Chapter Summaries

Nawaki announced that he wanted to go to the battlefield to earn merit and become Hokage, but Tsunade forbade him from going. Later, Jiuming considered how to improve his combat ability, attempted to develop a Lightning Release technique inspired by Chidori, and badly hurt his finger.

• Nawaki returned home and told Tsunade and Jiuming he wanted to go to war with Kotaro to earn battle achievements.
• Jiuming questioned whether Nawaki had the skills or experience for the battlefield, and Tsunade ordered him to stay in the village.
• Mito reassured the family that Nawaki would not be sent to the front soon, while Jiuming privately recalled that Nawaki would later die in a battlefield trap.
• After lunch, Jiuming decided to focus on offensive jutsu and left to train after spotting Hatake Sakumo and his pregnant wife.
• Jiuming set up a barrier at an empty Training Ground and gathered Lightning Release Chakra in his hand while testing an idea based on Chidori and One-Finger Nukite.
• Jiuming thrust his hand at a boulder, failed to move it, and doubled over in pain after injuring his fingertip.

Uzumaki Kuming returned home after training, and Uzumaki Mito helped him find a Ninjutsu teacher after advising him to prioritize learning existing techniques. When Kuming came home from school the next day, he discovered that Mito had arranged for the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to teach him.

• Uzumaki Mito healed Kuming’s injured hand and warned him about training alone in the hills.
• Kuming showed Mito his unfinished Lightning Release technique, and she advised him to set aside developing it and learn established Ninjutsu instead.
• Kuming explained that he needed a Lightning Release teacher, so Mito promised to arrange someone suitable.
• Kuming concealed the Yin Seal mark on his forehead before going to the Ninja Academy, then rushed home after school to meet his prospective teacher.
• Kuming arrived home and was surprised to find Hiruzen Sarutobi waiting with Mito.

Uzumaki Jiuming reluctantly accepted Sarutobi Hiruzen as his teacher, and the two became master and disciple. At Training Ground Number One, Hiruzen began testing Jiuming’s Chakra and demonstrated a Lightning Release jutsu, while Jiuming’s unusual reaction to Chakra Paper left the others puzzled.

• Uzumaki Mito arranged for Sarutobi Hiruzen to teach Jiuming, and Jiuming formally bowed to become Hiruzen’s disciple.
• Mito sent Jiuming to take her to her room, and Hiruzen worried about her declining health and Konoha’s future without her.
• Hiruzen took Jiuming to Training Ground Number One, where they encountered Sarutobi Kotaro, Kushina, and Minato Namikaze.
• Kushina excitedly congratulated Jiuming on becoming Hiruzen’s disciple, then punched him for supposedly slacking off.
• Jiuming’s Chakra Paper crumpled and caught fire, making Hiruzen wonder whether Jiuming had both Lightning and Fire Release.
• Hiruzen demonstrated Lightning Style: Lightning Pillar, creating a blinding flash that left Jiuming and the others unable to see clearly.

Jiuming learned Lightning Pillar almost instantly, then watched Hiruzen Sarutobi demonstrate the much more complex Thunder Dragon technique. After memorizing its forty-four hand seals and copying them at high speed, Jiuming unleashed a surge of Lightning Release Chakra that drove Hiruzen and the others to flee before a huge explosion.

• Jiuming analyzed Lightning Pillar, then produced an even brighter flash than Hiruzen Sarutobi and blinded him and Sarutobi Kotaro.
• Hiruzen explained the technique’s Chakra cost, praised Jiuming’s reserves, and decided to teach him the B-rank Thunder Dragon.
• Hiruzen demonstrated Thunder Dragon’s forty-four hand seals and blasted a patch of the Training Ground with the technique.
• Jiuming asked Hiruzen to repeat the sequence, memorized it, and formed all forty-four seals at Hiruzen’s speed.
• Jiuming called out Thunder Dragon, but an abnormal surge of Chakra spread from his body, so Hiruzen and the others hurried away before an explosion erupted.

Uzumaki Kuming learned the Thunder Dragon under Hiruzen Sarutobi’s instruction, while the Land of Rain front deteriorated and forced Konoha to mobilize its ninja. The chapter left Kuming heading to school with growing dread after learning that Genin, including children, were being sent to war.

