Recaps

Shin'un reported the mission’s intelligence and heavy casualties to Nara Shikahito, who accepted that Dan Katō’s death was an unavoidable loss and told the team to rest before Konoha’s next operations. Outside the command tent, Shin'un bluntly told Shiina Kō that their breath stank, prompting them to leave and wash up.

• Shin'un gave Nara Shikahito the recovered scrolls and reported that the mission had killed Dan Katō and two Chunin, seriously injured four Chunin, and left the rest with minor injuries.
• Shin'un explained that Dan Katō died after Sand Ninja attacked the place where his body was hidden while his soul was outside it.
• Nara Shikahito said Shin'un had made no command mistakes, accepted Dan Katō’s death as a normal mission casualty, and confirmed his remains would be returned to Konoha.
• Nara Shikahito told Shin'un to rest for two days before Konoha’s upcoming operations against the Sand Ninja.
• Shiina Kō leaned close to Shin'un and suggested they sleep together, but Shin'un pushed them away and said their breath stank.
• Shiina Kō left using the Body Flicker Technique to wash up, and Yūichi praised Shin'un’s bluntness.

After months of fighting in the Land of Rain, Konoha had gained a major advantage over Sunagakure, and Shin'un fought in a large battle alongside his teammates. He dodged another wave of wind blades and faced a young Sunagakure Jonin who called him “Lightning Kid.”

• Shin'un turned fourteen during the three months that passed, while Nara Shikahito used his intelligence on a Sand Ninja stronghold to launch a decisive campaign.
• Konoha's prolonged fighting pushed the Sand Ninja into retreat, and Shin'un, Yūichi, and Shiina Kō fought on a battlefield crowded with more than a thousand people.
• Yūichi killed Sand Ninja with excited laughter, while Shiina Kō used Water Release: Water Blade Slash to cut through enemy weapons and opponents.
• Shin'un reflected that Yūichi and Shiina Kō had grown close to ordinary Jonin strength, with Yūichi having recently awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
• Shin'un used Lightning Body Flicker to evade wind blades, then turned toward the young Sunagakure Jonin who had attacked him and shouted, “Lightning Kid! Die!!!”

Shin'un fought a Sunagakure jonin who called him “Lightning Kid,” using his lightning-enhanced speed and kunai to paralyze and wound him. When the jonin charged with an explosive tag, Shin'un seized his hand and sent him flying into the sky.

• Shin'un reflected on the embarrassing “Lightning Kid” nickname before turning to face the charging Sunagakure jonin.
• Shin'un used Lightning Body Flicker to rush the jonin and strike at his neck with an electrified kunai.
• The jonin blocked the attack, but Shin'un’s electricity paralyzed him and Shin'un stabbed him in the chest.
• The wounded jonin activated an explosive tag and charged at Shin'un in a suicide attack.
• Shin'un charged toward the jonin, caught his hand, and used his momentum to fling him into the sky.

Shin'un hurled a Sunagakure jonin into his own explosive tags, killing six genin and injuring ninja from both sides, then pretended to duel a Sunagakure chunin to avoid blame. As the chunin finally attacked with Wind Release, Shin'un judged the technique weak and vanished to dodge it.

• Shin'un flung an unnamed Sunagakure jonin into a group of Sunagakure ninja, where the jonin's explosive tags detonated and killed six genin.
• The blast injured three Sunagakure chunin and three Konoha genin, while Shin'un tried to hide his involvement from the Konoha ninja.
• Shin'un staged a fierce-looking sword fight with a Sunagakure chunin until the Konoha ninja stopped watching and left to find other opponents.
• The chunin complained that Shin'un was not taking their fight seriously and launched several wind blades at him.
• Shin'un assessed the Wind Release as poorly executed, powered up his lightning, and vanished to dodge the attack.

Shin'un killed a Sunagakure Chunin with a new Lightning Release technique and named it Lightning Release: Miniature Lightning Spear. As the battle neared its end at dusk, he hurried to finish fighting so he could meet Nara Shikahito and Orochimaru that night.

• The Sunagakure Chunin tried to catch Shin'un off guard with Wind Release, but Shin'un vanished at tremendous speed.
• Shin'un pierced the Sunagakure Chunin's chest with his lightning-coated arm, killing him.
• Shin'un compared his new technique with Chidori and Lightning Blade, then named it Lightning Release: Miniature Lightning Spear.
• Shin'un surveyed the battlefield, noted the battle was nearing its end at dusk, and rejoined the fighting to finish quickly before meeting Nara Shikahito and Orochimaru.

