Recaps

Anko Mitarashi explained the second Chunin Exam’s rules, and the teams collected their scrolls and prepared to enter the forest. As the exam began, Orochimaru and the other contestants set their plans in motion.

• Orochimaru sensed danger from Itachi, and Kabuto reported that Sasuke and Naruto seemed changed before Orochimaru gave him instructions for the exam.
• Anko Mitarashi explained the five-day survival test, the scroll and tower requirements, and the penalties for losing a teammate or reading a scroll early.
• Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke collected a Scroll of Heaven, while teams across the forest chose their entrances and prepared to begin.
• Kabuto told an examiner that his team would withdraw after the exam started, and the examiner warned that they would lose their chance to become Chunin that year.
• Orochimaru waited at his entrance, hoping to claim Sasuke’s eyes, while Neji dismissed Rock Lee’s determination as naive.
• The examiners unlocked the entrances, and the second Chunin Exam officially began.

Naruto and Sasuke advanced through the Forest of Death with Sakura, then encountered Orochimaru, who attacked Sasuke and revealed his monstrous Eight-Headed Serpent form. The exam participants and examiners watched in terror as the giant serpent filled the sky.

• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura raced toward the tower, while Sakura remained unaware of the Genjutsu affecting her.
• Sasuke killed an enemy ninja who had impersonated Naruto, and Sakura fainted before Naruto reassured her that he was alive.
• Naruto struck Orochimaru with Wind Release: Mouth Blast, and Sasuke cut off Orochimaru’s tongue with a shuriken.
• Sasuke confronted Orochimaru and sent Naruto to continue the exam, while Naruto created thousands of Shadow Clones.
• Orochimaru used the Eight-Headed Serpent Technique, terrifying everyone at the exam, including Anko Mitarashi.

Sasuke defeated Orochimaru’s Eight-Headed Serpent with his evolved Flame Release, while Neji’s team encountered Naruto in the Forest of Death. Naruto offered them both scrolls, but Neji and Rock Lee mistook his kindness for an insult and attacked his Shadow Clone, leaving them to reject the scrolls.

• Sasuke severed one of the Eight-Headed Serpent’s heads and destroyed its transformed snakes with World-Incinerating Flames, overpowering Orochimaru.
• Anko sent someone to guard the examination grounds and went to report the disturbance to the Hokage.
• Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten set out for the tower, and Neji asked Tenten to travel with them quickly.
• Naruto met Neji’s team and offered them a Scroll of Heaven and a Scroll of Earth, angering Neji, who felt Naruto looked down on him.
• Rock Lee and Neji attacked Naruto, only for him to vanish as a Shadow Clone; Tenten picked up the scrolls, but Neji ordered her to destroy them.

Naruto rapidly gathered exam scrolls and sent them to allied teams, leaving the Hidden Sand trio facing two mysterious projectiles intercepted by Gaara’s sand.

• Tenten destroyed the Heaven and Earth Scrolls Naruto had given her team, and Neji left to search for scrolls.
• Naruto defeated the Sound Ninja trio and took their Earth Scroll, while teams without Empire ninjas were rapidly disqualified.
• Naruto gave the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio both scrolls and told them to meet him and Sasuke at the tower.
• Shino revealed that he had collected both scrolls and told Hinata that Naruto wanted her to give them to her brother.
• Temari tried to deflect two incoming projectiles, but Gaara caught them with a wall of sand.

Naruto rescued Karin from Grass ninja who were exploiting her healing ability, then reunited with Sasuke after collecting scrolls from rival teams. Naruto and Sasuke became curious about the forbidden scroll contents and decided to make Sakura open one, leaving her to take the blame.

• Temari wondered why anyone would discard a powerful scroll, while Kankuro recognized Naruto and envied his close companions.
• Naruto rescued Karin from two Grass ninja, learned she was an Uzumaki prisoner, and gave her a Flying Thunder God Kunai in case she needed help.
• Sasuke killed the Eight-Headed Serpent and its transformed ninja, suspecting the enemy had resembled Orochimaru.
• Naruto met Sasuke with six sets of scrolls and revealed he had gathered twelve sets before giving some away; Sasuke admitted he had destroyed the Earth Scroll he needed.
• Naruto persuaded the curious Sasuke to open a forbidden scroll, and they decided Sakura should open it for them.

Sakura was knocked unconscious by a scroll’s illusion technique, while Naruto and Sasuke dismissed the scrolls as uninteresting and left her with Sasuke to wake. Neji’s team had lost its scrolls, and Rock Lee and Tenten reached the tower without Neji, prompting Naruto to wonder what had happened to the scroll he gave them.

