Chapter Summaries

Four-year-old Naruto endured the villagers’ hatred until he tried to take his own life, prompting the Nine-Tails to pull his consciousness into the seal. After Naruto opened the seal and learned that Minato was his father, he returned to Konoha determined to earn recognition, while the Third Hokage sensed the Nine-Tails’ Chakra.

• Naruto was pelted with trash and insulted by villagers, then jumped from a rooftop because he saw no reason to keep living.
• The Nine-Tails brought Naruto’s consciousness into the sealed space and explained that they would both die if Naruto died.
• Naruto tore off the talisman and opened the seal, but Minato appeared and stopped him from releasing the Nine-Tails into Konoha.
• The Nine-Tails showed Minato Naruto’s memories of mistreatment, and Minato apologized before asking the Nine-Tails to lend him Chakra so he could remain with Naruto longer.
• Minato told Naruto that he still had parents and urged him not to resent the villagers; Naruto returned to the street and vowed to become Hokage and earn their acknowledgment.
• The Third Hokage sensed the Nine-Tails’ Chakra in Naruto’s room but left after hearing Naruto say “Dad” in his sleep.

Naruto tried to earn the villagers’ acknowledgment by stealing and repairing their belongings, while Hiruzen and the villagers gradually showed him kindness. After meeting Minato and the Nine-Tails in a dream, Naruto was recruited by Yue Guanhai to work off the cost of goods he had broken.

• Naruto stole belongings and vandalized shops by day, then repaired the items and cleaned the graffiti at night with Hiruzen’s help.
• The villagers returned Naruto’s belongings and gradually changed how they treated him, eventually protecting him from the rain when he collapsed during a chase.
• Naruto met the Nine-Tails and Minato in a dream, comforted Minato, and fell asleep against one of the Nine-Tails’ tails.
• Yue Guanhai confronted Naruto over goods he had smashed a month earlier and made him agree to work as his shop manager until he repaid the debt.

Naruto worked off his debt by delivering goods, met Sasuke and Itachi at the Uchiha estate, and celebrated receiving his first pay with ramen. Back in the Sewer, Nine-Tails convinced him that marrying into a clan would provide for him, so Naruto decided to find someone to marry into the next day.

• Naruto delivered goods for Yue Guanhai and met Sasuke at the Uchiha estate, where he caught Sasuke's kunai and struck the target's bullseye.
• Naruto met Itachi, delivered the oranges, and returned to Sasuke's home again with another load of goods.
• Yue Guanhai paid Naruto, and Naruto spent the money on ramen at Ichiraku before going home.
• Naruto told Minato and Nine-Tails about his day and said he wanted money to build them a house.
• Nine-Tails persuaded Naruto that marrying into a clan would mean someone would support him, and Naruto agreed to look for someone the next day.

Naruto took Yue Guanhai’s advice about marrying into a family literally, barged into the Hyuga Clan, and was rejected as a prospective son-in-law. After the Nine-Tails tricked him into attempting a nighttime raid, Naruto ended up tied to a practice post until dawn.

• Yue Guanhai recommended the Hyuga Clan as a suitable family for Naruto to marry into, but Naruto used the Substitution Technique to skip work and visit them.
• Naruto crashed into the Hyuga Clan estate, announced that he wanted to marry into the family, and caught Hiashi’s attention with a strange sense of familiarity.
• Hiashi said he would consider Naruto’s request and ordered the clan members to take him outside, where Neji and Hinata saw him.
• After Naruto told Yue Guanhai what had happened, he returned home and thanked the Nine-Tails for its advice in a dream.
• The Nine-Tails persuaded Naruto that Hiashi’s words meant he should sneak into the estate at night and reach Hinata’s room as a test.
• Naruto followed the Nine-Tails’ directions into Neji’s room, was struck by Neji’s Eight Trigrams Palms, and was tied to a practice post until dawn.

Naruto cared for Hinata after Neji beat him, then delivered a package to the Uchiha compound and met Sasuke. Inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails showed him scenes of wartime killing, and Minato taught him that shinobi fought to protect their villages.

• Hinata treated Naruto’s injuries and asked why he had come, and Naruto told her he wanted to marry into her family and treat her well.
• Neji found Hinata lying over Naruto and beat him again after Naruto called out to her.
• Naruto delivered a package to Itachi, stayed with Sasuke, and told him about his lonely life before asking whether the Uchiha family had a girl he could marry.
• Sasuke chased Naruto out with a broom, though he began to look forward to seeing him again.
• The Nine-Tails made Naruto watch bloody scenes from the ninja world while Minato objected and accused it of exposing Naruto to violence too soon.
• Naruto asked why people killed one another, and Minato explained that shinobi fought and sacrificed themselves to protect their villages.

