Chapter Summaries

Gaara and Kankuro continued following the mobile fortress and confronted Ranke when she emerged from hiding. Ranke praised Gaara’s alertness, and Gaara demanded to know who she was and why she had attacked the Sand Ninja outpost in the Land of Wind.

• Heide told Ranke to stay behind and explain the situation to the two pursuers before she caught up with the mobile fortress.
• Heide composed himself, restored his genial merchant appearance, and opened the command room door.
• Gaara and Kankuro watched the mobile fortress move again and resumed following it.
• Gaara sensed someone ahead and stopped, prompting Kankuro to ready Crow.
• Ranke stepped out from behind a boulder and praised Gaara’s alertness.
• Gaara asked Ranke who she was and why she had attacked the Sand Ninja outpost in the Land of Wind.

Gaara and Kankuro confronted Ranke, who revealed her hostile intent and sent armored fighters to attack them. After dodging their devastating blows, Kankuro engaged the four fighters while Gaara went after Ranke.

• Gaara accused Ranke of pursuing her own ambitions and threatened to destroy her for invading the Land of Wind.
• Ranke taunted Gaara, then declared she would kill him with the power of the Gelel Stone.
• Kankuro urged Gaara to stop talking and finish Ranke, who ordered her fighters to attack.
• Four armored fighters leaped from behind the rocks and struck the ground with massive weapons, but Gaara and Kankuro dodged.
• Kankuro took on the four fighters while Gaara went straight for Ranke.

Gaara and Ranke fought as Gaara tested her strength and discovered that her armored body could destroy his sand defenses. He retreated on a rising wave of sand as Ranke charged through his attacks.

• Kankuro discovered that the four monsters had unusually impervious bodies.
• Ranke charged at Gaara through a barrage of Sand Needles, using her armored arms to protect herself.
• Ranke shattered two layers of Gaara's Sand Shield with a punch, prompting Gaara to change tactics.
• Gaara attacked Ranke with thick Sand Arms, but she smashed them apart with her fists.
• Blue electricity enveloped Ranke's armor, allowing her to destroy the Sand Arms on contact and charge at Gaara.
• Gaara raised himself on surging sand and swiftly retreated to widen the distance between them.

Gaara and Ranke continued their battle, with Ranke breaking free of his sand techniques and transforming into a powerful, lightning-charged form. Gaara unleashed a massive wave of sand and prepared to crush her with Sandstorm Burial.

• Gaara trapped Ranke with Sand Ropes and used Sand Binding Coffin, but she shattered the compressed sand with bursts of electricity.
• Ranke transformed, growing enormous ape-like arms, fangs, and blue-black skin as electricity surged around her.
• Ranke taunted Gaara and claimed that he could not defeat her in her transformed state.
• Gaara unleashed Flowing Sand Waterfall Blast, sending a vast river of sand toward Ranke.
• Ranke stood her ground against the oncoming sand, and Gaara shouted Sandstorm Burial.

Gaara used Sand Lightning Needle to drain the electricity from Ranke's body after his sand attacks failed to stop him. Ranke was left immobilized and screaming as the lightning weakened.

• Kankuro finished binding Crow and watched the battlefield from a mountain peak.
• Ranke burst out of Gaara's sand prison inside a sphere of electricity and charged at him again.
• Gaara used Sand Lightning Needle to surround Ranke with massive lightning rods.
• The rods drew the electricity from Ranke's body, causing severe internal pain and leaving him unable to move.

Gaara defeated Ranke after her transformation wore off, then decided to pursue the mobile fortress while Kankuro sought reinforcements. He warned that Sunagakure could rely only on itself, though he remained open to cooperating with Konoha if it intervened.

• Ranke returned to her human form, and Gaara killed her with Sand Burial.
• Gaara dispersed the sand, and Kankuro rejoined him after watching the fight from the mountaintop.
• Gaara ordered Kankuro to return to Sunagakure for reinforcements while he followed the mobile fortress and tried to slow it down.
• Kankuro suggested that Konoha might already be responding, but Gaara said Sunagakure could rely only on itself and would cooperate with Konoha only if their interests aligned.

Gaara sent Kankuro to help restore Sunagakure’s honor, then continued pursuing the mobile fortress, where Heide learned that Ranke had died. Meanwhile, Hinata and Shikamaru found the merchant caravan and prepared to confront its leader, Heyan.

• Gaara persuaded Kankuro to accept his assignment, and Kankuro left to carry it out.
• Gaara followed the mobile fortress’s trail and continued the pursuit.
• Camilla told Heide that Ranke had died in service to their dream, and Heide urged his followers to keep pursuing it.
• Hinata and Shikamaru found the merchant caravan after tracking it a long distance.
• Shikamaru planned to question Heyan about what he had concealed, while Hinata suggested the problem might have been an accident.
• Shikamaru warned Hinata that the ninja world was cruel and told her to judge people with the utmost malice.

