Chapter Summaries

Hyuga Kagami pushed Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji to their limits during the exam, while Shisui and Shinichi watched and the Jonin proctors prepared to intervene. As Naruto struggled beneath Hyuga Kagami’s foot, the Nine-Tails’ chakra erupted from him and struck Hyuga Kagami with a giant claw.

• Hyuga Kagami kept Naruto pinned and reflected on why young shinobi needed to experience danger before facing real enemies.
• Shisui and Shinichi watched Orochimaru choke Sasuke, and Shinichi explained that his Timehold could revive someone dead for up to three seconds.
• Kakashi and the other Jonin proctors arrived, but Shisui asked them to wait before stepping in.
• Hyuga Kagami saw that Sasuke was weakening while the injured Naruto and Neji continued to resist.
• Naruto released a surge of orange-red chakra that shattered the sealing formulas on his body and slashed Hyuga Kagami with a giant chakra claw.

Naruto feigned a six-tailed rampage to surprise Hyuga Kagami and Orochimaru, then rescued Sasuke and Neji and escaped into the forest. Hyuga Kagami realized Naruto had retained control and grown closer to mastering the Nine-Tails' chakra, while Orochimaru withdrew after warning Kagami that he would remember him.

• Naruto's transformation reached six tails, alarming Hyuga Kagami and the others as his chakra cloak grew more violent.
• Naruto lunged at Hyuga Kagami, then abruptly attacked Orochimaru and forced him to release Sasuke.
• Naruto grabbed Sasuke and Neji with chakra claws and escaped into the forest, while the summoned beasts were dispelled.
• Hyuga Kagami realized Naruto had faked losing control to rescue his friends and concluded the Nine-Tails had helped him plan it.
• Orochimaru left after telling Hyuga Kagami he would remember him, and Karin checked Kagami's claw wound.
• Hyuga Kagami reflected that Naruto had surpassed his limits and wondered if he was the Child of Prophecy.

Hyuga Kagami reflected on Naruto’s breakthrough and his own pursuit of the Kekkei Mōra before leading his team to the central watchtower to finish the second exam. After turning in their scrolls, they found Darui’s and Fū’s teams waiting in the rest area, where Hyuga Kagami’s fearsome reputation made the other examinees wary.

• Hyuga Kagami felt uncertain about whether he could change his fate and become a god, but resolved to keep pursuing the Kekkei Mōra.
• Hyuga Kagami led Karin and Suigetsu toward the central watchtower, while the Jonin proctors surveyed the destruction left by the battle and worried about the examinees.
• Hyuga Kagami considered Sasuke’s Sharingan change and concluded that he needed a different emotional trigger to awaken Sasuke’s Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Hyuga Kagami’s team reached the central watchtower and handed over their Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
• Hyuga Kagami encountered Darui’s team and Fū’s team in the rest area, where Fū questioned him about the rain and her teammates pulled her away warily.

Naruto and Sasuke’s team passed the second exam, but Kakashi revealed that Deidara’s team had defeated three Konoha teams and that most other Konoha examinees had withdrawn or been eliminated. Sasuke learned that Kimimaro and the Grass Ninja had withdrawn voluntarily, leaving him frustrated that he could not avenge himself against them.

• Naruto challenged Hyuga Kagami in the waiting area, while Sakura realized their team was Konoha’s first to pass the exam.
• Temari, Samui, Suigetsu, Naruto, and Fū speculated about which teams would advance as fighting continued in the Forest of Death.
• Asuma ended the exam and led the waiting examinees to a training ground, where they learned Deidara’s team was the sixth and final team to pass.
• The examinees learned that all Kusagakure and Otogakure teams had been eliminated or withdrawn, and that each Great Shinobi Village and Takigakure had one team advance.
• Sasuke reacted with dismay when he heard Kimimaro and the Grass Ninja were gone, but Kakashi explained that both had voluntarily withdrawn.
• Kakashi told Sakura and Naruto that Deidara’s group had defeated the teams of Ino, Shion, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Kiba, leaving Konoha with only one advancing team.

The village leaders scrutinized the talents and techniques revealed during the second examination as Asuma announced extra matches to determine who would enter the third examination. After several forfeits and battles, ten examinees advanced to the third examination, which would take place in seven days before the Five Great Nations’ daimyo.

