Recaps

Senju Chen returned to a warm, lively home after secretly sending a message, then spent the days before war honing his combat skills. He mastered a devastating Flying Thunder God and Rasengan combination and began practicing consecutive teleportations.

• Senju Chen discarded the kunai he had used to send a message and returned home, where Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, and Shizune welcomed him.
• Senju Chen saw that Minato Namikaze had become intensely focused on training after their recent lesson, then shared a late-night meal with his family.
• As war clouds gathered, Senju Chen stayed in the village and trained at a hillside clearing.
• Senju Chen combined Flying Thunder God with Rasengan to carve a deep crater into a cliff.
• Senju Chen practiced consecutive Flying Thunder God teleportations around the training ground to deepen his understanding of space.

Senju Chen gave Shizune a Flying Thunder God Kunai and asked her to find Tsunade and stay by her side as the war intensified. After promising to protect himself, he studied a map of the Land of Rain and planned his battlefield objectives.

• Senju Chen returned home and accepted Shizune's medical kit, reassuring her that he could handle the war.
• Senju Chen warned Shizune that Tsunade might be targeted and asked her to go find Tsunade and protect her.
• Senju Chen gave Shizune a Flying Thunder God Kunai so she could locate him or call him for help.
• Shizune embraced Senju Chen in tears, and they promised to take care of themselves until the war ended.
• Senju Chen studied a map of the Land of Rain and planned to survive the fighting, find Hatake Sakumo, assess Akatsuki, and collect materials.

Senju Chen left Konoha with Orochimaru’s team to infiltrate the Land of Rain, reassuring Kushina and Minato that he would survive. The team detected a recent clash ahead, and Orochimaru suggested they had arrived at the right moment.

• Kushina worried over Senju Chen’s departure for the battlefield, while Minato gave him supplies and urged him to put survival first.
• Senju Chen promised to return for Kushina’s red bean soup and left Konoha with Orochimaru, Shisui Uchiha, and Maruboshi Kosuke.
• The team secretly traveled through forests and crossed into the rain-soaked Land of Rain.
• Senju Chen reflected on his strength and on Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan’s efforts toward peace, while deciding not to interfere with them yet.
• Orochimaru stopped the team after Shisui detected blood and Senju Chen sensed chakra fluctuations from a recent clash less than a kilometer ahead.

Ōnoki planned to invade the Land of Rain while Konoha and Sunagakure were occupied, unaware that Senju Chen and his party had already entered the country. After investigating a battlefield and identifying Hanzō’s forces, the group encountered Amegakure ninja who said Hanzō was waiting for them.

• Ōnoki told Kitsuchi that Iwagakure would seize the Land of Rain while Konoha and Sunagakure fought, and said he had prepared the Explosion Corps, Han, and Roshi for the invasion.
• Senju Chen, Orochimaru, Shisui Uchiha, and Maruboshi Kosuke examined eight dead Kirigakure ninja in a muddy clearing near the Land of Rain’s border.
• Orochimaru and the others identified Hanzō’s troops as the attackers, and Kosuke detected poison associated with Ibuse.
• Senju Chen inferred that Hanzō was swiftly eliminating opposition within the Land of Rain, while Orochimaru proposed meeting him.
• Amegakure ninja surrounded the group, and their leader told them that Hanzō had been waiting for them.

Orochimaru met with Hanzō to confirm their alliance and receive a mission to eliminate Kirigakure infiltrators in Amegakure before sunrise. After Senju Chen identified Hanzō’s imposing behavior as fear beneath the surface, Orochimaru decided they would investigate their targets.

• Orochimaru, Senju Chen, Shisui, and Maruboshi Kosuke entered Amegakure and met Hanzō in the command tower.
• Hanzō and Orochimaru agreed that Konoha would help purge infiltrators in exchange for Amegakure’s support against Iwagakure.
• Hanzō gave Orochimaru a list of Kirigakure covert agents and demanded results before sunrise.
• After reaching their temporary base, Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke questioned Hanzō’s motives, and Orochimaru explained that he was testing Konoha.
• Senju Chen said Hanzō seemed afraid, prompting Orochimaru to recognize that the aging ruler feared losing power and his country.
• Orochimaru called Hanzō especially dangerous in his wounded state and led the group to investigate the Kirigakure agents.

Orochimaru and his team met Hatake Sakumo to verify Hanzō’s intelligence about Kirigakure Ninja hiding in Amegakure. Sakumo provided a detailed report on their leader and revealed that Hanzō had begun purging his own aides.

