Chapter Summaries

Aoba subdued Inuzuka Kiba and Blackmaru after they discovered his hiding place, then used Shizune to bargain with Konoha. He released Kiba to deliver a ransom demand and left with Shizune and Blackmaru as hostages.

• Aoba defeated Shizune, then sensed Kiba and Blackmaru nearby and pinned them down before their companions could intervene.
• Shizune demanded that Aoba release Kiba and Blackmaru, threatening to cut her own neck with her Chakra Scalpel.
• Aoba let Kiba and Blackmaru go, warned Shizune against trying that again, and demanded one billion ryō from the Hokage in two days.
• Aoba kicked Kiba away and ordered him to deliver the ransom demand while keeping Blackmaru behind as a hostage.
• Aoba tied Shizune up, placed her on Blackmaru's back, and set off with them.

Tsunade learned that Shizune was alive and uninjured but had been captured for a ten-billion-ryo ransom, so she left to retrieve her. Meanwhile, Aoba fed the exhausted Kuromaru and bound Shizune, whose frustration boiled over when she realized she had been given buns and bones instead of the food she wanted.

• Jiraiya told Tsunade that Shizune was alive and not in danger, then handed her the enemy's ransom demand.
• Tsunade agreed to pay ten billion ryo and stormed out to bring Shizune back, while Jiraiya remained in Konoha as Hokage.
• Aoba gave Kuromaru roasted rabbit, and Kuromaru shared gnawed bones with the bound Shizune.
• Shizune spat out her steamed bun and complained that Aoba had never let her ask for roast chicken, pig trotters, or rabbit.
• Kuromaru ran off with the last rabbit, and Aoba gave Shizune half of his remaining piece to quiet her.

Aoba completed his mission by returning Shizune to Tsunade in exchange for a favor, but Tsunade immediately ordered an attack to recover the Shinigami Mask. Aoba summoned the Seven Ninja Sea Pirates and faced Tsunade in battle.

• Aoba left his hiding place with Blackmaru carrying Shizune while Konoha’s pursuers followed and waited for Tsunade.
• Tsunade arrived and found Aoba inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, where he demanded one billion ryo and threatened the barrier with an Explosive Tag.
• Tsunade opened the barrier and offered Aoba a favor in exchange for releasing Shizune, and Aoba sent her back with Blackmaru.
• Inuzuka Kiba freed Shizune, and Tsunade confirmed she was real before handing her over for care.
• Tsunade ordered her forces to attack so she could recover the Shinigami Mask, and Aoba summoned the Seven Ninja Sea Pirates before clashing with her using Shunko and Absolute Defense.

Aoba and Tsunade fought in a head-on battle while the Seven Ninja Sea Pirates overwhelmed the other Konoha ninja. Tsunade’s healing and resolve kept her in the fight, and she finally seized Aoba’s arm after he landed another blow.

• Aoba used unfamiliar techniques to paralyze Tsunade and throw her into the air, but Might Guy rescued her before she hit the ground.
• Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, and Might Guy arrived on Jiraiya’s orders, while Tsunade summoned Lord Slug to treat the wounded and sent the others away.
• Tsunade and Aoba resumed their duel, and Aoba injured her with Flash Cry · Explosive Punch before Lord Slug’s healing helped her recover.
• Tsunade suppressed her hemophobia with the Yin Seal, charged Aoba, and seized his left arm after he struck her lower abdomen.

Aoba and Tsunade fought to a brutal stalemate, each suffering devastating injuries before instantly regenerating. As they faced off again, Tsunade questioned Yasuo’s identity and why he had not drawn his sword, and he threw his head back laughing.

• Tsunade unleashed the Yin Seal and Hundred Healings Jutsu, recovering from her injuries and greatly increasing her power.
• Aoba and Tsunade traded devastating blows, losing limbs and suffering near-fatal wounds before both were sent crashing into the ground.
• Might Guy, Asuma, and the others watched Tsunade recover and then saw Yasuo regenerate his injuries and regrow his arm.
• Tsunade asked Yasuo who he was, and he identified himself as the Blood Moon Cult’s current ritual executor.
• Tsunade asked why Yasuo had not drawn his sword, and he suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

Aoba struggled against Tsunade’s overwhelming regeneration while his abilities were limited and his chakra ran low. He consumed a Yin Seal Orb to replenish his chakra, revealing that he possessed the Yin Seal and leaving Tsunade stunned by his apparent use of her techniques.

