Recaps

Neji built a life beyond the Hyuga clan’s expectations while secretly developing a way to create a Tenseigan and rescuing Uchiha Izumi. After graduating onto Team 3, he learned to control the First Gate with his tattoos and medical skills, then demonstrated the technique to the Third Hokage.

• Neji gave Hiashi his Byakugan instead of accepting the Caged Bird Seal, then secretly restored his eyes and began planning his future.
• Neji invested Hizashi’s inheritance in a Hot Pot Restaurant, trained Hinata, and used the Ninja Academy to gain experience while advancing his research.
• During the Uchiha massacre, Neji’s clones collected Sharingan, and Neji rescued Uchiha Izumi after the Masked Man took her eyes.
• Neji gave Izumi an artificial vision device and recruited her to help with his experiments as he worked toward creating a Tenseigan.
• After years of training Hinata, Rock Lee, and Izumi, Neji graduated onto Team 3 with Tenten and Rock Lee under Might Guy.
• Might Guy taught Neji and Rock Lee about the Eight Gates, and Neji opened the First Gate while using Nen Flow and his Dragon and Tiger tattoos to control its Chakra.
• Rock Lee opened the First Gate but could not close it, so Neji fought him, knocked him unconscious, and healed his injuries.
• Neji demonstrated his healing technique in the Eight Gates state to the Third Hokage and explained how his tattoos controlled Chakra through acupoints.

Neji advanced his Healing Tattoo research, tested his treatments on Kimimaro, and secretly built an organization in the Land of Waves by saving and recruiting Zabuza and Haku. After defeating them in a fight, he returned to Konoha with Izumi and recovered from the strain of his Shadow Clone.

• Neji used his Healing Tattoo to restore Izumi and Rock Lee, then continued his research while Team 3 resumed training and missions.
• Neji investigated a shipment bound for Orochimaru, whose experiments with the Healing and Female Hormones strengthened Kimimaro's bloodline and transformed him into a woman.
• Neji and Izumi secretly followed Team 7's mission in the Land of Waves, rescued Haku and Zabuza after their battle with Kakashi, and transformed them into women while treating their injuries.
• Neji recruited Zabuza and Haku into his organization as Zan and Haku, gave them communication masks, and assigned them to take over Gato's merchant association and trade routes.
• Zabuza and Haku tested Neji's strength, but he defeated them and reached level forty.
• Neji turned the flooded Training Room into a Water Training Room, ordered Zabuza and Haku to recover before their missions, and returned to Konoha with Izumi.
• Neji collapsed after receiving two weeks of Shadow Clone memories at once, and Izumi cared for him until he recovered the next day.

Neji entered the Chunin Exams with Team 3 while testing his Healing Tattoo and trading with Orochimaru. After the Forest of Death and the preliminary matches, Rock Lee was badly injured, and Neji was paired against Naruto for the official matches.

• Neji completed Rock Lee’s Healing Tattoo, then traded with Orochimaru for Hashirama’s Cells and the Spirit Transformation Jutsu.
• Neji comforted Hinata before Team 3 entered the Chunin Exams, where Naruto helped the remaining candidates pass Ibiki’s written test.
• In the Forest of Death, Neji watched Orochimaru curse Sasuke, rescued Karin, and helped Sakura’s group survive the Sound Ninja Trio’s attack.
• Team 3 reached the Central Tower and passed the second exam, while the Third Hokage allowed Sasuke to continue despite her transformation and curse mark.
• Neji sealed Sasuke’s curse mark with the Evil Sealing Method, then declined Orochimaru’s offer of eyes and power.
• Neji defeated Hinata in the preliminaries but praised her progress, then watched Gaara defeat Rock Lee after Lee opened the Fifth Gate.
• Neji healed Lee and warned that he needed at least three months of bed rest, then learned he would face Naruto in the official matches and considered requesting Space-Time Ninjutsu materials as Team 3’s reward.

Neji defeated Naruto in the Chunin Exam finals, then joined the fight against Orochimaru’s attack and confronted Shukaku alongside Naruto. After the invasion, Hiashi entrusted Neji with the Byakugan and the Caged Bird Seal formula, while the story turned toward finding Tsunade and Itachi’s return to Konoha.

• Neji defeated Naruto in the finals, then watched Shikamaru surrender to Temari and Sasuke fight Gaara as the Konoha Crush began.
• Neji joined the pursuit of Sasuke, protected Tenten and Hinata from Sound ninja, and fought Gaara to rescue Sakura.
• Neji drained Chakra from Shukaku and helped carry Sasuke, Sakura, and Temari to safety while Naruto and Gamabunta battled the beast.
• Naruto woke Gaara and stopped Shukaku, and the Sand Ninja withdrew as Orochimaru escaped with the Sound Four.
• Hiashi gave Neji his restored Byakugan and a scroll containing the Caged Bird Seal formula, and Neji vowed to change the Hyuga Clan.
• Neji learned that Jiraiya would seek Tsunade to become Fifth Hokage and that Hiashi had arranged for Neji to accompany him.
• Itachi and Kisame returned to Konoha, where Asuma and Kurenai confronted them and Kisame attacked Kurenai.