Recaps

Qianye Lan received his reward for the previous mission and planned an attack on a bandit hideout with Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hatake Sakumo. The assault began with Qianye Lan sending a Shadow Clone ahead to disable the bandits’ traps and scout the hideout.

• Qianye Lan and Kushina returned to ninja work, and Kushina complained that their routine missions were boring.
• The Third Hokage gave Hatake Sakumo two million ryo to split with Qianye Lan and offered each of them a chance to learn an A-rank ninjutsu.
• Hatake Sakumo told Qianye Lan he would receive one million ryo and one A-rank ninjutsu, and Qianye Lan asked whether the reward could include a technique from the Scroll of Seals.
• Kushina coaxed Qianye Lan into promising to buy her another potted flower, then joined him, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hatake Sakumo at the mission site.
• Hatake Sakumo assigned himself to hold off the bandit leader while Qianye Lan proposed scouting first with a Shadow Clone.
• Qianye Lan sent his Shadow Clone into the hideout, where it began destroying the bandits’ traps.

Qianye Lan and his companions cleared a bandit stronghold while Hatake Sakumo subdued its leader. When the leader attacked them, Qianye Lan defeated him with the Flying Thunder God Technique and a Rasengan, and Kushina checked that Qianye Lan was unharmed.

• Hatake Sakumo infiltrated the stronghold, killed several of the leader’s men, and forced the bandit leader to stay quiet.
• Qianye Lan learned that the hidden sentries and traps had been dealt with, then entered the stronghold with Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto.
• Qianye Lan stopped a bandit from setting off a signal flare, while Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto fought and defeated the patrol.
• Hatake Sakumo offered the leader a chance to live if he killed the three Genin, and the leader charged at Qianye Lan and the others with his sword.
• Qianye Lan struck the leader with Wind Release, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear behind him, and finished him with a Rasengan.
• Kushina checked Qianye Lan for injuries and urged him not to fight recklessly again.

Hatake Sakumo led Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto to sell bandits’ stolen goods on the black market, then used the sale to bait and kill the robbers who followed them. He split the resulting money among the four, leaving Kushina delighted by the extra income.

• Hatake Sakumo found a hidden passage containing the bandits’ stolen goods and used Shadow Clones to check for traps before retrieving them.
• Hatake Sakumo took Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto in disguise to a hidden black-market shop and sold the goods for 160,000 ryo in cash.
• Hatake Sakumo led the group away as bait, drawing several robbers into an ambush; when they recognized him as White Fang and begged for mercy, he killed them.
• Hatake Sakumo counted 220,000 ryo and divided it equally among the four, while Kushina happily counted her share.

Qianye Lan and Kushina bought violets and headed home, while Hatake Sakumo arranged a border patrol mission for his students. On patrol, the group’s reputation kept Sunagakure ninja from provoking them.

• Qianye Lan bought Kushina a pot of violets and carried her home after warning her not to overwater them.
• Hatake Sakumo struggled to find a suitable mission and chose a patrol along the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Maple.
• Qianye Lan trained intensely, relying on his Uzumaki Clan physique to recover quickly.
• Hatake Sakumo led Qianye Lan and the other two on patrol and explained their duties along the border.
• Sunagakure ninja backed away after recognizing Hatake Sakumo as the White Fang of Konoha, and an older ninja warned a newly graduated Genin not to provoke him.

Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto confronted a black-robed Sunagakure Anbu operative on the Land of Fire border and fought him under Hatake Sakumo’s watch. As the injured man tried to take Qianye Lan down with explosive tags, Qianye Lan escaped with Kushina using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

• Qianye Lan noticed a black-robed man hiding in a tree and exposed him with shuriken.
• Hatake Sakumo left the man to Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto, who attacked him with coordinated ninjutsu and close-range strikes.
• Qianye Lan used the Flying Thunder God Technique to pull Kushina out of danger when the man counterattacked with shuriken.
• Qianye Lan borrowed White Fang from Hatake Sakumo and fought the man while Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto pressured him from the sides.
• Kushina hit the man with an explosive-tag kunai, injuring him and revealing his face as the three continued to overwhelm him.
• The man attached explosive tags to himself and lunged for Qianye Lan, who vanished with Kushina using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Qianye Lan’s team defeated a Sunagakure missing-nin, and Hatake Sakumo brought the recovered body to the Hokage. Qianye Lan chose the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, and the Third Hokage reluctantly agreed to let him learn it.