Naruto took Sasuke out to catch loaches, turning their outing into a muddy adventure that helped the boys grow closer. Naruto's casual kindness also won over Fugaku, and Sasuke looked forward to spending time with him again.

• Naruto used Transformation Jutsu to surprise Sasuke and Itachi before taking Sasuke out.
• Naruto changed their plan from catching cicadas to catching loaches, and Sasuke reluctantly joined him in the mud.
• Naruto sucked the blood from Sasuke's cut finger, and the two boys laughed together on the way home.
• Naruto gave half their catch to Fugaku Uchiha, who laughed at Naruto's blunt manner and decided to serve the loaches for dinner.
• Sasuke watched Fugaku and the family enjoy the meal and thought about catching more loaches with Naruto next time.

Naruto followed Yue Guanhai’s secret map to Orochimaru’s underground laboratory, where he was tested and killed an enemy spy. Danzo then confronted Yue Guanhai over his treatment of Naruto and revealed his plan to turn the boy into a weapon.

• After Yue Guanhai refused Naruto’s request to learn Forbidden Jutsu, Naruto found a map and followed it to a hidden entrance in Konoha Cemetery.
• Naruto met Orochimaru in an underground laboratory and asked to learn Forbidden Jutsu so he could bring his dead parents back to life.
• Orochimaru tested Naruto by ordering him to kill a captured spy, and Naruto killed the man after learning he was an enemy who had murdered villagers.
• Naruto’s actions pleased Orochimaru, while Nine-Tails observed that Naruto had taken his first step and continued playing chess with Minato.
• Danzo visited Yue Guanhai, criticized his failure to become Naruto’s emotional support, and explained that he wanted Naruto to become a weapon without attachments.

Orochimaru trained Naruto in Hand Seals while working on Impure World Reincarnation, but his attempt to enter Naruto’s sealing space revealed that the Nine-Tails’ seal had already been undone. Months later, Naruto made unexpected progress, and Orochimaru prepared to leave Konoha while promising to help him revive his parents.

• Orochimaru explained that Impure World Reincarnation was incomplete and that its summoned dead could not think or speak freely.
• Naruto killed two snakes Kabuto brought in, while Orochimaru calmly told Kabuto he only studied snakes and was not one himself.
• Orochimaru entered Naruto’s sealing space, where the Nine-Tails revealed that its seal had been undone and destroyed Orochimaru’s clone.
• Orochimaru abandoned his plans to use Naruto as a vessel but continued training him, and Naruto later formed Hand Seals that unexpectedly improved his Chakra flow.
• Orochimaru told Naruto that reviving his parents would take years, then learned from Kabuto that their location had been discovered and decided to leave Konoha.

After Yue Guanhai died protecting Naruto from Root, Naruto returned to find Orochimaru had fled Konoha as well. Isolated and grieving, Naruto found comfort in Hinata, who promised to stay with him.

• Naruto paid off his debt to Yue Guanhai and agreed to join him on a trip outside the village as an assessment.
• Root agents ambushed Yue Guanhai and Naruto, but Yue Guanhai fought them off after realizing they intended to make Naruto lose control of the Nine-Tails.
• Yue Guanhai explained Root’s plan and his own motives to Naruto, then died after telling him to smile and live on.
• Naruto went to Orochimaru’s underground Laboratory and found it abandoned, with a message saying Orochimaru had left Konoha.
• After spending three days grieving alone, Naruto asked Hinata to stay with him, and she comforted him as he broke down crying.

Naruto spent the day with Hinata and Neji at the Hyuga estate, then woke to an attack by a Land of Lightning ninja who had kidnapped Hinata. After Neji died protecting her, Naruto unleashed the Nine-Tails’ power and collapsed after nearly killing the attacker.

• Naruto teased Hinata during her training with Neji, and Neji repeatedly scolded and fought him.
• Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hina left with most of the clan to pray at the ancestral house, leaving Naruto, Hinata, and Neji at the estate.
• Neji stopped Naruto from sleeping in Hinata’s room, and the Nine-Tails later woke Naruto after he sensed blood and silence.
• Naruto found a Land of Lightning ninja holding Hinata, while Neji tried to fight the attacker and urged Naruto to get help.
• The attacker stabbed Neji after mocking his Branch Family status, and Neji died after asking Naruto to protect Hinata.
• Naruto transformed under the Nine-Tails’ influence, crippled the attacker, and stopped short of killing him when Hinata called out; Naruto then fainted.

