Chapter Summaries

Blood Shadow Soji and Reanimated Hashirama Senju fought across the Wood Human, but Soji’s power continued to fade while Hashirama’s Wood Style restored the giant construct. Soji then began filling the sky above the Forest of Death with blood-colored ice mirrors, forcing Hashirama to attack him before the technique could spread further.

• Blood Shadow Soji and Reanimated Hashirama Senju traded Ice Release and Wood Style attacks across the Wood Human, whose immense strength gave Hashirama an edge in close combat.
• The Wood Human shed the blood-colored ice covering its body and grew more robust, then sprouted thorns that knocked Blood Shadow Soji from its head and further weakened him.
• Blood Shadow Soji clasped his hands and summoned hundreds of moving blood-colored ice mirrors that spread across the sky near the Central Tower of the Forest of Death.
• Reanimated Hashirama Senju recognized the mirrors’ threat and used the Wood Human to destroy them while charging at Blood Shadow Soji himself.

Blood Shadow Soji spread thousands of blood-colored ice mirrors across half the Forest of Death, driving examinees toward the exits while keeping Reanimated Hashirama Senju at bay. As Soji grew nearly transparent and neared the end of his existence, he prepared to deliver one final strike.

• Examinees across the Forest of Death fled toward the exits as Soji's blood-colored ice mirrors spread, and teams paused their battles whenever the mirrors approached.
• The revised advancement rules turned the outer exits into contested ground, where weaker teams could ambush stronger ones and teams with both scrolls could leave the forest.
• Soji's mirrors covered half the Forest of Death, letting him attack Reanimated Hashirama Senju from different directions while the Wood Human and Hashirama struggled to destroy them.
• Hashirama mistook Soji for a member of the Yuki Clan and reflected on how Madara Uchiha would have relished facing such an opponent.
• As Soji became almost transparent, he stopped waiting for Hashirama to clear the mirrors and prepared his final strike.

Blood Shadow Soji used the shattered ice mirrors to unleash Ice Prison Cataclysm, trapping Reanimated Hashirama Senju inside a freezing blood-colored sphere. Soji dispersed before he could see whether the technique sealed Hashirama.

• Blood Shadow Soji shattered nearly ten thousand blood-red ice mirrors, startling Reanimated Hashirama Senju and sending examinees fleeing.
• Soji told the Third Hokage and Rasa that the mirrors were groundwork for a sealing technique, while withholding its details.
• Blood-red icy mist filled the Forest of Death, obscuring the Konoha staff’s view and driving some examinees to abandon the exams.
• Soji snapped his fingers and drew the mist into a sphere around the Central Tower, where it began freezing inward as Ice Prison Cataclysm.
• Blood Shadow Soji’s body turned transparent and dispersed before he could witness the technique’s effect on Reanimated Hashirama Senju.

Blood Shadow Soji’s Ice Prison Cataclysm continued after he dissipated, trapping Reanimated Hashirama Senju in a vast sphere of crimson ice. Hashirama was sealed, leaving the crisis at the second Chunin Exams mostly resolved while Orochimaru, Ohm, and the Reanimated Second Hokage remained threats.

• Blood Shadow Soji’s accumulated crimson ice mist began freezing inward, and Hashirama realized too late that Ice Prison Cataclysm had surrounded him and his Wood Human.
• Hashirama used Wood Release techniques and the Wood Human to attack the ice, but the crimson ice resisted and gradually froze the Wood Human.
• Hashirama summoned giant wooden hands to strike the ice sphere, then gave up when they also failed to break it.
• Hashirama sat down and awaited his fate as the crimson ice closed around him, reflecting that he lacked the strength and knowledge to escape.
• Ice Prison Cataclysm completely froze and sealed Hashirama, leaving the remaining threats at the second Chunin Exams for Naruto, Gaara, and Chiyo to face.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara forced Orochimaru to abandon his attempt to take Itachi’s body after Blood Shadow Soji sealed Reanimated Hashirama Senju. When Sasuke charged at Orochimaru alone, Orochimaru bit his neck and gave him a curse mark.

• Naruto and Sasuke arrived as Itachi’s Susanoo vanished and his Chakra ran out, then joined the fight against Orochimaru and the Reanimated Second Hokage.
• Gaara recovered from the poisonous pollen, protected Temari and Kankuro, and joined Naruto and Sasuke in battle.
• Naruto’s group and Orochimaru fled as Blood Shadow Soji unleashed Ice Prison Cataclysm and sealed Reanimated Hashirama Senju.
• Orochimaru gave up on taking Itachi’s body and ordered his allies to leave, while Sasuke challenged him and charged forward alone.
• Orochimaru stretched his neck, bit Sasuke, and inflicted a curse mark that sent Sasuke into agony.

