Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Matsuri and his companions were trapped between Sand shinobi ahead and behind, forcing them to fight. Injured and nearly out of chakra, Matsuri battled Rasa until he revealed his hidden Single Tomoe Sharingan, allowing him to see through Rasa’s sandstorm.

• Uchiha Matsuri turned to fight the Sand shinobi pursuing him after golden sand blocked the route ahead, while Kushina Uzumaki was surrounded nearby.
• Rasa of the Sand Waterfall challenged Matsuri to a one-on-one fight and attacked him with Magnet Release techniques.
• Rasa’s Gold Sand Grand Funeral created a sandstorm that obscured Matsuri’s vision, and Rasa wounded his cheek and struck his knee.
• Rasa taunted the kneeling Matsuri, who refused to surrender and threatened to take his own life rather than be killed by Rasa.
• Matsuri activated his hidden Single Tomoe Sharingan, saw Rasa through the sandstorm, and dodged a kunai aimed at his neck.

As Uchiha Matsuri neared defeat against Rasa, Minato Namikaze arrived using the Flying Thunder God Technique and saved him. With both fighters exhausted and unable to continue, Matsuri confronted Rasa as the battle reached a pause.

• Rasa tricked Uchiha Matsuri with a clone and nearly struck his neck with a Shuriken.
• Minato Namikaze appeared in a flash, kicked Rasa away, and rescued Matsuri.
• Minato told Matsuri that Teacher Jiraiya and E were coming, then left to help Kushina Uzumaki and Shin.
• Minato joined Kushina Uzumaki in the fight against the Sand ninja after she had held out for more than two hours.
• Matsuri approached the exhausted Rasa and asked if he wanted to continue, and Rasa said he was done.

Minato Namikaze rescued Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin, then rushed to help Dan Katō. With Minato gone, Rasa ambushed Uchiha Matsuri, but Nohara Shin took the poisoned Shuriken meant for him and died from his wounds.

• Rasa and Uchiha Matsuri rested after their fight and cautiously exchanged names while Minato Namikaze fought nearby.
• Minato Namikaze defeated the Sand ninja surrounding Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin, then learned Dan Katō was waiting at Scarlet Valley’s exit.
• Minato Namikaze hurried to rescue Dan Katō, leaving Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin behind.
• Rasa ambushed Uchiha Matsuri, but Nohara Shin shoved him aside and was struck in the throat by Rasa’s poisoned Shuriken.
• Uchiha Matsuri tried to heal Nohara Shin, but the poison proved fatal, and Nohara Shin died after saying goodbye to his teammates.

After Nohara Shin died protecting Uchiha Matsuri, Matsuri awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and vowed revenge on Rasa and Sunagakure. The survivors returned to Konoha, where Shin was mourned and honored, while Matsuri reported the mission to the Third Hokage.

• Grief and anger over Nohara Shin's death triggered Uchiha Matsuri's Two-Tomoe Sharingan, and he swore to repay Rasa and Sunagakure.
• Minato Namikaze and the wounded Dan Katō returned to find Kushina Uzumaki weeping and Matsuri holding Nohara Shin's body.
• Several days later, the Fifth and Sixth Teams brought Nohara Shin's body back to Konoha, where his mother collapsed in grief.
• Tsunade reunited with the wounded Dan Katō and took him to Konoha Hospital for treatment.
• Uchiha Matsuri reported the mission to the Third Hokage, then Nohara Shin was buried in Konoha's cemetery and honored on the Memorial Stone.

At Nohara Shin’s memorial, Dan Katō explained why Uchiha Matsuri was not ready to learn the Spirit Transformation Technique and said he needed the Third Hokage’s permission to teach it. The next morning, the Third Hokage summoned Team 6 and announced that the team was being disbanded, leaving Matsuri and the others stunned.

• Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Dan Katō placed flowers at Nohara Shin’s Memorial Stone, and Dan urged them to keep moving forward despite their grief.
• Uchiha Matsuri asked Dan Katō to teach him the Spirit Transformation Technique, but Dan said Matsuri lacked the necessary readiness and the jutsu required official approval.
• Dan Katō explained that the Spirit Transformation Technique was an S-rank forbidden jutsu requiring willpower, chakra, and speed, and promised to seek the Third Hokage’s permission when Matsuri was ready.
• The Third Hokage summoned Team 6 and announced that it was being disbanded immediately.
• Kushina Uzumaki questioned the decision, and Dan Katō stopped her and told her to let the Third Hokage explain.

