly stationed thousands of troops on nearby islands and learned their alliance negotiations with the Cloud ninja were a trap.
• Yichen reached the alliance island and saw Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya, and the Third Mizukage surrounding the Third Raikage with a large force.
• Yichen spotted another battle at sea, where the Cloud forces fought the Mist ninja and Killer B battled the Three-Tails Jinchuriki.
• Yichen attacked the Three-Tails Jinchuriki to give Killer B an opening, then carried Killer B by Porcelain Release platform toward the Third Raikage.
• Yichen delivered Killer B to the surrounded Third Raikage, and Killer B transformed into the Eight-Tails Ox-Demon.

Yichen left the battlefield after the Eight-Tails appeared and flew to Kirigakure, hoping to exploit the village’s weakened defenses. After entering the village amid a separate Kage-level intruder’s attack, he infiltrated the Yuki Clan to take the infant Yuki Haku, but the clan discovered him and he began searching while his clones drew away its Jonin.

• Yichen watched the Eight-Tails devastate the battlefield, then flew away as a Tailed Beast Bomb exploded behind him.
• Yichen considered how he could defend against Tailed Beasts and flew to Kirigakure while its Mizukage and other powerful ninja were away.
• Yichen found Kirigakure under lockdown because another concealed Kage-level fighter was causing chaos, then forced his way through the Sensory Barrier.
• Yichen entered the Yuki Clan’s territory and learned that the infant Yuki Haku was in its guarded core area.
• A Yuki Jonin exposed Yichen before he reached the core, so he broke through the clan’s Ice Release defenses and sent clones to distract the Jonin.
• Yichen hid in the core territory and searched for the sole infant there while his clones drew the Yuki Jonin away.

Yichen rescued the two-year-old Yuki Haku from Kirigakure and escaped after clashing with Orochimaru. He then provoked a series of clashes between the Mist and Konoha forces before returning to Iwagakure with Haku.

• Yichen stole Yuki Haku from a Genin during the Yuki Clan's evacuation and evaded Orochimaru's ambush on his way out of Kirigakure.
• Yichen used Porcelain Release to control Orochimaru's Grey Snake and knock him away, then escaped as the Mist Ninja main force arrived.
• Yichen slipped past patrols, captured a Mist ninja, and flew to the battlefield where the Mist and Konoha forces had fought the Third Raikage.
• Yichen wrote that Orochimaru had attacked Kirigakure and dropped the captive into the gathered forces, triggering widespread clashes between Mist and Konoha ninja.
• The Third Mizukage ordered the fighting to stop and the forces to return to Kirigakure, while the temporary understanding between the villages collapsed.
• Yichen returned to Iwagakure with Yuki Haku and told Ōnoki what he knew.

Yichen briefed the Iwa leadership on the Mist ninja’s trap against the Cloud ninja, the resulting deaths and losses, and Orochimaru’s attack on Kirigakure. After the meeting, he turned to training and was impressed when his disciple Tomoko developed a powerful seal-less Wind Release technique.

• Yichen explained that the Mist ninja had lured the Third Raikage into a trap, with Konoha forces joining the attack and the Mist ninja holding off Cloud reinforcements.
• Yichen reported the casualties and suspected the Third Mizukage had tried to take the Third Raikage down before his own death; Mei confirmed that the Mist ninja had identified Orochimaru and Yichen in the attack on Kirigakure.
• Yichen guessed that Orochimaru might leave Konoha, while Ikura asked about Yichen’s actions in Konoha and the child he had brought back; Yichen said the child was a Yuki with Ice Release, and Ōnoki praised the child’s talent.
• Ōnoki ordered Saka to monitor the Mist ninja and Konoha, then adjourned the meeting as news of the Third Raikage’s and Third Mizukage’s deaths spread across the shinobi world.
• Yichen postponed developing Storm Release and tested Tomoko’s seal-less C-rank Wind Release technique, finding that its small, prepared attack had piercing power close to B-rank and room to improve.
• The Iwa ninja added Tomoko’s technique to their ninjutsu collection, and Yichen added it to his training plans.

Yichen was astonished when Kawazoe Yura used Sealing Jutsu and Kanako’s origami to seal Uchiyama Takuhiro’s Chakra, inspiring him to explore combat applications for his Porcelain Release. He continued training his six disciples, but the turmoil caused by the Third Raikage incident still had not settled.

• Kawazoe Yura placed Sealing Runes on Kanako’s origami, which Kanako guided onto Uchiyama Takuhiro so Yura could seal his Chakra from a distance.
• Yichen recognized the potential of using Porcelain Mud as a medium for Sealing Jutsu runes and began considering how to overcome the technique’s limitations.
• Yichen focused on teaching Kawazoe Yura Sealing Jutsu while enforcing basic training and study requirements for all six disciples.
• Tomoko’s example changed Kanako’s and Suda Himezuki’s attitudes toward training, while Suda took responsibility for her ninja cat’s training.
• Yichen assigned Katsuya Sharingan Genjutsu to study, allowed Yoshimura Kazumasa to practice hand seals while making ramen, and trained Uchiyama Takuhiro through sparring and gravity exercises.
• Yichen resumed his routine of training his disciples and completing D-rank Missions, but the fallout from the Third Raikage incident continued.

After Danzo exposed Orochimaru’s human experiments, Jiraiya confronted his friend but was defeated and left behind in the Land of Whirlpools. Orochimaru returned to Konoha, prepared to leave, and was declared an S-rank Rogue Ninja as Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo clashed over how to handle his remaining followers.

