Chapter Summaries

Anko Mitarashi burst into the classroom to announce the second Chunin Exam, but her dramatic entrance fell flat before the examinees. She dismissed the remaining teams and left them to learn the assembly details from their Jonin teachers, while she and Ibiki Morino watched Hada Ichiba with unease.

• Anko Mitarashi crashed through the classroom window, introduced herself as the second-test examiner, and announced the next round.
• Ibiki Morino told Anko Mitarashi to read the room, then wondered whether Hada Ichiba reminded him of a man he believed had died on the Night of the Nine-Tails.
• Anko Mitarashi mistook a gray-white-haired boy for someone she had once known, then recognized that he was not him.
• Anko Mitarashi questioned Ibiki Morino about why seventy-eight examinees had passed, and he said the year had many outstanding candidates.
• Anko Mitarashi threatened to cut the examinees to fewer than half in the second test, then dismissed them and told them to ask their Jonin teachers for the assembly details.

Kusagakure's Genin celebrated passing the first Chunin Exam, while He Yin remained suspicious of Hada Ichiba's reasons for arranging the feast. As the celebration continued, she left to question him about it.

• He Yin toasted the Genin for passing the first exam, and they celebrated with food and nonalcoholic drinks.
• He Yin worried that the feast and request for extra food were improper and might be part of an unexplained abnormality.
• Anna told the others that Hada Ichiba had given them the exam answers and prepared them for the mental test.
• Hada Ryuhiko protested the teasing about his closeness to Anna and threw a chicken leg at a laughing Genin.
• Hada Ryuhiko left the table, with Anna following him, and He Yin went to Hada Ichiba's room to ask what he was planning.

Hada Ichiba burned his notes about the Chunin Exams and explained to He Yin why Kusagakure needed to hold a celebration banquet, warning that the next exam would likely bring casualties. He then raised the question of how much Kusagakure trusted him, and He Yin prepared to answer candidly.

• Hada Ichiba burned his notes about the exam participants and worried that Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru were behind unexpected changes.
• Hada Ichiba told He Yin that the banquet would make Kusagakure's success look unexpected to Konoha and reduce suspicion.
• Hada Ichiba warned He Yin that the second exam would involve lethal combat and that casualties were likely, so the participants should enjoy a final good meal.
• He Yin noticed Hada Ichiba's hesitation and asked whether their plan had gone wrong; he said only their strategy had changed and there was no immediate danger.
• Hada Ichiba asked how much Kusagakure trusted him and acknowledged that he knew Yu Ze had been investigating him.
• He Yin grew solemn and began to answer him frankly.

The candidates gathered at the Death Forest for the second Chunin Exam, where Anko Mitarashi warned them about the dangers and handed out consent forms. A tense exchange between Anko and the conical-hat Amegakure ninja revealed that Hada Ichiba was being watched as a potential threat, and the exam was about to begin.

• The candidates assembled before the Death Forest, and Anko Mitarashi told them they would soon experience its dangers.
• Hada Ichiba watched the conical-hat Amegakure ninja, who startled Hada Ryuhiko with a grotesque grin.
• Uzumaki Naruto mocked Anko's warning, so she cut his cheek with a Kunai and frightened him.
• The conical-hat Amegakure ninja stopped Anko's follow-up strike with her tongue and returned the Kunai, while Anko warned her not to approach with killing intent.
• Anko revealed that she had sensed Hada Ichiba preparing to attack during the clash and then distributed consent forms for the second exam.

Anko Mitarashi explained the second exam’s five-day survival challenge in the Death Forest, where teams had to collect matching Heaven and Earth Scrolls and reach the central tower. Hada Ichiba’s team prepared to face the dangers, while Hada Anna’s sudden worry about the scrolls ended with Ichiba telling her to ignore them.

• Hada Ryuhiko worried about protecting Hada Anna during the deadly exam, then promised to keep her close, and the Kusagakure group steeled themselves to pass.
• Anko Mitarashi explained that the twenty-six teams would receive either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll and had five days to reach the tower carrying both.
• Shikamaru Nara, Haruno Sakura, Ino Yamanaka, Neji Hyuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten considered the dangers, while Anko clarified that teams could not withdraw and would be eliminated for failing the requirements.
• Anko warned the Genin not to open their scrolls before reaching the tower, and Hada Anna panicked about the restriction.
• Hada Ichiba told Hada Anna to pretend the scrolls did not exist, and she accepted his advice while Hada Ryuhiko nursed his swollen hand.