The Third Hokage explained why Team 6 had to be disbanded and assigned Uchiha Matsuri to Team 5 while Kushina Uzumaki chose to assist Tsunade. Three days later, the assessment results revealed that Team 6 had been excluded, prompting speculation about the Hokage’s decision and a tense exchange between Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

• The Third Hokage told Dan Katō, Kushina Uzumaki, and Uchiha Matsuri that Dan’s injury, the lack of available Jonin, and the need to retain only three teams meant Team 6 would be disbanded.
• The Third Hokage assigned Uchiha Matsuri to Team 5, and Kushina Uzumaki chose to become Lady Tsunade’s assistant rather than join the next graduating class.
• Three days later, Akimichi Chōza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Shikaku Nara, and Sarutobi Yoshihiko noticed that Team 6 had been eliminated despite its top score and concluded that the Hokage had deliberately broken it up.
• At the posted results, E Inuzuka mocked Team 6 while Minato Namikaze defended it, and Jiraiya lamented that his teammates did not get along as well.
• Orochimaru approached Jiraiya and remarked that his team seemed to have trouble getting along, and Jiraiya asked why Orochimaru was checking the results.

Uchiha Matsuri joined Team 5 after Team 6 was disbanded and began training with Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Kiba Inuzuka. On his first team mission, Jiraiya questioned why an escort job had been classified as A-rank.

• Orochimaru told Jiraiya that Team 6 was still officially called Team Orochimaru, then walked away.
• Uchiha Matsuri told Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Kiba Inuzuka that the Hokage had transferred him to Team 5, and Jiraiya welcomed him as a student.
• Matsuri continued his rigorous daily training and helped Jiraiya prepare dinner at home.
• Jiraiya led Team 5 to the mission assignment office and requested an A-rank mission.
• A Chunin offered Team 5 a merchant caravan escort, and Jiraiya challenged its A-rank classification.

Jiraiya led Minato Namikaze, Kiba Inuzuka, and Uchiha Matsuri on their first A-Rank Mission, escorting a daimyo relative’s caravan through the war-torn Land of Grass. Before the mission began, Jiraiya questioned Matsuri about Orochimaru and the meaning of becoming Hokage; the team then traveled to Kyoto, where Jiraiya proposed visiting the hot springs.

• Jiraiya explained the A-Rank escort mission, and Kiba Inuzuka celebrated while Minato Namikaze warned that it would be dangerous.
• Jiraiya briefed the team on safety and gave them an hour to prepare; Matsuri showed that he had already packed his ninja tools.
• Matsuri asked Jiraiya what he thought of Orochimaru, then explained that he viewed the Hokage’s role as dangerous, respected, and devoted to protecting others.
• Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka returned, and Jiraiya led the team toward Kyoto for the mission.
• Two days later, the team arrived in prosperous Kyoto, where Jiraiya suggested they visit the hot springs.

Team 5 escorted a caravan for the Fujino Company while Jiraiya struggled to keep his squabbling students in line. As dusk fell, Kiba Inuzuka detected more than a hundred ordinary bandits lying in ambush ahead.

• Jiraiya sneaked toward the women's hot spring until Minato Namikaze, Uchiha Matsuri, and Kiba Inuzuka dragged him away.
• Jiraiya introduced Team 5 to Koji Moriya of the Fujino Company, and the four shinobi set out with the caravan.
• During two uneventful days on the road, Kiba Inuzuka and Uchiha Matsuri argued, while Jiraiya urged them to focus on protecting the goods.
• Kiba Inuzuka smelled more than a hundred people hiding beside the road and, with Ono's agreement, warned Jiraiya of the ambush.
• Jiraiya asked whether the ambushers were bandits or shinobi, and Kiba identified them as likely ordinary bandits with no chakra.

Uchiha Matsuri and Kiba Inuzuka fought off a mountain bandit ambush, and Matsuri revealed overwhelming strength by killing the bandits with one lightning technique. The caravan resumed its journey, while Minato Namikaze resolved to train harder to keep up with Matsuri.

• More than a hundred mountain bandits ambushed the caravan, and Koji Moriya ordered Jiraiya and the others to protect the goods.
• Jiraiya assigned Minato Namikaze to guard Koji Moriya and sent Kiba Inuzuka and Uchiha Matsuri to fight the bandits.
• Kiba Inuzuka used Fang Over Fang to kill more than twenty bandits, then watched as Uchiha Matsuri's Thunderstorm Birth killed the rest and their chief.
• Jiraiya judged that Uchiha Matsuri had surpassed Chunin level, and Minato Namikaze resolved to train harder.
• Koji Moriya urged the group to move on, and Jiraiya led the caravan onward.

