Chapter Summaries

Ruri fought a powerful clone inside the Ring, trading rapid attacks and blocks until they paused to rest. He reflected that it was the longest fight he had experienced since arriving in the Hokage World.

• Ruri knocked the clone back and remarked on its matching strength and speed.
• The clone used Lightning Blade and charged Ruri, who blocked the attack with a long blade.
• The clone repeatedly attacked while Ruri blocked, and they fought for nearly three minutes.
• Ruri and the clone separated to rest, with Ruri's clothes torn and the clone cut and bleeding green blood.
• Ruri said the realistic clone had given him his longest fight since arriving in the Hokage World.

Ruri decided to stop relying on his damaged long blade and continue fighting the clone with Taijutsu and Ninjutsu. He prepared to face the clone’s black lightning with his own blue lightning.

• Ruri observed that the clone’s indifferent expression never changed, even as its body bled.
• Ruri noticed that the clone’s metal body had curled the edge of his long blade.
• Ruri said he would maintain his blade after the mission and put the transformed short blade away.
• Ruri stretched, then filled his palms with blue lightning as the clone summoned black lightning.

Ruri tested the upgraded Ring against a clone whose speed and strength increased as they fought. The clone struck Ruri hard enough to send him flying and leave him bleeding.

• Ruri admired the clone's black Lightning Blade as the clone vanished at a speed he could barely follow.
• Ruri realized the clone had begun matching his strength but grew stronger with each exchange.
• The clone appeared beside Ruri and charged with exceptionally dense lightning around his hand.
• Ruri tried to shield himself, but the clone punched his arms and sent him flying.
• Ruri steadied himself, spat blood, and wiped his mouth while his arm trembled.

Ruri continued fighting his clone, whose strength rose during battle, while Ruri’s own strength and speed improved as well. After their punches became nearly matched, Ruri suddenly appeared behind the searching clone with a Rasengan.

• The clone attacked Ruri again before his trembling arms could rest, and Ruri charged back to keep fighting.
• Ruri said his strength improved during battle too, and his punches grew almost as fast as the clone’s.
• Ruri and the clone traded several blows, swelling each other’s faces before pulling apart.
• Ruri formed a Rasengan and vanished, moving too quickly for the clone to track.
• Ruri appeared behind the clone and explained that his strength had improved as they fought.

Ruri defeated the clone with a Rasengan after warning it not to underestimate him. He reflected that training inside the Ring could help him improve, then looked forward to learning a training method from the huge cloud of smoke as Ring Butler Zero approached.

• Ruri struck the clone with a Rasengan, sending it flying and disrupting its chakra.
• The clone tried to rise but collapsed, then gave up and disintegrated after losing its ability to fight.
• Ruri declared himself the winner and recalled that Eight-Tails Killer B was the only person outside who had pushed him so far.
• Ruri decided that training inside the Ring was a reliable way to improve quickly and wondered what method the huge cloud of smoke would offer.
• Ring Butler Zero floated toward Ruri after watching the battle.

Ruri learned that his legs were the only part of his physical metrics that fell short and received a weighted-ankle training plan. He was shocked by the target of one hundred jin in total, but admitted the plan made sense after rereading it.

• Ring Butler Zero praised Ruri's sparring and said he could dominate Konoha if he kept training.
• Ruri asked to see the training method formed by the huge cloud of smoke, which had already finished changing shape.
• The smoke's message said Ruri's metrics met the standards except for his legs and prescribed gradually increasing ankle weights until he could walk freely with one hundred jin total.
• Ruri was astonished by the required weight, then calmed down and said the plan made sense.

Ruri left the Ring after considering how to train his legs, then returned to the battlefield to check on his Shadow Clones. He learned that six enemies had defeated two clones and were closing in on the last one.

• Ruri decided to postpone missions while he trained his legs to bear more weight.
• Ring Butler Zero let Ruri leave the Ring and encouraged him to keep training there.
• Ruri returned to the real world and headed over to Uchiha Itachi.
• Uchiha Itachi told Ruri that six enemies had taken out two Shadow Clones and were about to defeat the last one.
• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that an exciting life required learning not to fear trouble.

Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that experience and strength had taught him not to fear trouble. After discussing how tired he was from the mission, Ruri said he would properly rest when he got home, while Itachi praised his insight.

• Ruri explained to Uchiha Itachi that facing enough trouble and becoming strong could overcome fear of it.
• Ruri reflected that he had once been timid and isolated, but now valued having friends and felt confident handling trouble.
• Ruri complained that the mission had left him tired and said he would get proper rest once he returned home.
• Uchiha Itachi told Ruri that his advice made sense and was worth learning from.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi praised each other’s understanding as Ruri’s Shadow Clones continued fighting the enemy force. With only six enemies left, they charged the last Ruri on the battlefield while their captain prepared to flee if the fight turned against them.

• Ruri praised Uchiha Itachi’s comprehension, and Itachi modestly thanked him.
• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi noted that the Shadow Clones had killed all but six of the enemies.
• One enemy urged his remaining teammates to avenge their fallen companions and attack Ruri together.
• The enemy captain considered abandoning his team and escaping if the battle went badly.
• The six surviving enemies charged the last Ruri Shadow Clone, which worried that its stamina was nearly gone.

Ruri watched his last Shadow Clone fight the remaining six enemies, while Uchiha Itachi recognized that the clone could counter their encirclement with the Hyuga Clan’s Rotation. The enemies launched their coordinated attack, and the clone prepared to defend with Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin.

• Ruri reflected that his three Shadow Clones had defeated all but six enemies and watched the last one continue fighting.
• Ruri noted that his stamina and chakra had recovered and resolved to intervene if the Shadow Clone was in danger.
• An enemy directed four fighters to attack the Shadow Clone from the sides while two attacked from the front.
• Uchiha Itachi said the enemies’ tactic could trap a lone opponent, and Ruri pointed out that the Hyuga Clan had a counter.
• Uchiha Itachi identified Rotation and praised Ruri’s Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin as a way to repel attacks from every direction.

Ruri’s Shadow Clone faced six enemies who surrounded and attacked him, then used Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin to shield himself. Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that the fight appeared decided, barring anything unexpected.

• Ruri and Uchiha Itachi watched as six enemies closed in on Ruri’s Shadow Clone.
• The enemies surrounded the Shadow Clone and prepared to strike, confident they had trapped him.
• The Shadow Clone took up the stance for Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin and challenged the attackers to watch what happened.
• The six enemies leaped at the Shadow Clone with their weapons, and he spun rapidly, forming an Eight Trigrams Palm barrier around himself.
• Ruri told Uchiha Itachi that the battle seemed decided unless something unexpected occurred.

Ruri’s Shadow Clone used Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin to overwhelm the six enemies while Ruri explained the enemies’ will to survive to Uchiha Itachi. One enemy used his teammate as a human shield, but the attack still left only two or three enemies able to fight.

• Ruri’s Shadow Clone continued spinning with Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin and sent several charging ninjas flying.
• One enemy grabbed his teammate and pushed him in front of himself to use him as a human shield.
• Uchiha Itachi condemned the move as ruthless, while Ruri told him that enemies would do anything to survive.
• The teammate cursed the man who used him as a shield, but the man pushed him toward the spinning attack anyway.
• The attack sent all six enemies flying, leaving only two or three able to fight while the others lay unable to move.

Ruri's Shadow Clone fought the three remaining ninja, killing one and pressing another with a lightning-infused Kunai. Ruri watched the fight and suspected that something had gone wrong.

• Ruri's Shadow Clone taunted the three surviving ninja, pointing out that one had killed his own teammate by using him as a shield.
• Ruri's Shadow Clone appeared behind an angry enemy and attacked, but the enemy dodged.
• Ruri's Shadow Clone charged with lightning infused into his Kunai, surprising the enemy with the technique.
• The enemy blocked the thrust at the last moment by raising his weapon in front of his face.
• Ruri frowned as he watched the clash and said that something had gone wrong.

Ruri's Shadow Clone narrowly missed killing an enemy with a Lightning Blade released from his weapon and was nearing exhaustion. Ruri reassured Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi that he had a plan, then prepared to face the three remaining enemies and their captain.

