Chapter Summaries

Aoba returned and found Karin neglecting her hygiene and training, then made her clean up and punished her for slacking off. He later gave Ranmaru toys made by Sasori, but trouble came from Zabuza’s side instead of Karin.

• Aoba woke Karin by sniffing her greasy hair and mocking her for not having bathed, prompting her to flee to the bathroom in embarrassment.
• Karin spent three hours scrubbing herself clean, then admitted to Aoba that she had slacked off while he was away.
• Aoba forbade Karin from reading strange books and sent her to complete her missed training, while restricting her meals to dumplings.
• Aoba secretly gave Ranmaru the toys he had asked Sasori to make, then left without disturbing Ranmaru’s Puppetry Technique studies.
• Aoba discovered that Zabuza’s side had stirred up trouble, though Karin had not caused him any.

Zabuza and Haku spent a relaxing day together in the Land of Hot Water, but two Kirigakure shinobi recognized Zabuza as a missing-nin. Zabuza and Haku left quickly, while the shinobi realized who they had seen.

• Zabuza agreed to go shopping and visit a hot spring with Haku, who had suggested the outing.
• Zabuza and Haku enjoyed their day together, sharing food and playful moments while shopping.
• Two Kirigakure shinobi on a mission to seek marriage proposals for Mei Terumi noticed Zabuza on the road.
• Zabuza recognized the shinobi as Kirigakure personnel and hurried away with Haku.
• One shinobi identified Zabuza as Momochi Zabuza, the missing-nin who had killed the other candidates in his graduation examination.

Zabuza and Haku were discovered by Kirigakure ninjas, but Qingyu refused to let them flee and promised to protect them from the Anbu. Ten days later, Haku went into town again and noticed he was being followed, revealing that he had deliberately made himself bait.

• A Kirigakure ninja spotted Zabuza, but escaped Zabuza's Mist Technique and reported what he had seen.
• Zabuza and Haku returned to their base and told Karin they planned to leave before the Kirigakure Anbu arrived.
• Qingyu appeared and insisted that Zabuza and Haku stay, boasting that even the Mizukage could not take them away.
• Zabuza wondered whether Qingyu could back up his claims and considered testing him.
• Ten days later, Haku went to town and realized a Kirigakure Anbu was following him, as he had intended.

Zabuza and Haku ambushed six Kirigakure Anbu in the mist, using Ranmaru’s sight and puppet device to guide Zabuza as he killed them. Zabuza spared the last survivor briefly to ask about Mei Terumi, then had Haku finish him and dispose of the bodies.

• Haku blocked the Anbu’s barrage with Ice Release and filled the forest with mist.
• Ranmaru used his ability and a puppet device to reveal the Anbu’s positions to Zabuza.
• Zabuza silently killed four Anbu, then killed a fifth by disguising himself as the dead senior.
• Zabuza asked the final survivor whether Mei Terumi was also useless, and the man said she would avenge them.
• Zabuza told the survivor he would wait for Mei but that the man would not live to see her, then Haku killed him and cleaned up the bodies.

Zabuza provoked Kirigakure to test Mei Terumi and Aoba’s intentions, while Aoba chose not to interfere with his plan. Mei Terumi arrived in the Land of Soup to confront Zabuza and possibly recruit him.

• Two Kirigakure ninja dug up the buried Anbu and discovered that one of them was still alive, so they carried him back to the village.
• Zabuza revealed that he had arranged for the survivor’s false death to test whether Mei Terumi would respond and whether Aoba would honor his promises.
• Ranmaru identified the survivor’s slowed chakra flow, and Aoba told him to act as if nothing had happened.
• More than half a month later, Mei Terumi arrived at the Land of Soup despite Genji’s orders, with Ao following and warning her about disobeying.
• Mei Terumi said she would confront Zabuza and considered bringing the missing-nin back under her command.

