Recaps

Issui helped Hinata optimize her Byakugan by guiding her through a dangerous soul-plane process that required her to find the inheritance within herself. The process succeeded, leaving Hinata with no blind spots, the ability to use Ninjutsu, and new confidence, while Issui was left exhausted.

• Issui explained the bloodline optimization ritual to Hiashi and four Hyuga elders, then entered the Five Elements Rotation Formation with Hinata.
• In the soul plane, Issui encouraged Hinata to find strength in her own feelings and to carry the memory of loved ones who had died.
• Hinata found the inheritance in her bloodline, and the pair returned to the formation as the elders poured Issui’s blood over the descending Chakra pillars.
• Five colored rings entered Hinata’s eyes, and the successful optimization removed her Byakugan’s blind spots and enabled her to use Ninjutsu.
• Hinata tested her Chakra and discovered she had both wind and water attributes, while Issui offered to guide her Ninjutsu training in secret.

Issui encouraged Sasuke to grow stronger, defended Naruto after he stole the Scroll of Seals, and watched the new Genin teams form. After taking a mission near the Land of Waves, Issui arrived to confront Zabuza and seek revenge, leaving Kakashi and Sasuke stunned by his killing intent.

• Issui congratulated Sasuke on graduating, revealed he had been promoted to Special Jōnin, and urged Sasuke to gain experience and develop his Sharingan.
• After Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals, Issui told the Third that Naruto had likely been manipulated and asked him not to blame the boy.
• Naruto defeated Mizuki, received Iruka's acknowledgment, and became a Genin; the next day, Kakashi was assigned a team that included Sasuke and Naruto.
• Issui visited Kurenai's newly formed team and praised Hinata's training, while Kurenai explained how hard work had driven Issui's rapid progress.
• After completing a nearby mission, Issui reached the Land of Waves and asked Kakashi to let him fight Zabuza, whose strength had grown to Quasi-Kage Level.
• Issui unleashed his intense killing intent toward Zabuza, while Kakashi and Sasuke questioned whether he could defeat the powerful missing-nin.

Issui confronted Zabuza over the massacre of Heaven Village, using layered genjutsu and Water Release techniques before striking him down with a lightning attack. Haku appeared, claimed to be a Kirigakure Hunter-nin, and carried the unconscious Zabuza away, leaving Naruto frustrated by the gap in their strength.

• Issui told Kakashi that Zabuza had killed his grandfather and the people of Heaven Village six years earlier, then challenged him to a fight.
• Issui trapped Zabuza in his Death God Encounter Technique and, after Zabuza broke free, caught him in a second genjutsu that let Issui mirror Zabuza's actions.
• Issui and Zabuza performed matching Water Dragon Bullet and Great Waterfall techniques, but Zabuza's torrent swept Issui from sight.
• Issui struck Zabuza with his Lightning Release-Thunder Totem Battle Axe, knocking him unconscious, and Haku appeared and pierced Zabuza's neck with senbon.
• Haku identified himself as a member of Kirigakure's Hunter-nin Corps and prepared to carry Zabuza away while Naruto protested that someone his age had defeated Zabuza so easily.

Issui confronted Haku over Zabuza, but Haku escaped before he could prove Zabuza was still alive. After a week of training, Zabuza returned with reinforcements, and the battle left Sasuke unconscious while Naruto released the Nine-Tails’ Chakra, prompting Issui to prepare to act.

• Issui argued that he needed to kill Zabuza to honor Heaven Village’s dead, while Kakashi warned that interfering could provoke war with Kirigakure; Haku fled, and Issui revealed that she was a fake and Zabuza might still be alive.
• At Tazuna’s house, Kakashi taught Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura Tree Climbing, which Naruto and Sasuke mastered after about a week.
• When Zabuza returned with Haku and several subordinates, Issui activated his Sealing Domain to block Ninjutsu and faced Zabuza while Kakashi’s team fought the others.
• Sasuke awakened his Sharingan and protected Naruto from Haku’s Senbon, then collapsed; Naruto erupted with Nine-Tails’ Chakra.
• Kakashi sensed Naruto’s dangerous Chakra, while Zabuza and Issui also felt its power; Issui decided it was time to make his move.

Issui fought Zabuza and awakened a new stage of the Eye of Heaven, but Haku intervened to protect Zabuza and was struck by Issui’s attack. After Issui saved Haku from Zabuza and Gato’s attack, Zabuza accepted his feelings for her and charged at Gato and his men for his final fight.

