Arc 9Promotions and Power Plays

Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy became Chunin, recruited students, and began collecting money through their own organization. Bieshu Feifan clashed with Hiruzen Sarutobi over his operations and border attacks, secretly mutilated Sarutobi Tōgo, and partnered with Danzo while seeking promotion to Jōnin.

  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy missed the Chunin Exams after Uchiha Zhongfen got arrested for beating Asuma Sarutobi and they failed to find another teammate.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy passed the next Chunin Exams after defeating Asuma Sarutobi's squad.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy recruited Academy graduates, and Bieshu Feifan built a personal guard and planned to seek the Hokage position.
  • Bieshu Feifan formed the Konoha Taxation Bureau to collect money from wealthy businesses, but Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered it disbanded and deployed the trio under Minato Namikaze.
  • Bieshu Feifan deceived Sarutobi Tōgo into paying for surgery, removed his kidney, and replaced his Revolver with a monkey’s tail.
  • Bieshu Feifan defeated Shikaku Nara and led a successful raid against Kumogakure, but Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the squad and publicly reprimanded the trio after the Third Raikage threatened war.
  • Bieshu Feifan infiltrated Konoha Hospital and further mutilated Sarutobi Tōgo, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to expand the search for Hannibal.
  • Bieshu Feifan partnered with Danzo in a protection-money operation and obtained permission to apply for Jōnin before joining Might Duy and Might Guy outside Kakashi's home.
Chapters 201–225 Vol. 3 Read

Ch. 201Everyone resented the schemer's arrangements

Might Guy and Richuan Taiban exhausted themselves in a drawn-out duel, while Bieshu Feifan’s team barely worked in the sweet potato field. After the noble caught them playing cards instead of digging, he wrote to Hiruzen Sarutobi and gathered men to confront them.

  • Might Guy and Richuan Taiban chased each other until both collapsed, ending their duel in a draw.
  • The sweet potato noble learned the team had dug fewer than fifty jin and confronted them about their slow work.
  • The noble gave the five shinobi ten days to finish digging, or he would complain to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
  • Bieshu Feifan persuaded the group to stop working, eat at the noble’s expense, and take sweet potatoes worth their pay; they spent the day playing cards.
  • After a servant reported their idleness, the furious noble wrote to Hiruzen Sarutobi and gathered several dozen men to beat up Bieshu Feifan and the others.

Ch. 202The Uchiha's attitude

Hiruzen Sarutobi dealt with Bieshu Feifan's squad after a disastrous sweet-potato mission, then stopped assigning them work. When the Chunin Exams approached, Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy visited Uchiha Fugaku to recruit Uchiha Zhongfen, but Zhongfen refused before Fugaku could answer.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Richuan Taiban, Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, Might Guy, Kakashi, and the injured sweet potato noble to hear their dispute over the botched mission.
  • Richuan Taiban and the others claimed the noble's servants had beaten him and demanded payment, while the noble eventually agreed to drop the complaint and leave after paying.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi received a reprimand from the Land of Fire's Daimyō and stopped giving Bieshu Feifan's squad missions; Richuan Taiban began drinking heavily.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy decided to recruit Uchiha Zhongfen for the upcoming Chunin Exams and visited Uchiha Fugaku with gifts.
  • Uchiha Fugaku's clan members argued over gifts for the visitors as Bieshu Feifan asked him to let Zhongfen take the exam with them; Zhongfen shouted that he would not go.

Ch. 203Zhongfen's evasions

Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy recruited Uchiha Zhongfen for their Chunin exams team despite his repeated objections, then registered with Hiruzen Sarutobi. Zhongfen ended the chapter resigned to their plan to make him copy answers with his Sharingan during the written test.

  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy found Uchiha Zhongfen at Uchiha Fugaku's home and tried to recruit him, but Zhongfen refused to team up with them.
  • Uchiha Fugaku sent for another Uchiha teammate, but no one volunteered, so he let Zhongfen join Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Zhongfen visited Hiruzen Sarutobi's office and registered for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
  • Bieshu Feifan warned Zhongfen to pass, and Might Duy told him to use his Sharingan to copy answers during the written test.
  • Zhongfen gave a strained laugh and accepted their instructions without further protest.

