Chapter Summaries

Ruri faced an enemy who believed he had exhausted his limited Ninjutsu, while Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi watched and tried to understand his behavior. Ruri recognized that the perceptive enemy could become a major threat if left alive, and considered killing him despite the danger.

• Uchiha Itachi asked Kakashi what Ruri's expression meant, and Kakashi said Ruri must have another purpose and knew more Ninjutsu than he had shown.
• Uchiha Itachi accepted Kakashi's explanation but remained puzzled about why Ruri was holding back.
• Kakashi grew anxious as Ruri stood still, apparently waiting for the enemy to attack.
• The enemy said he believed Ruri knew too few Ninjutsu to fight back and praised Ruri's strength, age, and unusual short blade.
• Ruri silently judged that the enemy had analyzed him thoroughly and thought he could become a dangerous obstacle if Ruri did not eliminate him.

Ruri paused his fight to talk and laugh with his enemy, puzzling both sides as they watched. Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao could only speculate about the conversation as the fight remained unresolved.

• Ruri praised his enemy's analytical skills while the two paused their fight to talk.
• An enemy team member asked his captain why Ruri and the enemy were chatting, and the captain guessed they were exchanging Ruri's last words.
• Uchiha Itachi wondered why Ruri was talking and laughing with his opponent.
• Uzuki Yugao reassured Uchiha Itachi that Ruri seemed confident he could kill the enemy, though she did not know what they were discussing.
• Kakashi told Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao that the enemy had apparently started the conversation and admitted he could not tell whether their smiles were real or fake.

Ruri kept the enemy talking while Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao suspected that Ruri was setting up an opening to attack. The enemy asked Ruri for his last words and then prepared to kill him.

• Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao noticed that Ruri’s smile seemed unusual, and Kakashi suggested he might be creating an opening to attack.
• Ruri and the enemy talked for several minutes before the enemy asked whether Ruri had any last words.
• Ruri said he had nothing to say and urged the enemy to hurry up and kill him.
• The enemy said he was glad he would not have to deliver any final message, then warned Ruri that death was coming.
• Ruri privately thought the enemy was too dark-minded to befriend.

Ruri confronted his ruthless, arrogant enemy and began coating his hands and lower legs in powerful flames, signaling that he was ready to fight back. Uchiha Itachi watched and predicted the enemy was in trouble.

• Ruri reflected that the enemy’s dark heart and ruthless methods made him dangerous to trust.
• The enemy sensed something was wrong when Ruri smiled and transformed his arm into a blade while warily scanning the area.
• Ruri walked toward the enemy as flames spread over his calves and hands.
• Ruri criticized the enemy’s hatred and arrogance as the flames on his limbs blazed.
• Uchiha Itachi saw Ruri’s display and said the enemy was in for trouble.

Ruri turned the fight around after revealing his strength and chakra had been accumulating while he concealed his true power. He left his enemy stunned as he explained how he had prepared for the battle.

• Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Yamato, and Uzuki Yugao watched as Ruri began fighting back and his power surged.
• Ruri told the enemy he had pretended to talk while hiding his intentions and waiting for the right moment.
• The enemy asked how Ruri’s strength and chakra had increased so dramatically.
• Ruri explained that he had suppressed his true strength from the start and that his current power was his own.
• Ruri revealed that his Shadow Clone had gathered chakra in another space and returned it to his original body when needed.

Ruri revealed that he had concealed his strength throughout the fight, leading the enemy to believe he was stronger. The enemy realized he had been manipulated and stood up to face Ruri, while Kakashi, Uzuki Yugao, and Uchiha Itachi recognized Ruri’s strength.

• The enemy admitted that Ruri’s strength and strategy had surpassed his expectations.
• Uzuki Yugao and Kakashi concluded that Ruri had hidden his power to make the enemy lower his guard.
• Uchiha Itachi remarked that Ruri had kept the enemy under control from the start.
• Ruri reminded the enemy that he had let him enjoy feeling stronger during their fight.
• The enemy acknowledged that Ruri had toyed with him and said he had never encountered anyone like him before.

Ruri revealed his full strength, startling the enemies watching and disrupting the enemy captain's plans. Although the defeated enemy briefly gave up resisting, he regained his will to fight and refused to surrender.

