Chapter Summaries

Summary of “Divine Artifact”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An old craftsman examines Long Ye’s mask and recognizes that its material resembles that of an extremely rare divine artifact: the Uchiha clan’s Gunbai.
• The Gunbai is known for reflecting all ninjutsu attacks, and the old man concludes that Long Ye’s mask is likely equally extraordinary, though its ability remains dormant.
• The craftsman explains that activating the mask may require an ancient form of chakra unknown in the present world.
• Long Ye realizes that this likely refers to the chakra of Kaguya, the Sage of Six Paths, or another direct descendant of the God Tree’s power. He connects this discovery to his goal of obtaining Indra’s power and awakening the Rinnegan.
• The old man returns the mask to Long Ye, who now treats it as a priceless divine artifact rather than an ordinary ornament.
• When Long Ye tries to purchase another treasure, the old man reminds him of his rule that each customer may obtain only one item. Long Ye argues that the mask was given to him rather than purchased.
• The old man reluctantly allows him to choose another item, but declares that Long Ye must pay ten times its normal price.
• Searching the shop with his Sharingan, Long Ye selects a palm-sized Wooden Kite marked with twelve talismans. It can fly twelve times faster than an ordinary kite and carry twelve people.
• The kite’s normal price is already one hundred million, meaning the tenfold penalty raises the cost to one billion. Long Ye is stunned and begins to fear that he has been trapped by the old man’s rules.

Character Developments

• Long Ye: Gains a deeper understanding of the mask’s origin and potential. His ambition intensifies, as he now has an additional reason to awaken the Rinnegan and obtain ancient chakra. He also displays cleverness and confidence when negotiating with the old man, though his confidence collapses upon hearing the kite’s price.
• The Old Man: Is revealed to possess extensive knowledge of ancient materials and divine artifacts. He remains mysterious, strict, and somewhat eccentric, enforcing unusual shop rules while maintaining control of the interaction.

Significant Themes

• Hidden origins and ancient power: The mask’s possible connection to the God Tree suggests that seemingly ordinary objects may contain world-shaking secrets.
• Power and destiny: Long Ye believes that mastering ancient chakra and awakening the Rinnegan may unlock the mask’s true abilities.
• Greed, value, and risk: Long Ye’s desire to obtain rare treasures leads him into a dangerous financial gamble.
• Rules and cleverness: The exchange highlights the tension between the old man’s rigid rules and Long Ye’s attempts to exploit their wording.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye repeatedly questions the old man about the mask, becoming increasingly excited and urgent as its significance is revealed.
• The old man gives Long Ye valuable information but refuses to explain exactly how the mask can be activated.
• Their relationship becomes adversarial yet playful when Long Ye challenges the one-item rule through wordplay.
• The old man counters Long Ye’s argument with the tenfold price penalty, leaving Long Ye shocked after he selects the powerful Wooden Kite.

Chapter Summary: “Living Puppet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A robbery occurs outside the old man’s shop, but Long Ye remains focused on his own problem: acquiring the old man’s powerful Wooden Kite.
• The old man prices the kite at one billion, far beyond Long Ye’s available funds. However, the kite’s abilities—high-speed flight, the ability to cross water and pierce mountains, and combat strength comparable to a Near-Kage-level ninja—make it extremely valuable to Long Ye.
• Long Ye intends to use the Wooden Kite to escape after raiding Konoha’s Forbidden Jutsu Library, since aerial flight would give him an advantage even against powerful enemies.
• While considering how to obtain the kite, Long Ye notices a living, human-shaped puppet secretly observing him. The puppet flees after being discovered.
• Long Ye questions the old man, who initially refuses to explain and attempts to drive him away.
• To persuade him, Long Ye claims to be the Shinobi World’s greatest medical ninja, known as the “Death Doctor,” and offers to treat the puppet girl for free.
• The old man reveals that the puppet is his granddaughter. She once awakened her clan’s Bloodline Divine Mark but died from a mysterious illness.
• A mysterious person sealed her soul into the Death God Space using ninjutsu. Later, the old man created a forbidden Doppelgänger Puppet and transferred her soul into it, allowing her to “live” again as a puppet.
• Although this process restored her consciousness, it stripped away her former strength and left her dependent on a puppet body.
• Long Ye recognizes the situation as a form of incomplete immortality. He confidently claims he can restore her, prompting the old man to become excited and urgently ask for his help.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates strategic thinking and opportunism. Although he genuinely possesses advanced medical abilities, he deliberately emphasizes his reputation and skills to exploit the old man’s emotional attachment to his granddaughter.
• He also reveals his practical and cautious nature: the Wooden Kite is not merely a luxury but a planned escape tool for his dangerous future raid on Konoha.
• The old man is introduced as a talented but emotionally wounded artisan. His pride and guarded nature weaken when his granddaughter’s condition is discussed.
• His grief and fear for his granddaughter’s future become clear, particularly because he worries about what will happen to her if he dies.
• The granddaughter, though mostly seen through her puppet form, is established as an important figure: she was the only other member of her clan to awaken the Bloodline Divine Mark and now survives in an unnatural, powerless state.

Significant Themes

• The meaning of life and identity: The granddaughter technically survives, but her soul exists inside a puppet body without her former physical strength, raising questions about whether this constitutes true resurrection.
• Love and sacrifice: The old man’s forbidden craftsmanship is driven by his devotion to his granddaughter and his refusal to accept her death.
• Power and its limitations: The chapter contrasts Long Ye’s medical abilities, the old man’s puppet-making techniques, and the mysterious soul-sealing power of the Rinnegan.
• Caution and preparation: Long Ye’s desire for the Wooden Kite reflects the importance of escape routes and contingency planning in the dangerous shinobi world.
• Manipulation versus genuine ability: Long Ye uses calculated persuasion, but his claims are not entirely false; his real medical expertise gives him a credible chance to fulfill his promise.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye and the old man begin as buyer and seller, with the old man refusing to lower the Wooden Kite’s price.
• After Long Ye discovers the puppet girl, the interaction shifts from negotiation to personal revelation.
• Long Ye uses his alleged medical reputation to earn the old man’s attention and exploit his hope.
• The old man reluctantly explains the granddaughter’s tragic history, then becomes deeply hopeful when Long Ye claims her condition can be cured.
• By the end of the chapter, the old man is no longer trying to dismiss Long Ye; instead, he approaches him respectfully and begs for guidance.

