Chapter Summaries

Qian Ye learned that Sunagakure had accepted Hidden Leaf’s peace terms, but he suspected the unusually generous reparations concealed a trap. Hiruzen ordered him to escort Pakura to the border despite his protests, promising support and a Chunin promotion if the handover succeeded.

• Hiruzen told Qian Ye that Sunagakure had accepted the peace terms, including gold mine rights and three years of military-budget reparations.
• Hiruzen ordered Qian Ye to escort Pakura to the Land of Rivers border after she insisted he accompany her.
• Qian Ye complained about his injuries and demanded rest, but Hiruzen explained that Pakura would refuse the handover without him.
• Qian Ye warned Hiruzen that Sunagakure’s agreement was suspicious and might conceal an ambush at the handover site.
• Hiruzen explained that Hidden Leaf needed peace to reinforce the northern front and promised ANBU reconnaissance, Orochimaru’s support, a Chunin promotion, and a five-hundred-thousand-ryō bonus.

Qian Ye accepted the mission to escort Pakura back to Sunagakure for five hundred thousand ryo, while suspecting the village planned to kill her during the handover. As Pakura followed him through Konoha, its peaceful streets stirred envy and confusion in her, and she briefly wished she could stay.

• Qian Ye agreed to the mission after demanding that Hiruzen pay him five hundred thousand ryo, and they set the meeting for six the next morning.
• Pakura boasted that Sunagakure had not abandoned her, but Qian Ye sarcastically doubted Rasa and Chiyo's intentions and expected the handover to be a trap.
• Unable to use Scorch Release because her Chakra was sealed, Pakura bit Qian Ye's arm in anger and drew blood.
• Pakura followed Qian Ye through Konoha, insisting that Hiruzen had made him responsible for her safety until the handover.
• As Pakura saw Konoha's well-fed civilians and peaceful streets, she compared their lives with Sunagakure's hardship and felt an unexplained desire to remain.

Pakura struggled to suppress her doubts about Sunagakure’s future while walking through Hidden Leaf with Qian Ye, who teased her and a boastful child they encountered. Qian Ye then met Uchiha Yan and learned that the toddler begging for dango was Uchiha Shisui, a future genius he recognized.

• Pakura caught a child who stumbled toward her and was embarrassed when he mistook her and Qian Ye for a couple.
• The child bragged that he would become Hidden Leaf’s strongest ninja and win Pakura, so Qian Ye kicked him down and mocked his boasts.
• Pakura scolded Qian Ye for picking on a five-year-old, and Qian Ye teased her for blushing and called her an old woman.
• Qian Ye and Pakura ran into Uchiha Yan, who was out with his young cousin and refused to give him more dango.
• Yan identified the toddler as Uchiha Shisui, and Qian Ye recognized him as the future wielder of Kotoamatsukami.

Qian Ye flicked young Shisui and tried to pass it off as impact-resistance training, then asked to do the same to the unborn Itachi. At Uchiha Fugaku’s home, Yan heard Fugaku name his coming child Uchiha Itachi and realized Qian Ye had somehow known the name in advance.

• Qian Ye flicked Shisui, making the child wail as Yan and Pakura condemned him.
• Qian Ye claimed the flick was training and tried to flick Shisui again, but Yan fled with him.
• Qian Ye asked where Itachi was, then learned that Mikoto had not yet given birth.
• Yan took Shisui to Uchiha Fugaku’s home, where Fugaku said he would name his unborn son Uchiha Itachi.
• Yan recalled Qian Ye asking to flick Itachi and became alarmed that Qian Ye had known the name before the child was born.

Qian Ye noticed Pakura’s longing for a pinwheel and secretly bought one for her, softening her guarded attitude toward him. As they continued through the Hidden Leaf, Root ninja blocked their way and said Danzo wanted to see Qian Ye.

• Pakura stopped to watch children’s pinwheels and remembered the crude toy her father had made for her before he died in the war.
• Qian Ye returned to the stall and bought a red-and-yellow pinwheel while an ANBU ninja followed him.
• Qian Ye gave Pakura the pinwheel, and she hid it in her sleeve despite insisting it would not buy her off.
• Two Root ninja blocked Qian Ye and Pakura on a secluded street and told Qian Ye that Danzo wished to see him.
• An ANBU decided to report Root’s appearance to the Hokage while the other stayed to watch.

