Chapter Summaries

Kabuto Yakushi traded a scroll for Sharingan eyes with a Root Member while Orochimaru watched, then reported on Sasuke Uchiha and discussed his plans. The next morning, Menma and Sakura arrived at the Forest of Death for the Chunin Exams’ Second Exam, unsure what awaited them.

• Kabuto Yakushi exchanged the requested scroll for glass bottles containing Sharingan eyes, and the Root Member left after confirming the scroll’s contents.
• Orochimaru emerged from hiding, took the Sharingan from Kabuto, and explained that he wanted a complete Uchiha bloodline rather than transplanted eyes.
• Kabuto told Orochimaru that he could not yet determine whether Sasuke Uchiha had awakened the Sharingan, and Orochimaru instructed him to keep investigating and contact the Sand Ninja.
• Menma and Sakura arrived at Training Ground 44 for the Second Exam, where Sakura wondered what they would be tested on and Menma pointed out Anko Mitarashi and the Konoha Ninja waiting nearby.

Menma recognized Karin and Orochimaru among the examinees gathered for the Second Exam, then focused on finding a chance to approach Orochimaru. As Anko explained the rules, a Waterfall Ninja questioned the fairness of Team Seven having four members, and Anko promised they would not compete as a four-person team before distributing the scrolls.

• Menma spotted Karin and recalled her connection to the Uzumaki Clan, while Karin reacted to him with hope and fear.
• Menma recognized Orochimaru disguised as a Grass Ninja and resolved to find an opportunity to make contact with him.
• Anko explained the Second Exam’s rules and offered examinees a chance to withdraw or ask questions.
• A Waterfall Ninja challenged the fairness of Team Seven having four members, drawing attention to Menma, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.
• Anko assured the examinees that Team Seven would not act as a four-person team, then began distributing the scrolls.

Anko required Menma's four-person Team Seven to split into groups of no more than three and enter the Forest of Death through different entrances. Menma chose to enter alone, while Naruto and Menma persuaded Sakura not to withdraw, leaving the team still discussing how to divide up.

• Anko explained the special rules for Team Seven and gave them two identical Heaven Scrolls.
• Menma immediately chose to form a one-person team, leaving the other three together.
• Naruto objected to Menma going alone, but realized that pairing up would leave someone teamed with Sakura, who felt she was holding the others back.
• Sakura offered to withdraw, but Menma urged her to keep going and prove herself rather than give up.
• Naruto proposed that he team with Sakura while Menma and Sasuke formed the other pair.

Menma arranged to enter the Forest of Death alone so he could find Orochimaru, while Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura formed a group. Orochimaru located their group and moved to attack, as Anko raced into the forest after learning he had returned.

• Menma persuaded Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to let him act alone, and Naruto agreed that they would try to meet up soon.
• The examiners sent Menma and the other three to separate entrances, and Menma hurried into the forest while searching for his teammates with his sensory abilities.
• Anko found three dead Grass Ninja, recognized that Orochimaru had returned, and ordered her subordinates to report to the Hokage and follow her into the forest.
• Orochimaru entered the Forest of Death disguised as a Grass Ninja and used his strength and summoned snakes to locate Sasuke's group.
• Orochimaru sent his two subordinates to guard the area, then leaped toward Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Menma encountered Karin and two Grass Ninja, killed the two men, and took their Earth scroll. Karin explained that the Grass Ninja had abused her healing ability and killed her mother, and Menma believed her.

• Menma confronted Karin and two Grass Ninja, who demanded his scroll and threatened him.
• Menma used a Shadow Clone and killed both Grass Ninja in a swift attack.
• Menma took the Grass Ninja’s Earth scroll and asked Karin why she had not warned them.
• Karin said the men were not her companions, showed Menma the bite marks from people who used her healing ability, and told him her mother had been bitten to death.
• Menma told Karin that he believed her.

Menma gained Karin’s trust after she revealed her painful past and asked to follow him. Karin left with Menma, who promised to arrange a future for her.

• Menma introduced himself to Karin and told her he believed her.
• Menma recalled his mother’s final words and resolved to help Karin.
• Karin asked Menma to take her with him and help her join Konohagakure.
• Menma invited Karin to follow him, and she chose to trust him.
• Menma and Karin left together, leaving the two dead Grass Ninjas behind.

Orochimaru pushed Naruto and Sasuke to their limits, and Sasuke awakened his Sharingan during their fight. After Naruto was knocked unconscious, Orochimaru restrained Sasuke and bit his neck, leaving him with a mark as Menma watched from hiding.

• Naruto and Sasuke faced Orochimaru while badly wounded, and Sasuke awakened his Single Tomoe Sharingan after Naruto noticed his changed eyes.
• Orochimaru was delighted by Sasuke's Sharingan and resumed fighting, forcing Sasuke to the limits of his new power.
• Menma arrived nearby and watched without revealing himself as Orochimaru knocked Naruto unconscious and restrained Sasuke.
• Orochimaru taunted Sasuke by comparing him to Itachi and told him to seek him out if he wanted to reject the gift.
• Orochimaru stretched his neck and bit Sasuke's neck with his fangs.

