Chapter Summaries

After Konohagakure’s invasion, Minato protected Gaara from the villagers’ anger and assigned Genma to help with the recovery. As rebuilding began and Yana constructed Genma’s house, she called him back after he tried to leave with Kagura.

• Kushina brought Gaara to Minato and asked to question him herself, and Minato agreed so Gaara would remain safe until peace talks with Sunagakure.
• Minato sent ninja to search the ruins for survivors and useful belongings, then assigned Genma to support the recovery teams with his Earth Release.
• Genma helped clear rubble and salvage furniture as Konohagakure began rebuilding over the following days.
• Yana used her Wood Style to build houses around the village and arrived to construct Genma’s house.
• Genma handed Yana a blueprint and started to leave with Kagura, but Yana called him back.

Genma criticized Yana’s clothes and gave her advice about pursuing Sasuke. He explained that she should stop treating Sasuke like family and learn to show her own strengths, leaving her to consider his way of thinking.

• Yana asked Genma what he thought of her outfit, and he said it was overdone and did not suit her.
• Yana asked Genma for advice about love, explaining that her mother’s lessons felt excessive.
• Genma told Yana that she gave in to Sasuke too much and had let her feelings become familial attachment.
• Genma advised Yana to display her strengths rather than chase Sasuke, using male peacocks as an example.
• Yana found Genma’s explanation complicated, and he contrasted his guiding principles with her mother’s specific instructions.

Genma advised Yana to focus on herself instead of centering her life on Sasuke, and she began to reflect on her attachment to him. After a week indoors without seeing Sasuke or taking missions, Yana’s teammates Tenshu and Kano came to her home and urged her to join them on a mission.

• Genma told Yana to accept her own qualities and think about herself when she was with Sasuke, then left her to handle the house matter.
• Yana took Genma’s advice to heart and considered whether her dependence on Sasuke came from feeling safe with him after she returned from the dead.
• Yana spent several days away from Sasuke and stopped taking missions, leaving her confused and isolated.
• Tenshu and Kano visited Yana after she had missed missions for a week and asked her to go on a mission with them.
• Yana snapped at Tenshu and said she could take a mission by herself, but he continued trying to persuade her.

Tenshu persuaded Yana to join him and Kano on a mission, then became jealous when she saw Sasuke at the Mission Assignment Office. After Sasuke accepted Tenshu’s challenge to a duel, Yana followed them, beginning to understand her feelings of being in love.

• Tenshu proposed a bet that Yana would date him if he secured a mission to the Land of Birds, while Yana demanded a month of meals if he lost.
• Tenshu suggested date ideas as the team waited for a mission, but Yana rejected him and said she was interested in only one person.
• Yana spotted Sasuke among three young ninja, and Tenshu realized she liked him.
• Sasuke approached Yana, and Tenshu challenged him to a duel; Sasuke accepted.
• Tenshu and Sasuke ran toward the training ground as Yana and the others followed, and Yana felt she was beginning to understand love.

Sasuke fought Tenshu in a duel over Tenshu's pursuit of Yana and defeated him without seriously injuring him. Tenshu accused Sasuke of being jealous because he liked Yana, leaving Sasuke startled by the suggestion.

• Yana followed Sasuke and Tenshu to the training ground with Kano, Naruto, and Sakura as spectators.
• Sasuke and Tenshu exchanged taunts before drawing their weapons, and Sasuke revealed his Sharingan.
• Sasuke used shuriken and wire to wound Tenshu's arm, then blocked his attacks with a kunai.
• Sasuke copied Tenshu's Lightning Release: Ground Walk, and their identical techniques canceled each other out.
• Sasuke exploited a hitch in Tenshu's movements and stopped his kunai at Tenshu's chest to win the duel.
• Tenshu asked why Sasuke liked someone he called his sister, and Sasuke reacted with surprise.

After Sasuke defeated Tenshu, Tenshu suggested that Sasuke might love Yana and warned him not to hurt her. Yana took Sasuke to the movies, where she proposed testing his feelings by doing things couples do.

• Sasuke told Tenshu to stay away from Yana, and Tenshu warned Sasuke not to let her down if he fell for her.
• Yana took Sasuke by the hand and invited him to the movies, leaving Sakura heartbroken and Tenshu crying.
• Kano comforted Tenshu and urged him to give up pursuing Yana, but Tenshu insisted that he loved her fiery temper.
• At the theater, Yana asked Sasuke if he was wondering whether he liked her and suggested testing their feelings by acting like a couple.

Yana sought advice from Kurenai about how to grow closer to Sasuke after their mutual feelings were confirmed. Genma returned home with Kagura, and Kurenai told him about Yana’s visit.

