Chapter Summaries

Kei defeated Kakashi and returned to his teammates as Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki prepared to fight for the second semifinal spot. Their match began with a clash of Water Release techniques before Mei’s Lava Release forced Kisame to dodge as they closed in for close combat.

• Kakashi admitted defeat and vowed to beat Kei next time, while Kei privately resolved to win again if they met on a battlefield.
• Kei returned to the contestants’ seats, where Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki awaited the second semifinal match.
• Minato announced Mei Terumi versus Kisame Hoshigaki, and both teammates jumped into the arena.
• Mei and Kisame launched Water Dragon Bullet Techniques at the same time, and the dragons collided overhead, sending water raining down on the stands.
• Kisame charged Mei, who leapt back and fired her Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique across his path.
• Kisame dodged the corrosive attacks, and the two entered a fierce close-range clash.

After Kei won the Chunin Ninja Exams, the Third Hokage restored a fragile balance among the great nations, and the Kirigakure party prepared to return home. As they planned to leave the next morning, Danzo ordered Root to carry out a deadly mission intended to undermine the peace.

• Kei defeated Mei Terumi in the final, claiming the Chunin Ninja Exams championship.
• The Third Hokage concluded several rounds of negotiations and restored a fragile balance in the Shinobi World.
• Ao told Kei that the Kirigakure party would leave for home at eight the next morning, and Kei went to notify Mei Terumi, Kisame, Shingetsu, and the others.
• Danzo ordered dozens of Root members to leave no one alive during a mission scheduled for the next day.

Shimura Danzō sent elite Root operatives to ambush Ao’s Kirigakure party as it left Konohagakure, while Hiruzen Sarutobi remained unaware and pursued his efforts to preserve peace. When Mitokado Homura reported that Root had left the village, Hiruzen realized his friend had acted against his warning and summoned Jiraiya.

• Shimura Danzō sent dozens of Root operatives east to ambush Ao’s Kirigakure party.
• Ao led the Kirigakure party out of Konohagakure, and the Sunagakure and Kumogakure parties departed afterward.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered the border guards to monitor the departing groups and considered further efforts to maintain peace.
• Mitokado Homura told Hiruzen that a group had left the village without authorization and was believed to be Root operatives heading east.
• Hiruzen recognized that Shimura Danzō had ignored his warning and ordered Jiraiya to come immediately.

Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that Root had left the village, apparently to ambush the departing Kirigakure party, and ordered Jiraiya to intercept them. By the time Jiraiya set out, Ao’s group had already reached the eastern Land of Fire, leaving Hiruzen fearing that the crisis could spark a wider war.

• Mitokado Homura agreed to stop Danzo and prevent Root from leaving the village without orders, using extraordinary measures if necessary.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi showed Jiraiya an Anbu patrol report and ordered him to lead Anbu squads east to intercept Root and bring its members back.
• Jiraiya warned that Root had a three-hour head start, then departed with the Anbu squads to pursue them.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi prepared to contact the other ninja villages in case Danzo’s actions triggered a war.
• Ao’s party traveled east at full speed and, after leaving Konohagakure’s jurisdiction, slowed down when the Genin began to tire.

Ao’s group continued its urgent journey away from Konohagakure, stopping for lunch when the Genin began to tire. Kei remained wary while Mei Terumi believed the danger had passed, and Kei kept his knowledge of Danzo’s threat to himself.

• Otokaze urged Ao to let the exhausted Genin rest, and Ao stopped the group for an hour to eat and replenish supplies.
• The Genin relaxed and ate, while Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame rested with little difficulty.
• Mei Terumi told Kei there was no need to worry because Hiruzen Sarutobi had likely resolved the trouble in Konohagakure.
• Kei privately recognized that he alone knew Danzo was still a danger, but he kept that knowledge secret to avoid suspicion and interrogation.