Chapter Summary: The Insidious Curse

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Ye explains that resurrecting the old man’s granddaughter, Mi Xiang, would require transferring her soul into another body. Because she possessed her clan’s Bloodline Divine Mark, the resurrection would likely restore her life but not her inherited ability.
• The old man accepts the loss of the clan power, caring more about freeing Mi Xiang from her current puppet-like existence.
• Long Ye explains that the resurrection needs a living body without a soul. The old man suggests using the mysterious man with the terrifying eye, who previously sealed Mi Xiang’s soul and might be able to remove another person’s soul.
• When consulted, Mi Xiang refuses this method because it would require sacrificing an innocent person. She would rather remain in her current state than be resurrected at someone else’s expense.
• The old man asks whether Mi Xiang’s original corpse could be revived. He reveals that he preserved it in a sealed coffin.
• Long Ye examines the corpse and uses his Mangekyō Sharingan. He discovers a black, skull-shaped energy surrounding her heart.
• He concludes that Mi Xiang did not die from a mysterious illness, but from a powerful, long-distance curse resembling the Evil God Cult’s Death Curse. The curse drained her blood vitality and caused her death.
• Long Ye says that if the curse can be removed and Mi Xiang’s blood vitality restored, she may be revived without needing another person’s body. The old man eagerly agrees to let him try.
• At the end, someone—apparently Mi Xiang in her puppet-like form—secretly listens from the doorway, reacting with hope to the possibility of resurrection.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates both practical knowledge and compassion. Although he initially presents a morally troubling resurrection method, he quickly investigates a more ethical alternative and offers to help without demanding payment.
• The old man shifts from accepting the loss of his clan’s Bloodline Divine Mark to desperately seeking any way to restore his granddaughter. His grief and determination become clear as he reveals that he preserved her body for a future chance at revival.
• Mi Xiang is characterized as deeply compassionate and morally principled. Despite having an opportunity to regain life, she rejects the plan because it would involve stealing another person’s body and soul.
• The mysterious man with the terrifying eye remains an important off-screen figure. His ability to seal souls suggests he may be connected to the possible creation of a soulless vessel, though this option is rejected for ethical reasons.
• The unknown watcher at the doorway appears to be Mi Xiang and shows renewed hope after learning that her original body may still be recoverable.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and morality: The chapter questions whether one person’s resurrection is justified if it requires destroying another innocent person.
• Compassion and selflessness: Mi Xiang’s refusal to harm another person emphasizes her kindness, while Long Ye’s willingness to help without reward reinforces the value of altruism.
• Hope after despair: What seemed like an incurable illness may actually be a removable curse, creating a new possibility for resurrection.
• Hidden causes and deception: The discovery that Mi Xiang’s “illness” was actually a curse suggests that past tragedies may have been deliberately engineered.
• The cost of resurrection: Even if Mi Xiang returns to life, she may lose her clan’s special bloodline ability, showing that revival may come with permanent consequences.

Important Character Interactions

• Long Ye and the old man: They discuss the conditions and moral consequences of resurrection. Their relationship develops from a practical consultation into a cooperative effort to save Mi Xiang.
• The old man and Mi Xiang: The old man asks for her opinion, and her refusal reveals her ethical strength while also forcing him to abandon the easiest resurrection method.
• Long Ye and Mi Xiang’s corpse: Through the Mangekyō Sharingan, Long Ye uncovers the supernatural cause of her death and changes the direction of the rescue attempt.
• Mi Xiang and the unseen observers: Although she does not directly participate in the conversation, her reaction from the doorway suggests that Long Ye’s discovery has given her renewed hope.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Ye discovers that his Op-Op Fruit cannot remove the curse afflicting the little girl because the curse has fused completely with her body and functions.
• He uses a Snake Cypress Seed and enters Sage Mode, channeling Senjutsu Chakra into the girl. The seed’s overwhelming natural energy battles the death-aligned curse and ultimately destroys the black skull-shaped curse inside her heart.
• Although the curse is removed, the girl’s body is nearly lifeless. Long Ye performs a form of cell transplantation, using his own blood and Hashirama-enhanced regenerative cells to restart her heart, restore blood production, and revive her physical body.
• The old man is overjoyed when the girl’s body begins to recover. Long Ye explains that the final step is transferring the girl’s soul back into her body.
• The old man calls in Mi Xiang, the girl’s soul housed inside a small, lifelike puppet. The puppet contains eighty-one talismans forming a spell array.
• The old man disrupts the talisman formation, causing the girl’s spirit to emerge from the puppet. Long Ye captures the soul inside a spherical energy barrier in preparation for the transplantation.
• Before the procedure can be completed, the Death God appears, having sensed the girl’s released soul. It attempts to seize her again.
• Long Ye confronts the Death God with a miniature but highly concentrated Susanoo. He reveals its hidden divine weapon, the red Yasakani no Magatama, which visibly alarms the Death God and sets up the impending battle.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates ingenuity and versatility, combining his Op-Op Fruit, Sage Mode, Senjutsu Chakra, Sharingan, medical knowledge, and Hashirama-derived regeneration to overcome the curse.
• His determination becomes especially clear when he refuses to let the Death God reclaim the girl, declaring that it must defeat him first.
• The old man shifts from despair to overwhelming hope and joy as his granddaughter’s body is revived. His affection and protectiveness toward Mi Xiang are emphasized.
• Mi Xiang is portrayed as timid and vulnerable, hiding behind her grandfather’s leg before cautiously accepting the possibility of being restored to life.
• The Death God emerges as a powerful supernatural force and the girl’s persistent enemy, having previously swallowed her soul and now attempting to take it again.

Significant Themes

• Life versus death: Senjutsu Chakra’s vitality opposes the curse’s death energy, while Long Ye’s cells restore life to a body on the verge of death.
• The limits of power and the need for creativity: Long Ye cannot solve the problem through his primary ability alone and must combine several techniques and medical methods.
• Love and hope: The old man’s devotion to his granddaughter motivates the rescue, while the girl’s revival represents hope overcoming an apparently irreversible fate.
• Defiance against supernatural authority: Long Ye challenges the Death God itself, asserting that even divine forces cannot simply take someone under his protection.
• Soul and identity: The distinction between the girl’s body, soul, and puppet vessel highlights the chapter’s exploration of what constitutes life and personhood.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye reassures and instructs the old man throughout the healing process, though his actions carry far more significance than the old man initially understands.
• The old man lovingly encourages Mi Xiang to leave the puppet and trust Long Ye.
• Long Ye handles Mi Xiang’s soul directly, taking responsibility for completing her resurrection.
• The chapter ends with Long Ye and the Death God facing one another, the newly revealed Yasakani no Magatama marking the beginning of their confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “I Got a Younger Sister”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Susanoo throws a red magatama at the Death God’s projected spirit. The magatama splits into three and becomes a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, sealing the Death God inside it. The Death God disappears, and the crisis ends.
• Long Ye suffers severe strain to his left eye after using the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo. His vision weakens, and he realizes that continued use could eventually cause blindness because he lacks the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
• The surgery resumes after the Death God is defeated. Using the Op-Op Fruit, Long Ye successfully restores the girl’s soul to her body with no risk of transplant failure.
• The girl, Mi Xiang, awakens and immediately recognizes her grandfather. She is unexpectedly healthy and discovers that her strength and energy have increased dramatically because Long Ye transplanted some of his cells into her.
• Mi Xiang and her grandfather express their gratitude, but Long Ye refuses formal worship, stating that saving people is part of his duty as a medical ninja.
• The grandfather proposes that Mi Xiang become Long Ye’s younger sister and eventually serve by his side. Long Ye accepts, recognizing both Mi Xiang’s kindness and the potential value of her clan’s crafting abilities, but agrees that she should remain with her grandfather until his death.
• A formal adoption ceremony is held before the memorial tablets of Mi Xiang’s parents. Long Ye and Mi Xiang burn incense, bow, and perform the traditional rites, solidifying their new familial bond.
• Long Ye warns that Mi Xiang now contains a large amount of Senjutsu Chakra. Although she cannot yet control it, her cursed condition has allowed her body to contain the power in an unusual way.
• The grandfather realizes that this Senjutsu Chakra may allow Mi Xiang to create legendary “Divine Talismans,” vastly more powerful versions of the clan’s ordinary Talisman Tools.

Character Developments

• Long Ye: Demonstrates overwhelming power by defeating the Death God’s projection, but suffers the consequences of excessive Sharingan use. He becomes more responsible and emotionally invested after accepting Mi Xiang as his younger sister.
• Mi Xiang: Returns fully to life, regains her physical strength, and gains extraordinary potential through Long Ye’s cell transplant and Senjutsu Chakra. She is formally introduced into Long Ye’s family and begins to view him as her elder brother.
• Mi Xiang’s grandfather: Moves from cautious gratitude to strategic admiration. He recognizes Long Ye as an immensely powerful protector and hopes the family connection will secure Mi Xiang’s future while also benefiting the clan’s crafting tradition.
• The Death God: Its projection is sealed rather than simply destroyed, suggesting that Long Ye’s Sharingan possesses unusual power over supernatural entities.