• Tsunade and the battlefield misinterpreted Aoba’s earlier actions as proof that he valued honor and wanted a fair fight with Tsunade.
• Aoba realized Tsunade had activated Hundred Healings Jutsu and Ninjutsu Creation Rebirth, and he worried that his limited abilities and dwindling chakra would leave him unable to keep fighting.
• Aoba swallowed a Yin Seal Orb, releasing its stored chakra and covering himself in seal-like markings.
• Tsunade sensed Aoba’s released Yin Seal and exclaimed that he had cultivated it too.
• Aoba charged at Tsunade, who wondered how he could possess both the Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth.

Aoba exploited Tsunade’s fear of blood to provoke her into fighting, and she finally counterattacked with overwhelming force. Meanwhile, Kakashi’s team struggled against the autonomous Seven Ninja Swordsmen puppets until Might Guy opened the Gate of View and unleashed Morning Peacock.

• Tsunade collapsed after seeing blood, and Aoba realized her hemophobia had been affecting her throughout their battle.
• Aoba threatened Tsunade with Shizune’s life and the people of Konoha, but she could not stab him with the kunai he placed in her hand.
• When Aoba threatened to kill everyone, Tsunade attacked with Earth Shatter, and she and Aoba traded devastating blows before regenerating their injuries.
• Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai, Asuma, and the Konoha shinobi continued fighting the tireless Seven Ninja Swordsmen puppets, struggling to dismantle even one.
• Might Guy opened the Gate of View, and after his allies herded the remaining puppets together, he struck them with Morning Peacock.

Might Guy destroyed the remaining Seven Ninja Sea Pirates with Morning Peacock, then joined the exhausted battle between Tsunade and Aoba. Kakashi and the others arrived to support Tsunade, who insisted on fighting Aoba alone, but Kakashi invoked the Hokage’s orders and prepared to intervene.

• Might Guy used Morning Peacock to destroy the remaining Seven Ninja Sea Pirates, stunning Asuma and Kurenai with his strength.
• Tsunade and Aoba continued their destructive fight, and Tsunade struggled with exhaustion while Aoba’s Crimson Blademaster skin kept his clothes intact.
• Aoba’s bracelet flashed as the seven figures returned, signaling that the Seven Ninja Sea Pirates had been wiped out again.
• Might Guy struck Aoba from behind with Night Phoenix, sending him flying before Kakashi and the others arrived.
• Tsunade told Might Guy not to interfere because the battle was between her and Aoba.
• Kakashi refused to obey Tsunade’s demand and cited the Hokage’s orders to justify helping her.

Aoba fought Tsunade and the Konoha team while trying to end the battle before his stamina ran out. After Kurenai trapped him in Genjutsu and he injured himself to escape, she identified Genjutsu as his weakness.

• Tsunade charged Aoba again, and Aoba activated his Thunder God Battle Form to finish the fight.
• Might Guy tried to attack Aoba from behind, but Aoba evaded him, grabbed his ankle, and smashed him into the ground.
• Asuma, Kakashi, and Tsunade attacked Aoba, who dodged them and appeared behind Kurenai.
• Kurenai trapped Aoba with Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death, so Aoba used Explosion Style to injure himself and break the Genjutsu.
• Aoba vanished again as his regeneration repaired his injuries, and Kurenai told Asuma that Genjutsu was the enemy's weakness.

Aoba countered Tsunade and her allies by summoning an undead ninja legion from the Frozen Throne. Tsunade realized that his search for the Shinigami Mask was tied to his ability to command the dead.

• Kurenai suspected that Aoba was weak against Genjutsu, so Kakashi ordered the group to protect her and create an opening.
• Aoba unleashed Lightning Prison, but Tsunade summoned Lord Slug to shield the group from the storm.
• Tsunade challenged Aoba to draw his blade, but he canceled his transformation and declared that he would summon stronger allies instead.
• Aoba sat on the Frozen Throne and summoned an undead legion, including Yagura, Rasa, Hozuki Mangetsu, Raiga Kurosuki, and Aruda.
• Tsunade connected Aoba's undead legion to his search for the Shinigami Mask and realized he intended to claim souls sealed by the Reaper Death Seal.

