Chapter Summaries

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.

As the team continued its mission, Ruri encouraged Uchiha Itachi to get used to traveling far from Konoha and reassured him that they would face future missions together. Itachi regained his confidence, and Kakashi estimated they would reach their destination the following night if nothing delayed them.

• Ruri and Kakashi told the team to stay alert that night in case anything happened.
• Ruri asked Kakashi how long it would take to reach the mission destination, and Kakashi estimated they would arrive tomorrow night or the day after.
• Uchiha Itachi was surprised that the team was still so far from Konoha and admitted he had not expected Anbu missions to take them this far.
• Ruri teased Uchiha Itachi about his worries and reminded him that the team would be with him on future missions.
• Uchiha Itachi said he would gradually get used to traveling and promised he would mature.
• Ruri reassured Uchiha Itachi that he would stay by his side, and Itachi returned to his usual self.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi told Kakashi that their friends Harukawa, Reika Hyuga, and Akagimaru planned to join the Anbu after graduating from the Ninja Academy. Kakashi agreed to let them join and warned Ruri and Itachi that he would add a new task to their training, though he had not decided what it would be.

• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that he would keep going on missions with him because they were close in strength and age.
• Ruri and Itachi explained to Kakashi that Momokusa Harukawa, Reika Hyuga, and Akagimaru were their friends and would join the Anbu after graduating next year.
• Kakashi questioned whether the three friends understood how difficult and boring Anbu life could be.
• Ruri and Itachi assured Kakashi that their friends were capable and determined, and Kakashi agreed to let them join the Anbu.
• Kakashi told Ruri and Itachi he would add a task to their daily training and would tell them what it was after deciding.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi reacted to Kakashi’s explanation about their training before Kakashi sent them back to rest. They headed toward the campsite, planning to sleep before taking over the watch later that night.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi expressed disbelief at Kakashi’s explanation, while Yamato praised Kakashi’s teaching.
• Kakashi told Yamato, Ruri, and Uchiha Itachi to rest, and Ruri and Itachi said they would relieve Yamato during the second half of the night.
• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato walked back toward the campsite, yawning and talking about how tired they were.
• Yamato suggested they check whether Yugao had gone to sleep, while Ruri and Uchiha Itachi said they wanted to go straight to bed.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi joked about catching up on sleep after their mission as they returned to camp with Yamato. Uzuki Yugao greeted them and asked whether the captain and camp were safe.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi agreed they would sleep as much as they wanted once the mission was over.
• Ruri reminisced about falling asleep to recordings of his college teachers’ voices.
• Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato talked as they walked back to camp.
• Uzuki Yugao greeted the returning group and asked about the captain and anything unusual at camp.

Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao reassured one another that there were no enemies nearby, then decided to get some sleep. Ruri led them toward a large tree he had found, where they planned to rest together.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi told Uzuki Yugao that the noises nearby had come from animals and that no enemies were around.
• Uzuki Yugao said she felt sleepy, and Ruri and Uchiha Itachi encouraged her to rest.
• Ruri yawned and agreed to sleep so he would have energy the next day.
• Uchiha Itachi asked whether they would sleep together or separately, and Ruri said they could all fit in a large tree with dense leaves.
• Uchiha Itachi hurried Ruri toward the tree, eager to lie down and fall asleep.

Ruri led Uchiha Itachi, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato to a large tree he had found earlier, suggesting they sleep among its dense branches. After checking the tree’s vantage point and concealment, the group agreed to rest there for the night.

• Ruri led the tired group to the large tree he had discovered while searching for food.
• Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao admired the tree’s dense foliage and asked Ruri how he had found it.
• Ruri explained that he had checked the tree and found it offered a clear view while hiding them from enemies below.
• Yamato climbed the tree, surveyed the surroundings, and confirmed it was difficult to spot anyone among the branches.
• Uzuki Yugao agreed that the group would sleep in the tree that night.

Ruri and the others prepared to sleep in a tree, reminding each other to stay alert for a possible enemy attack. They planned to wake early to relieve Captain Kakashi on watch.

• Ruri reassured Uzuki Yugao that the leafy tree would keep them warm and comfortable overnight.
• Uchiha Itachi praised Ruri for finding a good place to rest, and Yamato urged everyone to turn in early.
• Uzuki Yugao climbed onto a thick branch, adjusted her Ninja Tool Pouch, and settled against the trunk.
• Ruri pointed out that Uzuki Yugao was hidden by the leaves, then reminded Uchiha Itachi and Yamato to wake early to relieve Captain Kakashi.
• Ruri warned them to stay alert while sleeping in case the enemy launched a sneak attack, and Uchiha Itachi and Yamato said they would wake at the slightest disturbance.

Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato settled into secluded spots in a tree to sleep after a tiring day. Ruri reflected on his college life and his more comfortable routine now before falling asleep, while Yamato reminded Itachi to relieve the captain after resting.

• Ruri climbed the tree, found a secluded spot, and rested while thinking about the day's events.
• Uchiha Itachi and Yamato watched Ruri settle down, then climbed up and prepared to sleep.
• Uchiha Itachi thought he needed a full night's rest because his body had reached its limits.
• Yamato told Uchiha Itachi to sleep early and remember to relieve the captain after resting.
• Ruri recalled his college days and compared their irregular meals with the food and routine he enjoyed now.
• Ruri stopped thinking, curled up on the branch, wished the Shinobi World good night, and fell asleep smiling.

Ruri recalled his college habit of staying up late and going out for food when hunger struck. He especially looked forward to Saturday and Sunday nights, when he could relax with beer and barbecue.

• Ruri remembered spending hours on his computer in his college dorm before noticing his hunger late at night.
• He often left his dorm around three or four in the morning to eat at a late-night restaurant whose owner he knew well.
• Ruri usually avoided beer and grilled snacks from Monday through Friday because he had classes the next day.
• On Saturday and Sunday nights, Ruri enjoyed beer and barbecue, making those his favorite days of the week.

Ruri woke up on a branch with intense hunger and decided to find something to eat. He slid down the tree and went to his equipment.

• Ruri struggled to fall back asleep as his stomach churned with hunger.
• Ruri sat up on the branch, rubbed his stomach, and said he would get something to eat.
• Ruri slid down the trunk and walked over to his equipment.