Chapter Summaries

Naruto woke after meeting the Nine-Tails and reassured his family and friends that he was unharmed. He refused to strengthen the seal, choosing instead to face the Nine-Tails himself, then hinted at a surprise for Sasuke, Gaara, and Jugō.

• Naruto tested the Nine-Tails with questions, frustrating it until it angrily sent him out of its consciousness space.
• Naruto woke to find Kushina, Kana, Kusana, and the others gathered around him, and he told them he was fine.
• Naruto complained that the Nine-Tails was dumb and said he had only asked it a few questions, making Sasuke call him an idiot.
• Kushina suggested strengthening Naruto’s seal, but Naruto said he wanted to face the Nine-Tails directly, and Kusana praised his growth.
• After everyone left, Naruto looked at the seal on his navel and thought about surprising Sasuke, Gaara, and Jugō.

Kusana agreed to hold the first joint graduation exam for the ninja academies of Kusagakure, Sunagakure, and Amegakure. Meanwhile, Naruto used Obito's help to enter the sealing space and demanded that the Nine-Tails train him.

• Naruto grew frustrated after repeatedly being thrown out of the sealing space, and Kusana told him Obito could help him enter.
• Hanzō and Chiyo proposed a joint exam for their villages' graduating students, and Kusana approved it.
• The leaders planned to hold the exam in Kusagakure, broadcast it on television, and prioritize the children's safety and fair competition.
• Hanzō and Chiyo left while bickering, with Hanzō planning to visit the children and Chiyo planning to see Gaara.
• Naruto secretly found Obito, entered the sealing space with his help, and asked the Nine-Tails to train him, but the Nine-Tails told him to get lost.

Naruto repeatedly entered the Nine-Tails’ sealing space, only to be thrown back out until Kurama finally let him stay and heard that Naruto had an upcoming exam. After Naruto returned, Obito stopped him, saying, “Since you’re here anyway...”

• Naruto repeatedly asked Obito to send him into the sealing space, but Kurama kept forcing him out.
• Kurama grew furious with Naruto’s persistence and demanded to know what he wanted.
• Naruto told Kurama he had an exam coming up, without explaining further.
• Obito watched Naruto’s chakra and wondered why the Nine-Tails seemed to reject him.
• Naruto emerged pleased with himself, thanked Obito, and said he would surprise Sasuke.
• Obito stepped in front of Naruto and said, “Since you’re here anyway...”

Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara, and Jugō prepared for the Three Ninja Academy Joint Exam as students from Amegakure and Sunagakure arrived in Kusagakure. Hanzo of the Salamander and Advisor Chiyo immediately resumed their bickering, leaving the exam and their rivalry poised to begin.

• Naruto and Sasuke learned about the joint exam and studied hard, while Gaara trained and Jugō continued his usual studies and research work.
• The students from the other villages arrived early in Kusagakure to rest and prepare for the exam.
• Hanzo of the Salamander urged the Amegakure students to crush Sunagakure, while Advisor Chiyo told her students to crush Amegakure.
• Hanzo and Chiyo recognized each other, traded insults, and argued over their assigned lodgings.
• Ebizo explained that Hanzo and Chiyo were old friends, then took the children out to eat while the two leaders headed to their lodgings.

Kankuro and Temari reunited with Gaara in Kusagakure, where the siblings spent the evening together and reflected on how their lives had changed. As Gaara left, Kankuro declared that he no longer feared him and challenged him ahead of the exam.

• Kankuro and Temari arrived in Kusagakure and discussed how their family and village had changed since their father’s death.
• Gaara came to meet his siblings, explaining that Aunt Yakura had encouraged him to go out and relax.
• The three siblings walked around Kusagakure, shared food and drinks, watched a movie, and talked about their upcoming exam.
• Gaara and Kankuro each claimed that they would win the Top Student title.
• As Gaara departed, Kankuro shouted that he was no longer afraid of him and challenged him not to let himself be defeated.
• Temari teased Kankuro as Gaara left, but she smiled at the sight of her brothers.

