Recaps

Naruto left the mine to check on a nearby rogue ninja, while Kakashi pursued him and left two teammates guarding Sasuke and Sakura. A mysterious man attacked the injured Sasuke in the mine and quickly overwhelmed him.

• Sakura urged Sasuke to rest, but he insisted that the team pursue a nearby target despite his serious injuries.
• Naruto left to confirm the target's location, and Kakashi followed him while ordering his teammates to protect Sasuke and Sakura and summon support.
• A man wearing glasses approached Kakashi's two teammates and told them they could rest.
• A mysterious man in a black robe entered the mine, and Sasuke recognized him as the attacker from his childhood.
• Sasuke charged the mysterious man, who deflected him, slammed him into a wall, and punched him in the face.

Orochimaru defeated Sasuke in the mine, poisoned him, and marked his neck before escaping. Sakura’s distress flare brought Kakashi and the others to the unconscious Sasuke, while Orochimaru later told Kabuto that Sasuke still fell far short of Itachi.

• Sakura ran from the mine to launch a distress flare as Sasuke realized the intruder had prepared for the proctors’ absence.
• Sasuke summoned Susanoo and crushed Orochimaru, but Orochimaru rose unharmed and revealed that Sasuke had been poisoned.
• Orochimaru compared Sasuke unfavorably to Itachi, bit Sasuke’s neck, and fled, leaving Sasuke unconscious.
• Sakura launched the flare, and Kakashi and the others reached the mine and found Sasuke alive.
• Orochimaru met Kabuto in the forest and explained that Sasuke had been outmaneuvered, but still could not match Itachi.

Orochimaru revealed that he had planted the Heavenly Curse Mark on Sasuke, while Konoha’s team found Sasuke badly injured in the abandoned mine. Sasuke woke and refused to leave the exam, sensing new power in his body as he and Naruto vowed to pursue their attacker.

• Kabuto Yakushi inferred that Orochimaru planned to wait before taking Sasuke’s body, and Orochimaru said he wanted to see how Sasuke handled his gift: the Heavenly Curse Mark.
• Jiraiya’s team searched the area around the abandoned mine but found no sign of the attacker.
• Shizune examined Sasuke and found severe injuries, chakra depletion, possible poisoning, and fresh bite marks on his neck.
• Jiraiya proposed sending Sasuke back to the village, but Sasuke woke and insisted on continuing the exam.
• Sasuke challenged Naruto and Sakura to stay in the exam, and Naruto vowed to find the attacker.

Sasuke's team rejoined the exam but fell behind as other teams captured targets, while the leading teams raced to hunt down Suigetsu. Shikamaru's team and Hinata's team cornered Suigetsu, and Shikamaru realized he was trying to reach the river before Suigetsu stopped pretending to retreat.

• Sakura told Sasuke that his team had 327 points, behind Yakumo's team and Neji's team, while Shinji's unusually high score was still being checked.
• Sasuke's team chose Suigetsu as its next target, and Yakumo's team also set out to capture him.
• Neji's team headed toward Suigetsu, hoping to overtake Yakumo's team, but an explosion led them to discover Shikamaru's and Hinata's teams already fighting him.
• Shikamaru warned Choji and Kiba that Suigetsu was trying to reach the river, blocking his escape route.
• Suigetsu abandoned his feigned retreat and prepared to fight both teams after Shikamaru exposed his plan.

Neji's, Yakumo's, and Sasuke's teams converged on Suigetsu and joined forces to claim his 109 points, leaving him stunned by their powerful techniques. Meanwhile, Shizune and Ebisu counted the rogue ninja Shinji's team had captured and found 73 prisoners, including 12 who were not on the wanted list.

• Neji's team arrived to challenge Suigetsu, followed by Yakumo's team and then Sasuke's team, trapping Suigetsu and Shikamaru's group between them.
• Yakumo and Neji agreed that whoever captured Suigetsu first would claim his 109 points, but Sasuke joined forces with Neji to face Yakumo and Kimimaro.
• Sasuke unleashed Susanoo, Naruto created Tailed Beast Cloaked Shadow Clones, Rock Lee opened three of the Eight Gates, and Yakumo used Wood Release, leaving Suigetsu frozen in shock.
• Shizune and Ebisu checked the rogue ninja Shinji's team had captured and counted 73 prisoners, 12 of whom were not on the wanted list.
• Shizune told Shinji that the command center still had to decide whether his team would receive points for the unlisted prisoners, and Shinji dismissed their potential value as only a few hundred points.

