Chapter Summaries

Ryōken tracked an elite Kirigakure squad into the Land of Fire and discovered three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had ambushed Konoha ANBU. After the ANBU suffered devastating losses, Ryōken rushed toward the battlefield with killing intent.

• Ryōken set out to stop a Kirigakure squad believed to be led by Suikazan Fuguki, following the tracks of an earlier ANBU team.
• Suikazan Fuguki, Biwa Jūzō, and Munashi Jinpachi waited in the forest, where traps had been laid for the approaching Konoha ANBU.
• Munashi Jinpachi’s explosives devastated the ANBU team, killing most of its members and leaving the survivors badly injured.
• The surviving ANBU regretted not waiting for Ryōken as the Kirigakure ninja closed in and the battle continued.
• Ryōken arrived near the battlefield, saw the carnage, and charged toward the fighting.

Ryōken rescued the battered Konoha ANBU, killed the Mist ninja attacking them, and went to aid their captain against Munashi Jinpachi. He stopped Munashi Jinpachi’s strike and faced him down as the battle between them began.

• Munashi Jinpachi’s Mist ninja pressed the injured Konoha ANBU, but Ryōken appeared and cut apart the lightning spear aimed at them.
• Ryōken unleashed his sword intent, used Alpha Strike to kill the Mist ninja, and told the surviving Konoha ANBU to wait.
• Munashi Jinpachi continued wounding the Konoha captain while preparing to finish him with Shibuki.
• Ryōken struck Shibuki with Sword Qi, then stepped between Munashi Jinpachi and the captain.
• Munashi Jinpachi realized Ryōken had defeated the Mist ninja and regarded him as a formidable opponent.

Ryōken protected a Konoha captain from Munashi Jinpachi’s explosive attack, then struck back with Heavenly Lightning Slash. He killed Munashi Jinpachi and Biwa Jūzō, leaving Suikazan as the remaining enemy.

• Munashi Jinpachi detonated the explosive seals on Shibuki’s scroll around Ryōken and a Konoha captain.
• Ryōken used Laurent Eye of the Mind to shield himself and the captain from the explosions without injury.
• Ryōken challenged Munashi Jinpachi, Biwa Jūzō, and Suikazan to take one of his attacks in return.
• Ryōken killed Munashi Jinpachi with Heavenly Lightning Slash, then shattered Kubikiribōchō and killed Biwa Jūzō.
• Suikazan raised Samehada and faced Ryōken as the only remaining swordsman.

Ryōken pursued Suikazan Fuguki after defeating two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, but Fuguki escaped through the waterways. With Little Wolf tracking him by the lingering scent of Samehada’s severed barbs, Ryōken finally closed the distance and prepared to end the chase.

• Suikazan blocked Ryōken’s Heavenly Lightning Slash with Samehada, which absorbed some of its chakra but suffered broken barbs.
• Suikazan unleashed the Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave, and Ryōken stopped the flood with Water Mirror before discovering that Suikazan had fled.
• Ryōken told the Konoha captain to clean up the battlefield and pursued Suikazan with Little Wolf.
• Suikazan merged with Samehada and fled down a river, planning to reach the ocean and return to the Land of Water.
• Little Wolf tracked Suikazan by the lingering scent of Samehada’s severed barbs, and Ryōken sent him back before preparing to finish the pursuit.

Ryōken tested Wind: Steel Flash, cleaving a vast abyss through the river before killing Suikazan Fuguki with Alpha Strike. Getsu Hozuki summoned Samehada back to Kirigakure and decided the village should wait before joining the war, while Ryōken recognized how the sword had been retrieved.

• Ryōken unleashed Wind: Steel Flash, splitting the river and straining his arm with the technique’s power.
• Little Wolf watched Ryōken’s display, while Suikazan Fuguki sensed the strike from underwater and realized how dangerous it was.
• Ryōken used Alpha Strike to cut Suikazan Fuguki’s neck, then tossed Samehada onto the riverbank as Suikazan’s body sank.
• Getsu Hozuki summoned Samehada back to a hidden chamber in Kirigakure and concluded that Konoha still had strength in reserve, so Kirigakure should not yet enter the war.
• Ryōken realized Kirigakure had a way to summon the Seven Ninja Swords and decided he did not care whether he obtained them.

