Recaps

Hyuga Soji trained to control his future while forming ties with Hiashi, Hizashi, and his Academy classmates, as Minato Namikaze’s talent drew attention. When war began, Konoha’s forces struck Sunagakure and Kirigakure, leaving both villages weakened and the conflict focused on Iwagakure and Kumogakure.

• Hyuga Soji recovered his memories, awakened his Byakugan, and persuaded Hyuga Kumokawa to teach him the Gentle Fist as he resolved to grow strong enough to control his own fate.
• Soji trained with Hyuga Hiashi and Hizashi, then prevented Hizashi from receiving the Caged Bird Curse Mark by asking to choose his punishment and began looking for ways to undermine the clan’s unfair rules.
• Soji enrolled in the Ninja Academy, befriended Minato Namikaze and other classmates, and surpassed Uchiha Homura in a throwing contest before Minato’s perfect score drew the village’s attention.
• Jiraiya took Minato away for two months of training, then returned him to Konoha and sent him back to school while the village prepared to fight multiple enemy villages.
• Hyuga Kumokawa joined Hatake Sakumo and Tsunade’s force against Sunagakure, where Konoha’s troops defeated and captured the opposing force in a surprise attack.
• Jiraiya and Orochimaru led Konoha’s attack on Kirigakure, using Gamabunta and Manda to overwhelm the mist-covered battlefield, though a hidden Kirigakure survivor killed a captured jōnin before taking his own life.
• The Third Kazekage and Third Mizukage held back from counterattacking, while Genji resolved to find a successor for Kirigakure’s leader.
• Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru reported their victories to the Third Hokage, whose leaders celebrated having reduced Konoha’s opponents to Iwagakure and Kumogakure.

Soji grows close to Minato, Kushina, and Homura as they graduate and form a four-person squad under Jiraiya. Their first dangerous mission ends with them defeating Steel Bone through teamwork, and Jiraiya takes the injured team to recover in Hot Spring Town.

• Ōnoki and the Third Raikage agreed to attack Konoha together, while Soji continued his Academy training as the war remained on the borders.
• Soji and Uchiha Homura sparred, and Homura awakened his one-tomoe Sharingan before Soji defeated him and encouraged him to train his body and Sharingan.
• The Third Hokage learned that the Land of Whirlpools had fallen, and Danzo returned to Konoha with the surviving Kushina Uzumaki and the clan’s treasures.
• Soji and Minato Namikaze rescued Kushina from Kumogakure kidnappers, and Minato reassured her about her red hair as Soji resolved to protect his friends and change the future.
• Soji, Minato, Kushina, and Homura graduated as a four-person squad, chose techniques from the Scroll of Seals, and began training under Jiraiya.
• Jiraiya sent the squad to clear threats in the Land of Fire, and Minato led Soji and Homura in an ambush against Steel Bone and his men while Kushina guarded their retreat.
• Steel Bone’s Steel Release resisted the squad’s attacks, but Soji, Minato, and Homura exploited its vulnerable areas and killed him with a coordinated plan.
• Kushina defeated Lihuo after he threatened the wounded squad, and Jiraiya revealed he had followed them before taking the injured boys and Kushina to Hot Spring Town to recover.

Soji grieved Hyuga Kumokawa, awakened Ice Release, and fought in the war that ended with Konoha’s victory and a lasting peace. After reconnecting with his friends, he sought research equipment for his Tenseigan plan, but his raid on an institute brought him into conflict with Kakuzu.

• Jiraiya led the injured Soji, Uchiha Homura, and Minato Namikaze to a hospital, and the Third Hokage later promoted Soji, Homura, Minato, and Kushina Uzumaki to chunin.
• After four years suppressing rogue ninjas, Soji challenged Minato to a spar and lost when Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• The Third Hokage summoned the squad, but an Anbu report revealed that Hanzō had defeated Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, and that Hyuga Kumokawa was critically injured.
• Hyuga Kumokawa told Soji to protect the Hyuga Clan and gave him scrolls before dying, and Soji’s grief awakened Ice Release, and he created Ice Breath.
• Soji became a Special Jonin, developed several Ice Release techniques, and joined the war in the Land of Waves to avenge Kumokawa.
• Soji and Uchiha Homura fought beside Hatake Sakumo as Konoha ambushed Sunagakure, and Soji found Chiriku Iki and Chiriku Rokutsuki, and Chiriku Iki died after entrusting Sasori to Chiyo.
• Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure made peace with Konoha, ending the ten-year war, and Soji later spent time with Minato, Homura, Kushina, and Mikoto Uchiha.
• Soji sought research equipment through the Black Market, then entered Shiratori Hane’s institute and killed Shiratori, and Kakuzu killed the remaining researchers and identified Soji as Ember, his target.

Soji expanded his Ice Release abilities, secured Orochimaru’s research, and intervened to save Hatake Sakumo before leaving Konoha for Kirigakure. There, he joined the Yuki Clan under the name Mizuki Ember and began a duel with Mizuki Fuukaze as the clan’s champion.

• Soji fought Kakuzu, then agreed to divide their spoils from the laboratory before Konoha investigators identified the Ice Release fighter as Ember.
• Soji traded Byakugan to Orochimaru for genetic research materials and a Summoning Beast contract, then secretly collected blood samples from Hyuga clansmen.
• Soji trained with Might Duy and Might Guy, combining Ice Release with Gentle Fist and demonstrating his new technique against Duy’s Morning Peacock.
• Soji helped Hatake Sakumo survive his despair by bringing him the Fire Daimyo’s offer of a new position, and Sakumo left Konoha with Kakashi alive.
• Soji revealed his Ice Release to Minato, arranged for Minato to maintain his Shadow Clone, and left Konoha for Kirigakure under the identity of Ember.
• Soji crossed into the Land of Water, entered Kirigakure in disguise, and persuaded Mizuki Fuukaze to let him join the Yuki Clan as Mizuki Ember.
• Soji agreed to challenge the Seven Ninja Swordsmen on the Yuki Clan’s behalf, then fought Fuukaze and destroyed several of his Ice Mirrors before Fuukaze launched Ice Dragon Twin Kill.