Chapter Summaries

Kitsuchi and Iwatetsu arrived at the Northern Fortress and confirmed Shōji had captured it, bringing Iwagakure major strategic gains. With Sunagakure reinforcing its forces, Shōji and Kitsuchi prepared to expand the fortress’s reconnaissance and defensive network.

• Kitsuchi and Iwatetsu reached the Northern Fortress with more than two thousand Iwagakure Ninja and saw Shōji waiting to welcome them.
• Kitsuchi praised Shōji for capturing the fortress and recognized his ability to lead and strengthen Iwagakure.
• Shōji told Kitsuchi and Iwatetsu that Sunagakure had made major moves and proposed briefing them on the situation.
• Shōji, Kitsuchi, and Iwatetsu planned to station most of the reinforcements inside the fortress and deploy the rest across the surrounding area for reconnaissance and defense.

After Iwagakure captured the Northern Fortress, Kitsuchi and Shōji discussed how to maintain pressure on Sunagakure without escalating the war. Iwatetsu worried that Shōji’s growing influence was eclipsing the Kamizuru Clan, but recognized that he could not challenge the Uchiha’s strength.

• Kitsuchi reviewed Shōji’s report on Sunagakure’s reinforcements and said Rasa might come to the front lines himself.
• Shōji argued that Iwagakure should wait and steadily pressure Sunagakure, whose finances and military strength could not sustain a prolonged war.
• Kitsuchi approved of Shōji’s restraint and considered him an outstanding young man.
• Iwatetsu reflected that Shōji’s success was taking prestige from the Kamizuru Clan and admitted that Shōji’s strength surpassed his own.

After Iwagakure captured the Northern Fortress, Shōji and Kitsuchi planned to seize the Lanthanum Metal production site and strengthen their hold on the surrounding territory. Iwagakure’s troop movements confused Baki and left Rasa responsible for deciding how Sunagakure should respond.

• Kamizuru Iwatetsu recognized Shōji’s overwhelming strength and resolved to keep the Kamizuru Clan in line with the Uchiha Clan.
• Shōji and Kitsuchi discussed post-capture defenses and agreed that Iwagakure should occupy the Lanthanum Metal production site ahead of peace negotiations.
• Kitsuchi assigned Iwatetsu to lead more than three hundred troops to seize the site and build a temporary fortress.
• Baki struggled to determine whether Iwagakure planned to hold the Northern Fortress or advance, so he increased patrols and reported the situation to Rasa.
• Rasa was distressed that Sunagakure’s response required his decision.

Rasa failed to persuade Chiyo and Ebizo to leave seclusion, then responded to Iwagakure's troop movements by deciding to reinforce the front and fight another battle. He led Sunagakure's elite guard and 1,500 additional shinobi toward the front lines, while setting a limit on how far he would risk the village.

• Rasa visited Chiyo and Ebizo, but neither elder agreed to involve themselves in Sunagakure's affairs.
• Rasa received Baki's report about Iwagakure's reinforcements and divided forces, then ordered the Kage Guard Squad to assemble.
• Rasa departed for the front lines with sixteen Kage Guard members and 1,500 mobile troops, joining the more than 3,500 shinobi under Baki.
• Rasa planned to fight another battle with the combined force but resolved to halt if Iwagakure sent further support or deployed a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki.

Rasa led Sunagakure’s forces to the front lines, determined to defend his authority and the village’s reputation by preparing to attack Iwagakure’s Northern Fortress. Kitsuchi and Shōji learned that Sunagakure had gathered five thousand ninja, while nearly three thousand Iwagakure ninja still held the fortress.

• Rasa arrived with the Kage Guard Squad, boosting the morale of Sunagakure’s lower- and middle-ranking ninja.
• Baki and Fugi worried that Rasa’s battle plan would cost Sunagakure heavily, but Rasa chose to fight to protect his standing as Kazekage.
• Chiyo and Ebizo stayed away, wary of having to clean up after Rasa and aware of Sunagakure’s past hidden scandals.
• Rasa ordered more than five thousand Sunagakure ninja to prepare for an assault on the Northern Fortress within two days, unless Iwagakure sent reinforcements.
• Iwagakure scouts reported Sunagakure’s mobilization, and Kitsuchi and Shōji learned that Rasa had brought five thousand ninja to the front.
• Kitsuchi noted that nearly three thousand Iwagakure ninja remained at the Northern Fortress.