• Sakura opened a mysterious scroll, fell unconscious under its illusion, and Sasuke used his illusion power to wake her at Naruto’s request.
• Naruto and Sasuke found only a simple Mechanism Hypnosis Technique in the other scrolls and prepared to leave.
• Neji learned that scrolls carried by his team and other teams had vanished, panicked about failing the exam, and considered stealing another team’s scroll.
• Rock Lee carried a sick Tenten toward the tower, then put her down to rest while Neji tried to think of another plan.
• A day later, the Empire’s seven members waited in the central tower, and Rock Lee and Tenten arrived without Neji after going to seek a scroll and ambush an enemy.
• Naruto questioned Rock Lee about the scroll he had given their team and asked whether someone had taken it.

Naruto’s teammates received scrolls from him, but Rock Lee and Tenten struggled to explain their own scroll to Neji. Neji grew furious when he thought they had attacked Hinata, and demanded to know where she was.

• Hinata handed Tenten a black box containing a scroll before entering the tower with the others.
• Rock Lee accused Naruto of treating his team’s scrolls like charity, and Naruto revealed he had already collected the remaining scrolls and given away others.
• Tenten and Rock Lee decided to tell Neji they had taken the scroll from Hinata, hoping to protect Neji’s pride.
• Neji reunited with Tenten and Rock Lee near the tower, and Tenten handed him the black box when he asked about it.
• Rock Lee and Tenten claimed they had defeated Hinata to get the scroll, and Neji reacted with fury and demanded to know whether she was all right and where she was.

Neji joined the others in the tower after passing the Forest of Death exam, where Naruto’s collection of scrolls failed to end the exam early because one was missing. At the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools, Hiruzen weighed holding a Five Kage Summit against the danger of hidden villages weakening one another while facing an outside threat.

• Tenten urged Neji to accept that he had passed and enter the tower with the others, and Neji eventually agreed.
• The five teams gathered in the tower and opened their Heaven and Earth scrolls, summoning Iruka, who explained the exam rules.
• Naruto presented the scrolls he had collected, but Iruka said one scroll was missing and required the students to wait four more days.
• Neji confessed that he had destroyed the missing scroll and apologized for delaying the Empire’s mission, asking the others not to go easy on him in the matches.
• At the ruins of the Land of Whirlpools, Hiruzen considered inviting the Five Kage to a summit while worrying that the hidden villages might fight among themselves instead of uniting against invaders.

The Five Great Shinobi Villages and the Land of Iron received invitations to Konoha’s Chunin Exams, while Konoha began the third exam’s preliminaries under new promotion rules. As the contestants prepared to draw lots, Guy suspected the missing Third Hokage might be planning a surprise attack on the other villages.

• Fourth Raikage A tore up Konoha’s invitation, then agreed to send Mabui and Darui after learning the Daimyo had ordered Hidden Cloud Village to attend.
• Ōnoki decided to visit Konoha with Kitsuchi, while Kurotsuchi stayed in Hidden Stone Village.
• The Mizukage chose to attend with Chōjūrō and Ao, and Nagato sent Deva Path Pain with Konan to Konoha.
• Mifune rejected Konoha’s invitation and tore it up, dismissing the samurai’s involvement in a shinobi contest.
• Hayate Gekko explained that the fifteen contestants would fight one-on-one for ten final-exam spots, with a bye advancing automatically, and that winners could earn promotion to Chunin or Jonin.
• Guy, Kakashi, Kurenai Yuhi, and Asuma discussed the village’s strange atmosphere, and Guy wondered whether the missing Third Hokage planned to attack the other shinobi villages.

Sasuke drew the number 0 and advanced directly to the final exam, while Naruto was paired against Kiba Inuzuka. The first match began with both Genin ready to fight before the gathered Shinobi World.

• Naruto celebrated drawing number 1, but Sasuke drew 0 and was granted direct advancement to the final exam.
• Kiba Inuzuka drew number 2 and eagerly celebrated his matchup against Naruto, convinced he would win.
• The remaining draws paired Neji Hyuga with Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame with Sakura Haruno, Kankuro with Ino Yamanaka, Nara Shikamaru with Temari, Gaara with Tenten, and Rock Lee with Choji Akimichi.
• Hayate Gekko announced the matchups and gave the contestants half an hour to rest; Kurenai Yuhi predicted Kiba would beat Naruto, while Kakashi said Naruto might surprise them.
• Hayate explained the match rules to Naruto and Kiba, then announced that the first preliminary match had begun.

