Recaps

Samui’s team located the underground cave where Shinnō was extracting Han’s Tailed Beast chakra and infiltrated it. Hiruko attacked the group, but Hagoromo wounded him and the others coordinated to restrain him while Samui moved toward Shinnō.

• Ao used his Byakugan to locate three chakra signatures and identify the hidden entrance and barrier node underground.
• Darui destroyed the barrier node with Storm Release, and the group entered the cave after sensing blood and an evil presence inside.
• Hagoromo and the others found Han chained to a stone platform as Shinnō absorbed his Tailed Beast chakra, while Hiruko noticed the intruders.
• Darui attacked Hiruko with a laser net, but Hiruko evaded it with Swift Release.
• Hagoromo struck Hiruko with his Lightning Blade, and Gonbei and Darui used water and lightning techniques to pin him down.
• Samui moved toward Shinnō, who sent black tendrils crashing toward her to stop her from interrupting the extraction.

Jiraiya, Ao, and Samui disrupted Shinnō’s chakra extraction from Han while Hagoromo took over the fight against Hiruko. Hagoromo used Lava Release and Ice Release to counter Hiruko’s techniques, then provoked him into a close-range attack.

• Ao diverted Shinnō’s tendrils with a Water Dragon Bullet Technique and directed Samui to strike Shinnō’s chest.
• Samui’s explosive kunai destabilized the chains suppressing Han, and Jiraiya cut off the extraction ritual with his Wild Lion’s Mane Technique.
• Jiraiya used Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon to stop Shinnō from reconnecting the tendrils while watching the battle from above.
• Hagoromo relieved Darui and Gonbei, then canceled Hiruko’s Storm Release laser net with Lava Release.
• Hagoromo slowed Hiruko with Ice Release, noticed that the freezing weakened his Steel Release, and taunted him.
• Hiruko rushed Hagoromo with Swift Release and kicked toward his abdomen.

Hagoromo fought Hiruko, but Shinnō helped Hiruko escape as the cavern collapsed. After the survivors rescued Han and fled, Kumogakure and Kirigakure disputed who should take custody of the injured Five-Tails Jinchuriki, and Jiraiya proposed Konoha instead.

• Hagoromo restrained Hiruko and attacked him, but Hiruko absorbed his Rasengan with Dark Release and counterattacked at high speed.
• Hagoromo's Shadow Clone took Hiruko's Rasengan, allowing Hagoromo to strike from behind, but Shinnō restrained Hiruko with tendrils and called for their retreat.
• Hiruko vowed to remember Hagoromo's Chakra, dispelled the cavern barrier, and escaped with Shinnō as the cave began to collapse.
• Hagoromo led the others through a newly blasted passage, carrying the unconscious Han and Samui while Darui, Ao, and Gonbei helped clear and hold the way.
• After the group escaped, Samui and the others examined Han, whose Chakra was fluctuating after Shinnō's extraction.
• Samui argued that Kumogakure should treat and hold Han, Ao objected on Kirigakure's behalf, and Jiraiya proposed that Konoha take custody.

Jiraiya arranged for Han, the Five-Tails Jinchuriki, to receive treatment in Konoha with Kumogakure and Kirigakure teams assisting. After Hagoromo summoned Sansan, they learned Akatsuki had taken the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from Takigakure.

• Jiraiya argued that Konoha should treat Han and offered to let other villages send teams to assist.
• Hagoromo stabilized Han's chakra pathways, but warned that he needed prompt treatment in Konoha.
• Samui and Ao said their villages accepted the plan and required Akatsuki research data to be shared among the three villages.
• Hagoromo summoned Sansan to carry Han to Konoha.
• Sansan told Hagoromo that someone had gone after the Seven-Tails while Sansan was keeping watch.
• Hagoromo explained Akatsuki's possible targets, and Jiraiya admitted he did not recognize the barrier Hiruko had used.

Jiraiya and Hagoromo discussed Hiruko’s completed Chimera Technique and Hagoromo’s imitation of several Kekkei Genkai. The conversation revealed that Hagoromo had analyzed Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation at the atomic level, while Sansan carried Han toward Konoha.