• Orochimaru led Shisui Uchiha, Maruboshi Kosuke, and Senju Chen through Amegakure instead of heading straight for the locations on Hanzō’s scroll.
• Orochimaru used a secret signal at an abandoned ventilation tower, where Hatake Sakumo appeared in an Amegakure uniform.
• Sakumo confirmed Hanzō’s list was genuine but incomplete, then gave Orochimaru a more detailed report on the Kirigakure Ninja and their preparations.
• Sakumo identified their leader as a powerful Hozuki Clan elite Jonin skilled in the Hydrification Technique and Silent Killing Technique, hiding near the Old No. 7 Water Purification Tower.
• Sakumo reported that Hanzō had executed three longtime aides for allegedly colluding with Iwagakure, leaving Amegakure’s residents afraid.

Orochimaru used Hatake Sakumo’s intelligence to plan a surprise attack on the Kirigakure force at the old No. 7 Water Purification Tower. The assault began with Orochimaru turning the site into a swamp, and Hozuki Gengetsu emerged to confront him.

• Hatake Sakumo delivered detailed intelligence on the water purification tower and disappeared into the rain.
• Orochimaru assigned himself to fight the elite Jonin while Shisui and Kosuke targeted the other Jonin, and Senju Chen was ordered to seal the area with Wood Release.
• The team reached the tower in the storm, with Shisui and Kosuke splitting off and Senju Chen waiting inside the perimeter.
• Orochimaru began the ambush by using Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld to turn the waterlogged tower grounds into a vast mire.
• The swamp trapped three Kirigakure Chunin, while Hozuki Gengetsu escaped the largest pool as water and recognized Orochimaru.

Senju Chen, Shisui, and Maruboshi Kosuke launched a surprise attack on Kirigakure forces at Old Water Purification Tower Seven, but the enemy had prepared a counterambush. As Shisui and Kosuke faced defeat, Senju Chen arrived and placed marked kunai around the battlefield.

• Senju Chen used Wood Release: Heavenly Net and Earthly Web to seal off Old Water Purification Tower Seven and its underground entrances.
• A sensory Kirigakure Jonin ambushed Shisui with a water mirror technique, while another Jonin and several Chunin attacked Kosuke.
• The sensory Jonin trapped Shisui between the water mirror and a storm of needles, wounding him as Kosuke tried to help.
• The sensory Jonin caught Kosuke in Water Prison Shark Dance and inflicted a severe wound through his left shoulder and chest.
• Senju Chen arrived, assessed the failing ambush, and threw black three-pronged kunai into key positions around the battlefield.

Senju Chen used the Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan to rescue Maruboshi Kosuke and cut down the Kirigakure attackers. He killed the fleeing sensory Jonin after tricking him into thinking Chen had exhausted his chakra, leaving Shisui and Kosuke alive.

• Senju Chen appeared between the sword-wielding Jonin and Maruboshi Kosuke, then killed the Jonin with a Rasengan.
• Senju Chen used Flying Thunder God to kill three Kirigakure Chunins in quick succession.
• The sensory Jonin fled, but stopped and attacked when he sensed Chen apparently exhausted.
• Senju Chen teleported behind the Jonin and beheaded him, causing the Water Mirror Clone trapping Shisui to collapse.

Senju Chen used the Flying Thunder God Technique to kill the Kirigakure forces and save Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke, leaving the survivors stunned by his power. In a secluded cave, Shisui and Orochimaru questioned Chen about the techniques he had used, and Chen identified the blue chakra ball as the Rasengan.

• Senju Chen killed the sensory Jonin, causing the Water Mirror Clone to collapse, then staggered from exhaustion as Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke watched in shock.
• Orochimaru arrived and recognized Senju Chen’s use of the Flying Thunder God Technique among the battlefield’s scattered kunai.
• Orochimaru ordered the group to clean up the battlefield, and they retrieved the Flying Thunder God Kunai before leaving the ruined water tower.
• In a secluded cave, Orochimaru and Senju Chen treated Maruboshi Kosuke, while Shisui tended his own wounds and watched Chen warily.
• Shisui asked Senju Chen whether he had used the Flying Thunder God Technique and what the blue chakra ball was, and Chen confirmed the first technique and named the second the Rasengan.

Senju Chen blamed Minato Namikaze for teaching him the Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan, and Orochimaru let the explanation stand despite doubting it. After returning to the hideout, Chen delivered a mission scroll to Hatake Sakumo, told him how well Kakashi was doing, and asked about the situation in the Land of Rain.