After Shinji's squad captured more than seventy rogue ninja, Danzo ordered Root to eliminate Shinji before he could gain influence in the village. Jiraiya discovered a top-secret report and ordered an emergency rescue, but feared Shinji's squad might already be in danger.

• Shizune escorted the captured rogue ninja to the command center and realized Shinji's squad had likely taken the lead from Yakumo's squad.
• A Root scout reported Shinji Uchiha's squad had captured more than seventy rogue ninja, prompting the squad leader to carry out Danzo's plan to eliminate Shinji.
• A Root ninja disguised as ANBU tricked Yamato into leaving his post by presenting a false emergency order, then Root members surrounded the cave where Shinji's squad was staying.
• Jiraiya received a top-secret report, stopped the exam, and ordered nearby Jonin squads to rescue Shinji's team as he prepared to go himself.

As the Ninja Academy exam’s battles raged, Command suspended it after learning that a powerful group of ninja planned to assassinate Shinji Uchiha. Sasuke, Yakumo, and the others rushed north to help Shinji’s squad while the Jonin prepared to support them.

• Shikamaru and Ino waited out the battle as Jonin squads watched the students fight.
• A communications ninja delivered Jiraiya’s order to Tsunade, announcing that the exam was suspended and the Jonin had to reinforce Shinji Uchiha’s squad.
• Tsunade told the students that a powerful group of ninja planned to assassinate Shinji, and Kakashi confirmed the attackers included several Jonin.
• Sasuke used the Body Flicker Technique to head north, and Naruto, Sakura, Yakumo, Shion, and Kimimaro followed.
• Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten set out to help Shinji, Haku, and Karin despite Asuma’s instruction to return to Command.

After Team Shinji was attacked, Yakumo, Sasuke, and Neji rushed to help while Tsunade ordered the exam called off and pursued them with reinforcements. Tsunade revealed that Danzo had sent Root to kill Shinji, and the rescuers hurried toward a battle they feared might already have ended disastrously.

• Shikamaru and Kurenai stopped Kiba and Choji from chasing after Yakumo, Sasuke, and Neji, while Tsunade sent Asuma and Kurenai's teams to handle the aftermath and led the others north.
• Asuma struck Suigetsu and ordered his team to take the rogue ninja back to headquarters.
• Kakashi warned Sasuke not to act rashly and revealed that Root was a likely attacker, prompting Sasuke and Naruto to hurry ahead toward Shinji.
• Tsunade told Yakumo that Danzo had sent more than twenty Root ninja, including at least four or five Jonin, to kill Shinji because he was an Uchiha.
• Neji reasoned that the exam's immediate cancellation meant Shinji's situation was dire, and Might Guy could offer him no reassurance.

Sasuke, Yakumo, Neji, and the senior shinobi raced to rescue Shinji after Danzo’s Root lured Yamato away with a genuine order. They reached the cave to find Shinji alive and calmly sitting atop a mound of unconscious attackers.

• Tsunade and Jiraiya joined the rush to Shinji’s location while Tsunade considered how evidence of Danzo’s involvement could force him out of the village leadership.
• Jiraiya discovered that Yamato had been redirected by a genuine temporary support order, leaving Shinji’s squad without its assigned protection.
• Sasuke, Yakumo, Neji, and Yamato hurried back toward Shinji’s location, with Jiraiya leading the rest of the group after them.
• The group smelled blood near the cave and rushed to the battlefield, where they found dozens of black-clad men unconscious in a pile.
• Shinji sat calmly atop the pile, drinking water while a white cat licked its paw on his shoulder.

Shinobi reinforcements arrived and found Shinji sitting unharmed atop a heap of defeated black-clad attackers, leaving them stunned and uncertain whether the men were Root elites. Shinji’s strength impressed the gathered ninja, while Shion remained calm because she knew his secret identity.