• Jiraiya told the Kumogakure and Kirigakure shinobi to return to their villages and report the Seven-Tails’ capture, while Sansan flew toward Konoha with Han and the others.
• Jiraiya asked Hagoromo what he thought of Hiruko and Shinnō, and Hagoromo said their abilities were unusual but not especially troublesome.
• Jiraiya said Hiruko had once been his friend and worried that the Chimera Technique had made him a dangerous enemy.
• Hagoromo explained that he imitated Lava Release and Ice Release by reconstructing the formulas behind Kekkei Genkai rather than inheriting them.
• Hagoromo revealed that Dust Release had let him analyze Nature Transformation and Shape Transformation at the atomic level, leaving Jiraiya astonished.

Hagoromo and Jiraiya discussed Shinnō and concluded that the Akatsuki’s members had separate ambitions united by a shared objective. After they returned to Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised the village’s alert level and ordered preparations for a Jonin meeting and cooperation with other villages.

• Hagoromo told Jiraiya that Shinnō’s unusual techniques resembled a Tailed Beast’s power, prompting them to investigate his identity from that angle.
• Hagoromo pointed out that the Akatsuki’s members had individual goals, giving Jiraiya a new direction for investigating the organization.
• Jiraiya jumped on Sansan’s head while arguing with Hagoromo, and Sansan roared at him until he apologized.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Shikaku to prioritize the investigation, coordinate with Kumogakure and Kirigakure over the Five-Tails Jinchuriki’s treatment, and contact Iwagakure about cooperation.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi required Jiraiya and Hagoromo to attend the Jonin meeting and told Hagoromo to accelerate training for the next generation.

Hagoromo confronted Sansan about the Seven-Tails Chakra he had secretly taken and investigated the enormous Chakra cocoon it had formed. He discovered that the Seven-Tails was protecting the soul of a former Jinchūriki, then listened as the Tailed Beast began explaining what had happened.

• Hagoromo took Sansan to the sacred land and found a massive cocoon made from the Seven-Tails' Chakra.
• Hagoromo entered the cocoon with Yin Release and recognized the consciousness of Seven-Tails Chōmei.
• Hagoromo restrained the Seven-Tails and sensed that it was protecting the soul of its former Jinchūriki.
• The Seven-Tails pleaded with Hagoromo not to harm the child, then began telling him its story.
• Sansan waited anxiously outside until Hagoromo opened his eyes, and asked what had happened.

Hagoromo arranged for Fū's spirit to be protected in Sansan's treasure bead and obtained a portion of Seven-Tails Chōmei's Chakra for Naruto. Sansan began absorbing the remaining Chakra after Hagoromo promised to make up for his loss.

• Hagoromo explained that Seven-Tails Chōmei had placed Fū's spirit inside the Chakra cocoon and asked Sansan for a way to protect it.
• Sansan fetched a treasure bead from the shrine, and Hagoromo used Yin Release to draw Seven-Tails Chōmei out of the cocoon.
• Sansan used his yokai markings to draw Fū's spirit into the treasure bead, then caught it in his mouth.
• Hagoromo asked Seven-Tails Chōmei to split off enough Chakra to sustain his consciousness, intending to take him to Naruto's Sealing Space.
• Hagoromo sealed the Seven-Tails' Chakra sphere with Yin Release, and Sansan noticed that a third of the cocoon's Chakra had been lost.
• Hagoromo promised Sansan an all-you-can-eat meal to make up for the loss, and Sansan agreed to absorb the remaining Chakra.

Hagoromo brought Chōmei into Naruto’s Sealing Space, where the space expanded and Naruto confirmed his Chakra control was unaffected. Meanwhile, Shinnō and Hiruko told Akatsuki they had obtained the Five-Tails’ Chakra and were bringing it back.

• Hagoromo appeared in Naruto’s Sealing Space and brought Chōmei there inside a sphere of Yin Release Chakra.
• Chōmei’s arrival crowded the Nine-Tails’ cage, but the Sealing Space expanded and became brighter.
• Hagoromo instructed Naruto on controlling the Tailed Beasts, then checked that Naruto’s Chakra control had not weakened.
• Pain questioned Shinnō and Hiruko about the failed Five-Tails capture, and Shinnō revealed he had absorbed the Five-Tails’ core Chakra.
• Hiruko explained that Jiraiya, Hagoromo, and forces from Kumogakure and Kirigakure had disrupted the mission, while Shinnō offered to release the Chakra for Akatsuki.
• Pain confirmed that the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path appeared able to accept the Chakra and ordered Shinnō and Hiruko to return quickly.

