Chapter Summaries

Ronglin unleashed a devastating time-based attack that killed more than half of the Mist ninja surrounding him. He followed it with a Super Great Rasengan, leaving the survivors ready to flee.

• Hozuki Mangetsu sensed danger and retreated as some Mist ninja charged at Ronglin.
• Ronglin used his Mangekyo ability to shred every Mist ninja and weapon still inside the transparent dome.
• Hozuki Mangetsu and the other Mist ninja who escaped watched in fear as Ronglin assessed the attack’s limitations.
• Ronglin formed a Super Great Rasengan, and the surviving Mist ninja prepared to run.

Ronglin slaughtered the mist ninja with a Rasengan before confronting Hozuki Mangetsu, who had summoned Hiramekarei. Ronglin recognized Mangetsu and taunted him about his fatal illness, leaving Mangetsu on guard.

• Ronglin used the Body Flicker Technique to charge into the mist ninja and blasted more than a dozen of them with a Rasengan.
• Hozuki Mangetsu summoned a scroll and drew Hiramekarei from it.
• Ronglin recognized Mangetsu and realized he could summon the other ninja swords, including the Kubikiribōchō Ronglin carried.
• Hozuki Mangetsu guarded himself as Ronglin identified him as a Kirigakure genius and taunted him about his illness.

Ronglin taunted Hozuki Mangetsu and the mist ninja before leaving the slaughtered battlefield unchallenged. The Third Mizukage arrived afterward, learned that Uchiha Ronglin had killed the group in one move, and demanded to know why no one had stopped him.

• Ronglin said he enjoyed carrying Kubikiribōchō and killing mist ninja, while Hozuki Mangetsu calmly said he would rather use Hiramekarei against Konoha ninja.
• Ronglin drove Kubikiribōchō into the ground and told the mist ninja to deliver a message to the Third Mizukage and dispose of the bodies properly.
• Ronglin told Hozuki Mangetsu to treat his illness and stay alive until their next meeting, then left without anyone daring to stop him.
• The Third Mizukage arrived and found the battlefield covered with the mangled bodies of his ninja.
• Hozuki Mangetsu told the Third Mizukage that Uchiha Ronglin had killed them in one move and left Kubikiribōchō as a gift.
• The Third Mizukage demanded to know why the mist ninja had not kept Ronglin there.

After Ronglin escaped the ambush, the Third Mizukage unleashed his fury on the Mist forces and ordered them to clean up the dead. Back at camp, his anger claimed the Intelligence Department head, leaving the troops terrified of becoming his next target.

• Hozuki Mangetsu told the Third Mizukage that Ronglin had escaped without using his full strength, then left with the Ninja Sword.
• The Third Mizukage demanded an account of the battle, and a frightened ninja recounted what had happened.
• The Third Mizukage cursed Uchiha Ronglin and led the troops to clear away the corpses.
• The Mist forces returned to camp under an atmosphere of fear and vigilance.
• The Third Mizukage made an example of the Intelligence Department head, killing him and frightening the several thousand Mist Ninja.

Ronglin returned from the battlefield covered in blood and reunited with the Uchiha sent by Tsunade to support him. After washing up and changing clothes, he headed back to camp with them, leaving his companions shocked by his nearly thousand kills.

• Ronglin became alert when he realized he had walked into an encirclement, then recognized the surrounding Uchiha as allies.
• The Uchiha confirmed Ronglin was safe and explained they had come at Tsunade's request to support him.
• Ronglin asked the group to help wash the blood off him and find him clean clothes.
• Ronglin returned to camp with the Uchiha and told them about the battle, and they were shocked to learn he had killed nearly a thousand enemies.

After returning from battle, Ronglin faced Tsunade’s furious reprimand for charging into the enemy alone. He explained how the Seven Ninja Swordsmen’s weapons could be recalled with Summoning Jutsu, leaving Tsunade with the account of what had happened.

• Ronglin returned to camp after learning that Kirigakure had lost nearly one-fifth of its deployed forces.
• Tsunade scolded Ronglin for charging into battle alone and risking being surrounded by the Third Mizukage.
• Ronglin asked Nara Shikaku to record his battle merits, and Nara Shikaku soon left the Command Center.
• Ronglin recounted the battle to Tsunade and explained that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen could summon their weapons back.
• Ronglin said Hozuki Mangetsu had reclaimed the weapons rather than let them fall into Konoha’s hands.

Ronglin returned after killing nearly a thousand Mist Ninja, and Tsunade recorded his battle merits while warning him against taking such risks. News of his victory reached the other fronts, where Jiraiya and White Fang praised him and hoped Kirigakure’s defeat would free up support.