Orochimaru marked Sasuke with the Cursed Seal and left him and Naruto unconscious, but Menma followed Orochimaru and confronted him. Menma revealed his Nine-Tails power in their battle, and Orochimaru summoned a giant snake as the fight continued.

• Orochimaru gave Sasuke the Cursed Seal and urged him to seek power and revenge against Itachi before leaving Naruto and Sasuke unconscious.
• Menma sensed Sakura Haruno approaching and pursued Orochimaru, who soon detected him and stopped.
• Menma introduced himself as Konohagakure's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and proposed a mutually beneficial deal, but Orochimaru attacked instead.
• Menma called on Kurama and manifested three tails, then blocked Orochimaru's Shadow Snake Hands with his Chakra cloak and tails.
• Orochimaru knocked Menma's attack aside, performed the Summoning Technique, and brought forth a gigantic snake.

Menma fought Orochimaru with the Nine-Tails Chakra, adapting to its power as the battle went on. When Menma reached the Fourth Tail, Orochimaru judged him too dangerous to keep fighting and retreated behind a mass of snakes.

• Orochimaru summoned a Giant Snake, but Menma destroyed its head with a Rasengan.
• Orochimaru drew the Kusanagi Sword and clashed with Menma, wounding him as their battle intensified.
• Menma adapted to the Nine-Tails Chakra and pressed Orochimaru harder despite his lack of experience.
• Menma called on Kurama for more Chakra and manifested the Fourth Tail, alarming Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru used Ninja Art—Serpent's Array to fill the space between them with snakes, then withdrew to a safe distance.

Menma negotiated with Orochimaru for a future partnership after leaving Konoha, offering himself and his knowledge in exchange for shelter and research support. Orochimaru accepted the initial terms but was startled when Menma revealed he knew about the connection between the Sharingan and the Rinnegan.

• Orochimaru sheathed his Kusanagi Sword and asked Menma what deal he wanted to make.
• Menma proposed leaving Konoha and seeking shelter, research materials, and secret techniques from Orochimaru in exchange for cooperation.
• Orochimaru questioned how Menma would escape the village and what benefit the deal offered him.
• Menma offered his Uzumaki bloodline and the Nine-Tails as valuable resources for Orochimaru’s research, and Orochimaru accepted.
• Menma revealed he knew about the relationship between the Sharingan and the Rinnegan, shocking Orochimaru.

Menma secured Orochimaru’s agreement to his terms and entrusted Karin to him, promising to retrieve her within a month. When Orochimaru asked why he wanted to leave Konoha, Menma said the village blocked the future he wanted and that he sought a freer life.

• Orochimaru accepted Menma’s conditions, agreeing to grant his requests if Menma brought him a satisfying answer about the Sharingan and Rinnegan.
• Menma asked Orochimaru to look after Karin, and Orochimaru agreed to take her in.
• Menma promised Karin he would come for her within a month, and Karin chose to go with Orochimaru despite her fear.
• Orochimaru asked Menma why he planned to leave Konoha, and Menma said his parents’ identities and the village’s oppressive atmosphere were among his reasons.
• Menma told Orochimaru that Konoha stood in the way of the future he wanted and that he sought to live freely and happily.

Menma completed his deal with Orochimaru and reflected on using the Nine-Tails as a cover for his secret knowledge. After returning to the place where Naruto and Sasuke had fallen, he found Sakura sheltering them in a tree hollow.

• Orochimaru left the forest with Karin after confirming his interest in Menma.
• The Nine-Tails confronted Menma about the information he had revealed and the use of its Chakra, but Menma refused to explain his origins and ended their conversation.
• Menma returned to the site of the earlier battle, sensed Naruto and Sasuke nearby, and rushed toward them.
• Sakura greeted Menma with relief after he found her guarding the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke in a tree hollow.

Menma reunited with Sakura and found Naruto and Sasuke unconscious after their encounter with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. After Naruto woke, Menma reassured him and urged the team to recover and continue the Second Exam.

• Sakura challenged Menma to prove his identity, and he convinced her by mentioning their shared extra income.
• Sakura told Menma that she had encountered Orochimaru and later found Naruto and Sasuke unconscious, with a strange mark on Sasuke’s neck.
• Menma said Sasuke’s mark seemed to be a Sealing Jutsu and told Sakura to guard the others while he set traps and searched for food.
• Ninja teams across the Forest of Death began fighting over the Heaven and Earth Scrolls required to pass the Second Exam.
• Naruto woke before Sasuke, asked Menma about the Grass Ninja who had defeated him and Sasuke, and learned that their Scrolls had not been taken.
• Menma advised Naruto to recover and postpone questions about the Grass Ninja until they could speak with Teacher Kakashi.

Sasuke awakened under the influence of Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal, which amplified his power and aggression. He challenged Menma to help him find the Grass Ninja, and Menma prepared to restrain him as Sasuke charged.