• Ruri told the enemy he had already explained the source of his strength, while admitting he had not expected the enemy to stop resisting.
• The enemy ninjas watching from above were shocked by Ruri's power and realized they had underestimated him.
• The enemy captain worried that Ruri's strength would foil his plan and that he could not defeat him.
• The enemy assumed Ruri's power was only temporary, despite it being his true strength, which he had concealed until then.
• Angered by Ruri's smile, the enemy regained his resolve and declared that he would not flee or give up resisting.

Ruri and his opponent prepared to resume their battle while Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi stood ready to help if Ruri was endangered. Ruri attacked from behind, but the enemy detected him and countered with a blade.

• Ruri and the enemy exchanged words before readying themselves for another fight.
• Uchiha Itachi wondered who would win, and Kakashi said the team would help Ruri if he was in danger.
• Ruri vanished and reappeared behind the enemy, launching a bare-handed attack.
• The enemy turned toward Ruri and slashed at him with her transformed arm.

Ruri fought Jilin, dodging his attacks and landing a punch that sent him into a tree. Jilin returned to the fight with oversized fists, and as they traded blows, Ruri wondered why Jilin’s hands seemed to be hurting.

• Ruri dodged Jilin’s blade-like arm and punched him in the face, knocking him into a tree.
• Jilin got back up, admitted he had been careless, and complained about the swelling on his face.
• Jilin charged again with a fist three times larger than his own and launched a series of attacks.
• Ruri dodged and countered Jilin’s blows, while Jilin remarked that Ruri’s fists were unusually hard.
• Ruri wondered whether something was wrong with Jilin’s body or whether he was hiding something.

Ruri ended his fight with the enemy after countering the enemy’s habitual sneak attack. He left the enemy badly wounded with his long blade embedded in the enemy’s stomach.

• Ruri decided to stop playing around and finish the enemy quickly to protect his teammates on the front line.
• The enemy formed a steaming black long blade from the Summoning Beast liquid covering his body.
• Ruri transformed his short blade into a long blade and sent three bursts of Sword Aura at the enemy, who scattered them.
• The enemy vanished and appeared behind Ruri, but Ruri detected him with his Byakugan and thrust his blade backward.
• Ruri stabbed the enemy in the stomach, and the enemy admitted he still could not break his bad habit.

Ruri defeated an enemy ninja and taunted him about the danger of underestimating opponents. Kakashi and the others prepared to finish off the remaining enemies and continue toward the front line.

• Ruri pulled his blade from the enemy's abdomen, making him scream and curse.
• Uchiha Itachi and Uzuki Yugao saw that Ruri had nearly defeated his opponent, and Kakashi agreed that the team needed to finish the remaining enemies quickly.
• Ruri crouched before the wounded enemy and told him that underestimating opponents had led to his defeat.
• The enemy vowed that, if he got another life, he would kill Ruri and avoid making the same mistake again.

Ruri confronted a mortally wounded enemy while both sides watched, and the enemy captain refused to risk a rescue. The dying enemy accepted his fate and said he had no regrets about being killed by Ruri.

• An enemy ninja asked his captain whether they should rescue their fallen teammate, but the captain ordered everyone to wait and watch Ruri.
• The captain privately decided that a rescue could cost several lives and might not save the teammate, who had used a fatal Forbidden Technique.
• Ruri noticed that neither his allies nor the enemy squad had moved, and he wondered why the enemies were abandoning their teammate.
• Ruri told the dying enemy that his teammates were heartless and disloyal for leaving him behind.
• The dying enemy said he expected to die from the Forbidden Technique and would rather be killed by Ruri than return to wait for death.

Ruri hesitated over whether to kill a defeated enemy, feeling sorry for him when his teammates refused to help. The enemy then opened his eyes and told Ruri to do as he pleased.

• Ruri wondered whether to kill the dying enemy, unable to bring himself to finish him off.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Kakashi why Ruri had not killed the enemy, and Kakashi said Ruri was probably too softhearted.
• Ruri called out to the opposing ninjas and asked why they would not rescue their comrade.
• An enemy ninja said the wounded man would die regardless of whether they rescued him.
• Ruri mocked the dying enemy for being abandoned by his teammates, and the enemy told him to kill or cut him up as he pleased.

