Chapter Summaries

Neji watched over the unconscious Sasuke and Naruto, then rescued Karin from a bear and directed her toward the Land of Waves with a sealed pendant. As the Sound Ninja Trio began to stir, he refocused on Naruto and Sasuke and prepared to intervene.

• Sasuke collapsed unconscious in Sakura’s arms, while Naruto hung motionless from a kunai and Sakura realized she was alone.
• Neji dropped his disguise and sensed Karin fleeing from a giant bear near a water source.
• Neji killed the bear, and Karin thanked him, imagining herself falling in love with her rescuer.
• Neji gave Karin a pendant that would transform into a mask and told her to leave Kusagakure for the Land of Waves.
• Karin accepted the pendant and decided to visit the Land of Waves, while Neji turned his attention back to Naruto, Sasuke, and the stirring Sound Ninja Trio.

Sakura cared for the feverish Sasuke while the Sound Ninja Trio tracked them, and Neji maneuvered events to reach their camp. After driving the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio away, Neji protected Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke from the Sound Ninja Trio as Dosu charged at him.

• Sakura tended to Sasuke and Naruto as the Sound Ninja Trio watched from nearby and planned to attack after daybreak.
• The Sound Ninja Trio tested Sakura with an explosive-tagged squirrel, but Neji rescued the squirrel and identified their location.
• Neji used his clone to confront the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio, whose attempts to evade him and flatter him failed before they fled.
• Neji arrived at Sakura's camp and knocked back the Sound Ninja Trio with a kick.
• Sakura told Neji that Orochimaru had attacked them and turned Sasuke into a woman, and Neji promised to protect them.
• Dosu charged at Neji after deciding to kill him along with Sakura's group.

Neji fought Dosu and Zaku while Kin attacked Sakura, revealing that their sound-based weapons could not harm him. He drew the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio into the fight and urged them to help Sakura as Sasuke’s Curse Mark began to awaken.

• Neji struck Dosu before his sound device could take the initiative, then taunted him about his failed attack.
• Dosu and Zaku teamed up against Neji, but Neji caught Zaku’s Void Severing Wave and shattered it with Armament Haki.
• The Ino-Shika-Cho Trio debated whether to intervene while Kin held Sakura and the Sound ninja pressed their attack.
• Neji emerged unharmed from the smoke and called the trio out, prompting Kin to retreat from Sakura.
• Sasuke’s body began to change as his Curse Mark awakened, and Neji recognized its sinister chakra.
• Zaku fired another Void Severing Wave at the trio, but Neji smashed it apart and shouted for them to help Sakura.

Sasuke awakened to the power of Orochimaru’s cursed seal, transforming into a girl while retaining her drive for revenge. She defeated Dosu and overpowered Zaku, leaving her allies shocked by her change as Tenten and Rock Lee arrived.

• Sakura fought Kin and was injured, but Sasuke appeared in her cursed-seal form and kicked Dosu away.
• Sasuke realized her body had changed, then embraced the power surging through her as she focused on revenge.
• Sasuke confronted the Sound Ninja Trio over Sakura’s injuries, and Zaku attacked her with the Extreme Void Severing Wave.
• Sasuke dodged Zaku’s attack, struck his neck, and concealed shuriken within her Phoenix Sage Fire Technique to overwhelm him.
• Sasuke twisted Zaku’s arms behind his back and forced him to his knees while Sakura and Ino stared at her in disbelief.
• Neji sensed Tenten and Rock Lee approaching after they came to investigate the commotion.

Sasuke’s curse mark drove her to attack Zaku until Sakura’s pleas calmed her and the mark receded. After Dosu surrendered and withdrew with his teammates, the group regrouped, and Naruto woke to find Sasuke transformed.

• Sasuke snapped Zaku’s arm, but Sakura embraced her and begged her to stop, causing the curse-mark patterns and power to fade.
• Dosu surrendered the Sound team’s Earth Scroll, then withdrew with Zaku and Kin after Sakura asked about Orochimaru.
• Neji let Dosu’s team go, while Shikamaru questioned the decision and Neji asked Ino why she had called him the Great Demon King.
• Ino apologized to Neji and escaped, while Choji and Shikamaru teased the sleeping Naruto until he woke.
• Naruto looked at Sasuke and recognized her familiar clothes, then began to speak.

