Chapter Summaries

Ming Jing promised to teach Hinata Long Bridge Wing Chun and agreed to guide Yakumo’s genjutsu training after Yuexi reported a lack of suitable instructors. Meanwhile, Sasuke asked Izumi to train him in Sharingan use and taijutsu, and she began by teaching him flexibility exercises.

• Hinata explained that she focused on caring for Neji and Hanabi while continuing to train Wing Chun and the Six-and-a-Half Stick Technique.
• Ming Jing revealed that Hinata had learned Short Bridge Wing Chun and promised to teach her Long Bridge Wing Chun that night.
• Yuexi told Ming Jing that Yakumo lacked a suitable genjutsu instructor, so Ming Jing agreed to guide Yakumo himself starting the next day.
• Sasuke asked Izumi to guide his training in the Sharingan and taijutsu, and Izumi agreed to help him.
• Izumi led Sasuke through flexibility exercises after dinner, patiently helping him master a difficult balancing pose.

Sasuke trained with Izumi, who corrected his taijutsu and taught him a horse stance. Later, Kabuto ambushed Sasuke in the forest and cut his face with a Chakra Blade, but Sasuke’s recent training helped him respond cautiously.

• Izumi swiftly defeated Sasuke in sparring, then advised him to keep strength in reserve and improve his stance.
• Izumi taught Sasuke how to practice a stable horse stance every morning before they continued training.
• Ming Jing began teaching Yakumo offensive Genjutsu while Hinata and Hanabi tested Neji with slingshots.
• Sasuke left to meet Kakashi but stopped in a forest after noticing Kabuto following him.
• Kabuto attacked Sasuke with a scalpel and Chakra Blade, cutting his face, and Sasuke leapt back to create distance.

Izumi rescued Sasuke from Kabuto by awakening her Mangekyō Sharingan and forcing Kabuto to retreat. After learning about Izumi’s eyes, Orochimaru made her his new target while continuing to monitor Sasuke.

• Kabuto injured Sasuke with his chakra scalpel, but Izumi arrived and intervened.
• Izumi used her Mangekyō Sharingan to evade Kabuto’s attack and send him flying.
• Kabuto withdrew, and Izumi helped Sasuke up and decided to take him to the hospital.
• Kabuto told Orochimaru that Izumi was stronger than expected and that her eyes seemed unusual.
• Orochimaru learned Izumi had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and ordered Kabuto to investigate her while keeping watch on Sasuke.
• Orochimaru resolved to obtain Izumi’s eyes so he could challenge Itachi.

Ming Jing discussed Orochimaru’s return and the Land of Wind’s military movements with the Third Hokage, who chose to leave Konoha’s defense to its ninja while Ming Jing handled the border. Ming Jing then joined Yakumo and Hinata for oden.

• Ming Jing and the Third Hokage discussed Orochimaru’s past, his research into immortality, and why he might have returned to Konoha.
• Ming Jing reported signs of the Land of Wind gathering its ninja forces and described the forces he had sent to the border.
• The Third Hokage acknowledged Danzo’s connections to Orochimaru and the Land of Wind, then asked Ming Jing to handle the border while Konoha’s ninja defended the village.
• Ming Jing found Yakumo and Hinata eating oden, took Hinata’s unfinished fish ball, and watched her grow flustered.

Ming Jing heard that Jiraiya had returned to Konoha and went to meet him while Jiraiya trained Naruto in summoning. He left Naruto in Jiraiya’s hands and declined to teach him his Wind Release style.

• Ming Jing watched Neji and Hinata spar while he advised Hanabi to consider seeking Tsunade’s help with strength training.
• Xiao You reported that Jiraiya had returned and contacted Naruto, so Ming Jing left the training ground and told Hinata not to slack off.
• Ming Jing found Jiraiya training Naruto by a river, where Naruto’s summoning produced a tadpole-like creature and left him exhausted.
• Jiraiya praised Naruto’s determination and offered Ming Jing thirty minutes with him to teach Wind Release.
• Ming Jing declined, saying Naruto was too unintelligent to learn his style.

Mirai and Yami tried to avoid a clash between Baki and Gekko Hayate, but Hayate fell injured in front of them as Baki pursued him. Yami opened the Gate of Life to confront Baki.