As the battle ended, Shin'un found Uchiha Yūichi tormenting the last surviving Sunagakure ninja and ordered him to finish the fight. Yūichi resisted, but Shin'un killed the girl himself and reminded Yūichi that their team had to hurry to meet the main forces.

• A young Sunagakure genin became the last survivor on the battlefield and charged at Uchiha Yūichi, who easily blocked her attacks while tormenting her.
• Shin'un arrived, scolded the Konoha ninja watching the fight, and ordered them to finish preparing to leave in two minutes.
• Shin'un told Yūichi to kill the Sunagakure girl quickly, but Yūichi asked to keep playing with her.
• Shin'un used Lightning Release: False Darkness to kill the girl with a strike to the head.
• Yūichi protested, and Shin'un warned him to stay focused and reminded him they needed to meet Jonin Nara's main forces before sunset.

After Yūichi toyed with a Sand Ninja, Shin'un reprimanded him for abandoning battlefield caution and pushed him to reflect on how he had changed. Shin'un later explained to Shiina Kō that Orochimaru had privately asked him to make Yūichi question himself, and the chapter ended with Shiina Kō saying Yūichi had looked like a pervert.

• Shin'un warned Yūichi that toying with enemies on the battlefield was dangerous, and Yūichi apologized and went to search the Sand Ninja corpses for supplies.
• Yūichi questioned whether he had become stronger or less cautious despite his improved skills and combat experience.
• Shin'un told Shiina Kō that Orochimaru had asked him to make Yūichi question himself so he could overcome weaknesses associated with the Uchiha Clan.
• Shiina Kō agreed that Yūichi had looked abnormal while looting the bodies and said he had looked like a pervert while toying with the Sand Ninja girl.

Shin'un realized that Yūichi's personality had grown more extreme since his Three-Tomoe Sharingan awakened, and decided to watch him more closely. He led his force through a storm toward the rendezvous point and reached a valley where nearly a thousand Konoha ninja had gathered.

• Shiina Kō and Shin'un discussed how Yūichi had changed after awakening his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Shin'un suspected the Sharingan affected his temperament.
• Shin'un recalled Tobirama Senju's explanation that the Sharingan made Uchiha more prone to extremism and decided to keep a closer eye on Yūichi with Teacher Orochimaru.
• Shin'un signaled the remaining ninja to assemble and led several hundred of them toward Nara Shikahito's designated rendezvous point.
• A chunin reported that Nara Shikahito's force had already reached the rendezvous point, so Shin'un ordered his force to move faster.
• Shin'un reached a hill overlooking the rendezvous valley and saw nearly a thousand Konoha ninja gathered there.

Hirakawa Shin'un led his team to the Konoha forces’ rendezvous point and learned that Orochimaru’s team had not arrived. He reached Nara Shikahito’s tent and discovered Orochimaru’s team had been attacked by Sand Ninja and could not arrive on time.

• Shin'un reached the rendezvous point with nearly a thousand Konoha ninja, but Orochimaru’s team was missing.
• Shin'un ordered the ninja to rest, treat the wounded, and patrol while he went to find Nara Shikahito with Shiina Kō and Yūichi.
• Shin'un, Shiina Kō, and Yūichi crossed the camp in heavy rain, with Yūichi descending the cliff by spinning down it like a wind-and-fire wheel.
• A Chunin directed Shin'un to Nara Shikahito’s tent.
• Shin'un heard Nara Shikahito report that Sand Ninja had attacked Orochimaru’s team, delaying its arrival.

Shin'un and his companions learned that Orochimaru had been ambushed by Chiyo’s Sand Ninja and rushed to hear the report. Orochimaru’s message revealed heavy Konoha losses but said his life was not in danger and that he had severed Chiyo’s right arm.

• Yūichi and Shiina Kō rushed into Nara Shikahito’s tent after hearing that Orochimaru had been injured, and Shin'un calmed them down.
• Nara Shikahito explained that Jonin Minekawa had just delivered Orochimaru’s message, while Jonin Hirakawa was present to give the detailed report.
• Hirakawa reported that Chiyo led over one thousand Sand Ninja and more than five hundred puppeteers in a surprise attack on Konoha forces at two in the morning.
• After two hours of fighting, Konoha had lost over five hundred ninja, most of its medical squad, and more than half its supplies, while the Sand Ninja had lost about two hundred.
• Orochimaru reported that he had broken three or four ribs but was not in mortal danger, and that he had severed Chiyo’s right arm, greatly reducing her expected combat strength.