• Qianye Lan used the Body Flicker Technique and Explosive Tags to defeat a Sunagakure missing-nin, then identified him by his slashed Forehead Protector.
• Hatake Sakumo said the body would be sent to the Anbu and that the team would receive credit for an extra B-rank mission.
• Qianye Lan told Hatake Sakumo that Shadow Clones could speed up training by returning their memories and experience, though the technique placed a heavy burden on mental energy.
• Hatake Sakumo and Qianye Lan reported the incident to the Third Hokage and handed the body over to an Anbu member.
• Qianye Lan chose the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, and the Third Hokage took out the Scroll of Seals after agreeing to his choice.

Qianye Lan learned Multiple Shadow Clone and continued training while the Third Hokage privately considered him. A month later, as Mito Uzumaki’s health worsened, Qianye Lan persuaded Kushina to join the upcoming Chunin Ninja Exams, though she felt everyone had decided without her.

• Qianye Lan quickly learned Multiple Shadow Clone, and the Third Hokage asked Hatake Sakumo what he thought of him before sending him home.
• Qianye Lan helped Kushina figure out how to care for her flowers, then left when she hid a book she had been reading.
• Qianye Lan cautiously tested Multiple Shadow Clone to accelerate his training, but evening arrived before he could continue.
• A month later, Qianye Lan and Kushina worried as Mito Uzumaki grew increasingly tired and went to rest.
• Qianye Lan convinced Kushina to enter the Chunin Ninja Exams by teasing her about becoming the first female Hokage.
• Kushina agreed after Qianye Lan said Mikoto and Teacher Sakumo had already approved, then complained that they had left her out.

Qianye Lan warned Kushina to prepare for the Chunin Ninja Exams and tutored her for the new written test, but she fell asleep during the lesson. The next morning, Uchiha Mikoto arrived to tutor Kushina and asked where Qianye Lan was.

• Qianye Lan told Kushina the Chunin Ninja Exams were next week and warned that poor preparation could lead to missions, then the two playfully pinched each other's cheeks.
• Qianye Lan revealed that the exams would include a written test, which Uncle Sakumo had confirmed, and began tutoring Kushina.
• Kushina fell asleep during the lesson, and Qianye Lan carried her to bed and tucked her in.
• Kushina woke at nine the next morning, found Qianye Lan's room empty, and answered the door for Uchiha Mikoto.
• Uchiha Mikoto told Kushina that Qianye Lan had asked her to provide tutoring, then asked where he was.

Uchiha Mikoto and Kushina visited Qianye Lan while he trained, then a week later the three arrived at the Chunin Ninja Exams. After Qianye Lan exposed a fake entrance and fought Kenta, Kushina began the written test feeling confident.

• Uchiha Mikoto and Kushina watched Qianye Lan train, and Mikoto admired his muscles before Kushina led her away for tutoring.
• A week later, Kushina arrived at the Chunin Ninja Exams with Qianye Lan and Uchiha Mikoto, confident in her preparation for the written test.
• Uchiha Mikoto and Qianye Lan recognized the false exam entrance as a genjutsu, and Kushina pointed out the room number.
• Kenta attacked Uchiha Mikoto, but Qianye Lan exchanged blows with him and forced him to retreat with an injured fist and shin.
• The candidates went to the real exam room, where the examiner explained the rules and Kushina received her paper.

Qianye Lan secretly swapped his answered paper with Kushina’s, then reassured her as the examiner announced the risky final question. The candidates who remained passed the first round, and the group left for the Forest of Death’s second round next week before agreeing to celebrate with a meal.

• Kushina struggled with the exam questions while Qianye Lan filled in answers and secretly swapped his paper for hers.
• The examiner explained that answering the final question incorrectly would permanently bar a candidate from the Chunin Ninja Exams, while refusing would fail the whole team.
• Many candidates withdrew, but the examiner declared that everyone still present had passed.
• The examiner announced that the second round would take place at the Forest of Death next week, and Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto left together.
• Kushina thanked Qianye Lan for helping her, and he made up an explanation for the code question when Uchiha Mikoto asked how he solved it.
• Qianye Lan suggested a celebratory meal, and Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto agreed.

Qianye Lan brought Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto to the Forest of Death’s second Chunin Exam round and planned to wait near the central tower for exhausted teams carrying the scrolls they needed. Two days later, a team finally approached, and Qianye Lan stepped out to take their scrolls.