• Kuming accidentally unleashed a large Lightning Release blast, then followed Hiruzen Sarutobi’s guidance and successfully performed the Thunder Dragon in less than four hours.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi praised Kuming’s talent and promised to teach him everything he knew.
• An Anbu reported that Hanzo had allied with the Land of Earth, leaving Konoha’s forces and supply lines in the Land of Rain in danger.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered assessments of older Ninja Academy students, summoned off-duty Genin and Chunin, and called on retired ninja to help reinforce the front.
• Kushina told Kuming that Konoha’s Genin and Chunin had been assigned to the battlefield while she was sent to Konoha Hospital.
• Kuming saw a mother plead against her young son’s deployment and left for school troubled by the war and Konoha’s decision to send children into battle.

Uzumaki Jiuming exposed and subdued a Root ninja who had used genjutsu to manipulate his classmates into welcoming early graduation and battlefield service. Hiruzen Sarutobi covered up the incident by calling the ninja an Iwagakure spy and ordered Jiuming to graduate early, leaving him summoned to the Hokage after class.

• Shikaichi Nara told Uzumaki Jiuming that their class might be sent to the battlefield, and Jiuming advised him to prepare rather than worry.
• Kimura Jiudai announced an impromptu test that could grant students Genin status and instruction from the Third Hokage, while a masked ninja urged them toward the battlefield.
• Uzumaki Jiuming accused the masked ninja of using genjutsu, attacked him, and reversed his Cursed Seal before sealing his Chakra.
• Kimura Jiudai took the bound Root ninja to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who decided to identify him publicly as an Iwagakure spy and postpone the test.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Jiuming's records transferred to the Ninja Archives for early graduation and told Jiudai to send him to the Hokage after class.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with the news of the death of the Emperor, leading to a period of political instability and intrigue.
• The main character, Lin Yi, is a low-ranking official who has been away from the capital for some time, serving in a remote region.
• Lin Yi returns to the capital to find his brother, Lin Hao, entangled in political disputes. Lin Hao is a high-ranking official and a favorite of the late Emperor.
• Lin Yi learns that Lin Hao has been accused of treason and is under house arrest. He decides to take a leave of absence from his post to help his brother.

Character Developments

• Lin Yi: He shows loyalty and dedication to his brother, willing to risk his career and reputation to help him. He also demonstrates political acumen, understanding the complex power dynamics at play.
• Lin Hao: Despite his high status, Lin Hao is shown to be vulnerable and in need of his brother's help. His situation reveals the precarious nature of power and the dangers of political intrigue.

Significant Themes

• Brotherhood: The bond between Lin Yi and Lin Hao is the central theme of the chapter. It explores loyalty, protection, and the lengths one would go to help family.
• Power and Politics: The chapter delves into the corrupt and treacherous nature of politics, where alliances shift quickly, and reputations can be ruined in an instant.
• Loyalty vs. Ambition: Lin Yi's loyalty to his brother is juxtaposed with the ambition and political maneuvering of other characters.

Character Interactions

• Lin Yi and Lin Hao: Their interactions are marked by concern, trust, and mutual respect. Lin Yi's return brings comfort and hope to Lin Hao, while Lin Hao's situation evokes protectiveness in Lin Yi.
• Lin Yi and the Imperial Advisors: Lin Yi's interactions with these characters highlight the political tension and intrigue. They are wary of him due to his brother's situation, but also respect his intelligence and political savvy.
• Lin Yi and his subordinates: Lin Yi's decision to take a leave of absence is met with concern and admiration from his subordinates, who are loyal to him and willing to support him in his endeavors.

After a genjutsu incident at the Ninja Academy, Hiruzen Sarutobi graduated Uzumaki Jiuming early and assigned him to a squad with Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi. The team’s first mission would take them to the Land of Rain, and Jiuming agreed to test his strength with his new teammates.

• Kimura Jiudai told the students that an Iwagakure spy had cast genjutsu on them and ordered Jiuming to meet the Hokage after class.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Jiuming that he had graduated early, made him a Konoha Genin, and handed him a forehead protector.
• Hiruzen introduced Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi as Jiuming’s teammates and assigned the squad to transport supplies to the Land of Rain before joining Orochimaru’s forces.
• Fugaku invited Jiuming to train, while Hiashi warned that he would request Jiuming’s removal if he proved too weak for the squad.
• Jiuming reconsidered his assumptions about being protected and agreed to test his abilities with Fugaku and Hiashi at Training Ground 7.

