Chapter Summaries

Shiro turned A’s Hell Stab against him and nearly killed him, but the Third Raikage arrived and Duy intervened to save Shiro. After Konoha’s mission target was rescued by the Raikage, the Anbu called a retreat, while Shiro secretly prepared to strike again.

• Shiro redirected A’s Hell Stab, then blasted him away with an Iron Mountain Lean and moved in to finish him.
• The Third Raikage nearly struck Shiro, but Duy opened the Seventh Gate and kicked the Raikage away.
• Duy faced the Third Raikage while Shiro retreated, and Cloud Ninja carried the injured A to safety.
• Konoha’s Anbu captured the mission target, but the Third Raikage killed one Anbu and rescued him, forcing both sides to withdraw.
• Shiro signaled Duy and the others to prepare for another move, then dispersed the Argon Coin hidden in his sleeve and quietly circulated his Chakra.

Shiro used a causal Noble Phantasm to kill the Cloud Ninja the Raikage was protecting, then Duy knocked the Raikage out of the air with his newly named Sky-Piercing Cannon. Shiro and the others escaped on the giant bird as Duy collapsed from exhausting his strength.

• Shiro secretly prepared Arrow of Trusted Release while he and Duy joined Nakamura and the others beneath the giant birds.
• Shiro fired the causal arrow at the Cloud Ninja, and it passed through the Raikage's punch to pierce the target's head.
• The furious Raikage charged after Shiro and the others as they flew away on the giant bird.
• Duy unleashed the Sky-Piercing Cannon, blasting the Raikage down and exhausting himself.
• Shiro and the others flew higher to avoid the Raikage catching up.

The Raikage reflected on Might Duy’s strength and the limits of taijutsu, then arranged for the injured Ai to stay behind while he and Killer B returned to the village. Shiro and Duy escaped the battle, but Duy was seriously injured from forcing open the Gate of Wonder.

• The Raikage learned that the green-clad fighter was Might Duy, a Konoha genin known as the Eternal Genin, and refused to lower Cloud’s exam standards for taijutsu specialists.
• The Raikage considered how enemies could counter Hell Stab and checked on Ai, whose chest wound had stabilized but would take a long time to heal.
• The Raikage ordered Cloud Ninja to protect Ai and told Bee to return to the village with him for training.
• The Raikage and Killer B escorted Ai and the others to a Cloud Ninja stronghold, then headed back toward the village.
• Shiro and Duy collapsed onto the giant bird after escaping, with Shiro recovering from his Magic Circuits’ overload while Duy suffered serious injuries from forcing open the Gate of Wonder.

Shiro’s team returned to Konoha after their failed mission, with Duy injured but expected to recover without lasting damage. Shiro discovered that villagers were being encouraged to blame him for the failure, then arrived at the Hokage’s office to report.

• A medical ninja assured Shiro that Duy’s injuries had not damaged his foundation, so Shiro saved Rule Breaker for a future emergency.
• The team returned to Konoha, where Shiro noticed the gate guards looking at him with hostility.
• Villagers insulted Shiro and blamed him for the mission’s losses, while Taichi restrained himself from confronting them.
• Shiro and the others took Duy to the hospital and then went to the Hokage’s office to report their mission.
• The Third Hokage ordered Jiu and the returning team to enter.

Shiro learned that Konoha would not record the failed mission, but the Third Hokage acknowledged that rumors had unfairly blamed him. At the Hatake residence, Sakumo explained that political factions were damaging his reputation to prevent him from becoming Hokage, and asked Shiro to look after Kakashi.

• Jiu and Heiichi reported the mission to the Third Hokage, who said its failure would not be recorded in their files.
• The Third Hokage told Shiro he would address the rumors against him, then ordered an Anbu to invite Danzo.
• Sakumo apologized to Shiro and affirmed that a ninja should put comrades before the mission.
• Sakumo asked Shiro to look after Kakashi, fearing the boy might become trapped in his own thoughts.
• Sakumo explained that factions were tarnishing his reputation because his achievements and standing threatened their control over the Hokage candidates.