• Mirai and Yami sensed Gaara's rampage, chose to avoid it, and continued home with Shikouin and Xiangling on their backs.
• Kabuto told Baki that he had deliberately exposed his identity while testing Konoha's response, then gave Baki Otogakure's plan.
• Gekko Hayate overheard Kabuto and Baki's meeting and fled to deliver the intelligence to the Hokage, but Baki chased him down.
• Hayate attacked Baki with Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon, but Baki caught his sword and wounded him with Wind Release.
• Hayate crashed in front of Mirai, Yami, Shikouin, and Xiangling, and Baki ordered them to stay.
• Yami set Shikouin down and opened the Gate of Life as Baki prepared to fight seriously.

Yami and Mirai fought Baki as he attacked their group with Wind Style techniques. After Baki used a Wind Clone to escape Yami, she hurried back and found Chiyo, who joined her.

• Yami dodged Baki’s binding wind technique with pale blue wings, struck him, and chased him away from the others.
• Mirai healed Gekko Hayate, then defended him, Shikouin, and Xiangling from Baki’s ambush.
• Mirai used Fairy’s Waltz to evade Baki’s falling Wind Blades while Shikouin and Xiangling watched in amazement.
• Yami caught up to Baki and kicked him through wooden stalls, but he vanished in a Wind Clone.
• Yami raced back toward her companions, met Chiyo searching for her, and hurried onward with her.

Chiyo and Yami fought Baki and Gaara’s intervention in Konoha, while Ming Jing stepped in to stop the confrontation. The chapter ended with Ming Jing demanding that Fourth Kazekage Rasa answer for Sunagakure’s actions and warning that the Land of Wind could be made to pay compensation.

• Chiyo battered Baki with her Lightning Sword Techniques, dismantled his armor, and left him unconscious in a crater.
• Gaara appeared on a rooftop as reinforcements arrived, and Chiyo turned to attack Baki again while Yami prepared to face Gaara.
• A golden kunai knocked Chiyo back before she could kill Baki, and Yami opened the Fifth Gate in response.
• Ming Jing arrived, stopped Yami, and greeted Fourth Kazekage Rasa.
• Ming Jing told Rasa that he would demand compensation from the Land of Wind if the Hokage failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.

After Ming Jing’s group returned from their encounter with Rasa, Ming Jing learned that the Fourth Kazekage’s presence in Konoha had disrupted his expectations and ordered changes to border defenses. Gekko Hayate reported the encounter to the Third Hokage, whose calm, unexplained reaction left him confused.

• Rasa ordered Baki treated and told Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara to continue the Chunin Exam, while privately deciding that the Third Hokage should step down.
• Ming Jing returned home with his group, realized Rasa’s survival meant Orochimaru had changed his plans, and welcomed the unexpected turn of events.
• Yakumo checked on Shikouin and Xiangling, and Ming Jing sent the exhausted girls to rest before speaking with Yuexi.
• Ming Jing ordered Yuexi to recall Hizashi and Takuo and reinforce the border with Nadeshiko Kaoru and Mugen.
• Gekko Hayate reported Rasa’s arrival to the Third Hokage, who told him to recover and returned to bed without making any arrangements.

Ming Jing accompanied Yakumo and Shikouin to the third stage of the Chunin Exam with members of the Kurama and Hyuga clans. After the candidates entered the arena, Shikouin and Kankuro clashed verbally before examiner Genma Shiranui ordered them to quiet down.

• Ming Jing led Yakumo, Shikouin, and their supporters toward the exam venue in matching outfits he had designed for the Kurama Clan.
• Ming Jing's group met Hyuga Hiashi's party on the way, and Hiashi said Root was acting separately from them.
• The Kurama and Hyuga clans took seats in adjacent sections, drawing attention from spectators because of the Kurama group's matching uniforms.
• Ming Jing tried to persuade Neji to wear a Kurama uniform, but Hinata helped Neji refuse after Hiashi's expression darkened.
• Genma Shiranui called the candidates into the arena, where Yakumo, Shikouin, and Neji joined Gaara's team.
• Shikouin called Kankuro a performer, and Genma ordered them to stop arguing until their matches.

