Chapter Summaries

Ruri and his companions left the forest and stopped to rest while Kakashi secretly warned them to stay alert. Ruri suspected the hidden enemies were waiting for them to relax further, and decided they should lure them into attacking on the open ground.

• Ruri loudly celebrated reaching the open air, and Uzuki Yugao warned him to keep his voice down and stay cautious.
• Kakashi ordered the group to rest for half an hour and secretly signaled them to watch for enemies.
• Ruri and the others sorted their equipment while remaining alert, but the concealed enemies did not notice Kakashi's signal.
• Ruri wondered why the enemies had not attacked and concluded they might be waiting for the group to relax more.
• Ruri decided to appear even less guarded so they could deal with the enemies on the open ground before entering the forest.

Ruri and Kakashi’s team pretended to relax while secretly watching the enemies lying in ambush around them. Ruri told Kakashi that the enemy was taking its time, and Kakashi looked around.

• Ruri rested against a tree and used his Byakugan to observe the enemies while the team acted relaxed.
• The enemies mistook the team’s behavior for carelessness and whispered that they were rookies.
• The enemies speculated that their fallen comrades had lost in head-on fights against the five-person team.
• Ruri realized the enemies had still not noticed they had been spotted and continued pretending to rest.
• Ruri walked over to Kakashi and remarked that the enemies were taking their time, and Kakashi looked around.

Kakashi and Ruri suspected the hidden enemies were waiting for them to lower their guard, and they warned Uchiha Itachi and the others to stay alert. The enemy captain also held back, planning to launch a fatal blow once the group became careless.

• Kakashi asked Ruri why the enemies had not attacked, and Ruri guessed they were waiting for the group to let down its guard.
• Ruri said the enemies seemed no stronger than Jonin level, and Kakashi doubted that numbers would let them overwhelm the group.
• Ruri sensed an attack was near just as Uchiha Itachi and the others joined him and Kakashi.
• Kakashi told Uchiha Itachi and the others to remain alert and block the enemies as soon as they struck.
• An enemy asked the captain when they would attack, but the captain ordered the group to wait until their targets let their guard down.

Ruri and his companions prepared for an ambush after spotting their enemies readying ninja tools. They blocked the attackers’ volley and formed a defensive circle as the enemy captain revealed himself.

• Kakashi warned the group that the enemies were about to attack, while the enemy captain ordered his men to prepare their ninja tools.
• Ruri used his Byakugan to spot the enemies drawing their weapons and alerted Kakashi, who told everyone to stay ready.
• The enemy captain and his men hurled their ninja tools at Ruri and his companions.
• Kakashi and the others stood and blocked the volley, then formed a back-to-back circle.
• Ruri challenged the hidden attackers, and the enemy captain stepped out of the bushes with a smile.

Ruri and the others saw through the enemy captain’s boast that he had thrown them out alone and pretended to believe him. Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi played along loudly, setting up a show of confidence in their plan to attack together.

• The enemy captain claimed he had driven everyone out by himself, while his hidden ninjas mistook the boast for a deliberate tactic.
• One hidden ninja explained to his confused teammate that the captain wanted the others to underestimate him, and the teammate accepted the explanation.
• Ruri and the others pretended to be impressed, though Ruri thought the captain’s claim would only fool inexperienced ninjas.
• Uchiha Itachi loudly told Kakashi that the enemy seemed too strong for them.
• Kakashi loudly urged the group not to panic and said all five could defeat the captain by attacking from every direction.

Ruri and the others pretended to fall for the enemy captain’s intimidation while Kakashi tried to mislead him about their previous encounters. Ruri recognized that they had already located the hidden enemies, leaving the captain unaware that he was their chosen prey.

• The hidden ninjas celebrated, believing Ruri and the others were inexperienced rookies who had fallen for their captain’s trick.
• The enemy captain declared that the group had recognized his strength and that further talk was pointless.
• Ruri asked Kakashi whether they should attack the captain together from all sides.
• Kakashi taunted the captain for coming alone, and the captain admitted he had been sent because he expected one person to handle the five of them.
• The captain asked why earlier enemies sent after the group had died, and Kakashi pretended not to know about them.
• Ruri thought that both sides were trying to outsmart each other and noted that the group already knew where the captain’s teammates were hiding.

Ruri and his companions prepared to counter the hidden ninja, whom they believed were underestimating them. The enemy revealed itself and surrounded the group, setting the stage for a fight.