• Qianye Lan met Minato Namikaze at the Forest of Death entrance before the second round began.
• After hearing the rules, Qianye Lan led Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto toward the central tower, explaining they could ambush teams that arrived after fighting and recover there while waiting.
• Qianye Lan’s team reached the tower’s outskirts without collecting both scrolls, drawing the examiners’ attention, but the Third Hokage allowed their strategy because it broke no rules.
• Two days later, an exhausted team arrived near the tower, and Qianye Lan emerged to claim their scrolls.

Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto secured the scrolls they needed and passed the second exam, while Minato Namikaze defeated a team of would-be robbers. Three days later, five teams gathered for the single-elimination round, and one of the unlucky team members raised a question before the matches began.

• Qianye Lan intimidated a team into handing over its scrolls, and the examiner confirmed that Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto had passed.
• Kushina relaxed in the lounge while Qianye Lan dried her hair, leaving Uchiha Mikoto wondering if she was out of place.
• The three ninjas Qianye Lan had robbed tried to ambush Minato Namikaze's team, but Minato defeated their leader and sent them away.
• After three days, Qianye Lan and his companions joined four other teams for the next round, which the examiner said would use single-elimination matches and lots to assign opponents.
• A member of the unlucky team asked the examiner a question before the matches began.

Qianye Lan and his friends watched the tournament matches before he defeated Shinki Yoruichi in a single blow. Uchiha Mikoto then faced Minato Namikaze's teammate Dekai, and Qianye Lan predicted she would win.

• Kushina drew the bye, while Qianye Lan drew number three and Uchiha Mikoto drew number five.
• Minato Namikaze quickly defeated his opponent, and Kameda and Yamamoto both ended up unconscious after a rough match.
• Qianye Lan knocked out Shinki Yoruichi and won his match, while the Third Hokage watched from the dais.
• Uchiha Mikoto took the field against Dekai, and Qianye Lan told Kushina that Mikoto would win.

Uchiha Mikoto defeated Dekai by exploiting his fear of her Two-Tomoe Sharingan, while Kushina drew another bye. Qianye Lan drew lot A and discovered that his next opponent was Minato Namikaze.

• Uchiha Mikoto countered Dekai's Water Release with a wire-and-shuriken technique and won after he avoided looking at her Sharingan.
• Minato Namikaze told Dekai that the Two-Tomoe Sharingan could not cast genjutsu, leaving Dekai embarrassed about lowering his head.
• Uchiha Mikoto explained to Qianye Lan that Dekai had feared genjutsu, and the final two matches ended.
• Kushina drew another bye, and Qianye Lan drew lot A while Uchiha Mikoto drew C.
• Qianye Lan entered the field for lot A and found Minato Namikaze waiting as his opponent.

Qianye Lan defeated Minato Namikaze in the Chunin exam, and the Third Hokage privately judged both boys worthy of promotion. Lan then faced Kushina, deliberately giving her a chance to practice before she conceded.

• Minato Namikaze attacked first, but Qianye Lan blocked his kick, countered his weapons and sword attacks, and won the match.
• The Third Hokage told the chief examiner that Qianye Lan and Minato Namikaze were promising and qualified to become Chunin.
• Kushina asked Qianye Lan to teach her swordsmanship, and he teased her about quitting her previous attempt before affectionately ruffling her hair.
• Uchiha Mikoto advanced in the next round, while Kushina drew Qianye Lan and faced him in the arena.
• Qianye Lan held back as he exchanged blows with Kushina, and after practicing for about fifteen minutes, Kushina conceded.

Qianye Lan won the Chunin Ninja Exams but had to wait three days for the promotion list, leaving him worried about Kushina’s chances. He trained to combine wind-nature transformation with the Rasengan, making progress with shadow clones before the new technique went out of control and injured his hand.

• Qianye Lan defeated Uchiha Mikoto in the final, then reassured Kushina about her chances of becoming a Chunin as they walked home.
• Kushina teased Qianye Lan by biting his earlobe, while Uchiha Mikoto watched; the three later parted ways, and Kushina told Mito Uzumaki about the exams.
• Qianye Lan learned that the Chunin promotion list would be announced in three days and worried that Kushina might not be promoted.
• At the training ground, Qianye Lan tried adding wind-nature transformation to his Rasengan, failed repeatedly, and used Multiple Shadow Clone to accelerate his practice.
• After absorbing his clones’ training memories, Qianye Lan formed a pale blue Rasengan that combined nature and shape transformations, but it went out of control and left bloody marks on his hand.
• Tsunade saw Qianye Lan’s injury, walked over with concern, and gently took his hand.