• Tsunade told Ronglin that Kirigakure had lost nearly a sixth of its men and warned him not to take such risks again.
• Ronglin said the Third Mizukage would be furious, and Tsunade recorded his battle merits before sending him to rest.
• News of Ronglin’s victory spread through the camp and was sent to the village and the other battlefields.
• Jiraiya regretted that he had not taken Ronglin as his student, while White Fang said Ronglin would have helped against Sunagakure.
• Jiraiya and White Fang discussed Kirigakure’s elusive tactics, and White Fang worried that Ronglin’s rise would increase Minato’s pressure in the contest to become Hokage.

After Ronglin’s raid devastated Kirigakure, the news reached the other villages and made their leaders react with anger, relief, or silence. Ronglin explained to Shisui that Kirigakure’s ambushes were dwindling because the village feared further losses and would shift to frontal attacks.

• Danzo grew furious after learning that Ronglin had escaped Kirigakure after killing many of its people, while Orochimaru pondered the news silently.
• Sunagakure’s leaders felt fortunate that Uchiha Ronglin had been transferred away, Ōnoki cursed Kirigakure’s failures, and the Third Hokage remained silent.
• Shisui praised Ronglin, who told him to stop fooling around and return to training.
• Shisui asked why Kirigakure had launched fewer sudden attacks, and Ronglin said its forces had recognized Konoha’s countermeasures and were afraid of further losses.
• The Third Mizukage abandoned his plan to wear Konoha down through infiltration and chose to move the fighting toward frontal assaults.

Tsunade summoned Ronglin and the Konoha commanders to discuss Kirigakure’s shift toward direct combat. She warned that neither side could count on reinforcements, leaving the present forces to win the war.

• Tsunade sent for Ronglin, who left Shisui waiting for an explanation and went to the Command Center.
• Ronglin arrived last and took his seat as the gathered commanders waited for the meeting to begin.
• Tsunade announced that Kirigakure had become more active and appeared ready to fight Konoha head-on, prompting the commanders to angrily cheer.
• Tsunade quieted the commanders and warned that Konoha’s other wars made reinforcements difficult, so the assembled forces would have to rely on themselves.

Tsunade rallied the Konoha Command Center by making clear that they would receive no effective reinforcements and had to defeat Kirigakure with the forces on hand. Nara Shikaku began assigning roles, leaving the Uchiha as Konoha’s main combat force.

• Tsunade told the Command Center that Konoha could not spare effective reinforcements and that the ninja at the camp had to win on their own.
• The assembled ninja roared their resolve to defeat Kirigakure.
• Tsunade handed the floor to Nara Shikaku to outline the battle arrangements.
• Nara Shikaku assigned the Hyuga to continue reconnaissance, and Hyuga Hiashi agreed.
• Nara Shikaku named the Uchiha the main combat personnel and asked their clan head to take special care; the Uchiha Clan agreed to follow orders.

Nara Shikaku settled the clan assignments and asked Uchiha Ronglin to unleash his full strength in the coming war. Ronglin agreed in principle but insisted that Konoha lure as many enemies together as possible so he would not have to fight them piecemeal.

• Nara Shikaku ordered the other clans, including the Hyuga, to be mixed into Uchiha units to prevent internal trouble.
• Hyuga Hiashi guaranteed the Hyuga Clan would follow orders.
• Nara Shikaku asked Uchiha Ronglin to fight at full strength in the coming war.
• Ronglin asked whether Nara Shikaku was sure, then said they should gather as many enemies as possible before sending him into battle.
• Nara Shikaku understood Ronglin's condition and agreed that they needed to lure the enemy into one group.

Ronglin told Nara Shikaku that he needed the enemy gathered together for one decisive strike, and Shikaku agreed to try to lure in as many as possible. The plan remained uncertain as Ronglin said he would stay out of sight until the attack.

• Ronglin explained that he could unleash his full strength most effectively if the enemy were gathered together for a single opportunity.
• Nara Shikaku agreed to do his best to lure the enemy out, despite Ronglin's demands.
• Ronglin said the more enemies they could gather, the better, because their forces needed to reduce the enemy's strength without further reinforcements.
• Ronglin said he would rarely show himself until after they struck the enemy, and Nara Shikaku agreed that this would help keep them from becoming wary.

After Ronglin left the planning meeting, Tsunade trusted him to carry out his plan while Nara Shikaku prepared Konoha’s response to the war on three fronts. Tsunade worried that Kirigakure’s mist technique would keep Konoha on the defensive, then spotted Ronglin sitting in a large tree and reacted angrily.

