Chapter Summaries

After Chiyo helped Sasuke defeat most of Orochimaru’s soul, she explained that she had abandoned the Chinoike Clan and conceded their match. Sasuke advanced to the semifinals, but his injuries and depleted Chakra left him in poor shape, and the draw forced him to fight first.

• Chiyo told Sasuke that she no longer belonged to the Chinoike Clan and considered their past conflict repaid by helping him against Orochimaru.
• Sasuke returned from his mindscape with some Chakra restored, but Chiyo conceded before they could resume their fight, making Sasuke the winner of the fourth quarterfinal.
• Chiyo left the arena, while Sasuke brooded over the victory he felt had been handed to him.
• The quarterfinals ended, and Soji, Fourth Kazekage Rasa, and the Third Hokage discussed how Sasuke’s condition would affect the semifinals.
• The electronic screen selected Sasuke Uchiha for the first semifinal, leaving him to face another opponent before he could recover.

Neji defeated a badly injured Sasuke in the first semifinal, but felt frustrated that the victory was not a fair test of his strength. Afterward, Hanabi realized Hinata had been going easy on her and resolved to spar with her sister fairly.

• Neji chose to defeat Sasuke quickly rather than risk losing to him in his weakened state.
• Neji sealed Sasuke's Chakra points and won the semifinal, then helped him off the field and challenged him to fight again at full strength.
• Itachi, Fugaku Uchiha, and Mikoto Uchiha discussed Sasuke's loss and focused on his growth and injuries.
• Hyuga Hiashi explained to Hanabi Hyuga why Neji was dissatisfied with his victory.
• Hanabi remembered that Hinata had been yielding during their spars and decided to face her sister fairly next time.

Naruto and Gaara faced off in the second semifinal, while the Nine-Tails and One-Tail eagerly anticipated their own clash through their Jinchuriki. The Four Violet Flames Formation was raised for safety, and the match began with Naruto and Gaara's first attacks canceling each other out.

• Naruto and Gaara entered the arena, eager to fight after meeting during the Forest of Death.
• Shukaku and the Nine-Tails traded boasts and vowed that their Jinchuriki would defeat the other.
• Soji urged the Third Hokage to prepare a barrier, and the Third Hokage ordered two Barrier Teams to raise the Four Violet Flames Formation.
• Genma Shiranui announced the match and retreated to the safe zone as Naruto and Gaara agreed to fight without holding back.
• Naruto used Wind Release: Gale Palm while Gaara sent a wave of sand toward him, and the attacks collided in a deadlock.

Naruto overcame Gaara’s sand defenses by using a Shadow Clone to launch himself into a close-range punch, cracking Gaara’s Sand Armor. Gaara realized Shukaku had influenced his emotions and warned it not to interfere again, leaving Shukaku to support him only when asked.

• Naruto recognized that Gaara’s low-cost sand control gave him an advantage in a battle of attrition and charged in while Gaara’s sand was reforming.
• Gaara trapped Naruto’s foot in sand, but Naruto revealed that a Shadow Clone had caught him and hurled him toward Gaara.
• Naruto struck Gaara in the face before the sand could return, sending him flying and cracking his Sand Armor.
• Gaara suspected Shukaku had influenced his emotions and caused him to leave himself undefended.
• Shukaku denied interfering at first, then agreed not to act or influence Gaara unless Gaara asked.

Naruto and Gaara resumed their match, and Naruto used a huge army of Shadow Clones to pressure Gaara into defending himself with Sand Stream Wave. After the sand sphere counterattacked and dispelled most of the clones, Naruto formed a Rasengan with help from one clone and prepared to break through Gaara’s defense.

• Naruto summoned over a hundred Shadow Clones and sent them charging at Gaara.
• Gaara recalled his attacking sand and enclosed himself in Sand Stream Wave, which struck back with spikes when the clones attacked.
• Naruto ordered the remaining clones to retreat beyond the sand sphere’s reach.
• Naruto dispelled most of his clones and formed a Rasengan with the help of one Shadow Clone.
• Naruto prepared to use the Rasengan against Gaara’s defense while Gaara wondered what he was doing outside the sphere.