Kitsuchi and Shōji prepared Iwagakure’s Northern Fortress for Sunagakure’s attack while Rasa gathered his forces and marched on the stronghold. The chapter ended as the Iwagakure commanders watched Sunagakure’s 4,500-strong army approach.

• Kitsuchi and Shōji agreed to commit the remaining rear garrison troops to the defense while keeping the war limited in scale.
• Kitsuchi ordered Hoshino to warn Iwatetsu to prepare to withdraw if needed, and Iwagakure’s forces reinforced the fortress barriers and traps.
• Iwagakure and Sunagakure reconnaissance squads clashed in the buffer zone as both sides completed their preparations.
• Rasa led more than 4,500 Sunagakure Ninja toward the Northern Fortress and left Yura with over 500 men to guard the camp.
• Kitsuchi and Shōji climbed to the fortress’s highest point and watched Rasa’s approaching army.

Shōji claimed Rasa as his opponent while Kitsuchi prepared to defend the Northern Fortress. Rasa led Sunagakure’s assault in person, and both armies took combat positions as the battle began.

• Shōji asked Kitsuchi to leave the Fourth Kazekage to him, and Kitsuchi agreed.
• Baki reported that Iwagakure had reinforced the fortress and that thousands of Ninja guarded it.
• Rasa rejected Baki’s request to stay at central command and assigned Baki to lead it while he advanced with the Kage Guard Squad.
• Rasa rallied four to five thousand Sunagakure Ninja and ordered them to attack the Northern Fortress.
• Kitsuchi ordered Iwagakure’s squads to prepare for combat as Sunagakure began its assault.

Sunagakure’s assault squads and Barrier Corps broke Iwagakure’s barrier after suffering nearly two hundred casualties. As more than four thousand Sunagakure Ninja surged toward the Northern Fortress, Shōji and two thousand Iwagakure Ninja charged out to meet them, while Kitsuchi took command.

• Rasa conserved his Chakra and sent Sunagakure’s vanguard to find and break the barrier’s weak point, accepting heavy losses as the price of the assault.
• Iwagakure Ninja activated traps and rained attacks on the vanguard, while Sunagakure’s cover squads tried to protect them.
• Sunagakure’s assault squads and Barrier Corps found a weak node and shattered the barrier after suffering nearly two hundred casualties.
• Shōji watched the Sunagakure army pour toward the fortress and recognized the danger of facing its full force alone.
• Shōji left command to Kitsuchi, then charged out with two thousand Iwagakure Ninja to meet the Sunagakure army head-on.

Shōji confronted Rasa on the battlefield, shattered his Gold Dust Spear Technique, and charged in for a direct duel. Rasa countered with the Gold Dust Realm Technique, forcing Shōji to cut through blades erupting from the ground; the chapter then ended with an author’s note asking readers to be understanding about writing mistakes.

• Shōji advanced toward Rasa, and the Kazekage recognized him and moved to stop him.
• Rasa attacked Shōji and the surrounding Iwagakure Ninja with the Gold Dust Spear Technique.
• Shōji charged forward and shattered the gold dust spear with a lightning-charged sword strike.
• Rasa used the Gold Dust Realm Technique to make gold dust blades erupt from the ground around Shōji.
• Shōji twisted through the air and cut apart the incoming blades with his Tachi.
• The author asked readers to point out typos and awkward phrasing without being harsh.

Shōji tested his strength against Rasa without relying on his Mangekyō Sharingan, countering the Kazekage’s long-range gold dust attacks with lightning and a close-range feint. Rasa survived the strike but was wounded, and the two remained poised to continue their battle.

• Rasa kept Shōji at a distance with sweeping gold dust blades, while Shōji chose to fight using only his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Rasa raised himself on a sand cushion and blocked Shōji’s guided lightning with a massive dust shield.
• Shōji used the lightning attack to distract Rasa, then rose on an earthen wall and lunged at him with his Tachi.
• Rasa dodged the strike and trapped Shōji’s blade behind a dust barrier, then retreated as Shōji blasted it apart.
• Shōji descended onto the earthen wall, while Rasa realized the attack had cut his clothes and wounded his right arm.