Significant Themes

• Family formed through choice and gratitude: Long Ye and Mi Xiang become siblings not through blood, but through mutual trust, protection, and a solemn ritual.
• The cost of power: Long Ye’s victory comes at the expense of his eyesight, emphasizing that extraordinary abilities carry serious physical consequences.
• Life, death, and restoration: The chapter contrasts the Death God’s disappearance with Mi Xiang’s successful return to life, highlighting Long Ye’s ability to overcome supernatural death through medicine and power.
• Potential emerging from misfortune: Mi Xiang’s former curse and illness may become the foundation for immense strength and the revival of her clan’s lost Divine Talisman tradition.
• Responsibility and legacy: Long Ye gains a new obligation as Mi Xiang’s elder brother, while Mi Xiang becomes a possible heir to her clan’s ancient craft.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye and the old man cooperate during the exorcism and surgery, with the old man witnessing Long Ye’s strength and later attempting to bind him to the family.
• Mi Xiang’s reunion with her grandfather is emotional, as her awakening ends his fear and grief.
• The grandfather deliberately encourages the relationship between Long Ye and Mi Xiang, both to repay Long Ye and to ensure her protection.
• Long Ye treats Mi Xiang gently, stopping her from kowtowing and accepting her as a sister rather than demanding formal repayment.
• During the adoption ceremony, Mi Xiang shyly acknowledges Long Ye as her “Big Brother,” while Long Ye accepts the role with a growing sense of duty.
• Long Ye’s explanation of Senjutsu Chakra inspires the grandfather to reconsider the future of his clan’s Divine Engraving Craft.

Key plot points and events

• Long Ye and the old man realize that the Akatsuki may have cursed Mi Xiang to pressure the old man into making ten special rings.
• The old man explains that the rings would let their wearers locate one another, travel instantly between them, and combine their power to perform the Phantom Dragons Nine Consuming Seals.
• Long Ye suspects Hidan, an Akatsuki member associated with the Evil God Cult, may have inflicted the curse. He warns that the Akatsuki is powerful and may soon begin its plan to collect the Nine-Tails.
• Rather than openly resist, Long Ye urges the old man to make the rings while secretly sabotaging them, potentially causing the sealing technique to backfire.
• Long Ye leaves with only the Wooden Kite, a flying Talisman Tool that can carry twelve people. The old man had offered him more, partly to test whether he was greedy; Long Ye passes.
• The old man and his granddaughter watch him depart. The girl is still adjusting to calling Long Ye her brother, while the old man privately wonders about Long Ye’s extraordinary abilities and hidden identity.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Ye acts cautiously and strategically, warning the old man not to expose their knowledge or endanger Mi Xiang. He accepts the girl as family but avoids taking advantage of the old man’s generosity.
• The old man shifts from grief and anger to determined cooperation. He agrees to conceal his suspicions and sabotage the Akatsuki’s plan, trusting his skill as a Talisman Tool maker.
• The granddaughter begins accepting Long Ye as her brother, though the new relationship still feels unfamiliar.
• Long Ye and the old man share information and plan in confidence; afterward, the old man reflects on Long Ye’s power and respects his wish to remain unrecognized.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and family: Long Ye’s bond with the girl deepens, and the old man sees him as family.
• Deception and manipulation: The Akatsuki allegedly exploits the old man’s grief to secure the rings.
• Caution and strategy: The characters choose covert sabotage over direct confrontation with a dangerous organization.
• Trust and restraint: Long Ye’s refusal to take extra tools earns the old man’s approval.

Plot points and events

• Long Ye investigates the First Hokage’s necklace after its crystal briefly responds to his Wood Release chakra, then fades. He cannot work out why.
• At the Land of Crafts’ north gate, he meets Pakura and Sasori, who are ready to travel to Bamboo Village. Sasori has already repaired Hiruko, explaining that it can break apart under force to protect its core.
• Long Ye gives Pakura and Sasori Thousand-Faced Masks. They let wearers sense one another, exchange thoughts, resist techniques that inspect the body, and slightly improve chakra refinement. Pakura and Sasori accept them.
• Long Ye reveals a Wooden Kite, which expands into a flying craft. The three set off for Bamboo Village.
• After they leave, Tsunade and Shizune emerge from hiding. Tsunade identifies the kite as a high-grade Talisman Tool from the ancient Ninja Craftsmen Clan and wonders how Long Ye obtained it. She explains that such tools are rare, and that she herself once bought a low-grade one.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Ye remains resourceful and generous, equipping his companions with useful tools; the mysterious necklace’s reaction to his chakra remains unresolved.
• Pakura appears uncomfortable after Sasori reprimands her for keeping him waiting, but becomes enthusiastic about the mask and its abilities.
• Sasori takes pride in Hiruko’s design and initially refuses the mask, but curiosity persuades him to accept it.
• Tsunade is impressed—and irritated—by Long Ye’s apparent luck in obtaining a superior Talisman Tool. Her knowledge of the Ninja Craftsmen’s shop adds context to the rarity of his equipment.
• Long Ye’s gifts strengthen the practical bond among the traveling trio, while Tsunade and Shizune’s secret observation introduces outside curiosity about his resources and identity.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity and craftsmanship: Sasori’s self-protective puppet design and the clan’s specialized tools show how clever construction can rival direct combat power.
• Support and cooperation: The masks and kite aid communication, concealment, and travel, emphasizing teamwork over raw strength.
• Mystery and hidden value: The necklace’s fleeting response and the rare Talisman Tool leave questions about Long Ye’s abilities, luck, and connections.

Chapter Summary: “Born Warriors: The Candle Clan”

Key plot points and events

• Long Ye, Pakura, and Sasori search for the supposed Bamboo Country, but residents of Bamboo Village have never heard of it.
• Sasori suggests Long Ye may have confused the name with Candle Valley, a secluded settlement in the Land of Iron founded by a clan that left more than a century earlier.
• Sasori explains that the Candle Clan are naturally powerful warriors. He once considered using their bodies to create warrior puppets, but abandoned the idea.
• The trio reach Candle Valley, where a deadly, rainless thunderstorm forms a natural barrier. A guard wearing a lightning-resistant cloak questions them.
• Long Ye asks to see Candle Tiger and identifies himself by referring to the man who took Candle Tiger’s arm in North Blue. The guard recognizes the incident and goes to report their arrival.
• Candle Tiger and at least thirty cloaked clan members cross the storm and meet the visitors. Long Ye recognizes him as the swordsman he previously knew as “Zhu Hu,” realizing that the mistaken name caused the confusion.
• A massive man beside Candle Tiger confronts Long Ye about crippling his brother’s arm.

Character developments

• Long Ye moves from uncertainty about whether he was misled to confidence that he has found the right place. He recognizes his earlier mistake about Candle Tiger’s name but remains composed when challenged.
• Pakura remains suspicious of Sasori, especially because of his past assassination of the Third Kazekage and his interest in the Candle Clan’s bodies.
• Sasori provides the key explanation that redirects the search. His candid admission that he once wanted to turn clan members into puppets reinforces his unsettling, utilitarian outlook.
• Candle Tiger appears controlled and guarded when reunited with Long Ye; his past encounter with him clearly matters to the clan.

Significant themes

• Miscommunication and mistaken identity: Confusing Candle Valley with “Bamboo Country,” and Candle Tiger with “Zhu Hu,” drives the search and misunderstanding.
• Isolation and danger: Candle Valley’s near-impenetrable lightning barrier reflects the clan’s separation from the wider world.
• Power and exploitation: The Candle Clan’s exceptional physical abilities make them both formidable warriors and targets for Sasori’s puppet-making ambitions.
• Past actions and consequences: Long Ye’s earlier injury to a clan member now shapes the tense reception he receives.

