Chapter Summaries

Qian captured and killed the lone Hidden Rock genin Ishiki Ichiro, took his appearance, and followed the sounds of wounded soldiers into an encounter with a Hidden Rock jonin and his companions. The chapter ended with Qian wounding the jonin while fighting at close range.

• Qian ambushed the isolated Rock genin, used Sharingan genjutsu to learn he was Ishiki Ichiro, and discovered he had fallen behind after being caught in a Cloud ninja's genjutsu.
• Qian drained Ishiki Ichiro's chakra and energy, killed him, burned his body, and transformed into his appearance.
• Qian heard groans in the forest and found a Hidden Rock jonin, who ordered him to return to the battlefield.
• Qian hypnotized the jonin with his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, struck him with shuriken, and rushed in with his short sword as other Rock Ninja attacked.
• Qian used his swordsmanship and Sharingan to inflict a deep wound on the movement-impaired jonin.

Qian defeated and captured thirty-four Rock Ninja, then learned that he had only three hours before someone came to collect the wounded. He began draining their chakra and training while his Shadow Clones practiced other techniques and kept watch.

• Qian defeated the Hidden Rock jonin and the Rock Hidden Chunin, then sent Shadow Clones to subdue the wounded men in the forest.
• Qian counted thirty-four captives: one Jonin, twenty-seven Chunin, and six Genin, and estimated they held roughly two hundred thousand points of chakra.
• Qian used Genjutsu: Sharingan on the Hidden Rock jonin and learned that someone would arrive to collect the wounded in at most three hours.
• Qian assigned Shadow Clones to train Genjutsu: Sharingan and Rasengan and to keep watch while he trained in the Mind Reflection Technique.
• Qian used the Chakra Absorption Technique on the Hidden Rock jonin to replenish his chakra and began training.

Qian trained the Rasengan, Genjutsu: Sharingan, and Mind Reflection Technique by repeatedly refreshing Shadow Clones and absorbing chakra from Rock Ninja. After burning the bodies of his first victims, he captured a four-man Rock Hidden squad and prepared to use their chakra for more training.

• Qian refreshed his Shadow Clones every fifteen minutes, merged their training memories, and raised his Rasengan to lv2.
• Qian completed his three-hour training session, then burned the Rock Ninja corpses before leaving.
• A dozen Rock Ninja and two Medical Ninja arrived and found only charred bodies, then began searching for the enemy.
• Qian ambushed a four-man Rock Hidden Chunin squad and used Genjutsu: Sharingan to learn they were carrying intelligence in a sealed scroll.
• Qian took the four Chunin to a secluded spot and began preparing to absorb their chakra for training the Mind Reflection Technique.

Qian hunted Rock Ninja for three days to strengthen himself, but a battle at a wounded-ninja gathering point exposed his identity and abilities to Iwagakure. After learning the site was a trap, he chose to risk staying briefly to absorb the captured ninjas’ chakra before Iwagakure could gather forces against him.

• Qian finished absorbing chakra from four Rock Hidden Chunin, destroyed their bodies, and continued hunting near the battlefield.
• Three days later, Qian and his four Shadow Clones defeated more than twenty Rock Ninja, including Jonin Takagi, but a pangolin summoning beast escaped with knowledge of Qian’s appearance and strength.
• Qian used Genjutsu: Sharingan on a Rock Hidden Chunin and learned that Iwagakure had tracked him and set a trap at the gathering point.
• Qian realized Iwagakure would soon pursue him, but judged that reinforcements would take time to arrive.
• Qian decided to stay with his Shadow Clones and rapidly absorb the captured Rock Ninja’s chakra before fleeing.

Qian left the Land of Earth after killing two Rock Ninja, but an Iwagakure Anbu squad tracked him as he hurried toward Konoha-controlled territory. After learning the Third Raikage had died, Qian sent a shadow clone to investigate the pursuers while he raced onward.

• Qian replenished his chakra, burned the two Rock Ninja's bodies, erased his traces, and headed southeast toward Rain Country.
• An Iwagakure Anbu squad found the burned corpses, and Kuro tracked Qian's footprints while Suzune confirmed he had already left.
• Qian sensed danger, changed routes several times, and realized that strong pursuers were following him.
• After his shadow clone reported the Third Raikage's death, Qian created another clone to draw the pursuers and gather intelligence while he used the Body Flicker Technique to flee.