Qian Ye agreed to meet Danzo while privately suspecting the summons was a trap, and he arranged for Pakura to leave with ANBU rather than come along. As Root led him into secluded parts of Hidden Leaf, he contacted Zhao Hai for backup, who recognized Danzo as Hidden Leaf’s “Pot King.”

• Qian Ye agreed to accompany two masked Root ninja to meet Danzo and flattered him by invoking Orochimaru’s name.
• Qian Ye told Pakura to leave, then exposed a hidden ANBU on the rooftop and had him escort her back to the Hokage Building.
• After Pakura departed, Qian Ye dropped his arrogant act and followed Root while considering Danzo’s possible coercion, control tactics, and valuables.
• Qian Ye messaged Zhao Hai through the Cross-Border Mutual Aid Group and explained that he was going to meet Danzo.
• Zhao Hai replied that Garp had held him underwater and identified Danzo as Hidden Leaf’s Pot King.

Qian Ye arranged a one-time emergency substitute through Zhao Hai, who secured Monkey D. Garp’s help in exchange for a water-surface walking method. Qian Ye then entered the Root underground hall and faced Shimura Danzō.

• Qian Ye warned Zhao Hai that Danzo might target him and asked him to arrange a powerful substitute through the Cross-Border Employment System.
• Zhao Hai offered Garp the water-surface walking training method in return for helping his supposedly endangered cousin, and Garp accepted the commission.
• The system confirmed Garp as Qian Ye’s substitute, with three minutes of support and a thirty-day cooldown.
• Zhao Hai told Qian Ye about the limits of Garp’s support and warned him to save it for a life-threatening crisis.
• Qian Ye followed two Root ninja underground, entered their hall, and found Shimura Danzō waiting among masked Root ninja.

Qian Ye disarmed Danzo’s intimidation with extravagant praise, then faced his accusation that he had concealed the attackers’ use of Hatake Clan swordsmanship. He admitted what the attackers had used and claimed their dying slogans pledged loyalty to Lord White Fang, leaving Danzo threatening to execute him for harboring traitors.

• Danzo surrounded Qian Ye with Root shinobi to intimidate him, but Qian Ye stood unfazed.
• Qian Ye loudly praised Danzo as Hidden Leaf’s true pillar and declared him the leader worth following.
• Danzo enjoyed the flattery before resuming his stern posture and questioning Qian Ye about the attack on the road back to the village.
• Qian Ye admitted that the attackers used Hatake Style Swordsmanship and had shouted slogans about giving their lives in loyalty to Lord White Fang.
• Danzo accused Qian Ye of concealing the truth and threatened to execute him, but Qian Ye called him foolish.

Qian Ye convinced Danzo that Uchiha Yan was plotting to recruit Hatake Sakumo, then offered to infiltrate the Uchiha on Danzo’s behalf. Pakura realized Qian Ye had acted cruelly to protect her from Danzo, and Hiruzen learned that Root had taken Qian Ye away.

• Qian Ye blamed Uchiha Yan and Hyuga Tianfeng for concealing the identities of White Fang’s former subordinates, then persuaded Danzo that the Uchiha planned to recruit Hatake Sakumo.
• Qian Ye offered to infiltrate the Uchiha and uncover their plans, impressing Danzo, who saw him as ideal Root material.
• Pakura reconsidered Qian Ye’s harsh treatment of her, realized he had been trying to keep her away from Danzo, and hurried to meet Hiruzen.
• An ANBU told Hiruzen that Root had taken Qian Ye from an alley, and Hiruzen snapped his pen in anger.

Pakura pressured Hiruzen to protect Qian Ye, while Qian Ye won Danzo’s favor by praising his persecution of Hatake Sakumo as necessary for the village. Danzo offered to recruit Qian Ye into Root, but Qian Ye convinced him to keep him in place as an informant and left with a Root token.

• Pakura warned Hiruzen that she would refuse the prisoner exchange if Qian Ye came to harm, so Hiruzen sent ANBU Team One to Root.
• Qian Ye agreed with Danzo’s actions against Hatake Sakumo and argued that punishing him had upheld the Hidden Leaf’s mission-based rules.
• Danzo was moved by Qian Ye’s praise and invited him to join Root as his successor in the village’s darkness.
• Qian Ye declined for the moment, claiming he could better serve Danzo by staying with Orochimaru and gathering intelligence.
• Danzo accepted Qian Ye’s explanation and gave him a token that let him mobilize a Root squad.

Qian Ye won Danzo’s trust and received a Root Token, then left the Root Base with the ANBU sent by Hiruzen. At the Hokage Building, Hiruzen asked what Danzo had wanted with him.

