Chapter Summaries

Lin Chuan split from his pursuers with a Shadow Clone, which encountered Yahiko and Konan in Amegakure while his real body fled toward the Land of Fire. After Yahiko killed the Grass Ninja tracking squad, Lin Chuan escaped the Rain Tiger at Will Technique’s range and crossed into the Land of Fire with two ANBU still pursuing him.

• Lin Chuan sent his Shadow Clone toward Amegakure and fled south with his real body, while the Grass Ninja tracking squad and ANBU split up to pursue them.
• Nagato warned Konan that the intruder had killed twelve pursuers, and Yahiko and Konan confronted Lin Chuan’s Shadow Clone.
• Lin Chuan dispelled the Shadow Clone as the tracking squad arrived, and Yahiko killed the captain, the other three members, and their ninja dog.
• Yahiko and Konan stopped pursuing the intruder, while Lin Chuan received his Shadow Clone’s memories and headed east toward the Land of Fire.
• Lin Chuan removed his Grass Ninja rogue-ninja forehead protector and outran the two Grass Ninja ANBU across the border into the Land of Fire.

Lin Chuan returned to Konoha after his mission and staged his collapse to escape further ANBU training. Hiruzen Sarutobi learned of his ordeal and promised Maruboshi Kosuke that Lin Chuan would not be sent back to Danzo’s ANBU while he recovered.

• Lin Chuan evaded the Grass Ninja ANBU at the Land of Fire border and hid overnight in a warehouse after reaching a nearby town.
• Lin Chuan disguised himself as an exhausted, injured child and collapsed at Konoha’s gate after handing Izumo Kamizuki an intelligence scroll.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi read Lin Chuan’s intelligence about Hozuki Castle’s Box of Ultimate Bliss and went to see the child at the hospital.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi recognized Lin Chuan and summoned Maruboshi Kosuke, resolving to stop Danzo from training children for the ANBU.
• Maruboshi Kosuke pleaded for Lin Chuan not to return to Danzo’s ANBU, and Hiruzen Sarutobi promised to discuss the matter after Lin Chuan recovered.

Lin Chuan used his new teacher, Maruboshi Kosuke, to leave Root, while Hiruzen Sarutobi challenged Danzo over the boy’s recruitment. Danzo reluctantly let Lin Chuan go but revealed his bloody record to make Hiruzen wary of him.

• Lin Chuan recovered enough to walk and accompanied Maruboshi Kosuke to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo on the Hokage Tower roof.
• Lin Chuan addressed Danzo as “Lord Danzo,” prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to accuse Danzo of misusing Root and demand that Lin Chuan join the ANBU.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi defended Lin Chuan’s right to study under his teacher, and Lin Chuan demonstrated his mastery of a simplified Water Dragon Bullet.
• Danzo produced an intelligence scroll detailing Lin Chuan’s kills during his undercover mission in Kusagakure and his escape back to Konoha.
• Danzo warned Hiruzen Sarutobi that Lin Chuan was more dangerous than he seemed and hoped the Hokage would distrust him enough for him to return to Root.

After Danzo left, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent Lin Chuan home with his father and entrusted Maruboshi Kosuke with guiding him. Hiruzen abandoned plans to put Lin Chuan in ANBU, hoping he would grow alongside his classmates as a possible future Hokage.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi warned Danzo not to take children for ANBU training again, then asked Lin Chuan about the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
• Lin Chuan told Hiruzen Sarutobi that the Box was inside Hozuki Castle's prison, under Mui's control.
• Lin Chuan's father arrived, embraced him, and took him home after Hiruzen Sarutobi gave permission.
• Maruboshi Kosuke asked Hiruzen Sarutobi whether Lin Chuan was truly strong, and Hiruzen urged him to train and guide the boy as a potential Kage.
• Maruboshi Kosuke went to Lin Chuan's home to supervise his training, while Hiruzen Sarutobi decided against sending him early to ANBU.

Lin Chuan returned home after escaping Root, and Maruboshi Kosuke promised to train him so he could protect himself. They planned to keep him in the Ninja Academy while using the upcoming break for intensive training, then quietly left Konoha together.

