Chapter Summaries

Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee learned they could not leave for their mission until the day after tomorrow because Rokosuke needed treatment. As Tenten celebrated the chance to leave the village, Rock Lee urged her to treat staying home as training, and Hinata changed the subject to mission preparations.

• The team could only send Konoha a request for help after Rokosuke spent too long in the river, and they would have to wait until the day after tomorrow to depart.
• Konoha Hospital and Tsunade committed to treating Rokosuke, while Hinata suspected Konoha hoped to profit from the gold near his village.
• Tenten complained that being confined at home during the public outcry had left her bored and eager to take a mission outside the village.
• Rock Lee told Tenten that enduring time at home was a form of training, making her bristle and Hinata uncomfortable.
• Hinata asked Tenten what they needed to prepare for their mission, and Tenten felt relieved by the change of subject.

Rokosuke waited at Konoha’s gates for the ninjas who would help rescue the villagers at Gold Mine Mountain, then was angered when Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee appeared. The team introduced themselves as the mission’s assigned representatives, but Rokosuke’s dissatisfaction with Konoha’s response immediately caused tension.

• Rokosuke arrived at Konoha’s gates and wondered why the promised ninjas had not appeared.
• Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee came from a nearby rooftop to meet Rokosuke.
• Rock Lee told Rokosuke that the village had assigned the mission to their team and that they hoped to complete it on Konoha’s behalf.
• Rokosuke sized up the three young ninjas and scornfully asked whether they were the only ones sent.

Tenten confronted Rokosuke over his condescending attitude toward the Konoha team and reminded him that she and Hinata had saved him. Rokosuke was angered by her words but stopped arguing because two of the three ninjas were his lifesavers.

• Tenten told Rokosuke that the team would carry out the Hokage’s mission professionally and that he could ask the village to replace them if he objected.
• Tenten urged Rokosuke to rest, given his poor condition and the limits of his recovery.
• Tenten revealed that she and Hinata Hyuga had rescued Rokosuke from the river and asked him not to treat them condescendingly.
• Rokosuke felt more resentment but held back because he knew he should not be ungrateful to his rescuers.

Rokosuke decided to travel with Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee to Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain, where he would judge their abilities and seek their help if they proved capable. The three accepted his doubts and intended to prove themselves through their strength.

• Rokosuke considered whether Konoha had sent the three because the Kurotsuchi Clan was unimportant or because the young ninjas had special abilities.
• Rokosuke decided to observe Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee during the journey to Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain before deciding whether to rely on them.
• Rokosuke apologized for doubting the three, though Hinata and Tenten recognized that his explanation was perfunctory.
• Tenten and Rock Lee resolved to prove their strength to those who looked down on them.

Tenten, Hinata, Rock Lee, and Rokosuke registered for their mission and left Konoha. As the group traveled at a slow pace, Rock Lee trained while Tenten enjoyed being outside the village and Hinata followed quietly.

• Tenten reflected that the group needed to gain experience, though she kept her concerns to herself and hoped Neji would recover soon.
• After Rokosuke agreed, the group registered with Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, who gave them instructions and let them leave Konoha.
• Izumo Kamizuki lamented how time had passed and many of his old companions were gone.
• Kotetsu Hagane teased Izumo and complained about the graduates, mentioning the Uchiha girl who defected and her teammate who nearly did the same.
• Rock Lee urged the group onward, then walked upside down on one finger as they traveled slowly because Rokosuke was an ordinary person.
• Tenten enjoyed the countryside, while Hinata quietly followed beside the group.

Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee traveled with the injured Rokosuke, whose slow pace forced them to stop and rest. After they crossed beyond Konoha’s jurisdiction, Hinata became more alert to the dangers ahead.

• Rokosuke slowed down from exhaustion, while Hinata and Tenten remained untroubled and Rock Lee walked on his hands.
• Rock Lee asked Rokosuke if he needed help, and Rokosuke said he only needed to catch his breath.
• Tenten withheld her frustration about Rokosuke’s pace because he was an injured ordinary person.
• The four rested for about twenty minutes and then continued their journey.
• Hinata became less relaxed after they passed beyond Konoha’s jurisdiction, mindful of the uncertainties ahead.

Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee continued escorting the injured Rokosuke through the Land of Rivers, with Lee carrying him to speed their journey. They reached the area near Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain, where an old woman stood outside the Life Curry House mourning and repeating Karashi’s name.

• Hinata scouted the road ahead with her Byakugan while Tenten and Rock Lee stayed alert to protect Rokosuke from bandits.
• Rock Lee carried the injured Rokosuke on his back, allowing the group to travel faster.
• The group arrived near Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain in the Land of Rivers.
• An old woman stood outside the Life Curry House, repeatedly murmuring Karashi’s name.