As the Three Ninja Academy Joint Exam began in Kusagakure, Nagato and Konan returned home, and Kushina reflected on Naruto growing up. Naruto faced the written tests by pulling the Nine-Tails into his sealing space and asking it to find answers from his textbooks.

• Nagato and Konan returned to Kusagakure for the joint exam and greeted Little Xiang, Kusana, and their family.
• Nagato asked how Naruto and Sasuke had prepared, while Kusana suggested the results might surprise everyone.
• Kushina worried about how quickly Naruto had grown, then tried to reassure herself that he would do well on the exam.
• Students from the three ninja academies began the first day of written tests.
• Naruto struggled when he saw the test paper, entered his sealing space, and asked the Nine-Tails to answer questions using his Kusagakure textbooks.

Naruto pressured Kurama into helping him cheat on the exam by challenging him not to let Gaara and the One-Tail win. As Naruto and Kurama worked together during the test, someone at a neighboring seat sensed the fox’s smell.

• Kurama refused Naruto’s request to help with the exam, insisting that Naruto handle it himself.
• Naruto promised Kurama rewards and freedom, then angrily claimed he could beat Gaara without help.
• Kurama agreed to help after learning that Gaara, the One-Tail’s Jinchuriki, was taking the exam, and fist-bumped Naruto.
• Naruto returned from the sealing space, where only fifteen minutes had passed, and Kurama helped him answer the test questions using books.
• A student in a neighboring seat said they could smell the stinking fox.

Naruto and Gaara relied on the Nine-Tails and One-Tail to help them compete for the Top Student spot during a written exam. The exam ended with Naruto confident in his answers, while the exhausted Nine-Tails barred him from returning to the sealing space.

• Gaara and Shukaku studied together and vowed to beat Naruto and the Nine-Tails for the Top Student spot.
• Naruto urged the Nine-Tails to help him answer questions, but the fox lost interest after hearing about Kushina and Uncle Amang.
• The Nine-Tails sensed Shukaku's Chakra and used all nine tails to flip through books at once, prompting Naruto to work hard too.
• Shukaku noticed his Chakra leaking out, but he and Gaara continued taking the exam.
• The proctor called time, and Naruto finished his paper feeling confident about his score.
• The exhausted Nine-Tails told Naruto not to involve him in another exam and set up a firewall to keep him out of the sealing space.

Black Zetsu left the academy first and claimed the difficult exam had been easy, confusing the reporters and alarming the other examinees. Naruto and Sasuke returned home confident about their results, where Kusana said Kushina was resting because she was tired.

• Black Zetsu told BBC Reporters that the exam was easy, then walked away while the other students complained that it had been difficult.
• Lord Hanzō and Advisor Chiyo encouraged their exhausted academy students to rest before the practical exam, then resumed bickering.
• Naruto and Sasuke greeted Gaara, Jugō, Lord Hanzō, and Advisor Chiyo before heading home and arguing about who would become the top student.
• Naruto and Sasuke arrived home, and Kusana noticed that they seemed pleased with their exam results.
• Naruto asked where Kushina was, and Kusana said she was tired and resting before leaving the boys to bicker again.

Naruto, Sasuke, and the other students prepared for the Three Ninja Academy Joint Exam’s practical test, which was held in Kannabi Forest. Their families and friends gathered to watch as the test began.

• Naruto and Sasuke went to bed early after dinner to prepare for the practical exam, while Naruto acted confident about his written results.
• Kusana arranged the practical test in Kannabi Forest, where students would compete to survive until the end under the watch of rescue teams, medics, and surveillance personnel.
• Kusagakure set up public viewing screens and received sponsorship from Tobi Recycling, which also applied to recycle discarded ninja tools from the exam.
• Kushina, Mikoto, Kusana, Nagato, Konan, Yahiko, and Pakura gathered at the viewing stands to watch the students, including Naruto, Sasuke, and Jugō.
• Tsunade arrived with Shizune, joked that she had wanted to bet on Naruto, and drew a warning from Kushina before everyone turned to the screens as the practical test began.