Tsunade stayed behind to cover the Konoha forces’ retreat as Yasuo’s undead army overwhelmed them. Kakashi and Might Guy returned to help her, and their combined attack broke through Rasa’s defense and threatened Aoba.

• Aoba sent his undead army forward, and Rasa and Yagura used their signature techniques to turn the battle against Tsunade’s group.
• Tsunade ordered Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others to retreat while she held off the enemy.
• Kakashi and the others withdrew without Yasuo trying to stop them, while Tsunade fought on and struggled to summon Lord Slug.
• Kakashi and Might Guy returned, with Might Guy opening the Seventh Gate and attacking Yasuo with Daytime Tiger.
• Kakashi used Kamui to tear a hole in Rasa’s Magnetic Sand defense, letting Might Guy’s attack break through toward Aoba.
• Aoba swallowed a Life Curry Pill and activated Flash Roar and Nine Revolutions Thunder Rage to meet the oncoming attack.

Aoba fought Might Guy in a devastating clash, then returned to the Land of Waves after concluding that his combined techniques could match the Eight Inner Gates. He accidentally appeared in Karin’s bath after exchanging places with the Prince, leaving them both embarrassed.

• Kakashi, Might Guy, and Tsunade withdrew after their ambush, while Aoba’s clash with Might Guy’s Daytime Tiger wrecked the battlefield and exhausted them both.
• Aoba judged that Flash Roar combined with Nine Revolutions Thunder Rage could rival the Eight Inner Gates, then dismissed his undead army and recalled the Frozen Throne.
• Aoba exchanged places with the Prince in the Land of Waves and appeared in the bathtub beside Karin, who had been bathing with the Prince.
• Aoba apologized and tried to leave, while Karin blushed and wondered whether the Prince had always been Aoba in disguise.

After escaping an awkward bathhouse encounter with Karin, Aoba opened a treasure chest and received a Pet Resurrection Scroll. He gave Ranmaru puppetry supplies and gifts for Karin and Haku, leaving them with new reasons to pursue their goals.

• Aoba sent Karin out of the bath after she offered to bathe with him, then opened a Special Treasure Chest and obtained a Pet Resurrection Scroll.
• Aoba used an Advanced Skill Card to raise his Armament Haki to LV8 and changed into dry clothes after recovering some stamina.
• Haku brought Ranmaru to see Aoba, who gave Ranmaru Puppetry Technique materials so he could learn to move and protect himself.
• Karin looked disappointed that Ranmaru had received a gift, so Aoba gave her a spare pair of pink glasses.
• Aoba noticed Haku's envy and handed him a mask.

Aoba gave Haku a mask, then punished Karin for neglecting her training while he was away. Meanwhile, reports of Yasuo’s battle with Konoha spread among the ninja villages, making him and Akatsuki targets of growing attention and anger.

• Aoba gave Haku a plain white mask, and Haku happily accepted it.
• Aoba learned that Karin had skipped training to play for three days, after Ranmaru revealed what she had done.
• Aoba punished Karin by doubling her training for a week, then increased it to ten days when she protested.
• Karin ate an unusually large dinner, expecting her punishment to leave her hungry in the coming days.
• Reports reached the village Kage that Yasuo had defeated Konoha’s pursuers, driven Tsunade to flee, and used a forbidden technique to summon the dead.
• The major ninja villages grew angry over Yasuo’s treatment of their predecessors’ souls, and Yasuo and Akatsuki became notorious.

Nagato and Obito put the Akatsuki into a quiet period after Yasuo’s battle exposed the organization, while Aoba continued missions and preparations. More than three years later, the Akatsuki was ready to act again, and Naruto and Sasuke graduated from the Academy.

• Nagato and Obito chose to keep the Akatsuki low-profile rather than attack the Five Great Shinobi Villages immediately.
• Nagato allowed Yasuo to take team-based bounty missions after Yasuo refused to go into seclusion.
• The Akatsuki remained dormant for more than three years, as Aoba trained, completed missions with Sasori, and gathered intelligence on the Jinchuriki.
• Itachi searched for the vanished Fifth Hokage, promising Sasuke that he would bring the man back.
• In Year 60 of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke graduated.