Orochimaru’s letter reported his injuries, the heavy losses suffered by his force, and the Sand Ninja’s powerful new giant puppets. The Konoha commanders learned the puppets’ capabilities and weaknesses, while Shin'un recognized them with a sense of déjà vu.

• Orochimaru’s letter said he had broken a few ribs and severed Chiyo’s right arm, while Shin'un and the others were relieved he had survived.
• Shin'un and Nara Shikahito noted that Orochimaru’s force had suffered nearly seven hundred casualties against only two hundred Sand Ninja losses.
• The letter explained that Orochimaru had retreated because his force was badly depleted and its medical and logistics units had been nearly wiped out.
• Orochimaru reported that sixty-one giant metal puppets had inflicted most of the casualties, overwhelmed Manda, and attacked with powerful blasts of wind.
• Orochimaru described the puppets’ assembly requirements, energy limits, and vulnerable joints for Nara Shikahito to consider.
• The tent fell silent over the threat, while Shin'un thought the giant puppets resembled Gundams.

Shin'un and Nara Shikahito discussed Sunagakure’s newly deployed giant puppets and how they had contributed to Orochimaru’s unit suffering heavy losses. Shikahito admitted that his forced-march orders had left the unit exhausted when Chiyo attacked.

• Shin'un wondered whether Sunagakure’s giant puppets came from the legendary Rōran, but found no Country of Roran on the map of the Shinobi World.
• Shin'un and Nara Shikahito agreed that Sunagakure had likely developed the puppets recently and would need to train more puppeteers to operate them.
• Nara Shikahito pointed out where Orochimaru’s unit had been attacked and explained that Chiyo had crossed nearly half the Land of Rain after keeping White Fang occupied on the Stone Ninja front.
• Shin'un realized Orochimaru’s unit had likely been exhausted from a forced march when the Sand Ninja attacked with a thousand troops and dozens of giant puppets.
• Nara Shikahito accepted responsibility for ordering Orochimaru’s unit to march at full speed with little rest, which contributed to its nearly fifty percent losses.

Nara Shikahito divided Konoha’s forces between supporting Orochimaru and attacking the Sand Ninja rear, hoping to trap their main force in the Land of Rain. Shin'un led his unit out into a violent storm, where lightning flickered around his hand.

• Nara Shikahito blamed himself for failing to recognize warning signs before Orochimaru’s unit lost seven hundred Konoha Ninja.
• Shin'un warned that Chiyo’s large force threatened the Konoha front, and Nara Shikahito reasoned that Sunagakure had weakened its rear defenses to gather troops.
• Nara Shikahito ordered himself to take fifteen hundred ninja into the Land of Wind to destroy Sand Ninja strongholds while Shin'un led the remaining ninja back to support Orochimaru and delay Chiyo.
• Shin'un and Shiina Kō left the tent in a rare downpour as thunder and lightning swept across the Land of Rain.
• Shin'un saw blue-violet currents flash between the fingers of his right hand, then told his unit to go.

Shin'un led his force toward the Sand Ninja front after ordering a transfer of two hundred ninja to Nara Shikahito. Near the front, reconnaissance revealed Konoha ninja were being suppressed by a Sand force and a giant tiger-shaped puppet, and Shin'un hurried forward to confront the situation.

• Shin'un ordered a chunin to count the force, send Nara Shikahito a roster, arrange the transfer of two hundred ninja, and prepare everyone to depart.
• Three days later, Shin'un led hundreds of Konoha ninja across a rain-soaked plain toward the Sand Ninja front.
• Shin'un sent Jonin Daisuke and three reconnaissance squads ahead to scout for enemies.
• Jonin Daisuke returned and reported that more than twenty Sand ninja were fighting forty-two Konoha ninja, who were being forced onto the defensive.
• Jonin Daisuke told Shin'un that a giant tiger-shaped Sand Ninja puppet, roughly a dozen meters tall, was supporting the enemy.

Shin'un heard Hyuga Daisuke’s report about a giant tiger-shaped Sand Ninja puppet that had helped twenty Sand Ninja suppress a larger Konoha force. After explaining Manda’s immense size, Shin'un considered the puppet’s battlefield tactics as they approached the fight.

