Chapter Summaries

Naruto overcame the Nine-Tails Chakra’s negative emotions by remembering his friends and gained control of his Four-Tails form, then struck Hikari and injured her. Hikari revealed her Complete Body Susanoo, while Naruto and Gaara continued to face her as Naruto began forming a fifth tail.

• Naruto was overwhelmed by hatred and loneliness from the Nine-Tails Chakra until Sasuke reminded him that he had friends and was not alone.
• Naruto recalled his friends and fellow Jinchuriki, controlled the Four-Tails power, and declared that he would become Hokage.
• Naruto charged Hikari and smashed her through trees, lightly injuring her despite her skeletal frame blocking the blow.
• Hikari summoned her Complete Body Susanoo and showed it to Sasuke, while Utakata, Yugimaru, and Fuu reacted to its immense power.
• Naruto refused to give up, asked Kurama for more Chakra, began growing a fifth tail, and formed a mass of Chakra in his mouth.

Naruto fired a Tailed Beast Bomb at Hikari, but she cut it apart with her Susanoo and remained unharmed. Determined to keep fighting, Naruto accepted the other Jinchuriki’s Chakra and became a towering armored Nine-Tails, ready to face her again.

• Naruto compressed a Tailed Beast Bomb and fired it at Hikari, but her Susanoo sliced it into pieces with Amaterasu-coated blades.
• Hikari told Naruto his attacks were too slow to threaten her, but Naruto refused to give up, and Fuu offered to transfer the other Tailed Beasts’ Chakra into him.
• Fuu, Gaara, Utakata, and Yugimaru used the Reverse Tailed Beast Dispersal Technique to pour their Chakra into Naruto, while Kurama helped ease his pain.
• Sasuke defended Naruto’s resolve when Sakura begged him to stop, then apologized to Sakura after realizing he had gone too far.
• Gaara used the last of his Chakra to cover Naruto in Sand Armor as Naruto transformed into a golden, patterned Nine-Tails and named their fusion technique Combined Tailed Beast.

Naruto and Kurama fought Hikari’s complete-body Susanoo in the Nine-Tails form, using sand armor and Shukaku’s weapons to make up for their poor coordination. Shukaku took control of Gaara and challenged Hikari to surrender the scroll.

• Naruto and Kurama joked about the name of their Nine-Tails form before turning their attention to Hikari.
• Naruto and Kurama charged Hikari, but their sand-armored Nine-Tails struggled against Susanoo’s strength until Naruto used its tails to recover from a blow.
• Hikari warned Naruto to control his strength and attacked with Susanoo’s crimson blades while Sasuke carried Sakura away from the battlefield.
• Kurama urged Naruto to use the Shukaku Spears on the Nine-Tails’ tails, and their strike forced Susanoo back and scratched its armor.
• Hikari recognized that the spearheads disrupted Chakra, and Shukaku took control of Gaara to boast about his weapons and demand that Hikari surrender the scroll.

Hikari punished Naruto and Shukaku with Amaterasu, then challenged Naruto to one final move. Their Tailed Beast Bomb and Yasakani no Magatama collided in a massive explosion that shook Konoha, leaving Senya worried that the fight had gotten out of control.

• Shukaku taunted Hikari, so she decided to teach Naruto and his allies a lesson.
• Hikari used Amaterasu on Kurama's tails, and the flames burned through Shukaku's Spear until she withdrew them with Kagutsuchi.
• Hikari promised to stop taking their scrolls if Naruto could withstand one final move.
• Naruto and Kurama formed a black-and-gold Tai Chi Tailed Beast Bomb, while Hikari prepared Yasakani no Magatama.
• The attacks collided and unleashed a huge shockwave that engulfed Naruto and Hikari, while Sasuke shielded Sakura from a distance.
• The explosion illuminated the sky and resounded throughout Konoha, and Senya feared the battle had gotten out of control.

After a Tailed Beast Bomb shook the Forest of Death, the visiting Kage demanded answers from Tsunade, who left Senya to explain. Senya revealed that multiple villages had entered Jinchuriki in the exams, and the leaders traded barbed accusations as Mei Terumi praised his role in freeing Kirigakure’s Fourth Mizukage.

• Ōnoki and Rasa demanded an explanation for the disturbance, while the Raikage suspected a Jinchuriki had used a Tailed Beast Bomb.
• Tsunade told the Kage that Senya had planned the exams, then punched him in the lower back and made him cough before he spoke.
• Senya said the disturbance was likely caused by Konoha’s Jinchuriki and claimed several villages had entered Jinchuriki in the exams.
• Ōnoki criticized the villages for relying on Jinchuriki, and Mei Terumi mocked him for not entering Roshi, who had left the village.
• Ōnoki taunted Mei about Kirigakure’s defeat by Konoha, and Mei praised Senya for helping free the Fourth Mizukage from Akatsuki’s control.