After the Academy year ended, Naruto and his friends prepared to meet their supervising Jonin and begin their ninja careers. Shikamaru learned that Asuma would supervise him, while the others set out for their own first meetings.

• The Five Great Shinobi Villages kept quiet about the Five-Tails incident, and Takigakure failed to get help from Konoha or the other villages.
• Kiba found that Naruto and the others had already left the classroom, while Shino declined his invitation to play so he could train.
• Naruto asked Shikamaru about meeting their supervising Jonin, and Shikamaru explained that the group would begin working separately the next day.
• Shikaku told Shikamaru that Asuma would supervise him and urged him to show what the new Ino-Shika-Cho could do.
• Shikamaru's mother warned him to stay safe as he began his ninja career, while Ino and Choji received similar lectures at home.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji began Asuma’s trainee assessment, which required them to take two bells within two hours or lose their trainee ninja qualifications. They coordinated several attacks, but Asuma’s speed and tactics kept them on the defensive as he used Fire Style to force them apart.

• Shikamaru met Ino and Choji, and the three went to Training Ground Three, where Asuma was waiting with two bells.
• Asuma announced that the trio had two hours to take the bells or lose their trainee ninja qualifications, then began the assessment.
• Shikamaru ordered Ino and Choji to spread out, and Choji blocked Asuma’s opening attack before using Yang Release Armament to throw him away.
• Shikamaru’s Shadow Imitation Technique caught Asuma’s Shadow Clone, and the trio dodged the shuriken Asuma threw from their flank.
• Ino attempted the Mind Body Switch Technique while Choji charged Asuma with Human Bullet Tank, and Shikamaru’s Shadow Tentacles struck the Explosive Tags Asuma had thrown.
• Asuma unleashed Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning, forcing Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji to retreat and threatening to separate them again.

Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji combined their abilities in a coordinated assault during their test against Asuma. Asuma closed in on Ino, but she revealed that she had baited him and activated her Mind Body Switch Technique.

• Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji coordinated their attacks, but Asuma broke free of Shikamaru's Shadow Imitation Technique and praised their teamwork.
• Choji entered Gluttony Form, and Ino took control of his body while Shikamaru used his shadow to help them attack Asuma.
• Choji fought Asuma with Armament-covered fists as Shikamaru's shadow tendrils restricted Asuma and intercepted his shuriken.
• Asuma used Wind Release to halt Choji, then spotted Ino's vulnerable body and charged at her with Whirlwind Blade.
• Ino smiled at Asuma and activated the Mind Body Switch Technique, completing Plan B as Asuma's movements faltered.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji passed Asuma’s bell test by working together, though they took only one bell. The chapter then began Kakashi’s test for Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, with Kakashi warning that only two of them could pass.

• Ino used her Mind Body Switch Technique on Asuma, Shikamaru bound his shadow, and Choji trapped him long enough to take a bell.
• Shikamaru explained that Asuma had used the Substitution Technique, but he had secretly prepared to catch one bell while Choji disrupted Asuma’s senses.
• Asuma praised Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji and declared that they had passed the test with full marks.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others watched the test, and Hagoromo said Kakashi had not yet arrived to test Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata.
• Kakashi arrived late and explained the bell test rules, telling Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata that only two of them could pass.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata fought Kakashi in the graduation test, coordinating their attacks and pushing him to use increasingly powerful techniques. Kakashi activated his Sharingan as the battle intensified.

• Hinata vowed to help Naruto and Sasuke pass, while Naruto insisted they would graduate together and Sasuke prepared to fight Kakashi.
• Sasuke and Naruto opened with the Great Fireball Technique and Shadow Clones, and Hinata disrupted Kakashi with Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
• The trio followed up with a fire dragon and explosive-tagged Kunai, but Kakashi escaped the blast with the Substitution Technique and attacked Naruto from underground.
• Kakashi summoned a Water Dragon, which Naruto countered with an Armament: Rasengan, while Sasuke and Hinata attacked Kakashi from opposite sides.
• Naruto anticipated Kakashi's escape route with another Rasengan, forcing Kakashi to dodge before activating his Sharingan.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata worked together to take Kakashi’s bells during the practical test. Kakashi praised their teamwork but asked which two of them would pass.