Uchiha Qian's Shadow Clone fought Iwagakure Anbu captain and Suzune in the forest, learning their abilities while struggling against their coordinated attacks. The clone remained trapped between them, and Qian left the battle uncertain of the captain's full strength.

• The Anbu captain and Suzune tracked down Uchiha Qian's Shadow Clone and identified him as the Uchiha prodigy.
• Qian's Shadow Clone used his Sharingan and shuriken to injure Suzune, but the captain's explosive kunai forced him to retreat.
• The captain and Suzune trapped Qian's Shadow Clone between them and used sound-wave ninjutsu and close combat to keep him off balance.
• Qian's Shadow Clone assessed Suzune as a sound-ninjutsu specialist and recognized the captain's strong combat skills and Earth Release defense.
• Qian's Shadow Clone concluded that the captain might be stronger than an ordinary Jonin, but he could not judge the captain's full abilities because the man had used only Earth Release.

Qian’s shadow clone was exposed and destroyed by the Iwagakure Anbu pursuing it. Qian realized an eagle was tracking his escape route, forcing him to target its controller before the enemy could arrange an interception.

• The Iwagakure Anbu captain identified “Qian” as a shadow clone, and Suzune used a sound-wave ninjutsu to make it release itself.
• The captain and Suzune left to rejoin their teammates, who were pursuing Qian’s true body along the other route.
• Qian sensed that more enemies might be following him, but saw none when he checked behind.
• Qian spotted an eagle watching him from above and realized the pursuers could use it to track and intercept him.
• Qian decided to find and deal with the eagle’s controller, hoping to act before the separated enemy forces could surround him.

Qian ambushed two Iwagakure Anbu who had been pursuing him and killed them after clearing the forest to force a direct fight. He treated his minor wounds and left the battlefield.

• Qian used a shadow clone as a decoy, then hid in the forest and waited for his pursuers.
• Qian ambushed two Iwagakure Anbu with explosive-tagged kunai and followed up with shuriken and the Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
• The Iwagakure Anbu avoided close combat and tried to stall Qian, so he unleashed Wind Style: Great Breakthrough to destroy the trees and expose them.
• Qian charged the injured Anbu and fought both enemies, killing them in a little over ten minutes.
• Qian treated his minor injuries with the Healing Technique and left without cleaning up the battlefield.

After escaping Iwagakure’s pursuit, Qian crossed into Konoha-controlled territory and encountered Uchiha Shisui. He continued on his way, reflecting on Shisui’s talent and deciding to focus on strengthening his physical constitution.

• The Anbu captain and Suzune examined the scene where Qian had killed their teammates, found too many confusing traces to track him quickly, and ordered squads ahead to block roads toward the Rain Country border.
• Qian evaded Iwagakure’s roadblocks and mountain searches, crossed into Rain Country, and reached Konoha’s area of control after several days.
• Qian encountered Uchiha Shisui and his squad, and Shisui recognized him after Qian confirmed his identity.
• Shisui sensed that Qian’s Sharingan might surpass his own and felt a competitive urge.
• Qian estimated that Shisui’s Sharingan progress was only one or two thousand points behind his, then resolved to improve his physical constitution rather than rush to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

After returning to the Main Camp, Qian rested and assessed his progress, then planned how to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan safely and prepare for future threats involving the Tailed Beasts. He decided to focus on training while postponing any move against the Tailed Beasts or Konoha’s leadership.

• Qian returned to the Main Camp, bathed, submitted his mission report, and slept for more than twenty hours.
• Qian checked his Proficiency Panel and calculated that he needed about ten days of chakra recovery to bring his Sharingan close to evolution.
• Qian planned to train the Mind Reflection Technique until his Sharingan was near awakening, then improve his Physical Constitution to reduce the risk of genetic disease.
• Qian considered the dangers posed by Black Zetsu, Uchiha Madara, and Nagato, and concluded that he needed stronger detection abilities before pursuing any Tailed Beast.
• Qian considered learning the Flying Thunder God Technique but believed Sarutobi Hiruzen would not let him study it, and he chose not to confront Sarutobi Hiruzen or Shimura Danzō during the war.

