Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Jin failed the Ninja Exam again and endured ridicule from Nobi and other children, though he remained cheerful and received a boxed lunch from Uchiha Nomugi. At home, Jin reflected on his parents’ radical plans and his Deduction ability, which had left him unable to use ninjutsu; he was still trying to find a way to improve his Chakra Inner Cultivation.

• Uchiha Nobi mocked Jin for failing the Ninja Exam, but Uchiha Nomugi defended Jin and gave him a boxed lunch.
• Jin paid Nomugi for the lunch, then left as Nomugi explained that Jin’s father had once saved his life and beat Nobi for mistreating him.
• Children mocked Jin with a rhyme on his way home, but Jin joined in and danced until they ran off.
• Jin lit incense for his dead parents and recalled that he had been reborn into the Uchiha Clan after dying in a traffic accident.
• Jin remembered that his parents had belonged to the Radical Faction and had planned to use the Nine-Tails to help the Uchiha become Hokage.
• Jin lamented that his Deduction-created Chakra Inner Cultivation forcibly pulled chakra back into his body, preventing him from using ninjutsu, and that improving it required other people to raise its limits.

Uchiha Jin joined Class A at the Ninja Academy and befriended Minato Namikaze while provoking Kushina Uzumaki. After defeating Kushina and winning a sparring match against Minato, Jin offered to teach Minato his secret to becoming strong.

• Jin introduced himself to Class A, sat beside Minato Namikaze, and annoyed Kushina Uzumaki by claiming he would look after Minato.
• Jin slept through Satoru Inoue’s lesson, then encountered Kushina and Minato on their way home and challenged Minato to a friendly match.
• Kushina attacked Jin, but he dodged her blows and tripped her with a kick.
• Minato fought Jin at high speed, but Jin evaded his attacks, countered his substitution maneuver, and pinned him with a kunai.
• Jin offered to teach Minato his secret to becoming strong.

Hiruzen Sarutobi placed Uchiha Jin in Class A as a possible bridge between the Uchiha and the village, then allowed him to approach the Jinchūriki without interference. By a stream, Jin taught Minato Namikaze and Kushina about a three-part Fūinjutsu technique and secured Minato’s promise to perform one future favor, giving Jin hope of breaking through his restriction.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi explained that he had placed Uchiha Jin in Class A to create a channel of communication with the Uchiha, and told Anbu not to interfere when Jin contacted the Jinchūriki.
• Jin led Minato Namikaze and Kushina to a streamside clearing and claimed his unusual ninjutsu required harsh conditions that had kept him from using it.
• Jin described how the technique could improve physical abilities and Chakra control, preserve appearance, and extend lifespan, then showed them notes explaining its three linked Fūinjutsu.
• Kushina judged that the technique’s effects seemed possible and explained that each successive Fūinjutsu was much harder to complete.
• Minato Namikaze asked Jin why he was sharing the technique, and Jin asked him to promise one future favor that would not violate his principles.
• Minato agreed, and Jin celebrated the prospect of finally breaking through the restriction of Chakra Basic Inner Cultivation.

Minato Namikaze and the other students endured paired combat training, where Minato defeated Kiyoshi Hyuga and Jin intimidated several Uchiha classmates. On the front lines, Tsunade failed to save Nawaki, whose death left her and Orochimaru in despair.

• Satoru Inoue began a day of paired combat training, while Minato Namikaze worried that his new Fūinjutsu prevented him from using ninjutsu.
• Kiyoshi Hyuga challenged Minato Namikaze, but Minato defeated him with overwhelming physical strength and left him crying.
• Uchiha Hiru challenged Jin and demanded that the loser leave the academy, but Jin provoked him and threatened Uchiha Ido after Ido insulted his parents.
• Satoru Inoue stopped Jin from escalating the confrontation, while Kushina bragged about defeating her opponents and Minato worried about the next day's ninjutsu class.
• On the front lines, Tsunade tried to heal Nawaki, but a fellow ninja told her he was already dead.
• Orochimaru watched Tsunade grieve as Nawaki was declared dead.

Jin discussed Basic Inner Cultivation with Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, then fought off three Uchiha who confronted him at the clan compound. Later, Young Clan Head Fugaku ordered Jin to stay away from Kushina, but Jin refused and sent him away angry.