Shōji and Rasa fought in a fierce duel, with Rasa using Gold Dust techniques to trap and bury Shōji. Shōji survived inside Susanoo, leaving the battle ongoing as Kitsuchi continued commanding the Iwagakure forces.

• Rasa dodged Shōji’s opening strike with only a minor wound and unleashed numerous gold dust spears and cubes.
• Shōji charged through Rasa’s attacks, cutting apart the gold dust constructs with his lightning-clad Tachi.
• Rasa gathered the scattered gold dust around Shōji, trapped him, and crushed him with the Gold Dust Grand Burial Technique.
• Shōji emerged unharmed inside a Purple-Gold Susanoo, shocking Rasa and reassuring Kitsuchi.
• Kitsuchi returned his attention to commanding the battle as the Iwagakure forces remained slightly disadvantaged.

Shōji unleashed his second-form Susanoo and overwhelmed Rasa with successive attacks, leaving the Kazekage gravely wounded. Rasa’s Kage Guard Squad intervened, allowing him to retreat as his plan collapsed.

• Shōji judged that he needed his Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo to fight a stronger Kage-level opponent like Rasa.
• Shōji entered Susanoo’s second form and shattered Rasa’s sand defenses with a powerful slash.
• Shōji followed with relentless Susanoo and Lightning Release attacks, exhausting Rasa’s Chakra and heavily wounding him.
• Rasa’s Kage Guard Squad rushed in and positioned themselves between the fighters.
• Rasa retreated under his guards’ protection, recognizing that his plan had failed.

Shōji defeated Kazekage Rasa and helped turn the battle decisively in Iwagakure’s favor, forcing the Sunagakure army to retreat. The chapter ended with Iwagakure securing victory and the prospect of peace negotiations on its terms.

• Rasa withdrew under the Kage Guard Squad’s cover while Shōji evaded their attacks and cut down the guards.
• News that Rasa had been badly wounded and forced to retreat spread across the battlefield, crushing Sunagakure morale and bolstering Iwagakure’s.
• Kitsuchi and the Iwagakure forces pursued the retreating Sunagakure army only a limited distance, avoiding a riskier advance.
• Shōji returned to Northern Fortress after deciding his purpose in the battle was fulfilled.
• Iwagakure won the local war, leaving Sunagakure to face peace negotiations and the victor’s demands.

Iwagakure defeated Rasa’s Sunagakure forces after Shōji’s decisive victory shattered their morale, inflicting devastating losses while suffering fewer than five hundred casualties. Kitsuchi ordered the postwar cleanup and preparations for negotiations, then told Shōji to rest as the story left Iwagakure awaiting Sunagakure’s next move.

• Shōji’s overwhelming defeat of Rasa broke Sunagakure’s morale and turned the battle into an inevitable defeat.
• Iwagakure routed Rasa’s army, killing over a thousand Sunagakure Ninja and capturing three to four hundred while suffering fewer than five hundred casualties.
• Kitsuchi ordered his forces to recover Iwagakure’s dead, handle Sunagakure’s corpses, guard the prisoners, and send intelligence back to the village.
• Kitsuchi told Shōji to rest while Iwagakure watched for Sunagakure’s movements.

After defeating Rasa, Shōji considered how Iwagakure would negotiate with Sunagakure and arranged rest for his injured clan members. Once everyone had left, Shōji finally relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.

• Shōji reflected on his victory over Rasa and concluded that Sunagakure would likely be forced to surrender and negotiate with Iwagakure.
• Shōji summoned Yashiro and the Uchiha clansmen who had fought alongside him, learning that one had died and several had been injured.
• Shōji comforted the injured clansmen and sent them to rest, then spoke with Yashiro about upcoming arrangements.
• Shōji dismissed the wounded Yashiro and, exhausted from the war and using his Mangekyō Sharingan, went to bed.
• Shōji decided to postpone reviewing his battle until the next day and fell asleep.

After Iwagakure celebrated its victory over Sunagakure, Rasa returned to the frontline camp and convened a meeting to decide the village’s next steps. He ordered Baki to summon Chiyo and Ebizo, saying he alone was responsible for the defeat.