• Lin Chuan reunited with his parents, and Maruboshi Kosuke told them he had brought him home and would train him as a Jonin.
• The next morning, Lin Chuan agreed to train with Maruboshi Kosuke while continuing to attend the Ninja Academy.
• Maruboshi Kosuke planned to take Lin Chuan away during the school break for intensive training.
• Lin Chuan packed his belongings and slipped out of Konoha with Maruboshi Kosuke without Danzo learning of their departure.

Lin Chuan trained with Maruboshi Kosuke by the sea, developing a Water Release trap and improving his combat skills. After two months of intense training, they returned to Konoha before the Ninja Academy’s new term.

• Maruboshi Kosuke assessed Lin Chuan’s skills and identified taijutsu, swordsmanship, and combat experience as his main weaknesses.
• Lin Chuan used a Water Clone and the Water Prison Technique to trap Maruboshi Kosuke, demonstrating a defensive technique that could also suffocate an opponent.
• Maruboshi Kosuke analyzed the technique’s strengths and weaknesses, and Lin Chuan proposed having a clone maintain the prison while his real body stayed hidden.
• Maruboshi Kosuke set two months of relentless weapons-based combat training for Lin Chuan and promised to teach him powerful swordsmanship if he could land a hit.
• After two months of training that greatly improved his taijutsu, swordsmanship, and combat skills, Lin Chuan returned to Konoha with Maruboshi Kosuke.

Lin Chuan returned to Konoha after two months of training with Maruboshi Kosuke and reviewed his progress and plans for getting stronger. The next morning, his mother told him that a classmate had come looking for him.

• Maruboshi Kosuke sent Lin Chuan home while he went to report to the Hokage and submit their mission.
• Lin Chuan reunited with his parents, checked on his crows, and told his father about his training with Maruboshi Kosuke.
• Lin Chuan inspected his personal panel and saw that his Iaido had reached Genin level.
• Lin Chuan planned to raise his combat skills and Water Release techniques and aimed to graduate from the Ninja Academy at Special Jonin level.
• The next morning, Lin Chuan's mother told him that a classmate was looking for him.

Lin Chuan reunited with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji, but a seal prevented him from telling them where he had been. He trained with his friends and Rock Lee, then used chakra threads to catch fish for breakfast, impressing Shikamaru with his skill.

• Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji visited Lin Chuan, and Lin Chuan showed Shikamaru the seal that kept him from revealing where he had been.
• Lin Chuan and his friends trained in the snowy backyard, where Naruto and Shikamaru joined his morning run.
• Rock Lee joined the group and continued running after the others returned to Lin Chuan's backyard.
• Lin Chuan told Shikamaru that hard work could help civilian ninja advance, then changed the subject by offering to catch fish.
• Lin Chuan used chakra threads attached to six kunai to pull six fish from the pond, surprising Shikamaru with his chakra control.

Lin Chuan shared roasted sweet potatoes and grilled fish with Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, and Rock Lee before inviting Naruto to dinner. The chapter ended with Lin Chuan’s father accepting that his son would associate with Naruto despite the village’s fears about the Nine-Tails.

• Lin Chuan served Rock Lee sweet potatoes and grilled fish after Rock Lee collapsed from training, and called him a friend.
• Lin Chuan shared the remaining food with Shikamaru, Naruto, and Choji while feeding the crows in his backyard.
• After their afternoon training, Shikamaru, Choji, and Rock Lee left with their mothers, and Lin Chuan invited Naruto to dinner.
• Lin Chuan’s mother questioned why he had brought Naruto home, but Lin Chuan’s father reminded her that the Third had given them instructions about the boy.
• Lin Chuan’s father watched the snow and worried privately about Naruto, the Nine-Tails, and his own inability to affect the village’s decisions.

Lin Chuan returned to the Ninja Academy after two years away and resumed classes, where he encountered Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto proposed a deal involving Sasuke, and Lin Chuan agreed in exchange for a top-quality chakra blade.

• Lin Chuan returned to the Academy, surprised his classmates, and caught up with Naruto during lunch.
• Lin Chuan joined physical education and spotted a child climbing over the wall to skip school.
• Lin Chuan met Kabuto Yakushi in the bathroom and sensed his concealed hostility.
• Kabuto proposed a deal, and Lin Chuan guessed it involved Sasuke and an order from Danzo.
• Lin Chuan agreed to help Kabuto in exchange for a top-quality chakra blade about one meter long.

