Chapter Summaries

Senju Chen taught the Kirigakure children to observe others and disguise themselves, using a terrifying punishment to make the lesson stick. He began considering Zabuza Momochi as a recruit and left the boy questioning why he wanted to kill.

• Senju Chen introduced a lesson in intelligence and disguise, ordering the children to study one another’s habits and switch identities using the Transformation Technique.
• Senju Chen threatened to confine any child exposed during the identity swap overnight with a corpse, and the children began observing and imitating each other.
• Senju Chen dismissed Kirigakure’s search for him and decided Zabuza Momochi could become a valuable blade under his direction.
• The children identified a boy who avoided fish, and Senju Chen had assistant instructors drag him to the confinement cell as the others watched in terror.
• Senju Chen asked Zabuza why he wanted to kill and told him to understand his reasons; after Chen left, Zabuza began wondering whether killing was only about survival.

Mei Terumi pushed Chōjūrō through a lethal survival test to sharpen his strength, while Aying and Yukimura Shigure watched anxiously. Chōjūrō survived the three-minute ordeal but collapsed, badly burned.

• Mei Terumi ended Chōjūrō’s basic training and challenged him to remain inside a compound Boil Release and Lava Release mist cage for three minutes.
• Mei Terumi called Chōjūrō useless, and he entered the dangerous cage to prove himself and honor his promise to Gonbei.
• Aying and Yukimura Shigure watched from the restaurant and worried that Mei Terumi’s training was hurting Chōjūrō.
• The mist cage began to destabilize as Mei Terumi struggled to combine the two nature transformations, but she stabilized it and urged Chōjūrō to hold on.
• Chōjūrō deflected the acid arrows with his sword until Mei Terumi released the technique, and he collapsed charred and injured.

Mei Terumi’s training left Chōjūrō badly burned but alive, while Senju Chen’s brutal exercises taught the children to scrutinize and imitate one another. Zabuza Momochi questioned whether cunning could make him truly strong, and Senju Chen hinted that the lost Ninja Blades awaited worthy new masters.

• Mei Terumi gave the injured Chōjūrō burn ointment, and Aying arranged for staff to carry him upstairs for treatment.
• The children in the tower training ground watched and imitated one another to avoid being accused of impersonation and punished.
• Zabuza Momochi used traps, deception, and alliances to eliminate rivals during Senju Chen’s lesson.
• Zabuza Momochi challenged the value of Senju Chen’s tactics and said that strength meant controlling his own life and restoring the village’s honor.
• Senju Chen told Zabuza Momochi that cunning was only a foundation for strength and claimed the lost Ninja Blades were waiting for worthy masters.

Senju Chen urged Zabuza Momochi to aspire to wield power rather than serve as a weapon, then promised him the Seven Ninja Blades if he proved himself. A month later, the Purification graduation exam began on Blood Tears Island, where Zabuza’s class disappeared into the coastal jungle as their instructors watched.

• Senju Chen challenged Zabuza Momochi to win the graduation mission and promised to obtain all seven Ninja Blades for him, but Zabuza left doubtful.
• A month later, over a hundred students began the three-day Purification exam on Blood Tears Island, competing for ten flags while their collars served as their lives.
• Chief Aoki and the instructors watched the exam unfold through a crystal ball as they mocked Kirisame Ryo’s class.
• Mitsue Ringo praised his elite class as they advanced toward the island’s center and defeated rival squads.
• Zabuza Momochi led his classmates into the thick coastal jungle, where they vanished from the observation screens.

Senju Chen’s students used traps and coordinated attacks to wipe out Mitsue Ringo’s elite class during the island battle. Director Aoki praised Kirisame Ryo for training the children as the instructors watched in stunned silence.

• Mitsue Ringo’s elite squad advanced through a swamp, where hidden traps killed and injured nearly half its members.
• The remaining students panicked and tried to flee, but Zabuza Momochi and the others emerged from hiding and attacked them.
• Senju Chen’s students wiped out Mitsue Ringo’s elite class, then withdrew separately while remaining wary of one another.
• Mitsue Ringo accused Senju Chen of training the attackers, and Senju Chen mocked him for underestimating his students.
• Director Aoki praised Kirisame Ryo’s batch of children for their performance.

Kirisame Ryo’s students turned the graduation exam on Blood Tears Island into a coordinated campaign of deception, then revealed they had collected all ten flags. Senju Chen’s system detected an unknown target named Inoshita Yamano with Earth Release abilities, leaving him suspicious that an Iwagakure spy was among the crowd.

