Recaps

While escorting a large scroll toward the front lines, Ruri stood watch and reflected on the journey, his family, and the prospect of a life spent away on missions. The group continued its trip, with Ruri wondering what the scroll contained and hoping he would not be sent away from home often.

• Ruri watched the large scroll and wondered what it contained that could help Konoha’s front-line ninja turn the tide.
• Ruri thought about missing Aunt Meiling’s cooking and promised himself he would feast on it after the mission.
• Ruri stood guard, checked the area, and found no sign of enemies.
• Ruri reflected on the long journey and wondered whether his future as an Anbu would mean frequent assignments far from home.
• Ruri thought of his uncle, Hizashi Hyuga, whose missions often kept him away for ten days or half a month.

Ruri missed Mei Ling Hyuga, Nichijo, Harukawa, Linghua, and the others while away on a mission and resolved to spend more time with them when he returned. Uzuki Yugao noticed his worried expression and asked what was on his mind.

• Ruri reflected on how work far from home could separate people from their families.
• Ruri realized he missed his family and friends and decided he would spend more time with them after the mission.
• Uzuki Yugao woke from her rest and found Ruri sitting in a daze.
• Ruri told Uzuki Yugao that nothing was wrong and explained that he had taken over the watch from Captain Kakashi.
• Uzuki Yugao sat beside Ruri and asked again what had made him look worried.

Ruri and Uzuki Yugao talked about long missions, feeling secure with teammates, and missing home. Yugao recalled that she had missed her family and friends on her first distant mission but had grown used to being away.

• Ruri told Uzuki Yugao that this was his first mission far from Konoha and offered to protect her on future missions.
• Uzuki Yugao thanked Ruri for his kind words and promised to let him try her cooking.
• Ruri asked Uzuki Yugao whether she had missed home during her first mission.
• Uzuki Yugao said she had missed her family and friends at first but had gotten used to being away on missions.

Ruri talked with Uzuki Yugao about feeling unsettled on his first mission, then asked how much farther they had to travel. They continued toward the front lines with a dangerous scroll, whose forbidden technique might turn the battle.

• Uzuki Yugao comforted Ruri, saying it was natural to miss family and friends on a first mission.
• Ruri thanked Uzuki Yugao for keeping him company, and they joked about him dying of misery.
• Ruri asked when they would reach the mission site, and Uzuki Yugao said they still had a long way to go and needed to hurry.
• Ruri wondered what the scroll contained, and Uzuki Yugao said it held a powerful, dangerous forbidden technique.

Ruri and Uzuki Yugao checked that Kakashi and the others had recovered, then prepared to resume their mission to deliver the scroll. Kakashi urged the team to hurry so they could reach their comrades before the deadline.

• Ruri reassured Uzuki Yugao that she would not touch the scroll or put herself in danger.
• Ruri noticed Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato waking after nearly an hour of rest.
• Ruri and Uzuki Yugao approached the others and asked whether they were ready to continue.
• Kakashi thanked Ruri and Uzuki Yugao for their hard work and checked that Ruri was holding up.
• Kakashi told Uchiha Itachi and Yamato to get up and pack so the team could speed up and deliver the scroll on time.

After recovering and packing their equipment, Kakashi’s team set off through the trees to deliver the scroll. Ruri marveled at the speed he had gained as an Anbu ninja.

• Itachi and Yamato told Kakashi they had recovered, and the team packed its equipment.
• Ruri asked Itachi about his sleepy appearance, and Itachi said he was fine and had only just woken up.
• Kakashi led Ruri, Yugao, Itachi, and Yamato toward their destination to deliver the scroll.
• The team darted through the trees at high speed as Ruri reflected on how incredible his ninja abilities felt.

Ruri and his teammates spent the afternoon rushing through the trees with a scroll for their comrades on the front line, leaving most of them exhausted. Kakashi called a rest and decided they would take the rest of the journey more slowly.

• Ruri thought about how exhausting it was to weave through the trees all afternoon as the five hurried toward the front line.
• Kakashi stopped the group near evening and led them down from the trees to rest.
• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao sank to the ground with trembling, exhausted legs.
• Kakashi suggested that Might Guy train the exhausted teammates, but Ruri refused and promised they would practice more themselves.
• Kakashi agreed to take a proper rest and travel in shorter stretches, then sat beneath a tree with Yamato.

Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao rested after exhausting leg training and discussed how they would fare if attacked before recovering. Kakashi said he would deal with any ambush alone.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi joked about Ruri needing to train his legs more.
• Uzuki Yugao said she was recovering but still needed more rest.
• Kakashi invited Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao to rest beneath a large tree.
• Ruri asked Kakashi what they would do if enemies ambushed them while their legs were weak.
• Kakashi said the others could rest while he took out any attackers himself.

Ruri explained that the enemy was using ordinary ninja to mislead their group into lowering their guard before a surprise attack by stronger ninja. The group understood the enemy’s plan and recognized that the repeated use of weak opponents had made them suspicious.