• Jin explained how Basic Inner Cultivation could build Chakra and strengthen the body, and Kushina focused on how it might stabilize the seal inside her.
• Kushina dragged Minato Namikaze home after seeing him greet Jin, while Jin headed back to the Uchiha Clan Compound.
• Uchiha Hiru brought Uchiha Mu'i and Uchiha Ido to confront Jin, but Jin knocked Hiru and Mu'i unconscious and Ido surrendered.
• Jin returned home and prepared dinner, only to find Young Clan Head Fugaku waiting for him.
• Fugaku ordered Jin to stay away from Kushina Uzumaki, but Jin rejected his authority and mocked him until Fugaku left in anger.

After learning of Nawaki's death, Jin feared the Second Great Ninja War would soon force him onto the battlefield, so he abandoned his plans to wait and recruited Might Duy. He tricked Duy into accepting a ninjutsu scroll and marked him as another person he had enlisted.

• Kushina gave Jin a scroll of Uzumaki Fūinjutsu techniques, which he memorized while asking why the Ninja Academy had declared a holiday.
• Kushina and Minato Namikaze told Jin that Nawaki had died and that his funeral was being held that day.
• Jin realized Nawaki's death meant war could break out soon and that Konoha might send students to the battlefield, so he left Kushina's house in alarm.
• Jin found Might Duy returning a disguised ninja cat from a mission and pressured him into coming to the Uchiha Clan Compound for tea.
• Jin persuaded Duy to accept a ninjutsu scroll as payment, then marked Duy's name in his notebook alongside Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

Jin reviewed his completed techniques and tried to deduce a new movement art, but his attempt failed before he sensed that Kushina had broken through. Kushina forced Kurama to lend her Chakra and used it to reach the Body Opening Stage of Basic Inner Cultivation.

• Jin reviewed his techniques, judged that he needed a way to handle long-range ninjutsu, and attempted to deduce a movement art combining Kami-e, Soru, and Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, but Deduction failed.
• Jin sensed that Kushina had broken through and realized her progress had interrupted his work.
• Kushina reflected on her loneliness, then examined the solid golden Chakra egg formed by Basic Inner Cultivation and Kurama's Chakra.
• Kushina entered the seal and demanded Chakra from Kurama, then struck him with her chains when he refused.
• Kushina controlled the large amount of Chakra from the egg, sealed the meridians throughout her body, and achieved the Body Opening Stage.

Uchiha Jin skipped class and confronted Might Duy about the ninjutsu Jin had given him, threatening to expose him unless he mastered it or fought Jin. Jin left the choice to Duy, hoping to see the legendary Eight Gates Formation.

• Satoru Inoue learned from Meimei Suzuyama that Jin had skipped class often and hurried to the classroom to find him missing.
• Jin skipped class and found Might Duy unloading goods on the commercial street.
• Jin asked Duy about the ninjutsu he had given him, then revealed he had submitted a payment request that could make Duy look like a thief.
• Jin offered to let the matter go if Duy mastered the ninjutsu that night or defeated him.
• Duy agreed to try mastering the ninjutsu, while Jin urged him not to underestimate Jin and prepared to see the Eight Gates Formation.

Uchiha Jin tested his strength against Might Duy and was decisively defeated after Duy opened the Five Gates. Afterward, Jin paid Duy to keep his ninjutsu secret, and Duy unexpectedly offered to teach him the Eight Gates Formation.

• Jin fought Might Duy, using Soru, Monstrous Strength, and Kami-e, while Duy initially hesitated to attack him.
• Jin offered Duy fifty thousand ryo to fight with everything he had, and Duy opened the first four gates before overpowering him in taijutsu.
• Jin continued the fight with ninjutsu, but Duy opened the Fifth Gate and defeated him with a strike Jin could not react to.
• Jin concluded that his strength was around the Special Jonin level and paid Duy another fifty thousand ryo for medical expenses and silence about his ninjutsu.
• Duy accepted the money and asked Jin why he pushed himself so hard; Jin said he wanted to live freely.
• Duy asked Jin whether he wanted to learn the Eight Gates Formation.

Jin traded lessons with Might Duy, teaching him Basic Inner Cultivation after learning about the Eight Gates Formation and deciding its training demands were too great. While training in an abandoned forest ground, Jin encountered Orochimaru, who approached him with overwhelming killing intent.

• Might Duy explained how the Eight Gates Formation required years of pushing past physical limits, and Jin decided the technique did not suit him.
• Jin discovered that Might Duy struggled to control Chakra and began teaching him Basic Inner Cultivation from the beginning.
• After Might Duy left, Jin reflected on his own talent and ambitions, then returned to training in an abandoned forest ground with Shadow Clones.
• Jin pinned a white snake with a kunai, but someone killed it with a Shuriken before it could escape.
• Orochimaru appeared beside the dead snake and addressed Jin as a young Uchiha.