Qian spent a peaceful period refining his swordsmanship and planning three signature techniques to complement his combat abilities. He resumed training after deciding how he might develop each technique and what resources they would require.

• Qian practiced swordsmanship while reserving time to consider how he could develop it further.
• Qian planned the Shadow Sword Technique, which would use real and false strikes to make his attacks harder to defend against.
• Qian outlined the Flash Sword Technique, which would fuse Wind Release with swordsmanship and require greater skill and a superior chakra-conducting blade.
• Qian devised the Illusion Sword Technique, which would combine genjutsu with sword moves once his Genjutsu: Sharingan reached its perfected level.
• Qian gathered his emotions and continued practicing swordsmanship.

Qian was approved for promotion to jonin and attended a meeting where Orochimaru formally granted him the rank. The meeting ended with Orochimaru deciding that Konoha would counterattack Iwagakure, and the jonin began planning the operation.

• An Uchiha clan jonin told Qian that Command Headquarters had approved his promotion and would announce it at a meeting the next morning.
• Qian continued training, improving his Mind Reflection Technique and Swordsmanship before attending the meeting at Command Headquarters.
• Orochimaru formally announced Qian's promotion to jonin before the gathered Leaf Village jonin.
• Orochimaru asked whether Konoha should counterattack Iwagakure, and the jonin debated the risks and opportunities.
• Orochimaru decided to attack Iwagakure, and the jonin spent nearly two hours discussing the operation's details.

Qian spent a week training before his deployment to the Iwagakure front, bringing his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to the brink of evolution. Concerned about the physical strain of awakening Mangekyō, he turned to medical ninjutsu to strengthen his body and began by improving his Healing Technique.

• Qian met the Leaf Village Jonin and then devoted the following week to intensive training before the counteroffensive mission.
• On the day before departure, Qian saw that his Sharingan had reached 9999/10000 proficiency and tested the pressure of its limit state.
• Qian worried that Mangekyō Sharingan would place too much strain on his body and resolved to raise his Physical Constitution first.
• Qian exchanged merit for Mystical Palm Technique and Chakra Scalpel, agreeing to help treat wounded shinobi during the war.
• Qian put the two scrolls aside and began training Healing Technique toward mastery.

Qian and the Leaf shinobi advanced to a frontline stronghold and prepared for a major counterattack against Iwagakure. After sneaking within one kilometer of the enemy stronghold, one squad was spotted, leaving the attack poised to begin.

• Qian marched with several hundred Leaf shinobi toward the frontline, worrying that Iwagakure might have a hidden weapon and that the counteroffensive would not go as planned.
• The force reached a small Leaf stronghold, where a Nara clan Jonin assigned Qian to the Combat Unit to fight enemy Jonin.
• After two days of rest and preparation, the Leaf shinobi split into four squads and set out to attack the Iwagakure stronghold as part of a coordinated front-wide operation.
• Using the Byakugan to locate hidden sentries and assassins to eliminate them, the four squads advanced to within one kilometer of the stronghold.
• One squad exposed its tracks, disrupting the Leaf force's attempt to approach undetected.

Qian’s squad joined the assault on an Iwagakure stronghold and discovered that the Rock Ninja had secretly reinforced it. Qian broke through their formation and defeated the Chunin protecting a Hidden Rock jonin, Ishida Shinsuke, before launching his attack on him.

• Qian’s squad and two other squads charged the Iwagakure stronghold after the exposed squad drew the Rock Ninja’s attention.
• Qian realized the stronghold held nearly fifty more Rock Ninja than intelligence had reported, as Iwagakure had secretly returned its reinforcements.
• Qian used his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to evade a barrage of Kunai and send several of them back into Rock Hidden Genin.
• Qian hypnotized several Rock Ninja and used the Body Flicker Technique to exploit gaps in Ishida Shinsuke’s coordination with the Chunin guarding him.
• Qian brought down all the Chunin Ishida Shinsuke had gathered, then charged at Ishida Shinsuke as their duel began.