Uzumaki Kuming sparred with Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi to prove he belonged on their team, overwhelming them with his strength and sealing technique. After acknowledging his abilities, Fugaku and Hiashi accepted him as their teammate, and Kuming led them to celebrate at a barbecue shop.

• Uzumaki Kuming challenged Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi to spar together, then released his powerful Chakra and sent Hiashi flying with a punch.
• Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuga Hiashi coordinated their attacks, but Kuming dodged them and used a Shadow Clone to escape Fugaku’s fire technique.
• Kuming revealed that he had trapped both men with the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal, and Fugaku and Hiashi admitted his strength and asked him to release them.
• Uchiha Fugaku formally welcomed Kuming as a teammate, and Hyuga Hiashi apologized for underestimating him and accepted him too.
• Kuming invited Fugaku and Hiashi to celebrate at a barbecue shop and pulled them toward the village.

Jiuming ate with Fugaku and Hiashi, who suspected their team assignment had political significance, then focused on training with a Lightning Release scroll from Hiruzen. After the team rebuilt its rapport and Jiuming’s skills improved, an Anbu summoned him urgently to the Hokage.

• Jiuming told Fugaku and Hiashi that he had no special orders from Hiruzen and urged them to focus on surviving the war and growing stronger.
• Fugaku and Hiashi separately consulted their elders, who reassured them that Jiuming was not a Hokage spy and advised them to get along with him.
• An Anbu delivered a Lightning Release scroll from Hiruzen, and Jiuming began studying and practicing its techniques.
• Jiuming trained with Fugaku and Hiashi, and their team restored its rapport while his combat skills impressed them.
• An Anbu summoned Jiuming to see Hiruzen urgently after watching his training, and Jiuming eagerly left.

Uzumaki Jiuming learned that Uchiha Jingxin would lead him, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi on a secret supply mission to the Land of Rain, and he questioned the mission’s route and cover. Before departing, he told Kushina Uzumaki why he needed to grow stronger, and she reluctantly accepted his decision while tearfully embracing him.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi introduced Uchiha Jingxin as the team leader for the supply mission, and Jingxin took Jiuming, Fugaku, and Hiashi to Training Ground 7.
• Jingxin explained that the team would secretly transport supplies to the front while Konoha spread a false story about a large escort force, and Jiuming questioned their remote route and merchant disguise.
• Jingxin agreed to reconsider the disguise and dismissed the team so they could prepare for their departure the next day.
• Kushina confronted Jiuming about going to the front, but he explained that he needed strength to face the dangers that might follow Mito’s death and promised to return alive.
• Kushina tearfully embraced Jiuming as he vowed to show his dance to the entire Shinobi World.

Uzumaki Mito gave Jiuming the Uzumaki Clan heirloom Heavenly Feather Blade and taught him how to control its sealing abilities. After learning the technique, Jiuming joined Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Seishin at Konoha’s gate, and the team departed for the Land of Rain.

• Jiuming finished breakfast and prepared to leave for his mission while Kushina and Nawaki worried about him.
• Mito gave Jiuming the Heavenly Feather Blade, which he summoned in its spiritual form and recognized as the Totsuka Blade.
• Mito used Minglun Shackles to turn the blade into a physical sword, explaining that it no longer sealed enemies in that form.
• Jiuming learned the Hand Seals and principles of Minglun Shackles from Mito, delaying his departure until afternoon.
• Jiuming met Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, and Uchiha Seishin at Konoha’s gate, and the four set out for the Land of Rain.

Konoha reinforcements led by Uchiha Seishin approached the Land of Rain as the Northwest Front struggled to hold Sanpo City. After the squad heard a distress signal and went to help, Minato and Might Duy were left surrounded by Iwagakure shinobi, and their teacher Yagyu was apparently killed.

