Chapter Summaries

At the opening of the Chunin Exams’ third stage, the leaders of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure announced a mutual defense alliance and plans to open their borders for exchange. The announcement was welcomed by many spectators and merchants, while Sakura remained troubled by her recent memory lapses and prepared to compete.

• Sakura noticed she had again lost track of how she had reached the arena, then set aside her worries and resolved to pass the exams; she and Ino exchanged challenging looks.
• The three Kage opened the third stage of the Chunin Exams, and the Third Hokage announced that they had another matter to reveal.
• The Kage of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure jointly established the Three Great Shinobi Villages Mutual Defense Alliance and announced plans to open borders and exchange resources.
• Spectators, smaller villages, nobles, and merchants reacted to the alliance, with many anticipating greater peace, travel, and trade.
• Uncle Ichiraku imagined opening ramen shops in Sunagakure and Kirigakure, while Ayame questioned how he would staff them.

The Third Hokage announced that Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure had formed an offensive and defensive alliance, and the third stage of the Chunin Exams began. The first matchup selected Neji Hyuga, leaving the contestants and spectators anxious to see who would face him.

• Soji agreed, in Mizuki Ember's name, to an alliance with Konoha and Sunagakure, fulfilling Minato's wish and relieving the Third Hokage.
• Naruto wondered whether the new alliance explained Chiyo's changed attitude toward Sasuke, while Sasuke remained unsure of the reason.
• The third stage began, and the contestants entered the resting areas as the electronic screens prepared to randomly select opponents.
• Sakura's unusual calmness puzzled Hinata, Ino, Naruto, Sasuke, and their companions as the names began scrolling.
• The first screen stopped on Neji Hyuga, prompting Konoha's contestants to worry about facing him in the opening match.
• Neji showed no concern about being selected first and watched the second screen as everyone waited for his opponent to be revealed.

The third-stage Chunin Exam draw paired Neji Hyuga against his teammate Rock Lee, surprising the contestants and spectators. Rather than being intimidated, Rock Lee welcomed the match as a chance to show Neji the results of a year of training, and the two entered the arena ready to fight.

• The Sand Siblings and Chiyo judged Neji to be a formidable opponent after seeing Naruto and Sasuke’s reactions to him.
• The electronic screen first landed on Choji Akimichi, who feared he would have to face Neji, but it moved on and selected Rock Lee instead.
• Tenten was stunned that Neji and Rock Lee had been paired against each other in the first round.
• Neji said he would not hold back, while Rock Lee raised his head and declared he had been waiting for this match and would show Neji his training results.
• Genma Shiranui called Neji and Rock Lee into the arena, where the crowd gathered to watch their Gentle Fist versus Hard Fist showdown.

Before the first Chunin Exams match, Might Guy told Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi that Rock Lee could open Five Gates and might defeat Neji if Neji held back. He warned that Neji’s concealed strength could threaten even him, leaving the match’s outcome uncertain only if Neji chose not to reveal it.

• Asuma teased Might Guy after the draw set Neji against Rock Lee, and Guy said Rock Lee would use the Eight Inner Gates in the match.
• Kakashi and Kurenai Yuhi learned that Guy had taught Rock Lee the Eight Inner Gates, and Guy revealed that Rock Lee could fight with Five Gates open.
• Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi agreed that Rock Lee had a real chance against Neji if he opened Five Gates.
• Might Guy explained that Neji had always hidden his strength and might be strong enough to threaten him.
• Might Guy concluded that Rock Lee could win only if Neji kept his hidden strength concealed; otherwise, Neji would win.

Neji and Rock Lee began the first match of the Chunin Exams, with Neji quickly gaining the upper hand after Lee removed his training weights. Neji urged Lee to use the Eight Inner Gates, and Lee prepared to unleash his full strength.

• Genma Shiranui started the match between Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee.
• Rock Lee removed and threw his heavy leg weights, then charged at Neji, who caught his punch and countered with a knee to the abdomen.
• Rock Lee broke free and landed, while spectators noted the gap between the two; Tenten said Lee had not yet used his trump card.
• Neji held back and challenged Rock Lee to show his full strength by opening the Eight Inner Gates.
• Rock Lee agreed to stop holding back and use the forbidden technique before injury or fatigue could weaken him.