Hinata used a Character Generation Card while traveling with Shikamaru, then they reached a colorful caravan. Shikamaru asked its guards whether it had posted missions in Konoha, and they recalled witnessing the Fifth Hokage’s birth.

• Hinata secretly decided to use her saved Character Generation Card and selected a spot along the road for its deployment.
• Hinata and Shikamaru continued on and spotted an unusually styled caravan ahead.
• Hinata observed the caravan’s brightly dressed people and animals as it rested in the wilderness.
• Two muscular caravan guards stopped Hinata and Shikamaru and asked what they needed.
• Shikamaru introduced them as Konoha ninjas and asked whether the caravan had posted missions there.
• One guard said the caravan had passed through Konoha and witnessed the birth of the Fifth Hokage.

Shikamaru and Hinata met with Huimina at the caravan camp to learn more about the missing snow ferret, Xiao Nilu Gu. Before Huimina could provide details, Captain Heyan arrived and took over the conversation.

• A burly caravan member escorted Shikamaru and Hinata to a reception tent.
• Huimina served them tea and asked whether anything unexpected had happened with her father's mission.
• Shikamaru explained that the search area was too large and asked Huimina for specific information about Xiao Nilu Gu.
• Captain Heyan entered the tent, and Huimina stepped back to leave the discussion to him.

Shikamaru told Heyan about the danger facing Xiao Nilu Gu, and the old man reacted with apparent anguish. As Hinata grew more suspicious of Heyan and the coincidences surrounding the group, she began imagining that his kindness concealed a deeper scheme.

• Shikamaru explained the situation to Heyan, who listened with full attention.
• Heyan reacted to the news by lamenting Xiao Nilu Gu’s possible fate.
• Hinata suspected Heyan was not as frail and sincere as he appeared, but decided not to expose her suspicions.
• Hinata recalled the unusual coincidences involving the missing snow ferret, Heide’s group, Naruto and Timsi’s rescue, and Heyan’s knowledge of the treasure.

Hinata suspected Heyan had deliberately concealed the truth about the Chakra Vein and the Royal Family’s formation, while Heyan struggled to understand her hostile stare. Shikamaru also began to suspect Heyan was wasting their time, having learned little of use from their conversation.

• Hinata pieced together suspicious details about Heyan, Timsi, the Chakra Vein, and the formation, and concluded Heyan was a schemer.
• Heyan noticed Hinata's strange gaze and repeatedly failed to ask her what was wrong.
• Shikamaru reviewed their half-hour conversation and realized most of Heyan's words had been nonsense, leaving him with very little useful information.

Shikamaru tried to draw out Heyan’s secrets through a convoluted conversation, but Heyan kept control of the exchange while Hinata focused on the caravan’s unusual food. Heyan eventually shared basic information about Nilu Gu, while privately resolving to end the disaster left by the previous generation without sacrificing anyone else.

• Shikamaru recognized that Heyan was hiding something and pressed him for information.
• Hinata gave up trying to follow their conversation and ate the food brought by the caravan merchants.
• Heyan privately dismissed Shikamaru’s attempt to challenge him and continued leading their conversation.
• Heyan described Nilu Gu’s basic circumstances to Shikamaru.
• Heyan resolved to end the previous generation’s disaster and avoid further sacrifices.

Heyan pressed Shikamaru to reveal whether anything had happened before their meeting, but Hinata avoided answering by asking about Nilu Gu instead. Heyan tried to explain the snow ferret’s adaptability, while Shikamaru withdrew from the conversation.

• Heyan dropped his sorrowful manner and forcefully asked Shikamaru whether something had happened before their meeting.
• Hinata took offense at Heyan’s treatment of Shikamaru and decided to dodge his question.
• Shikamaru noticed that Hinata had eaten nearly all the food and put down his chopsticks.
• Hinata asked Heyan whether Nilu Gu was really a snow ferret and how it could live in the Land of Fire.
• Heyan tried to steer the discussion back to Nilu Gu’s habits and explained that it was highly adaptable.

Hinata kept Heyan talking while Shikamaru recovered, and Heyan grew increasingly suspicious of her aim. The conversation ended with Heyan overthinking Hinata’s motives while she had no particular plan.

• Hinata asked Heyan about Xiao Nilu Gu’s age and unusual lifespan, but he said he did not know its exact age.
• Hinata mistook Heyan’s daughter for his granddaughter, and he explained that he was in his forties and hoped his people’s troubles would end with him.
• Hinata continued changing the subject to wear down Heyan and buy time for Shikamaru to recover.
• Heyan sensed something was odd about Hinata’s behavior but could not work out what she wanted.