Mei Terumi won Tsunade over with an elaborate show of gratitude, strengthening Kirigakure’s alliance with Konoha and alarming the other villages. As the leaders considered the shifting balance of power, Obito and Black Zetsu advanced toward Konoha with a mercenary force.

• Mei Terumi praised Tsunade for helping Kirigakure prosper, and Tsunade embraced her as a sister and promised Konoha’s lasting support.
• Mei Terumi, Senya, and Tsunade each privately celebrated what they believed was a major gain, while Ōnoki and Rasa looked on.
• A and Killer B decided to stay out of the situation, and A worried that Kirigakure and Konoha could upset the balance of the Shinobi World.
• Konan concluded that Nagato should target the other villages and the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki before challenging Konoha or Kirigakure.
• Obito and Black Zetsu entered the Land of Fire with more than a thousand mercenary shinobi, whom Obito had recruited with a stolen billion ryo and a bounty to attack Konoha.

Hikari defeated Naruto and the other Jinchuriki, then took their scrolls, but Naruto's teammates helped him accept the loss. Hikari returned the scrolls after mistaking Naruto and Sasuke's reconciliation for a romantic confession.

• Kurama told Naruto that the seal limited how much Chakra he could provide, and Naruto admitted that they had lost.
• Hikari took the scrolls from Utakata, Gaara, and Fuu, then demanded Naruto's scrolls.
• Sasuke and Sakura urged Naruto not to give up, but Naruto handed Hikari his team's scrolls and apologized to them.
• Sasuke punched Naruto for apologizing, then embraced him and said that they were brothers and teammates.
• Hikari mistook the embrace for a romance and returned the scrolls as a red envelope and reward.
• Sasuke rejected Hikari's misunderstanding, took his team's Heaven Scroll, and joked that she could give him the red envelope when he married.

Hikari hunted down examinee teams in the Forest of Death, taking their scrolls while marking them and leaving them alive. She met Maruboshi Kosuke and Kisame at the tower, where Kisame explained that two taijutsu specialists had injured him.

• Hikari left Naruto and Sasuke’s group, and the others carried the unconscious Gaara, Yugimaru, Utakata, Fuu, and Suigetsu into a cave.
• Fuu woke and found her scroll missing, while Sasuke stopped Naruto from revealing their connection to Hikari; the recovered teams then left to hunt for scrolls.
• Hikari spent half a day taking scrolls from teams and marking them, then counted six Heaven Scrolls and eight Earth Scrolls before resting overnight.
• After recovering her Chakra, Hikari resumed hunting and later went to the tower with her collected scrolls.
• Maruboshi Kosuke arrived at the tower, followed by an injured Kisame, who said Guy’s disciple and a Hidden Sand taijutsu fighter using the Seven Day Call Method had broken his right hand.

Hikari, Kisame, and Maruboshi Kosuke gathered the Chunin Exam scrolls they had seized and planned to sell most of them for 500,000 ryo each. Hayama Shirakumo explained why the examiners would not interfere, while Kisame frightened a rookie examiner and learned his book on friendly communication was not helping.

• Kisame’s kick had broken his right hand, so Maruboshi Kosuke urged him to visit a Medical Ninja before he developed problems in old age.
• Hikari counted thirty Earth Scrolls and thirty-four Heaven Scrolls, and the group decided to sell sixty for 500,000 ryo each while keeping four for promotion.
• A rookie examiner objected to their plan, but Hayama Shirakumo said no exam rule forbade selling scrolls and explained the three participants’ standing in Konoha.
• Kisame startled the rookie examiner while trying to exchange scrolls, and the examiner fled without completing the trade.
• Hayama advised Kisame to speak normally and told him that How to Communicate Kindly with People was meant for ordinary people, not ninja.

Hikari, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Maruboshi Kosuke advertised their scroll shop at the central tower, and examinees flocked there to buy scrolls or trade ninja tools. As the poor teams began fighting over money nearby, Tenten and Neji’s team paid with kunai and headed into the tower.

• Hikari used her complete Susanoo to broadcast the scroll shop’s prices across the Forest of Death, prompting examinees to head for the central tower.
• Ajisai and her teammates bought one Earth Scroll and two Heaven Scrolls by paying with 150 Explosive Tags.
• Several teams discovered they had been robbed of scrolls and began fighting near the shop to gather money for purchases.
• Tenten traded more than two hundred kunai for two sets of Heaven and Earth Scrolls, then told Neji he had to cover her meals for two months.