• Danzo spread evidence of Orochimaru’s human experiments through Konoha, turning public opinion against him.
• Jiraiya read Hiruzen Sarutobi’s evidence and traveled to the Land of Whirlpools to confront Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru showed Jiraiya his experiments, defeated him in a fight, and left him searching the Land of Whirlpools.
• Orochimaru returned to Konoha, retrieved his hidden research materials, and placed an immature Curse Mark on Anko.
• Orochimaru met Hiruzen Sarutobi at a Training Ground and left Konoha without looking back.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi declared Orochimaru an S-rank Rogue Ninja, while Danzo demanded that Orochimaru’s remaining followers be dealt with.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo divided Orochimaru’s former subordinates between the Anbu and Root, while excluding Anko from Danzo’s list. In Iwagakure, Yichen and Ōnoki weighed how to exploit Orochimaru’s defection and the Legendary Sannin’s absence, then watched the other villages’ tensions subside without a new war.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi crossed out nearly half of Danzo’s list of Orochimaru’s former subordinates and removed Anko’s name, then sent some to the Anbu while Danzo recruited the rest into Root.
• Aki briefed Ōnoki and the High-Level Meeting that Orochimaru had defected and Jiraiya had left Konoha to search for him.
• Ōnoki asked Yichen and Ikura whether Iwagakure could eliminate Jiraiya and Tsunade, but they warned that the Legendary Sannin’s summons and escape techniques made an ambush unreliable.
• Yichen suggested sharing intelligence on Jiraiya or Tsunade with other villages, and Ōnoki ordered Ikura to assemble an elite unit while Iwagakure monitored events.
• The Cloud ninja considered taking advantage of Konoha’s troubles, while Yagura restrained Kirigakure despite resentment among Mist ninja, and the villages ultimately made no major move.

Yichen developed a ranged Sealing Jutsu while taking Team Three on an uneventful escort mission. On the return journey, Kakuzu appeared and attacked, forcing Yichen to fight as his students formed up behind him.

• Yichen experimented with splitting Sealing Jutsu into tiny rune-bearing stone fragments and devised a way to reduce the mental strain of tracking them.
• Yichen led Yoshimura Kazumasa, Katsuya, and Suda Himezuki on a C-rank escort mission, but they encountered no trouble.
• On the way back, Suda Himezuki discussed her kitten's Wind Release, while Yoshimura Kazumasa and Katsuya talked about their Ninjutsu and Genjutsu training.
• Yichen sensed Kakuzu approaching and signaled Team Three to form a battle formation.
• Yichen sent a Porcelain Release Mud Clone to attack Kakuzu, who blocked the barrage with black tendrils.
• Yichen unleashed a Great Fireball, but Kakuzu countered with Water Release: Water Wave.

Yichen used Porcelain Release, his Mind's Eye, and a surprise stone spear to destroy one of Kakuzu's hearts, then pressed his advantage by targeting the Lightning Release mask clone. The chapter ended with Universal Pull dragging the clone into Yichen's Porcelain Kunai attacks.

• Kakuzu charged through the steam and attacked Yichen, but Yichen used mud to ensnare Kakuzu's Earth Grudge Fear and tricked him into expelling it from his body.
• Yichen took advantage of Kakuzu's lost Hardening Jutsu and pierced his Earth Release heart with a stone spear accelerated by Almighty Push.
• Yichen used Mountain Earth Technique, but Kakuzu escaped by leaping above the crushing earth and sacrificing Earth Grudge Fear.
• Kakuzu separated his remaining hearts and mask clones to gain an advantage, while Yichen and his Mud Clone focused on the isolated Lightning Release mask clone.
• Kakuzu targeted Yichen's Mud Clone with Combination Ninjutsu, but Yichen dodged the attacks and flew close to the Lightning Release mask clone.
• Yichen used Universal Pull to drag the Lightning Release mask clone into his Porcelain Kunai attacks.

Yichen negotiated with Kakuzu after their battle, trading safe passage and secrecy for four techniques and proposing a bounty deal against Konoha’s elite ninja. Back in Iwagakure, Ōnoki approved the deal and gathered the village’s leaders to discuss improving its Lightning Release research.

• Yichen confronted Kakuzu and used the threat of Iwagakure’s forces to negotiate for three A-rank Lightning Release techniques and one B-rank Genjutsu in exchange for letting him leave and keeping Earth Grudge Fear secret.
• Yichen offered Kakuzu an additional bounty for killing Konoha Elite Jonin, then told arriving Iwa squads not to pursue Kakuzu and awarded each squad an A-rank mission.
• Yichen returned to the village with Team Three, whose members were shaken by the scale of his battle with Kakuzu.
• Yichen delivered the four techniques to Ōnoki and recounted the battle, and Ōnoki approved the bounty offer to Kakuzu.
• Ōnoki summoned Iwagakure’s high-ranking officials to discuss research into Lightning Release Ninjutsu.

Yichen led the formation of a Lightning Release research team to expand the village’s limited collection of techniques, using his systematic development methods and ideas submitted by village ninja. The team completed its first C-rank technique in under three days, with Qi emerging as its most valuable researcher and pledging loyalty to Yichen.

• Ōnoki appointed Yichen to lead Lightning Release research, and Yichen recruited researchers with Kitsuchi’s help while opening a mission for technique ideas.
• Yichen learned Kakuzu’s three A-rank Lightning Release techniques as his students trained, and Suda Himezuki named her kitten Fenghuo.
• Yichen formed a seven-member team, appointed Tsurugi vice-captain, and gave its researchers ten days to study the village’s Lightning Release techniques.
• The Mission Office delivered several hundred technique concepts gathered from nearly a thousand ninja, and reviewing them deepened Yichen’s understanding of Lightning Release.
• Yichen introduced his systematic method for developing techniques, prompting Qi to grasp the approach, transform from Chunin to Jonin, and swear loyalty to Yichen.
• The research team developed its first C-rank Lightning Release technique in less than three days, largely guided by Qi’s insights.