Hada Ichiba gave the Earth Scroll to Hada Ryuhiko, who reluctantly accepted it after questioning whether Ichiba was tricking him. As teams gathered at their assigned entrances for the Death Forest exam, Ryuhiko watched the other examinees and suddenly threw the scroll back at Ichiba, leaving everyone stunned.

• Hada Ichiba handed the Earth Scroll to Hada Ryuhiko, explaining that the unexpected choice could mislead their opponents and that he trusted Ryuhiko to protect it.
• Hada Ryuhiko accepted the scroll after warning Ichiba not to trick him again, and he left the exchange hut with Anna and Ichiba.
• Anko Mitarashi announced that teams would enter the Death Forest in thirty minutes, and the supervisors directed them to their assigned entrances.
• Hada Ichiba identified their team as entrance 1 while Ryuhiko studied the other examinees and their teams.
• Hada Ryuhiko suddenly called Ichiba an idiot and hurled the Earth Scroll at his face, shocking the examinees.

Hada Ryuhiko threw a scroll at Hada Ichiba, making their team appear to be fighting in front of the other Genin. Hada Ichiba realized the crowd had noticed his Earth Scroll, leaving him marked as a target as the teams headed to their assigned entrances.

• Hada Ryuhiko threw a scroll at Hada Ichiba, and their apparent dispute drew whispers from the other teams.
• Second Pillar, Shikamaru Nara, and their teammates chose to ignore the incident and focus on their own plans.
• Neji Hyuga warned Rock Lee and Tenten that Hada Ichiba's strength was unfathomable and they should avoid provoking him.
• Zaku and Kin mocked the apparent infighting, while Dosu silently watched Hada Ichiba.
• The supervisors directed the teams to their entrances, and Hada Ryuhiko led Hada Anna away first.
• Hada Ichiba realized that the crowd had identified his Earth Scroll, and the other Genin began eyeing him as a target.

Hada Ichiba tried to understand why Hada Long Yan and Hada Anna had acted coldly toward him, then led them through Gate No. 1 when the exam began. He realized the children had slipped away just as explosions blocked the routes behind him and to his right.

• Hada Long Yan and Hada Anna told Hada Ichiba not to speak to them, leaving him unsure of their reasons.
• Hada Anna worried that Hada Ichiba might stay angry, and Hada Long Yan reassured her that she was too cute to be disliked.
• Hada Ichiba led the children through Gate No. 1 when it opened and began looking for a concealed, central place to establish a communications network.
• Hada Ichiba noticed Hada Long Yan and Hada Anna darting off in another direction as explosions sent burning branches crashing across the paths behind him and to his right.

Hada Ichiba realized that Kusagakure’s team had been targeted by the other teams from the start, and Long Yan and Anna had split off alone after drawing attention to their scroll. He concluded that he would have to change their plan and worried about the danger facing the two children.

• Long Yan and Anna escaped while explosions and fallen branches blocked Hada Ichiba from following them.
• Hada Ichiba examined the Earth Scroll and realized that Long Yan’s public handoff had revealed who carried it.
• Hada Ichiba inferred that the other teams had already been plotting against Kusagakure and intended to eliminate them first.
• Hada Ichiba decided their low-profile plan had failed and that he would have to rely on himself.
• Hada Ichiba realized that Long Yan and Anna were in danger because the other teams knew the direction from which Team One had entered.

Long Yan explained to Hada Anna why he had given Hada Ichiba the Earth Scroll and revealed that Ichiba might leave Kusagakure if Long Yan passed his test. As Anna cried over the possibility, someone attacked them with kunai and Exploding Tags.