Lin Chuan agreed to spy on Sasuke Uchiha for Kabuto Yakushi in exchange for a Chakra Blade, then confronted and brutally beat Sasuke to provoke his desire for revenge. Sasuke broke down crying as Lin Chuan described the gulf between him and his powerful older brother.

• Kabuto Yakushi offered Lin Chuan a Chakra Blade in exchange for six-month reports on Sasuke Uchiha, and Lin Chuan accepted.
• After Kabuto Yakushi left, Lin Chuan went after Sasuke Uchiha to begin observing him.
• Lin Chuan provoked Sasuke by the river, then used a Water Clone and the Body Flicker Technique to ambush and repeatedly overpower him.
• Lin Chuan taunted Sasuke about being too weak to avenge his family, causing Sasuke to break down in tears.
• Lin Chuan described Sasuke's older brother as a genius Jonin and told Sasuke he would never be able to take revenge.

After defeating Sasuke, Lin Chuan befriended him over ramen and planned to help him develop his talent. The next morning, Sasuke greeted Lin Chuan at the Ninja Academy, and Iruka began class with all his students back in attendance.

• Lin Chuan taunted Sasuke into promising to grow stronger and take revenge, then offered him a hand up.
• Lin Chuan treated Sasuke to ramen at Ichiraku, and Sasuke enjoyed the meal and admitted to himself that having a friend felt good.
• Lin Chuan considered Sasuke's potential and wondered whether he would remain in Konoha or join Orochimaru after the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• The next morning, Sasuke greeted Lin Chuan in class, surprising their classmates, and Lin Chuan joked that Sasuke was a customer who had asked him to bring lunch.
• Iruka welcomed the class back, took attendance, and began the lesson with the new textbooks.

Lin Chuan trained with Sasuke and showed him the records of his years of relentless practice, inspiring Sasuke to commit himself to becoming strong enough to defeat Itachi. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji also left class to train, and the chapter ended with Naruto joining Lin Chuan and Sasuke for a run.

• Lin Chuan skipped PE to practice throwing water drops at a moving target, while Sasuke trained beside him and Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji followed them away from class.
• Naruto joined the training, and Shikamaru and Choji eventually skipped class as well to train at the grounds.
• Lin Chuan showed Sasuke his Training Logbook, which documented his rigorous training since he was six.
• Lin Chuan told Sasuke that hard work had made him stronger, and Sasuke resolved to train harder so he could defeat Itachi and avenge his family.
• Lin Chuan invited Naruto to train with them, and Naruto chose to join Lin Chuan and Sasuke on their weighted run.

Over six months, Lin Chuan continued training Naruto and Sasuke, defeating them in a spar while advising Naruto on learning ninjutsu. After the boys left, Lin Chuan sensed someone with killing intent watching him in the woods and called them out.

• Lin Chuan sparred with Naruto and Sasuke, using steel wires and three Chakra Blades to defeat Sasuke while Naruto remained trapped in a Water Prison.
• Lin Chuan explained that his Water Dragon Bullet consumed too much chakra and advised Naruto to improve his chakra control or try Hand Seal-less Ninjutsu.
• Naruto eagerly went to find someone who could teach him a Hand Seal-less Ninjutsu, while Sasuke returned to train and Lin Chuan headed home.
• Lin Chuan sensed killing intent in the woods and called for the hidden watcher to come out, noting that the ANBU had left.

Lin Chuan traded half a year's observations of Sasuke to Kabuto Yakushi and reviewed the gains from his training. As he entered his fifth year at the Ninja Academy, most of his skills had advanced, but his Iaido training had stalled just short of a breakthrough.

• Kabuto Yakushi met Lin Chuan and praised his sharp senses after observing him for half a year.
• Lin Chuan gave Kabuto Yakushi half a year's logs about Sasuke and agreed to trade the fifth-year records for a Chakra Blade.
• Lin Chuan checked his panel and found his talent had risen to forty, his strength had reached Chunin level, and his water-nature transformation had improved.
• Lin Chuan reviewed his growing proficiency in throwing, ninjutsu, and water-release techniques, while noting that Iaido had stalled at 19,999 points.

Lin Chuan broke through Iaido’s bottleneck by cutting a kunai, though the effort ruined his Chakra Blade. He considered how to improve his techniques and prepared for the coming school year, with plans to seek new jutsu and a better blade.