Ryōken assessed his strength and focused on developing an Ice Release sword technique rather than trying to raise his chakra to Kage-level. After freezing a lake with his new technique, he decided to return to the village, where Hiruzen Sarutobi could send him to the Land of Rain battlefield.

• Ryōken recognized that his physical abilities and swordsmanship approached Kage-level, while his chakra remained around peak jonin level.
• Ryōken concluded that refining his swordsmanship and creating an Ice Release technique was his best path to greater power.
• Ryōken used Starry Night to unleash an icy mist that froze the lake and its shores.
• Ryōken decided to leave the island and return to the village to reassure Hiwa and report the mission to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Ryōken anticipated that Hiruzen Sarutobi would send him to the Land of Rain battlefield now that he had demonstrated his strength.

Ryōken reported his successful pursuit of Kirigakure’s Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who assigned him to the ANBU Mobile Unit. After being ordered to prepare for a mission in the Land of Rain, Ryōken returned home and found Hiwa Hyuga waiting for him.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed the war situation in the Land of Rain and reflected on Amegakure’s desperate defense under Hanzo.
• Ryōken reported that he had killed three members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, though their swords had been summoned away.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi assigned Ryōken to the ANBU Mobile Unit, which reported directly to him, and ordered him to depart for the Land of Rain the next day.
• Ryōken returned home and found Hiwa Hyuga waiting at his door, relieved to see him back.

Ryōken promised Hiwa he would return from the war, then escorted a Konoha supply convoy toward the Land of Rain with Minato Namikaze. He exposed a Sunagakure ambush with his flames, forcing the enemy attackers to reveal themselves.

• Hiwa asked Ryōken to promise he would return, and he sealed his promise with a pinky swear.
• Ryōken joined Kouken Tsukigake and Minato Namikaze to escort valuable supplies from Konoha toward the front lines.
• As the convoy neared the Land of Rain, Ryōken sensed danger and stopped the team.
• Ryōken unleashed crimson flames that burned one hidden Sunagakure ninja and forced the ambushers to reveal themselves.
• The surviving Sunagakure ninjas looked to the red-haired man and black-haired woman leading their group.

Ryōken confronted Chiyo's Son and Hagu after Sunagakure ambushed the Konoha convoy in the Land of Rain. He devastated the enemy force with a single sword strike, while Minato recognized something familiar about him but could not identify him.

• Chiyo's Son and Hagu recognized the Konoha convoy's supplies and prepared to overwhelm Ryōken's group.
• Kouken Tsukigake identified Chiyo's Son and Hagu, feared the ambush would be fatal, and resolved not to let the supplies fall into enemy hands.
• Ryōken advanced alone and unleashed Sky Scorching Flames with his sword.
• The Sunagakure ninja formed a Water Wall, but Ryōken's flames shattered it and burned the Chunin and a Jonin to ash.
• Minato Namikaze watched Ryōken's sword strike and felt he resembled someone from his past, but he could not place him.

Ryōken defeated Sunagakure’s remaining jonin and confronted Chiyo's Son and Hagu. He destroyed Chiyo's Son’s prized Red Tiger puppet, leaving the battle unresolved as his sword phantom continued toward Black Willow.

• Ryōken crossed the battlefield and killed Sunagakure's last remaining jonin before turning to face Chiyo's Son and Hagu.
• Chiyo's Son used Red Tiger and Black Willow to launch a coordinated attack with poisoned claws, a tail strike, senbon, and a chakra cannon.
• Ryōken's Wind: Steel Flash blocked the senbon, broke through the chakra cannon, and struck Red Tiger despite its sturdy construction.
• Ryōken severed Red Tiger's claws and destroyed most of the puppet with Starry Night and Sword Qi.
• Hagu watched in shock as Chiyo's Son's prized Red Tiger was wrecked, while Ryōken's sword phantom flew toward Black Willow.