• Hyuga Daisuke described the puppet as a terrifying, over-ten-meter-tall tiger and told Shin'un that he had never seen a creature like Manda.
• Shin'un said Manda was 135 meters long and 54 meters tall when coiled, then told Daisuke the comparison was meant to steady him before the fight.
• Daisuke reported that about twenty Sand Ninja used the armored, agile puppet as a mobile fortress, attacking Konoha from behind it with ranged weapons.
• Daisuke said at least fifty Konoha Ninja had already died, while the remaining forty-odd could neither separate the puppet from its handlers nor escape its attacks.
• Shin'un studied the distant puppet and considered what Daisuke’s report revealed about its battlefield strength.

Shin'un advanced toward the battlefield and assessed the Sand Ninja’s giant tiger puppet, which combined with its operators to fight as a mobile fortress. He witnessed it fire a massive wind attack, then stopped beneath its red-glowing eyes as the wind and rain abruptly ceased.

• Shin'un compared the Sand Ninja’s puppet-supported tactics to infantry-tank coordination and considered how the giant puppets changed battlefield combat.
• Shin'un saw the tiger-shaped puppet’s immense size, strength, and agility as he hurried toward the dwindling Konoha force.
• Hyuga Daisuke used his Byakugan to report that nine chakra sources inside the puppet were channeling chakra into its head.
• The tiger-shaped puppet fired a powerful wind blast from a metal tube in its mouth, scattering mud and injuring Konoha ninja with sharp wind blades.
• Shin'un reached the front of the group as the wind suddenly stopped, looked up, and met the puppet’s red-glowing eyes.

Shin'un used Lightning Release to meet the giant tiger puppet’s attack head-on after realizing the Konoha ninja behind him could not escape. Hyuga Daisuke watched through the storm and hoped Shin'un had survived the clash.

• The tiger-shaped puppet brought its bloodied claws down toward Shin'un and the Konoha ninja behind him.
• Shin'un began to dodge, then stopped when he saw that several of his subordinates could not escape the attack.
• Shin'un formed a Great Lightning Spear and leaped up to clash with the puppet’s claws.
• The collision sent a powerful shock wave through the rain and obscured Hyuga Daisuke’s Byakugan.
• Hyuga Daisuke saw a genin tumbling from the winds and realized Shin'un had stayed to protect the others.
• Hyuga Daisuke watched the obscured clash, fearing for Shin'un’s safety.

Hirakawa Shin'un emerged from his clash with Sunagakure’s giant tiger puppet battered but standing, while the puppet’s right forepaw was badly damaged. The Konoha ninja gained confidence as the Sand ninja saw their weapon impaired.

• Hyuga Daisuke used his Byakugan to see through the dust and assured the Konoha ninja that Hirakawa Shin'un was safe.
• Hyuga Daisuke revealed that Hirakawa Shin'un appeared to have gained a slight advantage in the clash.
• The rain cleared the dust cloud, revealing a deep crater and Hirakawa Shin'un standing with a burned, trembling right arm.
• The ninja saw that Hirakawa Shin'un's Lightning Release: Great Lightning Spear had melted half the giant tiger puppet's right forepaw and damaged its internal components.

Hirakawa Shin'un protected injured Konoha ninja from a giant tiger puppet, then used Lightning Release: Lightning Chain Prison to trap it. The Konoha force charged the outnumbered Sunagakure ninja while Shin'un held the puppet inside the electrified barrier.

• Hirakawa Shin'un checked on a twelve-year-old Konoha genin and told her to evacuate the wounded ninja.
• The genin helped the Konoha ninja who could still walk and dragged two severely injured allies back to their group.
• Hirakawa Shin'un signaled several hundred Konoha ninja, who charged the twenty or so Sunagakure ninja.
• The giant tiger puppet suddenly charged toward the fleeing Sunagakure ninja.
• Hirakawa Shin'un cast Lightning Release: Lightning Chain Prison, surrounding the giant tiger puppet with an electrified dome.

Shin'un trapped the giant tiger puppet inside Lightning Release: Lightning Chain Prison and fought off its attacks while analyzing the puppeteers’ tactics. He revealed a new use for the technique by having a lightning chain lift him out of danger.

• Shin'un formed Lightning Release: Lightning Chain Prison around the giant tiger puppet and shifted control of its energy ball from his injured right arm to his left.
• The giant tiger puppet attacked Shin'un as Konoha Ninja surrounded the prison and pursued the remaining Sand Ninja.
• Shin'un dodged the puppet’s paw and sweeping spiked tail, then realized its attacks were intended to force him into the air and exploit his weakness in close combat.
• Shin'un decided to stop holding back and used a lightning chain from the prison’s dome to lift himself out of the puppet’s next attack.

