Ch. 421Counterattack and Change (Happy National Day!)

Qian and his Shadow Clones fought Hozuki Zangetsu, who used the Hydrification Technique to push through their fire attacks and destroy one clone. Qian and his remaining Shadow Clone prepared to attack together, leaving Hozuki Zangetsu facing a close-range assault.

  • Hozuki Zangetsu decided to destroy Qian's two Shadow Clones and exhaust Qian's chakra before fighting him directly.
  • Qian's Shadow Clone unleashed Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, but Hozuki Zangetsu dodged the fireballs while closing in.
  • Hozuki Zangetsu used the Hydrification Technique to withstand several fireballs and cut down the attacking Shadow Clone.
  • Qian sent his remaining Shadow Clone charging at Hozuki Zangetsu to create an opening for a counterattack.

Ch. 422Forced Kill

Qian tested the limits of Hozuki Zangetsu’s Hydrification Technique and found that it depended on Chakra. He depleted Zangetsu’s reserves, then killed him with Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.

  • Qian used a Wind Blade to confirm that Hozuki Zangetsu could passively liquefy to avoid attacks.
  • Qian engaged Zangetsu with his long blade, dodged his counterattack, and trapped his liquefied body with a Fire Release attack.
  • Qian realized that maintaining Hydrification consumed Chakra, then relentlessly attacked Zangetsu to drain his reserves.
  • Qian baited Zangetsu into a counterattack, flashed behind him, and struck him with Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
  • Zangetsu’s Chakra ran out, forcing him out of his liquefied state, and the Rasenshuriken killed him.

Ch. 423Obstruction

Qian killed Hozuki Zangetsu and then fought off Mist Village ninjas who tried to rescue Kurosaki Takeo. After draining Shiozawa Keita’s chakra, he headed toward Kurosaki Takeo, with no one daring to interfere.

  • Qian killed Hozuki Zangetsu, boosting Konoha’s morale and unsettling the Mist Village ninjas.
  • Qian trapped Kurosaki Takeo in a Sharingan genjutsu and began to use the Chakra Absorption Technique, but two Mist Village Chunin intervened.
  • Qian blocked the Chunin’s water attacks, wounded Shiozawa Keita with a Wind Blade, and killed his companion with a sword.
  • Qian stabbed Shiozawa Keita, stopped him with genjutsu, and drained his chakra until he died.
  • Qian walked toward Kurosaki Takeo, and the remaining Mist Village ninjas did not try to stop him.

Ch. 424Requesting Aid

Qian killed Kurosaki Takeo, then moved across the battlefield to rescue Leaf Village ninja who were being overwhelmed by the Mist Village forces. As the fighting shifted toward parity, the Mist Village secretly requested reinforcements, while Qian continued helping the Leaf forces.

  • Qian caught Kurosaki Takeo feigning unconsciousness, immobilized him with Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique, and drained his chakra and energy until he died.
  • Qian saw that the Leaf Village forces were faltering and rushed to a battle group where Mist Ninja outnumbered the Leaf ninja.
  • Qian killed Mist Ninja with Genjutsu: Sharingan and the Flash Sword Technique, then sent the freed Leaf ninja to assist elsewhere.
  • Qian moved between endangered battle groups, gradually shifting the battlefield from Mist Village advantage toward parity.
  • A Mist Village ninja secretly used a Summoning Beast to request reinforcements from the main battlefield command, while Qian continued rescuing the Leaf forces.

Ch. 425Hidden Danger and Opportunity

Osawa Yuki sent Ao with reserve troops to aid the trapped Mist Village raiders, attack Black Stone Outpost, and target Uchiha Qian. As Konoha gained the upper hand, Qian learned that more Mist Village reinforcements were approaching and went to scout them.

  • Osawa Yuki learned that the raiding force was trapped and Hozuki Zangetsu had been killed by Uchiha Qian.
  • Osawa Yuki ordered Ao to lead the reserve team to rescue the raiders, attack Black Stone Outpost from the south, and kill Uchiha Qian if possible.
  • Ao accepted the mission while privately suspecting that Uchiha Qian's hidden abnormality needed investigation.
  • Qian helped Konoha turn the battlefield around and defeated an opponent threatening a Konoha Special Jonin, leaving four Mist Village jonin on the field.
  • Yamanaka Aoi warned Qian that Mist Village reserve troops were coming, and Qian learned that Captain Sano Nobuhisa was gathering Konoha reinforcements.
  • Qian told Yamanaka Aoi to urge Sano to hurry, then cast Wind Release: Wind Wings to scout the approaching forces.

