Recaps

Naruto defeated Gaara in the exams but collapsed from his injuries, giving Neji the championship by default. After the exams, Soji helped resolve Pakura’s dispute with Sunagakure and reunited Naruto with his long-lost teacher before sending Naruto and Karin on a mission to Kusagakure for the Box of Paradise.

• Chiyo conceded to Sasuke, who advanced from the quarterfinals, but Neji quickly defeated him in the semifinal and urged him to fight again at full strength.
• Naruto and Gaara fought through escalating transformations, and Naruto entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode to defeat Shukaku and secure Gaara’s concession.
• Naruto’s injuries forced him to forfeit the final, so Neji won the championship by default as the Chunin Exams ended.
• Sunagakure recognized Pakura in Kirigakure’s delegation, and Rasa apologized for sending her to her death before accepting her demand for lower trade taxes.
• Soji and Pakura returned to Kirigakure, while Naruto and Karin later visited the injured Rock Lee and sensed an unknown stalker following them.
• Naruto discovered that the hidden figure was Mizuki, and Soji revealed he had subdued and controlled him after finding his illegal experiments in Orochimaru’s abandoned laboratory.
• Soji told Naruto and Karin about the Box of Paradise and its occupant, Satori, then assigned them an undercover mission to steal the treasure from Kusagakure.
• Soji and Minato revealed that Naruto and Karin would bait the Grass Fruit Faction into attacking, giving Konoha grounds to intervene and pursue the Box of Paradise.

Soji maneuvered Naruto and Karin into Kusagakure’s plot to open the Box of Paradise, while he worked with Ryūzetsu to pursue his own plans for Muku. The Box released Satori in Muku’s body, and Naruto began fighting the monster as Kusagakure’s leaders chose to submit to Konoha.

• Soji failed to form a ninth Truth-Seeking Orb, settled for his Half-Immortal Body, and began arranging Naruto’s danger to help Sasuke awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Soji exposed Naruto and Karin’s identities to Kusagakure, whose leaders captured them and brought Naruto to Hozuki Castle to open the Box of Paradise.
• Soji disguised himself as Rat-kun, stopped Ryūzetsu from rescuing Karin, and persuaded her to help him retrieve Muku’s corpse and study her Kekkei Genkai.
• Mui extracted Naruto and Kurama’s Chakra, which the Box absorbed before breaking its seal and emerging above ground.
• Mui wished for Muku’s revival, then attacked Kusagakure’s leaders when they demanded he change his wish.
• The Box produced a figure resembling Muku, who stabbed Mui, and Kurama revealed that Satori had emerged using Muku’s body and memories.
• Kusagakure’s leaders agreed to submit to Konoha, while Naruto entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and began fighting Satori.
• Satori transformed into its enormous true form and evaded Naruto’s attack, and Kurama revealed that it could read minds.

Soji defeated Satori, freed Muku’s soul, and returned to Konoha, where he helped set plans in motion around Akatsuki’s hunt for the Tailed Beasts. The story left several factions converging on Takigakure to contest the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki and its treasures.

• Soji healed Mui, defeated Satori, and removed the Box of Paradise’s evil Chakra from Muku, promising to revive him within five years.
• Naruto and Karin returned to Konoha with the sealed Box of Paradise and began investigating the identity of their Teacher.
• Soji reunited with Jiraiya, who learned that Minato and Kushina were alive, while Konoha prepared to bring Jiraiya back into Naruto’s training.
• Nagato convened Akatsuki early and assigned its members to begin capturing the Tailed Beasts, while Soji received reports and decided to intervene indirectly.
• Soji arranged for Team 7 to protect Takigakure’s Seven-Tails Jinchūriki, and Kakashi led Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura out of Konoha.
• Soji sent Kirigakure’s captains to Takigakure to confront Biwa Juzo and Hozuki Mangetsu and protect the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki.
• Orochimaru followed Soji’s intelligence to Takigakure with Ohm, Jugo, and Guren, while Shinnō and Suiken’s forces also prepared to pursue the Seven-Tails or seize Takigakure’s treasures.

A coup in Takigakure drew Team 7 and Kirigakure’s undercover forces into a fight against Akatsuki, while Fū and Suigetsu faced family and village conflicts. The arc left Biwa Juzo ready to return to Kirigakure’s service as an infiltrator, with more Akatsuki members heading toward Takigakure.

• Kakashi brought Team 7 to Takigakure, where Naruto recognized Fū as a fellow Jinchuriki and agreed to help her communicate with Chōmei.
• Suiken and Kiri invaded Takigakure to seize Hero Water, but Fū paralyzed the attackers and Kakashi’s team confronted Suiken after he drank the water.
• Kakuzu killed Suiken, then joined Hidan, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Biwa Juzo in targeting Naruto and Fū, while Kakuzu’s Hero Water-enhanced attack began a fight with Team 7.
• Hidan, Hozuki Mangetsu, and Biwa Juzo attacked Takigakure’s forces, but Raiga Kurosuki and the Kirigakure Anbu arrived and challenged the rogue ninja.
• Hozuki Mangetsu and Suigetsu fought in the forest, where Mangetsu repeatedly defeated his younger brother while teaching him Hozuki techniques.
• Shisui and Kisame captured Roshi, then received orders to support the Takigakure operation and capture Naruto as Sasori and Deidara set out for the village.
• Soji secretly met Kisame, took some of his Water Release Chakra, and ordered him to protect the young Konoha and Kirigakure shinobi in Takigakure.
• Raiga gave Biwa Juzo a scroll proving his assignment from Soji, and Juzo agreed to report Akatsuki’s actions to Kirigakure while maintaining his cover.