Chapter Summaries

Hiko criticized the Uchiha’s refusal to build alliances before the candidates began the second examination, a three-day search for scrolls hidden near traps. The Sarutobi Squad split up, and Hiko strolled into the forest, confident that his exceptional perception would make the test easy.

• Hiko argued that the Uchiha’s isolation and hostility had cost them allies while the Senju built relationships with other clans.
• A Sarutobi Clan Elite Jonin explained that candidates had three days to find at least three scrolls in the examination ground, where they could steal but not kill.
• The candidates entered the forest, and the examiner and proctors dispersed to monitor the test.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru asked Hiko how to proceed, and he told the squad to split up.
• Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade headed off separately, while Hiko leisurely searched for traps and scrolls using his keen perception.

Hiko quickly found and dismantled a trap to obtain the assessment scroll, then stopped to grill a Giant Snake he had killed. He left a hidden prank for the proctor who followed him, and the proctor was burned when he tried to extinguish the fire.

• Hiko killed a Giant Snake and dismantled a concealed trap, obtaining the scroll required for the assessment.
• Hiko grilled the snake meat with spices, attracting nearby animals and killing those that approached.
• Hiko left the campfire burning and departed after eating, while the Sarutobi Clan proctor watched him.
• The proctor approached to put out the fire, triggering Hiko's hidden Explosive Tag trap and getting burned by flying coals.
• The proctor realized Hiko had noticed him and deliberately set the trap, and he was impressed by Hiko's abilities.

Uchiha Hiko took the exam at his own leisurely pace, even setting a trap that embarrassed the examiner, while Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade reached the finish line well before him. Hiko arrived just before the exam ended, passed, and was told to await notice about the final practical exam.

• The examiner realized Hiko had noticed him following and deliberately set a trap that left blisters on his face.
• Orochimaru reached the finish line first, followed by Jiraiya and Tsunade, while Hiko continued wandering and eating in the forest.
• Hiko spent the night refining Chakra and collected the remaining scrolls from traps as he leisurely made his way through the forest.
• Hiko arrived at the finish line on the afternoon of the third day and passed after registering his scrolls.
• The examiner ended the exam, told the successful examinees to return to the village and await notice about the final exam, and glared at Hiko.

After the assessment, Hiko revealed that he had trapped the examiner with an Explosive Tag, then returned to the village with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Tsunade went home to see her younger brother Nawaki, and Hiko decided to pay closer attention to the children growing up in the village, including Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto.

• Hiko told Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru that he had hidden an Explosive Tag beneath the firepit, injuring the examiner when he tried to put out the fire.
• Jiraiya suggested the group eat at their usual place, and Hiko agreed.
• Tsunade declined to join them so she could visit her two-year-old brother Nawaki, and Hiko reassured her before she left.
• Hiko thought about Nawaki, Uchiha Fugaku, Mikoto Uchiha, and the Hyuga twins, and decided to keep an eye on them as they grew up.
• Jiraiya teased Hiko about being glad Tsunade had left, and Hiko pushed him away and insulted him.

Hiko reunited with Jiraiya and Orochimaru before receiving Uchiha Shuu’s summons. At the Clan Leader’s Compound, he met the seven-year-old Uchiha Fugaku, whom Shuu encouraged to learn from him.

• Jiraiya loudly denied crawling under someone’s skirt, embarrassing himself in the street, while Hiko and Orochimaru watched.
• Hiko, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru ate together before going their separate ways.
• Uchiha Hayashi told Hiko that Uchiha Shuu had ordered him to visit the clan leader.
• Hiko washed, changed into his clan-crested robe, and went to the Clan Leader’s Compound.
• Uchiha Shuu introduced the seven-year-old Uchiha Fugaku and told him to learn from Hiko.
• Uchiha Fugaku eagerly asked Hiko if he could learn from him.

Hiko encouraged Uchiha Fugaku to follow him, intending to influence the boy and change the Uchiha Clan’s future. After leaving the clan compound with Fugaku at his side, Hiko learned that Fugaku wanted to graduate early but his father had forbidden it.

• Hiko agreed to guide Uchiha Fugaku whenever the boy had questions, while Uchiha Shuu approved of their growing connection.
• Uchiha Shuu warned Hiko not to fail Konoha’s assessment, which would affect the village’s standing with the Daimyo.
• Hiko left the Clan Leader's Compound with Uchiha Fugaku following him and calling him “Senior.”
• Hiko asked when Fugaku planned to graduate, and Fugaku said he had wanted early graduation but his father would not allow it.

Hiko told Uchiha Fugaku stories about his missions and encouraged him to seek experience beyond the Ninja Academy, leaving a seed of rebellion against Uchiha Shuu’s plans. Later, Hiko helped a lost little loli after she dropped her candy, but she followed him down the street and seemed exhausted.

• Uchiha Fugaku asked Hiko to tell him about his mission experiences, and Hiko shared stories while encouraging him to travel and learn beyond the Ninja Academy.
• Uchiha Fugaku became inspired to graduate early, and Hiko sent him away with gifts after quietly nurturing his rebellious thoughts.
• Hiko noticed a little loli fall after running into his leg and dropping her candy, so he bought her a bag of sweets.
• The little loli followed Hiko as he walked home, and he slowed down to see whether she was heading home or trailing him.
• The little loli struggled to carry the candy and grew sweaty and tired as she continued following Hiko.