• Mitokado Homura worried that Konoha's supplies and reinforcements had not reached Sanpo City, where increasingly intense attacks threatened the village's last major stronghold in the Land of Rain.
• Uchiha Seishin's squad—Uzumaki Kuming, Hyuga Hiashi, and Uchiha Fugaku—stopped near the border, but set out to investigate after hearing a Konoha distress signal and learning a three-man squad faced fifteen Iwagakure shinobi.
• Kuming suspected the distress call was a trap, but followed Seishin after sending Shadow Clones ahead and hiding the squad's camp.
• Minato and Might Duy fought off their attackers; Duy opened the Third Gate, broke through an Earth Prison, and helped Minato kill two Iwagakure shinobi.
• A blond Stone Ninja arrived with eight reinforcements after an explosion killed or incapacitated Yagyu, leaving Minato and Might Duy surrounded in a desperate situation.

Uzumaki Jiuming joined Uchiha Seishin, Hyuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, Might Duy, and the unconscious Minato Namikaze as Houtu bombarded them from the sky with clay explosives. The group survived behind Jiuming’s barrier and sheltered for the night, while Jiuming considered how to counter airborne enemies.

• A hidden attacker stabbed Minato Namikaze, and Houtu’s explosion knocked him unconscious before Uchiha Seishin and his team arrived to rescue him and Might Duy.
• Houtu attacked the Konoha Ninja with clay explosives, but Uzumaki Jiuming destroyed his Clay Centipedes with Lightning Style: Thunder Dragon.
• Jiuming’s Lightning Blade Flash disabled Houtu’s Clay Beetles, prompting Houtu to retreat into the sky on a Clay Giant Eagle and rain bombs across the battlefield.
• Jiuming directed Seishin, Hiashi, Fugaku, Duy, and Minato to safety and protected them from Houtu’s bombardment with the Four Violet Flames Formation.
• After Houtu’s attacks ended, Hiashi cleared the debris, Fugaku confirmed Minato was only unconscious, and Seishin ordered the team to build a concealed shelter for the night.
• As the team rested by a fire, Jiuming reviewed his weaknesses against airborne opponents and considered how to fight them in the future.

Jiuming’s group rescued Minato and learned that the Stone Ninja had been targeting Konoha’s reinforcements, while Houtu’s force slaughtered one of the divided units. At Sanpo City, Yagyu Tokio falsely accused Minato and Might Duy of treason, and Homura ordered them captured; Minato then arrived in the city with Duy and several Konoha shinobi.

• Minato woke from a battle-induced nightmare and nearly attacked Jiuming before recognizing him and learning that Teacher Yagyu had died.
• Minato told Jingxin that the Stone Ninja had ambushed his patrol while it traveled with the reinforcements, revealing that the enemy intended to strike the main force.
• Jiuming urged Jingxin to prioritize delivering the supplies, and Jingxin brought Minato and Duy along as the group set out for Sanpo City.
• Houtu’s Stone Ninja killed the Konoha unit they had ambushed, and Houtu ordered his surviving troops to withdraw.
• Yagyu Tokio arrived at Sanpo City and accused Minato and Duy of being Stone Ninja spies; Homura believed his account and ordered their capture.
• Homura learned that Minato had reached Sanpo City with Duy and several Konoha shinobi, and he suspected Minato had killed those who knew the truth.

Uchiha Jingxin and his team reached Sanpo City, where Minato Namikaze and Might Duy were accused of spying after Yagyu Tokio delivered a false report. Once they exposed Yagyu as a likely enemy infiltrator, an explosion devastated the Medical Corps and Stone and Rain forces advanced on the city, leaving Mitokado Homura to prepare its defenses.

• Hyuga guards tried to detain Minato Namikaze and Might Duy as Iwagakure spies, and Uzumaki Kuming fought them off while protecting his companions.
• Mitokado Homura revealed that Yagyu Tokio had accused Minato and Duy, and the team deduced that Yagyu had faked his death and was working for the enemy.
• An explosion struck Sanpo City's Medical Corps as the group moved to investigate, and reports said Yagyu had disappeared.
• Konoha scouts reported that Stone and Rain forces were approaching Sanpo City in numbers, so Homura ordered preparations for the attack and assigned Jingxin to capture Yagyu.
• Homura learned that the blast had destroyed much of the Medical Corps and killed dozens, then ordered a temporary facility and additional protection while Kuming and the others joined the city’s defenses.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens with the news that the second prince, Lin Jian, is leaving the capital to take up his post as a governor in a distant province.
• The first prince, Lin Wanyu, visits Lin Jian to bid him farewell, marking a rare display of brotherly affection between the two.
• Lin Jian reveals that he has been secretly investigating the death of their father, the late emperor, and suspects that the current emperor, their half-brother Lin Xie, is involved.
• Lin Wanyu decides to accompany Lin Jian on his journey, aiming to protect him and gather more information about their father's death.