Naruto's Rasengan broke through Gaara's Sand Stream Wave, but Gaara blocked it with the Shield of Shukaku and counterattacked with sand. Naruto deliberately let Gaara's sand capture him, aiming to force Gaara to use tailed beast power first, while Gaara believed Naruto would have to call on the Nine-Tails to escape.

• Gaara used Sand Eye to observe Naruto's Rasengan forming and prepared another defense.
• Naruto used the Rasengan to shatter Gaara's Sand Stream Wave, but Gaara blocked the attack with the Shield of Shukaku.
• Gaara fired Sand Shuriken at Naruto, who dodged them and realized he needed an opening to use a Sealing Technique.
• Naruto charged into Gaara's sand, secretly forming hand seals before Gaara's attack wrapped around him.
• Gaara confirmed Naruto was trapped and challenged him to escape using the Nine-Tails' power, unaware that forcing Gaara to use tailed beast power first was Naruto's aim.

Naruto trapped Gaara with the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal and won their first round, but Shukaku broke the seal and transformed Gaara. Naruto and Gaara then called on Kurama and Shukaku, and the match began in earnest with both using their Tailed Beasts’ power.

• Naruto secretly used the Self-Exerting Curse Binding Seal to immobilize Gaara and escape the sand.
• Gaara admitted Naruto had won the first round, then Shukaku helped him break the seal and take control of half his body.
• Gaara warned Shukaku not to underestimate Naruto, while Shukaku eagerly prepared to fight Kurama.
• Naruto and Kurama agreed to cooperate against Gaara and Shukaku, despite Kurama’s protests about Naruto’s familiar tone.
• Naruto entered Half-Tailed Beast Transformation as Gaara entered Possession Body, beginning their powered match.

Naruto and Gaara fought an increasingly destructive, evenly matched battle as their Jinchuriki powers shook the arena. In the stands, Might Guy tried to redirect Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi’s irritation toward Kakashi, but Kakashi turned the teasing back on him and watched the match in peace.

• Naruto and Gaara exchanged powerful blows while moving rapidly around the arena, damaging its floor as the spectators watched.
• Naruto reached a four-tailed Half-Tailed Beast Transformation and continued to match Gaara’s Possession Body state.
• Asuma, Kurenai Yuhi, and Might Guy discussed how difficult it would be to face the two Jinchuriki.
• Might Guy asked Kakashi how quickly he could defeat Naruto and Gaara, hoping to shift his friends’ attention onto Kakashi.
• Kakashi praised Might Guy’s past feats so extravagantly that Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi dragged Guy away, while Kakashi returned to watching the fight.

Naruto and Gaara traded increasingly powerful attacks in the arena, with Naruto gaining an advantage before Gaara unleashed his ultimate sandstorm ninjutsu. The storm destroyed Naruto’s Shadow Clones and badly injured him, but Naruto survived and emerged from the sand as the fight continued.

• Gaara and Naruto exchanged heavy blows, and Naruto used Shadow Clones and a Rasengan to break Gaara’s Shukaku-covered arm and injure him.
• Naruto and his Shadow Clones charged from the air, but Gaara completed the seals for Wind Release—Infinite Sand Dust Great Breakthrough.
• Gaara’s sandstorm filled the Four Violet Flames Formation and turned the arena floor into yellow sand, leaving the spectators unable to see either fighter.
• Gaara emerged from the sandstorm, and the spectators wondered whether he had defeated Naruto.
• Naruto burst out of the sand in his Half-Tailed Beast Transformation, but Gaara’s attack had destroyed all his Shadow Clones and seriously injured him.

Naruto and the Nine-Tails grew closer as they fought, while Gaara and Shukaku also strengthened their cooperation. The chapter ended with Shukaku appearing in his complete form in the arena, with Gaara still conscious and in control.

• Naruto realized that fighting alongside the Nine-Tails had deepened their understanding, and the Nine-Tails decided to trust him more.
• Naruto charged at Gaara again after the Nine-Tails called them a team, though it denied doing so when Naruto asked.
• Gaara and Shukaku joined together to manifest Shukaku’s complete form, with Gaara conscious on Shukaku’s forehead.
• Rasa, Temari, Kankuro, and the audience reacted with shock and concern as Shukaku appeared in the arena.
• Asuma and Kurenai worried that Shukaku might escape the barrier, but Kakashi reassured them that Gaara remained in control and Konoha could handle any trouble.