Ch. 426Well Prepared

Qian spotted a Mist Village force of about two hundred reinforcements led by Ao and tried to delay them before they could reach the Southern Battlefield. After Ao’s prepared defenses thwarted his first attack, Qian decided to strike again, relying on Ame no Minaka as a last resort.

  • Qian flew toward the coastline, found the advancing Mist Ninja, and warned the five Leaf Village Jonin to finish their battle quickly and prepare for an attack.
  • Qian recognized Ao in the Mist force and circled above them while they halted in a standoff.
  • Ao ordered his force to advance, and Qian’s first dive was driven off by a barrage of poisoned Kunai prepared specifically to counter him.
  • Ao continued leading the Mist Ninja forward, while Qian weighed the danger of their other preparations against the need to protect the exhausted Konoha survivors.
  • Qian resolved to delay the Mist force and attacked again, trusting that Ame no Minaka could serve as his final resort.

Ch. 427Sneak Attack

Qian used repeated feints and attacks to wear down the Mist Ninja while trying to survive long enough to escape. After blasting aside their coordinated assault with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, he was struck by a hidden senbon and left with a deep wound in his arm.

  • Ao ordered the Mist Ninja to defend when Qian approached, but Qian repeatedly drew them into attacks and then escaped without taking damage.
  • Qian baited the Mist Ninja into a full assault from less than twenty meters away, dodging and blocking their attacks before retreating into the sky.
  • Qian launched a third attack, and Ao commanded the team to fire Kunai and use ninjutsu as Qian charged through the explosions.
  • Three Kirigakure jonin coordinated Water Release and Fire Release attacks against Qian, but he countered them with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
  • A hidden senbon nearly struck Qian in the back, but he dodged and took a deep wound in his left arm.

Ch. 428Fierce Battle and Rendezvous

Qian fought off Ao, Qing, and the Mist Village ninja, avoiding their attempts to wear him down and seal him. As the Mist forces lost momentum, Qing spotted a battered group of Mist Ninja approaching and remembered his main mission.

  • Qian recognized Ao as the source of the poisoned Steel Needle and took to the air while resisting the poison in his wound.
  • Ao and the Mist Village Jonin coordinated attacks with the gathered ninja, but Qian dodged their weapons and ninjutsu and noticed several Chunin being protected.
  • Qian targeted the protected Chunin, prompting Qing and the others to reveal their plan to use a sealing technique to bind him.
  • Qian escaped the sealing technique with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, leaving the Mist Ninja with low morale.
  • Qing activated the Byakugan and saw a battered crowd of Mist Ninja running toward them, which brought his main mission back to mind.

Ch. 429Temporary Retreat

Qian bought the Leaf ninja time to retreat by distracting the Mist force, then escaped their counterattack and caught up with a Mist scout. He left the scout dead and headed toward the Leaf ninja’s position.

  • Qian spotted Mist reinforcements approaching and ordered the Leaf ninja to retreat to a position near Black Stone Outpost.
  • Ao noticed the Leaf forces were missing and sent Mist Chunin to scout for them.
  • Qian attacked the Mist force with Wind Release, Hidden Mist, and Fire Release before retreating after being struck by poisoned Kunai.
  • Qian found one of Ao’s scouts, trapped him with Genjutsu: Sharingan, and drained his chakra with Chakra Absorption Technique.
  • Qian used the Body Flicker Technique to approach the retreating Leaf ninja.

Ch. 430Healing and Support

Qian treated his poisoned wounds and healed a serious injury before the Mist Village force reached the Leaf formation. He harassed the Mist Ninja from the air and held back from striking as Sano Nobuhisa’s reinforcements approached.

  • Qian extracted and burned the toxins in his Senbon and Kunai wounds, then healed them with the Mystical Palm Technique.
  • Qian used Yang Release Chakra and the Mystical Palm Technique to heal the water-arrow wound that had damaged his internal organs.
  • After a Leaf Village Chunin reported the Mist Ninja were approaching, Qian flew into the sky with Wind Release: Wind Wings.
  • The Mist Ninja attacked the Leaf formation, while Qian waited for them to focus on the battle and periodically harassed them from above.
  • Qian spotted the reinforcements Sano Nobuhisa had sent and continued harassing the Mist Ninja while waiting for them to arrive.