• Yana blushed through the rest of the movie after holding hands with Sasuke and receiving a kiss on the cheek, then Sasuke jogged away when the movie ended.
• Yana worried about how to interact with Sasuke and went to Genma’s house, but Genma was away, so she asked Kurenai for advice instead.
• Kurenai described how she and Genma had cared for each other, and Yana concluded that she and Sasuke should show their feelings through giving to each other.
• Genma returned from a mission with Kagura, and Kurenai explained that Yana had come by to ask about love.
• Genma teased Kurenai about what she had told Yana, while Kagura watched and allowed them to be affectionate.

Genma tried to teach Kagura about keeping boundaries with boys, then returned to taking on an excessive load of missions as Konohagakure rebuilt. Kushina brought a calmer Gaara to live in the village, where he learned she was disliked by some but supported by family and friends, and asked after Naruto.

• Genma warned Kagura not to get too close to boys or kiss them without her parents’ approval, leaving her bewildered and Kurenai to carry her away.
• With Konohagakure rebuilt and missions piling up after the war, Minato urged Genma to take on more work, and Genma resumed his mission routine.
• Gaara left Konohagakure's Interrogation Department with Kushina, who told him to use the Transformation Technique and live in the village for a while.
• As Kushina greeted villagers, Gaara pointed out the hostile looks, and she explained that her husband, son, and friends still recognized and supported her.
• Gaara asked how Naruto was doing, and Kushina said he was working for recognition and had a girlfriend; Gaara dismissed the idea of having one himself.

Kushina brought Gaara to her home, where he struggled with the unfamiliar surroundings and the warmth she showed him. Seeing Naruto’s family photograph made Gaara cry, and Kushina comforted him before serving him snacks.

• Kushina took Gaara to her house and reassured him that he would be safe staying there.
• Gaara explored the unfamiliar house while Kushina watched him struggle to put on slippers.
• Gaara saw a photograph of Naruto with his parents and began to cry.
• Kushina caught Gaara as he tried to wipe his tears, then gave him a handkerchief and comforted him.
• Kushina prepared tempura and red bean soup, and Gaara returned her handkerchief before eating.

Kushina teased Gaara over his guarded nature while feeding him tempura and insisting that he stay at her home. Gaara reluctantly accepted that he would spend the night there as Kushina prepared to take him shopping.

• Kushina scolded Gaara for returning a girl's handkerchief and joked that he should find someone like her.
• Gaara enjoyed Kushina's maple-leaf tempura but tried to hide how much he liked it.
• Kushina fed Gaara more food and insisted that he sleep in a proper guest room rather than on the roof or downstairs.
• Gaara suggested that he could sleep on the roof, so Kushina offered to have her whole family join him there.
• Kushina invited Gaara to go shopping for vegetables and said she could cook a variety of meals for him.

Kushina took Gaara shopping in Konohagakure and insisted on buying him clothes, leaving him embarrassed in a cow-themed pajama set. She teased him about someday meeting a girl who could make him lose his usual resolve.

• Kushina led Gaara around the market to buy groceries and then took him to a clothing store.
• Kushina picked out several outfits for Gaara, who protested that he did not need so many clothes.
• Gaara tried on a red-and-white kimono, and Kushina said it did not suit him because he had no eyebrows.
• Kushina insisted that Gaara try on pajamas, and he emerged wearing a fluffy black-and-white cow outfit with a hood.
• Kushina suggested that Gaara might someday meet a girl who made him grit his teeth but unable to argue, and Gaara scoffed at the idea.

Naruto welcomed Gaara into his home and asked him to become his friend. Gaara accepted Naruto’s offered hand, and they became each other’s first official friends.

• Kushina brought Gaara home with new clothes, and Naruto found him there after returning from training.
• Naruto explained to Gaara that Kushina’s strictness came from caring about him, prompting Gaara to remember his own mother and suffer a headache.
• Naruto showed Gaara his room and offered his hand in friendship.
• Gaara recalled being rejected and betrayed, then grabbed Naruto’s hand and accepted his offer despite his painful memories.
• Naruto cried with joy as Gaara asked to see his room, and Naruto agreed.

Naruto welcomed Gaara into his home, shared his novels with him, and invited him to spend the night on the roof with his family. The next morning, Naruto brought Gaara to meet Hinata, leaving Gaara to greet her in disguise.

• Naruto showed Gaara his collections, and Gaara eagerly borrowed Naruto's bound novels to read.
• Kushina arranged for Naruto, Gaara, Minato, and herself to sleep on the roof, where Naruto and Gaara wondered about the stars and distant worlds.
• After breakfast, Gaara disguised himself as a blue-haired boy and followed Naruto to a quiet forest.
• Naruto introduced Gaara to Hinata, who arrived shyly and asked who he was.

Naruto invited Hinata and Gaara to relax before his scheduled final match with Sasuke, and the three went fishing by a stream. After Gaara pointed out that Hinata might be Naruto’s girlfriend, Naruto realized she may have liked him since they first met.