Naruto faced Kiba in the examination, matching the Inuzuka’s beast techniques and surprising the watching jonin. The battle continued with Kiba losing control of his Chakra as black smoke billowed from his head.

• Kiba fed Soldier Pills to himself and Akamaru, then used the Four Legs Technique to attack Naruto.
• Naruto escaped Kiba’s strike with the Substitution Technique and then copied the Four Legs Technique, astonishing Kiba.
• Kiba used Beast-Human Clone with Akamaru, and Naruto appeared to copy the move using a clone.
• Kiba and Akamaru attacked with Fang Passing Fang, and Naruto joined them with his Shadow Clone using the same technique.
• Kurenai, Asuma, Guy, and Kakashi reacted to Naruto’s copied techniques as Kiba’s Chakra dwindled and black smoke rose from his head.

Naruto defeated Kiba, and Neji defeated Hinata in the Chunin Exam matches. During Sakura’s match against Shino, Sasuke secretly used Tsukuyomi on her, causing her eyes to change into the Three-Tomoe.

• Naruto spun Kiba until he and Akamaru passed out, then Hayate declared Naruto the winner.
• Neji defeated Hinata with a single palm strike, and Hinata forfeited after realizing how thoroughly he had outmatched her.
• Kiba told Naruto that Hayate’s wife was Elite Jonin Yuugao Uzuki.
• Sakura began her match against Shino while Sasuke secretly tested his Genjutsu control on her.
• Sasuke activated Kaleidoscope Tsukuyomi within Sakura, making her eyes transform into the Three-Tomoe and startling Jiraiya and the examiners.

The preliminary round continued as Shino, Kankuro, Shikamaru, and Gaara won their matches, while their opponents forfeited or were defeated. Rock Lee faced Choji in the final match, which ended when Lee's Bicycle Kick sent Choji crashing through a wall and out of the examination grounds.

• Sasuke's Genjutsu-controlled Sakura was overwhelmed by Shino's insects, and Hayate Gekko declared Shino Aburame the winner.
• Ino's Mind Transfer Technique failed against Kankuro's puppet decoy, so she forfeited and Kankuro won.
• Shikamaru used the Shadow Solitary Binding Technique to control Temari, forcing her to say she surrendered and making him the winner.
• Gaara stopped Tenten's weapons with Magnet Release and sent them flying around her, prompting her to forfeit.
• Rock Lee attacked Choji's Human Boulder with a Bicycle Kick, sending Choji through a wall and out of the examination grounds.

The Chunin Exam preliminaries ended after Rock Lee knocked Choji through a wall and Sasuke used genjutsu to make Temari attack Hayate. Underground, Orochimaru emerged from Kabuto Yakushi and implanted him with Hashirama Cells, leaving Kabuto to pursue Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode as Orochimaru foresaw great changes in the Shinobi World.

• Rock Lee accidentally kicked Choji through the arena wall, and Choji surrendered after confirming he had only superficial injuries.
• Sakura, Choji, and Kiba declined to challenge the finalists, but Temari challenged Sasuke and was caught in his genjutsu, causing her to attack Hayate before he knocked her unconscious.
• Hayate declared the preliminary matches over, and Guy and Kakashi wagered on which of their teams would win the finals.
• Temari woke while being carried by Gaara's sand and learned from Baki that Sasuke had trapped her in genjutsu.
• Orochimaru emerged from Kabuto Yakushi through a three-tomoe Curse Seal, then implanted Kabuto with Hashirama Cells and left him information about Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode.
• Orochimaru recalled the young man whose eyes resembled Itachi's and warned that the Shinobi World might soon undergo a great change.

Jiraiya faced the visiting leaders and representatives as the Hidden Leaf’s acting Hokage, explaining that the Fifth Hokage candidate was away on a secret mission. He planned to prepare Naruto for the Chunin Exams, then noticed Konan among the visitors and saw her react to his new position.

• Ōnoki criticized the Hidden Leaf for making Jiraiya receive the guests instead of the Hokage, stirring up resentment among the visiting leaders.
• Jiraiya donned the Hokage robes and introduced himself as the Hidden Leaf’s current Hokage, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku.
• Mei Terumi teased Jiraiya and invited him to discuss village governance, while the Kazekage questioned whether Jiraiya was only a temporary Hokage.
• Jiraiya said the Fifth Hokage candidate was away on a secret mission and asserted that he represented the Hokage and the Hidden Leaf.
• Jiraiya considered giving Naruto intensive training before the Chunin Exams, including teaching him the Summoning Technique and possibly adjusting his seal.
• Jiraiya spotted Konan among the visitors, and Konan lowered her head as she wondered whether Jiraiya-sensei had become acting Hokage.

