Recaps

Sasuke won the Academy graduation tournament, while Hyuga Kagami formed the new teams and prepared Naruto and Sasuke for the joint Chunin Exams. As the exam teams gathered, Akatsuki’s plans, Orochimaru’s experiments, and the danger surrounding Sasuke and Naruto shaped the preparations, and Hyuga Kagami left Konoha with Itachi standing in for him.

• Sasuke defeated Rock Lee with genjutsu, beat Naruto in the final, then defeated Tenten to win the graduation tournament.
• Hyuga Kagami handed out forehead protectors, encouraged Neji to train beyond the Hyuga Clan’s traditions, and assigned him to Guy’s team.
• Obito tried to enlist Hyuga Kagami and Itachi in Akatsuki’s plans, while Itachi agreed to seek Shisui and Shinichi’s help identifying Fugaku’s killer.
• Hyuga Kagami agreed to a joint Chunin Exam and selected five Konoha teams, including Kakashi’s newly formed Team 7.
• Kakashi passed Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura after they gave up their bells so Sakura could pass, and Hyuga Kagami prepared Naruto for Akatsuki’s possible attack by securing the Nine-Tails’ cooperation.
• Orochimaru sent Kimimaro, Jugo, and Haku to the Chunin Exams and ordered Kimimaro to kill Sasuke, despite Kimimaro’s worsening illness.
• Hyuga Kagami gave Itachi an artifact and instructions to impersonate him, invited Karin to the exams, and left Konoha as Kirin took command of a Kirigakure mission.

Hyuga Kagami entered the Chunin Exams with Karin and Suigetsu and deliberately stirred conflict among the contestants. As the exams turned into a series of fierce battles, he faced Darui in a destructive lightning duel and survived its final collision, badly wounded.

• Hyuga Kagami brought Karin and Suigetsu to Konoha, bet Samehada on Kirigakure’s success, and provoked the village’s Genin by defeating two Anbu and challenging Sasuke and Naruto.
• Hyuga Kagami’s taunts intensified rivalries between the villages, and he, Karin, and Suigetsu passed Ibiki’s written exam before entering the Forest of Death.
• Hyuga Kagami’s Lightning Clone fought Darui while Samui and Shi attacked Karin and Suigetsu, and Gaara took control of Karin’s armor to strike Samui.
• Sakon and Ukon, Kidomaru, and Tayuya ambushed Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, but the Konoha team defeated them before Kimimaro arrived to confront Sasuke.
• Karin and Gaara stopped Deidara, Kurotsuchi, and Akatsuchi from reaching the lightning battle, while Neji’s team encountered Temari, Kankuro, and Shira.
• Hyuga Kagami and Darui fought through the storm, and Hyuga Kagami copied Darui’s Black Lightning control to manifest Purple Electricity.
• Darui and Hyuga Kagami unleashed their lightning beasts, whose collision devastated the Forest of Death, and Hyuga Kagami emerged badly wounded as Karin reached him.

Hyuga Kagami and the other candidates survived the Forest of Death’s battles, then competed for places in the third examination as the village leaders dealt with the damage. As the final exam approached, Sasuke trained through serious injuries and mastered Purple Electricity, while the Akatsuki prepared its new Six Paths of Pain.

• Hyuga Kagami declared his battle with Darui a draw, then left with Karin as the Forest of Death’s fights escalated around Naruto, Sasuke, Kimimaro, and Haku.
• Naruto’s six-tailed transformation forced Orochimaru to release Sasuke, and Hyuga Kagami recognized that Naruto had faked losing control to save his friends.
• Hyuga Kagami’s team reached the watchtower, and the exam officials later announced the six teams that had passed the second stage.
• At the preliminary matches, Karin and several other candidates forfeited, while the winners advanced to the third examination after Suigetsu and Temari drew.
• The Forest of Death’s destruction prompted the Third Hokage to seek help with repairs, while Tsunade found Kimimaro’s bloodline disease difficult to treat.
• Itachi told Hyuga Kagami that Orochimaru had entered the exam disguised as a Kusagakure ninja, and Hyuga Kagami ordered him to watch rather than confront Orochimaru.
• Nagato tested his new Six Paths of Pain, and Obito told him the Paths needed more training before they could face Yama.
• Kakashi trained Sasuke in Purple Electricity for the third examination, and Sasuke mastered it on the sixth day before collapsing from his injuries.

As the exams continued, Sasuke trained to confront Kirin and awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan during their match, but Kirin defeated him after Sasuke exhausted his ocular power. Kirin then faced Naruto, using the battle to test his Lightning Release training as Naruto reached a six-tailed transformation.

• Sasuke learned Kirin, then trained with Kakashi to master the technique and prepare to avenge his father.
• Hyuga Kagami studied Shira’s Seven Heavens Breathing Method and adapted its breathing and cardiopulmonary training to strengthen his Lightning Release Clone.
• Naruto defeated Shira with his controlled Tailed Beast transformation, and Sasuke arrived in time to face Kirin.
• Sasuke trapped Kirin in a steel-wire formation and demonstrated Purple Electricity, but Kirin broke free and provoked Sasuke by revealing he had Fugaku’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Sasuke awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan and unleashed Susanoo, Amaterasu, and Kagutsuchi, but his ocular power ran low and Kirin wounded him, ending the match.
• Kirin defeated Darui, then entered the arena to fight Naruto and used the battle to test his Lightning Release training.
• Naruto reached a six-tailed transformation and shook the arena with his attacks, while Kirin dodged with a Lightning Clone and punched Naruto in the face.