Character interactions

• Long Ye and Pakura question Sasori’s theory, while Pakura’s distrust colors her reaction to his explanation.
• The guard initially treats the masked visitors as threats, then becomes more respectful when Long Ye mentions Candle Tiger and the North Blue incident.
• Candle Tiger and Long Ye recognize their shared past, but their reunion is cautious rather than openly friendly.
• Candle Tiger’s enormous companion directly challenges Long Ye over the injury to his brother, setting up a confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• The Candle clan’s chief confronts Long Ye, seeking to restore his brother Candle Tiger’s reputation after Long Ye defeated him. Long Ye does not know the clan’s customs or the chief’s motives, and assumes this is simply a fight for revenge.
• The chief attacks with a Lightning Release-enhanced punch. Long Ye blocks it with one hand, astonishing the clan.
• The chief switches to swordsmanship, his acknowledged strength, and launches a powerful Lightning Release Iai strike. Long Ye stops the blade with a finger flick, sending the chief skidding backward.
• Long Ye offers to stop fighting and talk. He explains that he came to honor his agreement with Candle Tiger: rather than claim his life, he wants Candle Tiger to work for him.
• Candle Tiger remembers his promise and looks to his elder brother for guidance. The chief tells him to choose for himself, insisting that a Candle samurai must keep his word.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Ye remains calm and confident throughout, demonstrating that his strength has grown enough to defeat the chief effortlessly. He reveals that he wants cooperation, not revenge.
• The chief begins as a hostile challenger, motivated by concern for his younger brother’s status. After Long Ye’s overwhelming display, he becomes cautious and allows Candle Tiger to decide.
• Candle Tiger accepts responsibility for his promise and considers Long Ye’s request, though he seeks his brother’s opinion.
• Sasori and Pakura watch the confrontation. Pakura is surprised by the chief’s strength but remains confident in Long Ye.
• The Candle clan’s warriors react with disbelief as Long Ye blocks attacks they regard as unbeatable.

Significant themes

• Honor and keeping one’s word: The Candle clan treats both defeat and promises as matters of profound personal honor.
• Strength and reputation: The chief hopes to repair Candle Tiger’s standing by defeating Long Ye, but Long Ye’s victory instead exposes the gap between reputation and actual power.
• Mercy and pragmatism: Long Ye spares Candle Tiger and seeks to turn their past encounter into an alliance rather than a death sentence.

Chapter Summary: Forbidden Technique Library

Key Plot Points and Events

• Candle Tiger honors his promise and joins Long Ye, Pakura, and Scorpion, forming a four-person team to infiltrate Konoha.
• The group meets in a forest outside the village and confirms their operational plan.
• Long Ye’s Root informant, Yamato, arrives and reports that Rin Nohara remains safe and that Konoha has been stable.
• Long Ye reveals that the mission is to steal forbidden techniques from Konoha’s Forbidden Technique Library—ideally looting the entire collection.
• Yamato explains that the library is protected by a barrier but has relatively few guards because most forbidden techniques require exceptional talent and carry deadly risks.
• Yamato supplies Konoha uniforms and forehead protectors. Long Ye and Pakura disguise themselves as Konoha shinobi, while Candle Tiger and Scorpion remain outside as backup.
• Yamato escorts Long Ye and Pakura through Konoha’s entrance by claiming they were recruits assigned to a secret mission. The guards accept the explanation without further questioning.
• Later that night, Long Ye and Pakura locate the library. Pakura stays outside to watch for danger while Long Ye enters.
• Long Ye incapacitates the lone guard with a simple genjutsu using his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Inside, he discovers three nested barriers protecting the scrolls:
  • The first contains numerous lower-level forbidden techniques.
  • The second contains fewer, more powerful techniques.
  • The third is nearly empty and holds only a handful of scrolls, suggesting they are the most valuable.
• Long Ye determines that the barriers are modified magnetic fields. Since he does not know the release method, he decides to break through them by force.
• He enters Sage Mode and launches a powerful punch at the barrier, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates careful planning, strategic use of disguises, and confidence in his ability to overcome Konoha’s defenses. His concern for Rin is also evident when he relaxes after hearing that she is safe.
• Yamato is established as a deeply embedded double agent. Though outwardly connected to Danzo and Konoha’s Anbu, he secretly obeys Long Ye because of the altered loyalty created through Kotoamatsukami.
• Pakura acts as Long Ye’s partner and lookout, showing discipline and trust in the mission plan.
• Candle Tiger and Scorpion accept supporting roles outside the village, prepared to launch a rescue or assault if Long Ye and Pakura are trapped.
• Rin Nohara does not appear directly, but her continued safety remains important to Long Ye.

Significant Themes

• Espionage and deception: The operation succeeds initially through disguises, false identities, and Yamato’s position within Konoha.
• Loyalty and manipulation: Yamato’s loyalty has been forcibly rewritten, raising questions about the difference between genuine allegiance and imposed obedience.
• Power and risk: Forbidden techniques are portrayed as dangerous because of their severe requirements and backlash, not merely because they are morally prohibited.
• Preparation versus force: Long Ye carefully plans the infiltration but ultimately must rely on overwhelming power when the library’s defenses cannot be bypassed quietly.
• Hidden knowledge: The increasingly protected layers of the library symbolize the escalating value and danger of the techniques contained within.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye questions Yamato about Rin and Konoha before giving him the mission instructions.
• Yamato provides intelligence about the library and supplies the disguises needed for infiltration.
• Long Ye assigns Candle Tiger and Scorpion their backup positions and establishes the five-minute rescue condition.
• A Konoha guard questions Yamato about the disguised pair, but Yamato’s authority convinces him to let them pass.
• Pakura coordinates with Long Ye at the library entrance, remaining outside while he neutralizes the guard and investigates the barriers.

Chapter Summary: Konoha’s Battle

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Sage Mode, Long Ye destroys all three layers of the Forbidden Technique Library’s barriers with a single punch, leaving the strongest forbidden scrolls exposed.
• Orochimaru reveals himself after hiding underground and admits he infiltrated Konoha to obtain the scrolls behind the final barrier.
• Long Ye and Orochimaru race for the central forbidden scrolls, but Konoha is alerted by the destruction and begins mobilizing.
• Long Ye defeats Orochimaru and sends him crashing through the library wall, then escapes with Pakura.
• Konoha activates a massive dome-shaped barrier, trapping Long Ye, Pakura, Orochimaru, and the pursuing Konoha ninja inside.
• Over a hundred Konoha shinobi launch a coordinated assault using Fire Release, Water Release, and other techniques.
• Long Ye summons the Steel Scale Serpent, whose powerful body completely shields him and Pakura from the attacks.
• Orochimaru recognizes the serpent as a high-ranking figure from Ryūchi Cave and is shocked that Long Ye has earned its allegiance.
• Steel Scale prepares to fight by extending sharp blades from his body, eager to prove himself and earn the Snake Cypress Seed promised by Long Ye.
• Just as the battle intensifies, Sasori of the Red Sands appears with more than a hundred puppets, controlled through chakra threads connected to his partially modified body.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates overwhelming physical power by destroying the library’s barriers and defeating Orochimaru in direct combat. He also proves resourceful and protective by summoning Steel Scale to defend Pakura.
• Orochimaru is portrayed as ambitious and opportunistic, willing to infiltrate Konoha for forbidden knowledge. Despite his confidence, he is badly injured by Long Ye and becomes increasingly wary of Long Ye’s abilities and connections.
• Pakura remains ready to fight but recognizes the need to escape once Konoha arrives. Her dependence on Long Ye’s protection becomes clear during the mass ninjutsu assault.
• Steel Scale Serpent seeks to impress Long Ye during his first summoning, revealing his desire to obtain the Snake Cypress Seed and strengthening his loyalty to Long Ye.
• Sasori displays a major advancement in his puppet-control abilities. The implanted Regeneration Core allows him to control hundreds of puppets instead of the normal limit of ten.