Team 5 traveled toward the Land of Grass and discovered that an unseen chakra had trapped them in a genjutsu. Uchiha Matsuri used his Two-Tomoe Sharingan to dispel the illusion and reveal a red-haired man in a white cloak watching from a tree.

• The caravan stopped beneath a tree in the summer heat, and Jiraiya said they would reach the forest near the Land of Grass the next day.
• Kiba Inuzuka sensed a chakra approaching the caravan, so Jiraiya told Team 5 to stay alert while they continued traveling.
• Kiba detected the chakra drawing close, and Uchiha Matsuri realized that the surrounding scene was a genjutsu.
• Uchiha Matsuri activated his Sharingan and saw a rundown cabin, a cliff, and a red-haired man in a white cloak perched on a tree.
• The red-haired man was surprised by Uchiha Matsuri's Two-Tomoe Sharingan, while Jiraiya dispelled the genjutsu by increasing his chakra.

Uchiha Matsuri awakened his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, escaped a genjutsu, and killed the enemy who had trapped the group. The caravan then entered a forest near the Land of Grass border, where Jiraiya assigned the team their positions as danger loomed.

• Jiraiya freed Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka from the genjutsu, and they realized Uchiha Matsuri had awakened the Sharingan.
• The genjutsu specialist trapped Kiba again, but Matsuri resisted with his Sharingan and defeated the man with Lightning Release: Earth Crawl.
• Minato and Jiraiya noticed the coldness in Matsuri's gaze and worried about what his ruthlessness might become.
• The caravan entered a forest near the Land of Grass border, and Jiraiya assigned Minato, Kiba, and Matsuri to guard different positions.
• Jiraiya told Koji Moriya to stay inside the carriage, and Moriya warned him to protect the cargo above the lives of the team.

Jiraiya and Team 5 escorted a valuable caravan across the border while hostile ninja waited to attack. After Jiraiya defeated the first group, six powerful rogue ninja appeared, and he warned the team to be careful.

• Jiraiya sent out toads to scout the area and learned that enemy ninja were hiding nearby.
• Six rogue ninja from Kirigakure argued over whether to attack Jiraiya, then agreed on a plan to take on him and Team 5.
• More than a dozen kunai flew at the caravan, and Jiraiya defeated the four Cloud Ninja who attacked.
• The other groups in the forest held back after seeing Jiraiya's strength, while the caravan continued without another attack for half an hour.
• Six powerful rogue ninja appeared on the road, and Jiraiya recognized them as the Six Rogue Ninjas.

Uchiha Matsuri fought Yoru Mizuzuki of the Six Rogue Ninjas while Jiraiya faced the group's three giant-sword wielders. Matsuri exposed his Two-Tomoe Sharingan to find Yoru, but she remained confident she could defeat him.

• Jiraiya explained that the Six Rogue Ninjas included three former Seven Ninja Swordsmen and three Kirigakure rogues as the group rushed the merchant caravan.
• The three giant-sword wielders engaged Jiraiya while Yoru Mizuzuki challenged Uchiha Matsuri and mocked him into fighting.
• Yoru created a lake with Water Release and blocked Matsuri's fire techniques with a Great Waterfall Technique.
• Matsuri used a clone to strike Yoru from behind, but she escaped his follow-up attack with the Substitution Technique and hid in a tree.
• Matsuri activated his Two-Tomoe Sharingan, sensed Yoru's hidden Water Release chakra, and forced her out of the burning tree.
• Yoru recognized Matsuri's Sharingan but declared that it still would not let him defeat her.

Yoru Mizuzuki realized Uchiha Matsuri had trapped her in a genjutsu, then overwhelmed him with her Water Dragon Bullet Technique. She left Matsuri wounded and rushed to aid Narishige Sawa, where she launched the same attack at Minato Namikaze.

• Yoru Mizuzuki bound Uchiha Matsuri with Water Whip and, in the genjutsu, beat and disfigured him after he refused to join her.
• Yoru Mizuzuki recognized that Uchiha Matsuri had placed her under genjutsu and stabbed herself to break the illusion.
• Uchiha Matsuri attacked Yoru Mizuzuki, but she drove him back and their Water Torrential Rain and Earth Dragon Bullet techniques canceled each other out.
• Yoru Mizuzuki used Water Dragon Bullet Technique to smash through Uchiha Matsuri's Earth Flow City Wall and send him flying, leaving him injured.
• Yoru Mizuzuki saw Narishige Sawa losing to Minato Namikaze and went to help him.
• Yoru Mizuzuki launched Water Dragon Bullet Technique at Minato Namikaze and believed the attack was about to hit him.