Uchiha Jin encountered Orochimaru, revealed Basic Inner Cultivation, and persuaded him to keep the technique secret and find him a teacher. After spending the night developing a new technique, Jin fell asleep in class, leaving Satoru Inoue annoyed.

• Orochimaru confronted Jin about his unexpected use of ninjutsu and questioned how he knew about Danzo.
• Jin explained his recent progress and argued that the Uchiha would not betray Konoha, easing Orochimaru's suspicion.
• Jin claimed Basic Inner Cultivation could theoretically lead to immortality, showed Orochimaru the technique, and asked to become his disciple.
• Orochimaru declined to teach Jin himself but promised to keep his secret and find him a teacher before disappearing.
• Jin spent the night researching ninjutsu, abandoned Light Footsteps, and used Deduction to develop a different technique.
• Jin fell asleep at his desk during class, angering Satoru Inoue.

Uchiha Jin joined Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and Kiyoshi Hyuga for a costly barbecue before leading them to a secluded training ground. There, he demonstrated the Four Forms of taijutsu and prepared to teach them.

• Jin accepted Kushina Uzumaki's offer to pay for barbecue, and Kiyoshi Hyuga joined them, insisting he would treat everyone.
• Jin, Kushina, and Minato ate heavily, while Kiyoshi used the Byakugan and Gentle Fist to compete for meat and spent nearly all his savings.
• Kiyoshi told them that enemy ninjas from the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind were threatening the Land of Fire, and Jin urged them to get stronger before graduation.
• Jin led the others to a hidden training ground in the forest, where Kushina and Minato noticed the Anbu following Kushina.
• Jin demonstrated Soru, Kami-e, Tekkai, and Shigan against Kiyoshi, then announced that he would teach them the Four Forms.

Over three months, Jin trained Minato and Kushina in the Four Styles while Orochimaru became convinced that Basic Inner Cultivation could lead to immortality. At the Ninja Academy, Satoru Inoue announced that the students could take their graduation exam starting the next day, and Jin reacted in shock.

• Minato mastered all Four Styles and Kushina mastered Kami-e and Soru, but Jin still overwhelmed Minato in their sparring.
• Minato told Jin that Satoru Inoue required him to attend school for an important announcement.
• Orochimaru failed to suppress the Hashirama Cells’ erosion, then studied a growing sapling and concluded that Basic Inner Cultivation offered a path to immortality.
• Danzō warned Orochimaru that Hiruzen might shut down the Hashirama Cells experiment if it produced no results.
• Satoru Inoue announced that all the students could take the graduation exam starting the next day, and Jin shot to his feet in shock.

Jin, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki confronted Jiraiya after catching him peeping at the women's bathhouse, but he escaped before they could hand him over to the Police Force. Later, Jiraiya challenged Hiruzen Sarutobi over the missing ninja and the Hashirama Cells experiments as Konoha faced pressure from enemy villages.

• Jin recalled that the missing ninja were likely victims of Hashirama Cells research and blamed Hiruzen Sarutobi for the experiments.
• Kushina caught Jiraiya peeping at the women's bathhouse, kicked him inside, and knocked him unconscious after he was blasted back out.
• Jin threatened to expose Jiraiya and suggested handing him to the Police Force, but Jiraiya offered to teach them ninjutsu before escaping with a substitution technique.
• Jiraiya reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi, who discussed the three students' potential and said Kushina might begin missions after another half year of observation.
• Jiraiya confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi about the missing ninja and declared that ninja were not expendables.

Uchiha Jin passed the ninja examination by defeating Satoru Inoue in under a minute, while Minato Namikaze and Kushina also became ninjas. Troubled by the village sending children into danger, Jin later sought a full-strength fight with Might Duy.

• Minato Namikaze entered the examination building and stayed inside long enough to worry Kushina, while Jin teased her as she waited her turn.
• Jin defeated Satoru Inoue with shuriken, a flying kick, and a kunai at his throat, earning his forehead protector and passing the examination.
• Jin reunited with Minato Namikaze outside and watched children celebrate passing while their parents reacted with pain and concern.
• Kushina passed the examination, then attacked Jin for provoking her, but he dodged and knocked her down.
• Jin found Might Duy training around a mountain and asked him to fight with everything he had; Duy agreed.

Jin joined Jiraiya’s team alongside Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, then learned that Orochimaru had arranged for Jiraiya to train him. Meanwhile, Jiraiya watched Tsunade with Dan Katō and recalled the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy that his disciples would decide the ninja world’s fate.