Ch. 431Phantom Body Flicker Technique

Uchiha Shisui arrived to reinforce the outnumbered Leaf ninjas, easing their pressure with the Phantom Body Flicker Technique. With more Leaf support approaching, Qian turned his attention to Ao and the eye beneath his eyepatch, intending to take it for himself.

  • The Leaf ninjas grew resentful as Qian held back, but he chose not to risk himself for them.
  • Uchiha Shisui arrived and used the Phantom Body Flicker Technique to attack the Mist Ninja and relieve pressure on the Leaf ranks.
  • Qian analyzed Shisui's technique, recognizing that it relied on Sharingan genjutsu, clones, and exceptionally fast Body Flicker.
  • Qian saw that a hundred-man Leaf support unit was approaching but was outnumbered and exhausted compared with the Mist forces.
  • Qian fixed his attention on Ao's covered right eye, while Ao sensed unease without realizing Qian was targeting it.

Ch. 432Time to Move

Qian used the chaos of the battle to draw Ao away from the main battlefield and launch a surprise attack, then fought him in a one-on-one duel. As Ao sensed an immense danger, he saw a pair of strange black-sun-like eyes in Qian’s scarlet pupils.

  • Nearly a hundred Leaf Village reinforcements arrived, and Uchiha Shisui helped keep the battle from turning against the Leaf side.
  • Qian joined the fighting, then waited until both sides were too occupied to watch him closely.
  • Qian suddenly unleashed Wind Release: Great Breakthrough against the Mist and Leaf ninjas, then tried to seize Ao but failed when Ao dodged.
  • Qian and Ao fought fiercely with their Sharingan and Byakugan, while their allies were kept from interfering.
  • Qian drove Ao to the edge of the battlefield and killed several Mist Village Chunin who tried to help him.
  • Ao sensed a sudden crisis and saw strange black-sun-like eyes in Qian’s scarlet pupils.

Ch. 433Handling

Qian defeated Ao by trapping him in an illusion and disabling him, then took him to an isolated area to secure his Byakugan. After draining Ao’s chakra and healing his heart, Qian faced him again as Ao woke and was caught in another illusion.

  • Qian recognized that his eyes were the Mangekyō Sharingan, but realized the recognition had taken place inside an illusion cast by Qian.
  • Qian stopped Ao’s heart and cut off his carotid artery, then dodged a Mist Village Chunin’s thrown Kunai and flew away with him.
  • Qian landed in an area clear of people, severed most of Ao’s nerves and muscles, and drained his chakra and some of his physical and spiritual energy.
  • Qian healed Ao’s heart and stabilized him, but when Ao woke and tried to attack, Qian trapped him in an illusion.

Ch. 434Guardian Seal

Qian learned that Ao’s Byakugan was protected by a Guardian Seal and used his Proficiency Panel to master the technique quickly. He removed the seal from Qing, who woke and tried to destroy the eye before Qian trapped him in an illusion.

  • Qian discovered from Ao’s memories that removing the Byakugan’s protection required learning the Guardian Seal, and sent a shadow clone to the battlefield so he could practice.
  • Qian trained the Guardian Seal until he reached lv1 and successfully cast it.
  • Qian inspected Qing’s Seal of Protection and burned away the sealing talismans to remove it.
  • Qing woke, realized the Guardian Seal on his right eye was gone, and tried to destroy the eye, but Qian plunged him into an illusion.

Ch. 435Success and Plans

Qian removed Ao’s transplanted Byakugan and preserved it in nutrient solution, then used genjutsu to search Ao’s memories. He discovered Ao had nearly deduced that Qian had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

  • Qian cut out Ao’s right Byakugan with the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique and stored it in nutrient solution.
  • Qian considered studying human modification and Sealing Techniques after the war so he could transplant and store valuable items more effectively.
  • Qian woke Ao and placed him under Genjutsu: Sharingan to examine his memories about the Mangekyō Sharingan and other matters.
  • Qian learned Ao had come close to guessing that he had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Ch. 436Retreat

Qian realized that Konoha might already suspect the secret behind his abilities, so he resolved to grow stronger before anyone could act against him. He joined the battle near Black Stone Outpost, turned the tide for Konoha, and forced the surviving Kirigakure forces to retreat.