• Issui battled Zabuza with the Gentle Fist and Rotation while Kakashi defeated Zabuza’s subordinates and Naruto broke Haku’s Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals.
• Haku stopped Naruto from killing her and used Body Flicker to reach Issui, taking his Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms attack meant for Zabuza.
• Zabuza attacked Issui and Haku with the Kubikiribōchō, but Issui protected them with his newly awakened Frost Stage technique and disabled Zabuza’s arms with Ice Shuriken.
• Gato arrived with armed men, kicked the unconscious Haku, and Issui threw him aside before confronting Zabuza about his treatment of her.
• Zabuza admitted that Haku mattered to him, accepted Issui’s Shuriken, and charged at Gato and his men to avenge her.

Issui saved Haku from killing herself after Zabuza died, and she joined his mission to change the ninja world. Back in Konoha, the Third Hokage allowed Haku to stay under Issui’s supervision and assigned Issui to help maintain order during the Chunin graduation exam.

• Inari and the villagers confronted Gato’s men, while Issui, Naruto, and Kakashi drove them off with clone techniques.
• Zabuza asked Issui to take him to Haku, and Haku unexpectedly regained consciousness; Issui explained that she could survive with emergency treatment.
• Zabuza apologized to Haku and died, and Issui stopped Haku from taking her own life by urging her to live and carry Zabuza’s hopes forward.
• Haku agreed to join Issui in changing the ninja world, and Tazuna named the Land of Waves’ bridge the Naruto Bridge.
• After returning to Konoha, Issui, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura vouched for Haku, and the Third Hokage allowed her to settle in the village discreetly under Issui’s care.
• The Third Hokage told Issui to help maintain order during the Chunin graduation exam and possibly proctor its final round.

Issui brought Haku to the Hyuga mansion, where Hiashi agreed to let her stay and Issui gave him a book of new Gentle Fist techniques. Hiashi announced Issui and Hinata’s engagement ceremony, and Issui later trusted Haku with the details of his newly evolved Frost-stage abilities.

• Issui explained the Chunin Ninja Exams to Naruto and Sasuke, while Naruto declared he would enter and become a Chunin.
• Issui learned Haku was fifteen and brought her to the Hyuga mansion, where Hiashi agreed she could stay as a guest.
• Issui gave Hiashi his Twenty-Four Forms of Tai Chi, and Hiashi recognized its potential and urged him to keep it secret.
• Hiashi scheduled Issui and Hinata’s engagement ceremony for June 25, before the Chunin Exams, and Issui happily promised to protect Hinata.
• Issui settled Haku into a guest room and encouraged her by telling her he needed her help to create a world where ninja could live with true feelings.
• Haku noticed Issui’s ice-natured Chakra, and Issui explained his Frost-stage techniques and asked her to keep his abilities secret.

Issui introduced Haku to Hinata and then attended the meeting announcing that the Chunin Exams would begin on July 1, with Konoha’s rookie teams recommended to participate. On June 25, Issui and Hinata held their engagement ceremony at the Hyuga mansion, where Hiashi formally announced Issui would marry into the Hyuga Clan.

• Issui introduced Haku to Hinata and told Hinata about their engagement ceremony, while Hinata and Haku exchanged compliments and Issui interrupted them to suggest dinner.
• On June 23, the Third Hokage announced that the Chunin Exams would begin on July 1 and asked the jōnin to recommend Genin candidates.
• Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma recommended the members of Teams 7, 8, and 10, despite Iruka’s concerns about rookies taking the exams.
• On June 25, Issui and Hiashi welcomed guests to the Hyuga mansion for Issui and Hinata’s engagement ceremony, which drew prominent Konoha ninja and visiting exam participants.
• Hiashi formally announced Hinata and Issui’s engagement and that Issui would marry into the Hyuga Clan; the guests offered blessings, and Kurenai and Kiba congratulated the couple.

Issui Kanna watched the Chunin Exams as an assistant proctor, then followed Anko into the Forest of Death to find Orochimaru. After Orochimaru threatened Anko and tried to recruit Issui, Issui challenged him, and their battle was about to begin.

• Issui and Hinata finished their engagement ceremony, and Team 7 entered the Chunin Exam hall, where Kabuto described Issui's strength and mission record.
• Ibiki began the written exam, and 78 candidates passed after Naruto's speech convinced many not to quit.
• Anko announced the Forest of Death exam, and Issui entered the grounds to search for Orochimaru by following her.
• Anko found Orochimaru, who defeated her, targeted Sasuke, and warned her not to interfere with the exam.
• Orochimaru discovered Issui following them, offered him a place at his side, and became enraged when Issui mentioned his defeat by Itachi.
• Issui moved Anko away from the battlefield with a Shadow Clone and prepared to fight Orochimaru.