• Qian Ye pledged loyalty to Danzo, who gave him a Root Token and promised to protect him.
• The ANBU burst into the Root Base and found Qian Ye unharmed, sharing a friendly moment with Danzo.
• Qian Ye concealed the token, acted surprised, and left with the ANBU after Danzo warned him to be careful on his mission at the Land of Rivers border.
• Qian Ye told Zhao Hai that he had talked his way into Danzo’s favor, while Zhao Hai reported that Garp had knocked out a giant Sea King.
• Qian Ye arrived at the Hokage Building, where Pakura and Hiruzen Sarutobi were waiting, and Hiruzen asked what Danzo had wanted.

Qian Ye exaggerated his ordeal in Danzo’s Root base to pressure Hiruzen into supporting him for the prisoner exchange escort mission. He demanded ten thousand Explosive Tags, but Hiruzen offered only five hundred.

• Qian Ye spotted the paper pinwheel hidden in Pakura’s sleeve and realized she had helped prompt Hiruzen to intervene at Root Base.
• Qian Ye pretended to have been threatened and nearly traumatized by Danzo’s men, while claiming he had defended Hiruzen’s judgment and the Will of Fire.
• Qian Ye used his supposed injuries to argue that he could not handle the next day’s escort mission, prompting Hiruzen to ask what he wanted.
• Qian Ye warned that threats to Pakura could ruin the peace talks and demanded ten thousand Explosive Tags for the mission.
• Hiruzen refused the request and offered five hundred Explosive Tags, while Qian Ye protested that the amount was insufficient.

Qian Ye negotiated a large supply of equipment and a one-million-ryo reward from Hiruzen for the next day’s secret escort mission, then collected everything from the logistics department. He and Pakura left to eat before their departure at six the next morning, while Qian Ye discussed the haul and possible opportunities in the Sabaody Archipelago with Zhao Hai.

• Qian Ye bargained with Hiruzen for Explosive Tags, special Military Ration Pills, ninja tools, Sealing Scrolls, and a one-million-ryo mission reward, which Hiruzen approved.
• Qian Ye regretted not asking for more, then told Zhao Hai about the deal through the Cross-Border Mutual Aid Group; Zhao Hai shared news about Garp and his planned trip to the Sabaody Archipelago.
• Qian Ye and Pakura went to the logistics department, where Qian Ye used Hiruzen’s authorization to make the duty Chunin gather the supplies and issue a bank draft.
• The Chunin delivered the supplies in three Sealing Scrolls, and Qian Ye invited Pakura to dinner before their early departure, prompting her to tell him to shut his mouth.

Qian Ye prepared to escort Pakura on a prisoner exchange mission and joined the Sparkfire Society for dinner, where Uchiha Yan complained about the Uchiha clan’s treatment in the police force. Qian Ye dismissed Yan’s grievance, setting up a private discussion about the clan’s poor reputation.

• Qian Ye told Pakura he would treat her to a meal, and she chose the expensive Yakiniku Q.
• Qian Ye met Akımichi Hai, Nara Shan, and Yamanaka Hana, then explained that he would escort Pakura to the Land of Rivers for a prisoner exchange the next morning.
• The Sparkfire Society gathered at Yakiniku Q to send Qian Ye off, where Uchiha Yan complained that villagers blamed him after he arrested two thieves.
• Qian Ye explained that the Uchiha’s strict enforcement and unwillingness to adapt had damaged their reputation, then called for a private discussion.
• When Qian Ye asked whether the Uchiha clan felt aggrieved, Yan said they did, and Qian Ye replied, “You deserve it.”

Qian Ye explained how the Uchiha could improve the Police Force’s reputation by recruiting civilian assistants, enforcing rules, publicizing its work, and cooperating with merchants. Uchiha Yan accepted the advice and planned to bring it to his clan head.

• Qian Ye warned Uchiha Yan that the Police Force’s harsh methods could turn villagers against the Uchiha and leave the clan vulnerable to the higher-ups.
• Qian Ye proposed recruiting paid civilian assistants to patrol, mediate disputes, and report incidents while Uchiha officers handled arrests and punishments.
• Qian Ye urged the Uchiha to punish abuses of authority and publicize truthful accounts of the Police Force helping villagers.
• Qian Ye suggested giving cooperating merchants public safety plaques and working with them to share information and protect their shops.
• Akımichi Hai volunteered his family’s barbecue restaurant as the first merchant to display a plaque.
• Uchiha Yan thanked Qian Ye, admitted his arrogance, and said he would present the suggestions to his clan head.