• Sasuke, Yakumo, Neji, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and the others arrived and saw Shinji, Haku, and Karin unharmed beside a heap of defeated attackers.
• Shinji stood up and asked whether the attack was part of the assessment, and Jiraiya confirmed that he was relieved the team was safe.
• Kakashi recognized signs that the attackers were likely Root shinobi but could not tell whether any were Jonin-level experts.
• Yakumo renewed her determination to defeat Shinji, while Tsunade admitted she could not confirm the attackers’ identities and felt uneasy about Shinji.
• Shion stayed unperturbed because she knew Shinji was the Akatsuki Organization’s leader, “A.”

After Shinji and the other students returned to headquarters, Shinji downplayed the Root attack while the students compared their examination scores. The chapter ended with Shinji claiming his team had perhaps one or two thousand points, stunning everyone.

• Jiraiya and Tsunade decided to treat the injured Konoha attackers while covering up the incident to protect the village's standing.
• Shinji, Haku, Karin, and the other students returned safely to headquarters, where everyone questioned Shinji about the attack.
• Shinji credited his victory to the attackers' weakness while hiding how Haku and Karin had helped defeat the Root shinobi.
• Yakumo said her team had 488 points, Neji said his had 440, and other students shared their teams' scores.
• Shinji estimated that his team had one or two thousand points, leaving the students, Yakumo, Neji, and Sasuke astonished.

Shinji's squad stunned the cadets with its overwhelming assessment score, while Jiraiya and Tsunade learned how the three students had defeated Danzo's Root operatives. After Tsunade and Jiraiya discussed confronting Danzo, he learned his mission had failed and began searching for a suspected traitor within Root.

• Shikamaru asked Shinji how his squad achieved such a high score, leaving Shinji smiling as the cadets looked on in disbelief.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade verified that Root's force of five Jonin and a dozen Chunin had been defeated by Shinji, Karin, and Haku.
• Jiraiya told Tsunade that Haku had held a slight edge over Shinji in a taijutsu spar, and Tsunade concluded that both teammates were formidable.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya agreed to confront Danzo, hoping Utatane Koharu would join them in opposing him.
• Danzo learned the attack had failed and his operatives had been captured, then ordered Root to find the suspected traitor who had leaked the intelligence.

After Danzo’s attempt to assassinate Shinji, the Third stripped him of his Advisor Elder position and disbanded Root, but Koharu and Homura prevented Danzo from being taken into custody. The Third then proposed adding Jiraiya and Tsunade to the Advisor Elder Council, alarming the remaining elders.

• Shinji told Utatane Koharu that Danzo had tried to kill him before and would likely try again, and she promised to get him an answer.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade urged the Third to punish Danzo and disband Root, arguing that the attack threatened the village’s future.
• The Third called an emergency high-level meeting and revealed that Danzo had ordered the assassination of Shinji Uchiha.
• The Third stripped Danzo of his Advisor Elder position and disbanded Root, but Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu blocked Tsunade’s request to have him taken into custody.
• After Danzo left, the Third proposed that Jiraiya and Tsunade join the Advisor Elder Council, and Koharu and Homura exchanged uneasy glances.

The Third secured Tsunade and Jiraiya seats on the Advisor Elder Council, shifting its balance of power. The council then accepted that Shinji Uchiha’s team had earned its overwhelming Ninja Academy exam victory through clever use of the Sharingan and local resources.

• The Third proposed adding Tsunade and Jiraiya to the Advisor Elder Council, and Konoha’s senior officials supported the plan despite Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura’s objections.
• The Third appointed Tsunade and Jiraiya as councilors, leaving Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura displeased at the Council’s altered balance.
• Tsunade questioned Shinji Uchiha’s team’s score of 2,108 points, which far exceeded the other teams’ results.
• Utatane Koharu explained that Shinji used trading companies in the Land of Hot Water to lure rogue ninja into traps, likely compelling merchants with the Sharingan’s genjutsu.
• The jonin praised Shinji’s strategy and his thwarting of Root’s assassination attempt, and Tsunade acknowledged his team had outperformed Yakumo’s.

Utatane Koharu pushed for Shinji Uchiha to become the Ninja Academy's Chief after his assessment victory, and the senior officials approved his appointment. The chapter ended with Iruka announcing Shinji as Chief before the Academy students, who stood and bowed to him.

• Utatane Koharu argued that Shinji Uchiha should become Chief, and the Third, Tsunade, and the other officials approved his appointment.
• The Third assigned Tsunade responsibility for the Root left behind by Danzo and explained that the village could hold another assessment to choose a future Chief.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura agreed they had to support Shinji to preserve their influence in the village.
• Two days later, Iruka announced the final assessment rankings and named Shinji Uchiha the Ninja Academy's Chief.
• Shinji, Haku, and Karin stood onstage as the students, including Yakumo and Sasuke, rose and bowed to Shinji.