Minato Namikaze struggled to hold off Yoru Mizuzuki and Narishige Sawa as his chakra ran low. Meanwhile, an injured Uchiha Matsuri was hunted by a kunoichi and a white-bearded old man, and used his Sharingan to trap the old man in a genjutsu.

• Yoru Mizuzuki and Narishige Sawa attacked Minato Namikaze together, planning to wear down his chakra.
• Uchiha Matsuri treated his wounds while a kunoichi and a white-bearded old man watched and decided to kill him before he recovered.
• Uchiha Matsuri escaped their first ambush, then planted Explosive Tags as a trap while fleeing through the forest.
• The kunoichi and the old man caught up with Uchiha Matsuri, but he revealed his Sharingan and caught the old man in a genjutsu.
• The kunoichi warned the old man not to look at the Sharingan, then challenged Uchiha Matsuri by suggesting its use would drain his chakra.

Uchiha Matsuri used Thunderstorm Birth to drive off Showa Yoko and Mu Liuye, but the technique exhausted his chakra and left him helpless on the battlefield. Jiraiya and his allies repelled the other rogue ninja, while Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka were left badly exhausted.

• After Uchiha Matsuri's Sharingan ran low on chakra, Showa Yoko and Mu Liuye attacked and badly injured him.
• Uchiha Matsuri used Thunderstorm Birth, and the resulting explosion wounded all three; Mu Liuye lost his right leg, and he and Showa Yoko withdrew.
• With all his chakra spent, Uchiha Matsuri collapsed and gradually lost consciousness.
• Jiraiya killed one of the former Seven Ninja Swordsmen in Sage Mode, and the remaining rogues fled after Fukasaku and Shima used Toad Duet.
• Koji Moriya praised Jiraiya, who checked on Minato Namikaze and Kiba Inuzuka as they recovered from their injuries and exhaustion.

Jiraiya found the unconscious Uchiha Matsuri and refused to leave him behind, forcing the caravan steward to agree to a two-day delay. Matsuri awoke in the inn the following evening, with Minato at his side.

• Jiraiya found Uchiha Matsuri unconscious in the woods and carried him back to the caravan, explaining that Matsuri had exhausted his chakra and might have fought another group.
• E accused Matsuri of fleeing and getting injured, but Minato objected to judging him while he was unconscious.
• Jiraiya asked Koji Moriya to delay the caravan, but Moriya refused and said Matsuri should be left behind if he did not wake.
• Jiraiya threatened to end the escort mission rather than abandon his teammate, and Moriya reluctantly agreed to stay in town for two days.
• The following evening, Matsuri woke in the inn and asked Minato how long he had been unconscious.

After recovering from his fight with the Six Rogue Ninjas, Uchiha Matsuri learned that two of his opponents were former Leaf Village ninja connected to his older brother, Fugaku Uchiha. Jiraiya’s assessment of the battle and Kiba Inuzuka’s own defeat left Kiba humbled.

• Uchiha Matsuri told Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Kiba Inuzuka how he fought Yoru Mizuzuki, Showa Yoko, and Mu Liuye.
• Jiraiya recognized Showa Yoko and Mu Liuye as former Leaf Village ninja who had defected.
• Jiraiya revealed that Uchiha Matsuri had an older brother, Fugaku Uchiha, a deputy captain of the Konoha Military Police Force who had known both rogue ninja.
• Jiraiya said Showa Yoko and Mu Liuye were ordinary Chunin individually but could fight at Jonin level together, prompting Kiba to reconsider Matsuri’s strength.
• Jiraiya revealed that the rogue ninja who had defeated Kiba was only an ordinary Chunin, leaving Kiba humiliated.

Uchiha Matsuri, Minato Namikaze, and E escorted the caravan safely to Iwagakure, then explored the village after completing their mission. Their outing ended when they found a hungry elderly beggar whom a noodle shop owner had thrown outside.

• Uchiha Matsuri and the others reached the Land of Earth after driving off several attacks, then traveled five more days to Iwagakure.
• Jiraiya stayed outside the village, claiming he would attract attention, but secretly went to a bathhouse to peep and was chased by an old woman with a broom.
• Uchiha Matsuri, Minato Namikaze, and E finished escorting the caravan and toured Iwagakure before deciding the village had little to see.
• E helped an elderly beggar after a burly noodle shop owner threw her outside, and the group learned she had gone days without food after losing her family in the Second Shinobi World War.