• Senju Chen told Shisui that Minato Namikaze had secretly taught him the Flying Thunder God Technique and Rasengan, and Shisui accepted the explanation with admiration.
• Orochimaru recognized that Chen’s story was likely false but supported it, praised Chen’s mission performance, and ordered him to rest until dawn.
• After the group reached Hanzo’s hideout, Orochimaru went to meet Hanzō, while Shisui escorted the injured Maruboshi Kosuke to his room.
• Senju Chen visited Hatake Sakumo with a mission scroll and told him that Kakashi had graduated early, become a Genin, and was training under Minato Namikaze.
• Hatake Sakumo was moved by the news about Kakashi, and Senju Chen asked him for updates on the Land of Rain.

Senju Chen learned that Iwagakure planned to seize the Land of Rain while Konoha and Sunagakure fought, possibly by assassinating Hanzo of the Salamander. Hatake Sakumo also reported on Akatsuki, and Senju Chen asked him to cultivate the group as Konoha’s allies against Iwagakure and Hanzō.

• Hatake Sakumo told Senju Chen that Iwagakure ninja had infiltrated the Land of Rain and might conquer it while Konoha and Sunagakure exhausted themselves at Kikyo Mountain.
• Hatake Sakumo suspected Iwagakure was preparing to assassinate Hanzo of the Salamander, prompting Senju Chen to hurry back to inform Orochimaru.
• Hatake Sakumo reported that Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan had founded Akatsuki, which aided people displaced by war and had gained local support.
• Hatake Sakumo described Nagato’s uncontrollable power, which had killed several Amegakure Chunin when Yahiko was in danger.
• Senju Chen asked Hatake Sakumo to keep building trust with Akatsuki and guide them toward becoming Konoha’s allies against Iwagakure and Hanzō.
• Hatake Sakumo agreed to continue approaching Akatsuki as Fang, and Senju Chen left after reminding him that Kakashi was waiting at home.

Senju Chen told Orochimaru that Iwagakure planned to invade the Land of Rain and assassinate Hanzo of the Salamander, and Orochimaru devised a way to make Hanzo uncover the plot himself. Meanwhile, the aftermath of their attack on Kirigakure’s squad sparked panic among Iwagakure’s spies and commanders, prompting Ōnoki to suspend the operation and recall his agents.

• Senju Chen reported Hatake Sakumo’s intelligence to Orochimaru, who planned to hint at Iwagakure activity and secretly pass evidence to Hanzo’s confidants.
• Hanzo of the Salamander examined the dead Kirigakure ninja and grew more wary of Konoha while considering closer cooperation.
• Iwagakure spies mistook the massacre for Hanzo’s purge and warned their command that their infiltration plan had been exposed.
• Kitsuchi suspended the assassination plan and sent an urgent report to Ōnoki.
• Ōnoki ordered all undercover personnel in the Land of Rain to withdraw, putting Iwagakure’s operation on hold.
• Senju Chen rested, unaware that his team’s attack had helped stop a major conspiracy.

Kitsuchi and Ōnoki halted Iwagakure’s plan to invade the Land of Rain after Hanzō exposed their spies, while Senju Chen’s squad received a list of Iwagakure agents from Hanzō. Orochimaru then assigned Senju Chen command of an operation against an Iwagakure supply unit supporting rebels.

• Kitsuchi learned that Hanzō had exposed Iwagakure’s infiltration network and sent an urgent message to Ōnoki to stop the plan.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure’s undercover personnel to withdraw and suspended the Hunt plan.
• Orochimaru returned from meeting Hanzō with a detailed list of Iwagakure spies, which Senju Chen studied.
• Orochimaru explained how intelligence, fear, and human nature could be used to shape the war, and Senju Chen considered how to exploit the situation further.
• Orochimaru gave Senju Chen command of an operation to intercept an Iwagakure unit delivering supplies to rebels in the eastern Land of Rain.

Senju Chen took command of the squad and devised a plan to ambush the Iwagakure force at Kesu Gorge while concealing Konoha and the Land of Rain’s alliance. After transforming into a Kirigakure ninja, he assigned his teammates their roles and prepared to lead the operation.

• Orochimaru placed Shisui, Maruboshi Kosuke, and himself under Senju Chen’s command to help him prove his ability before reinforcements arrived.
• Senju Chen studied the intelligence and requested the enemy’s route, Iwagakure’s communication codes, and an intact Kirigakure corpse with identity records.
• Orochimaru summoned a dead Kirigakure Anbu from the Yuki Clan and provided the requested records and codes.
• Senju Chen used his Top-Level Transformation Technique to perfectly imitate the dead ninja, astonishing Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke.
• Senju Chen ordered Shisui to prepare an ambush in Kesu Gorge, Maruboshi Kosuke to set traps and sensory barriers, and Orochimaru to oversee the battle.

