Chapter Summaries

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru returned safely to the Konoha camp after Ryōken rescued them, and Tsunade reported his extraordinary feats to Hatake Sakumo. Ryōken later encountered Minato Namikaze and Nawaki Senju, leaving Minato stunned by his speed.

• Danzo refused to send a rescue team for Tsunade and the others, but Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru entered the command tent and announced their return.
• Tsunade credited ANBU ninja Tian Ling with rescuing them and reported that their other companions had died.
• Tsunade described how Ryōken defeated a Sand Ninja squad, killed Qian Zhen, confronted the One-Tail Jinchuriki, and endured a Tailed Beast Ball, astonishing Hatake Sakumo and drawing Orochimaru's interest.
• Ryōken left the command tent and encountered Minato Namikaze and Nawaki Senju while wandering through the camp.
• Minato challenged Ryōken to a rematch, but Ryōken appeared beside him in a flash and left Minato amazed by his speed.

Ryōken was urgently sent to deal with Iwagakure’s underground surprise attack unit, which had been destroying Konoha’s supply convoys. When the unit appeared again, Ryōken set out alone to kill them, and Akimichi Torifu ordered the others to follow.

• Ryōken reflected on the threats posed by Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu, then received an urgent summons before drawing a lottery.
• Hatake Sakumo explained that Iwagakure’s underground surprise attack unit had been raiding Konoha’s supply lines and asked Ryōken to scare them off.
• Ryōken arrived at Akimichi Torifu’s camp and handed him the mission scroll, while Torifu doubted that one ANBU ninja could handle the unit.
• A ninja reported that the Iwagakure Surprise Attack Unit had appeared again and gave its location.
• Ryōken said he would kill the unit and vanished, so Akimichi Torifu ordered everyone to follow him.

Ryōken intervened in a battle between Iwagakure’s surprise attack unit and Konoha ninja, killing the Stone unit’s leader and freezing its remaining members underground. Akimichi Torifu arrived with Konoha reinforcements as Ryōken finished the fight.

• Minato Namikaze and Nawaki Senju tried to survive as Iwagakure’s surprise attack unit overwhelmed the Konoha ninja.
• The Iwagakure leader ordered his unit to hurry after sensing that trouble was approaching.
• Ryōken arrived, cut through the leader’s Super Earth Tremor Technique, and killed him with a sword strike.
• The remaining Stone Ninja fled underground, but Ryōken froze seventeen of them beneath the battlefield.
• Akimichi Torifu arrived with the Konoha ninja unit.

Ryōken wiped out an Iwagakure surprise attack force, and Akimichi Torifu’s team discovered the scale of his victory. After Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to avoid Konoha, the Second Shinobi World War drew closer to a decisive battle.

• Ryōken told Akimichi Torifu that the mission was complete and left before Torifu learned what he meant.
• Minato Namikaze reported the ambush, and he explained that Ryōken had frozen the remaining seventeen Stone Ninja beneath the ground.
• Akimichi Torifu used Earth Release: Rock Flip Technique to uncover the seventeen bodies, confirming that Ryōken had eliminated the entire force.
• Ōnoki learned that the surprise attack force had been annihilated and ordered Iwagakure to reduce contact with Konoha while appearing engaged with Amegakure.
• As Konoha’s ninja prepared for battle, Ryōken reflected on his growing power and its role in controlling his fate.

Ryōken received Hiruzen Sarutobi’s order relieving him of ANBU duty and assigning him to command Chunin in the decisive battle, then inherited the Darkin bloodline from Aatrox. After taming the transformation, he arrived before his new unit.

• Ryōken learned that Hiruzen Sarutobi had transferred him from ANBU and appointed him a Chunin commander, a move he recognized as an attempt to limit his influence.
• Ryōken viewed Aatrox’s inheritance trial, resisted the Darkin Blade’s battle-stirring influence with his sword intent, and gained the qualification to inherit Darkin Power.
• Ryōken used his body-tempering technique to subdue the painful Darkin bloodline transformation and absorb its power.
• At the Chunin assembly point, Hizashi Hyuga and another Chunin waited for their absent captain and wondered who would lead them.
• Ryōken arrived before the unit, drawing every Chunin’s attention with his striking presence.

Ryōken was appointed captain of a Konoha Chunin unit as the Konoha and Sunagakure forces prepared for battle in the Land of Rain. When five hundred Chunin from each side advanced, Ryōken appeared at the very front of Konoha’s formation just as the fighting began.