Naruto arrived late to the Chunin Selection Exam, while Sasuke remained missing and the Third Hokage received the Fourth Kazekage. After Genma Shiranui explained the match rules and revised pairings, the first match was set to begin between Kurama Shikouin and Neji Hyuga.

• Naruto crashed into the venue and warned that a herd of cows was chasing him before realizing Sasuke was absent.
• The Third Hokage learned that the Anbu had not found Sasuke and heard Namiashi Raidō speculate that Orochimaru might have captured him.
• Rasa arrived and urged the Third Hokage to choose a candidate for the Fifth Hokage, but the Third Hokage firmly said he could continue working.
• The Third Hokage welcomed the guests and announced the official selection matches, while Sasuke remained missing.
• Genma Shiranui explained the revised matchups and rules, then called Kurama Shikouin and Neji Hyuga to begin the first match.

Neji and Shikouin fought in the first match of the Chunin Exam's third round, with Neji using his Gentle Fist techniques to overcome her lightning-enhanced attacks. The chapter ended with Neji landing the Sixty-Four Palms while Shikouin could no longer evade.

• Ming Jing noted that Neji faced Shikouin instead of Naruto, and Hinata watched nervously as the match began.
• Shikouin charged Neji with Thunder Dragon Transformation: Two Scales, but Neji deflected her with Palm Rotation and Vacuum Palm.
• Shikouin struck Neji with her lightning-charged Crushing Fist, then fought him through more than sixty exchanges as he blocked her attacks.
• Neji used Water Binding Stream to slow Shikouin, then sealed her acupoints with the Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms.
• Gaara watched Neji with renewed determination to defeat him, while Hyuga Hiashi recognized the results of Neji's special training.

Shikouin unleashed her lightning-enhanced speed against Neji, breaking his Palm Rotation, but Neji avoided her vital areas and endured the charge. Shikouin conceded after both fighters were injured, leaving Neji the victor as Ming Jing sent Mirai and Yami to treat her.

• Neji sealed Shikouin’s chakra points and sent her sliding across the arena, but she got back up and activated Thunder Dragon Transformation: Three Scales.
• Rasa offered to trade Baki for Sasuke and Neji, and the Third Hokage rejected the proposal without agreeing to it.
• Shikouin accelerated beyond the speed of sound, punched through Neji’s Palm Rotation, and drove him into the protective wall.
• Neji got back to his feet and explained that his Byakugan had let him avoid Shikouin’s vital areas, while Shikouin conceded because her muscles were badly strained.
• Genma Shiranui confirmed Neji as the winner, and Ming Jing sent Mirai and Yami to carry Shikouin away for emergency treatment.
• Hyuga Hiashi praised Neji’s victory but told his clansmen that Neji’s fighting style remained immature and needed further training.

Neji defeated Shikouin, while Mirai reported that Rock Lee’s serious injuries might still require Tsunade’s help. In the next match, Mihara Shiroko overwhelmed Kankuro at first, but he trapped her inside his puppet, Black Ant.

• Neji won his match against Shikouin, and Mirai and Yami carried the injured Shikouin back to the stands.
• Mirai told Neji that Rock Lee had improved, though Tsunade might be needed to save his badly fractured arm and leg.
• Mihara Shiroko began her match against Kankuro and smashed his puppet Karasu with a powerful punch.
• Kankuro used Karasu’s fragments to distract Shiroko, then summoned Black Ant and trapped her inside it.

Mihara Shiroko defeated Kankuro with her strength and bracers, and Mori Shin entered the arena to face Aburame Shino. Shin revealed that he fought with a spear, leaving the spectators and Ming Jing surprised as the next match began.

• Mihara Shiroko broke free of Black Ant, deflected Karasu's blades with her bracers, and kicked Kankuro unconscious before he could use his scroll.
• Genma Shiranui declared Mihara Shiroko the winner, and Gaara marked her as another person worthy of slaughter.
• Genma Shiranui announced the third match between Mori Shin and Aburame Shino, and Shin praised Shino before preparing to fight.
• Mori Shin assembled a spear, introduced himself as a spearman, and drew astonished reactions from the spectators.
• Ming Jing predicted that Mori Shin would lose because spearmen had E-rank luck, while Yuexi and Hinata pointed out that both fighters were strong.