Rock Lee and his companions arrived at Life Curry House, where Granny Sansho warmly welcomed them and recalled how she had met Lee during his training. They went inside to eat and talk, and Granny Sansho began describing their first real interaction.

• Granny Sansho spotted Rock Lee and his companions approaching the restaurant.
• Rock Lee greeted Granny Sansho and explained that the group was on a mission with Rokosuke as their client.
• Granny Sansho invited the group into Life Curry House, and they followed her inside.
• Granny Sansho told the group that she and Karashi had often seen Lee training nearby.
• Rock Lee explained that he had met Granny Sansho and Karashi while training outside the village with Master Kai.
• Granny Sansho began recalling the rainy day when she and Lee first truly interacted.

Rock Lee recounted how Granny Sansho and Karashi rescued him during training and introduced him to Life Curry. At Granny Sansho’s restaurant, the group learned that Karashi had left with a group of bad people, and Rock Lee offered to bring him back.

• Rock Lee explained that he had collapsed while training in the rain and woke up at Granny Sansho’s Life Curry House.
• Granny Sansho recalled that she and Karashi carried Rock Lee into the restaurant after Karashi noticed he had fallen.
• Rock Lee praised Granny Sansho’s Life Curry, and the group asked her to serve it.
• Granny Sansho told the group that Karashi had left a few days earlier with a group of bad people.
• Rock Lee asked where Karashi had gone and offered to bring him back, but Granny Sansho said they could discuss it after she prepared the food.

Granny Sansho served her Life Curry while Rock Lee told the others about her and Karashi. As Tenten urged Rock Lee to taste it first, Hinata and the others watched cautiously.

• After Granny Sansho left, Rock Lee told the group about her, Karashi, and Life Curry House.
• Rokosuke sat apart from the close-knit Konoha Three Geniuses.
• Granny Sansho served everyone a plate of bubbling reddish-brown Life Curry.
• Hinata waited to see how the others reacted before trying the curry, while Tenten asked Rock Lee to taste it first.
• Rock Lee scooped up a heaping spoonful of curry.

Rock Lee, Tenten, Hinata, and Rokosuke ate Granny Sansho’s curry, and Tenten pointed out that it was missing something and had too much chili. As Granny Sansho reacted, a massive python appeared, and Rock Lee seized its tail and threw it.

• Rock Lee enthusiastically ate the curry, while Tenten tried a small portion and Hinata watched them closely before tasting it herself.
• Tenten, Hinata, and Rokosuke stopped eating, and Tenten asked Granny Sansho whether she had made the curry alone.
• Granny Sansho said Karashi had once helped her but had left, so she now made the curry herself.
• Tenten told Granny Sansho that the curry seemed to be missing something and was too spicy for many people.
• A massive python rushed in, and Rock Lee grabbed its tail and threw it.

After noticing Rock Lee keeping watch at night, Rokosuke recalled how Hinata had revealed her extraordinary strength by pulverizing a blocked path. He was left realizing how different Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee were from him.

• Rock Lee charged at the giant python again, then returned and disappeared into the distance to watch over the group.
• Rokosuke considered speaking to Rock Lee after noticing his nighttime watch, but could not find a reason to bring it up.
• Rokosuke remembered how Hinata punched through a pile of rocks and wood that had blocked their path.
• Hinata tossed a small stone at the obstruction, and the debris in the area she had struck turned to powder.
• Rock Lee and Tenten treated Hinata's feat as ordinary and praised her precise Chakra control, while Rokosuke was left stunned.
• Rokosuke noted that Hinata's Gentle Fist path differed from Might Guy's Steel Fist.

Tenten, Hinata, and Rock Lee questioned Rokosuke about the Kurotsuchi Clan and planned their reconnaissance for the next day. As evening fell, they prepared to rest, while Rock Lee remembered something he had not addressed.

• Tenten and Rock Lee understood the difference between the Steel Fist and Gentle Fist, and Rokosuke gradually let go of his dissatisfaction with Konoha's Three Geniuses.
• The group questioned Rokosuke about the Kurotsuchi Clan but found no further clues.
• Tenten, Hinata, and Rock Lee discussed how to assess the enemy's forces and defenses during reconnaissance.
• The group finalized their plan for the next day's reconnaissance as evening approached.
• Tenten and Hinata prepared to return to their rooms and rest, and Rock Lee seemed to remember something.

Rock Lee warned Hinata and Tenten that Master Kai suspected Raiga Kurosuki was behind the Kurotsuchi Clan, though there was no evidence. Hinata and Tenten reacted with surprise, and the chapter left the group preparing to treat the possibility cautiously.