• Kitsuchi let the Iwagakure Ninja relax while maintaining basic security, as both he and Ōnoki believed Sunagakure could no longer continue the war.
• Ōnoki celebrated the victory, sent negotiators toward the border with new orders, and spread the news through Iwagakure.
• Fugaku, Sōgen, Genran, and the other Uchiha clansmen celebrated, seeing the victory as a chance for their clan to earn recognition and become firmly established in Iwagakure.
• Rasa returned to the Sunagakure camp and ordered Baki, Fugi, and the others to strengthen its defenses before convening a high-level meeting.
• Rasa told Baki to request more medical supplies, send the wounded home, inform Chiyo and Ebizo, and ask the elders to take charge of affairs; he said he alone bore responsibility for the defeat.

Rasa ordered Sunagakure to abandon its forward outposts and seek a ceasefire with Iwagakure after admitting the village could no longer win the war. Fugi reached Northern Fortress to begin negotiations, leaving both sides on alert in case talks failed.

• Rasa placed Yura in charge of the frontline defenses and ordered him to abandon the forward outposts.
• Rasa sent Fugi to Northern Fortress to propose a ceasefire to Kitsuchi.
• Baki, Yura, Fugi, and the other Sunagakure Ninja accepted Rasa's orders and left the main tent.
• Fugi arrived at Northern Fortress, where Kitsuchi was waiting for negotiations.
• Iwagakure and Sunagakure reached a tentative agreement, but both sides remained prepared for the war to resume.

With Konoha and Kumogakure clashing, Rasa prepared Sunagakure for possible further pressure from Iwagakure, but Ōnoki kept his forces on standby. Iwagakure and Sunagakure began negotiations, where Shōji’s presence visibly shocked Sunagakure’s delegation.

• Rasa transferred nearly a thousand Sunagakure Ninja to the front lines while preparing for negotiations and keeping his guard up.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure to remain on standby, judging that it had already gained enough and that further aggression could unite Konoha and Kumogakure against it.
• After seeing Iwagakure pull back somewhat, Rasa felt his tension ease as both villages finished preparing for negotiations.
• On the third day after the battle, Sunagakure sent Baki and Fugi with five elite Anbu, while Iwagakure sent Ido and Hoshino with Shōji as their sole escort.
• Baki, Fugi, and the Sunagakure guards reacted with shock when they saw Shōji, then took their seats at the negotiation table.

Baki negotiated peace terms with Iwagakure on Sunagakure’s behalf, resisting demands he considered beyond his village’s limits. The talks stalled over territorial cessions, with Ido offering a partial concession but insisting on keeping land north of Lianyuan Mountain.

• Baki endured Shōji’s scrutiny and began peace talks with Ido and Hoshino.
• Baki and Ido reached agreements on several minor details before clashing over Sunagakure’s compensation.
• Baki rejected ceding the Northern Fortress and surrounding territory, arguing that the Land of Wind’s daimyo would also have to approve the transfer.
• Ido argued that Iwagakure had already occupied the land and questioned Sunagakure’s sincerity about peace.
• Baki said Sunagakure could concede territory around the Northern Fortress but would not accept Iwagakure’s claim to land west of it near Lianyuan Mountain.
• Ido agreed to drop the demand for territory south of Lianyuan Mountain but insisted that land to its north was non-negotiable.

Ido negotiated Sunagakure’s surrender terms, conceding limited territory while demanding steep compensation and other concessions. As Baki prepared to argue for better terms, Shōji cut him off.

• Ido offered Sunagakure Northern Fortress and the nearby Lanthanum Metal deposits, along with Iwagakure’s final territorial concession around Lianyuan Mountain.
• Baki and Fugi accepted the territorial terms as negotiable, but disputed the compensation, prisoner, supply, and mission-share clauses.
• Ido explained that Iwagakure had already reduced its demands and offered one final ten-percent cut, suggesting installments and Land of Wind mineral deposits as collateral.
• Baki protested that Sunagakure could not afford the terms without endangering its ninja and civilians, but resolved to keep negotiating.
• A cold voice interrupted Baki and declared that there would be no buts.