After Naruto learned that the girl he mistook for Sasuke’s sister was Sasuke herself, Neji examined her and warned that the Curse Mark of Heaven was harmful. Neji told the group to continue the Chunin Exams, and Naruto was left outside after putting his foot in his mouth again.

• Naruto mistook Sasuke for her younger sister, and Sakura punched him before Shikamaru revealed Sasuke’s identity.
• Naruto apologized to Sakura and Sasuke, then Neji arrived and treated him.
• Neji examined Sasuke, found no abnormality beyond her changed sex, and warned her that the Curse Mark of Heaven was corrosive.
• Neji said he could not change Sasuke back and advised the group to avoid using the Curse Mark and continue the exam.
• The others left to resume the assessment, and Sakura knocked Naruto outside after he awkwardly denied staring at Sasuke.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura discussed their dwindling time in the Chunin Exams while Neji monitored them and then led Tenten and Rock Lee to the Central Tower. After passing the second exam, Neji and Tenten reminisced about how relentlessly he had trained their academy classmates.

• Naruto caught fish while Sasuke ordered him to catch more, and Sakura prepared the campfire.
• Sasuke and Sakura discussed their remaining time and the possibility that their Scroll of Heaven was gone, while Naruto focused on the food.
• Neji watched the group through a surveillance device and, after lunch, took Tenten and Rock Lee toward the Central Tower.
• Neji used Observation Haki to avoid other teams, and the three opened their scrolls at the tower and passed the second exam.
• Tenten recalled that Neji had relentlessly challenged their academy classmates to spar, and Neji admitted he had trained them harshly.

Iruka discovered Sasuke’s curse mark and transformation after Team 7 reached the Central Tower, then brought them to the Third Hokage. Sasuke was allowed to continue the Chunin Exams, and preparations began for the next stage as the second exam officially ended.

• Team 7 opened the scrolls at the Central Tower, and Iruka appeared from them.
• Sakura told Iruka about Orochimaru’s attack, Sasuke’s curse mark, and her transformation, prompting him to report the situation to the Third Hokage.
• The Third Hokage connected Orochimaru’s return to Sasuke and ordered everyone to monitor his movements while the exam continued.
• Sasuke asked to remain in the Chunin Exams, and the Third Hokage agreed despite Iruka’s objections.
• The second exam officially ended, and the Third Hokage gave Anko and the others instructions as the passed candidates gathered in the hall.

At the Chunin Exams, Neji used the Evil Sealing Method to suppress Sasuke’s curse mark while Kakashi guarded the room. Orochimaru confronted Kakashi outside and revealed his interest in Sasuke and his plans for Otogakure.

• The Third Hokage explained that the Chunin Exams would test the villages’ strength and influence the balance between nations.
• After the elimination round left twenty participants, Sasuke defeated Akaido Yoroi, and Zaku began his match against Aburame Shino.
• Kakashi asked Neji to seal Sasuke’s curse mark because her condition was worsening and the Sealing Squad had not arrived.
• Neji inscribed markings on Sasuke and performed the Evil Sealing Method as she endured intense pain.
• Orochimaru appeared outside the room, told Kakashi he was seeking Sasuke, and said he needed many pieces to establish his ambition through Otogakure.

Neji completed the Evil Sealing Method on Sasuke, while Kakashi confronted Orochimaru and learned that Sasuke’s seal might not stop her from seeking power. On his way back to the battle hall, Neji met Orochimaru, who offered him eyes and power before predicting Konoha’s future would be troubled.

• Neji finished applying the Evil Sealing Method to Sasuke and warned her that its effect depended on her resolve.
• Orochimaru told Kakashi that Sasuke was a rare pawn destined to seek him out for power, then left after overpowering Kakashi with his killing intent.
• Neji emerged from the room and confirmed that the seal had succeeded; Kakashi stayed behind to look after Sasuke.
• Orochimaru stopped Neji on his way back and offered to provide eyes and power, but Neji refused.
• Orochimaru departed after telling Neji he could come to him for what Konoha could not provide, and Neji continued toward the battle hall.