Kakashi had Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura introduce themselves, learning that Naruto and Sasuke were driven by a desire to grow stronger and confront people from their pasts. He then announced a difficult survival test that would determine whether they could become Genin.

• Kakashi asked his three new students to introduce themselves and gave them an uninformative account of his own likes, dislikes, and dreams.
• Sakura described her feelings for Sasuke, while Sasuke said he admired his older brother Itachi and hated someone he planned to repay.
• Naruto said he wanted to become stronger than anyone and defeat the person he could not forget; Kakashi recognized that person as a taboo figure from Konoha's past.
• Kakashi announced that the graduates would face survival training, with only nine of the twenty-seven students qualifying as Genin.
• Kakashi warned Sakura not to underestimate the survival test despite her graduation exam results.

Kakashi explained the bell exercise and threatened to send the students back to the Ninja Academy if they failed. Naruto attacked Kakashi alone, revealing far more skill and toughness than Sakura or Kakashi expected, and the exercise continued with Naruto returning to the fight.

• Kakashi told Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura that they had two hours to take his golden bell and that failure meant repeating their studies at the Ninja Academy.
• Naruto immediately rushed Kakashi and attacked him with taijutsu moves he had learned from a former mentor.
• Sakura prepared to help Naruto, but Sasuke stopped her and told her to let Naruto vent first.
• Naruto pressed Kakashi with a fierce series of attacks, and Kakashi recognized that Naruto's taijutsu had form but lacked the spirit of his mentor's.
• Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Naruto and kick him away, but Naruto quickly stood and walked back toward him.

Naruto challenged Kakashi and demonstrated the strength he had gained from training with Jiraiya, forcing Kakashi to use his Sharingan and Chidori. Watching Naruto’s power shake him, Sasuke realized how far behind he had fallen and resolved that he needed to become stronger.

• Sakura checked on Naruto after Kakashi kicked him away, but Naruto ignored her and taunted Kakashi into fighting seriously.
• Naruto summoned a thousand Shadow Clones and overwhelmed Kakashi with a charge, but Kakashi escaped with Substitution and defeated the clones using four Great Fireball Techniques.
• Naruto formed a Rasengan without assistance, prompting Kakashi to reveal his Sharingan and counter with Chidori.
• Naruto and Kakashi’s techniques collided, leaving Sasuke stunned by their power and troubled by how much stronger Naruto had become.
• Sasuke compared himself with Naruto and feared that he would fall too far behind to surpass either Naruto or Itachi.

After Kakashi defeated Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in the bell test, he condemned their lack of teamwork and gave Naruto a choice that would determine who passed. Remembering the self-sacrifices of “that person,” Naruto realized the answer he had been seeking, but the chapter ended before he voiced his decision.

• Kakashi defeated Sasuke and Sakura, tied all three Genin to a tree, and told them they were unfit to become ninja.
• Kakashi explained that their failure came from Naruto fighting alone while Sasuke and Sakura stood aside, and stressed that teamwork protected comrades.
• Kakashi asked what they would do if a comrade were held hostage, prompting Naruto to think about “that person” and the choices he had made.
• Kakashi placed the bells on Naruto and offered him the choice to pass while sending Sasuke and Sakura back, or give up the bells and return to the Ninja Academy alone.
• Naruto recalled “that person” risking himself to protect his comrades and realized that this was the answer to Kakashi’s test.

Naruto chose to return to the Ninja Academy for remedial training so Sasuke and Sakura could pass, but they refused to leave him behind. Kakashi revealed that their willingness to stand together was the real test, and all three passed as Team 7 prepared to begin missions.

• Naruto accepted remedial training, while Sasuke and Sakura urged him to reconsider and Kakashi warned that the decision would send him back for at least a year.
• After Kakashi passed Sasuke and Sakura, both of them rejected their results and chose to return to school with Naruto.
• Kakashi announced that all three were qualified, explaining that he had been testing their teamwork and that their choices had saved Naruto.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura freed Naruto and recognized the trust they had gained as a team.
• Kakashi ended the exercise, declared Team 7 officially assembled, and said they would begin missions the next day.