The Kusagakure joint exam began with the children knocked unconscious and secretly scattered across the exam grounds. Sasuke woke first and set off, while Naruto eventually followed the sound of explosions toward Sasuke.

• The masked instructor explained the three-day survival exam, handed out ninja tool bags, and had the children knocked out with a drug.
• Black Zetsu remained awake because the drug could not affect his special body, so the masked ninjas covered him with a sack and carried him away.
• Kana, Pakura, and Nagato suspected Kusana had arranged the strange start, but Kusana denied it as the screens showed the unconscious children scattered around the grounds.
• Sasuke woke first, recognized his situation, and headed in a direction across the exam grounds.
• Naruto woke much later, then followed distant explosions in the same direction Sasuke had taken.

Sasuke and Naruto clashed during the exam, then stopped when they realized neither could gain an advantage. Black Zetsu persuaded them to cooperate and “fish” for the other competitors, leaving Kusana intrigued as the exam continued.

• Sasuke turned away the classmates who wanted to team up and headed toward the enormous rock to rest.
• Naruto found Sasuke, and the two argued over whether to fight before launching Rasengan and Chidori at the same time.
• Sasuke and Naruto exchanged blows, then stopped and agreed to leave without fighting further.
• Sasuke and Naruto noticed Black Zetsu approaching and prepared to attack him.
• Black Zetsu proposed that they work together to eliminate the other competitors, and Sasuke asked how they would cooperate.
• Kusana watched the three gather and remarked that events were becoming more interesting.

Sasuke and Naruto turned Black Zetsu’s plan to use Naruto as bait into a scheme that left Black Zetsu tied up as the lure. As an approaching ninja headed toward him, the spectators praised the children’s shameless tactics as the Grass Ninja Spirit.

• Sasuke asked Black Zetsu for his plan, and Black Zetsu proposed using trusted Naruto as bait to lure in examinees and ambush them.
• Sasuke and Naruto agreed to the plan, then revealed they had picked Black Zetsu as the better bait.
• Sasuke and Naruto tied Black Zetsu up and hid nearby when he warned that someone was coming.
• The spectators watched in disbelief, while Kusana and veteran Grass Ninja praised the children’s methods.
• Kusana pointed out that a ninja was approaching Black Zetsu.

Naruto and Sasuke used Black Zetsu as bait to ambush and eliminate Meng Yu during the Three Ninja Academy practical exam. After days of being tied up and used to lure in students, Black Zetsu finally saw Gaara arrive.

• Meng Yu found Black Zetsu tied to a tree and charged at him, but Naruto and Sasuke ambushed him and knocked him unconscious.
• Naruto and Sasuke praised their baiting strategy, ignored Black Zetsu's pleas to be freed, and hid again when they spotted another student approaching.
• The practical exam continued as students fought with ninjutsu, traps, and other techniques, while Naruto and Sasuke kept eliminating candidates with sack ambushes.
• By the afternoon of the third day, exhausted students and spectators awaited the exam's decisive moment as Black Zetsu remained tied up as bait.
• Gaara arrived, and Black Zetsu reacted with excitement when he heard his name.

Gaara fell for Naruto and Sasuke’s trap but escaped with his sand defense, then learned Black Zetsu had arranged the bait himself. Gaara and Sasuke began fighting for the top-student spot while Naruto was left out.

• Gaara mistook Black Zetsu’s plea for help and tried to free him with a sand hand.
• Naruto and Sasuke ambushed Gaara with a sack and a whirlwind, but Gaara broke out using his absolute sand defense.
• Gaara questioned Naruto and Sasuke about hanging Black Zetsu up, and they blamed Black Zetsu for devising the trap himself.
• Gaara apologized to Sasuke and prepared to fight him properly.
• Sasuke attacked Gaara with a Great Fireball Technique, which Gaara blocked with his Sand Shield, while Naruto protested that he wanted to compete too.

Sasuke and Gaara fought fiercely, and Sasuke nearly broke Gaara’s Absolute Defense before Gaara borrowed the One-Tail’s power and won. As Naruto rushed in to challenge Gaara, Black Zetsu revealed himself as a spy and stabbed Naruto.

