Chapter Summaries

Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato finished washing up and headed to Ruri and Kakashi for breakfast. Ruri worried that the food’s flavor would change while they waited for the others to arrive.

• Uzuki Yugao asked Uchiha Itachi and Yamato if they had finished washing up, and they said they were ready.
• Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato packed their equipment and went to find Ruri and Kakashi.
• Uzuki Yugao looked forward to Ruri’s breakfast as the three walked toward them.
• Ruri complained to Kakashi that the others were taking too long and worried the meat soup would lose its flavor.
• Kakashi reassured Ruri that the food would still taste good and said they would make the others finish it.

Ruri and Kakashi waited for Uzuki Yugao and the others, who arrived late for breakfast. Ruri reheated the food while Uchiha Itachi came over to speak with him, feeling guilty about how much effort Ruri had put into cooking.

• Ruri and Kakashi spotted Uzuki Yugao and the other two approaching and complained that they had taken so long.
• Uzuki Yugao apologized to Ruri and Kakashi for keeping them waiting.
• Kakashi reminded the three that they had been waiting a long time and that Ruri's food had gone cold.
• Ruri told the three to wait while he reheated the meat soup.
• Uchiha Itachi approached Ruri, feeling guilty because he knew how much effort Ruri had put into breakfast.

Ruri asked Uchiha Itachi to help reheat the breakfast that had cooled while everyone was late. Itachi agreed to warm the soup with his Great Fireball Technique, and Ruri stepped back to watch.

• Uchiha Itachi apologized to Ruri for keeping everyone waiting and asked what he had made for breakfast.
• Ruri said the food had cooled and told Uchiha Itachi they would have to make do with it.
• Ruri asked Uchiha Itachi to heat the boiler with his Great Fireball Technique.
• Uchiha Itachi agreed, warned Ruri to step back, and prepared to warm the soup while Ruri watched.

Ruri had Uchiha Itachi heat the soup in a boiler with the Great Fireball Technique while Kakashi, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato watched. Ruri stopped Itachi before the soup could burn, leaving them ready to have breakfast.

• Uchiha Itachi used the Great Fireball Technique to heat the boiler while Ruri watched.
• Uzuki Yugao asked Kakashi what Ruri and Itachi were doing, and Yamato explained they were warming the soup.
• After thirty seconds, Ruri called for Itachi to stop before the soup burned.
• Itachi asked whether the soup was hot, and Ruri checked the pot and assured him it was ready.

Ruri served a fragrant breakfast to Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi, and the others before they continued their delayed journey. The group sat down to eat.

• Uchiha Itachi praised the aroma of Ruri's cooking, and Ruri said it had smelled even better while simmering.
• Uzuki Yugao smelled the food and asked Kakashi whether they had meat, and Kakashi said they did and told her to ask Ruri how they got it.
• Ruri reminded Uchiha Itachi that they had already been delayed and asked him to help prepare the tableware.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi brought the food to Kakashi and the others, and Kakashi invited them to sit down.

Ruri shared the wild boar meal he had prepared with Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato. The team enjoyed it and looked forward to eating more of the boar meat later.

• Kakashi thanked Ruri for preparing breakfast and told him he could rest instead of standing watch that night.
• Kakashi urged everyone to eat quickly so they could get moving without further delay.
• Uchiha Itachi praised the food, and Ruri explained that the meat was wild boar he had killed the previous night.
• Uchiha Itachi and Yamato said they enjoyed the chewy wild boar meat, while Uzuki Yugao thanked Ruri and promised they would not dawdle again.
• Ruri said he had plenty of boar meat left and would cook more dishes for them later, then continued eating with the others.

Ruri’s delicious cooking impressed Uchiha Itachi and Yamato, and he promised to cook for everyone over the next few days. Kakashi assigned Itachi and Yamato to help him, leaving them to accept their kitchen duties.

• Uchiha Itachi and Yamato praised Ruri’s cooking and said they wanted to eat it again.
• Uzuki Yugao pointed out that Ruri would be with them for the next few days, and Ruri promised to cook for everyone.
• Kakashi assigned Uchiha Itachi and Yamato to help Ruri with the cooking.
• Uchiha Itachi objected, but he and Yamato agreed to help after Ruri assured them they would only handle simple tasks.