Mei Terumi and Ao followed Zabuza’s trail in the Land of Soup, where Zabuza challenged her to prove she deserved to be Mizukage. As they began their duel, Mei Terumi answered his Hidden Mist Jutsu with an even denser version of her own.

• Mei Terumi explained that she intended to test Zabuza’s strength and potentially recruit him back to Kirigakure.
• Ao spotted a Kirigakure Anbu mark, and Mei Terumi and Ao followed it out of town before waiting three hours for Zabuza.
• Zabuza arrived alone and said he had come to judge whether Mei Terumi deserved to be Mizukage.
• Mei Terumi offered Zabuza another chance to return to Kirigakure, but he refused and said he had found a better place to go.
• Zabuza vanished into mist, and Mei Terumi countered with her own, denser Hidden Mist Jutsu.

Mei Terumi used her Mist Technique to trap Zabuza in dense fog and fought him with her corrosive Boil and Lava Release techniques. Zabuza survived her attacks, but Mei spread her acidic mist through the fog and forced him toward its edge.

• Mei Terumi's dense Mist Technique blocked the vision of Aoba and the others watching from outside.
• Zabuza tried to attack Mei from behind, but his kunai melted against the corrosive mist surrounding her.
• Mei unleashed Boil Release: Acid Rain, dissolving the terrain and injuring Zabuza despite his water defenses.
• Zabuza and Mei exchanged clones and attacks, with Zabuza using the fog to evade her wide-area Lava Release techniques.
• Mei spread her acidic, high-temperature mist through the fog, forcing Zabuza to retreat toward its edge.

Aoba protected Zabuza from Mei Terumi and fought her after she refused to abandon the capture. Mei Terumi revealed powerful Boil Release techniques and ended the chapter attacking Aoba with Lava Style.

• Aoba cut apart Mei Terumi’s mist-wrapped water dragon and declared that Zabuza was under his protection.
• Zabuza stood behind Aoba, confirming he would not leave with Mei Terumi, who insisted on capturing him.
• Mei Terumi fought Aoba with Boil Release, deflecting his slash and sending him crashing through trees with a powerful punch.
• Aoba healed quickly and counterattacked with Thunder Breathing, but Mei Terumi detonated her Burning Heat Armor to break free.
• Mei Terumi used Lava Style: Lava Monster Technique against Aoba.

Aoba activated his markings to overpower Mei Terumi, but Zabuza trapped Aoba and Aoba’s ally in a Water Prison Technique. After Mei Terumi’s failed escape attempt knocked off Aoba’s mask, she saw his youthful face.

• Aoba used Thunder Rage Three Revolutions Dragon to strike down Mei Terumi’s liquid double, then awakened his markings to catch her at swordpoint.
• Mei Terumi warned that Kirigakure might lose its chance to take Zabuza, while Aoba struggled to keep his attention on her.
• Aoba’s ally rushed to rescue Mei Terumi, but Zabuza trapped him in a Water Prison Technique.
• Mei Terumi offered to stop Kirigakure from pursuing Zabuza in exchange for their release, but Aoba demanded more and provoked her by calling her an auntie.
• Aoba called Haku over to seal their chakra points, but Mei Terumi spat at him; the attack knocked off his mask, and she froze when she saw his face.

Aoba captured Mei Terumi and Ao after the system assigned him a mission to reject Mei Terumi’s confession seven times. Imprisoned, Ao recognized Aoba as the vanished Fifth Hokage, while Mei Terumi began imagining a future with him.

• The system gave Aoba a mission to reject Mei Terumi seven times, and he considered ways to make her confess before rejecting her.
• Aoba knocked out Mei Terumi and Ao, sealed their chakra with senbon, and ordered them taken away.
• Mei Terumi and Ao awoke shackled in a cell, where Ao confirmed that both of them were otherwise unharmed.
• Ao recognized Aoba as Shimiya Aoba, the former Fifth Hokage who had defected from Konoha, and feared they might be killed to keep his identity secret.
• Mei Terumi, unaware of Ao’s fears, wondered what their future children would be like and whose surname they would take.

