Chapter Summaries

Yichen returned to Iwagakure badly injured after using Nagato’s Chibaku Tensei to deepen his understanding of gravity, and he demonstrated his new ability to Ōnoki. He learned that his three disciples had become Chunin and that Tomoko had also broken through to Jonin, then reunited with them at the Training Ground.

• Yichen and Nagato used Chibaku Tensei to draw rocks toward Yichen, helping him grasp gravity, but he was badly injured when the stones kept rushing at him.
• After recovering enough to fly, Yichen returned to Iwagakure, where Ōnoki learned that he had successfully mastered the Ninjutsu he went to study.
• Yichen demonstrated Banshō Ten'in by pulling a cup into his hand, and Ōnoki told him that his three disciples had advanced and Tomoko had become a Jonin.
• Ōnoki said the village would keep the three disciples under Yichen’s command for now rather than separating their team.
• Yichen found his disciples at the Training Ground, deflected their questions about his injuries, congratulated them on becoming Chunin, and praised Tomoko’s progress.

Yichen trained his disciples, began practicing Chakra Fusion, and shared advice with Ikura about learning S-rank Ninjutsu. After hearing about Tomoko’s breakthrough in the Chunin Exams, Yichen recognized that she had found a Ninja Way focused on guiding overlooked geniuses.

• Yichen gave Tomoko and his other two disciples B-rank Ninjutsu scrolls, then watched them train while he practiced Chakra Fusion.
• Yichen began fusing Earth Release and Water Release Chakra, but the resulting Porcelain Release Chakra disappeared faster than he could produce it.
• Ikura visited Yichen to ask how he had learned an S-rank Ninjutsu, and Yichen suggested that Ikura practice controlling rocks permeated with Chakra.
• Yichen demonstrated Banshō Ten'in by pulling the barbecue from Ikura’s plate, then described how he had learned it.
• Ikura told Yichen about Tomoko’s breakthrough, and Yichen concluded that her Ninja Way was to guide overlooked geniuses onto the right path.

Yichen encouraged Ikura to become a mentor and began guiding Iwagakure’s newly promoted Chunin while training with his disciples. When the Cloud ninja moved toward the Land of the Moon and the Land of Hot Water, Yichen warned Kitsuchi that Iwagakure should avoid wasting strength in clashes with other nations.

• Ikura told Yichen he planned to take disciples after the next class graduated, and Yichen said he intended to take more disciples too.
• Yichen advised Ikura to choose overlooked geniuses to train, and Ikura decided that developing the village’s next generation would be his goal.
• After watching the newly promoted Chunin train, Yichen used clones to offer them guidance, and ninja with similar skills began training together.
• Over the following days, Yichen trained Chakra Fusion alongside Tomoko and his other disciples while occasionally advising the Chunin.
• Yichen returned with his disciples to the Eastern Army and suggested that Kitsuchi expand the crowded camp, but Kitsuchi first showed him intelligence about Cloud ninja entering the Land of the Moon and infiltrating the Land of Hot Water.
• Yichen warned Kitsuchi that conflict with the Cloud ninja could weaken Iwagakure, and Kitsuchi agreed to tell mission teams to act cautiously.

As fighting spread across the Land of Rivers and the Land of Lightning, Yichen visited Minato Namikaze to discuss the Children of Prophecy and learn how Minato planned to change the ninja world. The chapter ended with Yichen asking Minato how he would break the cycle of war if he became Hokage.

• Sunagakure and Konoha escalated their clashes in the Land of Rivers, while the Cloud ninja expanded their attacks against Konoha with elite strike teams.
• Danzo discreetly enlisted the Jashin Cult by promising Konoha's help in taking control of Yugakure, and the cult's sabotage helped stall the Cloud ninja.
• Yichen worried about Minato's strength and went to the Konoha Camp, where he asked a patrol squad to summon Minato Namikaze.
• Yichen told Minato about Nagato's Rinnegan, Yahiko's ideals, and his theory that Minato, Yahiko, and Nagato could all be Children of Prophecy.
• Minato affirmed that he still dreamed of becoming Hokage, and Yichen asked how he would use that position to end the ninja world's recurring wars.