Naruto and Gaara’s battle escalated as their Tailed Beast powers shattered the arena’s barrier and threatened the stands. Gaara and Shukaku trapped Naruto in a sand abyss and launched a combined attack, leaving Naruto midair as the chapter ended.

• Shukaku fired a powerful Wind Style: Empty Air Bullet, and six-tailed Naruto countered with an equally strong blast that shattered the Four Violet Flames Formation.
• The collision damaged the arena walls, prompting ninja to repair them and a second barrier team to raise a new Four Violet Flames Formation.
• Naruto used his speed to batter Shukaku, but Gaara remained atop Shukaku and caught Naruto in Sand Waterfall Funeral.
• Naruto used four Nine-Tails claws to pull himself from the sand abyss, then bound Gaara’s descending Spiral Sand Spear with Adamantine Sealing Chains.
• Gaara and Shukaku launched Wind Style: Sand Scatter Shot at Naruto in midair, while Kurama warned him not to take the attack head-on.

Naruto trusted Kurama to lend him enough Chakra to survive Gaara and Shukaku’s attack, pushing their bond and coordination to a new level. After Kurama helped stabilize Naruto’s emotions, Naruto emerged in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, leaving the battle poised to continue.

• Naruto asked Kurama for more Chakra, and Kurama warned that Naruto could not safely withstand more than seven tails.
• Naruto told Kurama he trusted it enough to surrender his body if he lost consciousness, prompting Kurama to deepen its trust and lend him more Chakra.
• Gaara and Shukaku’s Sand Scatter Shot pierced Naruto, and the Spiral Sand Spear struck him after his movements were restricted.
• Gaara and Shukaku believed Naruto was badly injured, while Karin worried and Sakura held her back from rushing into the arena.
• Naruto roared as Kurama stabilized his emotions, and he emerged from the sand in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.

Naruto entered Nine-Tails Chakra Mode and overwhelmed Gaara and Shukaku in the Chunin Exams match. After Naruto knocked Shukaku unconscious, Gaara admitted defeat, leaving Naruto as the winner.

• Naruto revealed Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, shocking the Third Hokage and exciting Minato and Kushina.
• Gaara and Shukaku recognized that Naruto and the Nine-Tails had a deeper bond and decided to test their strength.
• Naruto blocked Shukaku's tail, swung Shukaku into the Four Violet Flames Formation, and battered it with a rapid assault.
• Naruto struck Shukaku with a Great Spiraling Sphere, causing Shukaku to lose consciousness and disappear.
• Gaara acknowledged Naruto's stronger coordination with the Nine-Tails and conceded the match.

Naruto defeated Gaara and earned the audience’s applause, but collapsed from exhaustion and injuries after leaving Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. Minato took him away for care, leaving Neji set to win the finals without fighting.

• Gaara admitted defeat, promised to challenge Naruto again with Shukaku, and clasped Naruto’s hand as the spectators applauded.
• Genma Shiranui announced Naruto as the winner, and Gaara reassured Temari and Kankuro that he was unharmed.
• Sasuke watched Naruto return victorious and felt frustrated that he might never catch up to him.
• Naruto collapsed when Nine-Tails Chakra Mode ended, revealing that his body was bleeding and badly exhausted.
• Karin tried to help Naruto, but Minato appeared, explained Naruto needed rest, and took him away, ruling him out of the finals.
• Naruto’s friends accepted that he would forfeit, while Neji looked exceptionally unhappy at the prospect of winning without fighting.

The Joint Chunin Exams ended with Neji Hyuga declared champion after Naruto Uzumaki could not compete in the final, though the evaluators might still rank Naruto’s performance highest. Konoha celebrated the visitors’ departure, but a minor incident arose just as Sunagakure and Kirigakure prepared to leave.

• Naruto Uzumaki’s injuries flared up, so Genma Shiranui announced that Neji Hyuga had won the third-stage championship by default.
• Spectators reacted to the canceled final, while the chapter noted that advancement to chunin depended on overall performance, not only match results.
• The three Kage gave speeches and jointly declared the Chunin Exams over.
• Konoha held a lively night of festivities, and visitors began leaving the next morning.
• Representatives of Konoha, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure stayed to sign alliance agreements, but a minor incident occurred as the latter villages prepared to depart.