After waking from a three-day coma, Naruto learned Neji had survived and received Hyuga Hiashi’s conditions for becoming a marriage candidate for Hinata. He resolved to grow stronger and entered the Nine-Tails’ space to ask Minato for help.

• Naruto woke in the hospital and discovered Neji was alive, though badly injured.
• Naruto told Hinata he had lost his memories of going berserk while protecting her and Neji.
• Hyuga Hiashi thanked Naruto and said he could become a marriage candidate for Hinata if he became a genin, chunin, and jonin.
• Neji was discharged, and Hinata promised to visit Naruto the next day.
• Itachi and Sasuke visited Naruto, played cards with him, and left when Itachi had a mission.
• Naruto entered the Nine-Tails’ space and told Minato he wanted to get stronger so he could protect the people he cared about.

Minato trained Naruto harshly in Flying Thunder God until the Nine-Tails intervened and made Minato recognize that he was pushing his five-year-old son too hard. Later, Naruto confronted Hyuga Hiashi for neglecting Hina and newborn Hanabi, and his drunken outburst prompted Hiashi to reconsider his behavior.

• Minato scolded Naruto through Flying Thunder God practice, and the Nine-Tails restrained Minato so Naruto could take a break and talk.
• The Nine-Tails showed Minato that its influence had turned one of his eyes red, prompting him to admit that fear for Naruto had made him too demanding.
• Naruto and Hinata visited Hina Hyuga and baby Hanabi, where they learned Hyuga Hiashi had shut himself away drinking because he had no son to inherit the clan.
• Naruto stormed into the study, overturned Hiashi's table, and berated him for leaving Hina and Hanabi alone.
• Naruto drank Hiashi's liquor, promised to give him many grandsons, and passed out; Hiashi sobered up and praised Naruto for confronting him.

Naruto found Sasuke among the dead after Itachi massacred the Uchiha Clan, but Itachi erased both boys’ memories of their bond and the massacre. The next day, Naruto heard the news without remembering what had happened, though a fleeting image of a black-haired boy remained as he looked forward to attending the Ninja Academy with Hinata.

• The Nine-Tails sensed the Uchiha’s awakened Sharingan and urged Naruto to go to their compound.
• Naruto found the Uchiha Clan compound devastated and discovered Sasuke unconscious beside his dead parents.
• Itachi admitted to killing the clan, awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, and urged Sasuke to hate him.
• Naruto tried to protect Sasuke, but Itachi knocked him unconscious and erased his memories of the Uchiha Clan; he also changed Sasuke’s memories of Naruto.
• Naruto woke outside his home with no memory of the incident and, the next day, heard about the massacre while eating with Hinata.
• Naruto and Hinata agreed to attend the Ninja Academy together, and Naruto briefly pictured a black-haired boy.

Naruto and Hinata visited the store where Naruto had worked, then went to his new home before the Ninja Academy began. Hinata accidentally fell onto Naruto, and their kiss led Iruka to misunderstand what had happened; Naruto then revealed that Hinata might be his fiancée.

• Naruto paid his respects to Yue Guanhai and said goodbye to the general store before meeting Hinata.
• Hinata invited Naruto to live with her, but he explained that the Third Hokage had bought him a home near the academy.
• Hinata told Naruto how he had changed her life and praised him for earning the villagers' recognition.
• At Naruto's cramped apartment, Hinata fell on top of him, and Naruto kissed her after saying he had seen people do it on the street.
• Iruka arrived, saw Naruto kissing Hinata, and scolded him before introducing himself as Naruto's new teacher.
• Naruto told Iruka that Hinata was his fiancée, leaving Iruka stunned.

Naruto and Sasuke’s first day at the Ninja Academy ended with an accidental kiss, and their months of bickering continued into a Taijutsu spar. After fighting and teasing each other, Naruto secretly left Sasuke medicinal salve, and the boys smiled together by the lakeside.

• Naruto introduced himself by declaring his dream was to become Hokage and marry into the Hyuga Clan, then clashed verbally with Sasuke after the class introductions.
• Choji accidentally knocked Sasuke into Naruto, causing the boys to share an unexpected first kiss and horrify their classmates.
• Months later, Naruto challenged Sasuke to spar, lost quickly, then grabbed Sasuke during the reconciliation seal and wrestled with him.
• Hinata treated Naruto’s bruises after class, and Naruto said he felt he had known Sasuke before and thought Sasuke enjoyed their arguments.
• Naruto went to the lakeside and left Sasuke medicinal salve; Sasuke found it, and both boys smiled beneath the setting sun.