Issui battled Orochimaru, revealing his Flame Body ability after Orochimaru trapped him with snakes. Orochimaru analyzed the technique and sealed Issui inside an Earth Prison Dome, but Issui found its weakest point and escaped with a Lightning Release attack.

• Issui and Orochimaru traded attacks using substitution techniques, Fire Release, Water Release, and Wind Release.
• Orochimaru caught Issui with Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands and offered to let him live if he joined him.
• Issui used one-handed seals to activate Flame Body, explaining that it resisted physical and fire damage and strengthened his Fire Release.
• Orochimaru identified the technique's likely time limit and attacked Issui with repeated Wind Release techniques.
• Orochimaru trapped Issui in an Earth Prison Dome that drained Chakra, but Issui located the weakest section and broke through with Lightning Release-Thunder Totem Battle Axe.

Issui fought Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, helped Anko report the encounter, and learned that Gaara and his siblings had reached the tower in record time. The second exam ended with twenty-one qualifiers, and Third appointed Issui chief examiner for the third exam while ordering Anko to monitor Orochimaru.

• Issui lured Orochimaru into a trap and injured him with a Fire Style attack, but Orochimaru shed his skin and escaped.
• Anko’s Cursed Seal flared, and Issui supported her before Anbu arrived and confirmed Orochimaru had been there.
• Issui, Anko, and the Anbu went to the central tower, where an assistant examiner showed footage of Gaara and his siblings reaching the tower in ninety-seven minutes without a scratch.
• On the morning of July 6, Third discussed Orochimaru’s interest in Sasuke Uchiha with Issui and checked on Anko’s Cursed Seal.
• An assistant examiner reported that twenty-one ninja had qualified, and Third named Issui chief examiner for the third exam while instructing Anko to watch Orochimaru.

Issui took charge of the Chunin Exam preliminaries after the Third explained the exam’s political purpose. Sasuke defeated Akado Yoroi, and Neji and Zaku began the next match.

• The Third explained that the Chunin Exam served as a display of national strength, and Issui announced that the remaining contestants would face preliminary matches.
• Orochimaru’s killing intent triggered Sasuke’s Cursed Seal, but Issui warned Orochimaru and allowed the exam to proceed; Kabuto withdrew, leaving twenty contestants.
• Issui announced the preliminary rules and randomly selected Sasuke Uchiha versus Akado Yoroi as the first match.
• Sasuke suppressed the Cursed Seal’s corrosion, used his Sharingan to adapt Rock Lee’s Taijutsu, and defeated Akado Yoroi with the Lion Combo.
• Neji Hyuga and Zaku were selected for the second match, and they took their places despite Zaku’s injured hands.

Neji defeated Zaku and then taunted Hinata before her match against Tenten, while Hinata declared her conviction and fought back against Tenten’s weapons. The chapter ended with Hinata using Rotation to deflect Tenten’s Rising Dragon barrage.

• Neji disabled Zaku’s arm and then struck his chakra pathways, knocking him unconscious and winning the match.
• Issui announced Tenten versus Hinata, and Neji urged Hinata to give up while Naruto defended her.
• Hinata and Tenten began fighting; Tenten’s thrown weapons grazed Hinata’s calf, but Hinata used the Substitution Technique to counterattack.
• Hinata told Tenten she would not give up because she fought with the support and love of those around her, and the others discussed her ninja way.
• Tenten unleashed Rising Dragon, and Hinata used Rotation to deflect the incoming ninja tools.

Hinata defeated Tenten with the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms, and Naruto won his match against Kiba through disguises, clones, and an unexpected fart. Kankuro and Temari also won their matches, leaving Ino and Sakura to face each other next.

• Hinata used the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms to knock Tenten unconscious and win the third match.
• Naruto outmaneuvered Kiba and Akamaru, then used Shadow Clones and the Naruto Uzumaki Lion Combo to win.
• Kankuro defeated Misumi Tsurugi after Misumi grabbed the disguised Crow and was caught by the puppet.
• Temari knocked Choji unconscious with her wind techniques and won their match.
• Issui announced that Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno would face each other in the next preliminary match.

The Chunin Exam preliminaries ended with Gaara defeating Rock Lee, and the Third announced the main matches for one month later. After returning home, Issui considered saving Gekko Hayate but decided to leave events unchanged so he could make a name for himself during the Konoha Crush Plan.

