Chapter Summaries

Hiruzen learned that Naruto and Sasuke had revealed powerful abilities, while Naruto suspected Danzo had driven Naruto to hide his talent. At the Forest of Death exam, Naruto sensed a suspicious intruder targeting Sasuke and turned back to watch the confrontation.

• Hiruzen heard Ibiki report Naruto's genjutsu talent and Sasuke's Three Tomoe Sharingan, then recalled Naruto's early talent and suspected Danzo had caused him to hide it.
• Anko announced the second exam's rules at the Forest of Death, and Naruto sensed several powerful candidates, including Gaara, Neji, Rock Lee, and a suspicious Kusagakure participant whose Chakra had changed since the previous day.
• Naruto gave the team's scroll to Sakura and set code names for Team 7 before the exam began.
• Naruto and Sasuke split up to compete for the other scroll, leaving Sakura behind, while the suspicious participant changed course and headed toward Sasuke.
• Naruto concealed his Chakra and turned back toward Sasuke, suspecting the intruder intended to lure him away.

Sasuke encountered Orochimaru disguised as a Grass ninja in the Forest of Death and fought to survive Orochimaru’s attacks. The chapter ended with Sasuke trapping Orochimaru in wires and launching his Dragon Fire Technique.

• Sasuke mistook a disguised Orochimaru for Sakura, rejected the deception, and challenged him after Orochimaru revealed an Earth scroll.
• Orochimaru’s killing intent briefly stiffened Sasuke, but Sasuke recovered with his Three Tomoe Sharingan and struck Orochimaru with Chidori after catching him in a genjutsu.
• Orochimaru’s apparent body turned out to be an Earth Clone, and he attacked Sasuke with a giant snake and a powerful gale.
• Sasuke evaded Orochimaru’s attacks, used shuriken and wires to bind him to a tree, then fired the Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique.

Sasuke fought Orochimaru through an exhausting battle of clones, taijutsu, and ninjutsu while searching for his hidden real body. He finally found Orochimaru inside a tree and struck him with Chidori: Sharp Spear, leaving his fate uncertain.

• Sasuke's fire attack appeared to burn Orochimaru, but Orochimaru surprised him with a close-range punch barrage and a volley of kunai.
• Sasuke swallowed a Carefree Pill to replenish his Chakra while Orochimaru watched and prepared to continue testing him.
• Sasuke and Orochimaru clashed in taijutsu and ninjutsu, and Orochimaru blocked Sasuke's Great Fireball with a water barrier.
• Sasuke paralyzed Orochimaru with a Lightning Clone and struck him with Front Lotus, but the body turned into a puddle of mud.
• Sasuke found Orochimaru hiding inside a tree and attacked him with Chidori: Sharp Spear, cutting the tree down and revealing a person cut in half.

Sasuke fought Orochimaru for two hours, exhausting his chakra and pills while learning that Orochimaru knew Itachi and wanted his body. Naruto arrived just before Orochimaru could bite Sasuke, and prepared to show him how to defeat such an enemy.

• Sasuke cut Orochimaru in half with Chidori: Sharp Spear, but Orochimaru escaped using his snake-shedding technique and praised Sasuke's abilities.
• Orochimaru summoned a swarm of snakes, and Sasuke countered with Lightning Release: Thousand Flash before asking who Orochimaru was and why he knew Itachi.
• Orochimaru intensified the fight, and Sasuke repeatedly used Chidori: Sharp Spear as their battle flattened trees and frightened Team Ten nearby.
• After two hours of fighting, Sasuke ran out of Carefree Pills and chakra, and Orochimaru trapped him in a genjutsu before moving in to bite him.
• Naruto severed Orochimaru's extended neck, gave Sasuke a Blue Carefree Pill, and stopped him from attacking as Naruto promised to demonstrate how to defeat Orochimaru.

Naruto fought Orochimaru in front of Sasuke, demonstrating overwhelming Lightning Release and Fire Release techniques. Orochimaru escaped into a tree, while Sasuke was left stunned by Naruto’s power.

• Naruto recognized Orochimaru and challenged her while Sasuke watched.
• Orochimaru lunged at Naruto, who struck her with a rapid barrage of Lightning Release: Gatling and destroyed her body.
• Orochimaru emerged from a snake and decided to retreat as Konoha ninja approached.
• Orochimaru began escaping through a tree and warned Naruto and Sasuke they would meet again.
• Naruto showed Sasuke Fire Release: Majestic Fire Destruction, setting the forest ablaze and astonishing him.

