Chapter Summaries

Araki investigated how the Kumogakure ninja had learned Konoha’s secrets and found the village’s sensory barrier intact. After slipping through it, he concealed himself near twelve Kumogakure ninja waiting outside and prepared to ambush them.

• Araki approached Konoha’s boundary and confirmed that its sensory barrier was functioning normally.
• Araki received his Wood Clone’s report that Might Duy had approved a day off and taught him how to pass through the barrier.
• Araki used the method to leave Konoha and spotted Kumogakure ninja waiting in the woods.
• Araki counted twelve Kumogakure ninja and inferred that they were supporting a team sent to kidnap Kushina.
• Araki blended into the forest and chose to wait for an opportunity to assassinate the Kumogakure ninja rather than confront them directly.

Araki used Wood Release vines to distract a Kumogakure squad while poison gas incapacitated its twelve members. He killed all twelve, then wondered who was serving as their inside contact.

• Araki used a green pill to protect himself from poison, then summoned vines with Wood Release: Tree Binding Eternal Burial.
• The Kumogakure ninja dodged the slow vines and suspected a hidden Wood Release user near Konoha.
• Poison gas released from a wooden ball numbed the three Chunin and nine Genin, and Araki approached as they lost consciousness.
• Araki decided to improve his poison supply and develop a way to administer poison from a distance.
• Araki stabbed each of the twelve fallen Kumogakure ninja through the heart, then questioned who their inside contact was.

Araki looted the dead Kumogakure ninja and found a map suggesting another group was waiting at the Land of Fire’s border. He decided not to pursue them, left the bodies for nearby beasts, and retrieved the bloodstained floorboards before leaving.

• Araki searched the Genin’s tool pouches but found only ordinary ninja tools, Explosive Tags, and Military Rations Pills.
• He found stacks of 500-yen bills in the Chunin’s pouches and took the money.
• Araki discovered a map marked with a red cross at the Land of Fire border and a red circle at his location.
• He compared the maps and concluded that another group of Kumogakure ninja was waiting at the border, possibly with a Jonin.
• Araki chose not to pursue the group and left the bodies for nearby beasts to dispose of.
• He returned to his hiding place and retrieved the two bloodstained floorboards from his home.

Araki returned home after disposing of evidence and told Kushina he had eliminated the Kumogakure intruders, but did not know whether more remained. He decided to stay at her house for safety, while Kushina misunderstood his intentions and anxiously anticipated sharing her only bedroom.

• Araki burned the wooden boards and put out the fire before leaving the forest as beasts gathered nearby.
• Kushina embraced Araki when he returned home, and he reassured her that he was staying for the night.
• Araki explained that Kumogakure ninja might still be in the village and began preparing the room for a possible attack.
• Kushina fixated on Araki staying overnight and wondered how she should respond if he wanted to share her bedroom.

Araki focused on turning his stolen Explosive Tags into money and asked Kushina about their value and how to make more. Kushina agreed to sell his tags and teach him the crafting method, while misunderstanding his excitement as romantic interest.

• Araki counted his twenty-four Explosive Tags and asked Kushina how much they were worth.
• Kushina told Araki that Explosive Tags sold for three hundred ryo, and he decided to sell his supply to fund poison-making.
• Kushina said a shop would buy the tags for two hundred ryo each and agreed to sell them for Araki.
• Araki lamented that he had no reliable way to earn money and wished he could make Explosive Tags.
• Kushina told Araki she knew how to make Explosive Tags and agreed to teach him.
• Araki let go of Kushina's shoulders, set a chair behind her, and asked how she had learned to make the tags.

Kushina told Araki about her Uzumaki Clan origins and her exchange-student journey from Uzushiogakure to Konoha. Araki realized the Uzumaki Clan and its village still existed in this altered timeline, leaving him troubled by the unexplained changes to history.

• Kushina explained that she came from Uzushiogakure, where the Uzumaki Clan specialized in Sealing Jutsu, and that Village Chief Ashina had sent her to Konoha as an exchange student.
• Araki asked whether Kushina's village had suffered any problems, and Kushina invited him to visit her home.
• Araki recalled that Uzushiogakure should already have been destroyed and the Uzumaki Clan wiped out, and wondered what had changed the timeline.
• Araki asked Kushina whether Grandpa Ashina was well, and she said he was alive but old and less nimble.
• Araki struggled to identify the cause of the historical changes and concluded that the Uzumaki Clan's survival might only be temporary.

Araki had Kushina lend him a scroll explaining basic Sealing Jutsu and studied how paper tags stored chakra and produced special effects. Kushina went to bed while Araki stayed up to guard her and learn how to make tags.

• Araki set aside his concerns about the Uzumaki Clan and asked Kushina to teach him how to make Explosive Tags.
• Kushina gave Araki a scroll containing instructions for basic Sealing Jutsu, including how to make Explosive Tags.
• Araki thanked Kushina and began studying the scroll, learning that drawn formulas let paper tags store chakra and create effects such as explosions.
• Kushina asked Araki when he would come to bed, but he told her he would stand watch in case Kumogakure ninja were still in Konoha.
• Kushina accepted Araki's offer and went to sleep, feeling grateful and reassured.

