Chapter Summaries

Kagetsu succumbed to the Inner Demon’s influence and attacked Inner Kagetsu and Dan, allowing the demon to separate completely from her. Dan empowered Inner Kagetsu for a final fight, which began as she recalled Teacher Starry Night’s lesson.

• The Inner Demon persuaded Kagetsu to blame the Uchiha Clan and Konoha for her suffering, and she killed an illusion of her mother with the Tenburyu Sword.
• Kagetsu attacked Inner Kagetsu and Dan, while the Inner Demon revealed that it had taken most of their shared mental power.
• The Inner Demon wounded Inner Kagetsu and absorbed her pale blue energy, completing its separation from Kagetsu.
• Dan transferred Chakra to Inner Kagetsu, healing her wound and giving her a Ninja Blade before he began returning to his body.
• Inner Kagetsu clashed blades with Kagetsu and reminded her of Teacher Starry Night’s teaching: “The blade cuts the flesh; the heart cuts the soul.”

Kagetsu overcame the Inner Demon by recalling Starry Night’s sword teachings and fusing with Inner Kagetsu, then defeated the demon with Sun Wheel Dance. Back in reality, Starry Night praised her, but noticed her eyes had changed to Three Tomoe Sharingan.

• Kagetsu regained her clarity and recognized the Tenburyu Sword as the key to resisting the Inner Demon’s control.
• The Inner Demon revealed it had absorbed more than sixty percent of the group’s mental power and transformed into a monstrous creature.
• Inner Kagetsu gave Kagetsu her remaining mental power and merged with her, urging her to remember Starry Night’s teachings.
• Kagetsu used Sun Wheel Dance to sever the Inner Demon’s claw, split its body, and destroy it with the Tenburyu Sword.
• Dan praised Kagetsu before leaving her mental world, and the Dream Weaving Technique returned everyone to reality.
• Starry Night praised Kagetsu but noticed that her eyes had become Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Kagetsu awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan after merging with her Inner Self, and she and Beichen celebrated the breakthrough. After the rainy season ended, Konoha split its forces between returning home and beginning a war of attrition against Sunagakure, while Hoshi led his group to reunite with Tsunade and the others at the Sunagakure Front.

• Kagetsu saw her Three-Tomoe Sharingan and thanked Hoshi and the others for helping her overcome her Inner Demon.
• Kagetsu showed her new eyes to Beichen, and the two embraced and cried before looking forward to the future.
• After three months of rain, Konoha divided its ninja between returning to the village and joining Hoshi at the Sunagakure Front for a war of attrition.
• Hoshi kept the Senju Clan Members, Kagetsu, and Minato with him, while Jiraiya stayed in Amegakure to guide his disciples for another half year.
• Hoshi led his group to the Sunagakure Front, where Sakumo, Tsunade, and the others welcomed them.
• Tsunade rushed forward and embraced Hoshi, leaving Kagetsu startled by her open affection.

Hoshi reunited with Tsunade at the Sunagakure front, where they shared a private moment before joining the commanders for dinner. Sakumo revealed that he wanted to return to the village to see his wife and young son Kakashi, and Hoshi agreed to handle things for him.

• Tsunade embraced Hoshi when he arrived, then led him to a prepared tent near the command tent.
• Hoshi and Tsunade reunited privately, shared kisses, and restrained themselves because they were on the battlefield.
• Hoshi and Tsunade arrived hand in hand at dinner, where Sakumo, Shinku, and Orochimaru teased them.
• Sakumo explained that he wanted to return to the village after nearly three years away and meet his one-year-old son Kakashi.
• Hoshi patted Sakumo on the shoulder and told him to leave the matter to him.

Hoshi and the Konoha leaders discussed Sunagakure’s growing military strength and Chiyo’s return to the front lines. Hoshi proposed limited clashes rather than a major battle, hoping to gain the experience needed for his swordsmanship breakthrough.

• Hoshi learned that Danzo had left the front early but had left his intelligence network operating with Sakumo’s group.
• Sakumo reported that Sunagakure had mobilized at least two thousand reserve ninja, bringing its forces on the front and in reserve to over five thousand.
• Orochimaru warned Tsunade that Chiyo had returned with two Sunagakure elders, and Tsunade declared she would overcome Chiyo’s poisons.
• Hoshi suggested provoking a few small-scale clashes with Sunagakure while avoiding another large battle.
• Hoshi’s Master-level Swordsmanship experience stood at 244 out of 500, leaving him six points short of 250.