Ch. 204Zhongfen wanted to stir up trouble

Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy tried to keep Uchiha Zhongfen out of trouble, but Zhongfen beat Asuma Sarutobi after Asuma insulted the Uchiha. Zhongfen then publicly bragged about the assault outside the Hokage Building as ANBU escorted a set of Ping-Pong Paddles past Feifan and Duy.

  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy warned Uchiha Zhongfen not to cause trouble before the Chunin exams.
  • Asuma Sarutobi argued with Feifan and Duy after they teased him about prison, then threatened to call for help.
  • Uchiha Zhongfen confronted Asuma over the Uchiha prisoners, and Asuma insulted the Uchiha as Feifan and Duy tried to restrain Zhongfen.
  • Asuma kicked Zhongfen, but Zhongfen broke free and beat Asuma unconscious while Feifan watched and Duy tried to stop him.
  • Feifan and Duy carried Zhongfen away, but Zhongfen went to the Hokage Building and loudly claimed responsibility for beating Asuma.
  • Duy spotted ANBU escorting a set of Ping-Pong Paddles and asked Feifan if they belonged to Zhongfen.

Ch. 205Off to the hospital again

After Uchiha Zhongfen was arrested for beating Asuma, Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy failed to find a replacement for their Chunin Ninja Exams team. They decided to wait until Might Guy was older, then took him to the hospital for a diet plan, where they encountered Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, and the injured Asuma.

  • Uchiha Zhongfen celebrated being arrested because it let him avoid taking the Chunin Ninja Exams with Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy asked Hiruzen Sarutobi for another teammate, but he told them to find one themselves.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy tried recruiting a teammate outside the Hokage Building, but nobody applied, and the exam date passed without them competing.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy decided to train Might Guy to become their teammate, then took him to the hospital for a doctor-recommended meal plan.
  • At the hospital, Bieshu Feifan teased Kurenai Yuhi about her family's names, and the group went with Shinku Yuhi to visit Asuma.
  • Asuma saw the visitors and challenged Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy for daring to come.

Ch. 206Asuma in the hospital

Asuma received an unwanted hospital visit from Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, Might Guy, and others, then learned that most had come for reasons other than seeing him. Afterward, Bieshu Feifan continued his training until Minato Namikaze arrived with Kushina Uzumaki and challenged him to spar.

  • Kurenai Yuhi and Rin Nohara gave Asuma cigarettes, while Kakashi and Shinku Yuhi offered a kunai and shuriken.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy denied coming to visit Asuma and gave him money, a worn sandbag, and slippers; Asuma ordered them to leave.
  • Rin Nohara, Kurenai Yuhi, and Shinku Yuhi each revealed they had come for work, with Kurenai accompanying her father and Shinku following Lord Hokage's orders.
  • After the visitors left, Asuma cried and said he wanted to return to prison, while the Anbu explained that he could not be sent back.
  • Kakashi caught up with Bieshu Feifan and the others, and they later focused on training Might Guy while Bieshu Feifan practiced senjutsu and collected Hashirama cells.
  • Minato Namikaze arrived with Kushina Uzumaki and asked Bieshu Feifan to spar after confirming he had mastered Flying Thunder God.

Ch. 207His Stats Still Weren't High Enough

Bieshu Feifan and Minato Namikaze fought to a draw, with Minato’s Flying Thunder God preventing Bieshu from landing a decisive hit. Frustrated that Minato had improved faster, Bieshu headed to Mount Myōboku to train in senjutsu.

  • Kushina asked the Nine-Tails to sense Bieshu Feifan’s emotions, but it only chuckled and stayed silent.
  • Bieshu Feifan attacked Minato Namikaze with shadow clones and repeated Fire Release barrages, while Minato evaded them using Flying Thunder God.
  • Bieshu Feifan used Wind Release-charged leaves to target Minato’s possible landing spots, and Minato nearly struck him before discovering Bieshu’s real body was hidden among the clones.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Minato called the match a draw, and Kushina carried the exhausted Minato home.
  • Bieshu Feifan concluded that his stats were still too low and went to Mount Myōboku to train in senjutsu.
  • Bieshu Feifan brought Sage Shima a snakeskin sack as a gift, explaining that the pork he had dumped out was his own food.