Yichen persuaded Minato Namikaze to pursue peace through networks of shared interests and suggested opening trade routes with Konoha and the Akatsuki Organization. After returning to training, Yichen traveled to the Land of Hot Water and encountered members of the Jashin Cult, whose presence might help him locate the fighting between Konoha and Cloud ninja.

• Yichen explained to Minato Namikaze that expanding trade routes and shared interests could make nations oppose war, and Minato agreed with the approach.
• Yichen and Minato discussed opening trade routes between Iwagakure and Konoha, while Yichen urged Minato to contact the Akatsuki Organization about another route.
• Minato wrote to Jiraiya asking him to share Yichen's proposals with Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Yichen reported the idea to Kitsuchi and returned to training.
• Frustrated by his slow Lightning Release progress, Yichen left camp and traveled to the Land of Hot Water to investigate the conflict between Konoha and Cloud ninja.
• Yichen spotted Jashin Cult members dragging a little girl away from two corpses and considered using the cult to find where the fighting was happening.

Yichen followed Jashin Cult members carrying a black-eyed girl to their underground shrine in Three-Eyed Town, where a priest borrowed Jashin’s power and discovered him. After Yichen’s Water Clone seized the girl, he attacked the priest and deflected most of the priest’s invisible Yin Release strike, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Yichen followed the Jashin Cult members toward Three-Eyed Town after the girl repeatedly stared at his concealed position.
• The group brought the girl to a hidden underground chamber, where a priest identified her as an exceptionally valuable sacrifice.
• The priest chanted over the Jashin symbol, borrowed a sinister power, and discovered Yichen despite his Camouflage Jutsu.
• Yichen sent a Water Clone to kill the cultists and carry the girl away, then cut the priest in half with Water Release—Water Cutting Technique.
• The priest survived and launched an invisible Yin Release attack, but Yichen used Banshō Ten'in to deflect most of it.

Yichen was trapped in Jashin’s illusion, where he used the space to improve his ninjutsu, chakra fusion, and understanding of Natural Energy before breaking free. He recovered enough to leave Three-Eyed Town with the rescued little girl and return to East Front Camp, where Kitsuchi arranged for her to stay until Yichen could bring her to the Tsuchikage.

• Jashin’s power trapped Yichen in an illusion, but his Water Clone killed the priest who had brought him there.
• Yichen discovered he could recreate remembered scenes in the uncontrolled illusion and used them to review his ninjutsu, chakra fusion, elemental natures, and Natural Energy.
• As Yichen’s affinity with Natural Energy grew, the illusion became unstable and shattered, leaving him completely exhausted and without Chakra.
• The little girl fed Yichen a Soldier Pill, and after recovering, he realized his Water Clone had sealed the exit and left pills for her.
• Yichen regained enough strength to carry the girl out of Three-Eyed Town and fly back to East Front Camp.
• Kitsuchi called for medical treatment, and Yichen asked him to shelter the girl until Yichen could return her to the village and consult the Tsuchikage.

Yichen settled Natsuki in Iwagakure and returned to the East Front Camp, where he advanced his Porcelain Release training with the village’s support. After enduring weeks of intense itching and pain as his body changed, he finally completed his rebirth through Kekkei Genkai development.

• Yichen brought the little girl to Iwagakure, where Ōnoki approved her adoption, and she agreed to live with Tomoko’s family while insisting on sleeping at Yichen’s house.
• Yichen named the girl Natsuki, arranged for Chikotake to escort her to school, and returned with Tomoko to the East Front Camp.
• Yichen learned Lightning Conduction, developed a Porcelain Release technique that encased a rabbit in ceramic, and asked Ōnoki for ingredients to make the Kekkei Genkai Secret Medicine.
• Yichen brewed the medicine and focused on Chakra Fusion, which gradually increased his physical strength, Chakra Amount, and fusion speed as his body began transforming.
• Yichen endured more than ten days of severe itching followed by more than ten days of pain, using Sensory Ninjutsu and Purple Lightning’s genjutsu strategy to get through the ordeal.
• The pain faded, and Yichen completed his rebirth through Porcelain Release development.