Sakumo explained to Shiro that he planned to die to end the conflict and warn the Third Hokage, then entrusted him with a blade, scrolls, and responsibility for guiding Kakashi. After teaching Shiro Hatake Kenjutsu until dusk, Sakumo sent him home, and Shiro turned back at the door.

• Sakumo told Shiro he would sacrifice himself rather than escalate the conflict with Danzo and the Third Hokage.
• Sakumo gave Shiro a short blade for Kakashi to receive when he was strong enough, along with scrolls on ninjutsu and swordsmanship.
• Sakumo asked Shiro to guide Kakashi and never become a rogue ninja, and Shiro agreed.
• Sakumo reviewed Hatake Kenjutsu with Shiro and said Kakashi would have to learn from him starting the next day.
• At dusk, Sakumo walked Shiro to the door, where Shiro stopped and turned around.

Sakumo took his own life after Shiro paid his respects, and Kakashi found his father's body the next morning. Shiro and Kakashi buried Sakumo, and Shiro told Kakashi he would explain what had happened after seven days.

• Shiro said goodbye to Sakumo, who later looked at a photograph and took his own life.
• Kakashi discovered Sakumo's body, while Shiro sensed Sakumo's aura disappear during the night.
• Shiro asked Kushina to seal Sakumo's coffin and arranged his burial at the Memorial Stone.
• The Third Hokage and Konoha's other factions gathered at the Hatake Residence, but Shiro refused to discuss Sakumo's death.
• Shiro and Kakashi buried Sakumo, then Shiro struck Kakashi for asking questions and told him to wait seven days for an explanation.

Shiro kept Kakashi at school and stayed with him after Sakumo’s death, but withheld the reason Sakumo killed himself until Kakashi grew stronger. The chapter ended with Kakashi asking what he should do, and Shiro telling him to attend school and graduate normally.

• Shiro believed Kakashi should spend time with Obito and Guy at school while he recovered from Sakumo’s death.
• Shiro and Kakashi returned to the Hatake Residence and found food and a note from Shiro’s mother, Keiko, who had brought them meals and offered help.
• Shiro stayed at the Hatake Residence for seven days to keep an eye on Kakashi while hostility and rumors persisted in the village.
• Kakashi came to Shiro’s door wanting to know why Sakumo had killed himself, and Shiro took him to his home’s study and activated a barrier.
• Shiro asked Kakashi what he would do with the answer and said he would explain once Kakashi became stronger; Kakashi asked what he should do, and Shiro told him to go to school and graduate normally.

Shiro gave Kakashi a swordsmanship scroll but withheld what he had planned to tell him after detecting someone spying on them. He then went to find Duy, hoping to ask him to keep challenging Kakashi and gather with their friends before Shiro applied to leave the village for training, but found Duy pushing himself to exhaustion.

• Shiro gave Kakashi their teacher's swordsmanship scroll and advised him to focus on getting stronger.
• Shiro explained that he had altered his study barrier to alert him to spying, since fully strengthening it would delay his workshop and attribute growth.
• Shiro decided to ask Might Guy to keep challenging Kakashi and planned to gather with Duy and the others before applying to leave the village.
• Shiro headed to the training ground and heard someone counting through an intense workout.
• Shiro discovered Duy doing push-ups despite his recent injuries, and Duy collapsed when he noticed Shiro.

Shiro met Duy and learned that the newly promoted Special Jonin could not yet take missions because the village had not decided how to make use of his lack of mission experience. At dinner with Duy and Might Guy, Shiro said he planned to leave the village for training and asked Might Guy to keep challenging Kakashi while he recovered.

• Shiro teased Duy about having no mission income, and Duy explained that the village was still deciding how to assign him because he lacked experience leading a squad.
• Duy said he had been a Special Jonin for six days without teammates or missions and would have to remain on standby for the village.
• Shiro told Duy that he planned to apply to leave the village for training, partly to let recent rumors die down.
• At the barbecue restaurant, Shiro asked Might Guy to keep challenging Kakashi so Kakashi would have something to focus on while recovering.
• Might Guy agreed, and Shiro suggested he use a skintight suit and watermelon haircut as a wager with Kakashi.

