Chapter Summaries

Ruri and Uzuki Yugao discussed a mission to kill foreign invaders at Konoha’s border and worried that the village’s peace was nearing its end. They resolved to resist any invasion, then laughed together.

• Uzuki Yugao told Ruri that Captain Kakashi had assigned them a border mission to kill foreign invaders.
• Uzuki Yugao said Uchiha Itachi would join them as a teammate and warned Ruri to be careful.
• Ruri said Konoha’s peace was threatened by countries watching the village and by ongoing border battles.
• Uzuki Yugao considered Ruri’s warning, then declared that they would keep resisting and hold off any invasion.
• Ruri and Uzuki Yugao encouraged each other and laughed together.

Ruri chatted with Uzuki Yugao about her future in the Anbu and found himself reflecting on her grief and beauty. When Yugao noticed him staring, Ruri blushed and lowered his head.

• Ruri invited Uzuki Yugao to sit with him and asked what she planned to do in the future.
• Uzuki Yugao said she had no clear goal and would keep working in the Anbu, where her friends made the work worthwhile.
• Ruri remembered Uzuki Yugao's grief and understood the pain of parting and death.
• Ruri stared at Uzuki Yugao until she blushed and asked why he was looking at her face.
• Ruri came back to his senses, reddened, and lowered his head.

Ruri praised Uzuki Yugao’s beauty, leaving her flustered, then reflected on her name, the yugao flower, and her tragic connection to Gekko Hayate. The chapter ended with a meditation on the moonlight flower and the sorrow attached to Yugao’s story.

• Ruri told Uzuki Yugao that she was beautiful and would become even more so as she grew up.
• Uzuki Yugao blushed and told Ruri that his compliments embarrassed her.
• Ruri apologized but insisted that he was only telling the truth about Yugao’s beauty.
• The narrator connected Yugao’s name to the short-lived bottle gourd blossoms and recalled how Hayate had left her.
• The narrator reflected on Yugao’s loneliness and compared her to a flower that bloomed at dusk beneath the moon.

Ruri waited with Uzuki Yugao at the Anbu entrance for Kakashi and the others, reflecting on Yugao’s tragic future and reassuring her that he would stay in the Anbu for the next few years. Kakashi finally arrived, and Ruri complained that his announcement about a new team member had made them report early.

• Ruri recalled Uzuki Yugao’s sorrow over Gekko Hayate’s death and thought about how much hardship she had endured.
• Uzuki Yugao asked Ruri about his plans, and Ruri said he would remain in the Anbu with her for the next few years.
• Ruri and Uzuki Yugao waited at the Anbu entrance for Kakashi and the others.
• Kakashi and the others arrived, and Ruri complained that they had come early because Kakashi had announced a new team member.

Ruri, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato waited at the Anbu headquarters for Uchiha Itachi to join their team. Itachi left home for the Anbu after reassuring his mother that he could take care of himself.

• Ruri stopped complaining to Kakashi after Uzuki Yugao intervened.
• Kakashi asked Yugao whether she had briefed Ruri and when Itachi would arrive, then went inside the headquarters.
• Yugao and Ruri chatted with Yamato while they waited for Itachi.
• Itachi said goodbye to Uchiha Mikoto, his father, and Sasuke before leaving for the Anbu.
• Itachi reassured Mikoto that he was old enough to look after himself.

Uchiha Itachi left home for the Anbu, where Ruri and Uzuki Yugao had been waiting for him. Itachi finally arrived, and Ruri immediately complained about the delay despite promising Yugao he would not give him a hard time.

• Uchiha Itachi said goodbye to Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto before leaving for the Anbu.
• Uchiha Mikoto remarked that Itachi had grown up, and Uchiha Fugaku told her to prepare him a delicious lunch.
• Ruri impatiently waited for Itachi at the Anbu, and Uzuki Yugao urged him not to give Itachi a hard time.
• Uchiha Itachi arrived at the Anbu, and Ruri stood up and complained that he had taken so long.
• Uzuki Yugao frowned and whispered to Ruri, reminding him of their agreement.

Ruri confronted Uchiha Itachi for arriving late, but accepted his apology after Uzuki Yugao intervened. After Itachi and Yamato introduced themselves as teammates, Yugao arranged for Ruri to show Itachi around the Anbu, leaving Ruri complaining that she had set him up.