• Hinata met Gaara, and Naruto suggested that they spend the day together instead of training for his upcoming match with Sasuke.
• Naruto let Hinata choose an activity, and she suggested fishing by the lake and offered to make their gear.
• Hinata made fishing tackle at a stream while Naruto and Gaara gathered worms, and Naruto called her a future good wife.
• Gaara asked Naruto whether he understood the idea of having a girlfriend, and Naruto recalled Hinata’s first meeting with him.
• Naruto realized Hinata might have wanted to learn from him because she liked him.

Naruto and Gaara discussed whether Naruto and Hinata had romantic feelings for each other, leaving Naruto nervous about the possibility and unsure how to approach it. While fishing, Naruto reminded Gaara that friendship took effort, and Gaara thanked him for helping him realize he had not tried.

• Naruto and Gaara compared Naruto and Hinata's relationship to a romance novel, and Naruto recalled rescuing Hinata when they were children.
• Gaara suggested Naruto ask his family about his feelings, and Naruto decided to talk to his parents.
• Naruto became awkward around Hinata and told Gaara he was nervous about dating her and afraid he might be mistaken about her feelings.
• Naruto reflected that making friends had taken effort, and Gaara thanked him for helping him recognize he had not tried.

Naruto, Hinata, and Gaara caught fish together, and Hinata grilled them while Naruto fed her the first one. Watching them stirred an unfamiliar sense of longing in Gaara, who returned to his book but kept glancing their way.

• Naruto, Hinata, and Gaara fished together and caught seven fish.
• Hinata skillfully grilled the fish, and Naruto offered her the first one because she had worked hardest.
• Naruto held the fish to Hinata’s mouth and fed her while she continued grilling the others.
• Gaara saw Naruto feeding Hinata and felt his heart race with an unfamiliar sense of longing.
• Gaara returned to his novel but kept stealing glances at Naruto and Hinata.

After spending the day with Hinata, Naruto asked his parents how to get along with girls, while Gaara struggled to understand the unfamiliar feelings Naruto and Hinata's interactions had stirred in him. Minato advised Naruto and Gaara that respect, tolerance, and empathy helped people connect.

• Naruto and Gaara returned home after parting from Hinata, and Gaara remained troubled by the feelings he had observed between her and Naruto.
• At dinner, Naruto asked Kushina and Minato how to get along with girls, then admitted he had known the girl for a long time but had rarely spoken with her outside training.
• Gaara revealed that he thought the girl treated Naruto differently, and Kushina thanked him for noticing.
• After dinner, Minato took Naruto and Gaara to the roof and advised Naruto to protect the person he liked and respect her differences.
• Gaara asked whether respect could earn someone's goodwill, and Minato explained that tolerance and empathy helped connect people's hearts.

Minato told Naruto and Gaara how he fell in love with Kushina and chose to become Hokage so he could protect her. Naruto admitted he liked Hinata, while Kushina decided he should learn to live independently; Gaara ended the night feeling less lonely and more hopeful.

• Minato recounted how he met Kushina, watched over her, and rescued her from Kumogakure ninja, bringing them closer.
• Minato explained that becoming Hokage would let him protect Kushina and help change the villagers’ attitude toward her.
• Naruto said he admired Hinata and hoped to keep spending time with her, and Minato advised him to keep clean and make a good impression.
• Kushina scolded Naruto for neglecting chores and decided he should rent a place and live independently after Gaara left.
• Kushina let Naruto show Gaara around Konohagakure before then, and Gaara spent another night at Naruto’s home feeling less lonely.

Hidan was restrained and examined by Konoha researchers, who dismissed his claims of immortality and began studying his cells. Meanwhile, Genma reviewed Baoduoduo’s reports and learned that steam cars had been developed.

• Researchers examined Hidan’s vital signs and muscle tissue, finding nothing unusual.
• Hidan threatened the researchers and insisted that he was an immortal follower of the Evil God.
• The lead researcher ordered Hidan’s intelligence tested, then collected a sample of his oral cells for examination.
• Genma returned from a mission, went to his office, and reviewed Baoduoduo’s development reports.
• Genma learned that craftsmen from the Land of Snow had developed steam cars and skimmed the company’s financial and personnel reports.

Genma examined Hidan’s regeneration and discovered that Nature Energy replenished his missing flesh, then turned to questioning the captive. Hidan remained defiant as Genma asked whether he understood his situation.

• Genma reviewed Hidan’s preliminary body research report and wondered what caused his strange regeneration.
• Genma went to the underground laboratory and asked a doctor to cut a piece of flesh from Hidan’s arm.
• Hidan awoke and recognized the doctor who had previously dismembered him, then felt pain as the doctor removed a large chunk of his flesh.
• Genma entered Sage Mode and observed Nature Energy gathering around Hidan, confirming it fueled his regeneration.
• Genma removed the cloth from Hidan’s mouth and asked if he understood his situation, but Hidan defiantly asked whether he needed to assess it.