• Sasuke told Naruto and Hinata to spread out while Kakashi activated his Sharingan.
• Naruto’s Shadow Clones and Sasuke’s Fire Release distracted Kakashi as Hinata attacked with Gentle Fist: Twin Lion Roar.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata combined their attacks, but Kakashi evaded Naruto’s Rasengan and countered the others.
• Hinata struck several of Kakashi’s acupoints, slowing his arm and creating an opening for Naruto to take the bells.
• Kakashi praised their teamwork, then asked which two of them had decided to pass the practical test.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata passed Kakashi’s practical exam after showing they would put teamwork ahead of personal gain. Hagoromo took charge of them as Team 7, and Hiruzen Sarutobi officially formed their team and awarded the young ninja their Konoha forehead protectors.

• Hinata offered to let Naruto and Sasuke pass, but Naruto and Sasuke each insisted that the other two should take the bells.
• Kakashi passed all three, explaining that they had demonstrated teamwork and would not abandon their teammates for personal gain.
• Hagoromo emerged from the woods and told Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata that he would lead their squad.
• Naruto and Hagoromo went to the Hokage’s Office, where Naruto found Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi announced Team Six under Asuma and Team 7 under Hagoromo, then gave Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino their Konoha forehead protectors.

After Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata passed their assessment, Hagoromo gave Naruto and Sasuke ninja tool pouches and took the group to the Hokage Building to accept their first mission. He assigned them to find the cat Tora and gave them three hours to track it down.

• Naruto arrived late after oversleeping, then ate breakfast with Sasuke and Hinata while they waited for Hagoromo.
• Hagoromo gave Naruto and Sasuke ninja tool pouches and announced that the group would take a mission.
• At the Hokage Building, Naruto complained that the available D-rank missions were menial chores.
• Hagoromo chose the mission to find the missing cat Tora and registered it.
• Hagoromo gave Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata three hours to find the cat, warning them that it knew Konoha's streets well.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata completed their first mission by catching Tora, then received advice from Hagoromo about working more efficiently. As they prepared for another mission, they met Shikamaru’s team, who had already completed two D-rank missions and invited them to barbecue.

• Naruto and Sasuke caught Tora, and Shijimi reclaimed the cat and thanked them with an eight-thousand-ryo reward.
• Hagoromo divided the reward among Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata, then advised them to use villagers to gather information during missions.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata accepted another mission, while Hagoromo received small Chakra rewards from the system for their work.
• Asuma arrived with Shikamaru’s team, and Shikamaru explained that they had completed two easy D-rank missions instead of taking the troublesome Tora job.
• Choji invited Naruto’s team to join them for barbecue after their next mission.

Hagoromo led Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata through a rapid stretch of D-rank missions before agreeing to take them on their first C-rank mission. The team selected a job investigating a giant beast in a small country between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water, and waited for their travel permit.

• Naruto and Sasuke declined Choji's barbecue invitation so they could keep completing missions, while Ino warned Asuma that treating their team would cost him dearly.
• Hagoromo led Naruto and the others through a frenzy of D-rank work, with Naruto using Shadow Clones to finish routine tasks and the team completing nearly a hundred missions in under half a month.
• Naruto and Sasuke asked Hagoromo when they could take C-rank missions, and he agreed they would rest for a day before starting them.
• Hagoromo took Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata to the mission hall and selected a C-rank job investigating a giant beast that had reappeared in a small country bordering the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
• The registration ninja began processing the team's mission and the permit required to leave the village.

Hagoromo led Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata out of Konoha on their first mission beyond the Land of Fire, where they traveled by ship to a village troubled by a mysterious beast. The villagers explained that the beast had injured their chief, and the team learned he had stayed behind to protect them.

• Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata checked their equipment and left Konoha with Hagoromo, who taught them how to travel safely outside their homeland.
• The team crossed the Land of Fire, reached a port, and boarded a ship bound for their mission location.
• Naruto and Sasuke marveled at the sea, and Hagoromo told them they could one day see the sights they imagined if they became strong enough.
• Hagoromo and his students reached the client’s village and found it fortified with fences and wooden frames.
• A villager told Hagoromo that the village chief had been injured by a beast after staying behind to protect the others, and Naruto praised the chief as a good man.