• Jin woke in the crowded Academy classroom to find Jiraiya had become his squad leader, with Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki as his teammates.
• Jiraiya had the three students introduce themselves and told them to meet at the training ground at five the next morning without eating breakfast.
• Orochimaru told Jin he had chosen Jiraiya as his teacher and asked Jin to accept Orochimaru’s instruction after the next day’s training.
• Jiraiya watched Tsunade walking with Dan Katō, sketched her portrait, and reflected on his heartbreak.
• Jiraiya recalled the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy that the Child of Light and the Child of Darkness would become his disciples and that he would have to guide them before making a choice.

Jiraiya tested Jin, Kushina, and Minato Namikaze for genin qualification by making them fight for two bells. Jin revealed his powerful techniques and struck Jiraiya with a blue beam, leaving the assessment unresolved.

• Jiraiya arrived late and explained that only two of the three students could pass his genin assessment by taking his bells.
• After confirming no one else was watching, Jin told Jiraiya he would fight seriously and attacked with Soru and ninjutsu.
• Minato Namikaze and Kushina joined Jin, combining their attacks to wound Jiraiya and nearly take the bells.
• Jiraiya used a decoy and his Wild Lion's Mane Technique to bind Minato Namikaze and Kushina, while Jin escaped.
• Jin formed a blue sphere and fired his Spirit Gun, piercing Jiraiya's body.

Jiraiya made Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and Jin a genin team after testing their trust, then brought Jin to Orochimaru. Orochimaru offered Jin protection and a place to train in exchange for developing Basic Inner Cultivation and participating in experiments involving Hashirama Cells.

• Jiraiya revealed that his opponent had been a Shadow Clone, accepted Kushina's bells, and invited the three genin to eat.
• Jiraiya told Minato Namikaze, Kushina, and Jin that they had all passed and formed Team 7 under him.
• Jin persuaded Jiraiya to treat the team to barbecue, then gave him a notebook about Basic Inner Cultivation.
• Orochimaru appeared, took Jin to a hidden laboratory in the Forest of Death, and showed him its training areas and archives.
• Orochimaru explained that Jin's technique could change the ninja world and offered to protect him if he continued developing it.
• Orochimaru told Jin he would also participate in experiments involving Hashirama Cells.

Uchiha Jin returned home with Hashirama Cell research materials and ninjutsu, then faced Fugaku Uchiha and the Uchiha elders over his new place as Jiraiya’s disciple. He rejected the elders’ demand that he spy on the Hokage’s faction and left after insulting them, while they planned to wait for Jiraiya to realize Jin was supposedly worthless.

• Uchiha Jin worried about possessing Hashirama Cell research materials but considered how they might strengthen him if he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Fugaku Uchiha visited Jin and confirmed that Jiraiya had taken him as a disciple, then told him the Uchiha elders wanted to see him immediately.
• At Naka Shrine, Uchiha Kagami asked Jin to monitor the Hokage’s faction for the Uchiha Clan, but Jin refused.
• Jin rebuked Kagami and the other elders, denied that the clan had earned his loyalty, and walked out of the shrine.
• The elders raged after Jin left and decided Jiraiya would abandon him once he recognized Jin’s lack of talent.

Jiraiya showed Hiruzen Sarutobi Uchiha Jin’s Basic Inner Cultivation, prompting the village to distribute its first two layers while restricting the third layer. As the technique spread among Konoha’s forces and drew the Uchiha elders’ attention, Jin learned that his latest deduction had ended his novice period.

• Jiraiya told Hiruzen Sarutobi that Uchiha Jin had created a Fūinjutsu technique, and Hiruzen ordered its first two layers added to the village’s exchange list and its final layer placed in the Forbidden Scroll.
• Tsunade and Dan Katō examined Basic Inner Cultivation at the Ninjutsu Exchange Office, while Hiruko exchanged for it and resented being ignored by Tsunade.
• Sakumo Hatake received updated ninjutsu exchanges at the Land of Wind and Land of Fire border and noticed that Basic Inner Cultivation had been created by Uchiha Jin.
• Fugaku Uchiha showed Kagami the technique, and Kagami reacted with shock upon seeing Jin’s signature.
• Orochimaru told Jin that Basic Inner Cultivation was spreading through the village and its third layer had entered the Forbidden Scroll, while Jin continued researching the Hashirama Cells.
• Jin entered his latest theories and observations into the Golden Finger, which announced that eight deductions were complete and his novice period had expired.