Ino lamented her lack of romantic prospects while Shikamaru bought scrolls for Team Ten and led his teammates into the tower. Hinata developed hopes of one day being with Senya after meeting Hikari, who gave her scrolls and encouragement before announcing a confusing discount to the remaining ninja.

• Ino envied Tenten and Sakura for being teamed with people they liked, while Shikamaru explained Team Ten's formation and complained that women were troublesome.
• Shikamaru paid Maruboshi Kosuke two million ryo for two pairs of Heaven Scrolls, and Team Ten entered the tower.
• Hinata recognized that Hikari wore Senya's clothes and wondered about Hikari's relationship with him, then realized she might still have a chance with Senya.
• Hikari gave Hinata two pairs of scrolls and encouraged her to do her best, telling her she would have to wait until she grew older.
• After Hinata, Shino, and Kiba entered the tower, Hikari announced that scrolls were half off, but stated a price of one million ryo per scroll, leaving everyone stunned.

Hikari’s team charged the remaining Chunin Exam teams four million ryo for scrolls, and several teams paid to pass. Shiro’s team struggled to afford the fee, and Yome handed Shiro her savings while he mistakenly believed it was a loan, leaving Sen suspicious of their misunderstanding.

• Hayama Shirakumo overheard Hikari’s absurdly phrased discount and watched Kisame defend the price to Shiro.
• Utakata’s team, Fuu’s team, Kurotsuchi’s team, Omoi’s team, and Gaara each obtained scrolls by paying or providing goods worth four million ryo.
• Shiro, Sen, and Yome realized they could not afford the scrolls, while Sen explained she had spent her savings making White Velvet Iron Fans.
• Yome offered her two million ryo savings, which she had set aside as a marriage dowry, and Shiro proposed borrowing the other two million from another team.
• Shiro promised to repay Yome, mistook her shy response for anger, and bowed in apology; Yome gave him her check while thinking he had accepted her marriage proposal.
• Sen watched Shiro and Yome and suspected they had misunderstood each other.

Shiro, Yome, and Sen joined the second exam’s chaotic battle for money, with Shiro using his taijutsu to defeat a Hidden Stone team before the trio robbed a Hidden Cloud team. They became the first team to win the melee and reach Hikari.

• Shiro chose a Hidden Stone team and a Hidden Cloud team as targets, while Sen and Yome prepared to support him.
• Shiro activated the third stage of the Seven Day Call Method and knocked out the Hidden Stone captain, then injured the other two team members.
• Genin from more than a hundred teams began attacking one another to steal money for the Scroll Shop.
• Hayama Shirakumo watched the melee while eating the extravagant bento his wife had packed.
• Shiro finished defeating the Hidden Stone team, then he and Sen robbed an easier Hidden Cloud team.
• Shiro, Yome, and Sen reached Hikari as the first team to win the chaotic melee.

Shiro, Sen, and Yome secured the scrolls and passed the second exam, joining the other successful teams in the tower. Senya announced that the fifty-four genin would face one-on-one battles for a chance to reach the third exam, while Naruto eagerly prepared to open his scrolls.

• Shiro canceled the Seven Day Call Method, and he and Sen handed their seized Ninja Tool Pouches to Yome to pay Uchiha Hikari for Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
• Sen, Shiro, and Yome exchanged scrolls with Hayama Shirakumo for a Human Scroll and entered the tower, passing the exam.
• Eighteen teams, totaling fifty-four genin, passed the second exam, and Senya and the village leaders arrived at the tower.
• Naruto celebrated his success, Sasuke told him to stop making a fool of himself, and Killer B gave Naruto an approving thumbs-up.
• Senya announced that the genin would fight one-on-one for a chance to participate in the third exam and explained that talent could also earn promotion.
• Senya hinted that the Heaven and Earth Scrolls contained rewards, and Naruto eagerly took out his scrolls to open them.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura opened their rewards, and the healing potion restored Naruto’s injuries and chakra. A sudden attack led by Obito interrupted the Chunin Exams, and Senya mobilized the examinees to join the defense of Konoha.

• Naruto drank a healing potion that restored his wounds, much of his chakra, and the damage from his Tailed Beast Transformation.
• Sasuke and Sakura received Uchiha ninja tools and the Water Wall technique, while other examinees opened and traded their B-rank ninjutsu rewards.
• Senya sensed Obito approaching with White Zetsu and Impure World Reincarnation ninjas, canceled the one-on-one matches, and sent the examinees to battle for points and mission rewards.
• Senya and Tsunade rushed to Konoha’s southern gate, while Mei Terumi followed and Ōnoki, Rasa, and A held back.
• Kabuto led Root and Anbu against the attackers as Orochimaru recognized the enemy corpses as Impure World Reincarnation.