• The Chunin accepted Ryōken as their captain after witnessing the strange aura that had unsettled them, and Konoha’s forces marched toward the battlefield.
• In the Land of Rain, Hatake Sakumo ordered Konoha’s Genin to withdraw after their probing clash with Sunagakure’s forces.
• Chiyo withdrew Sunagakure’s Genin and warned her Jonin about Konoha’s powerful ANBU, while expressing confidence in Bunpuku, a Jinchuriki.
• Hatake Sakumo and Chiyo each sent five hundred Chunin into the battle after the Genin forces withdrew.
• Ryōken moved from beside Hizashi Hyuga to the front of Konoha’s Chunin formation as the battle erupted.

Ryōken rushed ahead of Konoha’s forces and blocked a combined assault of wind blades and water with his Wind Barrier. His power stunned both armies, and Konoha’s ninja learned that he was the twelve-year-old ANBU who had rescued Tsunade and killed Qian Zhen.

• Ryōken charged ahead alone as five hundred Sand Ninja and five hundred Konoha ninja advanced toward each other.
• Fifty Sand Ninja unleashed a combined Wind Cutter technique at Ryōken, while Konoha’s ninja formed a Water Disruption to counter the attack.
• Ryōken summoned Starry Night and used Wind Barrier to stop the wind blades and surging water without being shaken.
• Chiyo and the other Sand Ninja Jonin reacted with shock, while Tsunade recognized Ryōken’s technique and Konoha’s leaders confirmed his identity.
• Konoha’s Jonin learned that Ryōken had rescued Tsunade and two others and killed Qian Zhen when he was only twelve years old.

Ryōken shattered the battlefield’s wind and water attacks, forged a Crimson Greatsword from the blood around him, and charged into the Sunagakure ranks. As Bunpuku and several elite ninja moved to confront him, Ryōken cut through the Sand forces and charged unharmed through their combined flames and water.

• Ryōken emerged unharmed from a barrier of wind, gathered battlefield blood into a Crimson Greatsword, and charged the Sand Ninja.
• Ryōken’s sword intent broke the Sunagakure Chunin’s momentum and spurred the Konoha forces to attack.
• Bunpuku recognized Ryōken as the ninja who had broken Shukaku’s Tailed Beast Ball and went to fight him; Chiyo sent elite ninja after them and ordered preparations for a decisive battle.
• Ryōken killed a Sand Ninja captain and swept through the formation with crimson Sword Qi, devastating the ranks.
• Ryōken’s Sky Scorching Flames shattered the Sand Ninja’s attacks, and he charged through their combined Water Release techniques without being harmed.

Ryōken annihilated a Chunin column and stood alone against Bunpuku, whose Tailed Beast chakra revealed him as the One-Tail’s Jinchuriki. As Konoha and Sunagakure launched their decisive battle around them, both sides left Ryōken to face Bunpuku.

• Ryōken used Steel Tempest to kill scores of Sand Ninja and destroy an entire Chunin column.
• Bunpuku arrived with his Jonin squad and unleashed the dark crimson chakra of a Tailed Beast.
• Konoha’s ninja recoiled from Bunpuku’s power and looked to Ryōken, who had become their leader in the battle.
• Chiyo ordered Sunagakure’s forces to attack, while Hatake Sakumo ordered Konoha’s forces to stop them and leave the One-Tail to Ryōken.
• Hatake Sakumo clashed with Chiyo as Tsunade and the other ninja joined the battle, which avoided the central fight between Ryōken and Bunpuku.

Ryōken crushed the Sunagakure jonin’s combined attack and killed one of them through Bunpuku’s sand defense. As Hatake Sakumo and Chiyo prepared to fight, a huge roar and a powerful chakra presence erupted at the battlefield’s center, drawing their attention.

• Five Sunagakure jonin attacked Ryōken with Super Water Dragon Bullet Technique, but he destroyed all five water dragons with a single Sword Qi slash.
• Bunpuku raised a sand barrier to protect the jonin from Ryōken’s remaining Sword Qi.
• Ryōken broke through the sand wall with Steel Flash and instantly killed an elite Sunagakure jonin.
• Hatake Sakumo advanced on Chiyo, who summoned the Chikamatsu Puppet Brigade.
• A thunderous roar and a powerful chakra fluctuation arose at the battlefield’s center, making Hatake Sakumo and Chiyo turn to look.

Ryōken killed more Sunagakure fighters before facing Bunpuku’s powerful Vacuum Blast with his Blade of Torment. Their attacks collided, leaving the battlefield’s outcome unresolved.