Qian used his Sharingan and unusual swordsmanship to overwhelm Ishida Shinsuke and kill him. Ishida’s dying words gave Qian the name “Ghost Sword,” a title that would soon spread across the Rain Country Battlefield.

• Qian used his Sharingan and blind-spot attacks to keep Ishida Shinsuke on the defensive.
• Ishida Shinsuke adapted to Qian’s repeated attacks, but Qian abruptly changed tactics and trapped him with Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.
• Qian abandoned the idea of keeping Ishida Shinsuke alive as a Chakra Battery and stabbed him through the heart.
• Ishida Shinsuke called Qian “Ghost Sword” before dying, and Qian decided the name suited him.

Qian killed Ishida Shinsuke and fought Toyama Daito, using the battle to improve his swordsmanship while the Leaf ninja overwhelmed the Rock Ninja. Toyama Daito realized Qian was holding back and launched a desperate counterattack.

• Qian checked his Status Panel and saw that his Swordsmanship proficiency had risen by more than twenty points after killing Ishida Shinsuke.
• Qian took over the fight against Toyama Daito and told the Leaf Village Jonin to command the battle.
• Qian used Toyama Daito’s movements and blind spots to keep him on the defensive while refining his swordsmanship.
• Toyama Daito noticed Qian was using him to practice, saw the Rock Ninja numbers dwindling, and launched a counterattack.
• Qian noticed something unusual as Toyama Daito changed his movements.

Qian killed Toyama Daito and helped treat the wounded after Konoha's forces defeated the Rock Ninja at a stronghold. He then led the advance against a second-line camp, where Iwagakure's forces retreated with much of their high-end combat strength, leaving Qian expecting a harder battle ahead.

• Qian avoided Toyama Daito's desperate attack, wounded him, and killed him with a sword thrust through the heart.
• Qian joined the Medical Ninja in treating Leaf casualties after the battle, which ended with 105 enemies killed and 22 Leaf ninja dead after treatment.
• After reorganizing, Qian's force advanced toward an Iwagakure second-line camp as part of Orochimaru's plan to pressure the defensive line.
• Qian's force defeated the camp's defenders in just over half an hour, while Rock Jonin retreated with some of their troops.
• Qian treated the wounded and resolved to kill as many enemies as possible in future battles, confident he could replenish his chakra with his Chakra Absorption Technique.

After Qian’s squad exhausted Iwagakure’s forces through a night of attacks, they lured the Rock Ninja from their third defensive line and began a large battle. Qian was besieged by three Special Jonin, but he believed he could defeat them.

• Qian and his squad destroyed two more Iwagakure camps, while other strongholds reported that Iwagakure had drawn troops away from their positions.
• Nara Sishui ordered the squad to rest, but Rock Ninja harassed them, so Qian led Leaf Chunin on patrol and swept the surrounding forest.
• As Iwagakure prepared to keep them from leaving, Nara Sishui changed the attack order to a retreat and lured the Rock Ninja out of their camp.
• Two hundred Rock Ninja pursued the Leaf squad, and both sides launched ranged attacks before charging into a large melee.
• Three Hidden Rock Special Jonin coordinated their attacks against Qian, who judged that he could handle them.

Qian fought three coordinated Hidden Stone jōnin, using his Sharingan and swordsmanship to withstand their attacks and counter with genjutsu and a powerful fireball. After dodging nearly a hundred Rock Spikes, he faced the surviving jōnin in a forest transformed into stone.

• Qian defended against the coordinated attacks of three Hidden Stone jōnin and identified their roles in the team tactic.
• Qian used his Sharingan’s hypnotic ability to briefly trance Sugiyama Taro, but the kunai-wielding jōnin protected him while the distant jōnin threw Shuriken at Qian.
• Qian retreated, launched a massive Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, and forced Sugiyama Taro and his companion to dodge the burning debris after their Earth Shore Return cracked.
• Qian recognized the distant jōnin’s Earth Mausoleum Spear and dodged nearly a hundred Rock Spikes as the attacks grew faster.
• Qian surveyed the stone forest left by the attacks and saw that the distant Hidden Stone jōnin looked dissatisfied.