Jiraiya hosted the visiting villages and nobles in Konoha, where tensions surfaced over absent leaders and the Chunin Exams. After the banquet, the Wind Kage revealed himself to be an impostor, leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade stunned by his identity.

• Jiraiya recognized Konan, then questioned the Wind Kage about the absent Land of Wind Daimyo, and the Wind Kage blamed a Sand Gold Mine discovery.
• Jiraiya challenged the Hidden Cloud representatives over their Lightning Kage's absence, and Darui and Mabui replied that the Eight-Tails needed guarding and demanded Konoha sealing techniques.
• Jiraiya invited the guests to choose opponents for Konoha's contestants at the Chunin Exams and ended the banquet.
• Hizashi Hyuga watched Ao closely and left with a solemn expression, intending to report to Neji that the Hyuga Clan's eyes had been exposed before the visiting nations.
• The Wind Kage stayed behind, removed his hat, and peeled away his disguise, shocking Jiraiya and Tsunade.

Orochimaru revealed his plans to Jiraiya and Tsunade and proposed an alliance against a threat to the Parallel Ninja World. Later, Jiraiya visited Naruto to train him for the Chunin Exams, while Sasuke listened from inside the room and grew anxious.

• Orochimaru told Jiraiya and Tsunade he had killed the Kazekage and intended to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village, then proposed cooperating against a greater danger.
• Orochimaru summoned two wooden coffins, convincing Jiraiya that they might be able to resolve the Parallel Ninja World crisis, but he refused to awaken their occupants yet.
• Neji heard Hizashi Hyuga's report, mocked the Caged Bird Seal, and left as Hizashi hoped Neji would restore the Hyuga clan's glory.
• Jiraiya knocked on Naruto's door, introduced himself, and learned that Naruto knew him as the Pervy Sage from Kakashi.
• Jiraiya told Naruto he needed more strength before the Chunin Exams and offered to train him during the two days before the final exam, while Sasuke listened nearby.

Jiraiya taught Naruto the Summoning Technique and expected him to summon a toad from Mount Myōboku, but Naruto instead summoned Sage Fukasaku. Fukasaku demanded an explanation from Jiraiya, while the Great Toad Sage foresaw great changes and ordered Mount Myōboku’s clan members gathered.

• Jiraiya watched Naruto stand on the river and decided to teach him the Summoning Technique and Rasengan.
• Jiraiya had Naruto sign the Mount Myōboku summoning scroll, then summoned Toad Bunta to demonstrate.
• Naruto performed the Summoning Technique, and the force pulled at the Great Toad Sage in Mount Myōboku.
• Fukasaku chose to answer Naruto’s summon, while the Great Toad Sage sensed that the Shinobi World was about to undergo great changes.
• Jiraiya expected Naruto to summon a small toad, but Fukasaku appeared and demanded to know what was going on.

Jiraiya taught Naruto the Summoning Technique, but Naruto’s instinctive pull nearly summoned the Great Toad Sage from Mount Myōboku. After mistaking Naruto’s ability to sense chakra for a special Uzumaki trait, Jiraiya had him summon Gamabunta and prepared to teach him the Rasengan.

• Jiraiya asked Naruto to try the Summoning Technique again after learning that Fukasaku had deliberately answered the first summoning.
• Naruto performed the technique again, and the Great Toad Sage sensed the summoning force while Shima intervened to prevent him from being pulled away.
• Shima scolded Jiraiya and Fukasaku before the toads dispelled the summoning and returned to Mount Myōboku.
• Naruto told Jiraiya that he had instinctively chosen the being with the strongest natural power, and Jiraiya assumed Naruto could sense chakra because of his Uzumaki heritage.
• Jiraiya instructed Naruto to summon Gamabunta instead, then praised him and began teaching him the Rasengan.

Jiraiya tried to teach Naruto the Rasengan, only to discover that Naruto could already produce multiple advanced variations with ease. Meanwhile, Itachi and Kisame entered Konoha disguised in Akatsuki robes and decided to stay and watch the Chunin Exams, where Itachi planned to judge Sasuke's strength.

• Jiraiya demonstrated the Rasengan and prepared to have Naruto practice stabilizing it with a balloon.
• Naruto revealed that he could expand and shrink the Rasengan and create dozens of tiny Rasengan at once, leaving Jiraiya stunned.
• Jiraiya told Naruto to practice the techniques and fled, believing Naruto's talent exceeded what he could teach him.
• Itachi and Kisame entered the Delicious Dango Shop, where Itachi used his Sharingan to take seats without drawing attention.
• Kisame suggested watching the Chunin Exams because Sasuke was competing, and Itachi agreed so he could see how strong his younger brother had become.