Ch. 208Seriously Preparing for the Chunin Ninja Exams

Hiruzen Sarutobi approved Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy’s registration for the Chunin exam, and the trio set out determined to pass with Feifan’s help. At the exam venue, they taunted Asuma Sarutobi and accused him of excluding his teammate, but the written exam bell rang before the confrontation could go further.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi read reports that Kumogakure and Sunagakure were short of food and targeting the Land of Fire for supplies.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to register them as a team for the Chunin exam, and he approved their forms.
  • At Feifan’s home, Feifan gave Duy and Guy Wood Release Pills to help them cheat on the written exam and promised to share the answers.
  • The trio met Kakashi on their way to the exam venue, where Guy bragged that he would soon become a Chunin.
  • At the venue, the trio argued with Asuma Sarutobi, greeted Kurenai Yuhi, and suggested Asuma had shut out their timid teammate.
  • The written exam bell rang while Asuma was still furious with the trio.

Ch. 209Asuma's plan

Asuma tried to catch Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy so he could witness their reactions to failing the written exam, but his erratic pursuit frightened them and Kurenai Yuhi. After exhausting himself with Shadow Clones, he collapsed just as the written exam results came out.

  • Asuma waited for the written exam scores, expecting Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy to fail, while they ate snacks and wondered why he was staring at them.
  • Asuma followed the three as they moved away, and they ran from him and threw their snacks and drinks at him, believing something was wrong with him.
  • Asuma spotted Kurenai Yuhi talking with his teammate and chased them, frightening both of them as they fled.
  • Kurenai Yuhi ran to Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy for help, but they fled too, and Asuma pursued them with several Shadow Clones.
  • Asuma collapsed from exhaustion, and Bieshu Feifan and Might Guy poked him while the written exam results came out.

Ch. 210The matches that followed

Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy passed the written exam and defeated Asuma Sarutobi’s squad in the team battle. In the one-on-one stage, Might Guy gained the upper hand against Kurenai Yuhi, striking her arm after resisting her genjutsu.

  • Bieshu Feifan and Might Duy scored seventy-nine points, while Asuma Sarutobi scored sixty-four and accused the examiners of rigging the results.
  • Bieshu Feifan told Asuma that his own advancement was the real result of favoritism, and Might Duy and Might Guy mocked him for relying on his Hokage father.
  • Asuma’s squad faced Bieshu Feifan’s squad and lost in under a minute, with Asuma knocked down and Kurenai Yuhi forced out of the arena.
  • Might Duy defeated his first opponent, then Might Guy began his match against Kurenai Yuhi by pretending to throw off an imaginary cloak.
  • Might Guy blocked Kurenai Yuhi’s shuriken and struck her arm with his Nunchaku after her genjutsu failed to stop him.

Ch. 211The ultimate move against Asuma

Bieshu Feifan defeated Asuma in the Chunin Ninja Exams by using a ridiculous fire-and-feces attack he claimed was a forbidden technique taught by Hiruzen Sarutobi. After Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy celebrated becoming Chunin, Asuma confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi, who stayed silent when asked about the technique.

  • Bieshu Feifan caught Kurenai Yuhi before Asuma could, then let her fall, and Kurenai left for the hospital after Guy explained that her genjutsu had been too weak.
  • Asuma challenged Bieshu Feifan in the next exam match, but Bieshu Feifan overpowered him while his shadow clones announced each attack.
  • Bieshu Feifan set Asuma on fire with a Fire Release technique, then a shadow clone dumped feces on him to extinguish the flames, securing Bieshu Feifan's victory.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy celebrated passing the Chunin Ninja Exams and showed off their Chunin vests around the streets.
  • Wrapped in bandages, Asuma confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi about teaching Bieshu Feifan the Burning the Cesspool technique, and Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.

Ch. 212Something prepared for Asuma

After becoming Chunin, Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy celebrated with Kakashi, who revealed he had already been promoted to Jōnin. Bieshu Feifan later gave Asuma expensive cigarettes, and the chapter ended with the three newly promoted Chunin wondering why they had no teammates or Jōnin captain.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi removed an examiner from the Chunin Exams after the examiner admitted unfairly pairing Asuma with Bieshu Feifan, while Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy received their Chunin ranks.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy celebrated their promotions with Kakashi, and Kakashi learned they had once sold Kumogakure secret-technique high-strength mobile storage units.
  • Kakashi revealed his Jōnin file to Might Guy, then defeated him in a taijutsu showdown.
  • Asuma dropped his cigarettes, and Bieshu Feifan took him aside and gave him packs of Hailuoying cigarettes, which Asuma eagerly accepted.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy questioned why they still had no teammates or Jōnin captain despite becoming Chunin.