Orochimaru planted the Heavenly Curse Mark on Sasuke and escaped while Naruto fought to control his anger with Gaara’s help. As Naruto faced Chiyo, Sakura broke free of her genjutsu, wounded Chiyo, and rejoined Naruto.

• Orochimaru branded Sasuke with the Heavenly Curse Mark, and Naruto caught his unconscious friend.
• Naruto attacked Orochimaru, but the Reanimated Second Hokage’s water technique blocked him and let Orochimaru escape.
• Gaara calmed Naruto before he lost control of the Nine-Tails Chakra, and Naruto thanked the Nine-Tails for its help.
• Naruto confronted Chiyo after noticing she had Sakura with her, while Gaara chose not to join the fight.
• Sakura broke free of Chiyo’s genjutsu, cut Chiyo with a kunai, and ran back to Naruto.

Sakura broke free from Chiyo's genjutsu, and Chiyo offered Naruto an Earth Scroll in exchange for a truce as the exam deadline approached. Naruto and Sakura accepted, then left the Forest of Death with the unconscious Sasuke to get him medical care, while Itachi stayed behind.

• Sakura broke free from Chiyo's Blood Dragon Eye Illusion and took over caring for Sasuke.
• Chiyo asked Naruto for a temporary truce and offered him an Earth Scroll so she could escape before the exam deadline.
• Naruto consulted Sakura, then accepted Chiyo's offer and let her leave with the Earth Scroll trade completed.
• Itachi told Sakura he could not treat Sasuke while the exam was ongoing and urged the team to leave the Forest of Death.
• Naruto carried Sasuke as he and Sakura left to seek treatment, while Itachi assured Naruto that Orochimaru would not return.

After Orochimaru’s attack was contained, Itachi left the Forest of Death with Fugaku Uchiha and Uchiha Homura, while Minato and the three Kage reflected on the crisis. The Chunin Exams continued under revised rules, and Soji proposed postponing the third stage and inviting nobles to watch it.

• Fugaku Uchiha and Uchiha Homura praised Itachi and took him from the Forest of Death; Homura assured Itachi that someone could help with his failing eyesight.
• Minato watched the others leave, then departed after confirming the danger had passed.
• The Third Hokage and Rasa relaxed when Orochimaru withdrew and their children and the examinees were safe.
• Shikamaru led Ino and Choji to win a scroll match with traps near the exit, making their team the first to pass the second stage.
• Soji proposed delaying the third stage by a month and inviting feudal lords and nobles to observe; Rasa and the Third Hokage agreed, and Rasa welcomed the chance to restore Sunagakure’s standing.

After the Chunin Exams’ second stage ended, the leaders agreed to hold the third stage a month later and invite the nations’ daimyo and nobles to watch. Chiyo apologized to Soji for abandoning her team, but she mistook his offer to reveal the truth about her clan’s past as an order to leave Kirigakure.

• Mizuki Ember proposed inviting the daimyo and nobles of all nations to Konoha for the third stage, and Rasa and the Third Hokage agreed.
• Chiyo reunited with Hozuki Suigetsu and Chojuro, apologized for worrying them, and left the Forest of Death with them after they secured the scrolls.
• Naruto’s and Gaara’s teams exited the Forest of Death at the deadline and advanced, while Anko announced that the third stage would take place in one month.
• The Uchiha Clan took Sasuke away, and the second stage ended without the preliminary matches planned in the original events.
• Chiyo prostrated herself before Soji and admitted that she had abandoned her team to pursue her grudge against the Uchiha Clan.
• Soji gave Chiyo an address where she could learn the truth about her past, but she panicked and begged him not to make her leave Kirigakure.

Soji sent Chiyo to meet Oyakiro Homura, the father she had not seen in three years, so she could learn the truth about her family and the feud between the Chinoike and Uchiha Clans. Their reunion left Chiyo startled but eager to hear what he knew, while Oyakiro Homura asked her to share breakfast with him first.

• Hozuki Suigetsu and Chojuro mistakenly believed Soji planned to exile Chiyo, but Soji corrected them and gave Chiyo an address in Konoha.
• Soji explained that the address belonged to Chiyo's biological father, Oyakiro Homura, and hoped their reunion would bring Homura's resources to Kirigakure.
• Chiyo followed the address to a mansion in Konoha and recognized Oyakiro Homura, her former captor and the owner of the underground gladiatorial arena where she had trained.
• Oyakiro Homura told Chiyo he knew about the Chinoike-Uchiha feud and her parents, then asked her to have breakfast with him before sharing what he knew.

