Chapter Summaries

Chiba met with the Third Hokage to explain his refusal to apologize to Danzo, and was released from confinement after acknowledging that he should not have attacked a fellow village shinobi. The Third Hokage received alarming intelligence as Chiba left, while Minato Namikaze stopped Chiba to talk.

• The Third Hokage questioned Chiba about his conduct, and Chiba admitted he should not have damaged the office or fought there.
• Chiba refused to apologize to Danzo, saying Danzo had treated Teacher Kushina as a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki rather than a comrade.
• Chiba acknowledged that attacking a shinobi from his own village was wrong, and the Third Hokage released him from confinement.
• The Third Hokage received an intelligence message from an eagle and reacted with shock.
• Minato Namikaze called out to Chiba in the Hokage Building corridor and asked if he had time to talk.

Minato Namikaze told Chiba that Kushina had recovered and apologized for taking public credit for defeating Yagura Bi, explaining that the lie had protected Chiba from enemy spies. Chiba accepted Minato’s explanation, then struck the water tank after Minato left, worrying that more people would need saving.

• Minato Namikaze told Chiba that Kushina had recovered and was taking missions within the village with Hirohiko and Yukina.
• Minato Namikaze apologized for failing to protect Kushina, and Chiba awkwardly credited Minato’s warning with helping him save her.
• Minato Namikaze apologized for publicly claiming that he had defeated Yagura Bi, explaining that the Third Hokage and he had concealed Chiba’s role to protect him from enemy spies.
• Chiba told Minato Namikaze that he understood the lie had been meant to protect him and thanked him for the concern.
• Minato Namikaze left for a mission, and Chiba punched the water tank while worrying that he would have to save more people.

After leaving prison, Chiba ignored the villagers’ suspicion as he considered the danger of altering history. Kushina’s care had made him determined to change the Naruto World’s timeline and save her and the others he cared about.

• Villagers called Chiba a traitor’s son and feared he would betray the village as he walked through the main road.
• Chiba reflected on how attempts to alter the past could fail or trigger devastating changes to history.
• Chiba recalled that Kushina, Minato Namikaze, and the Third Hokage would die in future events if history remained unchanged.
• Chiba remembered Kushina’s willingness to risk her life for him and recognized how deeply her care had changed him.
• Chiba resolved to change history and fight to protect Kushina and everyone who had shown him care.

Chiba considered how he might save Uchiha Obito during the Third Shinobi World War, then endured the villagers' abuse as he left for home. He reunited with Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina, and wondered whether Kushina had also experienced confinement.

• Chiba resolved to build his strength so he could try to save Uchiha Obito and change history during the Third Shinobi World War.
• A child threw a pebble at Chiba, and villagers hurled trash at him and shouted for him to leave the village.
• The Third Hokage watched Chiba leave and doubted whether concealing Chiba's achievements had truly protected him.
• Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina waited outside Chiba's cabin, and Yukina checked the wound on his forehead.
• Kushina struck Chiba for coming home injured, then welcomed him inside to celebrate the end of his confinement.
• Chiba wondered whether Kushina had once been put in confinement too.

Chiba returned from confinement and joined Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina for a celebratory dinner at his cabin. As they celebrated, Kushina doubted that Chiba was the ominous figure named in the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy, though she resolved to discuss Minato’s worries with him.

• Chiba washed up and accidentally exposed himself to Yukina when a gust of wind lifted the cloth screens around his outdoor shower.
• Yukina brought Chiba a new white outfit from Kushina, and she and Chiba returned to the cabin looking awkward while Hirohiko quietly drew his own conclusions.
• Chiba confirmed that Hirohiko and Yukina had kept the genjutsu torture secret, and he reflected that the knowledge had helped restrain Danzo.
• Kushina called everyone to serve dinner and prepared a feast to celebrate Chiba’s release from confinement.
• Kushina watched Chiba devour the food and wondered whether he could really be the person in the prophecy who would change fate and bring about the world’s destruction.