Naruto captured Orochimaru after devastating the Forest of Death, interrogated him with genjutsu, and used him as a target to demonstrate powerful techniques to Sasuke. The chapter ended with Kakashi and Anko arriving as Naruto recognized Kakashi in Anbu disguise.

• Kakashi entered the Forest of Death in Anbu gear after learning Orochimaru had infiltrated the exam.
• Naruto found Orochimaru hiding as a small snake, force-fed him Carefree Pills, and interrogated him with genjutsu about his plans.
• Naruto controlled Orochimaru and demonstrated increasingly powerful Rasengan techniques to Sasuke, including Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
• Naruto unleashed a Super Wind Style: Rasenshuriken that carved a huge crater, while deliberately letting Orochimaru escape to carry out the Konoha Collapse Plan.
• Kakashi, Anko Mitarashi, and nine Anbu arrived, and Naruto recognized the white-haired Anbu as looking like Kakashi-sensei.

Naruto told Kakashi and Anko that he had driven off the tongue-wielding ninja, then hurried back with Sasuke to find Sakura. The team reunited with both exam scrolls, and Naruto discovered that their captive red-haired opponent was Karin Uzumaki.

• Naruto joked with Anko about the ninja he had fought before admitting that he had used the powerful ninjutsu Kakashi witnessed.
• Kakashi sent Anko and the other Anbu onward to search while Naruto and Sasuke went back to find Sakura.
• Sasuke asked Naruto to teach him Fire Style, and Naruto directed him to learn from Teacher Leopard instead.
• Naruto and Sasuke found Sakura, who had defeated and bound a Genin team from the Land of Grass and claimed its Book of Earth.
• Naruto praised Sakura for securing the scroll and asked the red-haired captive her name; she introduced herself as Karin Uzumaki.

Naruto met Karin, recognized her as an Uzumaki, and invited her to join Team 7 on the way to the Central Tower. After learning Kusagakure had exploited her, he decided to destroy the village under Uchiha Obito’s identity so Karin could stay in Konoha.

• Naruto introduced himself to Karin as another Uzumaki, and she grew warm to him despite her doubts about his blond hair.
• Naruto chose to head for the Central Tower with Sasuke and Sakura, then invited Karin to travel with them.
• Karin told Naruto that people could restore Chakra and heal injuries by biting her, and Naruto learned Kusagakure had used her as a tool.
• Sakura encouraged Karin to stay in Konoha, while Sasuke pointed out that the exam rules required her to return to Kusagakure afterward.
• Naruto decided to destroy Kusagakure using a clone disguised as Uchiha Obito, both to free Karin and to test his Mangekyō Sharingan’s Kamui.

Orochimaru escaped Naruto’s pursuit with his memories of their encounter sealed, while Naruto and his teammates reached the Central Tower and met other exam teams. A pair of reporters singled Naruto out for an interview, and Kankuro grew irritated by their favorable treatment of Konoha.

• Orochimaru’s sealed memories were replaced with fabricated ones, and he sensed Anbu pursuers before hiding underground.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura reached the Central Tower, where only two teams had opened doors, including Hinata’s Team Eight and Gaara’s team.
• Naruto and his teammates entered the tower and encountered Kiba and Hinata, who warned them about the dangerous red-haired Sand ninja.
• Toma Taihei and his cameraman approached Naruto and interviewed him, while Kankuro complained that the reporters treated Konoha’s teams more favorably.
• Naruto read the reporters’ proposed headlines, including one calling him the Sun of Konoha, and decided Light of Konoha was more appropriate.

Hinata recalled how she had fallen in love with Naruto as he was interviewed by Uchiha Liutong in disguise and later learned that Hinata liked him. After the others dispersed, Naruto headed into the forest to raid Kusagakure disguised as Uchiha Obito.

• Hinata remembered Naruto protecting and encouraging her since childhood while she watched him during the interview.
• Uchiha Liutong, disguised as Toma Taihei, interviewed Naruto and wrote down a story after Hinata fainted when Naruto winked at her.
• Kiba told Naruto that Hinata liked him, and Naruto admitted he had known about her feelings but had not rejected her.
• Sasuke dismissed Sakura's feelings as a boring love game, leaving Sakura upset as she listened from the hallway.
• Naruto left the rooftop and transformed into Uchiha Obito to begin a nighttime raid on Kusagakure, while Shino realized everyone had forgotten him.