• Hada Anna worried that Hada Ichiba would be attacked after Long Yan left him with the scroll, but Long Yan insisted Ichiba could handle himself.
• Long Yan told Hada Anna that Hada Ichiba had given him the scroll as a test of his ability to withstand pressure.
• Long Yan revealed that if he passed the test, Hada Ichiba might leave Kusagakure, and Hada Anna rejected the idea and began to cry.
• Long Yan started to comfort Hada Anna, but he sensed danger and pulled her behind him as four kunai struck around them and Exploding Tags appeared.

As the Death Forest exam began, Hada Ichiba organized the Kusagakure teams to stick together, avoid dangerous opponents, and reach the central tower strategically. The group accepted his plan and followed him to exchange their scrolls, while Anko Mitarashi watched the teams disperse and wondered how many would survive.

• Anko Mitarashi explained how teams could exchange consent forms for scrolls, warned the examinees not to die, and sent them to choose entrances.
• Second Pillar observed the teams and grew wary of the Kusagakure group and Gaara from Sunagakure.
• Hada Ichiba showed the Kusagakure group a map of the Death Forest and ordered them to gather at a central landmark and hunt together.
• Hada Ichiba warned the teams to avoid Gaara, the Hidden Rain shinobi in a conical hat, Second Pillar, Neji Hyuga, and Rock Lee, and distributed scrolls containing information about examinees.
• Hada Ichiba told teams too far away to regroup to reach the central tower quickly, trade scrolls rather than risk fights, and contact him if they needed help.
• The Kusagakure group accepted Hada Ichiba's plan and followed him toward the exchange hut as Anko Mitarashi watched them with suspicion.

Hada Ryuhiko and Hada Anna were ambushed in the forest by two Amegakure ninjas, one of whom threatened to detonate Exploding Tags if they moved. Spectacles Man accused them of using Hada Ichiba to draw attention away from themselves, while Ryuhiko remained trapped and tried to protect Anna.

• Spectacles Man and his companion confronted Hada Ryuhiko and Hada Anna, threatening to detonate Exploding Tags planted near them.
• Hada Anna hid behind Ryuhiko in fear, and he reassured her while realizing that moving could trigger the tags.
• Spectacles Man explained that the pair had handed the Earth Scroll to Hada Ichiba to make him a target and divert attention.
• Spectacles Man claimed Hada Ichiba could have returned the Earth Scroll before they entered the Death Forest, allowing him and the pair to split up.

Spectacles Man deduced that Hada Ichiba was acting as bait and collecting scrolls while Hada Ryuhiko carried the Earth Scroll. As Spectacles Man’s team attacked, an explosion filled the forest clearing, leaving the children’s fate unclear.

• Hada Ryuhiko panicked and denied that he and Anna were using Hada Ichiba as a decoy.
• Spectacles Man explained why he believed Hada Ichiba was Kusagakure’s strongest Genin and was gathering scrolls for his team.
• Spectacles Man concluded that Hada Ryuhiko was carrying the Earth Scroll, and his companion signaled that they should act.
• Smoke burst behind Hada Anna and Hada Ryuhiko as a blade flashed toward Hada Ryuhiko’s neck.
• Spectacles Man shouted for his companion to detonate the Exploding Tags, and a blast filled the clearing with smoke.

Spectacles Man and his companion waited for the smoke to clear after detonating an Exploding Tag near Matsuda, but Spectacles Man questioned whether it had truly exploded and described seeing a hand strike at Matsuda. When the clearing came into view, his companion saw Spectacles Man’s face twist in terror, and a drop of liquid fell from the clearing.

• Spectacles Man and his companion searched the smoky clearing and worried about Matsuda and the Earth Scroll after the blast.
• Spectacles Man questioned whether the Exploding Tag had detonated because he had seen no firelight.
• His companion insisted the tag had exploded and asked what Spectacles Man had noticed before giving the order.
• Spectacles Man said he had seen a hand appear behind one of the boys and strike toward Matsuda, leading his companion to suspect Hada Ichiba.
• As the smoke cleared, Spectacles Man’s companion saw terror on his face, and a drop of liquid fell from the center of the clearing.

Hada Anna and Hada Ryuhiko faced Spectacles Man and his companion in a devastated clearing, where Anna stood over a mangled human-shaped imprint. Ryuhiko was gravely injured but began receiving Medical Ninjutsu as the two enemies recovered from their shock and prepared to attack.