• Ruri quietly told Itachi, Yugao, and Yamato to strike the hidden ninja once the battle began.
• Itachi and Ruri whispered about how foolish the enemy seemed.
• Ruri told his teammates to kill the attackers but leave one or two alive to question them about the front lines.
• Kakashi challenged the enemy captain to decide who would attack first, and the captain angrily ordered his ninja to come out.
• The hidden ninja emerged and surrounded Ruri and his companions, still believing them to be inexperienced children.

Ruri, Kakashi, and Uchiha Itachi provoked an enemy squad into attacking, then charged to meet them. Ruri’s weapon transformed into a one-and-a-half-meter cleaver as he clashed with an enemy.

• Kakashi and Ruri mocked the enemy captain for claiming he had come alone, while Uchiha Itachi encouraged Ruri to let the captain save face.
• The enemy captain lost his temper and ordered his squad to kill them.
• The enemy ninjas charged, and Kakashi told his teammates to end the fight quickly.
• Ruri and the others drew their weapons and rushed to meet the attackers.
• Ruri clashed with an enemy and transformed his short blade into a one-and-a-half-meter cleaver.

Ruri overwhelmed an enemy ninja with his transforming blade and learned that the man had realized their plan. Ruri killed him with Lightning Blade before he could warn his teammates.

• Ruri transformed his short blade into a heavy cleaver and drove the enemy to his knees.
• Ruri pressed his attack, and the enemy realized Ruri had been pretending and had discovered them.
• The enemy tried to escape so he could warn his teammates, but Ruri declared he would not let him live.
• Ruri used Lightning Blade to appear behind the fleeing ninja and pierce his heart.

Ruri swiftly killed the enemies, using his bare hand and Rasengan to leave several of them dead. He then turned to finish off the remaining foes.

• Ruri pulled his hand from an enemy's body, killing him, then wiped the blood off on the man's clothes.
• Ruri noticed his teammates had already killed several enemies and hurried to catch up.
• Ruri appeared behind two enemies with a Rasengan in each hand, then struck them in the stomach.
• Ruri's Rasengan sent the two enemies flying, and they died after landing with their bodies severely mangled.
• Ruri quickly appeared before the remaining enemies and killed them all.

Ruri and his companions fought the enemies with unexpected strength, leading the enemy captain to suspect they had hidden their abilities to set up a surprise attack. The captain decided the enemies could be overwhelmed by numbers and ordered his subordinate back into battle.

• An enemy subordinate asked his captain why Ruri and his companions had become so strong.
• The enemy captain realized Ruri's group had likely concealed their strength to lower the enemies' guard and ambush them.
• The subordinate suggested surrounding each of Ruri's companions with five attackers.
• The captain agreed that numerical superiority could overwhelm them, then ordered the subordinate to stop standing around and fight.

Ruri and his teammates fought a group of black-clad ninja, killing many without using large-scale jutsu. During the battle, Ruri and the others realized the enemies wore no forehead protectors, leaving their village unknown.

• An enemy captain sent a teammate to help fight Ruri and the others, then regretted recruiting him.
• Ruri and his four teammates killed around a dozen opponents using mostly ninja tools.
• An enemy wielding an enormous cleaver taunted Ruri and claimed the attackers were all elites.
• Ruri noticed that none of the black-clad enemies wore forehead protectors, and the others confirmed the same discovery.
• Ruri challenged his opponent to face his strength after the enemy underestimated him.

Ruri fought an enemy who claimed to have been holding back and then unleashed his full strength. The enemy used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear and taunted Ruri from every direction, leaving their fight unresolved.

• Ruri and the enemy charged at each other after both claimed they had not used their true strength.
• Ruri pressed the enemy beneath his short blade and refused to back down from his taunts.
• The enemy said he had killed countless brats like Ruri, then thrust upward and knocked Ruri aside.
• Ruri steadied himself and realized the enemy had vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
• The enemy spoke from all directions, telling Ruri he was already dead beneath his blade.

Ruri fought a hidden enemy who proved stronger and more resourceful than the ninjas he had faced before. The enemy remained concealed in a tree, relying on traps and Wind Release while trying to make Ruri surrender.