After Sunagakure ambushed a Konoha patrol, Hoshi led thirty Konoha Ninja on a nighttime raid against Rain Mine Town. He killed the town’s sentry and wiped out its patrol squad, leaving his forces poised to attack the outpost.

• After Sakumo left the front, Sunagakure ambushed a Konoha patrol, killing several Chunin and Genin and injuring a Jonin.
• Hoshi ordered two squads to capture Rain Mine Town and avenge the fallen Konoha Ninja.
• Hoshi led thirty Konoha Ninja on a long detour and reached Rain Mine Town before dawn.
• Hoshi killed the sentry with a Sword Qi strike before he could sound the alarm.
• Hoshi used Iai Slash to kill all fifteen Chunin and the Special Jonin in the patrol squad.

Hoshi led the Konoha squad against Sand Hidden forces, using a Flame Tornado and overwhelming swordsmanship to decimate their ranks. The battle continued as he killed two Sand Hidden jonin in rapid succession, leaving the originally stationed members awestruck.

• Hoshi killed a patrol squad of one Special Jonin and fifteen chunin with an Iai Slash, impressing the originally stationed members.
• A veteran from the Iwagakure front unit recounted how Hoshi had badly wounded the Four-Tails with a Water Dragon formed from his swordsmanship.
• Hoshi ordered the Konoha squad to prepare Fire Release and Wind Release ninjutsu and attack without defending.
• Hoshi absorbed the squad's ninjutsu into a Flame Tornado and swept it through the Sand Hidden formation, killing over half of its sixty or seventy ninja.
• Hoshi used Shunpo and Transparency Release to kill the Sand Hidden captain, two chunin, and another jonin within seconds.

After Hoshi led Konoha to wipe out Sunagakure’s Rain Mine Town garrison and free the imprisoned citizens, he used the system to draw Soul Eater Demon Slayer Slash. He tested the skill on iron ore, confirming it could selectively pull in heavy targets before he sliced through the gathered pile.

• Hoshi’s squad defeated the Sunagakure garrison without any Konoha deaths, and Hoshi sent Garurumon to ask Orochimaru to dispatch troops to Rain Mine Town.
• Hoshi had the imprisoned Land of Rain citizens freed, then entered the system and found that Dance of the Startled Swan had gained more charges and a longer duration.
• Hoshi used his available draw and obtained Soul Eater Demon Slayer Slash, a skill that forcibly pulled nearby targets toward him before a powerful slash.
• Hoshi went alone to the mine and tested the skill on iron ore, discovering that he could choose which targets it pulled.
• Hoshi drew his sword and struck the gathered ore with two near-simultaneous swings, cutting it apart.

Hoshi tested the limits and cooldown of his new slash before returning to Konoha’s camp after Rain Mine Town changed hands. At the Sunagakure command tent, Chiyo learned Sakumo was back in Konoha and vowed to ambush and kill Hoshi, hoping Sakumo would return to the front.

• Hoshi found that his new slash used about a tenth of his Chakra and took roughly two minutes to recharge, then tested its adjustable gravity and other limits in the mine.
• Hoshi handed Rain Mine Town over to a Konoha squad of about a hundred ninjas and returned to camp.
• Chiyo, Ebizo, and a Sunagakure Elder learned that Rain Mine Town had fallen and that Sakumo was no longer commanding Konoha’s forces.
• Ebizo explained that Hayate Hoshi had taken command after Sakumo returned to Konoha, but Chiyo refused to accept that Sakumo was not responsible for the town’s capture.
• Chiyo ordered a hundred Sunagakure ninjas to prepare to ambush and kill Hoshi so Sakumo would have to return to the front.

As the conflict with Sunagakure continued, Orochimaru reached Kage level, while Ebizo and Chiyo plotted to lure Hoshi into a trap using one of his disciples. The chapter leaves them confident in their plan, unaware that Hoshi had already killed the former master of Chikamatsu’s Ten Puppets.

• During six months of small-scale fighting with Sunagakure, Hoshi stayed at headquarters while Minato and Kugetsu gained battlefield experience.
• Orochimaru developed the Great Snake Style Substitution Jutsu and Soft Physique Modification, overcame his weaknesses, and advanced to Kage level.
• Ebizo’s spy reported that Minato and Kugetsu were Hoshi’s disciples and could serve as bait to draw him out.
• Ebizo told Chiyo to capture one of the disciples and use a plea for help to lure Hoshi into an ambush.
• Chiyo agreed to bring a hundred Sunagakure ninja and Chikamatsu’s Ten Puppets to kill Hoshi, unaware he had killed Monzaemon.