Rock Lee opened the first five Gates of the Eight Inner Gates to overcome Neji's superior defenses in their Chunin Exam match. After Neji blocked his earlier attacks, Lee finally landed a punch and sent him flying, leaving the fight at a turning point.

• Rock Lee opened the first three Gates and attacked Neji, who dodged and struck him with Gentle Fist, sending him into a wall.
• Rock Lee opened the Fourth Gate and launched a rapid assault, but Neji continued to block and counter his attacks.
• Naruto and Sasuke judged that Lee could not defeat Neji unless he pushed his power further.
• Rock Lee opened the Fifth Gate, increasing his speed enough to break through Neji's defense and strike his face.
• Neji wiped the blood from his mouth as Rock Lee resumed his attack, while Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Chiyo recognized Lee's strength.

Rock Lee used the Five Gates to pressure Neji and launched a final, crippling kick, but Neji blocked it at the cost of breaking his arm. Refusing to accept defeat, Rock Lee opened the Sixth Gate as the match reached its turning point.

• Rock Lee’s Five Gates assault forced Neji to defend while both fighters sustained mounting injuries.
• Rock Lee circled Neji at high speed, feinted from several directions, and struck from above with a powerful kick.
• Neji blocked the kick, breaking his right arm, while Rock Lee’s right leg was nearly destroyed by the backlash.
• Rock Lee rejected the apparent outcome and opened the Sixth Gate, releasing a renewed surge of green energy.

Rock Lee pushed beyond his limits to land a final Sixth Gate half-punch, forcing Neji to reveal the Byakugan’s hidden power. Neji defeated Lee with Byakugan: Pressure and Water Release Gentle Fist, leaving the spectators with a new impression of the Hyuga Clan.

• Might Guy supported Rock Lee’s decision to briefly open the Sixth Gate, while Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai questioned the danger.
• Rock Lee pulled Neji into the air with his bandages and launched a spark-trailing half-punch powered by the Sixth Gate.
• Neji decided to reveal his full strength to protect the Hyuga Clan’s reputation and closed his eyes before activating his Byakugan.
• Neji used Byakugan: Pressure to weaken Rock Lee’s attack, then blocked it with a Water Release Gentle Fist palm strike.
• The collision broke the bandages, knocked Rock Lee unconscious in a crater, and revealed that the Byakugan possessed its own Dojutsu.

Neji defeated Rock Lee by using the Byakugan Dojutsu Pressure to interrupt and weaken his final attack. The spectators and ninja mentors realized the Byakugan could wield an unknown Dojutsu, while Hinata kept its name and Hyuga secrets to herself.

• Neji used Byakugan Pressure to weaken Rock Lee's final strike, then blocked it and won the match.
• Genma Shiranui announced Neji as the winner, and the crowd applauded both fighters.
• Shikamaru reasoned that Neji had caused Rock Lee's sudden pause, and Sasuke confirmed sensing Neji's Dojutsu Power.
• Hinata recognized the Dojutsu as Pressure but withheld its name because it concerned Hyuga Clan secrets.
• After Medical Ninjas carried Rock Lee away, Kakashi identified Neji's move as a Dojutsu, leaving the mentors curious about the Byakugan's abilities.

After Neji defeated Rock Lee, Konoha’s mentors discussed the hidden power of the Byakugan and worried about their students’ chances of becoming chunin. Sakura then surprised the exam spectators by defeating a Takigakure Ninja in seconds with her genjutsu, Threefold Sakura.

• Might Guy said Neji’s hidden Dojutsu could catch opponents off guard, and Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai Yuhi praised Neji and Rock Lee’s strength.
• Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma teased Might Guy about treating them after his students advanced, but he changed the subject to their teams’ chances.
• Rumors spread that the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan could use Dojutsu, while Neji and Rock Lee received treatment for their injuries.
• A Snow Ninja lost to a grass ninja, and the next two matches ended without much excitement.
• Sakura cast Threefold Sakura on a charging Takigakure Ninja, then held a kunai to his throat and won in under ten seconds.
• Sakura returned to the waiting area as her teammates looked at her with surprise over her newly revealed genjutsu.