Neji returned to the preliminaries, watched Tenten lose to Temari, and treated her before she was taken away. He then faced Hinata in a Gentle Fist match and urged her to show how much she had grown.

• Neji returned as Kankuro defeated Tsurugi Misumi, and Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino fought to a draw.
• Neji warned Tenten not to get hurt before she faced Temari, who defeated her despite Tenten's determined effort.
• Neji caught Temari's punch and healed Tenten, who asked him to give her a tattoo after the matches were over.
• Temari warned Kankuro that Neji was terrifying, while Neji advised Rock Lee not to stubbornly challenge Gaara.
• Shikamaru defeated Kin, and Uzumaki Naruto fought Kiba Inuzuka before Hinata Hyuga was matched against Neji Hyuga.
• Hinata struck Neji once during their Gentle Fist exchange, and Neji praised her progress and encouraged her to continue.

Neji defeated Hinata in the Chunin Exam finals, encouraged her growth, and then watched as Rock Lee prepared to fight Gaara. The chapter left Lee determined to face Gaara despite Neji's warning not to overexert himself.

• Neji used Gentle Fist to immobilize Hinata with his Sunflower Acupoint Strike and won their match.
• Neji carried Hinata back, removed the Chakra restricting her, and unnerved Naruto by teasing him about a possible future match.
• The next matchup, Gaara versus Rock Lee, appeared, and Lee went to the arena despite Neji warning him not to force himself.
• Hinata asked whether she had disappointed Neji, and he reassured her that he was proud of her growth and had only criticized her to keep her from becoming complacent.
• Neji turned his attention to Rock Lee's battle and wondered how it would end.

Rock Lee fought Gaara in the arena and revealed the speed and strength hidden beneath his weighted training. After Gaara survived Lee’s Front Lotus and counterattacked with sand, Lee prepared to deliver one final strike.

• Gaara’s sand blocked Rock Lee’s initial attacks until Might Guy gave him permission to remove his weights.
• Rock Lee’s weights smashed craters into the arena floor, and he used his freed speed to injure Gaara before his sand could react.
• Gaara’s expression turned crazed as his sand gathered around him, and Rock Lee unwrapped his arm bandages before launching the Front Lotus.
• Gaara escaped the Front Lotus with a Sand Clone and blasted Rock Lee into the wall with a torrent of sand.
• Rock Lee endured the attack and declared that his next strike would be his final one as Might Guy and Neji watched.

Rock Lee opened the Fifth Gate and fought Gaara with overwhelming speed, but Gaara survived his Reverse Lotus and was declared the winner. Neji treated Lee after he collapsed, while Might Guy learned that Lee would need three months to recover.

• Rock Lee opened the Third and Fourth Gates and overwhelmed Gaara's Sand Armor with a flurry of attacks.
• Rock Lee opened the Fifth Gate and used Reverse Lotus, shattering his Healing Tattoo and crushing Gaara into the ground.
• Gaara survived the attack and prepared to bury the unconscious Rock Lee with sand, but Might Guy intervened to protect his student.
• Gekko Hayate declared Gaara the winner, while Rock Lee stood back up despite being unconscious and Might Guy praised his determination.
• Neji healed Rock Lee and told Might Guy that Lee would need at least three months of bed rest before fully recovering.

After the preliminaries, Neji discussed Rock Lee’s recovery and Healing Tattoo with the Third Hokage, then visited the injured Tenten. He planned to use the team’s S-rank mission reward to obtain Space-Time Ninjutsu materials and left wondering whether his sealed system panel could be unlocked again.

• Dosu defeated Akimichi Choji, ending the preliminaries, and the Third Hokage announced the official matches would begin in a month.
• The match draw gave Temari a bye and paired Neji with Uzumaki Naruto.
• Neji explained to the Third Hokage how Rock Lee’s Healing Tattoo had collapsed under the Fifth Gate’s strain and said Lee could receive an improved tattoo after recovering.
• Neji refused Might Guy’s offer to intensify his training and went to Konoha Hospital to visit Tenten.
• Neji assured Tenten that Rock Lee would recover, promised her a red rose tattoo, and proposed requesting Space-Time Ninjutsu materials as the team’s mission reward.
• Neji considered steering the reward toward the Flying Thunder God Technique and looked at the sealed Lion Head panel on his system.