Minato’s squad was ambushed near Sunagakure’s territory after Chiyo’s forces targeted him for capture. Minato sent one teammate for help and returned to the trapped squad, leaving them to hold out until Teacher Starry Night could arrive.

• Minato led his recovering squad after a battle, where he had defeated a Jonin and a Special Jonin without losing anyone.
• A Sunagakure Jonin learned of Minato’s squad and ordered his forces to stall them while keeping Minato from escaping.
• Masaki detected about twenty approaching enemies, and Minato ordered the squad to retreat.
• An enemy used Earth Release to raise walls around the squad, but Minato helped Ichiro escape to seek reinforcements.
• Minato returned inside the enclosure and urged the squad to hold out for Teacher Starry Night’s arrival.

Minato’s unit was ambushed by an elite Sunagakure force, and he realized the enemy was targeting Teacher Starry Night. Teacher Starry Night rushed to rescue him, only to find Chiyo holding Minato and a larger force concealed nearby.

• Minato led his outnumbered Konoha team into battle against a powerful Sunagakure unit, and many of his Genin were killed or wounded.
• Minato suspected the ambush was meant to draw out Teacher Starry Night and tried to kill himself rather than reveal his teacher’s whereabouts.
• Chiyo stopped Minato with a Chakra thread and identified herself as the Sunagakure Elder, then captured him.
• After a Chunin reported Minato’s danger, Teacher Starry Night left Orochimaru to organize reinforcements and hurried toward the forest on Robb.
• Teacher Starry Night sensed more enemies than reported and found Chiyo holding Minato, who warned that more ninja were hidden nearby.

Hayate rescued Minato from Chiyo and faced the attacking Sunagakure forces. After Chiyo began repairing her severed puppet arm, Hayate sent Minato to safety and struck down the attackers with a powerful sword slash.

• Hayate provoked Chiyo by threatening Sasori, then used Dance of the Startled Swan to sever her puppet arm and rescue Minato.
• Hayate returned Minato to his side, while the stunned Chiyo realized she had underestimated him and resolved to fight on with Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets.
• Chiyo ordered the Sunagakure shinobi to attack as she retrieved her arm and began repairing it.
• Hayate told Minato a lesson about knowing when to stop and sent him to watch safely from Robb's back.
• Hayate countered the charging shinobi's ninjutsu with one sword strike, shattering the attacks and killing several fighters.

Hayate Hoshi slaughtered Sunagakure's forces until Chiyo released Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets to stop him. When Hayate revealed he had been present at the incident that gave him the title Konoha Silver Moon, Chiyo realized he might have killed Monzaemon, but her first attack failed to harm him.

• Chiyo watched Hayate Hoshi destroy ninjutsu with Sword Qi and wondered whether he had learned Senju Tobirama's Space Ninjutsu.
• Hayate Hoshi killed more than thirty Sunagakure ninjas, including several Jonin, and weakened their encirclement.
• Chiyo finished repairing her right hand, ordered the Sunagakure ninjas to retreat, and summoned Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets.
• Hayate Hoshi told Chiyo he knew Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets and hinted that he had been involved in Monzaemon's death.
• Chiyo sent three puppets to attack Hayate Hoshi, but he blocked the poisoned senbon and severed the Chain Blades with Sword Qi and Mikazuki Munechika.

Hoshi fought Chiyo and dismantled Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets despite her coordinated, relentless attacks. Chiyo's Three Treasures Suction Destruction failed to trap him, leaving Hoshi outside its range.

• Chiyo unleashed all ten of Chikamatsu's Ten Puppets and attacked Hoshi in fury.
• Hoshi destroyed the ponytailed and Chain Blade puppets with Blazing Iai Slash, then disabled the dual-sword puppet with lightning.
• Hoshi evaded the guardian puppets and destroyed the Red-Faced Puppet and the center-parted puppet with his sword techniques.
• Chiyo used White Secret Technique: Three Treasures Suction Destruction while the guardian puppets closed in on Hoshi.
• Hoshi countered with an Ethereal Flame Tornado and Dance of the Startled Swan, appearing beyond the technique's range.

Hoshi destroyed Chiyo’s puppets and pursued the retreating Sunagakure forces, killing those who tried to stop him. He cornered Chiyo and attacked with Swallow Reversal, forcing her to use her final defensive technique.