Shiro received the Third Hokage’s approval to leave on a training journey and was assigned to hunt the missing-nin Kurama Senwai. As Shiro prepared to depart, the Third Hokage ordered him watched, while Makoto told Keiko to stop delivering meals to Shiro.

• After discussing training with Duy and Might Guy, Shiro received the Third Hokage’s approval to travel and reduce his visibility amid the village rumors.
• The Third Hokage assigned Shiro to locate and kill Kurama Senwai, a defected Kurama clan jonin believed to be active near Earth Country.
• The Third Hokage warned Shiro about Kurama Senwai’s strength, explained that the mission would test his ability to track a target, and gave him village intelligence points.
• After Shiro left, the Third Hokage ordered that he be monitored and killed if he showed signs of defection.
• Shiro planned to gather with his friends and inform Nakamura as his departure would effectively end Nakamura Squad.
• Makoto told Keiko she no longer needed to deliver meals to Shiro, and Keiko angrily demanded an explanation.

Shiro visited his parents before leaving the village for an extended period of training, while Makoto and Keiko tried to protect him from village rumors. After slipping away unseen, Shiro listened from the roof as his parents argued and left feeling comforted by their warmth.

• Makoto persuaded Keiko not to visit Shiro, explaining that her help could draw unwanted attention and make things harder for him.
• Shiro told Makoto he would leave the village in a couple of days for training and did not want Keiko to worry.
• Makoto and Shiro shared a secret drink, but Shiro used ninjutsu to disappear when Keiko opened the study door.
• Keiko caught Makoto drinking and scolded him, while Makoto was relieved that she had not seen Shiro.
• Shiro listened to his parents arguing from the roof, smiled at their familiar warmth, and eventually left.

Shiro met Chosuke, Seiyu, and their former comrades before preparing to leave the village, reflecting on how their lives were diverging. At lunch with Minato and the others, Minato gave Shiro a special Flying Thunder God kunai to alert him if he was in danger.

• Shiro met Chosuke, Seiyu, and the others at a barbecue restaurant, where Chosuke agreed to buy Seiyu the clothing she wanted.
• Shiro chatted with his former comrades and sensed that their different priorities would lead to fewer gatherings in the future.
• The next day, Shiro prepared to leave the village and met Nakamura, Kushina, Mizuki, Minato, and the others for lunch.
• Minato gave Shiro a three-pronged kunai with a wider-range formula that would alert him if Shiro injected Chakra into it.

Shiro left Konoha and spent his journey researching Wind Release while evading the village’s watchers. After learning Wind Release: Pressure Damage, he found a wealthy bandit stronghold and prepared to attack it.

• Danzo ordered Root to follow Shiro and kill him if he showed signs of contacting other villages.
• Shiro traveled slowly through the Land of Fire, intending to shake off his watchers after two months and study Wind Release along the way.
• Shiro learned Wind Release: Pressure Damage after half a month of practice.
• Shiro spent another week gathering intelligence and found a large bandit fortress with wandering ninja and apparent ties to local officials.
• Shiro used the Body Flicker Technique to approach the fortress and began forming hand seals as the bandits spotted him.

Shiro destroyed a bandit fortress and hunted down the fleeing bandits while using the battle to improve his Wind Release. Wearing a ridiculous smiling mask to conceal his identity, he killed the ninja carrying documents and sent Shadow Clones to handle the remaining bandits.

• Shiro used Wind Release: Pressure Damage to destroy the bandits' fortress, then summoned snakes to surround the bandits without killing them.
• Shiro chased down fleeing bandits and killed many with Wind Release chakra bands extending from his kunai, refining his technique during combat.
• After learning from the snakes that several ninja were escaping with documents, Shiro used Vacuum Sphere to kill the remaining bandits nearby and pursued the escapees.
• Shiro confronted the three ninja while wearing a smiling mask, killed the second and third brothers, then cut the eldest's throat before he could use ninjutsu.
• Shiro summoned Shadow Clones to deal with the bandits still at the fortress.