After advising Hidden Leaf’s young clan heirs and parting from Pakura, Qian Ye used the Cross-Border Brothers Mutual Aid Group to send Zhao Hai military supplies. Zhao Hai revealed a treasure map that might lead to a Devil Fruit hidden on an unnamed Grand Line island.

• Qian Ye explained to Pakura that he had advised the young clan heirs to prevent civil war and secure favor with Hidden Leaf’s future leaders.
• Qian Ye returned to his dormitory, used the group’s transfer function, and sent Zhao Hai three hundred Explosive Tags and ten Military Ration Pills.
• Zhao Hai reported that Garp had defeated Buck the Swiftblade, a pirate with a sixty-eight-million-Beli bounty, and was making him practice the Six Powers.
• Zhao Hai told Qian Ye that he had found a treasure map aboard Buck’s ship, which showed a Devil Fruit reportedly hidden on an unnamed island in the Grand Line.

Qian Ye joined Minato Namikaze and two ANBU to escort Pakura toward a prisoner exchange at the Land of Rivers border. The journey began uneventfully, with Minato surprised by Qian Ye’s stamina as they traveled.

• Qian Ye prepared for the escort mission by checking his supplies and drawing on the energy stored in his Yin Seal.
• Qian Ye met Pakura at Konoha’s gates, where Minato Namikaze arrived using the Flying Thunder God Technique to lead the mission.
• Minato treated Pakura respectfully and explained that Orochimaru would meet them at the Land of Rivers border.
• The five-person group set out through the forest, with Pakura keeping pace despite her Chakra Suppression Shackles.
• After three hours of travel, Minato praised Qian Ye’s stamina, and Qian Ye attributed his training to Orochimaru while privately recalling his own unusual training.

Qian Ye traveled with Minato and Pakura to Handover Canyon, using Sea King jerky to restore stamina and build up Chakra. At the Hidden Leaf camp, Orochimaru discovered that Qian Ye had already formed the initial stage of a Yin Seal.

• Qian Ye teased Minato about Jiraiya's research manuscripts, and Pakura misunderstood them as dangerous forbidden books.
• During the journey, Minato and Pakura tried Qian Ye's Sea King jerky and felt their stamina recover.
• Minato, Qian Ye, Pakura, and two ANBU reached Handover Canyon and met Orochimaru at the Hidden Leaf camp.
• Orochimaru examined Qian Ye's forehead and recognized the faint mark as an early Yin Seal formed in only two days.

Qian Ye provoked Minato into promising to teach him the principles behind a new seal-free ninjutsu, while Orochimaru recognized the scheme. The group then turned to the suspicious negotiations with Sunagakure and the tense border situation.

• Orochimaru confirmed that Qian Ye had mastered the Yin Seal and praised his talent.
• Qian Ye twisted Jiraiya's remarks to provoke Minato, who promised to teach him the principles behind his developing seal-free ninjutsu after the mission.
• Orochimaru pointed out that Qian Ye had deliberately baited Minato to obtain access to the new technique.
• Pakura watched Qian Ye joke with Orochimaru and Minato and grew more impressed by his ability and cunning.
• Orochimaru opened a map of the Land of Rivers border, and Minato noted that Ōnoki was active near Kannabi Bridge and that Rasa's quick agreement to negotiations and offer of two gold mines seemed suspicious.

Qian Ye exposed Rasa’s peace offer as a trap designed to lure Hidden Leaf’s delegation into Handover Canyon and kill Pakura, using her death to rally Sunagakure against them. Minato and the others realized the danger, while Pakura concluded that Rasa intended to turn her into a martyr.

• Orochimaru and Minato reviewed Rasa’s unusually generous peace terms, while ANBU reported that Sunagakure’s forces had withdrawn and Fū remained at the main camp.
• Qian Ye warned Minato that Sunagakure’s lack of movement and apparent willingness to surrender its safeguards made the exchange suspicious.
• Qian Ye argued that Rasa expected Hidden Leaf might betray the deal, so Sunagakure would not leave its delegation exposed unless the offer concealed a trap.
• Orochimaru and Minato concluded that Rasa planned to ambush the delegation in Handover Canyon and blame Hidden Leaf for Pakura’s death.
• Pakura realized Rasa meant to use her death to enrage Sunagakure and drive its ninja to fight Hidden Leaf to the death.