Chiba arrived at the usual meeting place to find Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina missing, and he suspected something had happened to them. Three attackers ambushed him, but he countered their coordinated assault and sent all three crashing into trees.

• Chiba woke up at 7:40, hurriedly dressed in his usual tattered clothes, and took leftover steak as breakfast.
• Chiba reached the meeting place after eight and found no one there, so he worried that the others might be in danger.
• Three attackers launched a coordinated ambush against Chiba from different directions.
• Chiba activated Gate of Life Mode and struck all three attackers in a single sequence, sending them into nearby trees.

Chiba discovered that someone had posted a notice recruiting opponents and brought a crowd of familiar young ninja to challenge him. As more friends arrived, he suspected Kushina had arranged the gathering, and his planned training seemed likely to turn into a group confrontation.

• Chiba recognized Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Asuma Sarutobi after nearly striking them with Gate of Life Mode.
• Asuma explained that he had come to challenge Chiba after seeing a poster recruiting opponents, though Chiba insisted he had posted no such notice.
• Chiba suspected Kushina had arranged the poster and recruitment as another training method.
• Kakashi and Hyuga Yukyō arrived, with Mito Kiko teasing Yukyō for coming to fight Chiba.
• Kinoi Kento, Shiga Takeyoshi, Obito, and Rin joined the gathering, leaving Chiba doubtful that his training would proceed as planned.

Chiba tried to explain that the poster challenging everyone was a misunderstanding, but the group ignored him and argued over who should fight him first. Kakashi proposed drawing lots, leaving Chiba stuck in the competition he had tried to avoid.

• Chiba said the poster had not been put up by him, but Genma Shiranui dismissed his explanation and asked who would fight first.
• Might Guy insisted he could beat Chiba one on one, while Obito and the others argued over who should take their turn.
• Chiba tried to end the dispute and said he would not fight anyone, but Shiga Takeyoshi and Kento interrupted him.
• Chiba appealed to Kakashi, who quieted the group and suggested they draw lots to choose the next opponent.

Chiba was forced to fight Hyuga Yukyō after Kakashi’s group blocked every escape route. Chiba’s chained attacks left Yukyō trapped in midair between a punch and an axe kick, with the match’s outcome still undecided.

• Hyuga Yukyō drew Chiba as his opponent, and Kakashi’s group formed a perimeter that prevented Chiba from escaping.
• Chiba opened with Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, but Hyuga Yukyō deflected the barrage with Rotation and charged through the smoke.
• A hidden Exploding Tag blasted Hyuga Yukyō backward, and he avoided Chiba’s Headhunter Jutsu by leaping clear.
• Hyuga Yukyō used Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm and Rotation to counter Chiba’s attacks, while Chiba rushed along the shattered Earth Cone.
• Chiba struck from the front and raised another version of himself above Yukyō, trapping him in midair between a punch and an axe kick.

Chiba and Hyuga Yukyō traded a series of feints and counterattacks, with Hyuga Yukyō eventually landing Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on what he believed was Chiba’s real body. Hyuga Yukyō discovered the real Chiba had already escaped through the forest, leaving Kakashi and the others impressed by his cunning.

• Kakashi watched Chiba pressure Hyuga Yukyō and considered how he might defeat Chiba in his own upcoming fight.
• Hyuga Yukyō caught Chiba’s punch and kick, then used Chakra strikes to dispel the two Shadow Clones.
• Chiba raised an Earth Style: Earth Wall to block Hyuga Yukyō’s four explosive Kunai, then leaped up and struck him with an uppercut.
• Hyuga Yukyō used the Substitution Technique to counterattack and hit Chiba with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
• Hyuga Yukyō realized the Chiba he had struck was a Shadow Clone and spotted the real Chiba escaping through the forest.