• Hoshi’s Ethereal Flame Tornado destroyed the Three Treasures Suction Destruction puppets, leaving Chiyo’s puppet forces nearly crippled.
• Chiyo assembled a puppet from scattered parts and ordered the Sunagakure forces to retreat while she covered their escape.
• Chiyo’s Jonin subordinates stayed behind to confront Hoshi, but Hoshi killed them and then pursued Chiyo and the fleeing survivors.
• Hoshi caught up with the retreating Sunagakure forces and slaughtered their remaining fighters as Chiyo ordered them to scatter.
• Hoshi destroyed Chiyo’s last four puppets and attacked her with Swallow Reversal, so Chiyo activated Puppet Technique: Machine Light Shield Seal.

Hoshi broke through Chiyo’s defenses and nearly killed her, but Ebizo intervened with an ambush. After detecting a hidden Sunagakure unit, Hoshi set it ablaze and escaped, warning the siblings not to lure him into another trap.

• Hoshi shattered Chiyo’s Machine Light Shield Seal and slashed her, but Chiyo survived by retreating at the last moment.
• Ebizo burst from the ground to ambush Hoshi, who dodged and recognized him as Chiyo’s brother.
• Hoshi sensed a hidden Sunagakure unit and realized Ebizo was stalling while Chiyo recovered.
• Hoshi used Mikazuki Munechika to unleash pillars of fire beneath the unit, killing an unknown number of Sunagakure ninja.
• Hoshi vanished, leaving Ebizo to stare after him as he wondered whether Hoshi had used Space Ninjutsu.

After Hoshi returned to Minato and Robb, he described how his final attack had devastated the Sunagakure force despite Chiyo escaping. Chiyo and Ebizo returned to the Land of Rain camp badly shaken, where Ebizo revealed that more than three hundred Sunagakure ninjas had died.

• Minato recognized the place where Hoshi appeared and grew more confident that he could learn the pattern behind his teacher’s Space Ninjutsu.
• Hoshi promised Minato the Flying Thunder God records after the war, then told him that Chiyo had survived but his attack had inflicted heavy losses.
• Chiyo and Ebizo returned to Sunagakure’s main command camp with far fewer soldiers than they had taken out, leaving the sentries and other ninjas stunned by Chiyo’s injuries.
• Chiyo admitted that the encounter had made her reconsider actions driven by hatred, while Ebizo helped repair her broken arms.
• Ebizo told the third Sunagakure Elder that Hoshi had escaped their layered trap using Space Ninjutsu and killed more than three hundred of the roughly seven hundred soldiers in the force.

Chiyo and Ebizo urged Sunagakure to pull back and leave the next decision to Ryunosuke, but he chose to keep the war going and sacrifice rival clans for leverage. Hoshi and Minato exploited Sunagakure’s weakened defenses, and Hoshi planned to drive its forces out of the Land of Rain and trap them at the Land of Wind’s border.

• Chiyo and Ebizo advised Sunagakure to abandon unnecessary outposts, consolidate its defenses, and report the situation to Ryunosuke.
• After hearing that Hayate Hoshi had killed over three hundred of seven hundred attackers, Ryunosuke ordered the frontline to restrain its offensive and wrote a list of people to mobilize.
• Ryunosuke’s subordinate recognized several names on the list but said nothing and left to carry out the order.
• Hoshi and Minato met the delayed reinforcements, and Hoshi sent them to sabotage nearby Sunagakure outposts.
• Hoshi told Orochimaru and Tsunade to launch the next phase of the plan, explaining that Konoha could drive Sunagakure out of the Land of Rain and block its route at the Land of Wind’s border.

Konoha’s offensive captured numerous Sunagakure outposts and forced Ebizo and Chiyo’s forces to remain inside their main camp. Yakushi Nonō, posing as Nayu, decoded a message from Konoha and learned she could finally return to her original identity.

• Hoshi, Orochimaru, and Shinku led Konoha forces in capturing fifteen or sixteen Sunagakure outposts and surrounding the main camp.
• Hoshi kept sending taunting notes into the Sunagakure camp, hoping to make contact with a spy.
• Nayu persuaded a Sunagakure patrol leader that she was a medical Chunin collecting the notes for Chiyo, then took them to the garbage dump.
• Nayu decoded the notes and found instructions to meet in Foam Town at eight o’clock on the evening of the third day of next month.
• Nayu burned the notes and revealed that she was Yakushi Nonō, the last Konoha spy in the Sunagakure main camp.