Shinji assessed Chiyo’s growing strength after Blue Spider Lily No. 1 and offered to introduce her to another girl who had received the drug. He examined Ryūsetsuna and invited her to move in with Chiyo.

• Shinji sparred with Chiyo, whose strength had increased dramatically, then told her Blue Spider Lily No. 1 could help her reach even greater potential.
• Shinji examined Chiyo and recorded her physical data after returning with her to the hideout.
• Chiyo told Shinji she was lonely, so he offered to introduce her to another girl with a Kekkei Genkai who had also received the drug.
• Shinji visited Ryūsetsuna, who reported that her strength and speed had steadily increased over the past month.
• Shinji examined Ryūsetsuna, recorded her results, and invited her to move in with Chiyo.

Shinji revealed to Ryūsetsuna that he and Karin belonged to Breaking Dawn, a faction within the Akatsuki Organization, and recruited Ryūsetsuna to work alongside Chiyo. He left them at a secluded hideout as peripheral members, with full membership contingent on reaching elite Jonin strength.

• Shinji told Ryūsetsuna that Karin was a member of Breaking Dawn and explained the difference between Breaking Dawn and the rogue-ninja faction Dark Dawn.
• Ryūsetsuna doubted that Karin was the Akatsuki member codenamed B, so Shinji demonstrated Susanoo and explained that Karin had transplanted Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Ryūsetsuna agreed to cooperate with Shinji, who took her to Chiyo's secluded hideout.
• Shinji assigned Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo to live together, adapt to their medicine, and avoid wandering outside.
• Shinji told Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo that they were only peripheral members until they earned his approval by reaching at least elite Jonin level.

Shinji watched Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo test their enhanced strength, then focused on his plans to reach the Six Paths level and prepare for the coming conflict over the Ten-Tails. He left the chapter optimizing the Breathing Technique while his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan continued to grow stronger.

• Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo fought in the forest after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1, and Shinji observed before returning to his secret laboratory.
• Shinji decided he needed to reach the Six Paths level to face the Overlord of Fear and considered the Ten-Tails the only path forward.
• Shinji planned to let Nagato and Obito gather the Tailed Beasts, then seize the Ten-Tails after they revived it.
• Shinji recognized that becoming the Ninja Academy's top student could give him access to intelligence about the Five Great Shinobi Villages and their Jinchuriki.
• Shinji noted that the Power of All Things was still nourishing his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and decided not to rush the First Hokage cells transplantation surgery.
• Shinji opened his notebook and began optimizing the Breathing Technique using his collected techniques, cultivation data, and medical knowledge.

Shinji realized that Breathing Techniques relied on coordinating the body's organs, then fused the strongest organ-focused elements of many styles into a single technique suited to ninjas using Chakra. His first test injured him, so he used his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to examine possible outcomes and find safer ways to refine it.

• Shinji reconsidered his focus on breathing and concluded he could use Chakra to stimulate and coordinate his organs directly.
• Shinji combined the strongest organ-training elements of dozens of Breathing Techniques into one comprehensive style.
• Shinji tested the new technique on an ironwood dummy, shattered it with a punch, and injured his lung and liver.
• Shinji activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and examined possible outcomes of different ways to exert force.

Shinji used Izanagi to test and refine twelve Breathing Technique forms, gradually developing a safer, more powerful Taijutsu technique. After succeeding with each form individually, he combined them and began testing the complete technique, where the failures proved even more dangerous.

• Shinji examined the failures revealed by Izanagi and compared his work with the strengths and weaknesses of Superhuman Strength Punch and Lightning Release Chakra Mode.
• After repeated trials, Shinji worked out two of the twelve forms and shaped the remaining ten, while learning that glimpsing fate caused greater backlash when it affected more people.
• Shinji summarized his findings, practiced a refined technique, and shattered an ironwood dummy with a punch that left him with only minor discomfort.
• Shinji used Izanagi repeatedly to test all twelve forms, combine them, and begin testing the complete technique.
• The combined technique produced many severe failures, including exploding bodies and hidden dangers that Shinji recognized through his Medical Ninja knowledge.