• Ryōken slew a Sunagakure Kage-level fighter and used crimson Sword Qi to kill an elite jonin underground.
• Bunpuku unleashed a Tailed Beast-enhanced Vacuum Blast toward Ryōken and the nearby Konoha forces.
• Hizashi Hyuga saw that the attack threatened him and the chunin around him, while the Sand Ninja fled the battlefield.
• Ryōken merged Starry Night with the Crimson Greatsword and unleashed Blade of Torment.
• Ryōken’s crimson Sword Qi struck Bunpuku’s Vacuum Blast in a thunderous collision.

Ryōken’s blood-red Sword Qi cut through Bunpuku’s Vacuum Blast and forced him to transform into Shukaku, then severed Shukaku’s arm and dispersed his wind attacks. Ryōken prepared to exploit Shukaku’s loss of Bunpuku’s consciousness as the battle continued.

• Ryōken’s Sword Qi split Bunpuku’s Vacuum Blast and continued toward him.
• Bunpuku transformed into Shukaku’s complete form to face the incoming slash.
• Ryōken’s Sword Qi cut through Shukaku’s claw and arm, making the Tailed Beast feel pain.
• Shukaku reattached his arm and attacked Ryōken with Multiple Drilling Air Bullets.
• Ryōken cleaved Shukaku’s chakra spheres apart and advanced without fear.

Ryōken used his Sword Intent to cut Shukaku and inflicted wounds that its chakra could not heal, then froze Shukaku’s sand attack and struck it again. Shukaku unleashed its chakra to break free, leaving the battlefield stunned by its injuries.

• Shukaku fired a barrage of Wind Release: Infinite Drilling Air Bullets, but Ryōken dodged and slashed through them.
• Ryōken cleaved Shukaku’s sand shield and body, leaving a wound that Sword Intent prevented from healing.
• Enraged, Shukaku sent a massive tide of chakra-filled sand sweeping over Ryōken and the battlefield.
• Ryōken froze the sand tide with Ice Seal Slash and cut Shukaku again, causing it to cry out in pain.
• Shukaku realized Ryōken’s Sword Intent was erasing its chakra and unleashed its power, shattering the ice wall.
• The Sunagakure ninja and the rest of the battlefield stared in disbelief at the wounded Shukaku.

Ryōken drove Shukaku from the battlefield, then led Konoha to a decisive victory over the Sand Ninja. He emerged spotless and was hailed as Konoha’s hero and Sunagakure’s nightmare.

• Shukaku fled after Ryōken overwhelmed him, leaving the stunned Konoha and Sand Ninja behind a wall of sand.
• Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Chiyo, and Hatake Sakumo reacted to Ryōken’s feat, and Hatake Sakumo declared that Konoha had won.
• Ryōken killed the Sand Ninja commanders and tore through their ranks as Konoha’s morale surged.
• The Sand Ninja’s resistance collapsed, and Konoha routed them, with some Sunagakure ninja surrendering.
• Ryōken stood untouched amid the bloodshed as Konoha’s ninja looked on with awe and reverence.

Ryōken and Hatake Sakumo secured a decisive victory over the Sand Ninja, though Chiyo escaped. The casualty report revealed that Ryōken had killed nearly all of Sunagakure’s fallen Jonin and more than eight hundred Chunin, leaving the Konoha commanders stunned.

• Chiyo detonated two puppets to escape Hatake Sakumo, who chose not to pursue her.
• Ryōken joined Hatake Sakumo after the Sand Ninja rout and lamented that he had not killed enough Jonin to undo Starry Night’s first seal.
• A Konoha ninja reported that more than thirteen hundred of the roughly fifteen hundred Sand Ninja had been killed and twenty-seven captured.
• The report confirmed that Ryōken had killed thirty-four of the thirty-five fallen Sand Ninja Jonin, prompting him to complain that someone had stolen his kills.
• The ninja reported that Ryōken had also killed more than eight hundred Chunin, and Hatake Sakumo questioned whether the count was wrong.

After Ryōken led Konoha to a crushing victory over Sunagakure, the other villages learned of his strength and age. The Third Kazekage sought an alliance with Ōnoki, while the Raikage and Mizukage considered the danger Ryōken posed.