After completing his Bloodline Limit transformation, Yichen tested Porcelain Release and discovered its strengths and limitations in sparring. He began planning a second Bloodline Limit, reluctantly favoring Fire Release because he was far more skilled with it than Lightning Release.

• Yichen thanked Kitsuchi and Purple Lightning for helping him endure his month-long transformation, then tested Porcelain Release against Purple Lightning.
• Yichen used controlled mud attacks to overwhelm Purple Lightning’s defenses and eventually force her to concede.
• Yichen assessed his transformation’s gains, including a Chakra Amount of 240A, but found that he had not advanced to Kage level.
• Kitsuchi overwhelmed Yichen’s Porcelain Release with large-scale Earth Release, reminding Yichen not to neglect Water Release or rely on one combat style.
• Yichen considered developing a second Bloodline Limit and chose to focus on Fire Release over Lightning Release because his Fire Release was stronger.

Yichen trained Lightning Release while the Third Shinobi World War rapidly expanded, drawing all Five Great Nations into battle. Worried that Minato Namikaze might threaten his camp, Yichen considered provoking conflict with the Cloud ninja and then sought Kitsuchi’s judgment about the risk.

• Yichen strengthened Lightning Conduction and practiced Chakra combinations with Kitsuchi’s guidance while seeking a way to learn the Lightning Release Stimulation Method.
• Iwa and Konoha forces began fighting in the Land of Grass, and the Land of Wind, Land of Lightning, and Land of Earth declared war on the Land of Fire.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi promised to step down after the war and tied the next Hokage’s selection to war merits, prompting the Uchiha and Hyuga clans to mobilize and take responsibility for the Mist ninja front.
• Yichen proposed attacking a Konoha force in the Land of Grass, but Kitsuchi opposed leaving their position and weakening their watch on the Cloud ninja.
• Yichen reasoned that conflict with the Cloud ninja might persuade Konoha to lower its guard or transfer Minato Namikaze, then reconsidered whether that plan would encourage destructive infighting.
• Yichen approached Kitsuchi again and argued that Minato Namikaze might challenge their camp alone, using his knowledge of Minato’s personality to explain the danger.

Yichen hunted Cloud ninja to test his Porcelain Release, but a Cloud Jonin detected him and countered his mud with Lightning Release. As the Jonin stalled and Kuromaya fled to report Yichen’s bloodline ability, Yichen prepared to turn the fight around as his control over the disrupted mud began recovering.

• Kitsuchi assigned Yichen to search for Cloud ninja, and Yichen killed two careless Chunin with a surprise Porcelain Release attack.
• Yichen found a Cloud Jonin and a Lightning Release-capable Chunin, but the Jonin detected his sensory technique and approached with his subordinate.
• Yichen used a vast wave of mud to target the Chunin, while the Jonin’s Lightning Release temporarily disrupted his control over part of it.
• The Jonin identified Yichen’s technique as a likely Water-Earth Fusion Bloodline Limit and ordered Kuromaya to flee to the coast and report it.
• Yichen refrained from pursuing Kuromaya while he focused on the Jonin, whose lightning-enhanced swordsmanship scattered the remaining mud as he retreated.
• Yichen noticed that his control over the disrupted mud was recovering, while the Jonin continued stalling to give Kuromaya time to escape.

Yichen captured two Kumogakure ninja and interrogated them for information about the Lightning Release Stimulation Method, but the Jonin resisted before revealing its next step. Yichen killed the Jonin and believed he had concealed his abilities, unaware that Kuromaya and a White Zetsu clone had already sent reports about him to the Cloud ninja and White Zetsu.

