Chapter Summaries

Hatake Sakumo’s team pursued the Sunagakure spies, while the Third Hokage decoded their intercepted letter and discovered Konoha prodigies were being targeted. After Qianye Lan helped capture three more Sand Ninja, Sakumo returned to Konoha and was summoned to meet the Hokage.

• Hatake Sakumo explained that few ninja used the Summoning Technique for messenger beasts, and Qianye Lan reminded Kushina to follow her superior’s orders.
• The Third Hokage had the scrambled Sunagakure letter deciphered and learned that Tsunade had hemophobia and that Konoha prodigies under fifteen were priority targets.
• Three Sunagakure ninja learned that Hatake Sakumo was traveling with three Genin and pursued his team despite fearing the White Fang.
• Qianye Lan detected the Sand Ninja and attacked with Wind Release, allowing Hatake Sakumo to knock them unconscious and capture them.
• Hatake Sakumo handed the five captured spies to an Anbu at Konoha’s gate, dismissed the three Genin for three days, and went to see the Hokage.

Kushina returned home with Qianye Lan, while Hatake Sakumo reported a Sunagakure spy’s secret letter to the Third Hokage. Qianye Lan mastered a combat application of the Flying Thunder God Technique, and Kushina entered his room after bathing.

• Kushina pretended to be exhausted so Qianye Lan would carry her home, then eagerly told Mito Uzumaki about the mission.
• Hatake Sakumo showed the Third Hokage a Sunagakure letter containing sensitive information about Tsunade’s hemophobia, and the Third Hokage ordered the Anbu to root out Konoha’s spies.
• Qianye Lan found a method in Tobirama Senju’s notes for teleporting to a moving Kunai and successfully applied it to the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Tsunade watched Qianye Lan’s progress and briefly considered giving him her necklace before dismissing the thought.
• After training and eating, Qianye Lan returned to his room, where Kushina entered with her wet red hair still dripping from her bath.

Kushina kissed Qianye Lan after he helped dry her hair, and Mito Uzumaki encouraged her to pursue him before privately revealing that her health was failing and asking him to care for Kushina. The next morning, Hatake Sakumo told Qianye Lan that capturing the Sunagakure spy had earned them credit for an S-rank mission, with rewards still to come.

• Kushina asked Qianye Lan to dry her hair, then kissed his cheek and fled, saying she was stamping her mark on him.
• Mito Uzumaki encouraged Kushina to pursue Qianye Lan, then told him her health was failing and left Kushina in his care.
• Kushina woke Qianye Lan and reminded him that they were going to barbecue with Mikoto, then blushed when she saw him without clothes.
• Hatake Sakumo pulled Qianye Lan aside and said the captured Sunagakure spy had earned them credit for an S-rank mission, with cash or ninjutsu likely as rewards.

Qianye Lan spent his day off with Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto, while the Third Hokage confronted Danzo over Root’s actions and removed him from his post. Later, the three girls encountered two green-clad men shouting about youth, leaving Kushina and Qianye Lan stunned as Mikoto asked whether they had seen them before.

• Hatake Sakumo gave Qianye Lan an extra reward for capturing two spies and left before Qianye Lan could say goodbye.
• Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto ate a large barbecue meal, then visited the Yamanaka Flower Shop, where Kushina bought a potted flower.
• The Third Hokage summoned Danzo and confronted him with intelligence linking Root to the deaths and disappearance of Kushina’s Anbu guards and the leak about Tsunade’s fear of blood.
• Danzo claimed his actions had been a plan to lure out spies, but the Third Hokage removed him from his post and ordered two Anbu to take him away to rest.
• Danzo persuaded the Anbu to leave him alone and decided to return to the clan compound for a few days.
• Qianye Lan, Kushina, and Uchiha Mikoto saw two green-clad men walking on their hands and shouting “Youth,” and Mikoto asked if they had seen them before.

Tsunade learned that Qianye Lan and Hatake Sakumo had intercepted intelligence about her fear of blood, then asked how to thank Qianye Lan. He requested special-metal kunai for the Flying Thunder God, and Tsunade found suitable metal for them.

• Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto discussed Might Duy and Might Guy after seeing the odd father-and-son pair.
• The Third Hokage told Tsunade that Hatake Sakumo and Qianye Lan had intercepted intelligence about her weakness, and said Mito Uzumaki had only a few months left.
• Tsunade thanked Hatake Sakumo and praised Kakashi when she encountered them on her way home.
• Tsunade asked Qianye Lan what he wanted as thanks, and he requested special-metal kunai for the Flying Thunder God.
• Tsunade brought Qianye Lan a piece of metal from Tobirama Senju's supply, and he confirmed it would work for making kunai like his custom-made one.

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.