Iwagakure’s undercover squad prepared to transport supplies to Rain Country rebels before withdrawing, unaware that Senju Chen had laid an ambush at Kesu Gorge. Chen transformed himself to look like the Kirigakure ninja Yuki and headed toward the caravan to lure it into the trap.

• Tsuchiya ordered his Iwagakure squad to disguise themselves as a merchant caravan and deliver their remaining supplies to the rebels in the east.
• Shisui cleared large animals from Kesu Gorge while Maruboshi Kosuke set traps and barriers, and Orochimaru watched from above.
• Senju Chen reviewed his plan to lure, surround, and eliminate the Iwagakure squad, reflecting on how his knowledge of the story let him anticipate events beyond Orochimaru’s calculations.
• Chen used a Wood Release figurine of Yuki to transform his appearance and pose as a wounded, desperate survivor.
• Chen set out toward the Iwagakure caravan to lead it into the ambush.

Senju Chen disguised himself as a wounded Kirigakure ninja to lure Tsuchiya and his Iwagakure caravan into an ambush at Kesu Gorge. Orochimaru appeared on the cliffs as Senju Chen sealed the retreat and summoned Monkey King Enma, leaving the Iwagakure ninja facing certain defeat.

• Senju Chen, disguised as Yuki, convinced Tsuchiya that Hanzō had exposed their plans and offered intelligence about an elite patrol at Kesu Gorge.
• Tsuchiya agreed to follow Yuki and led the Iwagakure caravan into Kesu Gorge.
• Orochimaru revealed himself on the eastern cliff, and Tsuchiya realized the caravan had been lured into a trap.
• Senju Chen dropped his disguise and used Wood Release to block the Iwagakure ninja's escape.
• Senju Chen summoned Monkey King Enma, and Tsuchiya recognized the Hokage's summoned beast.

Senju Chen and his allies massacred the trapped Iwagakure force in the canyon using Enma, Flying Thunder God, Wood Release, and coordinated attacks. Chen subdued Tsuchiya alive, and Orochimaru watched with approval.

• Enma appeared in the canyon, and Tsuchiya realized the Iwagakure ninjas had been trapped for slaughter.
• Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke's Flying Thunder God kunai enabled Senju Chen to strike the Iwagakure formation as Enma and Chen attacked.
• Orochimaru blocked the canyon entrance with venomous snakes while Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke joined the killing.
• Senju Chen defeated Tsuchiya with Wood Release vines that bound him and drained his chakra.
• Orochimaru approved of Senju Chen leaving Tsuchiya alive as a prisoner.

Senju Chen returned from destroying an Iwagakure supply unit with Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke, bringing captured supplies and a living Jonin prisoner. He revealed to the reinforcements that he had commanded the operation, leaving them stunned by his achievement.

• Orochimaru took the captured Iwagakure Jonin to interrogate him and ordered Senju Chen's group to recover the battlefield supplies.
• Senju Chen, Shisui, and Maruboshi Kosuke returned to camp with more than a dozen loaded carts as the second wave of reinforcements arrived.
• Sarutobi Kenzo questioned the group after learning their mission had been listed as D-rank reconnaissance.
• Maruboshi Kosuke reported that their side had wiped out all twenty-seven enemy ninja and captured their supplies, while Shisui confirmed his account.
• Senju Chen told the reinforcements that he had commanded the operation and that Orochimaru had taken the enemy commanding Jonin alive.

Orochimaru appointed eight-year-old Senju Chen commander of all Konoha ninja at the Land of Rain frontline camp, using his authority and Chen’s recent victory to silence opposition. Chen accepted the post and received intelligence on Iwagakure’s covert operations, beginning his command amid uneasy alliances.

• Orochimaru arrived at the camp and confirmed that Senju Chen was his student.
• Orochimaru placed all Konoha ninja at the Land of Rain frontline camp under Senju Chen’s command, and no one dared object.
• The Senju Faction’s ninja welcomed Chen’s appointment as a chance to rally their declining faction.
• Orochimaru gave Senju Chen a scroll containing information taken from the captured Iwagakure Jonin Tsuchiya about covert operatives, bases, and supply routes.
• Senju Chen asked Sarutobi Kenzo for his guidance, and Kenzo and the assembled ninja pledged to obey Chen’s orders.

Senju Chen took command of the Konoha forces and planned operations against Iwagakure supply stations, while Orochimaru secured Hanzō’s support after revealing Iwagakure’s invasion plans. Hanzō sent thirty Amegakure Anbu to assist, but Inuzuka Ryō objected to cooperating with them.