Shinji completed and tested his optimized Twelve Forms, then renamed the system the Twelve Palaces and recorded its training methods. He decided Ryuzetsu and Chiyo would be the first to train in it after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1.

• Shinji used the Twelve Forms to destroy twenty ironwood training dummies in seven breaths and confirmed his body's readings were normal.
• Shinji concluded that the Twelve Forms had greatly improved his strength, speed, and durability while offering a comprehensive and safe alternative to other taijutsu techniques.
• Shinji renamed the optimized technique the Twelve Palaces and copied its training methods and precautions onto a Sealing Scroll.
• Shinji decided not to train in the Eight Gates because he believed the Twelve Palaces could provide a complete taijutsu system.
• Shinji chose Ryuzetsu and Chiyo to test the Twelve Palaces after they were injected with Blue Spider Lily No. 1.

Shinji tested Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo’s progress, easily defeating them before introducing the Twelve Palaces taijutsu secret technique. He assigned Ryūsetsuna to study medical ninjutsu and urged Chiyo to awaken her Ketsuryūgan, then began teaching them the technique.

• Shinji watched Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo spar and noted their progress after taking Blue Spider Lily No. 1.
• Shinji fought both women at once and quickly defeated them, finding that the medicine had greatly increased their resistance to impacts.
• Shinji showed Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo the Twelve Palaces scroll, but they could not understand its complex contents.
• Shinji advised Ryūsetsuna to study medical ninjutsu and told Chiyo to focus on awakening her Ketsuryūgan.
• Shinji gathered the two women for a lesson and began explaining how to cultivate the Twelve Palaces.

Shinji left a Shadow Clone to train Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo in the Twelve Palaces while he headed out, and he learned that mastering the technique would take them months or longer. In Konoha, Yakumo and Sasuke both sought a chance to challenge Shinji, the Ninja Academy’s top student.

• Shinji explained the Twelve Palaces to Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo, who began training with the technique after receiving Blue Spider Lily No. 1.
• After two more days at the hideout, Shinji left a Shadow Clone to guide Ryūsetsuna and Chiyo while he departed.
• Kurama Murakumo told Yakumo that the top student position could be won by defeating Shinji in the next exam, and warned her that it would be her last chance before he graduated.
• Yakumo asked to challenge Shinji, and Kurama Murakumo advised her to ask politely and respect Shinji’s status as her wartime commander.
• After sparring with Kakashi, Sasuke asked to challenge Shinji, and Kakashi said a friendly spar was possible but would not affect Shinji’s top student position.

Jiraiya and Kakashi learned that simulations showed Shinji Uchiha’s squad could not have survived the Root attack without hiding considerable strength, and the village decided to probe the team through student challenges. Haku and Karin revealed nothing in their matches, so Tsunade chose another student from the Ninja Academy list to test them.

• Jiraiya told Kakashi that twenty simulations had ended with Shinji Uchiha’s squad wiped out and the Root attackers unharmed, indicating the squad’s strength had been underestimated.
• Kakashi and Jiraiya discussed Haku and Karin’s backgrounds and concluded that Shinji was the main person the village needed to investigate.
• Jiraiya explained that the village would respect Shinji’s position as top student while using student competitions to probe the squad.
• Haku defeated five students in a training-ground match, but the watching ANBU failed to discover his kekkei genkai and called for stronger opponents.
• Haku and Karin handled repeated challenges with ease without revealing the abilities the village sought, prompting Tsunade to select a name from the Ninja Academy student list.

Haku and Karin realized Konoha’s ANBU might be watching them, while Shinji considered how to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal. Rock Lee challenged Haku, and their fierce spar ended when Sasuke intervened and challenged Shinji with fighting spirit.

• Haku and Karin discussed the suspected ANBU surveillance and decided to wait rather than alert the adults.
• Shinji read village briefings, learned Orochimaru’s pursuit had failed, and resolved to keep Sasuke from being corrupted by the Cursed Seal.
• Rock Lee challenged Haku, and their battle drew villagers, students, and Jonin before Haku led the fight to a practice field.
• Tenten, Neji, Yakumo, Shizune, and the Jonin watched as Haku and Rock Lee fought at high speed.
• Sasuke dropped between the fighters, restrained them both, and declared their sparring meaningless before turning to Shinji with fighting spirit.