• Sasuke and Gaara exchanged powerful attacks as Naruto and Black Zetsu watched from safety.
• Sasuke used a Genjutsu feint and Chidori to break Gaara’s Absolute Defense, but Gaara transformed into sand using the One-Tail’s power and defeated him.
• Naruto rushed in to avenge Sasuke and formed a Rasengan, forgetting at first to use Ninjutsu.
• Black Zetsu stabbed Naruto and announced that he was a spy who intended to kill Kusagakure’s geniuses.
• Gaara used Sand Binding Burial against Black Zetsu as Sasuke shouted his name.

During the exam, Kusana revealed that Naruto’s apparent stabbing was part of a test, while a disguised Black Zetsu exposed himself as a spy and threatened Sasuke, Gaara, and the other students. The real Black Zetsu realized the impostor seemed to know about Kaguya and the powers hidden in Naruto and Sasuke as the students launched an attack.

• Kusana told the spectators that Naruto’s apparent stabbing was part of the exam, and Kushina threatened to settle things with him later.
• Sasuke charged at Black Zetsu, but Gaara stopped him and noticed the barrier and fallen masked ninja surrounding them.
• The disguised Black Zetsu revealed that he had hidden his strength and declared he would kill the students to cleanse the ninja world.
• The real Black Zetsu, hiding underground, realized that the impostor was not him and worried that the impostor knew about Kaguya and his plans.
• The fake Black Zetsu said Naruto and Sasuke possessed powers that threatened his plan, and Gaara and the other students attacked him together.

Gaara and the other students fought the fake Black Zetsu, believing Naruto had been killed, until Naruto returned and exposed the attack as a staged exam scenario. Leader Mang revealed the second practical exam was over, leaving the students to react with anger and confusion.

• Gaara, Temari, Jugō, Sasuke, and the other students attacked the fake Black Zetsu, but his powerful Fire Style overwhelmed them.
• Gaara drew on the One-Tail's Chakra to keep fighting, while Kankuro was knocked aside protecting him from a fatal attack.
• Naruto woke inside his mindscape, realized he was unharmed, and borrowed power from the Nine-Tails.
• Naruto attacked the fake Black Zetsu with a Shadow Clone and a wind technique, then called him Uncle Amang and revealed the enemy was Leader Mang.
• Leader Mang stopped beating Naruto and Kusana announced that the second practical exam was over, as the fallen students and corpses got back up.
• The students realized they had been fooled and shouted in anger at Leader Mang.

The Three Ninja Academy Joint Exam ended with Gaara named Top Student, and the families celebrated the year’s end together. After winter passed, spring arrived and the graduation ceremony was held.

• Kusana praised the students’ performances and concluded the exam, while Gaara took the Top Student honor and the families departed happily.
• Pakura invited Gaara and his siblings to celebrate the New Year with Hanzō, Chiyo, and Ebizo, as Hanzō and Chiyo argued over their past rivalry.
• Chiyo returned home thinking wistfully toward the Land of Rain, and Ebizo noticed her reluctance but chose not to interfere.
• Black Zetsu left the exam, complained about the White Zetsus celebrating, then joined their banquet and mourned for his mother beneath the moon.
• The characters welcomed the new year in their own ways, winter passed, and the graduation ceremony arrived in spring.

Naruto and Sasuke graduated from the academy and received Little Grass Phones from Kusana, while Black Zetsu protested his own graduation and asked Naruto and Sasuke not to forget him if they became powerful. The ceremony continued with Gaara, this year’s Top Student, taking the stage to give his speech.

• Kusana congratulated Naruto and Sasuke on becoming Grass Ninja and gave each of them a Little Grass Phone as a graduation gift.
• Naruto and Sasuke joined their classmates and families to take photos at the graduation ceremony.
• Black Zetsu protested that he had graduated despite handing in a blank paper, and the crowd mistook his complaint for reluctance to leave the academy.
• Naruto and the other students tried to comfort Black Zetsu, who asked them not to forget him if they became rich and powerful.
• Gaara walked onto the stage amid applause to deliver his speech as this year's Top Student.