Orochimaru and the Konoha forces confronted Obito, Hiruko, and reanimated Kage outside Konoha’s southern gate. As the former Kage fought their enemies, Senya and A launched a combined attack on Obito, leaving the outcome unresolved.

• Orochimaru summoned Manda, which failed to bite through Hozuki Gengetsu’s giant clam.
• Obito emerged from a spatial vortex with Hiruko, Hozuki Gengetsu, Mu, and the Third Kazekage reanimated under Akatsuki’s control.
• Senya, Tsunade, Hikari, Mei Terumi, and the others arrived, and Senya taunted Obito as Ōnoki and Rasa recognized their reanimated teachers.
• Orochimaru explained that the reanimated Kage could only be sealed, prompting Ōnoki and Rasa to join the fight while Mei Terumi attacked the enemy forces.
• Senya urged A to fight, then used Susanoo and Qianyue’s thrusters to launch A toward the giant clam.
• A changed his attack to a Lightning Release elbow strike as he hurtled toward the clam.

Senya’s forces halted Obito’s army, and Obito summoned Uchiha Madara through Impure World Reincarnation. Senya confronted Madara over the Uchiha stone tablet and his emerging Rinnegan, while Konan pieced together Obito’s plan and sent her findings to Nagato.

• Senya’s allies attacked Obito and Hiruko; Tsunade unleashed Wood Release and struck Hiruko down with a Painful Sky Kick.
• Obito ordered Black Zetsu to summon Uchiha Madara, who emerged through Impure World Reincarnation and demanded an explanation.
• Madara fought Tsunade briefly, then Obito revealed Senya’s power and the two Uchiha faced off across the battlefield.
• Senya shielded Tsunade, then mocked Madara by claiming he had succeeded where Madara had failed and become the Hokage’s man.
• Senya told Madara that Yin-Yang Release could alter the Uchiha stone tablet and showed him his azure-blue Rinnegan; Madara realized his own revived body could not activate its Rinnegan.
• Konan connected the clues to Obito’s plan involving Nagato and Madara’s revival, then sent her deductions to Nagato on a paper crane.

Senya refused to keep arguing with Madara and faced him in battle, while Madara insisted that Infinite Tsukuyomi was the only path to peace. Senya wounded Madara with his first strike, then mocked the Hashirama Senju face embedded in Madara’s chest.

• Madara defended Infinite Tsukuyomi and challenged Senya to settle their disagreement through battle.
• Obito returned Madara’s Uchiha Gunbai, and Madara prepared to fight Senya with the fan and sickle.
• Senya summoned Susanoo and transformed Qianyue with Bankai—Tengu’s Blade before launching Moon Fang Slash.
• Madara used Seal Absorption but failed to reflect the full attack in time, and the slash cut deeply across his chest.
• Senya blocked the reflected force with his blade’s chain and taunted Madara about keeping Hashirama Senju close to his heart.

Senya distracted Madara by teasing him about Hashirama’s face appearing on his chest, then fought him with their Complete Body Susanoo. Senya copied Madara’s ocular techniques with Yachihoko and used Banshō Ten'in to pull Madara toward him.

• Madara denied leaving Konoha over Mito Uzumaki and blamed Hashirama’s flawed path for the shinobi wars, while Senya kept pressing him about Hashirama’s face on his chest.
• Madara explained that Hashirama’s cells had caused the face to appear, and Senya boasted that he was nearing the Rinnegan without transplanting those cells.
• Madara’s chest returned to normal, and he and Senya summoned their Complete Body Susanoo and clashed blades.
• Senya used Wabisuke to make Madara’s blade heavier, but Madara restored it with Asura Path—Reforge and drove Senya back with Spicy Stuffing.
• Senya secretly marked Madara with Yachihoko, copied his ocular techniques, and used Banshō Ten'in to pull him toward himself.

Senya and Madara’s clash of attraction and repulsion created a powerful Planetary Devastation, and Senya then drained Madara’s Chakra with Qianyue’s help. Madara failed to summon Kurama from Naruto and ended the chapter cursing Hashirama; an author’s note followed.

• Senya and Madara’s opposing gravitational powers formed a Planetary Devastation that pulled in nearby fighters.
• Senya and Madara shattered the sphere with Yasakani no Magatama, scattering rocks and injuring ninjas as Tsunade treated them and the Sealing Force captured enemies.
• Senya revealed that he could siphon Chakra from Madara, then called Qianyue to increase the drain.
• Qianyue took human form and helped Senya absorb Madara’s Chakra, prompting Madara to abandon their absorption contest and summon the Nine-Tails.
• Naruto doubled over in pain as Kurama resisted Madara’s summon, and Madara blamed Hashirama for sealing Kurama inside a Jinchuriki.