Ch. 213Becoming team leaders

Hiruzen Sarutobi authorized Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Guy to recruit their own Genin teams, while Asuma Sarutobi also arrived at the academy as a newly appointed Chunin team leader. Asuma’s assigned students rejected him after recognizing his prison record, leaving him to approach them in anger.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi told Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Guy to choose their own students at the Ninja Academy.
  • On the way, the three discussed team recruitment and Bieshu Feifan suggested the nickname “Demon Muscle Man” for Might Duy.
  • At the academy, Asuma Sarutobi showed the three his authorization to lead a team, and they revealed that they had received similar documents.
  • Asuma entered a graduating class and called Huitai Dalang, Hongtai Erlang, and Wuda Sanlang to join his team.
  • The three students refused to follow Asuma after identifying him as a former convict, and Asuma clenched his fists and walked toward them.

Ch. 214Might Duy's Performance

Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy forced the academy staff to let them recruit from the honors class, then staged a public demonstration to attract graduates. Might Duy’s display of muscle and power excited the students, who began competing to join his team.

  • Bieshu Feifan stopped Might Duy and Might Guy from choosing students in a remedial class and ordered their guide to take them to the honors class.
  • Might Duy attacked the guide, and Bieshu Feifan pressured the head of the year to let them recruit from the honors class under Lord Hokage’s orders.
  • The trio passed Asuma beating three students, and Bieshu Feifan said they would use the broadcasting room to attract recruits.
  • Bieshu Feifan announced that all graduating students should assemble on the field and advertised nine openings on the trio’s teams.
  • Might Duy took the stage, showed off his muscles, opened the fourth gate, and shattered a large rock with a kick.
  • Graduates cheered and called out to be chosen by Might Duy as his disciples.

Ch. 215Asuma's outburst

Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy recruited Academy graduates with flashy demonstrations, while Asuma tried to stage his own introduction and was mocked for his past. Asuma broke down and fought the graduates who taunted him, and Bieshu Feifan left with the others to choose their students.

  • Might Guy demonstrated his taijutsu by smashing stone tablets, but drew only a modest response from the graduates.
  • Bieshu Feifan used a powerful Wind Release performance to impress the graduates, and the three shinobi announced nine student places that quickly attracted applicants.
  • Asuma asked Bieshu Feifan to arrange a similar introduction for him, then took the platform and was mocked by the graduates for his imprisonment and past.
  • Asuma fled to the restroom and cried, then attacked a graduate who taunted him and fought a crowd until the teachers stopped the brawl.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy left to select promising candidates.

Ch. 216Bieshu Feifan's Plan

Bieshu Feifan and his allies recruited nine Genin by promising them free training, weapons, and Ninjutsu in exchange for loyalty. After Asuma was arrested for the fight at the Academy, Bieshu Feifan decided to start building a personal guard and pursue the Hokage position sooner than planned.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Asuma's injuries and the Academy students' medical costs handled impartially, then faced complaints from team leaders whose assigned Genin had joined Might Duy's group.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy made Asuma pay for their expensive meal, and Shinobi arrested him at the restaurant on Hiruzen Sarutobi's warrant.
  • After Asuma was dragged away, Bieshu Feifan and the others ate, then assembled the nine Genin they had selected.
  • Bieshu Feifan promised the Genin free Ninjutsu, weapons, and guidance in return for loyalty, and the recruits joined Might Guy and Might Duy in pledging themselves to him.
  • Bieshu Feifan decided to form a personal guard and seek the Hokage position before the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

Ch. 217Bieshu Feifan's move

Bieshu Feifan built a loyal team by training and paying his students, then organized them to collect taxes from wealthy merchants and nobles. After Hiruzen Sarutobi shut down the operation, Danzo invited Bieshu Feifan to join him in collecting taxes, but Hiruzen sent a large group of Anbu to Root to see him.

  • Bieshu Feifan fed and trained his nine team members, accepted more students, and paid them salaries instead of taking missions.
  • Bieshu Feifan formed the Konoha Taxation Bureau and led his team, Might Duy, and Might Guy in collecting money from wealthy businesses around Konoha.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy, rejected Bieshu Feifan's offer to share the proceeds, and ordered the gang disbanded.
  • Danzo invited Bieshu Feifan to continue tax collection with him, saying he recognized Bieshu Feifan's talents.
  • A Root member reported that Hiruzen had sent a large group of Anbu to see Bieshu Feifan, leaving Danzo and Bieshu Feifan wary of his motives.