Ryōken overwhelmed the Sunagakure fighters, then killed Chiyo's Son, who used his own body to conceal Black Willow's devastating cannon attack. Ryōken survived the blast, while Hagu knelt beside Chiyo's Son and sobbed.

• Chiyo's Son and Hagu chose to face Ryōken together rather than flee, and Hagu worried about Sasori's future.
• Hagu charged Ryōken while Chiyo's Son prepared Black Willow's cannon attack behind her.
• Hagu's Exploding Fist briefly disrupted Ryōken's advance, but Ryōken appeared before Chiyo's Son and slashed him in two.
• Chiyo's Son lunged into Ryōken's attack, masking Black Willow's shot long enough for its chakra beam to strike.
• Ryōken blocked the beam with Laurent Eye of the Mind and Tenacity, but the blast drove him through trees and nearly broke his defenses.
• Hagu ran to Chiyo's Son's body and sobbed beside him.

Ryōken watched Hagu take her own life beside Chiyo's Son, then led the convoy safely to the hidden Konoha camp. After reporting in, he found his teacher Hatake Sakumo analyzing the battlefield and reflected on the convictions that would later lead him to suicide.

• Hagu mourned Chiyo's Son, then killed herself, choosing to join him rather than return to Sunagakure and care for Sasori.
• Ryōken ordered Kouken Tsukigake to clean up the battlefield and resolved to pursue greater strength so he could avoid such helplessness.
• The convoy continued without further ambushes and entered the concealed Konoha camp after Konoha ninjas inspected it.
• Ryōken left Kouken Tsukigake and met Minato Namikaze, whose admiration for Ryōken strengthened his determination to grow stronger.
• Ryōken found Hatake Sakumo studying enemy movements and reflected on how the captain's unwavering beliefs would eventually lead him to die by suicide.

Ryōken met Hatake Sakumo at the camp, learned about the state of the Land of Rain battlefield, and revealed that he had killed Chiyo's Son and Hagu while escorting supplies. He then asked Hatake Sakumo about body-forging techniques, and Hatake Sakumo considered whether the Eight Gates Formation could help him.

• Ryōken listened as Hatake Sakumo explained the battlefield situation and discussed Amegakure's decision to prioritize preserving its ninja over protecting civilians.
• An ANBU ninja reported that Ryōken had wiped out a Sunagakure ambush, including Chiyo's Son, Hagu, and at least two Jonin.
• Hatake Sakumo decided Konoha would take no countermeasures because the deaths would not disrupt the battlefield balance or provoke Sunagakure into war.
• Ryōken asked Hatake Sakumo about exceptional body-forging techniques to overcome his training bottleneck.
• Hatake Sakumo mentioned the Eight Gates Formation but worried that its extreme, long-term training might make it too late for Ryōken to learn.

Ryōken studied the Lightning Release Body Forging Technique and developed a Water Release version that he could cultivate without the same prerequisites. After demonstrating it to Hatake Sakumo, he left its wider use undecided until he could perfect and verify it.

• Hatake Sakumo offered Ryōken a scroll of the Lightning Release Body Forging Technique, explaining that its orthodox form required childhood conditioning and secret medicines.
• Ryōken concluded the Lightning technique was unsuitable for him and began experimenting with Water nature to strengthen his body.
• After half a month of training, Ryōken developed a Water Release Body Forging technique that transformed his skin and made his body appear renewed.
• Hatake Sakumo was astonished by Ryōken's progress and asked him to give the technique to Konoha; Ryōken said he wanted to perfect and verify it first.
• Hatake Sakumo accepted Ryōken's answer and handed him a scroll.

Ryōken entered the Land of Rain disguised as a wandering samurai to gather intelligence, and killed three enemy ninja after overhearing that Sunagakure was searching for someone. He then spotted the young Yahiko and Konan and followed them to see how they survived, before Nagato had joined them.