• Mitsue Ringo blamed the students’ success on luck, but Senju Chen said their strategy came from professionalism.
• Kirisame Ryo’s students spread false information across Blood Tears Island, provoking clashes and picking off exhausted squads.
• After three days, fewer than thirty examinees remained, and no one initially stepped forward with a flag.
• Zabuza Momochi and his classmates emerged from the jungle and presented all ten Blood Mist Flags.
• Senju Chen saw system alerts for Inoshita Yamano’s Earth Release abilities and suspected the person was an Iwagakure spy.

Karatachi Yagura announced the results of the deadly exam and promoted Senju Chen to director of the High Tower, granting him authority over Kirigakure's student training and assessments. Senju Chen accepted the appointment, privately stunned that his false identity had risen so quickly.

• Karatachi Yagura arrived at the beach and promoted the ten students who held flags to Chunin and the other survivors to Genin.
• Karatachi Yagura praised Kirisame Ryo's teaching and appointed Director Aoki deputy captain of the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.
• Karatachi Yagura named Kirisame Ryo director of the High Tower and gave him authority over training and assessments for every student in Kirigakure.
• Mitsue Ringo and the other instructors reeled at the promotion and regretted mocking Kirisame Ryo.
• Senju Chen accepted the appointment and promised to cultivate more talent for Kirigakure.

Senju Chen told Zabuza Momochi that his talent alone would not let him surpass his limits, then hinted that he knew a costly way to make him stronger. After leaving Zabuza waiting for seven days, Senju Chen received him in the dark and asked what kind of person he wanted to become.

• Senju Chen told Zabuza Momochi that he would never reach the top through hard work alone and offered him a path to surpass the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
• Senju Chen became tower director, introduced his training method, and sent Mitsue Ringo to guard the northern lighthouse.
• Senju Chen left Zabuza Momochi without a squad or missions for seven days, prompting Zabuza to seek him out at night.
• Zabuza Momochi demanded to know whether Senju Chen would still help him break his limits, and Senju Chen asked what kind of person he wanted to become.

Senju Chen recruited Zabuza Momochi as a future weapon by promising to help him become the strongest. Back at his base, Chen arranged a mission in Kirigakure and identified Tsukiki as a likely Iwagakure mole, preparing to investigate him.

• Senju Chen told Zabuza Momochi that his prospects as a village ninja were limited and offered to invest in his growth.
• Zabuza Momochi knelt and pledged to become Senju Chen's blade, and Chen sent him back to continue training.
• Senju Chen ordered Foreman White Zetsu to send five clever White Zetsu to Kirigakure for a performance.
• Senju Chen reviewed the student and instructor records and matched the suspicious name Inoshita Yamano to the instructor Tsukiki.
• Senju Chen burned the scrolls after identifying Tsukiki as a likely Iwagakure operative and prepared to investigate him.

Senju Chen arranged for Zabuza Momochi to disappear and sent a White Zetsu clone to impersonate him, then used the fake Zabuza to expose undercover spy Tsukiki as Inoshita Yamano. After Tsukiki killed the clone and fled, Senju Chen pursued him, but Kirigakure instructors intervened; Senju Chen declared he was purging the village’s traitors.

• Senju Chen introduced Zabuza Momochi to a White Zetsu clone that could perfectly imitate him and arranged for the real Zabuza to leave Kirigakure under an assumed death.
• Senju Chen sent the fake Zabuza to confront Instructor Tsukiki and reveal that he was actually Inoshita Yamano.
• Tsukiki attacked and killed the fake Zabuza, then tried to eliminate students who witnessed the killing.
• Senju Chen arrived, pursued the fleeing Tsukiki, and was blocked by instructors who accused him of abusing his authority.
• Tsukiki claimed Senju Chen had killed Zabuza and was trying to silence him, prompting the instructors to surround Senju Chen.
• Senju Chen regained his composure and declared that he was purging Kirigakure’s traitors.

Senju Chen killed Tsukiki after Tsukiki tried to flee, despite the instructors demanding an investigation. Students then revealed that Tsukiki had killed Zabuza Momochi, leaving the instructors stunned and ashamed as Senju Chen asked whether anyone still thought he had killed the wrong person.