Naruto failed his graduation exam, but Mizuki tricked him into stealing the Scroll of Seals and revealed that the Nine-Tails was sealed inside him. Naruto defended the Nine-Tails, defeated Mizuki with Multiple Shadow Clones, and became a ninja, leaving Minato and the Nine-Tails arguing over his success.

• Naruto failed the Clone Technique exam despite Hinata and Mizuki asking Iruka to give him another chance.
• Mizuki persuaded Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals, and Naruto sneaked into the Third Hokage's home with Konohamaru's help.
• Naruto used the completed Sexy Jutsu to knock out the Third Hokage, took the scroll, and learned Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
• Mizuki attacked Naruto and Iruka, revealed that Naruto was the Nine-Tails' host, and called the Nine-Tails a monster.
• Naruto punched Mizuki for insulting his friend and overwhelmed him with more than a thousand Shadow Clones.
• Iruka gave Naruto his forehead protector, and Naruto later learned from the Nine-Tails that it had been controlled during its attack on Konoha.

Naruto tried to get reassigned to Hinata’s team, defaced Hokage Rock, and entertained Konohamaru with his Sexy and Harem Jutsu. He later teased Hanabi about her ideal hero, leaving her flustered and running away.

• Naruto protested his team assignment to Iruka, then painted “idiot” across the Third Hokage’s face on Hokage Rock.
• Iruka brought Naruto before the Third Hokage, who explained why Hinata had been placed on a tracking team with Kiba and Shino.
• Konohamaru freed Naruto and asked him to teach a jutsu, so Naruto used Sexy Jutsu and Harem Jutsu, leaving the Third Hokage, Iruka, and Ebisu bloodied.
• Naruto told Konohamaru that recognition came before becoming Hokage, then left a Shadow Clone to train him while he went to Hinata’s house.
• Hanabi mocked Naruto and described wanting to marry a hero, so Naruto pointed out that Hokage usually became powerful only as adults, making her storm off.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke met their new teacher, Kakashi Hatake, and began his bell test. After Naruto surprised Kakashi with an unexplained Shadow Clone trick, he teamed up with Sasuke to try to take the bells.

• Naruto told Sakura that he and Hinata had been close since childhood and that he planned to become Hokage so people would respect her choice of him.
• Kakashi introduced himself to Team Seven and ordered them to meet him at the Memorial Monument the next morning without eating breakfast.
• After making the team wait until eleven, Kakashi explained that they had to take two bells from him before noon, or the bell-less student would fail.
• Naruto charged Kakashi openly, but Kakashi dodged and used Thousand Years of Death on him before Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke.
• Naruto appeared beside Sasuke and proposed that they work together against Kakashi, and Sasuke agreed while demanding to learn Naruto's trick afterward.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura passed Kakashi’s teamwork test by working together to take a bell, and Kakashi gave Team Seven a perfect score. After Naruto admitted he had been late and fooled Sasuke, Sasuke remembered his murdered childhood friend and awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan while renewing his resolve to kill Itachi.

• Naruto overslept, arrived late to the test, and used Shadow Clones to launch a surprise attack on Kakashi.
• Naruto and Sasuke coordinated their attacks, with Sakura secretly helping, and took a bell from Kakashi.
• Kakashi declared all three students had passed, and Sasuke shared the lunches with Naruto and Sakura.
• Kakashi questioned Naruto about his hidden Jutsu, but Naruto concealed the Flying Thunder God secret.
• Sasuke learned Naruto had simply been late, beat him in anger, and later awakened a two-tomoe Sharingan as he vowed to kill Itachi.

Naruto treated Hinata and Iruka to ramen with his mission reward, then visited the Hyuga estate with Hinata and helped her enlarge his Rasengan. Their giant Rasengan exploded in the courtyard, leaving Naruto battered but alive as Hinata rushed to him.

• Naruto received 2,000 Ryo from Kakashi after Team Seven completed a mission, then invited Hinata and Iruka to Ichiraku Ramen and paid for their meal.
• Iruka privately asked Naruto whether anyone else knew he could communicate with the Nine-Tails, and Naruto said he was probably the only one who knew.
• Naruto accompanied Hinata into the Hyuga estate, where she asked him to stay longer and joined him in watching the moon.
• Naruto formed a Rasengan, and Hinata used her Byakugan and Gentle Fist to inject Chakra into it, enlarging it into a sphere about one meter across.
• Naruto lost control of the giant Rasengan and forced it into the ground, causing an explosion that destroyed the courtyard and left a huge crater.
• Hinata pulled Naruto from the dirt and checked that he was alive, while Hyuga Hiashi arrived and saw the destroyed courtyard.