• Ryōken left the Konoha camp for the Land of Rain disguised as a wandering samurai.
• At a tavern, Ryōken overheard three ninja say that Sunagakure was discreetly searching for someone.
• Ryōken followed the three ninja into an alley and killed them with a swift sword strike before they could react.
• After days of finding little useful information, Ryōken saw Yahiko and Konan steal bread and escape their pursuers.
• Ryōken followed Yahiko and Konan, noting that Nagato had not yet joined them.

Yahiko and Konan returned to their hidden cave, where a Sunagakure squad found them and threatened their lives. Just as a ninja attacked Yahiko and another moved toward Konan, a mysterious Sword Qi cut through the fireball and stopped the assault.

• Yahiko and Konan reached their hidden cave and carefully stored their food.
• Konan went to fetch water and discovered a squad of Sunagakure ninjas outside the cave.
• Yahiko pleaded with the ninjas to take the cave and food and let them go, but the captain ordered them to kill Yahiko and keep Konan.
• A Sunagakure ninja fired a Flame Bullet Technique at Yahiko while another approached the terrified Konan.
• An unseen figure sighed, and a flash of Sword Qi cut apart and extinguished the fireball.

Ryōken rescued Konan and Yahiko by killing the Sunagakure ninja who had cornered them. After witnessing his overwhelming power, Yahiko decided to become a ninja so he could protect his dream.

• Ryōken appeared and cut down a Sunagakure ninja who was approaching Konan.
• The Sunagakure captain tried to withdraw, but Ryōken cut off the hands of a ninja who attempted to flee.
• The Sunagakure team attacked Ryōken with ninjutsu, and he destroyed their techniques and annihilated them with a single sword strike.
• Ryōken helped Konan to her feet and teased her about inviting him into the cave.
• Yahiko followed Konan and Ryōken, resolving to become a ninja so he could change the world.

Ryōken took Konan and Yahiko in after rescuing them, helped them find a safer place to live, and agreed to teach them ninjutsu. The chapter ended as he began their training with the basics of chakra.

• Konan offered Ryōken stolen bread, and he reassured her and Yahiko that he was their age.
• Ryōken shared stories about Konoha, and Yahiko vowed to change the Land of Rain before Ryōken teased him about stealing.
• Konan explained that she and Yahiko stole because they were orphans, and Ryōken told them he was an orphan too.
• Yahiko and Konan moved to a concealed location with Ryōken's help and built wooden huts.
• Yahiko asked Ryōken to teach them ninjutsu, and he agreed after warning them that training would involve hardship.
• Ryōken began teaching Yahiko and Konan about chakra.

Ryōken developed Fire Release Body Forging while training Konan and Yahiko in chakra control and their abilities. He left them stunned by demonstrating his precise chakra manipulation and explained that control and nature transformation were foundations of a ninja’s strength.

• Ryōken found that Water Release Body Forging improved vitality more than toughness, so he began developing Fire Release Body Forging while continuing his intelligence mission in the increasingly tense Land of Rain.
• Yahiko and Konan refined chakra, with Yahiko beginning to learn ninjutsu and Konan choosing to develop Paper Release with Ryōken’s guidance.
• Ryōken advised them to prioritize chakra control over flashy ninjutsu, then shaped chakra into lifelike forms and created a model of five chakra natures.
• Ryōken explained that chakra control enabled nature transformation and determined a ninja’s strength, leaving Konan and Yahiko astonished by his mastery.

Ryōken explained to Yahiko and Konan the legendary powers beyond Kage-level while honing his body through a controlled cycle of fire and water chakra. As Yahiko and Konan waited outside, a Sunagakure squad and the Iwagakure ANBU assassin Yeluo approached their hideout.

• Ryōken told Yahiko and Konan that true demigods could stand against entire nations and suggested the Sage of Six Paths might have been real.
• As war spread through the Land of Rain, Yahiko encouraged Konan to train while they waited for Ryōken to emerge from seclusion.
• Ryōken refined his fire-and-water chakra cycle, tempering and nourishing his cells to strengthen his body.
• An elite Sunagakure squad approached to investigate the disappearances and killings near Ryōken's hideout.
• Iwagakure's ANBU assassin Yeluo also headed toward the area on an assigned mission.