• The village leaders probed one another about rising talents and Otogakure’s transformation technique, while Tsunade treated Kimimaro and investigated the technique.
• Asuma announced that the third examination would take place in seven days with the Five Great Nations’ daimyo in attendance, and that extra matches would determine who advanced.
• The random pairing matched Uzumaki Naruto with Karin, but Karin forfeited, giving Naruto the win.
• Samui and Sakura also forfeited their matches, while Sasuke defeated Kankuro, Darui defeated Akatsuchi, Fū defeated C, Kurotsuchi defeated Toki, and Shira defeated Kōn.
• Suigetsu and Temari fought to a draw, and Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Kagami, Deidara, Sasuke, Darui, Fū, Kurotsuchi, Shira, Suigetsu, and Temari advanced to the third examination.

After the Chunin Exams’ second stage, Konoha discovered that the Forest of Death had suffered massive damage and struggled to make the other villages share the repair costs. With the other leaders gone, the Third Hokage proposed that Konoha’s senior officials forgo their salaries to fund urgent repairs.

• The Third Hokage ended the second stage of the Chunin Exams and sent the candidates to rest.
• Ebisu reported that damage to the Forest of Death amounted to one billion, with most of its facilities and ecosystem badly damaged.
• The Third Hokage blamed Kirin, Darui, and Deidara for the destruction and asked the Five Great Shinobi Villages to share repair costs.
• Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage, Karatachi Yagura, and the Fourth Kazekage each left without agreeing to contribute.
• The Third Hokage told Itachi, disguised as Hyuga Kagami, that Konoha needed to restore the Forest of Death’s defenses and surveillance systems.
• The Third Hokage proposed that senior officials forgo their salaries and allowances for the year, and Itachi agreed.

Itachi impersonated Hyuga Kagami while agreeing to help raise funds, but the Third Hokage sensed something was wrong because Itachi acted too much like a Hokage. At Konoha Hospital, Tsunade temporarily stabilized Kimimaro but found his bloodline disease difficult to treat.

• The Third Hokage asked Itachi, disguised as Hyuga Kagami, to contribute the hundred million and give up salaries and allowances, and Itachi agreed to do everything he could for the village.
• After Itachi left, the Third Hokage told Utatane Koharu that Kagami had seemed strange because he had readily offered money he once fought to keep.
• Tsunade told Haku and Jugo that Kimimaro had a serious bloodline disease and that she had only managed to control it temporarily.
• Haku confirmed that Otogakure had developed medicine to suppress the disease but refused to reveal who made it, and Tsunade agreed to keep Kimimaro under observation.
• Tsunade told Jiraiya that a special substance in Kimimaro's blood broke down her Yang Release chakra and that his continued survival was remarkable.

Tsunade examined Kimimaro and realized his constitution was extraordinary, while Jiraiya revealed that Haku had mastered a unique form of Senjutsu. At the hospital, Sasuke mistook Kimimaro’s illness for injuries from their fight, offered to pay his treatment costs, and left with Itachi’s Shadow Clone.

• Tsunade found that a substance in Kimimaro’s blood and bone marrow resisted her Yang Release chakra, and she marveled that he could still fight.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade that Haku had mastered Senjutsu, and explained that Haku could enter Sage Mode instantly without learning it at Ryūchi Cave.
• Sasuke saw Haku carrying meals to Kimimaro’s room and assumed Kimimaro had been badly hurt in their fight.
• Sasuke offered to cover Kimimaro’s treatment costs and warned Haku that the Uchiha Clan was dangerous to face.
• Itachi’s Shadow Clone arrived to take Sasuke home, and Sasuke told Haku that Kimimaro could challenge him again after recovering.

Sasuke returned home ashamed after losing in the Chunin Exams, while his family continued pushing him toward awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan. At a training ground, Kakashi successfully developed a partial Purple Electricity and worried about how to explain it to Kirin.

• Itachi tried to comfort Sasuke on the way home, but Sasuke remained ashamed of losing to the Grass Ninja and failing to meet his own expectations.
• Fugaku and Mikoto acted disappointed when Sasuke returned, and Sasuke went to his room while Mikoto questioned their plan to push him toward the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Fugaku asked Itachi whether the Fifth Hokage had made new arrangements, and Itachi said he would meet Lord Hokage that night.
• Kakashi tested Lightning Cutter at a deserted training ground and transformed part of its blue lightning into Purple Electricity after observing Kirin and Darui during the exam.
• Kakashi realized he had been inspired by Kirin's technique and began trying to figure out how to earn Kirin's forgiveness and explain what happened.

Hyuga Kagami received Itachi’s report on the Chunin Exams, including Orochimaru’s disguise and the damage to the Forest of Death. After learning that the Third Hokage planned to reclaim both his salary and his one hundred million, Hyuga Kagami began considering rebuilding the forest with his Wood Release ninja.