• Ruri told the group that the enemy would send stronger ninja as they approached their front-line teammates.
• Ruri said the enemy wanted them to defeat ordinary ninja and gain confidence before powerful ninja attacked by surprise.
• Ruri argued that the enemy’s repeated use of ordinary ninja had aroused suspicion.
• Kakashi understood the plan and explained how it was meant to make the group lower their guard.
• The others understood Ruri’s reasoning and praised his insight.

Ruri and Kakashi’s team suspected their pursuers were using ordinary ninja to wear them down, so they planned to stay alert and preserve their stamina. They chose towering trees as a place to rest overnight and intended to leave at first light.

• Ruri suggested that their enemies were sending ordinary ninja because they underestimated the children and wanted to catch them off guard later.
• Kakashi told the team to pretend they knew nothing about the tactic while remaining vigilant, and agreed that the attacks were meant to exhaust them.
• Kakashi proposed resting more often and avoiding travel at night so the team could keep its stamina up.
• Ruri used his Byakugan to find several tall trees ahead, and the team ran there to make camp.
• Kakashi climbed a tree to survey the surroundings after deciding the team would leave at first light.

After a long day of travel, Ruri went looking for food while the others rested and prepared to camp. He heard something moving in the bushes ahead and cautiously approached the darkness.

• Uzuki Yugao collapsed from exhaustion after the group traveled all day.
• Ruri told the others to rest while he searched for food, and Uchiha Itachi agreed that a campfire and barbecue would help them stay warm.
• Ruri searched the area but found no meat and remembered that Aunt Meiling had given him packets of food.
• Ruri continued into a quiet, cold, pitch-black area and heard rustling in a clump of bushes.
• Ruri raised his guard when he noticed the bushes move.

Ruri investigated the noise in the bushes and found three aggressive rabbits. When they charged at him, he killed them with his short blade, leaving him with rabbits for dinner.

• Ruri approached the rustling bushes with his short blade ready.
• Ruri parted the foliage and discovered three rabbits baring their teeth at him.
• Ruri waved his blade to test whether the rabbits would flee, but they became more aggressive.
• Ruri slashed at the rabbits when they charged, killing all three.

Ruri killed three rabbits that had attacked him and carried them back to his unit, planning to cook them for dinner. Kakashi found no enemies nearby and helped the others prepare their campsite for the night.

• Ruri killed three rabbits after they challenged him instead of fleeing, then apologized to their bodies.
• Ruri picked up the rabbits and planned to stew them with mushrooms he had gathered.
• Kakashi surveyed the area from a tree and found no enemies, only animals.
• Kakashi joined his teammates in preparing a place to sleep for the night.

Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao prepared branches for a fire while waiting for Ruri to return with food. Ruri came back with three rabbits, and Uzuki Yugao began preparing them as the group got ready to eat.

• Uchiha Itachi asked Kakashi if they would sleep in the trees, and Kakashi explained that it would keep them safe from animals and damp ground.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Uzuki Yugao about sleeping in trees, and she told him she had grown used to it on missions.
• Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao gathered branches to build a warming fire and make cooking easier for Ruri.
• Ruri returned carrying three dead rabbits, and Uchiha Itachi said he was hungry.
• Ruri invited the group to eat and said he would explain where he found the rabbits; Uzuki Yugao took them and began removing their innards and fur.

Ruri returned from scouting with mushrooms, vegetables, and three rabbits, while Kakashi reported no signs of enemies nearby. The group gathered around a fire, and Ruri suggested making rabbit soup so all five of them could eat.

• Ruri returned with food he had gathered and three rabbits he had caught.
• Yamato praised Ruri for catching the rabbits in the dark.
• Ruri used fire-nature chakra to light the pile of firewood.
• Kakashi told Ruri that he had seen no enemies while watching from a tree.
• Uzuki Yugao cleaned the rabbits, and Ruri suggested making soup instead of roasting them.
• Uzuki Yugao agreed and set the rabbits and branches aside.

Ruri told the others how three unusually aggressive rabbits had attacked him before he killed them. After Kakashi explained that hardship could make the weak fight fiercely even without the power to protect themselves, Ruri went to stew the rabbits.

• Ruri offered to prepare dinner while Uzuki Yugao and the others chatted.
• Uzuki Yugao asked Ruri how he had found the three rabbits, and he described discovering them in the grass and killing them after they lunged at him.
• Uchiha Itachi wondered why the rabbits had attacked instead of fleeing.
• Kakashi explained that troubled times could make the weak defend themselves despite lacking the strength to survive.
• Ruri agreed that they needed strength to protect themselves, then went to stew the rabbits.

Ruri prepared rabbit and radish soup while Kakashi’s team planned to leave at sunrise and agreed to eat meat every day to keep up their strength. Kakashi said he had brought spare meat in case they could not catch any animals, and Ruri brought the pot over to the group.