Chiba escaped Hyuga Yukyō after a difficult fight and considered how his new Gate of Pain Mode had improved his combat ability. He left wary of Yukyō’s strength but noticed that his rival’s attitude had changed since the Kushina incident.

• Chiba used Gate of Pain Mode to flee through the forest and believed he had escaped pursuit.
• Chiba reflected that Gate of Pain Mode increased his speed and strength enough to let him perform the Body Flicker Technique, though he could not match Yagura Bi’s speed.
• Chiba decided to focus on refining his existing abilities rather than learning new techniques, with the Third Shinobi World War approaching.
• Chiba assessed Hyuga Yukyō as a dangerous opponent whose Byakugan and Gentle Fist had countered his tactics.
• Chiba wondered whether Hyuga Yukyō had become less aggressive and more tsundere since the Kushina incident.

Chiba headed for the village but was ambushed by Hirohiko’s Shuriken technique and Dragon Fire Technique. After escaping the trap, he realized Hirohiko had been drawing his attention away from Yukina, and the chapter ended as a fireball flew toward him.

• Chiba raced toward the village and dodged Shuriken that Hirohiko used to bind him with Steel Wires.
• Hirohiko sent Dragon Fire Technique along the wires, but Chiba escaped with the Substitution Technique.
• Chiba hid in a tree and concluded Hirohiko had likely been acting with Yukina, whose Byakugan could locate him.
• Yukina attacked Chiba with Gentle Fist, but he narrowly evaded her strike and burst from the tree.
• As Chiba turned to look at Yukina, a fireball hurtled toward him from an angle.

Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina fought in a coordinated clash, and Chiba realized his Shadow Clone tactics drained too much stamina for Eight Gates Mode. Just as Chiba prepared to explain Gate of Pain Mode to Yukina, Kushina appeared and asked to hear about it too.

• Chiba countered Yukina and Hirohiko’s coordinated attacks with a Water Release technique and a thrown kunai, but the pair escaped the exploding tags with little injury.
• Chiba reflected that Shadow Clone tactics exhausted him too quickly to suit Eight Gates Mode, especially during prolonged battles.
• Hirohiko asked whether Chiba had mastered Gate of Pain Mode, and Chiba confirmed that he had.
• Yukina asked Chiba to explain Gate of Pain Mode, and Chiba decided to tell her.
• Kushina appeared nearby and asked Chiba to explain it to her as well.

Chiba explained to Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina that Eight Gates Mode controlled the dangerous chakra produced by opening the Eight Gates, eliminating its bodily damage. Kushina accepted their confirmation that Gate of Pain Mode was safe but pressed Chiba to explain what remained incomplete.

• Kushina, Hirohiko, and Yukina returned to the cabin with Chiba after taking down the posters Kushina had put up.
• Chiba told them that Eight Gates Mode was a technique for controlling the Eight Gates.
• Chiba explained that Gate of Pain Mode controlled the violent chakra from the Gate of Pain and gave him Jonin-level chakra.
• Kushina asked about side effects, and Chiba said the technique had strict time limits and unfinished parts but no longer damaged his body.
• Hirohiko and Yukina confirmed that Chiba's chakra flow in Gate of Pain Mode was gentle, and Kushina asked him to explain the remaining incomplete parts.

Kushina confirmed that Chiba’s Gate of Pain Mode did not harm his body, but recognized that his low stamina made him vulnerable in battle. After learning that war was near, she resolved to find a way to improve his chances of survival.

• Chiba demonstrated the Gate of Pain state and Gate of Pain Mode while Yukina and Hirohiko assessed the effects on his body.
• Kushina recalled overhearing that an important Sunagakure figure had gone missing and realized war might soon break out.
• Kushina recognized that Chiba’s limited combat endurance could leave him helpless after a battle and worried she might be unable to protect him.
• Kushina hid her concerns, took Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina to Ichiraku Ramen, and resolved to address Chiba’s weakness.