• A Konoha ninja reported that Ryōken had killed more than eight hundred Sunagakure ninja, shocking Sakumo, Orochimaru, and the others.
• The Third Kazekage learned that Sunagakure had nearly been wiped out and that Bunpuku remained unconscious, then decided to speak with Ōnoki.
• Ōnoki learned that Ryōken had driven off Shukaku and secured Konoha's victory with minimal losses, just as a Sunagakure delegation arrived.
• The Third Raikage dismissed Ryōken's battlefield record but was alarmed to learn that Ryōken was only twelve.
• The Mizukage ordered Kirigakure to remain on the sidelines and recognized Ryōken as another dangerous Konoha prodigy.

Konoha’s leaders debated whether to control Ryōken after his devastating victory, while news of his battlefield feats spread across the ninja world. Minato Namikaze realized Ryōken had been the ANBU who saved him, and Hiwa left her house after the Hyuga clan summoned her.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura debated how to handle Ryōken, and Hiruzen decided to wait until the war ended, insisting he could suppress Ryōken if necessary.
• Danzō left the meeting determined to bring Ryōken under his control, while Ryōken’s battlefield record earned him the title Demon Ling Tian throughout the ninja world.
• Minato Namikaze learned that Ryōken had killed nearly a thousand Sand Ninja and realized Ryōken was the ANBU who had saved him twice.
• Minato Namikaze resolved not to give up pursuing Ryōken, despite how far the gap between them had grown.
• Hiwa longed for Ryōken to return from the battlefield, then left her house after a Hyuga Ninja told her the clan head had summoned her.

After Konoha’s victory in the Land of Rain, Ryōken secluded himself to break through while the village prepared for another battle against Sunagakure. Ryōken completed his breakthrough amid strange phenomena, and Tsunade discovered that his hair had turned red before he changed it back.

• Konoha’s forces celebrated their victory but Hatake Sakumo’s leadership waited for reinforcements before advancing deeper into the Land of Rain.
• Ryōken became Konoha’s youngest official Jonin and secluded himself to complete his chakra transformation.
• Hatake Sakumo and the others learned that Chiyo was leading two thousand Sand Ninja toward Konoha and prepared to march out.
• Tsunade approached Ryōken’s residence and witnessed five clusters of spiritual light circling it with destructive force.
• Ryōken emerged unharmed from his breakthrough, covered himself after Tsunade noticed his ruined clothes, and returned his blood-red hair to black.
• Tsunade asked Ryōken what the lights had been.

Ryōken revealed that he had reached Kage level just as Tsunade warned him that Sunagakure had sent two thousand reinforcements to the Land of Rain. The decisive battle began with both sides holding back their Jonin at first, while Hatake Sakumo grew wary of Sunagakure’s hidden plan and waited for Ryōken and Danzō to arrive.

• Ryōken showed Tsunade his overwhelming chakra and confirmed that he had broken through to Kage level.
• Tsunade told Ryōken that Sunagakure had sent another two thousand ninja to the Land of Rain, and she warned him to watch for a hidden plan.
• Konoha and Sand Ninja began a fierce battle, with Chiyo and Sunagakure’s ANBU captain facing Hatake Sakumo from the rear of their forces.
• Hatake Sakumo sent Konoha Jonin and Chunin into the battle, hoping to break the stalemate while wondering why Ryōken had not arrived.
• Chiyo sent Sunagakure Jonin into the fight, and Konoha’s cries that Ryōken would arrive soon strengthened their morale and unsettled the Sand Ninja.
• A Konoha scout reported that no large forces were approaching, but several explosions suddenly shook the battlefield.

Iwagakure and Sunagakure trapped Hatake Sakumo’s Konoha force in a prepared ambush, leaving the outnumbered defenders surrounded and desperate. Ryōken arrived with Tsunade at a vast chasm, sent her safely across, then launched himself skyward and vanished into the clouds.

• Hakuto ordered more than a thousand Stone Ninja to emerge from an underground chamber as Iwagakure’s forces joined the battle.
• Hatake Sakumo led Konoha’s ninjas toward escape, but Stone Ninja opened enormous chasms around them while Chiyo sent the Sand Ninja to attack.
• Hatake Sakumo’s strike killed underground attackers and gave Konoha time to form a defensive line, but he and the other commanders saw they faced overwhelming numbers and several Kage-level enemies.
• Jiraiya and Orochimaru realized the alliance’s trap had been prepared for Ryōken, while Chiyo learned Ryōken was not among the Konoha defenders and considered that he might come as reinforcement.
• Ryōken appeared across a chasm with Tsunade and asked whether she would join the battle; he threw her safely across with a controlled gust of air.
• Ryōken stomped through the ground and shot upward until he disappeared into the clouds, leaving Tsunade staring in astonishment.