Significant Themes

• Power and hidden talent: Long Ye’s strength surprises even Orochimaru, emphasizing that the Shinobi World contains unknown powers beyond established legends.
• Ambition and forbidden knowledge: Both Long Ye and Orochimaru are drawn to the most dangerous techniques, highlighting the risks and rewards of pursuing greater power.
• Alliances and loyalty: Long Ye’s relationship with Steel Scale shows how strength, trust, and promised rewards can create powerful alliances.
• Escalation of conflict: What begins as a covert theft becomes a large-scale battle involving Konoha’s forces, summoned creatures, Orochimaru, and Sasori.
• Survival versus confrontation: The protagonists initially attempt to flee, but Konoha’s barrier forces everyone into open combat.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye and Orochimaru confront one another over the central forbidden scrolls, each recognizing the other as a dangerous competitor.
• Long Ye orders Pakura to escape with him, and she immediately follows his lead.
• Long Ye summons Steel Scale specifically to protect Pakura from Konoha’s combined attack.
• Orochimaru recognizes Steel Scale’s superior status within Ryūchi Cave, causing him to question Long Ye’s identity and influence.
• Steel Scale’s dramatic defense intimidates the Konoha forces and establishes his presence on the battlefield.
• Sasori enters as a new threat, surrounding the Konoha ninja with a massive puppet army and shifting the battle into an even more dangerous phase.

Summary: “First Battle with Hiruzen Sarutobi”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A chaotic battle erupts between Konoha’s ninja and the invading masked group, supported by Sasori’s puppets.
• Obito and Kakashi lead an assault against Long Ye’s group. Long Ye uses his Three-Tomoe Sharingan to trap Obito in a harmless genjutsu.
• Kakashi attacks Long Ye with Chidori, but Long Ye easily catches his arm and throws him aside.
• Long Ye attempts to escape using the Wooden Kite, but Hiruzen Sarutobi intercepts him.
• Hiruzen attacks with the Giant Shuriken Technique. Long Ye catches the massive shuriken, overpowers it, and throws it back, forcing Hiruzen to evade.
• Long Ye enters Sage Mode and destroys Konoha’s powerful barrier with a single punch, creating an escape route.
• Hiruzen pursues Long Ye using Thunder Branch, a weapon Long Ye had abandoned years earlier. The weapon’s Flying Thunder God formula allows Hiruzen to move unpredictably and pierce Long Ye’s normally indestructible body.
• Long Ye catches the Thunder Branch Sword and nearly kills Hiruzen with a devastating punch that shatters the surrounding space. Hiruzen escapes but suffers serious wounds.
• Long Ye, Pakura, Sasori, and Candle Tiger escape through the broken barrier on the Wooden Kite, followed by Sasori’s remaining puppets.
• Rin, in Partial Tailed Beast Transformation, is seen fighting the Steel Scale Serpent. Once Long Ye departs, the serpent ends its summoning and disappears.
• Orochimaru slips away unnoticed during the confusion.
• After the masked group escapes, Konoha’s elite ninja gather around the injured Hiruzen. He claims his wounds are superficial while silently contemplating the identities and abilities of the escaping enemies.

Character Developments

• Long Ye: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, mastery of the Sharingan, Sage Mode, and exceptional durability. Despite his power, he shows restraint by trapping Obito rather than harming him. His reaction to Thunder Branch reveals a connection to his past and suggests that his supposed death was deliberately faked.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi: Proves his reputation as the “Professor of Ninjutsu” through tactical skill, rapid movement, and use of the Flying Thunder God formula. Although badly outmatched physically, his combat experience allows him to survive Long Ye’s attacks and seriously wound him with Thunder Branch.
• Obito: Is caught off guard by Long Ye’s Sharingan and temporarily neutralized through genjutsu.
• Kakashi: Attacks decisively with Chidori but is effortlessly defeated and thrown aside by Long Ye.
• Pakura: Trusts Long Ye’s judgment and recognizes that Hiruzen is the only Konoha ninja capable of posing a serious threat to him.
• Sasori: Loses many of his puppets but continues fighting with the Hundred Machine Performance and successfully escapes.
• Rin: Shows significant power by entering a Partial Tailed Beast Transformation and holding back the Steel Scale Serpent alone.
• Orochimaru: Avoids direct confrontation and escapes independently during the battle.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power versus tactical experience: Long Ye dominates through strength and extraordinary abilities, while Hiruzen survives by relying on experience, strategy, and specialized techniques.
• The persistence of the past: Thunder Branch, a weapon tied to Long Ye’s supposed death, resurfaces and reveals that his history remains connected to Konoha.
• Restraint amid conflict: Long Ye avoids harming Obito and Kakashi unnecessarily, suggesting personal feelings or unfinished relationships beneath his masked identity.
• Escape and survival: The battle is less about victory than breaking through Konoha’s defenses and escaping alive.
• Hidden identities and uncertainty: Long Ye’s identity, fake death, and links to Thunder Branch leave Hiruzen suspicious and deepen the mystery surrounding him.

Important Character Interactions

• Long Ye uses genjutsu to restrain Obito while deliberately avoiding injury.
• He catches Kakashi’s Chidori and throws him away, establishing the vast difference in their strength.
• Hiruzen and Long Ye engage in the chapter’s central confrontation, with Hiruzen first attacking from the front and later ambushing Long Ye with Thunder Branch.
• Pakura warns Long Ye of Hiruzen’s surprise attack, but Long Ye still manages to seize the sword.
• Long Ye and Hiruzen’s clash ends with Hiruzen wounded and forced to retreat, allowing Long Ye’s group to escape.
• The chapter closes with Hiruzen watching the fugitives disappear, clearly suspecting that Long Ye’s identity and history are more complicated than they appear.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the invasion of Konoha, the Hokage and senior ninja discuss the four mysterious attackers:
  • A swordsman whose skill rivals Mifune’s.
  • Scorpion, who controlled a hundred puppets.
  • Pakura, who used Scorch Release to kill opponents by evaporating their bodies.
  • Long Ye, whose overwhelming strength and mysterious abilities leave everyone wary.
• Obito reveals that he was trapped in an illusion during the battle, explaining why he remained motionless.
• Konoha discovers that several important forbidden technique scrolls were stolen from the village library. Orochimaru was also present and appears to have taken one scroll.
• Rin confirms that Long Ye’s special ninja tool was taken by the mysterious man. Since the weapon was Long Ye’s only remaining possession, its loss deeply upsets her.
• Hiruzen orders Konoha to strengthen its defenses, gather information about the four invaders, contact the other major nations, and track their movements.
• Long Ye, Scorpion, Pakura, and Candle Tiger return to the Land of Crafts. Scorpion plans to repair the many puppets damaged during the battle.
• Long Ye examines the three forbidden technique scrolls he seized from Konoha. He confirms that Orochimaru obtained the fourth scroll, leading to their confrontation in which Long Ye defeated him with a single punch.
• The first scroll contains Dragon God Breathing, an extremely powerful SSSS-rank taijutsu that transforms the user into a destructive hurricane dragon capable of devastating an entire nation.
• The technique was developed by the Second Hokage but was never successfully mastered. A weaker version, Konoha Dragon God, was supposedly developed by the taijutsu expert Chen Baojun.
• The technique requires both a lung capacity and chakra reserves one hundred times greater than normal. Anyone who attempts it without the necessary physique will die.