Chiba completed an exhausting weighted training session, then shared dinner with Kakashi and Kinoi Kento after they visited his cabin with fish. Meanwhile, Kushina entered an apparently long-abandoned residence and activated a hidden mechanism beside a bookshelf.

• Chiba wondered what had made Kushina seem worried and pushed through 2,200 weighted push-ups to build his stamina.
• Chiba collected his overdue Genin pay, bought heavier Weighted Training Gear, and spent the day training.
• Chiba bathed, reheated dinner, and answered a late knock at his door from Kakashi and Kinoi Kento, who had been fishing.
• Chiba, Kakashi, and Kinoi Kento cooked the fish and ate together while chatting about fishing and Kento’s reconnaissance mission.
• Kushina explored an old, apparently unoccupied residence near central Konoha and pressed a concealed mechanism beside a bookshelf.

Chiba waited with Hirohiko and Yukina for Kushina, spending the morning reviewing medical knowledge while they trained. After Kushina was hours late and they worried something had happened, she appeared with a scroll and said she had finally found it.

• Chiba arrived at the meeting place and began studying his medical notes while Hirohiko and Yukina waited with him.
• Chiba reviewed pharmacology and toxicology, considering how his studies could help him prepare for war and dangerous poisons.
• After three hours passed without Kushina appearing, Hirohiko and Yukina stopped training and joined Chiba in deciding to look for her.
• Kushina suddenly appeared beside them, apologized for the wait, and showed them a scroll she had finally found.

Kushina brought Chiba an Uzumaki Clan catalog of Sealing Jutsu and chose the Yin Seal as his next training focus. Chiba was shocked to learn she believed it could give him a backup plan for the weaknesses of his Eight Gates Mode.

• Kushina arrived with a large scroll she had searched for all night.
• Kushina opened the scroll and revealed the Uzumaki Clan's catalog of Sealing Jutsu.
• Kushina explained that she had found a technique suited to Chiba and his Eight Gates Mode.
• Kushina pointed to the S-rank Yin Seal and said she knew how to teach it.
• Chiba recognized the Yin Seal and reacted with astonishment.

Chiba learned that Kushina knew the Yin Seal and could teach it to him, giving him a way to address Eight Gates Mode’s lack of endurance. Kushina agreed to begin teaching him sealing basics the next day, while Chiba worried she might try another risky way to make things up to Hirohiko and Yukina.

• Chiba recalled the Yin Seal’s connection to Mito Uzumaki and realized Kushina could have learned it from her.
• Kushina explained that the Yin Seal stored Chakra but required precise control and long-term effort, then asked Chiba if he wanted to learn it.
• Chiba accepted immediately, and Kushina said she would teach him the basics of Sealing Jutsu starting the next day.
• When Chiba asked to learn the Yin Seal directly, Kushina punched him and insisted he master the basics first.
• Kushina apologized to Yukina and Hirohiko for having nothing to teach them, and they reassured her before she dismissed the group.
• Chiba wondered whether Kushina would do something reckless to make it up to Yukina and Hirohiko.

Kushina began teaching Chiba, Hirohiko, and Yukina the basics of Sealing Jutsu, starting with the sealing characters needed to form Sealing Jutsu Formulas. Hirohiko and Yukina quickly grasped the fundamentals, while Chiba struggled to distinguish the characters and stayed behind for more instruction.

• Kushina stopped Hirohiko and Yukina from pursuing their plans and had them join Chiba's Sealing Jutsu lesson.
• Kushina gave each student a scroll of sealing characters and told them to memorize and practice writing them.
• Chiba reduced his daily training repetitions to make time for studying Sealing Jutsu.
• Hirohiko and Yukina used their Sharingan and Byakugan to recognize the characters and quickly learned the basic principles.
• Kushina sent Hirohiko and Yukina to practice on their own but kept Chiba after class to patiently explain the characters he struggled to identify.