Neji assigned Izumi to assess Karin as she traveled toward the Land of Waves, while a surveillance device tracked her progress. At Konoha Hospital, Gaara said he wanted Rock Lee’s life, and Neji responded with a wave of killing intent.

• Neji showed Izumi surveillance footage of Karin and explained that she should assess whether Karin was suitable to join their group.
• Karin traveled toward the Land of Waves, muttering about escaping Kusagakure and admiring Neji.
• Neji told Izumi that she could not intervene if Karin encountered danger, and said she could notify Zabuza and the others if Karin passed her assessment.
• Neji arrived at Konoha Hospital and found Naruto, Shikamaru, and Gaara in Rock Lee’s room.
• Naruto confronted Gaara, who said he wanted Rock Lee’s life, prompting Neji to unleash his killing intent.

Neji confronted Gaara at Rock Lee’s hospital room after Gaara threatened Shikamaru and Naruto, but Might Guy stopped the fight. After Gaara left, Neji learned that the Third Hokage had approved his reward request for access to materials on Space-Time Ninjutsu.

• Neji demanded that Gaara let Shikamaru go, while Shikamaru restrained Gaara and tried to prevent a conflict between the villages.
• Gaara described his painful past, and Naruto recognized that they shared a similar experience of isolation and despair.
• Gaara prepared to attack, but Might Guy intervened and warned him that the official matches began the next day.
• Outside the hospital room, Gaara noticed that his Sand Armor had been damaged and suspected Neji had struck him.
• Neji told Shikamaru to visit him daily for half a month after the Chunin Exams, then learned from Might Guy that the Third Hokage had granted him access to Space-Time Ninjutsu materials.

Neji and Naruto began their Chunin Exam final match, with Naruto using Shadow Clones and Neji countering them with his heightened senses and Gentle Fist. Neji exposed Naruto’s decoy tactics and launched Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven as Naruto’s hidden clone prepared to attack.

• The examiner announced that Neji would face Naruto first in the final round, while Temari was matched against Shikamaru because Dosu was missing.
• Naruto created five Shadow Clones and charged Neji, who evaded them and knocked several clones away with kicks and palm strikes.
• Neji told Naruto that his senses had no blind spots despite losing his eyes, but Naruto refused to give up and summoned countless Shadow Clones.
• Neji knocked away most of the clones and struck one he thought was Naruto, only to discover it was a decoy while another clone remained concealed.
• Neji turned toward the hidden Naruto and unleashed the Hyuga Clan technique Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.

Neji overwhelmed Naruto with Revolving Heaven and Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, while Hiashi realized how extraordinary Neji’s abilities were and hoped he could change the Hyuga Clan. Naruto then drew on the Nine-Tails’ Chakra and prepared to continue fighting, but Neji judged that power insufficient.

• Hiashi and Hanabi recognized Neji’s Revolving Heaven, and Hiashi marveled at his nephew’s talent without realizing Neji had recovered his Byakugan.
• Neji struck Naruto with Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, leaving him on the ground as Hiashi celebrated Neji’s skill and lack of a Caged Bird Seal.
• Naruto rose despite the referee’s call and gathered the Nine-Tails’ Chakra, while Neji used Haki to resist its influence.
• Naruto told Neji that defeating him was enough, and Neji replied that Naruto’s power was still not enough.

Neji defeated Naruto in their match after Naruto used the Nine-Tails' Chakra, then carried the unconscious Naruto to the stands for treatment. Neji returned to Tenten and prepared to handle the fights ahead while Naruto slept.

• Naruto used the Nine-Tails' Chakra to boost his speed and strength, but Neji deflected his attacks and flung him into a wall.
• Naruto drew more Chakra from the Nine-Tails, threatening to enter the One-Tail state, so Neji struck his pressure point and knocked him unconscious.
• The examiner declared Neji Hyuga the winner, and the spectators applauded.
• Neji treated Naruto and carried him to the stands, where Sakura caught him and let him rest.
• Neji returned to Tenten and thought that Naruto should help with verbal persuasion while Neji handled the remaining fights.