Shiro discovered evidence that the bandits’ operation might involve a rebellion against Konoha and avoided getting entangled, while Kakashi again failed to secure early graduation and continued racing Might Guy. The chapter left Shiro fleeing the scene and Kakashi and Guy’s rivalry carrying on at the Academy.

• Shiro found a Chakra Refinement Technique scroll, children at a training ground, and evidence linking the boss’s Raigo: Thousand-Armed Murder to the Fire Temple, and suspected a rebellion against Konoha.
• Shiro marked the battlefield, sealed the three corpses, fired a signal flare, and left without taking the money or scroll.
• Kakashi applied to graduate early for the third time that week, but Higashimura refused because Lord Hokage required Shiro’s approval.
• Kakashi and Might Guy raced to the field despite Kakashi insisting he would not compete, while Obito watched with Rin and boasted that he would beat them.
• Kakashi reached the classroom first, and Might Guy vowed to beat him next time while Kakashi insisted there would be no next race.

After honing his Wind Release techniques while hunting bandits, Shiro left Konoha and flew to the Land of Wind to find Rōran and investigate the Dragon Vein. He eventually located a branch point of the Dragon Vein and began tracing it.

• Shiro became proficient with Vacuum Great Sphere and earned the mountain bandits' fearful nickname, the Smiling Wind Demon.
• Shiro left Konoha aboard Flying Bird, evaded surveillance with his Invisible Cloak, and headed for the Land of Wind.
• The Third Hokage and Danzo decided not to pursue Shiro and instead focused on investigating the bandits.
• After searching the desert for over a month, Shiro sought intelligence from a village and then the village's intelligence point, where he learned more about Rōran.
• Shiro followed signs of human activity to a branch point of the Dragon Vein and began tracing it.

Shiro abandoned his plan to build a workshop near Rōran after the Dragon Vein nearly overwhelmed him, then traveled to the Land of Rivers to choose a new site. He settled on a secluded, chaotic border region and prepared to eliminate its criminals covertly with his Yew Bow Noble Phantasm.

• Shiro tried to Trace the Dragon Vein beneath Rōran and was forced to stop when its energy nearly overwhelmed him.
• Shiro marked the Dragon Vein’s location, concealed it with suggestion magecraft, and left Rōran without attempting to seize it.
• Shiro traveled to the Land of Rivers and found that two of his five prospective workshop sites were occupied.
• Shiro chose a sparsely populated location near the Land of Rain, where nearby criminals and bounty stations would help him stay concealed and obtain supplies.
• Shiro prepared to deal with the criminals by using his Yew Bow Noble Phantasm to trigger mild toxins that Gray Snake had spread among them.

Shiro cleared the area around his chosen site of bandits and villains, using Noble Phantasms against stronger foes and close combat against weaker groups. He finished setting up a barrier to keep people and animals away, then rested for the night with Blue Snake standing watch.

• Shiro used Gray Snake's intelligence to ambush five rogue ninja with the Yew Bow, turning them into trees, then took medicine to recover from the strain.
• Shiro trapped a group of villains inside a canyon with magecraft and killed them in close combat, but found no captives to recruit as laborers.
• Shiro took the villains' remaining money and summoned the snakes of Ryūchi Cave to dispose of the bodies.
• Shiro continued clearing the area, using projected Noble Phantasms against stronger enemies and close combat against weaker groups.
• Shiro finished a simple magecraft barrier around the site, rested beneath a tree, and summoned Blue Snake to keep watch overnight.

Shiro began building a Magecraft Workshop inside a mountain, using Tracing to map its structure and Puppet Automatons to excavate its initial design. He left the worksite guarded by snakes and continued strengthening the nearby bounded fields.

• Shiro carefully used Tracing to examine the mountain without touching its Leyline.
• Shiro designed four initial workshop areas: a bedroom, an isolation chamber, a biological experimentation area, and a magecraft testing area.
• Shiro finished the excavation plans after spending the morning on calculations, then sent Puppet Automatons to dig.
• Shiro checked that the puppets were excavating as planned and summoned snakes to guard them before leaving.
• Shiro continued strengthening the nearby magecraft bounded fields.