At Konoha’s gates, Sunagakure ninja recognized Pakura among Kirigakure’s departing group, forcing Rasa to deny her identity while the truth of her supposed death remained unspoken. Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro confirmed who she was, and Pakura deliberately revealed herself as she fixed her gaze on Rasa.

• A Sunagakure ninja recognized Pakura beside Mizuki Ember, and Rasa tried to pass her off as someone else.
• Sunagakure ninja and Temari insisted the woman was Pakura, while Kankuro questioned why she had joined Kirigakure.
• Gaara asked Shukaku to identify her, and Shukaku confirmed that she was Sunagakure’s former hero Pakura.
• Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro noticed Rasa’s guilt and suspected he was connected to Pakura leaving Sunagakure.
• Soji realized Pakura had deliberately let Ranmaru’s concealment lapse and allowed Sunagakure to see her, so he chose to indulge her.

Pakura confronted Rasa over Sunagakure’s betrayal, then agreed to put the past aside after he offered an apology and Sunagakure paid a price. She chose to protect the alliance and her former friends, and left with Soji for Kirigakure, which she considered home wherever he was.

• Soji offered to help Pakura take revenge on Rasa, but she calmed down and said she would not act recklessly.
• Rasa approached Pakura and Soji, and Pakura mocked him before agreeing to speak privately.
• After half an hour, Rasa paid a price, and Pakura promised not to pursue Sunagakure over the betrayal; Soji confirmed Kirigakure would honor the agreement.
• Rasa bowed to Pakura and apologized for his role in sending her to her death, then returned to the Sunagakure group.
• Soji offered to eliminate Rasa if Pakura wanted revenge, but she refused because she did not want another conflict or her former friends to die.
• Soji invited Pakura to return to Kirigakure, and she reflected that home was wherever he was.

After the Chunin Exams, Sunagakure and Kirigakure settled the dispute over Pakura, and Kirigakure returned home with new prospects for growth. Back in Konoha, Naruto and Karin visited Rock Lee and went shopping for dinner, unaware that someone was following them.

• Rasa agreed to Pakura's demand for a ten percent tax reduction on trade with Kirigakure and the Land of Snow, settling the dispute without exposing her identity.
• Sunagakure and Kirigakure left Konoha and endured harassment from rogue ninja before reaching their respective destinations.
• Soji's alter ego, Mizuki Ember, returned to Kirigakure with Oyakiro Homura's support, which promised to help the village develop and obtain resources.
• About half a month after the exams, Naruto and Karin visited the recovering Rock Lee, who had been injured by opening the Six Gates.
• Naruto and Karin shopped for curry ingredients, unaware that an unknown stalker was following them.

Naruto sensed that someone was following him and Karin as they walked home, but neither he nor Kurama could detect anyone. Karin used the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and confirmed an unknown presence nearby, though she could not pinpoint its location, leaving Naruto on guard.

• Naruto stopped on the road because he felt someone was watching him, but Kurama detected no one nearby.
• Karin reminded Naruto of her Mind's Eye of the Kagura, and Naruto asked her to search for a stalker.
• Karin's first search found no one, but her later scans picked up faint signs of an unknown presence.
• Karin signaled Naruto that someone was hidden nearby, and Naruto prepared to attack once she found their location.

Naruto and Karin searched for a mysterious presence hiding nearby, while the Nine-Tails feared it might be someone from its nightmares. Naruto confirmed the presence was concealed in a tree only three meters away, and he and Karin prepared for a confrontation.

• Naruto waited as Karin used the Mind's Eye of the Kagura to search for the hidden presence, but she struggled to locate it.
• After several more minutes, Karin found the presence and reacted with terror, while the Nine-Tails wondered if it was a figure from its nightmares.
• Karin silently indicated the tree behind her, and Naruto slowly reached for a kunai without alerting whoever was hiding there.
• Naruto threw the kunai into the foliage, but it disappeared without a normal impact, confirming the presence was concealed inside the nearby tree.
• Naruto pulled Karin behind him, drew another kunai, and demanded that the hidden person come out as Karin readied her own weapon.