Hagoromo treated the badly injured village chief with Hinata’s help, then went searching for the beast threatening the village. He found an unusual slime that blocked most sensing and returned after learning the chief had awakened.

• Hagoromo examined the bandaged village chief and ordered Naruto and Sasuke to stand guard while he and Hinata treated him.
• Hinata used her Byakugan and healing technique before Hagoromo used Yang Release to finish treating the chief, leaving him with only a few extra years to live.
• Hagoromo told the villagers the chief had been treated, then sent his team to rest while a Shadow Clone guarded them.
• Hagoromo searched the forest, found a strange slime that blocked most forms of sensing, and identified the beast as likely a summoning beast.
• Hagoromo learned through his dispelled Shadow Clone that the village chief had awakened and headed back to question him.

Hagoromo and his team investigated why a village’s worshipped chameleon had begun attacking its people. After learning that strange thunderstorms preceded each attack, Sasuke suspected a Lightning Release ninja was trying to capture the creature, and Hagoromo led the team toward its valley.

• Three Platforms explained that the chameleon had once protected the village from wild beasts but began attacking about a month earlier.
• Three Platforms and a villager recalled that sudden thunderstorms and downpours had occurred before the attacks.
• Hagoromo told Three Platforms to keep the villagers indoors and led Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata toward the valley.
• Sasuke guessed that a Lightning Release ninja might have provoked the chameleon while attempting to subdue it.
• Hagoromo praised Sasuke’s reasoning and warned the team to stay alert as they continued the mission.

Hagoromo and his students searched for the chameleon and learned that a ninja had been abducting villagers. After discovering where the ninja was, Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata moved in while Hagoromo watched from behind, and they heard the ninja angrily confronting someone.

• Hagoromo led Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata through the valley, where they found old signs of a battle but no trace of the chameleon.
• Hinata found no other clues in the valley, and the group returned toward the village to ask for more information.
• A villager told Naruto and Sasuke that an escaped villager had reported people being tied up and taken away one at a time.
• Hagoromo sent the students to investigate the reported location, where a lightning strike revealed the ninja's presence.
• Sasuke assigned Naruto to provide support and Hinata to watch for others, then the three students advanced toward the thunder as the ninja shouted at someone who had tried to escape.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata confronted Raiga Kurosuki after Naruto saw him striking burial mounds with lightning. Their coordinated attacks weakened Raiga, but he unleashed a powerful lightning tornado, leaving Hinata to target the swords at its center.

• Naruto spotted an arm protruding from a burial mound as Raiga Kurosuki struck it with lightning, and he charged with Shadow Clones.
• Raiga destroyed Naruto’s Shadow Clones with Falling Thunder, but Naruto attacked through the smoke with a Rasengan as Sasuke and Hinata joined in.
• Hinata struck Raiga’s wrist with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm while Sasuke and Naruto hit his Armor of Lightning with Chidori and Rasengan.
• Sasuke called for Naruto to retreat, and Naruto covered his hands with Yang Release: Armament Covering before preparing to fight again.
• Raiga summoned a Thunder Dragon Tornado, and Naruto used Shadow Clones to slow it while Hinata identified the swords as the technique’s center.
• Hinata launched herself using Naruto’s Shadow Clone and attacked Raiga’s swords with Twin Lions: Collapse.

Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto defeated Raiga Kurosuki, and Naruto killed him after condemning his treatment of the dead. Hagoromo completed the mission by capturing the injured chameleon, then revealed Raiga had belonged to Akatsuki, prompting Sasuke to ask about the organization.

• Hinata weakened Raiga with Twin Lions and Sun-Character Straight Punch, Sasuke disarmed him, and Naruto struck him down with a Wind Release: Rasengan.
• Naruto uncovered and reburied a body, then confronted Raiga over his mock funerals and killed him with a Yang Release Armament strike.
• Hagoromo praised his disciples and said he had captured the injured chameleon while they fought Raiga.
• Hagoromo sealed Raiga's corpse in a scroll and revealed that Raiga had been an Akatsuki member.
• Naruto asked what Akatsuki was, and Sasuke asked whether its members were all like Raiga.