• Lin Chuan reasoned that Iaido’s next obstacle was cutting harder materials, then used a chakra-coated draw slash to split a kunai in half and damaged his Chakra Blade.
• Lin Chuan checked his personal panel and saw that Iaido had reached its limit break, then considered acquiring a stronger Body Flicker Technique to complement it.
• Lin Chuan planned to obtain a Chakra Blade through his deal with Kabuto Yakushi and to learn A-rank ninjutsu and Wind Release from Maruboshi Kosuke and a recommended instructor.
• Lin Chuan recalled how Naruto, Sasuke, Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and others had trained and shared meals at his home during summer vacation.
• Lin Chuan thought of Terai, Torune, and Fu in Root and missed them, though he did not want to return there.

One year later, Lin Chuan, Naruto, and Sasuke tested their combat skills, and Naruto and Sasuke pushed Lin Chuan harder than before. After Lin Chuan won, the three shared a meal by the river, where Lin Chuan gave Sasuke a birthday kunai.

• Naruto and Sasuke worked together to escape Lin Chuan’s Water Prison and drove him into the river.
• Naruto used repeated Shadow Clone Jutsu to create dozens of clones, but Lin Chuan scattered them with Water Shock Wave and outmaneuvered Naruto underwater.
• Sasuke used Majestic Destroyer Flame, but Lin Chuan used the steam for cover and held a Chakra Blade to Sasuke’s neck.
• Lin Chuan helped Sasuke and Naruto back to shore, and the three warmed themselves by a fire after eating grilled fish.
• Lin Chuan gave Sasuke a kunai for his birthday and told him and Naruto they were nearly stronger than him.

Lin Chuan celebrated Sasuke’s birthday with Sasuke and Naruto after another training match, then traded his detailed observations of Sasuke for a Chakra Blade from Kabuto Yakushi. He left with the weapon and promised to keep their arrangement secret.

• Lin Chuan explained that his swift slash combined samurai iaido with the Body Flicker Technique, and Sasuke accepted a birthday kunai from him.
• Lin Chuan, Sasuke, and Naruto ate grilled fish together before Sasuke woke Naruto and took him back to Konoha.
• Kabuto Yakushi arrived at Lin Chuan’s camp and exchanged a Chakra Blade for Lin Chuan’s detailed yearlong records of Sasuke.
• Lin Chuan tested the blade’s chakra transmission, then left after Kabuto reminded him to keep their deal secret.

On graduation day, Lin Chuan met Naruto and reviewed how much his skills had grown during two years of training. Naruto had passed the exam, and Lin Chuan was about to join a Jonin-led team, leaving him less time to train.

• Lin Chuan greeted Naruto at the Ninja Academy after the graduation exams, and Naruto showed him his Konoha forehead protector.
• Lin Chuan reviewed his improved talents, Chunin-level strength, Water Release progress, and newly begun Wind Release training.
• Lin Chuan checked his throwing skills and noted that his Shuriken Manipulation Technique had reached the usable stage.
• Lin Chuan assessed his Ninjutsu progress, including his limit-break Shadow Clone and nearly capped Body Flicker Technique.
• Lin Chuan reflected on learning the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique and decided to focus on Wind Release after joining his Jonin team.

Over two years, Chiba Lin Chuan advanced his Water Release techniques, unlocked Chakra Scalpel, and learned to summon his backyard crow. After graduating, he received his genin team assignment and waited to meet his jonin instructor.

• Chiba Lin Chuan reviewed his ninjutsu progress, noting that Water Drop and Heavenly Weeping had reached the limit-breaking stage and several other Water Release techniques had reached chunin level.
• Chiba Lin Chuan found that years of chakra control and blade practice had unlocked Chakra Scalpel, which became his first A-rank ninjutsu to reach chunin level.
• Chiba Lin Chuan signed a Summoning Contract with the crow in his backyard and learned the Summoning Technique.
• Iruka-sensei congratulated the students on becoming genin and explained that they would form teams of three under jonin instructors.
• Iruka-sensei announced Team 7, Team 8, Team 9, and Team 10; Chiba Lin Chuan was assigned to Team 9 with two unnamed teammates.
• Chiba Lin Chuan wondered whether Maruboshi Kosuke had asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to find him a jonin instructor who knew Wind Release, then waited for the instructors to arrive.