Chiyo shared breakfast with Oyakiro Homura, whose unexpectedly gentle behavior weakened her hostility as she sought answers about her parents. Oyakiro revealed that she was his daughter, Oyakiro Chiyo, and showed her the truth of her past through a Ketsuryūgan genjutsu, ending with the revelation that he had deliberately let her escape the underground arena.

• Oyakiro Homura asked Chiyo to have breakfast with him, and she cautiously accepted despite suspecting it might be poisoned.
• Chiyo ate the meal Oyakiro had prepared and was surprised by how well it suited her tastes, though she remained wary and demanded the truth afterward.
• Oyakiro removed his sunglasses and revealed his Ketsuryūgan, prompting Chiyo to connect clues about her identity and past.
• Oyakiro told Chiyo that her real name was Oyakiro Chiyo and that she was his only daughter.
• Oyakiro used genjutsu to show Chiyo his perspective on her life and the truth about the Chinoike Clan's destruction.
• Chiyo learned that Oyakiro had deliberately allowed her and the others to escape the underground arena.

Chiyo learned that Oyakiro Homura had secretly protected and guided her throughout her life, though he had hidden their relationship to keep her safe. After confronting him and beginning to reconcile, she also discovered that the Chinoike Clan—not the Uchiha Clan—was responsible for her mother’s death, leaving her with no living enemy to avenge.

• Chiyo recalled how Oyakiro Homura had secretly arranged her escape from the underground arena and helped her make friends, then asked why he had only revealed the truth now.
• Oyakiro Homura explained that he had concealed their relationship to protect her, and that her strength and standing in Kirigakure made it safe to tell her now.
• Chiyo angrily confronted Oyakiro Homura for planning to keep the truth from her indefinitely, and he admitted that had been his intention.
• After a long conversation, Chiyo left Oyakiro Homura’s home with a faint smile and promised to visit him again.
• Chiyo learned that the Chinoike Clan had caused her mother’s death and realized that Oyakiro Homura had already avenged her by destroying the clan, so her intended revenge against the Uchiha Clan was misplaced.

Chiyo let go of her hatred for the Uchiha Clan, while Uchiha Homura visited Soji to ask for help with Sasuke’s mysterious Curse Seal. Soji identified it as Orochimaru’s Heavenly Curse Mark and explained that it could be sealed or used.

• Chiyo decided to face Sasuke Uchiha fairly in the third round of the Chunin Exams after learning the truth about her mother.
• Uchiha Homura visited Soji, teased him, and explained that Sasuke had been bitten by Orochimaru and remained unconscious with a painful Curse Seal on his neck.
• Soji identified Sasuke’s Curse Seal as Orochimaru’s Heavenly Curse Mark, a special application of Natural Energy.
• Soji told Uchiha Homura that the Heavenly Curse Mark could be dealt with by sealing it or making use of it.

Soji explained to Uchiha Homura that Sasuke could use Orochimaru’s Heavenly Curse Mark to gain power, but warned that controlling it carried severe risks. Homura agreed that Sasuke should decide for himself once he woke up.

• Soji told Uchiha Homura that Minato and Kushina could seal Sasuke’s Heavenly Curse Mark safely.
• Soji linked Orochimaru’s Wood Release subordinate’s changing strength and appearance to the power of the Heavenly Curse Mark.
• Soji explained that Sasuke would have to endure painful attempts to control the mark and continually suppress Orochimaru’s soul, which could influence him.
• Soji warned that Sasuke could eventually remove Orochimaru’s soul himself once he became strong enough.
• Soji advised Uchiha Homura to let Sasuke choose whether to use the mark after waking, and Homura agreed.

Uchiha Homura asked Soji to help Sasuke decide whether to keep Orochimaru's Heavenly Curse Mark and to operate on Itachi's failing eyes. Soji agreed to perform Itachi's operation in half a month, and the chapter ended with Soji wondering whether Sasuke would master the Curse Mark without falling under Orochimaru's influence.

• Uchiha Homura said Sasuke would choose for himself whether to keep the Heavenly Curse Mark after Homura discussed it with Fugaku.
• Uchiha Homura asked Soji to transplant Hashirama Cells into Itachi because Itachi's eyesight was rapidly failing from Mangekyō Sharingan use.
• Soji agreed to operate on Itachi in half a month after they both prepared, and warned Homura to keep Soji's secrets from Itachi.
• Uchiha Homura assured Soji that Itachi would keep the secrets, then angrily challenged Soji to a duel after Soji teased him.
• Uchiha Homura fled when Soji accepted the duel, and Soji reflected that Sasuke might one day control the Heavenly Curse Mark himself.