Sakura surprised her friends and teachers with her newly learned genjutsu, which Sasuke and Kurenai recognized as useful talent. The eleventh match began with Sasuke Uchiha drawn first, and Karin was revealed as his opponent.

• Ino, Naruto, Sasuke, and Chiyo reacted to Sakura's genjutsu and her rapid improvement.
• Kakashi learned that Kurenai Yuhi had taught Sakura genjutsu for about half a month and thanked her for helping his student.
• Tenten, Shino, Chojuro, and Kankuro won their matches as the third stage continued.
• The electronic screens drew Sasuke Uchiha as the first contestant in the eleventh match.
• The second screen revealed Karin as Sasuke Uchiha's opponent.

Sasuke Uchiha defeated Karin in seconds, but she recovered by biting herself, catching the attention of Minato and Kushina. Suspecting Karin was descended from the Uzumaki Clan, they decided to bring her to Konoha, leaving Karin’s future changed without Kusagakure’s consent.

• Sasuke Uchiha struck Karin down moments after the match began, believing his controlled attack had ended the fight.
• Karin bit herself to recover and stood back up, astonishing Sasuke and revealing an unusual ability.
• Kushina Uzumaki suspected Karin was an Uzumaki descendant because of her red hair and self-healing, and Minato agreed to approach her after the match.
• Kushina said she wanted to bring Karin to Konoha, and Minato promised to make it happen whether Kusagakure agreed or not.
• Minato and Kushina continued watching Karin, while the Third Hokage also began considering bringing her to Konoha after seeing her talent.

Sasuke struggled to understand Karin’s unusual recovery and ability to predict his attacks, while Karin’s admiration for him distracted her. After Naruto correctly guessed why Sasuke had retreated, Sasuke stopped hesitating and defeated Karin with a punch to the abdomen.

• Karin recovered from Sasuke’s earlier strike and complained before refocusing on their match, while Sasuke recognized her unusual resilience.
• Karin dodged Sasuke’s kick with her eyes closed and countered with a weak-looking punch, startling Sasuke into retreating.
• Kiba and the other spectators questioned Sasuke’s retreat, and Naruto guessed that Sasuke feared Karin’s recovery and attack prediction.
• Sasuke realized he had overestimated Karin’s combat ability and charged again despite her predicting several attacks.
• Sasuke punched Karin in the abdomen and knocked her to the ground.

Sasuke fought Karin in the Chunin Exam arena, while she concealed her unusual healing and tried to draw attention that might help her escape Kusagakure. After Sasuke paralyzed her, Karin awakened the Uzumaki Clan’s Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Kushina recognized her as an Uzumaki descendant.

• Sasuke repeatedly knocked Karin down, but she kept getting back up and attracting the spectators’ attention.
• Karin’s Grass Village companions urged her to surrender, while she secretly resolved to escape Kusagakure by drawing another village’s notice.
• Sasuke mistook Karin’s recovery for the Mystical Palm Technique and used Lightning Release to paralyze her.
• Karin told Sasuke she hoped her fate would change, and his blunt reply intensified her resolve to resist it.
• Karin awakened the Adamantine Sealing Chains, forcing Sasuke and Genma Shiranui to retreat from the arena.
• Kushina told Minato that Karin had shown the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura and a special constitution, identifying her as an Uzumaki descendant.

Karin revealed that she could use the Uzumaki Clan’s Adamantine Sealing Chains, confirming her heritage and drawing the attention of Kushina, Minato, and the Third Hokage. As the match continued, Sasuke asked Karin to tell him her name, then faced her chains as they swept toward him.

• Kushina told Minato she wanted to bring Karin back from Kusagakure and quietly shared another plan, which he agreed to after she promised to ask Karin what she wanted.
• Naruto recognized Karin’s Adamantine Sealing Chains and realized she must have Uzumaki Clan blood, while his friends questioned his reaction.
• The Third Hokage recognized Karin’s Uzumaki abilities and resolved to discuss bringing her back with Kusagakure’s representatives.
• Sasuke, shaken by memories of Naruto’s Adamantine Sealing Chains, asked Karin who she was and why she could use the technique.
• Karin told Sasuke her name and asked whether he would remember it; Sasuke solemnly said it was worth remembering before her chains swept toward him.