Shikamaru recovered while Hinata distracted Heyan with conversation, allowing Shikamaru to regain his strength. Heyan realized he had been tricked and, facing Shikamaru’s challenge, refused to continue the fight as a tag team.

• Shikamaru noticed Hinata leading Heyan through a conversation and chose to watch rather than attack again.
• Shikamaru realized Hinata was wearing Heyan down and let her continue while he recovered.
• Hinata blushed when Shikamaru gave her a thumbs-up, and Heyan realized she had tricked him.
• Heyan saw that Shikamaru had recovered his strength and decided he would not keep fighting both of them.
• Shikamaru invited Heyan to continue, but Heyan ignored the provocation and refused to resume the tag-team battle.

Shikamaru confronted Old Heyan about Xiao Nilu Gu’s abduction, prompting Heyan to reveal the merchant caravan’s ancient origins and loyalty to a displaced Royal Family. He began explaining the caravan’s history, leaving the truth about the mysterious person and the wider situation unresolved.

• Hinata noticed the meal had been eaten and silently resented Shikamaru, though they still shared an enemy.
• Shikamaru told Old Heyan that Xiao Nilu Gu had been taken by a mysterious person and demanded that he stop concealing information.
• Old Heyan blurted out that the mysterious people had arrived earlier than expected, then reconsidered how to respond.
• Old Heyan began explaining that most of the caravan descended from survivors of an ancient empire that once unified the ninja world.
• Old Heyan said the caravan remained loyal to the exiled Royal Family, which had entrusted them with secret missions during the empire’s rule.

Heyan told Hinata and Shikamaru that his caravan guarded a secret powerful enough to spark a war, then revealed he feared Nilu Gu’s captors would target them. Shikamaru reluctantly faced the prospect of protecting the caravan despite doubting that he and Hinata could handle the threat.

• Heyan said his ancestors had guarded a secret entrusted to them by the Royal Family before the Empire fell, and that revealing it could trigger another war.
• Shikamaru pressed Heyan for more information while Hinata grew tired and fell asleep.
• After Hinata woke, Heyan realized Nilu Gu’s captors might suspect the caravan was unusual and pleaded with the ninjas to save them.
• Shikamaru complained that Heyan had dragged him into trouble, then warned that the people after the caravan might be too formidable for him and Hinata.

Shikamaru and Hinata questioned Heyan’s story and discovered that the old man was a powerful ninja hiding among the caravan. Heyan left to arrange their journey toward Konoha, determined to destroy something and spare his clansmen further suffering.

• Shikamaru told Heyan that a companion had gone to Konoha for reinforcements and urged him to travel as far toward the village as possible.
• Heyan agreed to endure the difficult journey and hurried out to make arrangements.
• Shikamaru told Hinata that he suspected Heyan was concealing something despite his apparent honesty.
• Hinata used her Byakugan to detect a vast amount of Chakra in Heyan and identified him as a jonin-level ninja, with no other ninjas in the caravan.
• Shikamaru wondered why Heyan was the caravan’s only ninja, while Heyan resolved to destroy something to end his clansmen’s suffering.

Heyan redirected the caravan toward the Land of Fire, while Heide ordered his mobile fortress to pursue them. Both groups and Hinata and Shikamaru witnessed a sky-filling cloud of blank papers and heard an unfamiliar melody before the strange phenomenon vanished.

• Heyan's caravan packed up and set off on a new route toward the Land of Fire.
• Hinata and Shikamaru rode in a passenger carriage with the caravan.
• Heide found the caravan's abandoned campsite and ordered the fortress to follow its tracks.
• Sheets of blank paper covered the sky, blocking the sunlight as an unfamiliar melody sounded.
• The papers and melody vanished, and Heide, Heyan's caravan, Hinata, and Shikamaru stopped to stare at the sky.

Hinata watched the system use a Random Character Generation Card to create Winter Rain, a fourteen-year-old girl with Paper Release and an elegant bearing. Winter Rain emerged from the mysterious machine and surveyed her surroundings.

• Shikamaru wondered why the events seemed familiar but could not identify their meaning.
• Hinata focused on her system interface as it announced that a Random Character Generation Card had been used successfully.
• The system displayed Winter Rain’s profile, listing her age, appearance, personality, and Paper Release kekkei genkai.
• Hinata watched a familiar-looking place appear on the interface, where the mysterious machine stopped and opened.
• Winter Rain emerged from the machine, stretched, and looked around at her surroundings.