Ch. 218Scoundrels always wield their power

Bieshu Feifan tried to persuade Hiruzen Sarutobi to support his so-called tax collection, but Hiruzen sent him on a frontline mission instead. As Feifan departed with Minato Namikaze’s team, one of his Wood Clones turned toward the Sarutobi clan grounds with hostile intent.

  • Bieshu Feifan offered Hiruzen Sarutobi money and asked him to have the Anbu help his gang collect taxes, but Hiruzen refused and ordered him to go on a mission.
  • A Shinobi entered the Hokage's Office and saw the money exchange, so Hiruzen insisted that he had not accepted a bribe.
  • An Anbu delivered Bieshu Feifan deployment orders sending him to the front lines, and Feifan suspected Hiruzen was using his authority against him.
  • The next day, Bieshu Feifan met Might Guy and Might Duy near Konoha's main gate, where Minato Namikaze introduced himself as their Jōnin leader.
  • As Minato Namikaze led the group out of Konoha, Bieshu Feifan's Wood Clone watched the Sarutobi clan grounds and vowed that the clan would face consequences.

Ch. 219A Tō's happy life

Sarutobi Tōgo paid Bieshu Feifan ten million ryō for a transplant, but woke in the wilderness with a monkey’s tail in place of his Revolver and his kidney missing. Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that his son, Young Master Dongwu, was undergoing surgery to remove the tail at Konoha Hospital.

  • Sarutobi Tōgo hurried to meet the seller, Bieshu Feifan, after hearing someone had offered a Revolver for sale.
  • Bieshu Feifan led Sarutobi Tōgo to Hannibal’s clinic, where Tōgo chose a fresh organ and paid ten million ryō for it.
  • Bieshu Feifan anesthetized Sarutobi Tōgo with a genjutsu and replaced his Revolver with a monkey’s tail while removing his kidney.
  • Sarutobi Tōgo awoke alone in the wilderness, discovered the tail and missing kidney, and struggled away in tears.
  • An Anbu told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Young Master Dongwu had been found outside Konoha and was undergoing surgery at the hospital.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi saw doctors operating on his son and learned they were removing the monkey’s tail that had replaced his Revolver.

Ch. 220Choosing Tactics for the Front

After Hiruzen Sarutobi learned how severely Sarutobi Tōgo had been tortured, Konoha issued a futile bounty for Hannibal. At the front against Kumogakure, Bieshu Feifan challenged Shikaku Nara’s defensive strategy and demanded a duel to decide who would lead the operation.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Sarutobi Tōgo had lost a kidney, suffered severe injuries and infection, and had a monkey’s tail crudely sewn onto him.
  • Sarutobi Tōgo asked whether Hiruzen Sarutobi had eaten stir-fried kidneys, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to realize what the removed kidney might have been used for and collapse.
  • Konoha issued a worldwide bounty for Hannibal, but Bieshu Feifan knew no such person existed.
  • At a front-line meeting, Bieshu Feifan proposed luring Kumogakure’s raiders into a trap, while Shikaku Nara argued that they should follow Hiruzen Sarutobi’s defensive orders.
  • Bieshu Feifan urged the group to act against Kumogakure and suggested he lead an attack while Shikaku Nara stayed to defend; Shikaku refused, and Bieshu challenged him to a one-on-one fight to decide who would call the shots.

Ch. 221Shikaku Nara's guess

Bieshu Feifan defeated Shikaku Nara in a duel, then led a night raid that wiped out Kumogakure's camp and returned with its supplies. His growing popularity made Shikaku Nara and Minato Namikaze suspect he was aiming to become the Fourth Hokage.

  • Shikaku Nara challenged Bieshu Feifan to a duel, but Bieshu Feifan knocked him out with one hit.
  • Bieshu Feifan's plan to raid Kumogakure's camp in the Land of Rice Fields was approved, and he led a team there at night.
  • Bieshu Feifan killed the Cloud Ninja guarding and occupying the town with Wind Release-charged leaves, while Might Duy and Might Guy's group ambushed fleeing shinobi.
  • Bieshu Feifan returned to the Konoha camp with his entire team and divided the looted supplies, winning the loyalty of the chunin and genin who had accompanied him.
  • Shikaku Nara guessed that Bieshu Feifan wanted to become the Fourth Hokage, and Minato Namikaze privately began to worry that the guess might be true.