Kei and the Mist Ninja were ambushed by a force of Konoha Root elites while traveling through enemy territory. The attackers split the group and overwhelmed its defenders, leaving Kei facing a Jonin and a Chunin closing in on him.

• Kei warned Mei Terumi that the group needed to stay cautious, but an icy sensation made him sense danger.
• Ao, Goro, and Otokaze spotted thirty or forty masked Konoha Anbu, whom Kei recognized as Root members, surrounding the Mist Ninja.
• The Root leader ordered an attack, and the Mist Ninja blocked most of the opening barrage, though several Genin were wounded or killed.
• The attackers divided the Mist Ninja into separate fights, pinning Ao, Goro, and Otokaze while Kei, Mei Terumi, Kisame, and Shingetsu were encircled.
• Kei extinguished a Root member's Great Fireball with a Great Waterfall, but two attackers pressed him from either side, so he formed a cold blade in his palm.

Kei and the others fought Root operatives who had prepared a coordinated advantage, leaving their group on the brink of being overwhelmed. Kei’s Ice Crystal Flower was immediately countered by the Root Jonin’s fire technique.

• A Root Jonin used a chakra weapon to overpower Kei’s icy blade while a Root Chunin attacked from the flank.
• Kei wounded the Root Chunin with his Water Bullet Technique, but the Root Jonin interrupted his attempt to press the attack.
• Kei saw that Mei Terumi, Kisame, Shingetsu, Ao, and the other Genin were also at a disadvantage and realized the group risked being surrounded.
• The Root operatives charged Kei again, and he formed Ice Crystal Flower to defend himself.
• The Root Jonin unleashed Fire Style: Searing Migraine Technique, which engulfed and destroyed Kei’s ice flowers.

Kei used his Ice Release to defeat one Root operative and badly wound a Root Jonin. As another Root operative targeted him with lightning, Kei retreated and detonated the ice blade lodged in the Jonin.

• Kei spread ice across the ground, making the two Root operatives stumble.
• Kei trapped the Root Chunin and Jonin in twin blizzards; the Chunin was torn apart, while the Jonin escaped with severe burns and frostbite.
• Kei ambushed the Jonin and drove an ice blade into his shoulder, then twisted it to inflict a second wound.
• A distant Root operative targeted Kei with a Lightning Release jutsu, forcing Kei to release the Jonin and retreat.
• Kei detonated the ice blade as he pulled away from the Jonin.

Ao ordered the surviving Kirigakure ninjas to flee under cover of the Hidden Mist Technique after Root overwhelmed them. Kei helped create an opening with a powerful Water Release technique and escaped south, while Root split into teams to pursue the scattered survivors.

• The Lightning Release Root Jonin treated his injured companion and brought more Root operatives into the fight against Kei.
• Ao recognized that the Kirigakure party was losing badly and signaled Goro and Otokaze to use the Hidden Mist Technique as a retreat order.
• Kei unleashed the Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave Technique to disrupt the Root operatives and help his companions escape.
• Ao, Kei, and the other survivors scattered in different directions, while several badly injured Mist Ninja were killed.
• The Root leader assigned pursuit teams and ordered them to kill every fleeing member of Kirigakure's party.

Jiraiya arrived at the massacre site and realized Danzo’s ambush of the Mist Ninja delegation could ignite a war between the villages. Meanwhile, Kei remained on the run from Root operatives and prepared a trap because he had too little chakra for a prolonged fight.

• Jiraiya and Anbu reached the battlefield and found eleven dead Mist Ninja, while the key members of the delegation were missing.
• Anbu reported that the survivors had scattered and that Root’s ambushers were pursuing them.
• Jiraiya ordered his squads to search southeast, capture the ambushers, and use unconventional methods if necessary.
• Jiraiya left to continue the search while fearing that a shinobi world war might break out.
• Kei realized he could not escape his Root pursuers and decided to kill the tracker in a single strike.
• Kei planted explosive tags and used Ice Release to set small traps along his route.