Shin'un killed one of the puppeteers controlling the giant tiger puppet and tried to investigate the resulting loss of coordination. The giant puppet began thrashing uncontrollably, leaving Shin'un baffled.

• Shin'un dodged the giant tiger puppet's attack and pierced its head with Lightning Release: Great Lightning Spear, killing one puppeteer.
• The remaining puppeteers struck the tiger's own head while trying to hit Shin'un, and Shin'un noticed the puppet's movements had become unfamiliar and uncoordinated.
• Shin'un created a three-meter Lightning Blade and moved toward the giant tiger puppet to test its apparent weakness.
• The giant tiger puppet's limbs moved out of sequence, damaged its own armor, and toppled it onto the ground.
• The giant tiger puppet continued thrashing as chakra surged through it, while Shin'un watched in confusion.

Shin'un captured three Sunagakure puppeteers after dismantling their giant tiger puppet and ordered the captives secured while its remains were collected. He summoned Uchiha Yūichi and Shiina Kō to discuss the prisoners.

• Shin'un broke through the giant tiger puppet, defeated its four occupants, and captured three Sunagakure puppeteers alive.
• Shin'un knocked out the prisoners' teeth, then ordered Konoha ninja to bind them, drug them, and sever their tendons.
• Shin'un instructed the messenger squad leader to distribute supplies and use storage scrolls to carry away the giant puppet's remains.
• Shin'un called for Uchiha Yūichi and Shiina Kō, who soon arrived and asked about the captured puppeteers.

Shin'un had Yamanaka Yū probe the captured Sand Ninja puppeteers for intelligence on the giant puppets, but the memories revealed no clear combat weakness. Yamanaka Yū uncovered a shared vulnerability called the “optimal control position,” which Shin'un was left asking about.

• Shin'un told Shiina Kō that the puppeteers could provide intelligence on the giant puppets and teased Yūichi about his lack of genjutsu skill.
• Shin'un summoned Yamanaka Yū to extract information from the three captured Sand Ninja puppeteers.
• Yamanaka Yū killed two puppeteers while probing their memories and pieced together detailed intelligence from the fragments.
• Shin'un stopped Yamanaka Yū’s lengthy report and asked specifically about the giant puppets’ weaknesses.
• Yamanaka Yū said every giant puppet had a shared vulnerability the Sand Ninja called the optimal control position.

Shin'un learned the giant puppets’ optimal control positions from Yamanaka Yū and ordered the intelligence and wreckage sent to Konoha. Meanwhile, Nara Shikahito received Shin'un’s letter describing the encounter, which left him reading about the captured puppeteers and their intelligence.

• Yamanaka Yū explained that each giant puppet had one optimal control position, and the other puppeteers only helped bear the strain and chakra cost.
• Yamanaka Yū identified the vital positions as the head for beast-shaped puppets, the lower abdomen for tall humanoid puppets, and the center for fortress-shaped puppets.
• Shin'un trusted Yamanaka Yū’s intelligence, promised him credit for an A-rank mission entry, and ordered him to compile a detailed report.
• Shin'un told the messenger squad leader to safeguard the giant tiger puppet’s wreckage and send it, his battle account, and Yamanaka Yū’s report to Konoha, with extra copies for Orochimaru-sensei and Nara Shikahito.
• Nara Shikahito received Shin'un’s letter while leading Konoha ninja through a canyon and opened it to read that Shin'un had fought twenty Sand Ninja, captured three puppeteers, and obtained intelligence.

Nara Shikahito and Orochimaru read Shin'un's coded intelligence about the giant puppet and its optimal control position, recognizing its value against the Sand Ninja. Shin'un then led his team toward Orochimaru's camp, where he finally spotted his teacher.

• Nara Shikahito deciphered Shin'un's reports about the tiger-shaped giant puppet and its control position, and realized the intelligence could help his team defeat such puppets.
• Orochimaru read Shin'un's letter and coded pages, learned the term “optimal control position,” and noted that his student had discovered it before him.
• Shin'un led his team toward Orochimaru's camp and reminded a Chunin to keep their surviving puppeteer captive alive.
• A scouting squad met Shin'un's team and introduced him to three patrol ninja led by a Hyuga, who said Orochimaru had been waiting for days.
• The Hyuga ninja guided Shin'un's team to the camp, where Shin'un spotted Orochimaru nearby.