• Ruri's Shadow Clone released a Lightning Blade from his weapon, but an enemy dodged it by retreating quickly.
• Ruri's Shadow Clone realized he could not hold out much longer against the three enemies remaining on the field.
• Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi warned Ruri that his Shadow Clone was nearly out of stamina and asked whether he had a plan.
• Ruri told Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi he would soon attack and try to defeat all four remaining enemies quickly.
• Ruri looked at the three enemies on the field and their captain on the cliff as noon arrived and time grew short.

Ruri's Shadow Clone struggled to fight three enemies as his stamina ran low, while Ruri watched with Kakashi and the others. An enemy used Earth Release to loosen the ground beneath the clone, leaving him trapped as Ruri recognized the technique as Earth Release: Earth Flow River.

• Ruri's Shadow Clone taunted the enemy and charged into battle against all three enemies.
• As the clone's stamina weakened, the enemies held him back while the enemy in front mocked his exhaustion.
• The enemy used Earth Release to loosen the ground beneath the clone's feet.
• Ruri's Shadow Clone realized he could not escape because the other two enemies were holding his arms, and Ruri identified the technique as Earth Release: Earth Flow River.

Ruri’s final Shadow Clone was swept away by an Earth Release mudslide and vanished, leaving the enemy fighters and their captain stunned to realize they had fought three Shadow Clones. Ruri watched from safety, having slipped away unnoticed.

• Youli recognized the enemy’s Earth Release as a technique used by the Third Hokage, while Kakashi wondered how the enemy had learned it.
• The Earth Release user turned the ground beneath Ruri’s Shadow Clone into a mudslide, and the clone was swept away as the two enemies beside him jumped clear.
• Ruri’s Shadow Clone reflected that it had done enough before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
• Ruri watched the clone vanish and silently praised the clones for killing many enemies and buying him time.
• The Earth Release user, the three fighters, and the enemy captain realized that all three Ruri they had fought were Shadow Clones and wondered where the real Ruri had gone.

Ruri left his hiding place to confront the remaining enemies after his Shadow Clones had worn them down. He approached the furious ninja and challenged him as the fight resumed.

• The Earth Release ninja raged at Ruri for hiding and cursed him after losing many teammates to the Shadow Clones.
• Uchiha Itachi asked Ruri what he planned to do, and Ruri said he would quickly kill the remaining enemies before their front-line teammates were endangered.
• Ruri vanished from the spot and hurried toward the battlefield while Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi remained behind.
• Ruri arrived ten meters from the three enemies and called out to the ninja who had threatened to twist his head off.
• The ninja shouted at Ruri to stop hiding, and Ruri walked toward the enemies, threatening to cut off the ninja’s head.

Ruri emerged after his three Shadow Clones killed many of the enemy ninjas and taunted the three survivors. The furious enemies threatened to kill him, while Ruri warned them not to act rashly.

• An enemy shouted at Ruri and threatened to twist his head off after Ruri had angered him.
• The enemy who had used Earth Release threw Shuriken wildly in every direction while searching for Ruri.
• Ruri dodged the Shuriken and appeared before the three remaining enemies.
• Ruri mocked the enemies, saying his Shadow Clones had killed many of them while he rested.
• One enemy threatened to kill Ruri, and Ruri warned him not to act rashly.

Ruri instantly killed an enemy who charged him, then taunted the two remaining enemies, who realized they were no match for his increased strength. He told them they could go die, setting up the next clash.

• An enemy charged at Ruri with a weapon, but Ruri vanished and appeared behind him.
• Ruri thrust his arm into the enemy's chest, killing him instantly, then wiped the blood from his hand.
• The Earth Release ninja warned his remaining teammate that the two of them could not defeat Ruri.
• Ruri smiled at the two enemies and told them they could go and die.

Ruri watched two enemies begin a dangerous transformation after they decided to use an unstable move as their last chance to survive. Their bodies swelled and started changing, but the transformation was still underway.

• One ninja urged his teammate to use their unstable move, and the teammate reluctantly agreed.
• Ruri noticed the enemies’ smiles and prepared for another dangerous technique.
• Both enemies’ bodies swelled until their clothes tore, and one warned Ruri that he would die that day.
• Hair grew over their upper bodies and their heads protruded forward as both enemies cried out in pain.