Sasuke defeated Karin after her Adamantine Sealing Chains failed, and Minato and Kushina moved to bring Karin to Konoha as their goddaughter. While questioning Karin about her loyalties, they revealed Konoha’s long-running concern that Kusagakure might open the dangerous Pandora’s Box again.

• Karin fainted before she could attack Sasuke with her Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Genma Shiranui declared Sasuke the winner of the eleventh match.
• Minato and Kushina went to meet Karin after the Third Hokage supported their plan to take her in and began pressuring Kusagakure.
• Konoha's Anbu stopped Kusagakure representatives from visiting Karin at the hospital, allowing Minato and Kushina to see her instead.
• Minato asked Karin whether she belonged to Kusagakure's Grass Fruit Faction or Grass Flower Faction, and Karin said she belonged to the Grass Flower Faction.
• Minato and the Third Hokage planned to use Karin's situation to pressure Kusagakure over its preparations to open Pandora's Box again.

Kushina revealed to Karin that they were both members of the Uzumaki Clan, and Karin shared the story of her mother's death and her mistreatment in Kusagakure. After Kushina disclosed that she and Minato were alive and promised Karin she could stay in Konoha, Karin accepted her as family and agreed to remain there.

• Kushina revealed her face to Karin, who recognized her resemblance to her late mother and realized they might share a clan.
• Karin and Kushina each summoned Adamantine Sealing Chains, confirming they were both Uzumaki.
• Karin told Kushina about her life and her mother's death, prompting Kushina to condemn Kusagakure and promise Karin did not have to return.
• Kushina revealed that she was Minato's wife and that both of them, believed dead by the Ninja World, were alive, and Karin agreed to keep their secret.
• Karin thanked Kushina and Minato for accepting her and said she was willing to stay in Konoha.

Kushina asked Karin to become her daughter, and Karin accepted, finding a family and a new home in Konoha. Kushina vowed to seek justice from Kusagakure, while Minato gave the new mother and daughter time alone.

• Kushina welcomed Karin's decision to stay in Konoha and shared her wish to have another daughter.
• Karin mistakenly thought Kushina wanted her to treat Naruto, then learned Kushina wanted to adopt her.
• Kushina sincerely asked Karin to become her daughter, and Karin called her Mother as they embraced.
• Kushina promised to protect Karin and make Kusagakure answer for how it had treated her.
• Minato peeked into the hospital room, saw the two together, and chose to leave them alone.

After the first day of the Chunin Exams ended, Naruto returned home expecting praise for his victory but found Karin there instead. Kushina revealed that Karin had been adopted and told Naruto that he was going to become a little brother.

• The first day of the third round ended after Naruto defeated Chojuro, while Kiba and several others were eliminated.
• Naruto headed home, pleased with his match and expecting Minato and Kushina to be there to welcome him.
• Naruto found Karin inside his house, briefly thought he had entered the wrong home, and asked why she was there.
• Kushina and Minato returned to the living room, and the family sat down with Karin.
• Kushina told Naruto that Karin was now his adopted sister and that he was going to be a little brother.

Kushina and Minato explained to Naruto that they had adopted Karin, who became his older sister because her birthday was earlier in the year. Karin settled into the family, and the next day she accompanied Naruto to the Chunin Exams, where she introduced herself to his friends.

• Naruto mistakenly thought Kushina was pregnant and struggled to understand why he would be Karin's little brother.
• Kushina and Minato explained that they had recognized Karin as an Uzumaki and taken her in as their adopted daughter; Naruto accepted her into the family.
• Kushina told Naruto that Karin was older because her birthday was June 20, before his October 10 birthday.
• The family shared dinner and played cards, and Karin's remaining unease about her new home disappeared.
• Karin prepared Naruto a nutritious breakfast the next morning, then went with him to the third-stage Chunin Exams venue.
• Karin introduced herself to Naruto's friends as Karin Uzumaki and Naruto's older sister, prompting Hinata to consider how to get along with her.