Naruto disguised himself as Uchiha Obito and attacked Kusagakure to make Obito seem cruel and infamous. After killing Elder Oxhead and destroying the village, he left three witnesses alive and kicked a dog for a staged photograph.

• Naruto chose Obito’s Tiger Skin Mask and attacked Kusagakure with Fire Style, setting buildings ablaze.
• Elder Oxhead ordered the village’s ninja to mobilize and learned that Karin was away in Konoha for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Naruto appeared before Elder Oxhead, was identified as Uchiha Obito, and killed him with Wood Style after trapping him in a genjutsu.
• Naruto’s intangibility let him evade the ninja’s weapons, and he pinned three fleeing witnesses with wooden spikes so they could spread the story.
• Naruto burned Kusagakure to ruins, kicked a dog that attacked him, and had an official photographer capture the incident.

Team 7 and Team Eight read a report claiming Uchiha Obito destroyed Kusagakure, while Naruto privately considered the survivors he had stored in the Kamui Dimension. In a cave, Zetsu suspected the newspaper’s Mangekyō belonged to Obito and wondered what Obito was hiding, but chose not to confront him.

• Team 7 and Team Eight read the Shinobi World Daily’s story and photographs accusing Uchiha Obito of destroying Kusagakure and kicking a dog.
• Sasuke blamed Obito for the Uchiha clan’s destruction, Nine-Tails Night, and the Bloody Mist, while Naruto privately knew the Kusagakure victims had been stored in the Kamui Dimension.
• Kiba asked what Obito’s goal was, and Sasuke said Obito’s motives could not be predicted.
• Tobi asked Obito what the urge to poop felt like, but Obito remained listless in the cave after becoming a wanted fugitive.
• Zetsu noticed that the Mangekyō in the newspaper matched Obito’s eye and suspected Obito was hiding something from him.
• Zetsu decided not to question Obito, fearing a confrontation could cost him his last ally and chance to rescue his mother.

Naruto sent Uzumaki Goudan to gather escaped Grass shinobi and plan the Land of Grass’s development, then strengthened its defenses. The next day, Obito remained distressed by the Shinobi World Daily and scandalous stories about him.

• Naruto told Uzumaki Goudan to gather the surviving Grass shinobi and prepare a medium- and long-term development plan for the Land of Grass.
• Uzumaki Goudan left using Flying Thunder God, eager to build a city he planned to call Free Gotham.
• Naruto equipped Uzumaki Goudan with a Jonin template, 108 Generals, and 1080 Chunin to protect the Land of Grass.
• Naruto dispelled his isolation seal after Sasuke knocked on the restroom door and complained that he wanted privacy.
• White Zetsu Tobi brought Obito Lao Gandie family buckets and a newspaper, while Obito lamented the wanted notices and scandalous comics about him and Rin.

Uchiha Obito discovered that the Shinobi World Daily had blamed him for destroying Kusagakure and exposing his Mangekyō abilities, so he set out to confront the supposed culprit, Uchiha Daitō. He arrived near a castle in the Land of Grass and was immediately swarmed by bounty hunters, including Kakuzu, who wanted the billion-ryo bounty.

• Obito stayed hidden in his cave for three months, avoiding gossip and growing more relaxed and plump while Nagato continued collecting the tailed beasts.
• White Zetsu showed Obito newspaper reports and photos of someone with his appearance and Mangekyō Sharingan being accused of destroying Kusagakure.
• Obito concluded that the person in the reports was not him and decided to find Uchiha Daitō, whom Tobi called his biological brother.
• Obito traveled to a forest near a castle in the Land of Grass, where the last Kusagakure jōnin squad was reportedly sheltered.
• Bounty hunters attacked Obito as soon as he appeared, and he phased through their attacks while the crowd surrounded him.
• Kakuzu arrived, recognized Obito, and prepared to claim the billion-ryo bounty.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura read about Uchiha Obito’s latest attack before Naruto gave Sasuke and Sakura his Chakra-restoring Curse Mark of Heaven. The team then hurried off as the competition was about to end.

• Team 7 read that Uchiha Obito had escaped a shinobi ambush after attacking Kusagakure’s last survivor, while Naruto realized the real Obito had shown up unexpectedly.
• Naruto noticed a small report that the Daimyo of the Land of Grass had choked to death shortly after Uzumaki Goudan arrived.
• Sasuke told Sakura to stop speaking in an affected, cute voice, leaving her embarrassed and Naruto amused.
• Naruto explained that his Curse Mark of Heaven could restore Chakra, then placed marks on Sasuke and Sakura; Sasuke felt itching and pain, while Sakura felt nothing.
• Naruto checked the time and told Sasuke and Sakura to hurry because the competition was about to end.