Character Developments

• Lin Jian shows a more vulnerable side, expressing his fear of leaving the capital and his determination to uncover the truth about their father's death.
• Lin Wanyu demonstrates his protective nature and growing suspicion towards Lin Xie, hinting at a potential shift in his loyalty.

Significant Themes

• Brotherhood and family bonds: The chapter explores the complex relationship between the princes, highlighting their shared history and the importance of family in their lives.
• Power and political intrigue: The princes' conversation reveals the dangerous political landscape they inhabit, with secrets and suspicions threatening to tear them apart.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jian and Lin Wanyu: Their interaction showcases a rare moment of unity between the two princes, with Lin Wanyu offering support and protection to Lin Jian.
• Lin Jian and Lin Xie: Though not present in this chapter, their relationship is discussed, with Lin Jian expressing his suspicion and fear of Lin Xie's involvement in their father's death.

A Stone and Rain Ninja air raid devastated Sanpo City, and Uzumaki Jiuming, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi rescued survivors while Konoha commanders protected their own facilities. The chapter ended with Rain Country civilians barred from shelter as a bomb exploded beside the barrier, engulfing them in flames.

• The joint Stone and Rain Ninja force reached Sanpo City, while Konoha learned that a relief force was on its way.
• Stone Ninja bombers breached the city's defenses and launched an air raid that killed civilians and set Sanpo City ablaze.
• Uzumaki Jiuming, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi searched the ruins and carried a seriously wounded man toward a protected weapons depot.
• Nara Lukin refused entry to Rain Country civilians gathered outside the barrier, allowing only Konoha personnel inside.
• When civilians surged toward the opening, a gust drove them back and the entrance closed; Jiuming and Hiashi remained silent as Fugaku challenged Lukin's decision.
• A Clay Bomb exploded beside the barrier, engulfing the civilians in flames as Fugaku rushed toward the edge.

After Uzumaki Kuming persuaded Nara Lukin to accept Rain Country civilians as a strategic move, Konoha began relief efforts in Sanpo City. Witnessing the devastation firsthand, Kuming resolved to change the Shinobi World himself.

• Uzumaki Kuming secretly reshaped a barrier to protect Rain Country civilians, and Uchiha Fugaku recognized his work but kept quiet.
• Uzumaki Kuming argued that helping the civilians could win over the people of the Land of Rain and weaken its alliance with the Land of Earth.
• Nara Lukin revealed that Konoha lacked enough medical ninja and supplies, but Uzumaki Kuming proposed using Genin for basic aid and focusing on survivors.
• Nara Lukin ordered most barriers to admit Rain Country civilians while keeping key strategic sites closed and watching for spies.
• After the air raid ended, Konoha ninja helped the survivors search the ruins and treat the wounded as rain extinguished Sanpo City's fires.
• Uzumaki Kuming witnessed the suffering caused by the war and resolved to change the Shinobi World himself.

After Sanpo City was devastated by an air raid, Mitokado Homura assigned Uzumaki Kuming, Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuga Hiashi, Minato Namikaze, and Might Duy a mission to attack enemy supplies and communications behind the front lines. Minato was promoted to Jonin and put in command, and the squad set out toward the Land of Grass before Hiashi spotted enemies nearby.

• Uzumaki Kuming, Uchiha Fugaku, and Hyuga Hiashi saw the Ninja Hawks’ signal and returned to the command center as the Stone Ninja and Rain Ninja forces advanced on Sanpo City.
• Mitokado Homura ordered Kuming, Fugaku, Hiashi, Minato Namikaze, and Might Duy to strike enemy support units, seize supplies, and damage roads and bridges behind enemy lines.
• Minato was promoted to Jonin and appointed leader of the squad, and the five accepted their orders and left Sanpo City by climbing over its walls.
• The squad traveled through the rain toward the Land of Grass, and Minato said his injury had healed when Might Duy asked if he could keep up.
• Hyuga Hiashi spotted enemies to the southwest, prompting Minato and the others to scatter for cover while Kuming remained standing on a branch in confusion.