Kei used a series of traps and Ice Release clones to turn the pursuit around and approach the Root team’s sensory ninja. After Kei blanketed the area with Hidden Mist, the sensory ninja detected four approaching targets, leaving the ambush poised to begin.

• A Lightning Release Root Jonin led three or four elite Chunin in pursuit while the tiger-masked sensory ninja tracked Kei’s chakra.
• Kei’s explosive trap failed to injure the Root squad, but he identified the sensory ninja as the key to their pursuit.
• Kei created three Ice Release clones and sent them alongside his real body toward the Root team.
• Kei used the Hidden Mist Technique to obscure the Root operatives’ vision.
• The sensory ninja detected Kei and his three clones approaching from three directions.

Kei used the Hidden Mist Technique and Ice Release to divide the Root operatives and draw their leader into a close fight. The Root Jonin identified Kei as the real body and struck him with lightning, while Kei retreated with a faint smile as his Ice Clones kept the other operatives occupied.

• Kei used the Great Waterfall Technique to make the Root operatives defend against a sudden wave and split their formation.
• Kei laid down the Frost Path Technique, and the Root leader ordered his team to stay together while he activated Lightning Release to sharpen his abilities.
• Kei sent three Ice Clones toward the Root operatives and charged the Root Jonin with a frost blade.
• The Root Jonin recognized Kei as the real body, clashed weapons with him, and pursued him with the Electric Attachment Technique.
• The lightning struck Kei's chest and scorched him, but he retreated along the icy path while his clones held the Root Chunin back.

Kei used an Ice Mirror Jutsu feint to slip past the Root Jonin and attack the squad’s sensory ninja. After killing him and taking a severe lightning strike, Kei detonated hidden Explosive Tags and escaped.

• Kei trapped the Root Jonin behind an ice wall, then used Ice Mirrors to leave a decoy in his place and change positions.
• The Root Jonin realized Kei was targeting Shin, but Kei had already reached the Root squad through the white mist.
• Kei split the Root members’ formation with Frost Soul Spear and rushed the tiger-masked sensory ninja.
• Kei beheaded the sensory ninja, but the Root Jonin’s Lightning Strike Jutsu hit him and left him severely wounded.
• Kei detonated the Explosive Tags he had planted and fled in another direction.

Kei escaped the Root pursuit despite his severe injuries and headed for a town to recover, while hoping his Mist allies had survived. In Konoha, Hiruzen confronted Danzō over his attack on the Kirigakure delegation, and Danzō defended his plan to provoke a war.

• The Root Jonin ordered his men to split up and pursue Kei, but Kei fled southwest and used his sensing abilities to evade the Chunin chasing him.
• After shaking off the pursuit, Kei recognized the severity of his injuries and headed toward a nearby town to recover.
• Kei worried that Ao, Mei Terumi, Kisame, and the other Mist Ninja might not escape safely, as many members of the delegation had already died.
• Hiruzen confronted Danzō with Jiraiya's report and accused him of attacking the Kirigakure delegation and risking war.
• Danzō insisted the delegation had to die to provoke Kirigakure and argued that Konoha should start a war to secure lasting peace.

Shikaku struggled to understand Danzo’s belief that Konoha could defeat the entire Shinobi World, while Hiruzen Sarutobi rebuked Danzo and restricted Root’s movements. The chapter ended with Danzo angrily resisting the Hokage’s orders.

• Shikaku realized Danzo wanted to provoke a war so Konoha could dominate the Shinobi World, but could not understand his confidence.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi condemned Danzo’s argument that war would bring peace.
• Hiruzen ordered Root to remain in its base, recalled members from nonessential missions, and assigned Mitokado Homura’s Anbu to take over Root’s village security duties.
• Shikaku was shocked that Hiruzen imposed no harsher punishment on Danzo, while Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu approved of the decision.
• Danzo protested that Hiruzen could not distrust him, but Hiruzen ordered him to obey, leaving Danzo furious.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rejected Danzo’s push to provoke Kirigakure and tried to prevent war through peace talks. After most of the Mist Ninja delegation was killed but key survivors escaped, Yagura Karatachi received Konoha’s letter calling the attack a misunderstanding and reacted with fury.