Hiko took in a lost little girl who followed him home for candy, then asked the patrol team to find her parents. The girl turned out to be Mikoto Uchiha, the Third Elder’s daughter, and she was safely returned to her worried family.

• The little girl followed Hiko to his home, refused to go back to her own house, and agreed to go inside with him.
• Hiko fed the girl, who fell asleep at the table, then asked the passing patrol team to take her home and find her parents.
• The patrol team learned that the girl was Mikoto Uchiha, who had slipped away from her servants after becoming upset that her father was too busy to spend time with her.
• The patrol team returned Mikoto Uchiha to the Third Elder, who was relieved and realized he needed to spend more time with his daughter.

Hiko prepared for the final practical exam, scheduled for three days later, while the Third Hokage worried about his dangerous challenge against a stronger opponent. Hiko reassured him that he wanted pressure rather than defeat and left hoping to profit from the exam.

• The Third Hokage summoned Hiko, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to tell them the final practical exam would take place in three days and asked Hiko if he was confident.
• Hiko admitted he was not confident, prompting Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru to laugh at the Third Hokage's alarmed reaction.
• The Third Hokage tried to assign Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and then Hiko to lead a team, but they refused or proposed making students clean toilets until they quit.
• The Third Hokage gave up on assigning Hiko as a teacher and told him to rest and prepare for the exam.
• Hiko reassured the Third Hokage that he wanted the pressure of the challenge, not to lose, and said he was thinking of making extra money from it before leaving the office.

With his practical exam only three days away, Hiko returned home and discovered the Third Elder visiting with his young daughter. He learned the girl was Mikoto Uchiha, while the Third Elder’s view of the supposedly solitary Hiko improved.

• Hiko decided to rest and prepare for his exam, whose opponent the Third Hokage had kept secret.
• Hiko returned to his home and found the Third Elder watching a little girl chase butterflies in the courtyard.
• The girl ran to Hiko and offered him candy, and he gently sent her back to play.
• The Third Elder thanked Hiko for helping his daughter the day before and revealed that her name was Mikoto Uchiha.
• Hiko praised Mikoto, and the Third Elder laughed and reconsidered his opinion of the clan’s so-called lone wolf.

After the Third Elder visited with Mikoto Uchiha and tried to draw information from him, Hiko decided to make the Uchiha Clan’s wariness of him grow. Three days later, Hiko and the Sarutobi Squad headed to the examination grounds, where Hiko’s Special Jonin examination was about to begin.

• The Third Elder praised Hiko’s remark, then changed the subject and thanked him for taking care of Mikoto Uchiha.
• The Third Elder took Mikoto Uchiha home, while Hiko suspected the visit had been an attempt to probe him.
• Hiko reflected on the clan leaders’ growing suspicion of him and decided to make them fear him more.
• Three days later, Hiko left home for the examination grounds, his Three Tomoe Sharingan visible in the mirror.
• The Sarutobi Squad gathered at the village entrance and traveled with crowds of residents and clan members to the examination site.

Hiko and the Sarutobi Squad entered Konoha’s public assessment arena, where participants drew lots and the daimyo wagered on the battles. The Third surprised everyone by joining the betting, and the assessment officially began with Hiko’s match still ahead.

• The Sarutobi Squad entered the arena and took seats overlooking the assessment grounds.
• Hiko drew his order number while the other participants worried about facing the Elite Jonin examiner assigned to him.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Earth teased the Third about joining the betting, and the Third accepted and contributed a large wager.
• Most of the daimyo bet against Hiko, while the Third and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire backed him.
• The Third announced that the assessment had officially begun, and the villagers cheered.

Aikawa Senri and several other candidates completed their Special Jonin assessments, which Hiko judged to be mostly unremarkable. Senju Tsunade then entered the arena to face her examiner, while Hiko awaited his own turn as contestant number fourteen.

• Aikawa Senri fought a Special Jonin examiner, and Hiko thought his reactions were good enough to support his chances of passing.
• The second and third contestants finished their assessments, and Hiko expected fewer than a quarter of the candidates to pass.
• The examiner announced Senju Tsunade as contestant number thirteen, and she waved to Hiko, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru before jumping into the arena.
• Tsunade's assigned examiner entered the arena as the crowd cheered and members of the Senju Clan watched proudly.
• Tsunade gave Uchiha Hiko a thumbs-up, and Hiko returned the gesture while Jiraiya complained about their affection.
• Hiko and Orochimaru teased Jiraiya about his womanizing and questioned his virility, prompting Jiraiya to protest.

Tsunade overwhelmed her examination teacher with her speed and strength, ending their match almost as soon as it began. The spectators were left stunned as the teacher crashed into a wall.