As Konoha settled after the Chunin Exams, Uchiha Homura brought Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha to Soji for Itachi’s eye treatment. Soji led Itachi to his underground laboratory to begin transplanting Hashirama Cells.

• Konoha’s police and its allies helped restore order as visitors and spies continued to fill the village.
• Sasuke struggled with Orochimaru’s Heavenly Curse Mark but chose to master its power rather than seal it.
• Sasuke accompanied Uchiha Homura and Itachi to Soji’s home, worried and guilty about Itachi’s failing eyesight.
• Sasuke apologized to Soji and pleaded with him to restore Itachi’s vision.
• Soji took Itachi to the underground laboratory beneath his home to begin the Hashirama Cell transplant.

Soji transplanted Hashirama Senju's cells into Itachi, restoring his sight and awakening his Wood Release. Itachi learned that the Uchiha Sharingan helped him withstand the cells and gained the Power of All Creation, then agreed with Soji's warning against the Moon Eye Plan.

• Soji warned Itachi to stay conscious and use his Dojutsu Power as he underwent the Hashirama cell transplant.
• Itachi endured the operation while Sasuke and Uchiha Homura waited anxiously in the courtyard.
• After the surgery, Itachi reported that his eyesight had recovered and his Dojutsu Power had grown stronger, then manifested the Wood Release Impaling Technique.
• Soji explained that Itachi's Sharingan had helped him resist Hashirama's cells and that combining Uchiha and Senju powers granted the Power of All Creation.
• Soji warned Itachi not to trust the Moon Eye Plan on the Uchiha stone tablet, and Itachi agreed that relying on an illusion was foolish.

After Itachi recovered his sight and learned Wood Release, Soji suggested ways for Sasuke to compensate for the Chakra consumed by his Curse Seal before the Chunin Exams. The family accepted his plan for Sasuke to train with Might Guy and learn Chakra-saving techniques from Kakashi.

• Itachi assured Soji that he did not believe in the Moon Eye Plan, then reunited with Uchiha Homura and Sasuke in Soji's courtyard.
• Itachi and Sasuke thanked Soji for helping Itachi, while Uchiha Homura playfully grabbed a pastry before Soji could take it.
• Uchiha Homura asked Soji how Sasuke could prepare for the Chunin Exams despite being unable to use most of his Chakra.
• Soji recommended that Sasuke learn Gentle Fist and Hard Fist from Might Guy's team, with Neji and Rock Lee as sparring partners.
• Soji also advised Sasuke to learn Chakra-saving techniques from Kakashi, whose Sharingan consumed Chakra he could not spare.
• Uchiha Homura, Itachi, and Sasuke accepted the suggestions, and Sasuke left with only half a month to train.

Sakura brooded over her weakness and lack of progress after the second stage of the Chunin Exams, then realized she could focus on genjutsu. She set out to ask Kurenai Yuhi to teach her, leaving her parents surprised by her sudden change in mood.

• Sakura felt guilty about being controlled by Chiyo's genjutsu and believed she had held Naruto and Sasuke back during the second stage of the Chunin Exams.
• Sakura worried that she lacked the strength, resources, and training to keep up with her teammates before the third stage.
• Sakura remembered Kakashi's comment about her talent for genjutsu and realized she had broken free of Chiyo's control herself.
• Sakura decided to seek guidance from Kurenai Yuhi and hurried out of her house to visit her.

Sakura visited Kurenai Yuhi hoping to learn genjutsu, and Kurenai invited her to Satomi Hill Villa to visit a former student and test Sakura’s aptitude along the way. They left Konoha together, with Kurenai preparing to assess Sakura before deciding what to teach her.

• Sakura arrived at Kurenai Yuhi’s home, but Kurenai was about to leave to visit a student at Satomi Hill Villa.
• Kurenai invited Sakura to accompany her, and Sakura worried that Hinata, Kiba, or Shino might be ill before Kurenai clarified they were fine.
• Sakura accepted Kurenai’s invitation because she wanted genjutsu guidance before the Chunin Exams.
• As they traveled toward Satomi Hill Villa, Sakura told Kurenai she possessed Yin-nature Chakra and wanted to learn genjutsu.
• Kurenai said she would test Sakura’s aptitude with minor genjutsu, while reflecting that her former student had extraordinary genjutsu talent but had been sealed because of her condition.