  • Qian found that Kirigakure had sealed some of Ao's memories, destroyed Ao's body, and contacted his shadow clone to learn how the nearby battle was going.
  • Qian flew to the battlefield near Black Stone Outpost, where the outnumbered Leaf ninja were beginning to suffer rising casualties despite Uchiha Shisui's efforts.
  • Qian attacked the Mist ninja with his Flash Sword Technique and killed the Chunin who had led the charge and several other enemies.
  • Qian cut down two Mist Village Jonin, helping Konoha turn the battle around alongside Uchiha Shisui.
  • After losing roughly seventy percent of their forces, the three surviving Mist Village Jonin led the remaining Kirigakure ninja in retreat.

Ch. 437End and Slacking Off

After the battle, Qian treated Shisui and the wounded Konoha ninjas, gaining proficiency in his medical techniques while uncovering that many casualties had been poisoned by the Mist Ninja. He remained at the treatment area instead of joining the eastern battlefield, while Shisui went to support it.

  • Shisui asked Qian why he had taken Ao, and Qian said he wanted to get intel from him.
  • Qian healed Shisui’s injured leg with the Mystical Palm Technique.
  • Qian treated the wounded Konoha ninjas, removing deadly poison from several casualties and improving his medical-technique proficiency.
  • Qian realized the Mist Ninja had used poison-laced weapons against many of the critically wounded.
  • Sano Nobuhisa did not summon Qian to the eastern battlefield, while Shisui left to provide support there.

Ch. 438Return

After treating the wounded, Qian decided to focus on developing his Earth Release and returned to Black Stone Outpost after Yamanaka Aoi summoned him for the coming counterattack. He rested to recover his energy, knowing Kirigakure would likely target him in the battle.

  • Qian finished treating the wounded and saw that Delicate Illness Extraction Technique had advanced to lv6.
  • Qian decided to redirect his daily chakra investment from Wind Style: Rasenshuriken toward Earth Release Chakra and three Earth Release Ninjutsu.
  • Yamanaka Aoi told Qian that Sano Nobuhisa would launch a counterattack in about two hours and ordered him to return to the stronghold.
  • Qian flew back to Black Stone Outpost, expecting Kirigakure to target him because of his reputation and his role in taking the Byakugan.
  • Qian returned to his residence and rested instead of treating more wounded, conserving his energy for the counterattack.

Ch. 439Counterattack

Qian attacked Kirigakure’s warships while Sano Nobuhisa pressed the Leaf counterattack against the Mist Ninja at Black Stone Outpost. Qian set two warships ablaze as Osawa Yuki and the returning Mist Ninja rushed to stop him.

  • Sano Nobuhisa ordered the Leaf forces to counterattack, putting pressure on Kirigakure’s troops.
  • Qian flew toward Kirigakure’s warships, prompting some Mist Ninja to leave the battlefield and reinforce them.
  • Qian informed Sano Nobuhisa of Kirigakure’s response, and Sano Nobuhisa ordered his forces to press forward.
  • Osawa Yuki confronted Qian near the fleet but could not stop him from reaching a guarded warship.
  • Qian used Fire Release techniques to set two Kirigakure warships ablaze while the Mist Ninja hurried toward him.

Ch. 440Pressure

Qian used his Wind Wings to evade Kirigakure’s reinforcements and burn more warships, forcing Osawa Yuki and the other jonin to chase him. As the Mist Ninja spread out to guard the ships, Qian lost his openings and chose not to risk a direct fight, keeping his aim limited to pressuring the front line.

  • A Yuki Clan ninja used Ice Release: Ice Storm, but Qian flew above its reach and avoided the attack.
  • Qian’s Great Breakthrough was blocked by the ninja’s Ice Wall Technique, so he abandoned the confrontation and flew toward a distant warship.
  • Osawa Yuki led the four jonin and their troops in pursuit, while Qian dodged their poisoned weapons and burned the target ship with Fire Release.
  • Qian flew between distant ships to draw the pursuing Mist Ninja away and attack more vessels, using his speed to keep them trailing behind.
  • Osawa Yuki split the reinforcements into four groups to guard the ships, limiting Qian’s openings and making a direct attack on the jonin too risky.
  • Qian decided not to destroy every ship or fight the reinforcements, since he only needed to pressure Kirigakure’s front line.
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