• Ronglin left the meeting and told the others to discuss the plan among themselves.
• Nara Shikaku asked Tsunade how confident she was in Ronglin, and she admitted she could not judge his strength directly.
• Tsunade chose to trust Ronglin and told Nara Shikaku to proceed with the arrangements.
• Nara Shikaku worried about Konoha’s ability to endure a prolonged war across three fronts, while Tsunade hoped the battle lines would hold.
• Tsunade reflected on how Kirigakure’s mist technique let its ninja hide and attack while keeping Konoha from taking the initiative.
• Tsunade went for a walk, saw Ronglin sitting in a large tree, and her face darkened.

Ronglin shared food and liquor with Tsunade at the camp as she struggled with discouragement over the war. He assured her that Konoha would win, leaving her comforted and asking why he had not invited her to drink sooner.

• Tsunade found Ronglin drinking in the camp and accepted his offer to share.
• Tsunade drank half the bottle and asked whether many people in the camp were drinking.
• Ronglin avoided revealing who else drank and brought out another bottle.
• Tsunade asked Ronglin whether they could win the war, and he confidently said they would.
• Tsunade said Ronglin's confidence eased her worries and teased him for not inviting her to drink before.

Ronglin carried a drunk Tsunade back to her tent after she vented about the strain of command. After a brief lull in Kirigakure’s covert attacks, enemy forces appeared ahead as the Third Mizukage chose open battle.

• Tsunade complained to Ronglin about her exhausting Commander-in-Chief duties while drinking.
• Ronglin hid the wine and carried the unconscious Tsunade back to her tent, where two female ninja helped her rest.
• Kirigakure’s covert attacks gradually decreased, and both sides entered a brief period of silence.
• The Third Mizukage chose open battle after facing pressure from his allies.
• A report announced that large numbers of enemy traces had appeared ahead.

As Konoha’s forces began battling Kirigakure, Ronglin left camp to carry out a covert attack on their rear camp. He summoned Black Scale and set off through the sea, relying on the snake to navigate the mist.

• Tsunade ordered Konoha’s ninjas to engage Kirigakure, and the two forces clashed across a wide battlefield.
• Ronglin left the camp alone while the battle occupied the enemy forces at the front.
• Ronglin reached the shore and summoned Black Scale to help him find Kirigakure’s rear camp through the mist.
• Ronglin rode on Black Scale’s head and ordered him into the sea to circle around Kirigakure’s forces.

Ronglin rode Black Scale across the sea toward Kirigakure’s enemy camp while the Third Mizukage struggled to account for Ronglin’s absence from the front. The chapter left Black Scale eager to unleash chaos once they arrived.

• Black Scale charged into the sea and carried Ronglin swiftly through the water.
• The first day of the front-line battle ended with several hundred casualties on each side.
• The Third Mizukage grew wary when Konoha’s fighters seemed to grow braver and Ronglin failed to appear.
• The Third Mizukage deployed more ninja to watch for Ronglin, fearing another attack on Kirigakure.
• Ronglin traveled by sea on Black Scale and promised him freedom to make as much trouble as he wanted at the enemy camp.

Ronglin and Black Scale reached the coastline, where Ronglin changed their plan so Black Scale would draw the enemy’s attention while he infiltrated the camp. Black Scale charged into the forest to make a diversion.

• Black Scale told Ronglin they would reach the coastline by nightfall and asked whether they should go ashore.
• Ronglin ordered Black Scale to charge into the enemy formation and draw attention while he sneaked into the camp.
• Ronglin explained that the enemy would leave guards at the rear camp and send reinforcements if trouble broke out.
• At the coastline, Ronglin got down from Black Scale and told him to make as much noise as possible.
• After resting to recover his strength, Black Scale charged into the forest.

Black Scale drew Kirigakure’s guards away from their camp while Ronglin slipped inside to search for the supply depot. Black Scale was wounded by the surrounding ninja, but Ronglin remained undetected as he moved deeper into the camp.

• Black Scale charged toward Kirigakure’s camp and shouted insults at the Mist ninja guarding it.
• The Mist ninja realized Black Scale was a Summoned Beast and attacked him.
• Black Scale struck a Mist Chunin with his tail and drew the guards into a fight.
• Ronglin entered the camp while the guards focused on Black Scale and killed the ninja he encountered on patrol.
• Black Scale was wounded while surrounded by dozens of ninja as Ronglin searched the camp for the supplies.

Ronglin summoned Black Scale to rampage through Kirigakure’s camp, drawing the mist ninja away from their supply stores. Ronglin reached the supplies and confronted three guards.

• Ronglin summoned Black Scale into Kirigakure’s camp and ordered him to cause as much destruction as possible before retreating.
• Black Scale crushed through tents and injured mist ninja, prompting the camp’s defenders to rush toward him.
• Ronglin used the distraction to locate Kirigakure’s supplies and counted the guards around them.
• Three mist ninja guarding the supplies discussed the intruder and Black Scale before Ronglin appeared beside them.