Ruri, Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato agreed to work together on the food over the next few days, then continued eating before setting off. As Ruri reflected on his seven or eight years in the Hokage World and the friends he had made, the group remained ready to depart.

• Uzuki Yugao thanked Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato for agreeing to help with the food over the next few days.
• Ruri said he believed their help would make his cooking even more delicious.
• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi and Yamato to keep eating before they set off, and Uchiha Itachi ladled more meat broth from the pot.
• Ruri wondered why the past two days had felt like seven or eight, then reflected that he had lived in the Hokage World for seven or eight years.
• Ruri thought about how much he had learned and how important his friends had become to him.

Ruri reflected on giving up his search for a way back to his original world and looked forward to growing old enough to practice more Ninjutsu. Meanwhile, Kakashi and the others prepared to resume their journey to the front line.

• Ruri decided he no longer wanted to return to his original world and felt sorry for his former self there.
• Ruri considered how adulthood would let his body withstand more strain and allow him to practice other Ninjutsu.
• After eating, Ruri wandered around while Kakashi and the others packed their equipment.
• Kakashi urged the group to hurry and set off because their comrades at the front line might be in danger.

As the team packed up after breakfast, Ruri hoped they would encounter enemies so he could fight, though he wanted to avoid another Jinchūriki. Kakashi approached him to ask what was on his mind, startling Ruri.

• Uzuki Yugao began clearing away breakfast, and Uchiha Itachi and Yamato helped gather the tableware.
• Uchiha Itachi said he wanted to arrive on time for Ruri's next meal so he could taste the food as it was meant to be.
• Ruri watched the others, then hoped their journey would bring plenty of enemies to fight while wishing to avoid a Jinchūriki.
• Kakashi noticed Ruri standing in a daze and walked over to speak with him.
• Ruri jumped when Kakashi tapped his shoulder, and Kakashi joked that he would call out before approaching next time.

Ruri told Kakashi he had been thinking about their harsh childhoods in an era of war. Their conversation left Kakashi staring ahead after Ruri mentioned protecting loved ones, and Ruri apologized for bringing up a painful subject.

• Kakashi found Ruri lost in thought and asked what was on his mind.
• Ruri said that the era’s wars forced children like them onto battlefields, and Kakashi agreed that they had to endure it.
• Ruri and Kakashi said they needed to become strong to survive and protect those they cared about.
• Kakashi fell silent when Ruri mentioned protecting loved ones, and Ruri apologized, realizing he might have upset Kakashi over the woman he had killed.

Ruri and Kakashi agreed to work together and grow stronger as their team prepared to continue toward the mission site. Kakashi estimated they would arrive tomorrow morning after a day and a half of travel, and Ruri hoped they would encounter enemies along the way.

• Kakashi told Ruri they both had to take responsibility for their actions and face the consequences.
• Ruri and Kakashi agreed to work hard and become stronger together, then laughed.
• Uchiha Itachi, Uzuki Yugao, and Yamato packed the dishes and prepared to continue the journey.
• Ruri asked Kakashi whether they might encounter enemies, and Kakashi said there was a strong chance they would face a large group.
• Kakashi told Ruri the team would reach the mission site tomorrow morning after a day and a half of travel.

Ruri and Kakashi discussed their futures in the Anbu and agreed that they wanted to explore the world beyond Konoha. They left open the possibility of departing in a few years to learn more and grow stronger.

• Kakashi asked Ruri whether he had plans for the future, and Ruri admitted he had not thought beyond completing missions.
• Ruri said he had once wanted to remain in the Anbu for life but now wanted to explore the world outside Konoha.
• Kakashi said he had also considered staying in the Anbu but no longer felt he had anything left to learn there.
• Ruri said he might leave Konoha in a few years, and Kakashi agreed that the outside world could hold unexpected surprises and powerful ninja.
• Ruri reflected that traveling beyond Konoha would teach them more and help them become stronger, while Kakashi smiled beside him.

Ruri and Kakashi discussed the importance of having goals, and Kakashi revealed that he wanted to become strong and become Hokage. Ruri recognized that several of his classmates shared the same ambition.