• Sakura and Ino exhausted themselves in their match, Shino defeated Dosu, and Shikamaru knocked Kin Tsuchi unconscious.
• Rock Lee opened five of the Eight Gates and used Reverse Lotus against Gaara, but Gaara's sand crippled Lee's left hand and foot before Guy conceded the match.
• The Third announced that nine contestants had advanced and scheduled the main matches for one month later, with Naruto facing Neji, Sasuke facing Gaara, Kankuro facing Shino, and Hinata facing the winner of Temari and Shikamaru.
• Issui returned home with Hinata and found Haku back from a mission.
• Issui thought about saving Gekko Hayate from dying at Kikyo Castle but decided to let him die so the Konoha Crush Plan could proceed.

After Konoha learned of Gekko Hayate’s death, Issui warned the village leaders that Orochimaru and Sunagakure might be planning an attack. He then trained Hinata in chakra control and pressure-point strikes, and the chapter ended with Hinata confessing her feelings and offering him affection.

• An Anbu unit found Gekko Hayate dead near Kikyo Castle, and the Third summoned Konoha’s Jonin and advisers to discuss the threat.
• Issui told the leaders he had heard Baki and an Otogakure Chunin mention a “Konoha crush” plan and revealed that Kabuto and two Genin were Orochimaru’s spies.
• The Third and the advisers discussed Konoha’s battle preparations while warning against acting rashly before confirming the enemy’s intentions.
• Issui went to the mountain behind the Hyuga grounds and began training Hinata to target the body’s 361 pressure points with precise chakra control.
• Hinata asked Issui about touching Kin Tsuchi, and after he admitted doing it out of curiosity, Hinata told him she liked him and offered to let him touch her instead.

Issui spent the day with Hinata and Haku, helping Hinata train and enjoying their meals together. That night, Hinata came to sleep beside him and offered to let him touch her, but she left to use the bathroom and returned after Issui had fallen asleep.

• Haku interrupted Issui and Hinata as they declared their love, and the three ate lunch together.
• Issui resumed helping Hinata train while Haku practiced nearby and asked him questions.
• After dinner, Hinata brought her bedding to Issui's room and asked to sleep beside him.
• Hinata told Issui she knew about his interest in touching girls' breasts and offered to let him touch hers briefly.
• Hinata went to use the bathroom just as Issui was about to reach for her, and he fell asleep before she returned.

Issui went to a remote forest to practice the Summoning Technique and summoned Christina, a powerful white dragon who demanded that he prove his strength. Their test turned into a fierce battle, and the chapter ended with Christina badly charred and recovering while Issui nervously tried to make peace.

• Issui left Konoha to practice summoning a powerful flying dragon in a secluded forest.
• Issui summoned Christina, who sensed his awakened bloodline and challenged him to prove his strength.
• Issui used his Flame Body and combined Lightning and Fire techniques, scorching Christina and enraging her.
• Christina created a five-li Water World that neutralized Issui's Fire Style and strengthened her Water Release.
• Issui unleashed his Thundercloud Technique, whose power surged in the Water World and badly charred Christina.
• Christina began healing in the water as Issui cautiously asked whether she was all right and offered to leave.

After Christina swallowed Issui, he used the Ice Soul Seal from inside her stomach to try to control her soul. His repeated attempts finally succeeded, leaving Christina bound to him as he ordered her to release and heal him.

• Christina swept Issui away with a torrent, then swallowed him while planning to feast on more creatures.
• Issui woke inside Christina and recalled his loved ones, then decided to use the Ice Soul Seal on her.
• Issui's first attempts failed, and Christina pleaded with him to stop before regaining confidence in the technique's low success rate.
• Issui tried again, and the Ice Soul Seal succeeded, binding Christina's soul to him.
• Issui ordered Christina to let him out and heal his injuries.

Issui learned about the Flying Dragon Clan and the ancient history of the world from Christina, then summoned Fini, a powerful crystal dragon, and bound her soul with the Ice Soul Seal. Fini mistook the seal for proof of their destined romance and insisted on becoming Issui’s wife, while Christina feared the Dragon Court’s reaction.

• Christina explained the flying dragon varieties, their ages, and their role in defending the surface from abyssal monsters.
• Issui asked Christina to help him summon more dragons, and she agreed to bring a few into his service.
• Issui summoned Fini, a crystal dragon who appeared in human form and believed she had arrived in a beautiful world for a love story.
• Issui used the Ice Soul Seal on Fini and succeeded on his first attempt.
• Fini embraced Issui and declared that she would be his wife and have baby dragons, despite Issui telling her he was human and she was his summoned beast.

Issui brought Fini, a crystal flying dragon who believed he was her prince, back to Konoha and introduced her to Hinata and Haku as his summoned beast. After Fini demonstrated her dragon form, she continued eating at the Hyuga mansion, while Hinata and Haku remained suspicious of Issui’s explanation.

