Chapter Summaries

After revealing that he had already become a Chunin, Senju Chen learned that the Third Kazekage had disappeared, a sign that war was approaching. He sought to grow stronger by asking Minato Namikaze to explain the principles behind the Rasengan.

• Senju Chen told Might Guy and Kakashi Hatake that he had been promoted to Chunin, and Kakashi left the ramen shop, stung by the news.
• Senju Chen visited Orochimaru's underground laboratory, where Orochimaru told him that the Third Kazekage had disappeared and warned him to avoid missions toward the Land of Wind.
• Senju Chen realized that Sasori had likely killed the Third Kazekage and feared that the Third Shinobi World War was near.
• Senju Chen found Minato Namikaze practicing a new chakra technique at Training Ground Forty-Four and watched it repeatedly fail.
• Minato explained the technique's stages to Senju Chen, who asked to learn its principles; Minato agreed to teach him.

Senju Chen astonished Minato Namikaze by mastering the Rasengan in three days and using it in both hands, then gained a major boost to his space-time ninjutsu talent through his system. The chapter left Minato desperate to learn Chen’s training method and Chen newly confident he could pursue the Flying Thunder God Technique.

• Senju Chen brought Minato Namikaze rice balls and revealed that he had learned the Rasengan.
• Senju Chen formed a perfect Rasengan in each hand, leaving Minato Namikaze stunned and triggering the system’s theft conditions.
• Senju Chen selected the space-time ninjutsu talent and top-tier reflexes, replacing his Advanced Chakra Refinement Technique.
• Minato Namikaze asked how Senju Chen had mastered the Rasengan, and Chen explained his water-balloon and rubber-ball training method.
• Minato Namikaze realized Chen had surpassed his own Rasengan progress and could no longer hold himself together.

After Minato Namikaze left, Senju Chen tested the Flying Thunder God Kunai and discovered that his enhanced reflexes let him use the Space-Time Ninjutsu with effortless precision. He recognized the technique as vital to surviving the coming war and protecting himself as a Senju Wood Release inheritor.

• Minato Namikaze hurried back to the village, shaken by Senju Chen’s lesson and newly fired up to complete the Rasengan.
• Senju Chen took out his Flying Thunder God Kunai and threw it toward a distant tree to test his reflexes.
• Senju Chen perceived the world moving almost imperceptibly and teleported to catch the kunai before it struck the tree.
• Senju Chen repeatedly teleported around Training Ground 44, mastering the technique’s speed and spatial coordinates.
• Senju Chen considered the coming Third Shinobi World War and resolved that mastering Flying Thunder God was essential to surviving it.

With war looming after Sunagakure accused Konoha of involvement in the Third Kazekage’s disappearance, Senju Chen pledged to support the village and join the front. Orochimaru then revealed that Hanzo of the Salamander had invited Konoha to the Land of Rain, but the real target of the operation was Kirigakure.

• Senju Chen returned from an escort mission and noticed rising military activity as Kakashi Hatake warned him to be careful.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi told Senju Chen that Sunagakure had accused Konoha of causing the Third Kazekage’s disappearance and that war seemed unavoidable.
• Senju Chen pledged the Senju name and Wood Release to Konoha and said he was ready to go to the front.
• Senju Chen met Orochimaru in his underground laboratory, where Orochimaru said he would keep Chen by his side during the war.
• Orochimaru shared intelligence that Hanzo of the Salamander had invited Konoha to establish a defensive line in the Land of Rain, while secretly targeting Kirigakure.

Orochimaru explained that Konoha and Hanzō planned to secretly eliminate Kirigakure’s influence in Amegakure while preparing a broader campaign against Iwagakure. Senju Chen accepted the mission and, thinking through the coming war and his need for greater strength, vanished from a rooftop after writing a message.

• Senju Chen questioned how Konoha and Amegakure could threaten Kirigakure, and Orochimaru revealed that Kirigakure was secretly supporting factions opposing Hanzō.
• Senju Chen realized Hanzō’s invitation would give Konoha a legitimate reason to enter the Land of Rain and help remove Kirigakure’s agents.
• Orochimaru said Jiraiya would handle the main battlefield while he and Senju Chen secretly hunted Kirigakure’s operatives, before joining Hanzō against Iwagakure.
• Senju Chen left Orochimaru’s laboratory and reviewed the dangers and opportunities of the approaching war, resolving to gain more power.
• Senju Chen wondered whether Hatake Sakumo had contacted Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, wrote a message on a slip of paper, and disappeared from the rooftop.

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.