• Nakamura urged Senju Chen and Tsukiki to stand down and let the Anbu investigate, while Tsukiki agreed and prepared to escape.
• Senju Chen bypassed the instructors and killed Tsukiki as he fled.
• The instructors attacked Senju Chen, believing he had murdered a colleague to silence him.
• Students arrived and testified that Tsukiki had killed Zabuza Momochi in front of them.
• The instructors realized they had tried to protect Zabuza Momochi's killer, and Senju Chen asked if anyone still believed he had killed the wrong person.

Senju Chen was taken to the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad headquarters after killing Tsukiki, whom he accused of murdering Zabuza Momochi. During questioning, he urged Hozuki Anyue to investigate Tsukiki’s suspicious reputation, and Anyue began to reconsider the case.

• Hozuki Anyue arrived at the alley and ordered Senju Chen and the witnesses to accompany him for questioning.
• Hozuki Anyue examined Tsukiki and Zabuza Momochi’s bodies and heard students confirm that Tsukiki had attacked Zabuza.
• At headquarters, Hozuki Anyue questioned Senju Chen about his relationship with Zabuza and why he had killed Tsukiki.
• Senju Chen claimed he had witnessed Tsukiki trying to silence the students and argued that Tsukiki’s murder might have concealed a secret.
• Senju Chen pointed out that Tsukiki’s long-standing popularity and lack of ambition were suspicious, prompting Hozuki Anyue to reconsider the investigation.

After Tsukiki was exposed as an Iwagakure spy, Kirisame Ryo was cleared and Zabuza Momochi was secretly transported to a safe house as an investment project. Zabuza accepted his helpless position and began following his handlers’ orders while awaiting his departure from the Land of Water.

• Hozuki Anyue ordered a search of Tsukiki’s residences and contacts, especially former High Tower director Aoki.
• The Special Assassination and Tactical Squad announced that Tsukiki was the Iwagakure spy Yamano, that he had killed Zabuza, and that Kirisame Ryo had killed him; Aoki was removed and investigated.
• Hozuki Anyue escorted Senju Chen from headquarters and praised his accurate intuition, while Senju Chen said he had only done his duty.
• A white humanoid creature transported Zabuza Momochi to a dim room, where Aying told him to stay quiet and wait two days before leaving the Land of Water.
• Zabuza understood that he was an investment project in his new lord’s hands, then ate the food and resigned himself to obeying.

Senju Chen secured his authority over Kirigakure’s tower and began plotting to recruit promising young ninja by having them declared dead. Meanwhile, Obito consolidated control of Kirigakure, but turned his attention back to Rin Nohara’s death.

• Senju Chen returned to the tower, where its instructors greeted him with fear and deference after he killed Tsukiki.
• Instructor Nakamura gave Senju Chen the graduating students’ assessment reports, including Zabuza Momochi’s falsified death report.
• Senju Chen considered Kirigakure’s talented young ninja potential recruits for his future force and planned to bring them under his control.
• Obito Uchiha used the Special Assassination and Tactical Squad to eliminate or recruit the remnants of Genji’s faction and consolidate his rule over Kirigakure.
• Black Zetsu urged Obito to move forward with the Eye of the Moon Plan, but Obito asked whether Kirigakure had forced Rin Nohara to become the Three-Tails Jinchūriki before she died.

Obito questioned whether Rin had truly died, but Black Zetsu suppressed his doubts and redirected him toward Madara's plan. Obito recommitted himself to the Eye of the Moon Plan and agreed to retrieve the Rinnegan from Nagato.

• Obito challenged Black Zetsu over the Three-Tails’ failure to reappear and wondered whether Rin had survived.
• Black Zetsu insisted Rin was dead, citing the evidence Obito had seen and the lack of news from Konoha.
• Black Zetsu reminded Obito that he had caused the deaths of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, provoking Obito to seize him and defend his actions.
• Black Zetsu promised that the Eye of the Moon Plan could create a world where Rin, Minato, and Kushina could return, and Obito renewed his resolve to bring Rin back.
• Black Zetsu steered Obito toward retrieving Madara’s legacy, and Obito agreed to take the Rinnegan from Nagato.

Senju Chen decided to send Mei Terumi, Chōjūrō, and Zabuza Momochi to the experimental base in the Land of Waterfalls for training. After learning that she could not change Kirigakure while she was weak, Mei agreed to leave the Land of Water with Chōjūrō and set out to become stronger.