Mori Shin and Aburame Shino fought in the third exam, with Shino using traps, clone insects, and a summoned swarm to gain the advantage. Mori Shin surrendered after the swarm overwhelmed him, and Shino revealed that a queen insect had entered his body.

• Mori Shin charged at Aburame Shino but avoided a hidden pit that Shino had covered with an insect membrane.
• Shino sent Kikaichū at Mori Shin, then turned into a swarm of insects to evade Mori Shin's spear thrust.
• Mori Shin used chakra-powered spear attacks to cut down Shino's insects, so Shino summoned a much larger swarm.
• Mori Shin attacked Shino from above, but Shino's insects overwhelmed him, caught him, and bound his limbs.
• Mori Shin surrendered when he ran low on chakra, and Shino revealed that a queen insect had entered Mori Shin's leg.

Temari and Yakumo fought in the arena, where Yakumo used a Genjutsu-enabled Summoning Beast to disappear from sight. Temari uncovered how Yakumo’s technique worked and waited for her Chakra to run low, leaving Yakumo to seek a way to break the deadlock.

• Ming Jing learned from Yuexi that Yakumo’s hidden Summoning Beast was a final gift, and that its secret had been kept from everyone else.
• Yakumo vanished in white mist as Temari attacked with her Three-Star Fan, leaving the crowd unable to see her.
• Temari used Gale Dance to search the arena, then attacked the apparent source of Yakumo’s kunai and realized the attack was Genjutsu.
• Temari deduced that Yakumo’s Summoning Beast consumed considerable Chakra and chose to wait while defending herself with her fan.
• Yakumo tried to provoke Temari into making a mistake, but Temari sat down to recover her Chakra, forcing Yakumo to act before her own Chakra ran out.

Yakumo fought Temari with attacks created from her drawing board, but Temari deduced that Yakumo was using a genjutsu and exposed the Giant Clam hiding her. The match remained unresolved as the spectators learned the clam could create mirages.

• Yakumo recalled Itachi urging her to learn from Ming Jing and eventually surpass him, then steadied herself to face Temari.
• Yakumo conjured a wall, a water tornado, earthen spears, and flame blades while Temari countered or dodged her attacks.
• Temari mistook Yakumo’s techniques for genjutsu, used her weasel summon and a whirlwind to strike through the illusion, and exposed a giant shell behind Yakumo.
• Yuexi identified the Giant Clam as a Kirigakure summoning beast that could create mirages, and Ming Jing explained that Temari had spotted the spectators’ reactions.

Yakumo defeated Temari with Genjutsu in the Chunin Exam, while Naruto and Shikamaru were called to the arena. Outside Konoha, Kamino and the Sand Ninja finished preparing their seals and began the countdown.

• Rasa praised Yakumo’s talent after the Third Hokage explained that her summoning scroll belonged to the Kurama Clan.
• Yakumo trapped Temari in Demonic Illusion: False Awakened, then defeated her with Tree Binding Death.
• Genma Shiranui confirmed Temari had suffered only mental trauma and announced Yakumo as the winner.
• Ming Jing explained to Hinata that taijutsu-type ninja had an advantage against Genjutsu-type ninja.
• Genma called Naruto and Shikamaru to the arena as Kamino’s Sand Ninja completed their preparations outside Konoha.
• Kamino ordered the Sand Ninja to take their positions and announced that the countdown had begun.

The invasion began during the Chunin Exams as the Fourth Kazekage revealed Sunagakure’s plan to attack Konoha and Gaara released Shukaku. Ming Jing confronted the tailed beast while the Third Hokage faced a familiar enemy emerging from the smoke.

• A feather Genjutsu descended over the arena, and Kakashi and Might Guy dispelled it as the invasion began.
• Rasa’s guards filled the Hokage’s platform with smoke, Sound and Sand Ninja launched their attack, and Rasa wounded Namiashi Raidō before confronting the Third Hokage.
• Ming Jing and Hyuga Hiashi prepared their families to withdraw, but Neji sensed Gaara releasing Shukaku and Ming Jing stayed to protect them.
• Shukaku emerged in the arena, and Ming Jing struck it with Wind Release: Storm Hammer before cutting apart its compressed-air attack with Thousand Blades Technique.
• Rasa admitted that the treaty had been a smokescreen and declared war, then left the platform as a familiar figure emerged and greeted Sarutobi as his former teacher.