• Rock Lee stopped Hinata and Tenten from leaving and asked them to hear him out.
• Rock Lee recalled Naruto's encounter with Zabuza Momochi and Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha's attack on Jiraiya and Naruto.
• Rock Lee explained that Master Kai suspected Raiga Kurosuki was pulling the strings behind the Kurotsuchi Clan.
• Hinata recognized why the unsupported suspicion had not been reported, while Tenten's reaction caught her attention.

Tenten questioned Rock Lee about how he knew of the Kurotsuchi Clan and the area, then considered the danger posed by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Meanwhile, Lord Raiga reached a mountain peak and spoke with Ranmaru about settling there.

• Tenten asked Rock Lee how he had learned about the Kurotsuchi Clan and the place, and he said Master Kai had mentioned it after a past mission.
• Tenten suspected Rock Lee had hidden motives, while Hinata recognized her suspicion.
• Tenten considered withdrawing from the reconnaissance mission or requesting support if elite jonin-level enemies were present.
• Lord Raiga stood atop a peak in Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain and said he hoped to achieve his goal and settle there.
• Ranmaru told Lord Raiga he would follow whatever he decided.

Raiga reassured Ranmaru that they would seek lasting ties rather than wander the ninja world, then vowed to deal with those who had wronged them. After admiring the Thunder Saber Fang, Raiga left the mountaintop while Ranmaru slept in his pack; the next day, Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee set out after eating ration pills.

• Ranmaru told Raiga he was happy with their companionship and would follow him if he died.
• Raiga said they needed roots and lasting ties, then vowed to give their enemies a lavish funeral.
• Raiga admired the Thunder Saber Fang and recalled how well he knew the weapon.
• Raiga left the mountaintop without waking Ranmaru, who had fallen asleep in his backpack.
• The next morning, Hinata, Tenten, and Rock Lee ate ration pills instead of asking Granny Sansho to prepare breakfast.

The group relied on food beyond their remaining soldier pills as they traveled slowly through the wilderness with the wounded Rokosuke. The chapter contrasted the relative safety of peacetime with the shinobi world’s past wars and began tracing Konoha’s decline after its first two Hokage.

• The group used some soldier pills but kept the remaining supply because their slow journey and Rokosuke’s wound meant it might not last.
• The travelers needed other sources of food and warmth, despite the risks that fires, smoke, and roasted meat could attract enemies or wild beasts.
• The narration explained that wilderness cooking had been too dangerous during the Ninja World War but was less risky in the current time of peace.
• The narration described how Konoha’s victories had inspired fear, while perceptive observers recognized that the village was declining.
• The narration said the First Hokage had intimidated the shinobi world and the Second Hokage had stabilized Konoha, before turning to the Third and Fourth Hokage’s efforts to govern.

Hinata, Rock Lee, and Tenten set out to scout Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain using intelligence from Rokosuke and Hinata’s Byakugan. Hinata considered Raiga’s limitations and Ranmaru’s mysterious Red Eye Kekkei Genkai as they began their reconnaissance.

• Hinata, Rock Lee, and Tenten set out early to scout Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain.
• Hinata relied on her Byakugan’s wide-range vision, though she expected unexpected developments.
• Hinata judged Raiga to be a limited fighter whose Thunder Saber Fang reached its peak during thunderstorms.
• Hinata considered Ranmaru’s Red Eye Kekkei Genkai, which could see through obstructions and disrupt reconnaissance abilities.

Hinata, Rock Lee, and Tenten approached Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain, where Hinata knew Ranmaru’s Red Eye could detect them despite their planning. They stopped at a distance Hinata judged suitable for reconnaissance, though she suspected Raiga and Ranmaru had already noticed them.

• Hinata reflected that Ranmaru’s Red Eye could detect intruders across Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain, making their plans to avoid detection futile.
• Hinata and her companions reached a hill overlooking the busy entrance to the gold mine and considered the information Rokosuke had given them about the workers’ circumstances.
• Hinata told Rock Lee and Tenten that they were too far away for her Byakugan to examine the scene clearly.
• Rock Lee and Tenten agreed to move closer until Hinata’s Byakugan could cover the area within one kilometer.
• Hinata called for the group to stop at a suitable distance, while suspecting Raiga and Ranmaru had already detected them.

Raiga learned that three Konoha ninja were approaching Wood Sorrel Gold Mine Mountain and decided to confront them himself. Ranmaru warned him to be careful, but left unsaid what he had noticed.

• Ranmaru told Raiga that three Konoha ninja, including a Hyuga with the Byakugan, were about a kilometer from the mine.
• Raiga considered giving the intruders a funeral but decided to leave them without one because he could not sincerely mourn strangers.
• Ranmaru said he would watch the visitors’ movements and warned Raiga to be careful.
• Raiga chose to act personally and resolved not to underestimate the young Konoha ninja.