Araki studied the Uzumaki sealing scroll through the night, then repaired the damage left by the Kumogakure intruders before going out to run. He left the grove exhausted and still waiting for the green chakra to appear.

• Araki finished studying the sealing scroll and reflected on the Uzumaki Clan's powerful Sealing Jutsu, including the Reaper Death Seal.
• Kushina urged Araki to rest, but he refused to skip his run and reminded her to keep their relationship secret.
• After Kushina left for class, Araki used Wood Release to restore the damaged floorboards and conceal traces of the intruders.
• Araki inspected and repaired the rest of the house so visitors such as Uchiha Mikoto would be less likely to notice anything unusual.
• Araki ran in his old training grove, but exhaustion overwhelmed him before the green chakra appeared.

Araki restored his energy with the green chakra in his heart, then attended a mock exam briefing at the Ninja Academy. As the class argued over combat matches that would affect their final scores, Ibuki-sensei noticed Araki stayed focused on his studies.

• Araki raised his heart rate during training, releasing green chakra that healed his body and renewed his energy.
• Araki put Kushina's scroll in his schoolbag and went to the Ninja Academy.
• Ibuki-sensei announced a mock written exam and said students at the bottom would attend remedial lessons to prepare for next week's final.
• Ibuki-sensei announced mock matches for the next morning, with winners gaining ten points and losers losing ten points on their exam scores.
• Several students objected to the match rules, and Minato Namikaze argued that they were unfair.
• Ibuki-sensei saw that Araki ignored the discussion and kept reading.

Araki rapidly completed the written portion of the mock exam while studying how to make Explosive Tags, and Ibuki-sensei was stunned by his unusual speed. The exam ended with the students relieved, while Araki’s performance remained to be checked.

• Kushina admired Araki’s calm confidence as Ibuki-sensei explained the mock combat rules and said a written score above seventy would prevent students from being held back after losing.
• Ibuki-sensei handed out the written exam and required a passing score, warning that low-ranking students would attend a week of remedial lessons.
• Araki decided to avoid remedial lessons by targeting about 270 points, then answered questions at high speed while planning his Explosive Tag research.
• Ibuki-sensei watched Araki read each next question as he wrote and resolved to check whether his answers were accurate.
• Araki finished in about half an hour and returned to studying Explosive Tags as the other students continued their exams.
• The bell ended the exam, and the students handed in their scrolls with relief.

Araki prepared to study Explosive Tag-making and left to take Tsunade’s medical theory assessment, while Kushina’s closeness to him unsettled Minato. The chapter ended with Minato questioning why he viewed Araki as a threat to his feelings for Kushina.

• Araki gave Kushina Explosive Tags and asked her to trade them for blank tag paper, brushes, and ink so he could practice making tags.
• Kushina left with Uchiha Mikoto after happily approaching Araki, and Mikoto watched him with curiosity.
• Araki set off to meet Tsunade-sensei for an assessment of his basic medical theory before starting Medical Ninjutsu training.
• Minato Namikaze asked Araki about his studies and learned that Tsunade-sensei was teaching him, then promised to keep it secret.
• After Araki left, Minato wondered why Kushina’s interaction with Araki had made him feel jealous and threatened.

Araki returned to Tsunade’s house, where Nawaki’s confinement-fueled fantasies about Araki becoming his brother-in-law embarrassed him in front of Tsunade. After lunch, Tsunade gave Araki and Nawaki medical tests and stressed the importance of accurate knowledge when treating patients.

• Araki arrived at Tsunade’s house, where Nawaki begged him to help end his confinement, but Araki refused.
• Nawaki blurted out that he would let Araki become his brother-in-law, and Tsunade overheard him and demanded an explanation.
• Tsunade told Araki she would test him, then brought out lunch for the three of them.
• Nawaki wondered whether Araki disliked Tsunade’s age gap and began siding with his sister in his imagination.
• After lunch, Tsunade gave Araki and Nawaki test scrolls and warned them that mistakes in medical treatment could endanger lives.

Kushina asked Mikoto to sell Araki’s explosive tags so she could buy supplies for making more, and Mikoto used the errand to press Kushina about her feelings for Araki. Mikoto agreed to complete the costly exchange, leaving the hungry girls inside the shop.

• Kushina led Mikoto to a ninja tool shop and confessed that she wanted Mikoto to sell Araki’s explosive tags and buy tag-making supplies.
• Mikoto questioned Kushina about her relationship with Araki, and Kushina insisted they were friends despite blushing and stumbling over her answers.
• Mikoto asked what Kushina liked about Araki, and Kushina nearly answered before realizing the question was a trap.
• Mikoto took the explosive tags into the shop, learned that each tag would buy only two sheets of blank paper, and asked Kushina whether she still wanted the exchange.
• Kushina confirmed she wanted the paper, brushes, and ink, and Mikoto returned to the shop to help while both girls were hungry.