• Ruri whispered to Uzuki Yugao that he needed to reprimand Itachi, and she agreed to let him speak to Itachi briefly.
• Ruri scolded Uchiha Itachi for arriving late, and Itachi explained that he had not expected the others to arrive so early and apologized.
• Uzuki Yugao asked Ruri to forgive Itachi, and Ruri relented for her sake.
• Yamato and Uchiha Itachi introduced themselves and said they looked forward to working together.
• Uzuki Yugao arranged for Ruri to show Itachi around the Anbu, and Ruri muttered that she had set him up.

Ruri showed Uchiha Itachi around the Anbu after welcoming him on his first day. They strengthened their friendship as they talked about Itachi’s nearly three-year-old brother, Sasuke.

• Ruri led Uchiha Itachi around the Anbu while Uzuki Yugao and Yamato watched them joke together.
• Ruri asked Itachi why he had arrived late, then welcomed him and shook his hand.
• Ruri asked about Itachi’s younger brother, and Itachi said Sasuke was almost three and wondered whether he would have time to teach him ninjutsu.
• Ruri encouraged Itachi, saying he would teach Sasuke plenty and that he expected Sasuke to become strong.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi discussed the children growing up around them and how Ruri might change their futures. The chapter ended with background on Naruto Uzumaki’s difficult childhood and eventual rise to become Hokage.

• Ruri reflected that his arrival might change the futures of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Ruri about Neji, and Ruri said he planned to teach his young cousin and help him become strong.
• Uchiha Itachi noted that Naruto Uzumaki and the other children were around three years old and wondered what they would become in Konoha.
• The narration described how Naruto was orphaned, feared as a jinchūriki, and hated by many villagers.
• The narration recounted how Naruto trained, became Hokage, helped end the war, and married Hinata Hyuga.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi discussed Naruto Uzumaki’s difficult childhood and his potential to become powerful. The chapter ended with an account of Naruto’s personality, convictions, and bonds with his companions.

• Ruri recalled admiring Naruto and empathized with the discrimination he faced as an orphan.
• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that Naruto would overcome his hardships and become strong, and Itachi agreed he might surpass them.
• Naruto became the Nine-Tails’ Jinchūriki as an infant, but villagers feared and rejected him instead of treating him as a hero.
• Naruto’s teacher Iruka gradually accepted him, helped him overcome his loneliness, and became like family to him.
• Naruto valued justice and his companions, and his clever battle tactics showed he was more than a rash troublemaker.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi discussed the Anbu monitoring room and the growing threat of war. They left each other expecting to fight in the coming conflict and determined not to die on the battlefield.

• Ruri showed Uchiha Itachi the Anbu monitoring room and said that watching the village there was boring.
• Uchiha Itachi remarked that the ninja on duty seemed to enjoy their work, and Ruri warned he would find it dull after a few days.
• Uchiha Itachi said Konoha had been unsettled and that a major war seemed likely to break out.
• Ruri agreed that other countries were eyeing Konoha and said the Anbu would fight when war came.
• Uchiha Itachi said he would kill to his heart's content and told Ruri not to die on the battlefield, while Ruri promised he would survive and become Konoha's strongest ninja.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi discussed Itachi’s eagerness to experience battle and Ruri’s warnings about war. Ruri revealed that their upcoming mission would take them to the border to eliminate enemies, and Itachi eagerly continued exploring the Anbu base.

• Uchiha Itachi told Ruri he found peacetime boring and wanted to fight on the battlefield to test his strength.
• Ruri warned Uchiha Itachi that war brought death, grief, and suffering, but Itachi argued that strength had to be proven through battle.
• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that their upcoming mission would take them to the border to wipe out enemies.
• Uchiha Itachi celebrated getting a combat mission on his first day in the Anbu, then continued exploring with Ruri.

Ruri showed Uchiha Itachi around the Anbu headquarters and welcomed him as a comrade, while the two exchanged promises not to hold each other back. They returned to the gathering, where Uzuki Yugao asked why they had taken so long.

• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that he had a general understanding of the Anbu headquarters and would be joining him there as a comrade.
• Uchiha Itachi said he liked the Anbu and challenged Ruri not to hold him back on the battlefield.
• Ruri answered that neither of them would hold the other back and said they could make a name for themselves together.
• Ruri warned Uchiha Itachi not to betray his friends, and Uchiha Itachi promised he would surpass Ruri.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi returned to the gathering, and Uzuki Yugao asked why they had been gone so long.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi returned to the Anbu headquarters together, where Kakashi Hatake introduced himself as Itachi’s captain. Itachi sensed an unspoken connection between himself and Kakashi as the three young ninjas began working together.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi told Uzuki Yugao they had been chatting on the way and kept their conversation a secret.
• Ruri introduced Kakashi Hatake to Uchiha Itachi as their captain and mentioned that Kakashi had a Sharingan too.
• Ruri explained that Kakashi’s Sharingan was not his own and promised to tell Itachi the story later.
• Kakashi introduced himself as Itachi’s Anbu captain, and Itachi greeted him respectfully.
• Uchiha Itachi sensed a subtle feeling between himself and Kakashi as they met.