Naruto gathered with the examinees who had passed the second stage and anticipated drawing Kabuto Yakushi as his opponent in the preliminary round. Kabuto withdrew before the matches began, disrupting Naruto’s plan.

• Twenty-one examinees from seven teams gathered in the Central Tower hall, and Naruto noticed Hinata and Ino looking at him.
• Sasuke felt itching from Orochimaru’s curse mark as Orochimaru watched him, while Gaara and Rock Lee focused on Naruto and the other strong opponents.
• Neji wondered how Naruto had become so strong and resolved to test him in the matches.
• Naruto recalled arranging through genjutsu to draw Kabuto Yakushi as his opponent in the preliminary round.
• Anko Mitarashi announced the end of the second exam, and the Third Old Man explained that the third stage would include individual preliminary matches decided by drawing lots.
• Gekko Hayate announced that examinees could withdraw, and Kabuto Yakushi immediately raised his hand, ruining Naruto’s planned matchup.

Naruto tried to keep Kabuto from withdrawing, and Uchiha Liutong arranged for the draw to pair them, but the malfunctioning screen was redrawn. Naruto was matched with Neji instead, and their preliminary fight began with Neji mocking Naruto’s supposed weakness and Naruto preparing to prove his strength.

• Kabuto Yakushi withdrew from the exam, and Naruto suspected he might be a spy while ordering Uchiha Liutong to find a way to change the result.
• Uchiha Liutong hurried off, and the electronic board first displayed Naruto against Kabuto, prompting Hiruzen Sarutobi to call the screen faulty and order a redraw.
• The board paired Naruto with Hyuga Neji, and both accepted the match before the other examinees moved to the viewing platform.
• Neji mocked Naruto as a dead last and claimed his Byakugan had revealed Naruto’s fate.
• Naruto rejected Neji’s fatalism and declared that being a genius was only the threshold to meet him.

Naruto challenged Neji to a taijutsu fight and secretly learned Gentle Fist by watching him. The chapter ended with Naruto copying Neji’s opening stance and declaring that he would demonstrate his own Gentle Fist.

• Naruto declared that genius was only the threshold for meeting him, enraging Neji and prompting him to demand proof of Naruto’s strength.
• Neji activated his Byakugan and explained that the Hyuga clan’s Gentle Fist attacked chakra pathways and acupoints.
• Naruto chose to fight Neji using only taijutsu, dodging his attacks while appearing unable to fight back.
• Neji taunted Naruto and prepared to stop holding back, but Naruto’s talent had already let him learn Gentle Fist through observation.
• Naruto explained how Gentle Fist worked, assumed Neji’s stance, and announced that he would show Neji his own Gentle Fist.

Naruto defeated Neji by rapidly mastering Gentle Fist and overwhelming him with powerful techniques. After Naruto revealed his immense Chakra and punched through the hall wall with a move he called Buddha’s Palm, Neji was left stunned, and Naruto offered to teach him.

• Naruto copied Neji’s Gentle Fist and quickly mastered it by deflecting his attacks and striking his acupoints.
• Neji used Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, but Naruto countered with Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms and defeated him.
• Neji questioned how Naruto could locate Chakra pathways without the Byakugan, and Naruto said he could sense Chakra with his eyes closed.
• Neji rose again and challenged Naruto’s claims about fate, so Naruto released his sealed Chakra and shocked him with its immense volume.
• Naruto unleashed Buddha’s Palm, blasted a giant palm-shaped hole through the hall wall, and offered to teach the move to Neji.

Naruto encouraged Neji to reject fate, promised to help him change it as Hokage, and agreed to teach him the Gentle Fist. After revealing his talent to the arena, Naruto drew more attention and saw Hyuga Hinata matched against Gaara.

• Naruto helped Neji regain hope by promising to change his fate and teach him the Gentle Fist.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the watching Chunin recognized Naruto's talent after seeing him use the Gentle Fist.
• Naruto told Sasuke he had learned the Gentle Fist on the spot, and Sasuke asked whether he could learn it too.
• The electronic board announced Uchiha Sasuke versus Red Armored Armor, and Sasuke finished his match quickly.
• Naruto noticed Orochimaru and others watching him, then saw Hyuga Hinata matched against Gaara.