Tsunade examined Qianye Lan's astonishing recovery and warned him not to let it make him careless, while he continued training and discovered that over a hundred Shadow Clones had failed at the same point. The next morning, Uchiha Mikoto took Qianye Lan aside to discuss something, leaving him baffled about her purpose.

• Tsunade found that Qianye Lan's injuries were healing at an extraordinary speed and warned him that his recovery ability could lead him to underestimate serious damage.
• Qianye Lan's Shadow Clones all failed at the same stage of Rasengan training, and the strain of absorbing their memories made him stop using them.
• Qianye Lan continued intense physical training, then fell asleep before noticing that Kushina had come by and tucked him in.
• The next morning, Uchiha Mikoto spoke privately with Kushina, then took Qianye Lan away to discuss something with him.

Uchiha Mikoto asked Qianye Lan to help deter a clan member who kept pestering her, and the two devised a plan to pretend to be close outside the Uchiha compound. As Qianye Lan put his arm around Mikoto near the compound, an angry voice interrupted them.

• Uchiha Mikoto asked Qianye Lan to help her get rid of a pest who kept pestering her, and he agreed in exchange for one small favor from her.
• When Mikoto realized an outsider could not enter the Uchiha compound, Qianye Lan suggested they stroll outside its entrance with his arm around her.
• Qianye Lan and Mikoto told Kushina about their plan, and Kushina encouraged him to cooperate while Mito Uzumaki advised Kushina to keep a closer eye on things.
• Qianye Lan and Mikoto walked together, shared dumplings, and approached the Uchiha Clan's compound.
• Qianye Lan slipped his arm around Mikoto's waist, and an angry voice called out.

Qianye Lan accepted Uchiha Fugaku’s taijutsu challenge after Uchiha Mikoto kissed him to prove their relationship. Qianye Lan overwhelmed Fugaku and left him unconscious, while Mikoto watched anxiously.

• Uchiha Fugaku confronted Qianye Lan for holding Uchiha Mikoto, but Mikoto told Fugaku to stop pestering her and kissed Qianye Lan to prove she liked him.
• Fugaku challenged Qianye Lan to a fight, claiming he would stay with Mikoto if he won; Qianye Lan accepted and insisted that Mikoto alone could decide whom she belonged to.
• Fugaku said he would fight using only taijutsu, and the two formed the Seal of Confrontation as Uchiha clan members gathered to watch.
• Qianye Lan caught Fugaku’s punch, endured his kick, then struck his abdomen and chin, sending him crashing to the ground unconscious.
• Qianye Lan wondered how Fugaku had passed out despite his attempt to hold back, while Mikoto had watched the fight with worry.

Qianye Lan exposed Uchiha Fugaku’s feigned unconsciousness and left with Uchiha Mikoto, who later returned home flustered. Back at home, Qianye Lan and Kushina fled when Tsunade announced she had cooked, as Tsunade and Mito Uzumaki had planned to help bring them closer.

• Qianye Lan realized Uchiha Fugaku was pretending to be unconscious, and Uchiha Mikoto kissed Qianye Lan as his reward before they left together.
• Uchiha Fugaku finally got up after being shaken awake and staggered away alone.
• Uchiha Mikoto returned home, where Uchiha Shizuka teased her about Qianye Lan and decided to tell Sosuke not to arrange a match for her.
• Qianye Lan found Kushina staring into the pool, and they sat together until Tsunade interrupted their quiet moment.
• When Tsunade said she had cooked, Qianye Lan and Kushina pretended they had to leave and ran off.
• Tsunade and Mito Uzumaki revealed they had expected the pair to flee and had used the meal to help their relationship along.

Qianye Lan and Kushina escaped Tsunade’s cooking and shared ramen at Ichiraku before heading home. Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku was scolded by his father and told to forget Mikoto, as Qianye Lan and Kushina returned to find Tsunade waiting in the courtyard.