Uchiha Itachi received his Anbu equipment and learned that his team would leave on a border mission the next morning. Ruri took him to Hokage Rock and began telling him about their captain Kakashi.

• Kakashi gave Uchiha Itachi a short sword and cat mask and ordered the team to meet at Anbu headquarters at eight the next morning.
• Uzuki Yugao said the others could leave, and Ruri and Uchiha Itachi departed together.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Ruri about the team, and Ruri explained that it had five members, including Kakashi, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato.
• Ruri took Uchiha Itachi to Hokage Rock to talk, then told him Kakashi became a Jonin at twelve and was now fifteen.

Ruri told Uchiha Itachi about Kakashi’s painful past, his Sharingan, and his loyalty to his comrades. She urged Itachi to treat Kakashi well and never betray their friends or teammates.

• Ruri described Kakashi’s childhood, his father’s suicide, and how he became a Jonin and the Copy Ninja.
• Ruri explained that Obito Uchiha’s Sharingan was transplanted into Kakashi and that Kakashi later killed Zero, the woman he loved.
• Uchiha Itachi said he had not known Kakashi’s history and recognized that the Sharingan came from the Uchiha Clan.
• Ruri defended Kakashi as considerate and devoted to his comrades despite the losses he had suffered.
• Ruri reminded Uchiha Itachi that Kakashi was their captain and asked him to stay loyal to his friends and teammates.

Ruri and Itachi discussed their friends and hoped to reunite with them in the Anbu after the others graduated. They parted to prepare for Itachi’s first battlefield mission the next day, and Ruri returned home to Mei Ling Hyuga.

• Ruri told Itachi that Harukawa, Linghua, and the others would graduate next year and might join the Anbu.
• Ruri and Itachi talked about their friends’ abilities, praising Harukawa and Linghua’s talent and Akagimaru’s hard work.
• Itachi said he had to prepare for his first battlefield mission, and he and Ruri agreed to meet at the Anbu at eight the next morning.
• Ruri returned to Mei Ling Hyuga’s home, told her about his mission the next day, and went inside for something to eat.

Ruri visited Mei Ling Hyuga and spent the morning playing with Neji Hyuga before lunch was ready. Mei Ling Hyuga brought out a pot of soup and called them to eat.

• Mei Ling Hyuga called Neji Hyuga to greet Ruri when he arrived.
• Neji Hyuga ran to Ruri, who picked him up and played with him.
• Ruri and Neji Hyuga played with toys for nearly an hour while Mei Ling Hyuga cooked lunch.
• Ruri grew hungry and praised the aroma of Mei Ling Hyuga's cooking.
• Mei Ling Hyuga brought out a pot of soup and told Ruri to bring Neji over to eat.

Ruri brought Neji to the dining table, where Mei Ling had prepared a feast centered on a pot of fish soup. Ruri and Neji waited for Mei Ling to join them before eating, and Ruri mentioned he had a mission the next day.

• Ruri picked up Neji and carried him to the dining table after Mei Ling invited them to eat.
• Ruri admired the fish soup and the other dishes Mei Ling had prepared.
• Mei Ling told Ruri to watch Neji while she finished in the kitchen.
• Ruri told Neji to wait for Mei Ling before eating, and Neji reluctantly agreed.
• Ruri said he planned to eat well because he had a mission the next day.

Mei Ling Hyuga prepared a large lunch for Ruri and Neji Hyuga before Ruri’s mission the next day. After they ate, Mei Ling Hyuga sat up as if she wanted to discuss the mission with Ruri.

• Mei Ling Hyuga brought out grilled meat and explained that she had cooked a feast because Ruri would leave on a mission the next day.
• Ruri and Neji praised Mei Ling Hyuga’s cooking, and Ruri shared food with Neji.
• The three ate for about an hour, finishing most of the dishes.
• Ruri said he had eaten too much and joked that he wanted the meal to last while he was away.
• Mei Ling Hyuga sat up when Ruri mentioned his mission, appearing ready to speak with him about it.