• Senju Chen concluded that Mei Terumi had no political future in Kirigakure after Genji's death and ordered her, Chōjūrō, and Zabuza Momochi transferred to the Land of Waterfalls.
• Senju Chen sent Mei Terumi a letter telling her to leave the Land of Water and return only when she was strong enough to change Kirigakure.
• Mei Terumi initially refused to leave, but Aying warned her that Yagura's purge put her at risk and that she was too weak to accomplish anything by staying.
• Mei Terumi told Chōjūrō to pack for their departure, saying they were going somewhere that could make them stronger.
• Mei Terumi packed her notes from Senju Chen's lessons and her wooden guest-room token, keeping both close as she prepared to leave.

Aying brought Mei Terumi, Zabuza Momochi, Chōjūrō, and the rescued Kekkei Genkai orphans to Senju Chen’s underground base in the Land of Waterfalls. Senju Chen welcomed them as residents and assigned Yamato and Amado to handle their examinations, lodging, and training, while Orochimaru and Sasori showed interest in the newcomers.

• Aying told Zabuza Momochi they would move in two days, and Zabuza agreed to remain an obedient project until he received the promised power.
• A month later, Aying led Mei Terumi, Chōjūrō, Zabuza Momochi, and more than twenty Kekkei Genkai orphans through a passage behind a waterfall to the underground base.
• Senju Chen introduced himself and told the newcomers that the base would be their home, where they could pursue strength in exchange for effort.
• Yamato took the group for medical examinations and lodging after Senju Chen ordered him to prepare their accommodations.
• Orochimaru asked about Mei Terumi and assessed Zabuza Momochi, while Senju Chen stopped Sasori from treating Zabuza as puppet material.
• Senju Chen instructed Amado to create training plans for the children based on their abilities and medical data.

Senju Chen brought Mei Terumi, Zabuza Momochi, Chōjūrō, and the Kekkei Genkai orphans to his underground laboratory and assessed their potential. He revealed Rin Nohara’s control of the Three-Tails to demonstrate what they could gain, then declared the laboratory their future and the start of their path to strength.

• Amado presented Senju Chen with the newcomers’ physical data, and Chen assessed Mei Terumi’s dual Kekkei Genkai potential, Zabuza Momochi’s combat talent, and Chōjūrō’s room for improvement.
• During her examination, Mei Terumi demanded to know where she was and who had taken her, but Yamato told her the laboratory was her new home.
• Senju Chen welcomed the group to the lounge, where they saw advanced chakra-threaded puppets, and Mei asked him about Gonbei.
• Senju Chen introduced Rin Nohara as a senior colleague and asked her to demonstrate thirty percent of her results.
• Rin Nohara revealed a controlled Three-Tails chakra cloak, terrifying the newcomers before she dismissed it at Senju Chen’s request.
• Senju Chen called the laboratory their future and himself their investor, welcoming them to his “god-making” factory.

Senju Chen’s base impressed the displaced Kirigakure group with its facilities, technology, weapons, and promises of extraordinary growth. He ended the tour by warning them that they would have to prove their worth because the base did not keep dead weight.

• Rin Nohara unleashed overwhelming chakra, leaving Mei Terumi and Zabuza Momochi shaken, before Senju Chen sent Yamato to show the newcomers around.
• Yamato showed the group their private dorm rooms and Amado explained how the base used personal data to design training and nutrition plans.
• Amado showed Yukimura Ryota’s progress, including his increased chakra reserves and precise Ice Release control, astonishing Mei Terumi.
• Yamato led the group to an armory displaying all seven legendary Kirigakure ninja blades, and Zabuza Momochi resolved to obtain them.
• Senju Chen promised powerful resources and abilities to members who proved valuable, then declared that the base would not keep dead weight.

Over five years, Senju Chen’s experimental base trained Mei Terumi, Zabuza Momochi, and dozens of other powerful ninja while his businesses and intelligence network expanded across the shinobi world. The chapter leaves the base and Food Is Heaven prospering, with its costly Flying Thunder God takeout service earning enormous profits.

• Mei Terumi demonstrated her acidic Lava and Boil Release techniques, destroying the simulated battlefield’s alloy trees and puppets.
• Zabuza Momochi and his White Zetsu Clone puppet fought in perfect coordination, cutting down dozens of enemy puppets.
• Amado reported that Mei Terumi and Zabuza Momochi had reached S-rank combat strength and all thirty first-intake trainees had reached A-rank jonin strength.
• Senju Chen’s base grew to over a hundred trainees as his allies recruited gifted young ninja and trained them with tailed beast cells, scientific tools, and customized plans.
• Food Is Heaven expanded to over a hundred branches, and Senju Chen’s Flying Thunder God takeout service earned nearly a hundred million in its first month of trial operations.