• Yichen trapped the Jonin in mud, sealed his Chakra, and tracked down the fleeing Chunin, taking both prisoners.
• Yichen used Genjutsu to interrogate the Chunin, learned what he knew about Lightning Release, and killed him.
• Yichen created an illusion in which Darui asked the Jonin about the Lightning Release Stimulation Method, but the Jonin realized he was under Genjutsu and broke free.
• Yichen failed to obtain more information from the Jonin, killed him, and burned his corpse to prevent his knowledge of Yichen from spreading.
• Kuromaya's markers and a distant White Zetsu clone carried reports of Yichen's battle to the Third Raikage and White Zetsu.

Yichen struggled with Lightning Release training and learned that the Cloud ninja knew about his Porcelain Release, but his maneuver had drawn their forces toward the Land of Iron and eased pressure on other fronts. With a few days of relative calm, he began training to sense and absorb Natural Energy, though his first balance exercise ended with him falling while Dango stayed steady.

• Yichen failed to control Lightning Conduction precisely and learned from Kitsuchi that a surviving Chunin may have left clues revealing his Porcelain Release.
• The Cloud ninja sent two thousand troops to an island near the Land of Iron, creating a standoff with Yichen’s forces and prompting Konoha to reposition some of its ninja.
• Yichen concluded that his maneuver had drawn the Cloud ninja’s attention without provoking a large-scale conflict, giving him time to pursue Natural Energy training.
• Yichen began practicing balance on Stone Cones with Dango as part of training his mind to merge with nature.
• Yichen fell from his Stone Cone while Dango remained balanced, leaving him unable to explain the exercise to his curious disciples.

Yichen struggled to balance on a board atop Stone Cones while Dango quickly mastered the exercise, turning his poor performance into a camp-wide joke. After raising the training to a hundred meters and seeking Dango’s advice, Yichen made only slight progress and realized his unsettled mind was holding him back.

• Yichen repeatedly fell during the balance exercise while Dango gradually mastered it, and the camp began using “Yichens” to measure how long people stayed on the board.
• Yichen raised a Stone Cones a hundred meters high, and Dango trained there under Purple Lightning’s protection as the camp gathered to watch.
• Purple Lightning told Yichen that the exercise seemed to improve body control, and Yichen claimed he had learned it from Konoha as preparation for sage techniques.
• Yichen asked Shironeko to translate Dango’s advice, which slightly improved his progress, but he remained unable to master the exercise.
• Yichen reflected on his stalled training and past mistake with the Cloud ninja, then recognized that his unsettled mindset was interfering with his progress.

Yichen took five days off to recover from his mental strain, then returned to training with a calmer mindset and made major progress in Lightning Conduction and balance training. After holding his balance for an extended period and discovering his Earth Release had grown stronger, he climbed atop an even taller Stone Cone to try again.

• Yichen took several days off with Kitsuchi's approval, resting, sleeping, and avoiding camp affairs and training.
• Yichen's three disciples woke him after he fell asleep beside the Training Ground, and he continued relaxing for five days while remaining in camp.
• On the sixth day, Yichen resumed training and improved his Lightning Conduction control, accurately directing more than thirty strands of lightning at targets.
• Yichen's balance training improved: he lasted forty-four seconds on his first attempt and then remained completely still on his second.
• Yichen created a taller Stone Cone after noticing his Earth Release had grown stronger, then used the Light-Weight Rock Technique to reach its top.

Yichen adjusted his mindset, mastered balance training on the Stone Cone, and rapidly simplified his Fire Style hand seals. After Kitsuchi assigned him to handle the restless Cloud ninja, Yichen took his disciples and several squads toward the Coastline to confront them without provoking a larger war.

• Yichen learned to withstand the gusts atop the Stone Cone, impressing Shironeko and the others with his progress.
• Yichen trained in Fire Release after dinner, learned three C-rank techniques, and reduced the hand seals for his Fire Style jutsu.
• Kitsuchi and Purple Lightning discussed Yichen's unusual talent and speculated that his elemental training might be aimed at developing Kekkei Tōta.
• Kitsuchi gave Yichen intelligence reports and assigned him to manage the Cloud ninja's recent provocations.
• Yichen took seven or eight squads and his three disciples near the Coastline, planning fair fights between equally ranked ninja to deter the Cloud ninja without escalating the conflict.