• Spectacles Man's companion dropped his kunai in terror at the enormous pit and the blood-soaked scene around Hada Anna.
• Hada Anna heard Hada Ryuhiko cough, turned in alarm, and saw him badly injured against a rock formation.
• Ryuhiko urged Anna to use Medical Ninjutsu, and she rushed to him and began healing his crushed waist and ribs.
• Spectacles Man realized Anna and Ryuhiko were vulnerable, shouted for them to be killed, and he and his companion readied their attacks.

Hada Ichiba worried that Hada Ryuhiko and Hada Anna were in danger after they separated from him, but an enemy attacked him before he could act. Elsewhere, Ryuhiko’s poison took effect on two attackers, and he reassured Anna that they had won so she would continue treating him.

• Hada Ichiba realized that the children might face danger alone in the Death Forest and decided that chasing them could make things worse.
• Hada Ichiba wondered whether Hada Anna might accidentally hurt Hada Ryuhiko, then an enemy attacked him with fire as he drew his sword.
• Spectacles Man and his companion became paralyzed and collapsed after inhaling Ryuhiko’s slow-acting poison.
• Hada Anna asked whether Ryuhiko was hurt, and he told her the enemy was defeated so she would focus on treating him.

Spectacles Man and his companion realized Hada Ryuhiko had poisoned them with a device hidden beneath their branch, where it had sprayed toxin since the explosion. Unable to stop breathing or escape the poison, they lost consciousness and died.

• Spectacles Man and his companion panicked after Hada Ryuhiko revealed they had been poisoned, despite their careful preparations against the two children.
• The pair realized Ryuhiko could have poisoned them without being detected and feared his potential as a deadly poison user.
• Spectacles Man and his companion heard a faint spraying sound coming through the branch beneath them.
• They understood that an explosion-carried device tied to a Kunai had been spraying poison beneath their branch since the blast.
• The toxin paralyzed their bodies and respiratory systems, and they died as their vision went black.

Hada Ryuhiko and Anna defeated the Hidden Rain squad, but Ryuhiko was gravely wounded and endured intense pain while Anna treated him. After realizing he had underestimated the Chunin Exams’ elite ninja, he comforted Anna and promised to save her whenever she needed him.

• Hada Ryuhiko watched the poison mist stop working and regretted using up his rare toxin after the Hidden Rain squad was wiped out.
• As his body began recovering, Hada Ryuhiko suppressed his pain so Anna could continue her difficult Medical Ninjutsu.
• Hada Ryuhiko realized he had misjudged the Hidden Rain ninja and would have died without Anna’s intervention.
• Anna thanked Long Yan for saving her and apologized to Hada Ryuhiko for getting him badly hurt.
• Hada Ryuhiko held Anna’s trembling hand and told her he would always save her, while she would always heal him.

Hada Ichiba repelled a three-ninja Konoha ambush with his black sword and forced the attackers to retreat. After realizing Long Yan had likely poisoned Obi and the others, he continued on, while Dosu watched from hiding and decided to inform Lord Orochimaru.

• Hada Ichiba split a Konoha ninja’s fire attack with his black sword and countered another ninja’s ambush with a reverse slash.
• The Konoha ninja judged that his team could not win and ordered the three attackers to retreat.
• Hada Ichiba sheathed his sword and suspected Long Yan had poisoned Obi and the others.
• Dosu watched Hada Ichiba leave from a concealed branch and decided to report what he saw to Lord Orochimaru.

Hada Ryuhiko recovered from his wounds while Hada Anna fed him and urged him to find food. As they prepared to hunt, animals began falling from the sky, leaving them wondering whether they were in Wishing Forest.

• Hada Ryuhiko discovered that his wounds had healed completely, and Hada Anna fed him pills and snacks from her Ninja Tool Pouch.
• Hada Ryuhiko offered to hunt and barbecue food for Hada Anna, while resolving to learn the truth about her uncontrollable Kekkei Genkai and find a cure.
• Hada Anna called for tasty food, and squirrels, birds, and a sloth began falling from the sky around them.
• Hada Anna wondered whether they were in Wishing Forest, and Hada Ryuhiko stared at the fallen animals in disbelief.