Character Developments

• Hiruzen Sarutobi recognizes the seriousness of Konoha’s security failure and responds by ordering stronger defenses and international intelligence efforts.
• Obito is shown to be vulnerable to powerful illusion techniques, having been completely immobilized during the battle.
• Hiashi Hyuga acknowledges the swordsman’s extraordinary skill after being unable to approach him with Gentle Fist.
• Rin reveals her emotional attachment to Long Ye’s stolen ninja tool, showing how much she values it as a memorial to him.
• Scorpion is established as technically dependent on his puppets and their mechanisms, requiring significant time and resources to restore them.
• Long Ye demonstrates overwhelming physical power by defeating Orochimaru and begins considering whether he can master the legendary Dragon God Breathing technique.

Significant Themes

• The vulnerability of established powers: Konoha’s defenses and intelligence network fail against the four outsiders, exposing weaknesses in the village’s security.
• The danger of forbidden power: The stolen techniques are not merely destructive; they demand exceptional talent and may kill anyone who attempts to use them improperly.
• Ambition and competition: Long Ye and Orochimaru refuse to cooperate over the scrolls, making conflict inevitable.
• Legacy and memory: Rin’s grief over Long Ye’s stolen weapon emphasizes how objects can preserve a person’s memory and emotional connection.
• Exceptional talent versus impossible limits: Dragon God Breathing represents ultimate power, but its requirements may exceed even Long Ye’s abilities.

Character Interactions

• The Hokage questions and listens to the injured ninja and clan leaders as they report on the attackers.
• Hiashi describes his failed confrontation with the swordsman, while another ninja recounts Scorpion’s hundred-puppet technique and Pakura’s Scorch Release.
• Rin directly asks Hiruzen whether Long Ye’s ninja tool was taken, and the Hokage confirms it.
• The four invaders cooperate after leaving Konoha, traveling together to the Land of Crafts.
• Long Ye and Orochimaru clash over the forbidden scrolls after each attempts to secure them for himself. Long Ye ultimately overpowers Orochimaru and sends him crashing through a wall.
• Long Ye privately studies the scrolls and reacts with astonishment to the terrifying potential and near-impossible requirements of Dragon God Breathing.

Chapter Summary: Shin Sūsenju · Buddha at the Top

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Ye examines the three powerful forbidden techniques he obtained from Konoha:
  • Dragon God Breathing, which allows the user to transform into a wind dragon but requires an impossible lung capacity and enormous chakra reserves.
  • Shin Sūsenju · Buddha at the Top, Hashirama Senju’s ultimate Wood Release technique, which summons a colossal Buddha statue with countless arms capable of unleashing mountain-shattering punches.
  • Beast’s Calamity, also known as Armored Susanoo, which combines Complete Body Susanoo with a controlled Tailed Beast. Its strongest form uses the Nine-Tails.
• Long Ye realizes that Dragon God Breathing and Beast’s Calamity are currently beyond his reach. He lacks the required physiology, Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, Complete Body Susanoo, and Tailed Beast.
• Because he possesses Wood Release through his perfect Hashirama-cell transplantation, Long Ye decides to attempt cultivating Shin Sūsenju.
• More than half a month later, he travels to a forest near the Land of Crafts with Pakura and the Great Swordsman Candle Tiger.
• Long Ye successfully summons the upper portion of the enormous Buddha statue, but the effort nearly drains all of his chakra and leaves him physically helpless.
• Pakura and Candle Tiger protect him while he recovers.
• After testing the technique, Long Ye concludes that even his perfect transplantation cannot match Hashirama’s original body. Hashirama’s chakra reserves were likely at least three times greater than his own.
• Long Ye determines that he must at least double his chakra reserves to use Shin Sūsenju reliably, and possess more than three times his current reserves to retain combat ability after casting it.

Character Developments

• Long Ye demonstrates his ambition and willingness to pursue techniques that ordinary people would consider impossible. His Op-Op Fruit ability gives him confidence that he may eventually overcome Dragon God Breathing’s physical requirements.
• He also gains a clearer understanding of his own limitations. Although his Hashirama-cell transplantation is exceptionally powerful, it still falls far short of Hashirama’s natural physique and chakra capacity.
• Long Ye shows tactical awareness by bringing trusted allies to guard him during the technique’s first test, recognizing that the jutsu leaves him vulnerable.
• Pakura and Candle Tiger become temporary protectors rather than mere observers, showing their willingness to support Long Ye while he experiments with dangerous power.

Significant Themes

• Power versus limitations: The chapter emphasizes that possessing a powerful bloodline or transplanted cells does not automatically grant the original user’s full strength.
• The cost of forbidden techniques: The greatest ninjutsu are restricted less by complexity than by extreme physical and chakra requirements.
• Ambition and self-improvement: Long Ye refuses to abandon techniques simply because they seem impossible, believing his unique abilities may eventually allow him to overcome their conditions.
• Comparison with legendary figures: Hashirama’s overwhelming chakra reserves and natural physique remain the standard Long Ye must surpass or imitate.
• Strength and vulnerability: Even after mastering part of an ultimate technique, Long Ye is left defenseless, illustrating the danger of relying on overwhelming attacks without sufficient reserves.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye discusses and reflects on Tobirama’s genius while evaluating Dragon God Breathing and the other forbidden techniques.
• Pakura and Candle Tiger observe Long Ye’s test from a distance, questioning his intentions.
• Pakura urges Candle Tiger to remain quiet and watch, while both recognize that Long Ye may have begun mastering one of Konoha’s forbidden techniques.
• After Long Ye collapses from chakra exhaustion, they immediately understand the danger and guard him until he regains enough strength to stand.

Chapter Summary: “Species Hybridization Experiment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Ye’s attempt to cultivate the forbidden technique Shin Sūsenju fails because his chakra reserves are too small.
• He asks Candle Tiger and Pakura to help him find a way to rapidly increase his chakra.
• Pakura suggests Hero Water, a substance capable of multiplying a person’s chakra tenfold for a short time. However, it normally consumes the user’s life force and results in death.
• Pakura reveals that Kirigakure once conducted brutal experiments under Karatachi Yagura, attempting to use Hero Water and cross-species hybridization to create humanoid weapons comparable to Jinchūriki.
• The experiments mostly failed, but one survivor emerged: a human-shark hybrid with enormous chakra reserves and the ability to absorb chakra. Long Ye realizes this survivor was Kisame Hoshigaki, the “Tailless Tailed Beast.”
• Long Ye considers using cross-species Cell Transplantation to survive Hero Water’s backlash and gain enough chakra to cultivate Shin Sūsenju.
• He also realizes that the procedure might help him master Dragon God Breathing, another forbidden technique requiring a lung capacity impossible for an ordinary human. Becoming partially dragon-like could potentially satisfy both techniques’ requirements.
• Long Ye decides to investigate the possibility seriously. He assigns Pakura and Candle Tiger to search for Hero Water while he plans to infiltrate or investigate Kirigakure to learn the full details of the original experiments.

Character Developments

• Long Ye becomes increasingly willing to risk physical mutation and ethical boundaries in pursuit of greater power. Although he is uncomfortable with the idea of becoming a monster, the possibility of mastering two forbidden techniques strengthens his resolve.
• He displays strategic thinking by connecting the requirements of Shin Sūsenju and Dragon God Breathing, recognizing that one successful hybridization experiment might solve both problems.
• Pakura demonstrates her knowledge of hidden historical information and shows that she understands Long Ye’s intentions almost immediately. Her familiarity with sealed records makes her an important source of intelligence.
• Candle Tiger reacts strongly to the danger of Hero Water, providing a more skeptical and morally concerned perspective.
• Kisame Hoshigaki is indirectly recontextualized as the successful product of Kirigakure’s unethical experimentation rather than merely an unusual rogue ninja.