Mei Terumi decided that Aoba would make an ideal husband and proposed marriage while he visited her cell. Aoba refused and instead persuaded her that they needed to date first, leaving her wondering whether courtship really had so many rules.

• Mei Terumi decided to marry Aoba, believing his looks, strength, and status made him a perfect match and that Kirigakure could benefit from the alliance.
• Zabuza advised Aoba to either kill Mei and Ao and abandon the base or trade them for what he wanted before Kirigakure began searching for them.
• Aoba went to the dungeon to handle his mission, while someone secretly followed him to see what he would do with Mei.
• Mei proposed marriage to Aoba, but he refused and told her they should get to know each other and date before considering marriage.
• Mei frowned at the supposed courtship rules and recalled that Yasuo had been the only person who had ever confessed to her.

Aoba left Mei Terumi after agreeing to discuss her proposal again the next day, then encountered Karin, who feared he might marry Mei. Karin visited Mei in her cell to learn the secret behind her figure, and Mei began to reveal it after Karin brought food and water.

• Mei Terumi asked Aoba whether there were exceptions to his views, and Aoba mentioned love at first sight before agreeing to talk again tomorrow.
• Karin asked Aoba if he was going to marry Mei, and he denied having considered it; Karin felt jealous and insecure about her appearance.
• Karin returned to Mei's cell, where the two insulted each other's age, weight, and figure.
• Mei offered to teach Karin a secret trick, and Karin introduced herself as Shimiya Karin rather than revealing her real surname.
• Karin came back with food and water, warned Mei not to deceive her, and asked for the promised secret; Mei began explaining how to achieve her figure.

Karin tried Mei Terumi’s fabricated massage technique and thought it might have worked, while Aoba continued delaying Mei Terumi’s marriage proposal to complete his mission. The chapter ended with Mei Terumi using Karin’s belief in the technique to tempt her with another invented lesson.

• Karin followed Mei Terumi’s instructions in the bathroom and thought she noticed a slight effect the next morning.
• Aoba visited Mei Terumi in the dungeon, rejected her proposal, and promised to give her an answer the next day.
• Aoba considered the possible benefits of Mei Terumi marrying the captive but decided not to interfere with her choices.
• Karin brought food to Mei Terumi and admitted that the massage technique seemed to have worked a little.
• Mei Terumi realized Karin believed her lie and offered to teach her an even more profound massage technique.

Aoba rejected Mei Terumi’s marriage proposal through a series of increasingly bizarre questions about money, domestic work, retirement, and children, leaving her convinced he was a dangerous psychopath. Ao also began to doubt Aoba’s sanity and resolved to keep Mei from marrying him while they waited for Kirigakure’s reinforcements.

• On the third day, Aoba refused Mei Terumi after she said she could not cook or do laundry.
• On the fourth day, Aoba questioned Mei about her house, carriage, and savings, then rejected her for having too little money.
• On the fifth day, Aoba asked how many children Mei wanted and whose surname they would take, then ended the marriage discussion.
• Mei wondered whether Aoba had been playing with her and reconsidered marrying him.
• Ao suspected Aoba was a lunatic and decided to stop Mei from acting recklessly while they waited for Kirigakure’s reinforcements.

Aoba investigated Karin’s secretive behavior and accidentally discovered that she had been giving herself massages. The next day, his awkward warning left Karin embarrassed but relieved that he had told her to take it easy on training.

• Aoba caught Karin returning from delivering food to Mei Terumi and Ao, then questioned her about her secretive behavior.
• Aoba hid in Karin’s room to find out what she had been doing, then accidentally witnessed her giving herself massages.
• Aoba waited until Karin went to shower before quietly slipping out of her room.
• Aoba told Karin to rest and be careful, and Karin misunderstood his vague words as a warning that he knew her secret.

Aoba tried a new approach to persuade Mei Terumi, claiming he had abandoned being Hokage because he wanted the thrill of starting a new game as a missing-nin. Mei Terumi and Aoba believed his explanation, leaving Aoba confident that he could continue his Death-Seeking Mission.