• Qianye Lan and Kushina fled from Tsunade, then chose Ichiraku Ramen for dinner after Kushina realized she had no money.
• Qianye Lan treated Kushina to six servings of ramen, and Teuchi served them before they paid and left.
• Uchiha Shigure reprimanded Uchiha Fugaku for losing to someone younger and ordered him to forget Uchiha Mikoto, saying he had arranged another match for him.
• Uchiha Sosuke told Uchiha Shizuka that he had spoken to Shigure about Mikoto, while Uchiha Shizuka teased Mikoto about Qianye Lan.
• Qianye Lan reassured Kushina that Tsunade would not hold a grudge, but when they returned home, they found Tsunade waiting in the courtyard.

Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto received their Chunin vests and went to celebrate at a dango shop. As Qianye Lan looked for a chance to soothe Mikoto’s lingering resentment, two girls asked to share their table, giving him an unexpected opportunity.

• Tsunade stopped Qianye Lan and Kushina, teased Qianye Lan about disliking her cooking, then let them go after Kushina flattered her.
• Kushina followed Qianye Lan to his room and listened as he recounted how he had helped Mikoto.
• A week later, Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto received their Chunin vests alongside Minato Namikaze and a few others.
• Hatake Sakumo left to discuss Kushina with the Third Hokage, while the three newly promoted Chunin decided to celebrate at a dango shop.
• At the crowded shop, two girls asked to share Qianye Lan’s table, and he agreed, hoping the secluded seating would help him soothe Mikoto.

Qianye Lan secretly flirted with Uchiha Mikoto during a meal with Kushina, while Hatake Sakumo arranged a difficult escort mission for his three students. The chapter ended as Sakumo visited Mikoto’s home to tell her about the mission.

• Qianye Lan held Uchiha Mikoto’s hand under the table, and she hid her flushed face from Kushina by blaming the heat.
• Hatake Sakumo asked the Third Hokage about sending Kushina on missions with her former genin teammates, and the Hokage approved harder missions under Sakumo’s leadership.
• Hatake Sakumo selected an A-rank mission to escort medical supplies, equipment, and personnel to a border station past the Red Sand Mercenary Company’s base.
• Hatake Sakumo told Qianye Lan and Kushina to meet at Konoha Hospital in two days and gave them the mission scroll to study.
• Hatake Sakumo went to Uchiha Mikoto’s home to notify her about the mission, and Mikoto asked whether he had brought one.

Qianye Lan, Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto, and Hatake Sakumo began escorting medical workers and supplies on an A-rank mission. After reaching a dangerous canyon route, they scouted ahead while the Red Sand Mercenary Company waited to ambush the convoy at the second pass.

• Uchiha Mikoto received the mission scroll from Hatake Sakumo and was told to meet at Konoha Hospital.
• Kushina fell asleep against Qianye Lan while they waited, and Uchiha Mikoto and Hatake Sakumo arrived before the convoy set out with the medical staff.
• Hatake Sakumo assigned Uchiha Mikoto to reconnaissance, Qianye Lan to support her, and Kushina to protect the medical staff.
• The convoy traveled safely through Konoha's territory, then camped for the night as Qianye Lan and Hatake Sakumo took the first watch.
• Two days later, Qianye Lan scouted the first canyon pass with a Shadow Clone and reported it was safe to cross.
• At the second canyon pass, Hino Ryo asked when the convoy would arrive, and Akasuna Kotsu told him to wait based on his informant's estimate.

Qianye Lan's Shadow Clone killed Wind Cutter while scouting the second pass, and Qianye Lan and Hatake Sakumo then infiltrated the Red Sand Mercenary Company's final ambush site and wiped out Akasuna Kotsu's group. Afterward, Qianye Lan wondered whether the group had accumulated a large fortune.

• Qianye Lan sent a Shadow Clone with Explosive Tags to scout the second pass, where Wind Cutter approached and was killed in the explosion.
• Akasuna Kotsu realized the scout was a Shadow Clone and ordered his group to retreat to the third pass.
• Qianye Lan told Hatake Sakumo about the ambush, and they used two Shadow Clones to confirm the second pass was safe.
• Qianye Lan persuaded Hatake Sakumo to attack the mercenaries, and they left Kushina with his Flying Thunder God Kunai before setting out.
• Qianye Lan and Hatake Sakumo infiltrated the final ambush site, killed Akasuna Kotsu and his fighters, and Qianye Lan asked if they had amassed wealth.