Ch. 222The scoundrel's thoughts

Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, Might Guy, and Minato Namikaze from the front and publicly reprimanded the three Chunin, prompting Bieshu Feifan to confront him. That night, Bieshu Feifan slipped into Konoha Hospital disguised as a doctor and drugged the sleeping Sarutobi Tōgo.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi dismissed the battle reports, scolded Shikaku Nara and Minato Namikaze, and ordered Minato to stop attacking Kumogakure.
  • Might Duy and Might Guy told Minato Namikaze that Hiruzen Sarutobi had once handed them over to Kumogakure, and Minato agreed to stop launching attacks.
  • After the Third Raikage threatened war, Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the squad and posted a public reprimand against Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy.
  • Bieshu Feifan confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi, who claimed the reprimand was meant to protect them, and Bieshu Feifan pretended to accept his explanation.
  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy tore down the reprimand notices until they grew tired and went to eat.
  • Bieshu Feifan entered Konoha Hospital disguised as a doctor, injected Sarutobi Tōgo, and left him unconscious.

Ch. 223The Anbu Were Looking for Someone

Hannibal’s attack left Sarutobi Tōgo critically injured, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to strengthen security and launch a search across Konoha. Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy visited Tōgo’s guarded hospital room, where Feifan realized the patient was a decoy and exposed him by pinching his philtrum.

  • Sarutobi Tōgo woke with severe injuries, and doctors discovered his tongue had been cut out, his remaining kidney removed, and fecal water injected into his body.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered extra Anbu protection for Tōgo and sent jōnin and Anbu to search Konoha for Hannibal.
  • Might Duy, Might Guy, and Bieshu Feifan wondered why the Anbu were searching for someone but not questioning them, until Minato Namikaze explained that Hannibal had infiltrated the hospital and injured Tōgo.
  • Bieshu Feifan and the others went to visit Tōgo and saw a noblewoman enter his heavily guarded ward.
  • Bieshu Feifan realized the unconscious patient was a decoy and the noblewoman was likely a Shadow Clone, then pinched the decoy’s philtrum until he woke up angrily.

Ch. 224Hiruzen Sarutobi's doubts

Hiruzen Sarutobi struggled to find Hannibal while confronting Bieshu Feifan over his protection-money schemes. Bieshu Feifan failed to get Hiruzen’s help becoming a Jōnin, partnered with Danzo to expand a tax racket, and left Hiruzen suspecting him as new gangs spread across the Land of Fire.

  • Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy visited the fake Sarutobi Tōgo and tormented Biwako Sarutobi with gifts and cooking advice.
  • Hiruzen Sarutobi grew weary of the search for Hannibal, then summoned Bieshu Feifan after learning he had started collecting taxes again.
  • Bieshu Feifan demanded Hiruzen help him become a Jōnin, but Hiruzen refused to arrange it.
  • Bieshu Feifan went to Danzo and proposed a partnership in which Root supplied gang members for a noble’s protection-money operation; Danzo agreed to split the profits.
  • Hiruzen noticed gangs collecting protection money from nobles and wealthy merchants, suspected Bieshu Feifan, and summoned him and Danzo.

Ch. 225Collecting Protection Money Was Never the Goal

Hiruzen Sarutobi negotiated with Bieshu Feifan and Danzo over the gangs spreading through the Land of Fire, granting Danzo more Root positions and letting Bieshu apply for Jōnin. The chapter ended with Kakashi returning from a disastrous mission to find Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy barbecuing outside his home.

  • Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Danzo and Bieshu Feifan about whether Root and Bieshu Feifan’s Villa Gang were behind the new gangs, but both denied involvement and offered to eliminate them in exchange for concessions.
  • Danzo asked for more Root personnel, and Hiruzen Sarutobi granted him twenty additional slots.
  • Bieshu Feifan asked to become a Jōnin and cited his border combat record; Hiruzen Sarutobi allowed him to submit an application, but refused to recommend him himself.
  • Bieshu Feifan and Danzo left together, while Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled Jiraiya’s warning and questioned whether he was fit to be Hokage before dismissing the thought.
  • Kakashi returned home after another difficult mission in which two teammates died and the last one broke down, then found Bieshu Feifan, Might Duy, and Might Guy eating barbecue outside his door.
Arc 9 of 11