• Senju Chen studied the intelligence scroll and assigned Konoha squads to attack or investigate Iwagakure’s three supply stations.
• Senju Chen’s precise orders impressed Sarutobi Kenzo and pleased the Senju ninja, who resolved to protect his record.
• Orochimaru gave Hanzō intelligence about Iwagakure’s secret supply transports and planned invasion of the Land of Rain.
• After Tsuchiya confirmed the intelligence under interrogation, Hanzō offered his elite assassination unit to help Konoha eliminate Iwagakure forces.
• Thirty Amegakure Anbu arrived at the Konoha camp, and Senju Chen revised the plan to combine their infiltration with Konoha’s frontal assault.
• Inuzuka Ryō objected to working with the Amegakure Anbu and insisted his squad could attack an Iwagakure stronghold directly.

Senju Chen sent Sarutobi Kenzo to attack Iwagakure’s creek valley stronghold while he rushed to rescue Inuzuka Ryō’s trapped squad. He arrived as the enemy attacked, and confronted an Iwagakure Jonin with a Rasengan.

• Senju Chen agreed to let Inuzuka Ryō investigate the suspicious outpost, then sent Shisui to follow him with distress flares.
• After Shisui fired a red distress signal, Senju Chen ordered Sarutobi Kenzo to attack Iwagakure’s creek valley stronghold instead of sending reinforcements to Ryō.
• Sarutobi Kenzo obeyed and departed with his squad, while Senju Chen used the Body Flicker Technique to reach the trapped team.
• Inuzuka Ryō and his teammates faced nearly twenty Iwagakure ninja, including two Jonin, as the Rock Prison Technique barrier broke around them.
• Senju Chen appeared on the battlefield, assessed the thirty-one enemies, and faced an attacking Iwagakure Jonin with a Rasengan.

Senju Chen annihilated an Iwagakure force with Wood Release, the Rasengan, and the Flying Thunder God Technique. After Inuzuka Ryō recounted the battle at camp, Chen’s overwhelming power had earned him the unquestioned awe of the Konoha and Amegakure ninja.

• Senju Chen killed an Iwagakure Chunin with a Rasengan and tore through the enemy formation with Wood Release: Cutting Sprigs.
• Shisui scattered marked kunai, and Senju Chen used the Flying Thunder God Technique to strike down Iwagakure ninja across the battlefield.
• Senju Chen bound the fleeing Iwagakure ninja, including the scar-faced Jonin, with Wood Release vines and crushed them, ending the battle.
• Sarutobi Kenzo returned to camp and found Inuzuka Ryō and his squad stunned by what had happened.
• Inuzuka Ryō recounted Senju Chen’s slaughter, leaving the camp in awe and establishing Chen’s authority.

Senju Chen took command of Konoha and Amegakure forces in the Land of Rain and led a three-month campaign to eliminate enemy bases. By the end, his reputation and authority had grown, while Orochimaru watched his development with admiration and unease.

• Senju Chen gave Sarutobi Kenzo intelligence on enemy agents, bases, and supply routes, ordering him to divide it into missions for the next three months.
• Senju Chen directed operations from camp, using Konoha ninja for assaults and Amegakure Anbu for infiltration, assassination, and blocking retreats.
• The allied forces eliminated more than a hundred Iwagakure, Kirigakure, and Sunagakure bases in the Land of Rain with few casualties.
• Senju Chen gained chakra, combat experience, and knowledge of enemy tactics, which helped him learn ninjutsu from the three enemy villages.
• Senju Chen became known as the Demon Child of Konoha among enemies and earned the admiration and loyalty of his allies.
• Orochimaru observed Senju Chen's command and growth, recognizing his potential while feeling pressure from his talent and penetrating gaze.

Ōnoki ordered a covert assassination operation against Hanzo of the Salamander, planning to use troop movements as a distraction. After receiving intelligence about Iwagakure’s mobilization, Senju Chen suspected a decapitation strike and went to find Orochimaru.

• Ōnoki learned that Iwagakure’s agents and strongholds in the Land of Rain had been destroyed and that Senju Chen had used Wood Release.
• Ōnoki ordered small units to feign a major offensive while Sumashi led Roshi, Han, Gari, Tōjirō, Mahiru, and Taiseki on a secret mission to kill Hanzo and the Konoha Ninja; Ōnoki said he would join them.
• Senju Chen received Fang’s warning that Iwagakure was assembling troops for a possible invasion.
• Senju Chen reasoned that Ōnoki’s movements might conceal an assassination attempt intended to bring down Hanzo and destabilize the Land of Rain.
• Senju Chen learned that Orochimaru was studying technique formulas and left the command tent to find him.