• Sakura brought Naruto fish soup while Menma reassured her that Sasuke would wake soon.
• Black Chakra erupted around Sasuke as his Cursed Seal spread across his body, and Menma recognized it as a dangerous form of Nature Energy.
• Sasuke awoke with his Sharingan active and, despite Menma’s warning, insisted he was fine and wanted to find the Grass Ninja.
• Menma confronted Sasuke and told Naruto and Sakura he would help him calm down.
• Sasuke’s Chakra collided with Menma’s, and Sasuke charged at him at great speed.

Menma subdued Sasuke with Nine-Tails Chakra and helped him regain control of the Cursed Seal. Meanwhile, Anko reported Orochimaru’s appearance to Sarutobi Hiruzen, who prepared to deal with his former student as the next day began.

• Menma overwhelmed Sasuke and pinned him down until the Cursed Seal receded and his Sharingan closed.
• Menma warned Sasuke not to let power control him, and Sasuke silently acknowledged the warning.
• Menma’s team ate dinner and rested, deciding to pursue other teams’ Scrolls after recovering.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen told Anko to rest after Orochimaru had triggered her Cursed Seal, and he resolved to face Orochimaru himself.
• Menma, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke woke the next morning, with Naruto recovered and Sasuke still fatigued.

Menma’s Team Seven reached the Central Tower first, completed the Second Exam, and learned from Iruka about the Chunin exam and its next stage. With only three teams passing, they went straight to drawing Main Tournament matchups instead of competing in preliminary matches, surprising Menma.

• Menma’s team defeated a senior Konohagakure team, took the Earth Scroll they needed, and hurried to the Central Tower.
• Menma’s team combined their Scrolls inside the Tower, summoning Iruka, who explained the exam and shared Sarutobi Hiruzen’s advice about becoming a Chunin.
• Iruka told Menma, Naruto, and Sakura to rest, explaining that the final results would be announced the following afternoon.
• Menma worried about facing Gaara or Lee in preliminary matches and considered how to avoid revealing too much of his power.
• A Konoha Chunin told Menma’s team that only three teams had passed, so they would draw Main Tournament matchups directly instead of holding preliminary matches.

Menma and the others learned that only three teams passed the Second Exam, then drew their matchups for the Chunin Exams Main Tournament. Menma was scheduled to face Rock Lee last, but he expected the Sand’s plan to begin during Naruto and Gaara’s match before the later bouts could happen.

• Menma, Naruto, and Sakura entered the hall and found Gaara’s Team and Neji’s Team waiting there as the only other teams to pass.
• Gekko Hayate introduced the Main Tournament and had the ten competitors draw lots for their matchups.
• The draw paired Sasuke with Neji and Naruto with Gaara, while Menma drew Rock Lee for the last match.
• Menma anticipated that Gaara’s Tailed Beast Transformation would trigger the Konoha Crush Plan during the second match.
• Gaara fixed a savage stare on Naruto, while Naruto eagerly anticipated their fight and Lee turned his attention to Menma.

After passing the Forest of Death, Menma joined Team Seven and Kakashi for a celebratory meal while hiding his growing distance from them. Back home, Menma met Kabuto Yakushi, Orochimaru’s spy, who came to make contact with him.

• Kakashi congratulated Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Menma on reaching the Main Tournament and invited them to celebrate.
• Kakashi discreetly checked on Sasuke’s Cursed Seal, while Menma recognized his concern and kept what he knew to himself.
• Team Seven and Kakashi shared a celebratory meal, though Menma privately regarded his bonds with them as empty and uncertain.
• After returning home, Menma sensed a visitor hiding nearby and called him out.
• Kabuto Yakushi introduced himself as Orochimaru’s spy and acknowledged Menma’s keen perception.

Kabuto Yakushi invited Menma to join Orochimaru’s plan to destroy Konoha, and Menma challenged whether Orochimaru could actually carry it out. Kabuto claimed Orochimaru could infiltrate an elite force into Konoha with help from Sunagakure and spies inside the village.

• Menma confronted Kabuto Yakushi and demanded to know why Orochimaru had sent him.
• Kabuto revealed that Orochimaru intended to destroy Konoha and invited Menma to take part.
• Menma admitted he was interested but questioned whether Orochimaru had enough strength and influence to defeat Konoha.
• Kabuto said Orochimaru’s forces had Sunagakure as an ally and could evade Konoha’s border defenses.
• Kabuto explained that over a thousand elite Sound Ninja and Sand Ninja could infiltrate Konoha, aided by Orochimaru’s spies and trusted people inside the village.

Menma accepted Orochimaru’s invitation to join the Konoha Crush Plan, but said he would act only if the attack caused chaos and proved to have the promised strength. Kabuto gave him the preliminary plan and left, while Menma prepared to wait for events to unfold.

• Kabuto Yakushi told Menma that Gaara, Sunagakure’s One-Tail Jinchuriki, and the Fourth Kazekage would take part in the attack alongside Orochimaru.
• Menma assessed the planned assault and concluded that Rasa would likely be killed, while Gaara’s fate would depend on the circumstances.
• Kabuto asked Menma to join Orochimaru’s plan, and Menma accepted while setting conditions for when he would act.
• Kabuto gave Menma a scroll containing the preliminary plan and said he would report any changes before leaving into the night.