• Itachi reported the Chunin Exams’ standout examinees and said a Kusagakure ninja had defeated Sasuke with suspicious ease.
• Hyuga Kagami revealed that the Kusagakure ninja was Orochimaru and told Itachi to keep watch rather than confront him.
• Itachi presented a Forest of Death damage report totaling one billion and explained that the other villages resisted paying part of the bill.
• Itachi said the Third Hokage proposed suspending the Hokage’s and Advisory Elder Council’s salaries and reclaiming Hyuga Kagami’s one hundred million; Itachi had agreed to the latter.
• Hyuga Kagami asked about Itachi’s Wood Release and began considering using his Wood Release ninja to rebuild the Forest of Death for profit.

Hyuga Kagami decided to have Sasuke awaken his eyes during the third exam and briefed Itachi on the plan. Meanwhile, Kakashi began seven days of special training to prepare Sasuke to face Kirin and Darui, leaving Sasuke confident he could master Purple Electricity.

• Hyuga Kagami told Itachi that he planned to stimulate Sasuke into awakening his eyes during the third exam and explained the plan.
• Sasuke arrived at the training ground before dawn to begin his seven-day special training with Kakashi.
• Kakashi identified Kirin, Deidara, and Darui as Sasuke's main threats, then focused the training on Kirin and Darui.
• Kakashi demonstrated Purple Electricity and told Sasuke he would need to master it to compete with Kirin and Darui.
• Sasuke said that his Sharingan, Kakashi's guidance, and seven days would be enough to master Purple Electricity.

Nagato tested his newly created Six Paths of Pain, made from five living Jinchuriki and the unchanged Deva Path, and found that Killer B resisted his control. He remained confident that his growing power would eventually overcome Killer B as Kakuzu and Hidan guarded the valley.

• Kakuzu told Hidan that Nagato was drilling the new Six Paths of Pain in the valley.
• Nagato’s Jinchuriki Paths unleashed four Tailed Beast Balls, blasting holes through the valley cliffs.
• Nagato and Konan inspected the five new Paths, made from Yugito Nii, Rōshi, Han, Utakata, and Killer B.
• Nagato explained that Killer B resisted control because he had the strongest will and closest bond with his Tailed Beast.
• Nagato dismissed the resistance as a minor problem and trusted his growing ocular power to overpower Killer B eventually.

Obito and Nagato discussed the new Six Paths of Pain, their plans against the Five Great Shinobi Villages, and the need to locate three Jinchuriki before the decisive battle. In Konoha, Sasuke struggled to learn Purple Electricity, and his Sharingan began to change as he pushed himself.

• Obito visited Nagato and learned that the new Six Paths of Pain needed another one to two months of training before they could face Yama.
• Obito reported that the Chunin Exams might be a trap, the Mizukage was in Konoha, and he was trying to turn Itachi so he could reach Shisui and Shinichi.
• Nagato insisted they confirm the locations of three Jinchuriki before the decisive battle, and Obito claimed everything was under his control.
• Sasuke refused to rest after three days of failing to master Purple Electricity, despite Kakashi warning that his injured arm and body needed a break.
• Sasuke tried Chidori again, and Kakashi noticed Sasuke's Sharingan tomoe spinning faster as his aura grew chilling.

Kakashi noticed that Sasuke’s Sharingan power was growing as his chakra turned colder, and worried that the Chunin Exam had affected him deeply. Meanwhile, Hyuga Kagami secretly used Shisui, Shinichi, and Itachi to reforest the Forest of Death with Wood Release while disguising the operation as a costly public reconstruction project.

• Kakashi tried to reassure Sasuke about the Chunin Exam, but Sasuke dismissed him and returned to training Purple Electricity.
• Kakashi connected Sasuke’s growing Sharingan power to the Second Hokage’s research on intense emotions and considered asking Shisui about Sasuke.
• Hyuga Kagami arranged for Shisui, Shinichi, and Itachi to secretly grow trees with Wood Release while hired workers only pretended to transplant trees.
• Hayate reported on the Forest of Death’s monitoring repairs and workforce, while Hyuga Kagami kept his Shadow Guard in control of the project.
• Hyuga Kagami stopped the Barrier Team from removing a tree for a sensing barrier node and insisted that saving money on chakra was less important than preserving trees.

As Sasuke pushed through painful training, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade discussed his progress and Tsunade revealed a breakthrough in regenerating Kakashi’s left eye. Sasuke finally mastered Purple Electricity, then collapsed from exhaustion.

• Sasuke continued practicing Purple Electricity on the sixth day of his training despite his serious injuries.
• Tsunade assessed Sasuke’s damage and urged him to rest, while Jiraiya and Kakashi acknowledged that the training had been too risky.
• Tsunade told Kakashi that her research into organ regeneration had advanced and that she might be able to restore his left eye using the Strength of a Hundred Technique.
• Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade watched a purple flash from the training ground and realized Sasuke had mastered Purple Electricity.
• Sasuke collapsed headfirst onto the training ground after his success.