• Hiko and Orochimaru bet on how quickly Tsunade would defeat her teacher, while Jiraiya complained that they had tricked him.
• Tsunade and her teacher exchanged brief assurances before the examiner started the match.
• Tsunade rushed forward, and her teacher raised an Earth Flow Wall Technique to block her.
• Tsunade smashed through the stone wall with one punch and struck her teacher as he tried to block her kick with his hands.
• Tsunade dislocated her teacher’s hands and sent him crashing into a wall, leaving the arena silent.

Tsunade overwhelmed her proctor, but the Third Hokage ended the fight early at the Land of Fire Daimyo’s request so Hiko could be called next. Hiko prepared for his own assessment, accepting that he might lose but insisting he needed the pressure.

• Tsunade quickly injured the proctor, and Hiko noted that her strength could become a weakness if opponents avoided fighting her directly.
• The examiner ended Tsunade’s battle after receiving the Third Hokage’s signal, and Tsunade complained that the assessment had been too short.
• The Third Hokage had agreed to end the fight because the Land of Fire Daimyo wanted Hiko’s assessment to begin sooner.
• Tsunade warned Hiko to give up if his opponent proved too strong, but Hiko said he needed pressure rather than an easy defeat.

Uchiha Hiko entered the examination arena and discovered that his opponent was Male Duck, the proctor he had humiliated during the written exam. Their confrontation drew laughter and anger from the spectators, and the Senju and Uchiha leaders began arguing as Hiko prepared to face his grudge-bearing opponent.

• Hiko was called to fight, and Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru watched nervously as he entered the arena.
• Male Duck appeared as Hiko’s opponent, surprising Hiko and alarming Tsunade because the two had already clashed during the written exam.
• Male Duck revealed that he had worked to become Hiko’s proctor so he could crush him, while Hiko mocked him with the nickname Male Duck.
• Spectators laughed at Hiko’s taunts, and Uchiha Shuu criticized the Senju for letting an adult bully a child.
• Naoko Senju angrily confronted Uchiha Shuu, who insisted that his insult meant exactly what he had said.

The Senju and Uchiha patriarchs argued before the examination until the Sarutobi Great Elder intervened, while the Third Hokage deflected the Daimyo of the Land of Earth's criticism. Hiko began his match against Male Duck by unleashing his full power, leaving Male Duck wary of his Three Tomoe Sharingan.

• Uchiha Shuu mocked Naoko Senju, but Sarutobi Great Elder stopped their argument before it could escalate.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Earth criticized Konoha's clan disputes, and the Third Hokage redirected the discussion toward the Land of Water.
• Hiko teased Male Duck as the examination began, while Male Duck warned that Hiko would pay for his actions.
• Hiko revealed his Three Tomoe Sharingan and released a terrifying surge of Chakra, shocking the spectators.
• Male Duck grew cautious of Hiko's strength and the danger of falling under his Genjutsu.

Hiko and Male Duck fought a brutal match, with both risking death in a direct exchange of attacks. The chapter left them badly wounded and the examination arena stunned by Hiko’s chilling smile.

• Hiko charged at Male Duck with his speed and strength, but Male Duck used Earth Style: Earth Rising Spear to force him to dodge.
• Male Duck appeared behind Hiko and stabbed toward his throat as Tsunade cried out a warning.
• Hiko countered with Lightning Style: Lightning Shine Technique instead of evading, forcing Male Duck to twist away at the last moment.
• Male Duck slashed Hiko from the shoulder to the back, while Hiko struck a bloody hole through Male Duck’s side.
• Hiko touched his bloodied wound and smiled as Male Duck gasped and bandaged himself, leaving the arena in stunned silence.

Hiko fought Male Duck while injured, then repeatedly used Fire Release against Male Duck’s Water Release, leaving the arena filled with vapor. Hiko insisted the vapor was not his real plan, and a sharp-eyed spectator noticed something alarming just before the chapter ended.

• Hiko explained that he wanted the pressure of a direct fight and said he liked the smell of blood, while Male Duck pointed out that both of them were badly injured.
• Hiko cast Great Fireball Technique, and Male Duck countered with Water Ripple.
• Hiko followed with Dragon Fire Technique, and Male Duck answered with Water Dragon Bullet Technique; their clash exploded and filled the arena with vapor.
• Male Duck assumed Hiko planned to use the vapor to enhance Lightning Release, but Hiko denied it and asked whether Male Duck had noticed the real problem.
• A sharp-eyed spectator suddenly cried out in disbelief after spotting something alarming.

Hiko revealed a remarkable ability to recover from his wounds, startling Male Duck and the spectators. Male Duck flooded the examination grounds and used Water Style to attack at greater speed, leaving Hiko blocking his descending kunai.

• Hiko's wound stopped bleeding and began healing rapidly, shocking Male Duck and the spectators.
• Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and the Third Hokage wondered about Hiko's recovery ability, while several elders thought of Senju Hashirama.
• Male Duck dismissed Hiko's recovery and argued that his injuries would worsen if he kept attacking.
• Male Duck used Water Style: Exploding Water Colliding Wave to flood the examination grounds to knee height.
• Male Duck used Water Style: Instant Water to rush across the water and strike Hiko, who blocked the blow with his kunai.