• The enemy launched shuriken and kunai at Ruri from every direction, and Ruri blocked the shuriken and dodged the kunai.
• A concealed steel wire attached to the ninja tools cut Ruri's face, and he praised the enemy's strength.
• The enemy unleashed a powerful Wind Release that formed a tornado and swept toward Ruri.
• The enemy shouted for Ruri to surrender while staying hidden on a tree branch, knowing he could not defeat Ruri in a direct fight.

Ruri escaped the enemy’s powerful Wind Release by directing it into a massive tree, then faced the enemy after he came out of hiding. Ruri turned to meet the enemy’s charge with a spiral pattern appearing in his hand.

• Ruri led the enemy’s Wind Release into a large tree and used the Body Flicker Technique to escape before it struck.
• The Wind Release shredded the tree and vanished, prompting Ruri to marvel at its power.
• The enemy realized his attack had failed and complained that it had consumed more than half his chakra.
• The enemy came out of hiding and charged at Ruri with a large chopping blade.
• Ruri turned toward the charging enemy as a spiral pattern appeared in his hand.

Ruri's Rasengan badly injured his enemy, but a hidden steel plate let the enemy survive. The enemy swallowed a red pill and gained a huge surge of chakra, leaving their real fight about to begin.

• Ruri struck the enemy with a Rasengan and knocked him to the ground, badly injuring him.
• The enemy got back up and revealed he had worn a thick steel plate over his chest to block the Rasengan.
• Ruri and the enemy exchanged remarks about the injury and the Rasengan's power.
• The enemy swallowed a red pill, causing his eyes to turn scarlet and red chakra to rise around him.

Ruri faced an enemy who swallowed a pill that greatly increased his chakra and healed his broken ribs. Although the others feared the enemy had used a deadly forbidden technique, Ruri remained confident, and Itachi reassured Yugao that Ruri was not in danger.

• Kakashi, Itachi, Yugao, and Yamato sensed a sudden surge of chakra from Ruri’s opponent after he swallowed a pill.
• Itachi and Yugao suspected the enemy had used a forbidden technique, while the enemy captain explained that Shifū had taken the pill because he could not otherwise defeat Ruri.
• The pill healed Shifū’s broken ribs and boosted his chakra, and he vowed to kill Ruri and his teammates.
• Ruri recognized that the pill’s effects would likely harm Shifū, but Shifū laughed and declared that Ruri was about to die.
• Yugao worried that Ruri was in danger, but Itachi assured her that Shifū’s increased strength still could not defeat him.

Ruri faced an enemy whose strength and speed had surged after swallowing a pill, while Kakashi and Yamato turned their attention to the other foes. Ruri narrowly dodged the enemy’s kunai and prepared to fight seriously.

• Uzuki Yugao worriedly urged Ruri to be careful, while Kakashi and Yamato expressed confidence in his strength.
• Kakashi and Yamato joined the fight against the other enemies.
• The pill-enhanced enemy charged at Ruri, who guessed that the boost had a time limit and taunted him about it.
• The enemy raged and threatened to kill Ruri and his teammates before appearing beside him and slashing at his neck with a kunai.
• Ruri dodged the attack by retreating at the last moment and acknowledged that the pill had greatly increased the enemy’s speed.

Ruri fought an enemy whose strength and speed had increased after taking a pill, then pursued him with two Rasengan. The enemy escaped Ruri’s immediate reach by accelerating again, leaving the chase unresolved.

• The enemy threw a kunai at Ruri and charged with a huge cleaver, but Ruri dodged the kunai and blocked the cleaver.
• Ruri knocked the enemy back, put away his kunai, and formed two Rasengan in his hands.
• The enemy claimed Ruri could not hit him if he kept his distance, and Ruri challenged him to escape his attack range and match his speed.
• The enemy vanished to evade Ruri’s Rasengan, and Ruri used the Body Flicker Technique to pursue him.
• Ruri caught up behind the enemy, but the enemy accelerated and disappeared again.

Ruri overtook the enemy ninja and struck him with two Rasengan, but the enemy survived and used silver needles in his temples to unleash another technique. The enemy’s eyes turned blood-red, leaving the fight unresolved.

• An enemy captain told his subordinate that Ruri and the enemy ninja were fighting at great speed, and said their team had hidden its strength from the start.
• Ruri released his chakra, caught up with the fleeing enemy, and appeared in front of him.
• Ruri drove two Rasengan into the enemy’s chest, but the enemy used chakra barriers to block them and was sent flying, badly injured.
• The enemy staggered to his feet, thrust two silver needles into his temples, screamed, and watched his eyes turn blood-red.