• Danzo left after Hiruzen Sarutobi refused to change his decision, and Hiruzen instructed Shikaku to alert Torifu and watch for threats.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Utatane Koharu to pursue peace talks with Kirigakure while he contacted the Land of Fire’s daimyo.
• Jiraiya’s Anbu returned with Root members and news that most of the Mist Ninja had died, but Kei, Mei Terumi, Kisame, Shingetsu, and Ao had escaped.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi contacted Kirigakure through official channels, while clan leaders in Konohagakure feared war was imminent.
• Yagura Karatachi received Hiruzen Sarutobi’s letter describing the attack as a misunderstanding and angrily asked whether Konoha had sent anything else.

Yagura Karatachi received no further news about the Kirigakure team and began preparing for the possibility of conflict while keeping the incident from the village clans. He summoned Genji to discuss the matter, leaving their conversation about Konoha just beginning.

• Yagura Karatachi learned that no one had reported back from Ao and the other returning Mist Ninja, so he ordered scouts to find them.
• Yagura told Midori to summon Genji and keep news of the incident secret, especially from the Hozuki, Kaguya, and Minazuki clans.
• Yagura considered how the incident could worsen Kirigakure's already tense relations with Kumogakure and Konoha, and prepared for war.
• Genji arrived at Yagura's office, and Yagura welcomed him respectfully before Genji asked him to explain the urgent matter.

Yagura and Genji agreed to investigate Ao’s ambush before deciding whether Kirigakure should negotiate with Konoha or go to war. As reports arrived, Yagura focused on finding Kei and Shingetsu while buying time to prepare the village.

• Yagura gave Genji a letter from the Third Hokage about Ao’s group, and Genji pledged his support for Yagura’s decisions.
• Yagura strengthened contact with Konoha while making arrangements to keep the village’s clans unaware of the full situation.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi welcomed Yagura’s response and proposed initial terms, hoping to keep negotiations open.
• Ao escaped and sent Yagura a report describing the ambush, though he did not know whether the other Mist Ninja had survived.
• Yagura judged Kei and Shingetsu’s safety especially important and dispatched personnel toward the border and the Land of Fire to find them.

After escaping Root, Kei reached the rendezvous point near a port city and reunited with Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki. The three decided to return to their village quickly, wary that Konoha’s internal conflict might still put them in danger.

• Kei took a cautious detour through the Land of Fire toward a port, still injured and unsure whether the Root operatives were pursuing him.
• Kei found Team 7’s recently carved secret mark and followed it, but stopped to scout ahead with an Ice Clone.
• Kei sensed familiar chakra and reunited with Mei Terumi and Kisame Hoshigaki, who were relieved to see him alive.
• Kei and Mei discussed the ambush and the apparent conflict within Konoha, while Kisame expressed hostility toward Konoha.
• Kei urged Mei and Kisame to return to their village at once to reduce the risk of staying near the port.

Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame decided not to wait for Ao and escaped the Land of Fire by taking ships through the Land of Tea. After returning to the Land of Water, they reached a Kirigakure outpost, where Takuma told them Ao had already returned to the village and that the village knew what had happened.

• Kei persuaded Mei Terumi and Kisame to leave rather than risk waiting for Ao, and the three disguised themselves before heading to the port.
• Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame traveled by passenger and cargo ships through the Land of Tea and returned to the Land of Water.
• Kei led the group toward the nearest Kirigakure defense outpost so they could report their intelligence and seek help for their escaped comrades.
• Takuma recognized Kei, Mei Terumi, and Kisame as Team 7 and said Ao had left the outpost the previous night and should have reached the village.