Yichen led Iwa ninja to confront Cloud ninja intruding into the Land of Earth, and a three-on-three Genin battle showed how Combination Ninjutsu could give Iwa an advantage. He proposed settling the dispute through further matches, then offered intelligence on Konoha if the Iwa ninja lost as a powerful Cloud ninja arrived.

• Yichen tracked three Cloud ninja squads near the border and recognized their presence as deliberate provocation.
• Yichen ordered Akino’s squad to send Iida, Etsuo, and Kosugi Eriko to spar with three Cloud ninja Genin.
• Iida and Eriko combined Wind Release and Fire Release to overwhelm the Cloud ninja, while a Jonin rescued the Genin and another Iwa Jonin saved Etsuo from a Lightning Strike.
• Yichen awarded the three Iwa ninja credit for a B-rank mission and challenged the Cloud ninja to further three-on-three matches, with each victory requiring the Cloud ninja to stay out of the Land of Earth for a day.
• A powerful Cloud ninja arrived and asked what the Iwa ninja would offer if they lost, so Yichen proposed sharing intelligence about Konoha.

Yichen negotiated a series of matches with the Cloud ninja in exchange for intelligence, then fought their Elite Jonin to a draw after Storm Release countered his Porcelain Release. The second match ended with an Iwa victory, putting Yichen’s side ahead despite losing two Genin.

• Yichen proposed that the Cloud ninja win thirty matches to earn intelligence, with a Chunin victory counting as five and an Elite Jonin victory counting as thirty.
• Yichen battled the Cloud Elite Jonin, whose Storm Release severed his control of the mud, and both agreed to call the fight a draw.
• Yichen learned that the Cloud force was led by Tanimoto Naoto, an escort captain, and insisted that their earlier loss count as the first match.
• Three Iwa Genin used Earth Style techniques and close coordination to defeat the Cloud team in the second match, though two Iwa ninja were lost.

Yichen refused Tanimoto Naoto’s offer to exchange intelligence, then received a mission from Kitsuchi to investigate villagers disappearing in the Land of the Moon. While tracking the culprit, he noticed unusual terrain that might date back to an ancient battle and spotted a black-robed figure in a village.

• Tanimoto Naoto demanded a third match, but Yichen ended the contest and declined to exchange intelligence, keeping the Cloud ninja to their agreement.
• Yichen recorded B-rank Missions for the three fighters, and Kitsuchi assigned him to investigate vanished villagers in the Land of the Moon.
• Yichen found that villagers had been taken from their beds without signs of struggle and discovered poison near the affected villages.
• Yichen followed the clues to predict the next target and waited above it, where he noticed unnatural circular valleys and a suspiciously straight river.
• Yichen spotted faint blackness rising from a village, descended to investigate, and found a black-robed figure that looked up toward him.

Yichen fought Sasori of the Red Sands in the air, countering the Third Kazekage Puppet’s Iron Sand while searching for a way to separate Sasori from his puppet. He used Banshō Ten'in to drag Sasori into a rapid fall, then blocked the Third Kazekage Puppet with mud to try to break Sasori’s control.

• Sasori recognized Yichen and summoned the Third Kazekage Puppet, which attacked with Iron Sand.
• Yichen used Porcelain Release to block the Iron Sand and flew higher, drawing Sasori away from the ground.
• At roughly a thousand meters, Yichen dove toward Sasori and used Banshō Ten'in to pull him into a fast descent.
• Sasori slowed his fall with multiple puppets, but Yichen halted his own descent and raised a vast mass of mud to block the Third Kazekage Puppet.
• Yichen tried to separate Sasori from the puppet by widening the distance between them beyond Sasori’s control range.