• Christina explained the Ice Soul Seal and the Heaven Clan to Fini, but Fini decided Issui was her prince and refused to return underground.
• Issui tried to send Fini back, but she insisted on staying with him and having baby dragons, so they headed toward Konoha together.
• At Konoha’s gate, Kotetsu and Izumo stopped Issui to register Fini, and she transformed into a dragon, astonishing the villagers and guards.
• Issui arrived home with Fini and found Hinata and Haku eating; both women felt threatened by Fini’s appearance.
• When Hinata and Haku doubted that Fini was a summoned beast, Issui had her transform into a dragon, then explained that she could take human form and did not know how to use chopsticks.

Issui taught Hinata the Twenty-Four Forms of Tai Chi, and her Chakra took the shape of powerful animals as she trained. Hinata defeated Haku in a sparring match, leaving Haku jealous of Hinata’s place in Issui’s affections.

• Fini grabbed most of the food until Issui made her share it with Hinata and Haku.
• Issui took Hinata, Haku, and Fini to the mountain and taught Hinata the Twenty-Four Forms of Tai Chi.
• Hinata quickly mastered the forms and produced animal shapes from her Chakra, impressing Issui.
• Hinata and Haku fought at full strength, and Hinata countered Haku’s attacks with her Byakugan, Rotation Palm, and Tai Chi techniques.
• Hinata’s White Crane Spreads Its Wings reflected Haku’s Senbon, and Issui stopped the fight and declared Hinata the winner.
• Hinata embraced Issui happily, while Haku felt jealous and wished for more of his love.

Issui tried to reassure Haku after Hinata’s victory, then Hinata came to his room at night, but Fini’s interruption derailed their private moment. The chapter ended with Fini accusing Issui of having an affair with Hinata and demanding that he choose her instead.

• Issui reassured Haku that he valued her and promised to save his next bloodline optimization for her, while Hinata encouraged Haku to trust their feelings and shared ninja path.
• Haku accepted that she had misunderstood love, and Issui told her, Hinata, and himself to support one another as guides.
• Fini interrupted the group’s emotional moment by asking Issui to return for dinner, then smugly declared herself a princess alongside him, leaving Hinata and Haku stunned.
• After dinner, Hinata brought a quilt to Issui’s bedroom, and they got into bed together, but a loud crash interrupted them before they could share a quilt.
• Fini broke down Issui’s locked bedroom door after following her nose there, startled Hinata awake, and accused Issui of having an affair with Hinata while insisting he should have one with her instead.

Fini joined Issui and Hinata’s household, bringing comic disruptions before the official Chunin Exam selection matches began. Naruto Uzumaki defeated Neji Hyuga in the opening match, challenging Neji’s belief that fate could not be changed.

• Fini insisted on staying close to Issui and wanting baby dragons with him, and Hinata agreed to teach her human common sense.
• Issui, Hinata, and the others went to the exam venue on August 6, while Haku and Fini watched from the stands.
• The Third announced the official start of the Chunin Exams, and Issui explained the match rules before pairing Neji Hyuga against Naruto Uzumaki.
• Neji struck Naruto’s pressure points, countered his Shadow Clones, and sealed his chakra with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
• Naruto awakened the Nine-Tails Chakra, tricked Neji with a Shadow Clone, and knocked him down with a surprise attack from underground.
• Issui declared Naruto the winner and encouraged Neji to forge his own destiny.

During the Chunin Exams, Sasuke arrived in time to fight Gaara, whose injury triggered the Konoha Crush as Orochimaru attacked the Third Hokage and Sand and Sound forces struck Konoha. Issui confronted Baki while Sasuke left to pursue Gaara, and Issui trapped Baki in a terrifying genjutsu.

• Raidō told Issui to postpone Sasuke's match, and Kankuro forfeited to give Shino the win without a fight.
• Temari fought Shikamaru, but Shikamaru caught her with his Shadow Imitation Technique and then forfeited, leaving Temari as the winner.
• Kakashi and Sasuke arrived just in time for Sasuke's match, and Sasuke wounded Gaara with Chidori after breaking through his sand defense.
• Kabuto cast the Temple of Nirvana Technique as Orochimaru attacked the Third Hokage, the Sound Four sealed them inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, and giant snakes appeared at Konoha's outskirts.
• Baki arrived with Temari and Kankuro to take the injured Gaara away, while Issui confronted him and Sasuke left to pursue Gaara and stop the attack.
• Issui used the Death God Encounter Technique on Baki, trapping him in a genjutsu where the people he had killed attacked him.