Significant Themes

• Power versus personal cost: Hero Water offers immense strength but normally requires the user’s life, forcing Long Ye to consider how much he is willing to sacrifice.
• Human experimentation and ethical boundaries: Kirigakure’s attempts to create artificial Jinchūriki reveal the horrifying consequences of treating living beings as experimental materials.
• Transformation and identity: Long Ye fears losing his human appearance and identity through cross-species transplantation, even as he considers accepting monstrous changes for greater power.
• Chance and scientific reproducibility: The success of Kisame’s transformation may have depended on a unique constitution, meaning Long Ye cannot assume that copying the experiment will work.
• Ambition and risk: Long Ye’s desire to challenge increasingly powerful enemies drives him toward dangerous methods that could permanently alter his body.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye openly seeks advice from Pakura and Candle Tiger, showing that he relies on both for strategic planning.
• Pakura first raises the possibility of Hero Water and explains its history, while Candle Tiger challenges the practicality and danger of the idea.
• Long Ye and Pakura connect Kisame’s origins to Long Ye’s own Cell Transplantation abilities, creating the central plan of the chapter.
• Pakura correctly predicts Long Ye’s next request—that she and Candle Tiger search for Hero Water—while telling him that he should investigate Kirigakure’s experiments firsthand.
• The chapter ends with the three preparing to divide their responsibilities: Pakura and Candle Tiger will seek the substance, while Long Ye investigates the secrets behind the hybridization experiments.

Key plot points and events

• Pakura and Candle Tiger prepare to travel to Takigakure to obtain its sacred Hero Water. Long Ye stops them and suggests recruiting Sasori, whose puppets would strengthen their team.
• Before they leave, the group hears that the House of Craftsmen has been raided by two red-cloud-robed criminals. The attackers stole its Talisman Tools and killed the old man and a young girl.
• Long Ye rushes to the shop, fearing for Mi Xiang. He finds the scene guarded and learns the old man’s body was taken, while the girl’s body is upstairs.
• The apparent corpse vanishes, revealing itself as a puppet double. Mi Xiang emerges alive: she used her clan’s Doppelgänger Puppet to fool the attackers after witnessing them kill her grandfather.
• Long Ye identifies the attackers as likely members of Akatsuki and promises revenge. He takes Mi Xiang under his protection.
• Mi Xiang reveals that the raiders missed two clan heirlooms hidden in the ancestral shrine: the chakra-absorbing Nine-Hole Armor and the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

Character developments

• Long Ye shows growing attachment to Mi Xiang, responding to the news with urgency and grief before relief, then accepting responsibility for her safety.
• Mi Xiang displays resourcefulness and courage despite her young age, surviving through clever use of her puppet and sharing the clan’s hidden heirlooms with Long Ye.
• Candle Tiger’s loyalty is reinforced by Long Ye’s gift of the Thunder Branch Sword, which suits his lightning chakra and boosts his strength.
• Pakura remains practical and wary, questioning whether Sasori can be persuaded to join them.

Significant themes

• Grief and family: Mi Xiang loses her grandfather, while Long Ye becomes her new source of protection and belonging.
• Deception and survival: A puppet meant for combat becomes the means by which Mi Xiang escapes death.
• Power and responsibility: The heirlooms promise formidable strength, but Long Ye’s sorrow prevents him from treating them as simple prizes.
• Trust and reward: Long Ye equips those who serve him and seeks to build cooperation through valuable offers.

Character interactions

• Long Ye consults Pakura and Candle Tiger about recruiting Sasori, balancing their team’s abilities.
• He confronts the crime scene guards and medical ninja, whose answers reveal the attack’s brutality.
• Long Ye comforts Mi Xiang, listens to how she survived, and promises to avenge her grandfather.
• Mi Xiang trusts Long Ye enough to lead him to the shrine and reveal the clan’s concealed weapons.

Plot points and events

• On a rooftop, Long Ye tries to recruit Sasori of the Red Sands as a collaborator rather than simply buying his loyalty. He argues that Sasori will need help to capture powerful opponents alive and turn them into stronger puppets.
• Mi Xiang offers to improve Sasori’s puppets. Sasori initially mocks her, but Long Ye urges him not to underestimate her.
• At Long Ye’s request, Mi Xiang demonstrates her craft: she creates a puppet clone of herself that gathers nearby elemental energy and fires it as a powerful wind cannon, then begins preparing a fire cannon.
• Sasori calls off the demonstration after seeing Hiruko badly damaged. Mi Xiang explains that the clone uses carved sigils to fire wind, water, fire, and lightning attacks.
• Sasori becomes intensely interested in the technique. Mi Xiang warns that Hiruko’s material can support only one or two kinds of sigils, not all four. Sasori then emerges from Hiruko.

Character developments

• Long Ye shifts from offering Sasori a valuable item to appealing to his ambition and proposing cooperation.
• Mi Xiang reveals that her knowledge of the Ninja Craftsmen’s art can turn puppets into elemental weapons platforms. Though intimidated by Sasori, she speaks up and demonstrates her ability.
• Sasori moves from contempt and suspicion to surprise and excitement when he sees the potential of Mi Xiang’s sigils. His ambition to create stronger puppets makes him receptive to working with her.

Character interactions

• Long Ye calmly challenges Sasori’s ability to defeat Kage-level opponents alone, framing cooperation as a practical necessity.
• Mi Xiang’s claim that she can improve Sasori’s work provokes his mockery, but Long Ye’s confidence in her prompts him to hear her out.
• Mi Xiang demonstrates her skill directly to Sasori, turning their exchange from a contest of words into proof of her value.

Significant themes

• Cooperation and ambition: Even a highly capable fighter may need allies to achieve an exceptional goal.
• Craft and innovation: Mi Xiang’s sigils offer a new way to enhance puppets beyond conventional weapons and poison.
• Trust and recognition: Mi Xiang’s talent is initially dismissed because of her age, but her demonstration earns Sasori’s respect.

Chapter Summary: “The Reunion with an Old Acquaintance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mi Xiang equips Sasori’s puppet Hiruko with “Wind” and “Lightning” seals. By supplying them with his blood, Sasori can activate powerful Element Cannons, each comparable to an A-rank ninjutsu.
• Long Ye realizes that Mi Xiang’s sealing technology could provide enormous advantages to puppet users. Sasori agrees to remain and cooperate, largely because he wants Mi Xiang to equip his hundreds of puppets with Element Cannons.
• Pakura, Candle Tiger, and Scorpion leave for Takigakure to obtain the Hero Water, while Long Ye and Mi Xiang travel to Kirigakure to investigate the experiment connected to Long Ye’s planned physical modifications.
• In Kirigakure, Mei Terumi is reminiscing over a golden crown left behind by a supposedly deceased man. Long Ye secretly enters her office wearing a mask and disguising his voice.
• Mei immediately attacks the intruder with Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique. Long Ye blocks and redirects the corrosive mist with a barrier.
• After teasing Mei about being old acquaintances, Long Ye removes his mask and reveals that he is alive.
• Mei experiences shock, relief, and anger. She accuses him of deceiving her by allowing her to believe he was dead and warns that she will not easily help him again.

Character Developments

• Mi Xiang: Demonstrates advanced craftsmanship and sealing ability. Her technology has the potential to greatly enhance the combat strength of puppet users, and she remains modest about eventually surpassing her grandfather’s skill.
• Sasori: Becomes more cooperative with Long Ye after recognizing the enormous military value of Mi Xiang’s Element Cannons. His interest is practical and centered on strengthening his puppet army.
• Long Ye: Shows strategic foresight by recognizing Mi Xiang’s value and pursuing information about Kirigakure’s experiment. He also reveals a playful, provocative side while deliberately concealing his identity from Mei.
• Mei Terumi: Displays strong vigilance and combat readiness as Mizukage, but her reaction to Long Ye’s return exposes unresolved emotional attachment. Her anger stems from feeling betrayed rather than simple hostility.