• Ruri reflected on his former, ordinary plans for a future career, home, and marriage.
• Ruri told Kakashi that everyone needed a life goal to give them direction and motivation.
• Kakashi said his immediate goal was to complete their mission perfectly.
• Kakashi revealed that his life goal was to become strong and then become Hokage.
• Ruri agreed that several of his classmates also aimed to become Hokage.

Kakashi and Ruri discussed their goals and plans before heading back to the others to prepare to leave. Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato finished packing and waited for them so the group could set off with the scroll for the front lines.

• Kakashi told Ruri that he had not considered what he would do if he failed to become Hokage.
• Kakashi said he planned to train and grow stronger after returning home because the group was too weak to face powerful enemies.
• Kakashi and Ruri got up and went to check whether Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Yamato had finished packing.
• Uzuki Yugao confirmed that Uchiha Itachi and Yamato were ready and suggested they meet Kakashi and Ruri so the group could leave.

Ruri and Kakashi returned after leaving Yugao, Itachi, and Yamato to pack the team’s gear. After Yugao complained about their absence, Ruri apologized, and Itachi questioned whether he and Kakashi had really only been chatting.

• Itachi agreed with Yugao that Ruri and Kakashi had been gone for a long time.
• Yugao, Itachi, and Yamato finished packing their gear and waited for Ruri and Kakashi.
• Ruri and Kakashi returned, and Ruri praised the others for finishing the packing.
• Yugao teased Ruri for leaving them to pack alone, and Ruri apologized, saying he and Kakashi had been talking and looking around.
• Itachi asked Ruri whether he and Kakashi had really only been chatting, and Ruri insisted they had.

Kakashi and Ruri apologized to Uzuki Yugao for leaving the others to pack while they talked, then the team prepared to resume their urgent mission. They set off carrying the supplies and wild boar carcass, hoping to deliver the scroll to the front lines before their comrades faced disaster.

• Uzuki Yugao confronted Kakashi and Ruri for leaving her and the others to pack up alone.
• Kakashi and Ruri apologized, and Uzuki Yugao forgave them after warning them not to do it again.
• Ruri thanked the team for packing their equipment and asked Uchiha Itachi whether he had packed the wild boar carcass.
• Uchiha Itachi confirmed that he had packed everything, and Kakashi said the team should set off without further delay.
• Ruri put on his backpack and thought they needed to deliver the scroll to the front lines as soon as possible.

Kakashi led Ruri, Uchiha Itachi, and the others toward the front line to deliver a scroll as quickly as possible. As they traveled, Ruri and Uchiha Itachi discussed their goals, while faint flashes secretly followed the group.

• Kakashi ordered the team to hurry and eliminate any enemies that tried to delay them.
• Ruri and the others set out through the trees toward their teammates on the front line.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Ruri what he had discussed with Kakashi and what his goal was.
• Ruri said his immediate goal was to complete the mission perfectly and told Uchiha Itachi to pursue his own goals.
• Faint flashes began appearing around the group, following them without Ruri noticing.

Ruri and Kakashi’s team continued toward the mission site while a force of thirty or forty enemies secretly surrounded them. Kakashi told Ruri not to make any rash moves and to wait for the enemy leader’s orders, leaving the team moving forward as Ruri watched the attackers with his Byakugan.

• Itachi asked Ruri how much longer they had to travel, and Ruri said they seemed to be close.
• Ruri spotted enemies surrounding the team but kept quiet until he reached Kakashi and whispered what he had seen.
• Ruri estimated that around thirty or forty enemies were nearby, and Kakashi told him to keep moving and wait to see what they planned.
• The hidden enemies judged the team to be unaware of them and decided to wait for their boss’s orders before attacking.
• Ruri used his Byakugan to observe the enemies and wondered whether more had been sent because earlier attackers had failed.

Ruri and Kakashi’s group traveled through the forest while their pursuers shadowed them, then approached a wide road where the enemies prepared an ambush. Kakashi pretended not to notice the ambushers, who wrongly concluded that the group had failed to detect them.

• Ruri judged that the nearby pursuers were mostly around Jonin or Chunin strength as both groups moved through the forest.
• Kakashi told his group to rest and check their equipment once they reached the road.
• The pursuers rushed ahead and hid on both sides of the road.
• Kakashi warned his team to stay alert loudly, hoping the ambushers would think he had not spotted them.
• Two hidden enemies dismissed Kakashi’s group and questioned why their leader had sent so many pursuers.