• Ruri chose to make rabbit and radish soup and chopped up the three rabbits.
• Kakashi told Uchiha Itachi that the team would leave at sunrise and try to cover a lot of ground.
• Kakashi said the team needed to eat meat daily to maintain their energy.
• Uchiha Itachi asked what they would do if they could not catch animals, and Kakashi said he had brought spare meat.
• Ruri finished preparing the soup ingredients and brought the pot toward Kakashi and the others.

Ruri prepared rabbit stew with radishes and agreed to take charge of finding food for the team. Kakashi set their departure for sunrise and assigned night watches while Uzuki Yugao guarded the scroll.

• Ruri told Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi that the team needed balanced meals and volunteered to find food.
• Ruri explained that he had put rabbit, radishes, and seasonings in the pot to make stew.
• Uzuki Yugao took the pot from Ruri and set it over the fire to cook.
• Kakashi told Ruri that the team would leave at sunrise to deliver the scroll quickly.
• Yamato volunteered for the first watch, and Kakashi assigned the remaining watches to himself, Ruri, and Uchiha Itachi while Uzuki Yugao guarded the scroll.

Kakashi assigned Uzuki Yugao to rest while the boys took turns keeping watch, and the team discussed how they would respond if enemies attacked. They prepared rabbit stew and settled in for what they hoped would be a peaceful night before continuing their journey.

• Kakashi excused Uzuki Yugao from keeping watch and told her to focus on protecting the scroll.
• Ruri asked Kakashi what they would do if enemies attacked, and Kakashi said they would kill the attackers and return to resting.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi declared they would defeat any enemies who tried to ambush them.
• Uzuki Yugao checked the rabbit stew, and Ruri said it needed another ten or fifteen minutes to cook.
• Ruri surveyed the quiet surroundings and hoped the team would have a peaceful night.

Ruri finished cooking rabbit stew and shared it with Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Yamato, and Uzuki Yugao. The group enjoyed the meal and planned to rest early afterward.

• Ruri checked the rabbit meat, added salt, and called his teammates over to eat.
• Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, and Yamato praised the stew’s aroma and looked forward to trying Ruri’s cooking.
• Ruri served rabbit and vegetables to everyone, and they sat together to eat.
• Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao praised the stew’s taste, while Ruri modestly said he had learned to cook through practice at home.

Ruri and the others finished their meal and cleaned up together before resting for the night. As Ruri looked toward the distance, he reflected that their journey still had a long way to go.

• Uzuki Yugao and Yamato praised Ruri's cooking as the group ate.
• Kakashi finished eating and surveyed their surroundings, while Ruri reminded Uzuki Yugao to rest for the next day's journey.
• After about half an hour, the group finished all the food, and Uzuki Yugao offered to clean up.
• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato joined Uzuki Yugao in cleaning the dishes together.
• Ruri carefully emptied the hot soup pot, then remarked that the journey ahead was still long.

After helping clean up, Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato decided where to sleep and headed over to keep Kakashi company. The three approached Kakashi, rubbing their hands against the cold night air.

• Ruri returned to Uzuki Yugao and learned that only a little cleanup remained.
• Ruri told Uzuki Yugao to finish up and get a good night's rest while he, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato went to rest.
• Ruri said they should sleep in the middle of the tree to avoid the cold at the top and wild animals below.
• Ruri suggested that they go chat with Kakashi, and Uchiha Itachi and Yamato agreed.
• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato walked toward Kakashi as Ruri rubbed his palms together against the cold.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi complained about the cold while walking with Yamato, who said he barely felt it and that his body actually felt hot. He recalled once falling through river ice and being frozen solid, but said the cold faded soon after he was rescued.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi rubbed their hands together and said the wind was making them cold.
• Yamato said he felt only a light breeze and even sensed a little warmth in the wind.
• Ruri asked whether Yamato ever felt cold, and Yamato said he could not remember doing so except when he was frozen in ice.
• Yamato told Ruri and Uchiha Itachi that he had fallen through river ice while training in winter and was pulled out after freezing solid.
• Yamato said his body soon returned to normal, leaving Ruri and Uchiha Itachi astonished.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi questioned Yamato about his unusual inability to feel cold, and learned that he still felt hot in summer. The conversation ended with Ruri remarking that Yamato had an advantage in winter.

• Ruri thought about people who could withstand extreme cold and examined Yamato.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Yamato whether he felt cold or hot.
• Yamato said he felt hot in summer and liked bathing in the river.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi joked that Yamato would be a monster if he could feel neither cold nor heat.
• Ruri told Yamato that not feeling cold made winter easier for him than for everyone else.

Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato joined Kakashi after dinner to chat while keeping watch. Kakashi reported that the area was quiet, and they expected no enemy attack until the next day.

• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato finished cleaning up after the meal and went to join Kakashi.
• Kakashi asked why they had not gone to rest, and Uchiha Itachi and Ruri said they were not sleepy and wanted to chat while digesting their food.
• Kakashi invited them to sit with him and keep watch together.
• Ruri asked whether Kakashi had noticed anything nearby, and Kakashi said he had heard only rats and other small noises.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi concluded that the enemies would not launch a sneak attack that night.