Significant Themes

• Technology and military power: Mi Xiang’s seals function like portable weapons, suggesting how craftsmanship can transform individual fighters or entire armies.
• Trust and deception: Long Ye’s hidden survival has deeply affected Mei, creating resentment despite her obvious happiness at seeing him alive.
• Emotional attachments beneath authority: Mei remains a powerful and stern Mizukage, yet her private memories and emotional response reveal her vulnerability.
• Strategic alliances: Sasori’s cooperation is based on mutual benefit, while Long Ye’s visit to Mei suggests that future plans depend on carefully managing both political and personal relationships.

Character Interactions

• Mi Xiang and Sasori interact as creator and prospective user, with Sasori recognizing the destructive potential of her work.
• Long Ye evaluates Mi Xiang’s abilities and the benefits they offer to Sasori, showing his role as a strategist and coordinator.
• Long Ye and Mei’s reunion is tense but playful. He provokes her with teasing remarks, while she responds with suspicion, aggression, and finally emotional anger after recognizing him.
• Mei’s reaction to Long Ye’s attempt to touch the golden crown reveals how personally meaningful the deceased identity—and Long Ye himself—remains to her.

Chapter Summary: “Kaguya Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Long Ye meets secretly with Mei Terumi in Kirigakure after explaining that he defected from Konoha and faked his death to escape pursuit.
• He asks about Kisame Hoshigaki, specifically rumors that Kisame was created through a human experiment involving cross-species modification.
• Mei reveals that the experiment began shortly after Yagura took control of Kirigakure. Its goal was to create humanoid weapons with chakra reserves comparable to Jinchūriki.
• The researchers used Hero Water to stimulate massive chakra production, but because the substance consumed the user’s life force, they sought another source of vitality.
• They eventually incorporated the life force of a powerful sea monster called Isohime. More than one hundred infants were subjected to the experiment; nearly all died, with only one surviving—Kisame.
• The experiment also imitated Samehada’s chakra-absorbing abilities, explaining Kisame’s enormous chakra reserves, chakra-draining powers, and ability to merge with Samehada.
• Long Ye becomes more confident in pursuing his own Human Modification research, though he still needs cells from a sufficiently powerful and vital species. Mei does not know where such creatures can be found, suggesting that they may exist mainly in Summoning Secret Realms.
• Long Ye prepares to leave with Mi Xiang, while Mei jokingly offers to take him in if he ever has nowhere else to go. He declines for now but leaves open the possibility of seeking her help in the future.
• Before Long Ye can depart, a violent rebellion erupts in Kirigakure. From the window, he recognizes the attackers as members of the Kaguya Clan.
• The village forces quickly overwhelm the rebellion. The Kaguya Clan members, unwilling to surrender or flee, fight desperately until only a few remain alive.

Character Developments

• Long Ye: Shows caution, secrecy, and strategic thinking. He hides his true plan to perform Human Modification, presenting his questions as a search for inspiration. His understanding of Kisame’s origins strengthens his confidence in his own research, while his decision not to join the battle shows consideration for Mei’s position.
• Mei Terumi: Initially suspicious and guarded, Mei gradually softens after learning that Long Ye regards her as the first friend to know he survived. She provides sensitive information despite her unease and reveals personal concern by offering him shelter.
• Mi Xiang: Remains obedient and close to Long Ye, quietly observing the conversation and the rebellion.
• Kisame Hoshigaki: Though absent, his history is clarified. His monstrous chakra capacity and Samehada-related abilities are presented as the result of brutal experimentation rather than natural talent alone.
• Kaguya Clan: Their reputation as violent and battle-hungry is reinforced. Even when defeated, they fight to the death rather than retreat.

Significant Themes

• The ethics of experimentation: The chapter emphasizes the cruelty of using infants and living beings to create weapons. The Kisame experiment represents the extreme consequences of sacrificing morality for military power.
• The pursuit of power: Kirigakure’s attempt to manufacture Jinchūriki-like weapons parallels Long Ye’s own research, creating an implicit warning about the dangers of scientific ambition.
• Friendship and trust: Mei’s softened attitude and offer of protection contrast with Long Ye’s isolated life as a fugitive. Their relationship contains genuine loyalty despite secrecy and separation.
• Survival and sacrifice: Kisame’s survival came at the cost of countless infant deaths, while the Kaguya Clan’s rebellion ends in near-total destruction because of its refusal to surrender.
• Historical mysteries being uncovered: Long Ye connects Kisame’s origins and the Kaguya Clan’s rebellion to events previously shrouded in secrecy, gaining insight into Kirigakure’s dark past.

Character Interactions

• Long Ye and Mei engage in a cautious but increasingly personal conversation. Mei questions his motives, while Long Ye carefully withholds his most dangerous intentions.
• Their exchange reveals mutual familiarity and emotional attachment beneath their guarded behavior.
• Mei’s offer to shelter Long Ye is disguised as casual reluctance, but it suggests genuine concern.
• Long Ye chooses not to interfere in the rebellion because doing so could make Mei’s political situation worse, demonstrating consideration for her and their relationship.
• Long Ye and Mi Xiang silently observe the uprising together, with Long Ye explaining his recognition of the Kaguya Clan.

Key plot points and events

• After Kirigakure’s forces crush the Kaguya Clan rebellion, Mei Terumi orders that no Kaguya survivors be spared. Long Ye spots a young boy escaping the massacre.
• Long Ye and Mi Xiang leave the village by flying on the Wooden Kite. Mei sees them but prevents the other ninja from pursuing them.
• In the fog beyond the village, Orochimaru intercepts the boy and offers to raise and train him. The boy considers accepting because he has nowhere else to go.
• Orochimaru attacks from above with the Kusanagi Sword, but Long Ye drops in and blocks the strike. The blade leaves only a shallow cut, a rare feat against Long Ye’s exceptionally durable body.
• Long Ye warns the boy that Orochimaru plans to take over his body to obtain the boy’s Shikotsumyaku. Orochimaru is startled that his intentions have been exposed.
• Long Ye and Orochimaru renew their conflict. Orochimaru summons Triple Rashōmon, raising three enormous gates that block Long Ye’s path and terrify the boy.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Ye acts decisively to follow the fleeing survivor and protect him from Orochimaru. He remains confident, though he acknowledges that the Kusanagi Sword’s cut is unusually impressive.
• The boy, later identified as Kimimaro, is traumatized by the clan massacre and vulnerable to Orochimaru’s offer. Long Ye’s warning makes him reconsider the stranger’s motives.
• Orochimaru reveals his usual manipulative interest in acquiring a powerful body. His surprise at Long Ye’s arrival gives way to anger and confidence in his new defensive tactic.
• Mei Terumi lets Long Ye depart without explanation, maintaining control over the village’s response while returning her attention to the destroyed clan.
• Long Ye and Orochimaru recognize one another from their earlier clash, which left Orochimaru badly injured and continues to fuel their hostility.

Significant themes

• Survival and power: Kimimaro sees strength as essential to staying alive after the massacre.
• Manipulation and protection: Orochimaru presents himself as a rescuer, while Long Ye exposes the exploitation behind his offer.
• Hidden identities and unresolved conflict: Orochimaru remains unable to identify Long Ye, and their past encounter shapes the renewed confrontation.
• The cost of violence: The Kaguya Clan’s destruction leaves a frightened child alone and vulnerable.