Ruri questioned a defeated enemy about his teammates’ failure to rescue him, then changed his mind about killing him after seeing him cry. He left the man to survive and hoped they could become friends if he recovered.

• Ruri taunted the enemy and explained that he was waiting to see whether his teammates would come save him.
• Ruri told the enemy that his teammates might have abandoned him or used him to test Ruri’s strength.
• The enemy captain watched from the mountaintop and worried that attempting a rescue would get everyone killed.
• The enemy cried as he realized he could not rely on his teammates, and Ruri lost his desire to kill him.
• Ruri spared the enemy, wished him well, and said he hoped they could become friends if he recovered.

Ruri taunted the enemies on the hill for abandoning their wounded comrade and challenged them to fight. Kakashi and the others mistook his decision not to kill the helpless enemy for compassion, while Ruri prepared to attack the remaining enemies.

• Ruri told the enemies that he hated people who left a comrade behind instead of rescuing them.
• Uchiha Itachi observed that Ruri did not intend to kill the wounded enemy, and Kakashi praised Ruri’s supposed compassion.
• Uzuki Yugao admired Ruri after hearing Kakashi’s praise.
• The enemy captain challenged Ruri’s boast and warned that the remaining enemies could attack together.
• Ruri said he would soon prove himself and hoped the enemies would make the fight entertaining.

Ruri taunted the enemy squad into attacking him all at once so he could end the fight quickly. As the enemies prepared to face him, Kakashi explained to Uzuki Yugao that Ruri was strong enough to handle them and that the delay threatened their teammates at the front lines.

• Several enemies grew angry at Ruri's taunts, and their captain ordered them to attack him together.
• The enemies jumped down from the cliff and gathered opposite Ruri.
• Ruri told the enemies to attack all at once, saying it would save time.
• Uzuki Yugao asked Kakashi why Ruri was inviting the enemies to attack together.
• Kakashi told Uzuki Yugao that Ruri could handle the enemies and needed to finish quickly to protect their teammates on the front lines.
• An enemy mocked Ruri and insisted that the squad could beat him if they attacked together.

Ruri mocked the enemies for thinking they could overwhelm him by attacking together and clarified that he could fight alongside Shadow Clones. The enemy captain understood his meaning, while the confused team members remained below as the battle continued.

• The enemies questioned how Ruri could claim he was not fighting alone when his teammates were far away.
• Ruri told them that he could take them on alone without being the only one on his side.
• The enemy captain realized Ruri meant he could use Shadow Clones to match their numbers.
• The enemy captain lamented his team members' stupidity, vowed to recruit smarter people in the future, and sat down to watch the battle.

Ruri confronted a group of enemies and attacked after they demanded he stop talking. He killed two of them with overwhelming speed, then taunted the survivors as one ninja charged at him.

• An enemy told Ruri to stop being mysterious and threatened to attack.
• Ruri declared the enemies would die and prepared his short blade, filling it with chakra.
• Ruri charged the front line and killed two enemies before they could react.
• The surviving ninjas were shocked by Ruri's speed, and he mocked their weakness.
• An angry ninja formed seals and charged at Ruri.

Ruri faced an enemy’s Earth Release techniques and easily countered them with his blade. As the enemy brought down a cliffside rockslide, Ruri prepared to cut through the falling boulders.

• An enemy trapped Ruri between two earth pillars, but Ruri sliced them apart with his blade.
• The enemy attacked from Ruri’s flank with Earth Release: Rock Lodging Collapse, causing the other enemies to retreat.
• The enemy loosened enormous rocks from the cliff and announced that the attack would kill Ruri.
• Ruri transformed his short blade into a large cleaver and split the boulder above his head in two.

Ruri survived five minutes of falling rocks by dodging and splitting them with his cleaver, but the impact filled the area with dust and left Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uzuki Yugao fearing he had been killed. Inside the cloud, Ruri remained unharmed and fanned the choking dust away.

• Ruri dodged the falling rocks and hacked apart several dozen with his cleaver over five minutes without being injured.
• The rocks all landed, filling the area with dust and obscuring Ruri from view.
• The Earth Release ninja assumed Ruri was dead, while Uzuki Yugao, Uchiha Itachi, and Kakashi worried about him.
• Ruri fanned the dust inside the cloud to avoid breathing it in.