• Kirigakure squads searched for the missing Mei Terumi and Lord Aoba, following traces of Mei Terumi's Scorch Release.
• Aoba found Mei Terumi listless and realized his repeated marriage proposals had stopped working.
• Mei Terumi confronted Aoba about whether his proposals were a cruel game, so he dropped his lovesick act and spoke seriously.
• Aoba claimed he had rejected becoming Mizukage because he wanted to enjoy a new challenge as a missing-nin, not because Kirigakure lacked value.
• Mei Terumi and Aoba were shocked by Aoba's explanation, and Aoba privately celebrated that they had believed his performance.

Aoba coerced Mei Terumi into continuing their staged marriage game while Karin secretly went into town to buy ingredients for a recipe Mei had given her. Karin’s search for Netherworld Grass drew suspicion, and she realized she was being followed as she left town.

• Aoba threatened to have Kirigakure choose another Mizukage unless Mei Terumi continued playing along for two more days, and they staged another rejection scene.
• Karin brought food to the dungeon, then slipped away to town to buy medicine ingredients using Mei Terumi’s recipe.
• Karin searched several drugstores for Netherworld Grass, but a stranger learned what she wanted and suspected her connection to Mei Terumi and Aoba’s disappearance.
• Karin sensed people hiding nearby with the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura and changed course to test whether they were following her.
• Karin confirmed that she was being watched, though she could not figure out why.

Old Faceless recapped the book’s June performance, acknowledged reader feedback, and outlined his July update plans. He also announced that he was leaving to meet college friends and might miss the next day’s update.

• Old Faceless received a sudden invitation to meet his college roommates in Shenyang and announced that he might not be able to update on July 1.
• Old Faceless reported writing 300,000 words in June, admitted his output had fallen short, and said health issues and other problems had contributed.
• Old Faceless acknowledged complaints about padded scenes and Karin, and promised to adjust the pacing while retaining the novel’s comedic style.
• Old Faceless thanked readers for helping the book stay among the site’s top fifty best-selling books and reach the category’s top ten in monthly votes.
• Old Faceless said the book had gained a second editor in charge at QQ Reading and that its audiobook had reached 200,000 clicks and listens.
• Old Faceless promised to aim for 10,000 words a day in July while allowing for genuine rest or unforeseen circumstances.

Aoba moved his people to the Land of Falls while the Akatsuki began preparations to capture the Two-Tails and Five-Tails Jinchuriki. Pain assigned Kakuzu and Hidan to the Two-Tails and Aoba and Sasori to the Five-Tails, leaving both teams ready to strike.

• Aoba explained that he had let Karin go as a test, and Haku later brought her back as Zabuza praised her strength.
• Mei Terumi and Ao were released, and Ao agreed to claim they had been pursuing Zabuza and gotten lost.
• Aoba used a Youth Card to fix his appearance at eighteen and raised Iron Body to LV9 before moving his people to the Land of Falls.
• Pain summoned the Akatsuki and announced that their next targets were the Two-Tails and Five-Tails.
• Pain assigned Kakuzu and Hidan to capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, who was training outside Kumogakure.
• Pain assigned Aoba and Sasori to capture Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, who had been lured away from Iwagakure.

Aoba and Sasori ambushed Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, in the Land of Earth. After Sasori pursued the surviving Iwagakure shinobi, Aoba faced Han alone to test his Zanpakuto.

• Aoba and Sasori met in Clay City and chose to ambush Han along his route.
• Sasori’s puppets poisoned and killed most of Han’s escort, but Han destroyed the puppets with his Steam Charge.
• Aoba and Sasori revealed themselves, and Han sent the surviving Iwagakure shinobi to seek reinforcements.
• Sasori pursued the escaping shinobi while Aoba intercepted Han and challenged him to an honorable contest.
• Aoba prepared to test his Zanpakuto against Han after going more than a month without using it.