After waking in the hospital, Sasuke insisted on continuing to prepare for the Chunin Exams and revealed his determination to confront the God Organization over his father’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Kakashi took him to a secret training ground and offered to teach him Kirin so he could have a chance against Deidara.

• Sasuke woke in the hospital and learned he had been unconscious for one afternoon, then told Kakashi he had mastered Purple Electricity.
• Naruto complained that Kakashi was teaching Sasuke but not him, and Sakura dragged Naruto out so Kakashi could speak with Sasuke alone.
• Sasuke learned that Itachi had not come to visit, then told Kakashi he intended to confirm whether Deidara was Jizo of the God Organization and avenge his father.
• Sasuke left his hospital bed to resume training, and Kakashi took him to a secret training ground with the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Kakashi warned that Purple Electricity would not be enough to defeat Deidara and offered to teach Sasuke Kirin.

Kakashi taught Sasuke about Kirin and urged him to master the lightning technique for the tournament, especially against Deidara. Naruto began targeted taijutsu training with Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten while Hyuga Kagami worked on his own techniques.

• Kakashi explained that Kirin was developed by Kirin of Kirigakure and showed Sasuke how Purple Electricity could draw natural lightning from storm clouds.
• Sasuke realized his Fire Release and Summoning Technique could help create the clouds needed for Kirin, and planned to use the technique against Deidara.
• Kakashi warned Sasuke that Kirin and Darui were also dangerous opponents and challenged him to learn Kirin within a day.
• Naruto arrived late to the training ground after visiting the injured Sasuke, then began training against Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten.
• Hyuga Kagami practiced Purple Electricity and Storm Release and began attempting Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

Hyuga Kagami trained as Kirin to push his Lightning Release Clone beyond Purple Electricity and Storm Release toward Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Kakashi recognized the dangerous full-body stimulation method but misunderstood its purpose, while Hyuga Kagami stopped at his limit and welcomed Konoha learning from his training.

• Hyuga Kagami decided that his Lightning Release Clone needed to master Lightning Release Chakra Mode to match the strength of his other clones.
• Hyuga Kagami trained intensely at Konoha's practice field while Asuma and Kurenai watched from afar.
• Kakashi arrived and identified Kirin's training as the risky Lightning Release Stimulation Method, noting that Kirin was using excessive chakra for full-body stimulation.
• Kakashi set aside his plan to speak privately with Kirin about Purple Electricity, believing Kirin's dangerous training must have another purpose.
• Hyuga Kagami stopped when he reached his limit and noticed Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai watching, but did not mind if Konoha learned from him.

Hyuga Kagami realized his Lightning Release Clone could not withstand the Lightning Release Chakra Mode because of its weak physical constitution, especially its respiratory system. He sought out Shira to study the Seven Heavens Breathing Method as a possible way to strengthen the clone.

• Hyuga Kagami examined his injured clone and concluded that its respiratory system and muscles had reached their limits.
• Hyuga Kagami recognized that poor physical strength, rather than chakra control or Lightning affinity, was preventing him from mastering the Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• Hyuga Kagami decided to strengthen the clone’s weak points and considered how to train its respiratory system.
• Hyuga Kagami brought Karin to Training Ground Seven, where Shira was practicing at night.
• Hyuga Kagami asked Karin to record Shira’s chakra flow, breathing rhythm, heartbeat, and other details of the Seven Heavens Breathing Method.

Hyuga Kagami and Karin observed Shira training with the Seven Heavens Breathing Method, recording details of his breathing, heartbeat, and chakra flow. After Shira left, they compared their findings, giving Hyuga Kagami enough information to begin developing his own approach to strengthening the respiratory and cardiopulmonary systems.

• Guy watched Shira train to assess the Sunagakure prodigy's Seven Heavens Breathing Method and its strength compared with the Eight Inner Gates.
• Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai arrived at Training Ground Seven and followed the figures they had seen there, while Kakashi noticed Hyuga Kagami watching from the shadows.
• Hyuga Kagami used his Byakugan to study Shira's movements, breathing rhythm, heartbeat, and chakra flow as Karin assisted him with her abilities.
• Shira finished training and left the field, and Hyuga Kagami estimated that Shira's lung capacity was three to four times that of an ordinary person.
• Hyuga Kagami and Karin compared their observations, and Hyuga Kagami decided to adapt the method's respiratory and cardiopulmonary training ideas rather than copy it completely.