Kushina bought brushes, ink, and blank tags for Araki, while Mikoto grew suspicious of her friend’s infatuation and decided to investigate him. Meanwhile, Araki completed Tsunade’s medical ninjutsu assessment, and Tsunade finished reviewing his answers with a smile.

• Kushina insisted Mikoto buy a second set of brushes and ink for Araki, and Mikoto agreed to pay for it rather than trade away blank tags.
• Mikoto questioned Kushina about her relationship with Araki and resolved to investigate him to make sure he was worthy of her friend.
• Kushina carefully packed the supplies for Araki, then went to eat with Mikoto, who remained determined to look into him.
• Araki seriously answered Tsunade’s medical ninjutsu questions while Nawaki lost interest and gave up on the assessment.
• After Araki handed in his scroll, Tsunade reviewed his answers and smiled when she finished.

Araki completed Tsunade’s medical theory assessment and began learning Medical Ninjutsu, while Tsunade insisted Nawaki continue accumulating chakra for his Yin Seal. Araki refused to practice the seal, saying he wanted to remain a pure medical-nin, and Tsunade took him inside to begin his next lesson.

• Tsunade praised Araki for mastering medical theory in six months and said she would teach him Medical Ninjutsu.
• Nawaki asked to learn Medical Ninjutsu, but Tsunade told him to keep working toward forming his Yin Seal before learning anything else.
• Nawaki asked Araki to practice the Yin Seal with him, but Araki refused because he wanted to be a pure medical-nin.
• Tsunade told Araki to come inside with her.

Tsunade began Araki’s training in Medical Ninjutsu, explaining five techniques and having him practice the Healing Technique until he exhausted his chakra. Back home, he found Kushina had already gathered the supplies he needed for making tags.

• Tsunade explained the Healing Technique, Poison Expulsion Technique, Mystical Palm Technique, Chakra Scalpel, and Delicate Illness Extraction Technique to Araki.
• Tsunade had Araki begin practicing the Healing Technique and made him continue until he ran out of chakra.
• Araki returned home exhausted, and Kushina called out anxiously before greeting him with relief.
• Araki mistook Kushina’s flushed face for a possible fever and asked whether she felt unwell.
• Kushina gave Araki the brushes, ink, and blank tags she had obtained, and he confirmed the supplies were correct.

Araki left Kushina’s room and went to meet Might Duy, but found him injured and being pursued by China, a nurse from Konoha Hospital. Araki accompanied them to the hospital and promised to keep training while Might Duy recovered.

• Araki left Kushina’s room, calmed himself by exercising, and restored his strength with green chakra.
• Might Duy arrived for training with China chasing him and insisting that he return to Konoha Hospital.
• Araki recognized China as the nurse he had met before and learned that Might Duy had bone and muscle injuries from a mission.
• China grabbed Might Duy by the ear and dragged him toward the hospital, while Araki urged him to rest and agreed to train alone.
• Might Duy called Araki his most beloved disciple and said he had kept their promise to train; Araki suspected he had used the Eight Gates Released Formation.

Araki learned that Might Duy’s prolonged sleepless training had seriously damaged his health, and China took him to the hospital for treatment. Araki decided that he and Might Duy should stop training at night, leaving their future meetings—and the possibility of a romance between Duy and China—open.

• China told Araki that Might Duy had serious internal injuries, including suspected gallbladder problems and kidney failure from staying up late and overexerting himself.
• Araki realized that Might Duy had also been going without sleep and urged him to stop night training for the sake of his health.
• Might Duy admitted that he and Araki had both been staying awake to train, and China scolded them for their extreme training habits.
• Araki told Might Duy that he would remain his student but that Duy needed to recover before they arranged any more training.
• China objected when Araki suggested she and Might Duy could meet, and Araki joked that he would stay out of their meetings.

Araki rushed to find Tsunade so she could treat Might Duy, who had been hospitalized with an unknown condition. Tsunade agreed to go to Konoha Hospital with him, where the trainee nurses wondered who the boy beside her was.

• Araki felt helpless that he could not treat Might Duy himself and decided to find Tsunade rather than wait until the next day.
• Araki hurried to Tsunade's home, where he accidentally collided with her as she was about to leave.
• Araki told Tsunade that Might Duy had been hospitalized and asked for her help, and she immediately agreed to go to the hospital.
• Araki brought Tsunade to Konoha Hospital, where the trainee nurses admired her and speculated about Araki's identity.

Tsunade brought Araki to Might Duy’s hospital ward and used her visit to identify Araki as her disciple, drawing everyone’s attention to him. She began examining Might Duy with the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique while explaining that she first needed to diagnose his condition.

• Young nurses recognized Araki as Tsunade’s disciple after seeing him walk beside her at Konoha Hospital.
• Tsunade and Araki arrived at Might Duy’s ward, where Tsunade told Araki to watch her demonstrate the Delicate Illness Extraction Technique.
• Tsunade’s remark made the medical-nin and nurses notice Araki and learn that she had come because of him.
• Tsunade channeled green chakra into Might Duy’s abdomen to examine him and determine an appropriate treatment plan.