The Chunin Exams began with matches drawn by the visiting countries, but Naruto Uzumaki advanced after Nara Shikamaru forfeited. Kankuro and Shino Aburame started the next match, leaving the crowd stunned as Kankuro unleashed thirteen powerful puppets.

• The Daimyo and Kage drew the matchups, pairing Naruto Uzumaki with Nara Shikamaru, Kankuro with Shino Aburame, Gaara with Sasuke, and Neji with Rock Lee.
• The first match began, but Shikamaru immediately forfeited, making Naruto the winner and angering spectators and Asuma.
• Kankuro and Shino entered the arena and exchanged confident remarks about their abilities and past opponents.
• Kankuro released thirteen puppets at once, each radiating an aura comparable to a Jonin, and the spectators stared in fear.

Kankuro unleashed his puppet arsenal against Aburame Shino, whose advanced insects devoured the puppets’ poisoned needles and multiplied. Kankuro then prepared his strongest technique, revealing that his clothing and tattoos were inscribed with spatial storage seals, and began summoning a massive puppet tide.

• Kankuro controlled thirteen puppets and launched a barrage of poisoned needles at Shino.
• Shino used Insect Armor, and his Nanomaterial Kikaichū devoured the needles and reproduced.
• Kankuro realized that Shino’s growing swarm could overwhelm him if he prolonged the fight, so he began forming more than fifty hand seals.
• Kankuro’s robe and purple tattoos were revealed to contain spatial storage seals, astonishing the spectators.
• Kankuro completed the technique’s final seal and activated Ninja Art: Thousand Machine Surge: Puppet Tide Technique.

Kankuro overwhelmed the battlefield with his Thousand Machine Cloud Surge, then fused his puppets into a Titan to attack Aburame Shino. Shino remained calm as his bugs quietly attached themselves to Kankuro’s puppets.

• Kankuro summoned thousands of powerful puppets, stunning the Kage, spectators, and Baki, while Deva Path Pain ordered Konan to recruit him at any cost.
• Aburame Shino released Kikaichū Sage Bugs and Nanomaterial Kikaichū, using bug armor to withstand Kankuro’s coordinated puppet attacks.
• Shino secretly spread his bugs and attached them to Kankuro’s puppets as the Sage Bugs vanished.
• Kankuro fused his puppets into a gigantic Titan, alarming the spectators and leaving Kurenai Yuhi worried for Shino.
• Shino watched the Titan with a faint smile, while Itachi Uchiha and Kisame worried that Sasuke might not survive a fight against Kankuro.

Sasuke defeated Gaara in a battle of overwhelming gravity and cosmic flames, though he said neither of them had truly lost. The arena remained dangerous as Jiraiya tried to announce the winner of the third match.

• Sasuke endured Gaara's immense Magnet Release gravity and realized Gaara had concealed power beyond Rasa's.
• Sasuke unleashed Blaze Release: Cosmic Genesis Flame, and Gaara answered with Magnet Sand Release: Particle Defense.
• The clash scorched the battlefield, and Gaara conceded that Sasuke's power had exceeded his expectations.
• The spectators realized the fighters' techniques had distorted space and created tremendous gravity, prompting Darui to seek help from the Raikage.
• Jiraiya fell into the compressed ground under the lingering gravity, and Gaara withdrew his elemental sand before Jiraiya began announcing the winner.

Rock Lee fought Neji Hyuga in the fourth match, opening the Seventh Gate before Neji revealed a bone-manipulating technique and defeated him. The match ended with the other villages eyeing Neji and his Shikotsumyaku as a potential prize.

• Rock Lee removed his gravity rods and opened the Seventh Gate, shocking Guy and the visiting village leaders.
• Rock Lee used Morning Peacock to strike Neji, who rose and said he had researched Shikotsumyaku because he could not awaken the Tenseigan.
• Neji transformed into a three-headed, six-armed bone form and countered Rock Lee with Eight Trigrams: Eight Trigrams One Thousand Twenty-Four Palms.
• Neji bound Rock Lee with four bone arms, and Rock Lee lost the match as the Seventh Gate drained his stamina.
• Ōnoki recognized Neji’s power as the Kaguya Clan’s Shikotsumyaku, while Ōnoki, Mei Terumi, and Pain considered ways to obtain or recruit him.