Chapter Summaries

Uchiha Itachi trapped Uesugi Shinji in Tsukuyomi and tried to force him to answer questions, but Shinji analyzed the genjutsu and revealed that it posed no threat to him. Itachi dismissed the claim and continued to challenge him.

• Uchiha Itachi cast Tsukuyomi, trapping Uesugi Shinji in a red-and-black world where Shinji was bound to a wooden post.
• Itachi explained that he controlled the Tsukuyomi world and stabbed Shinji to threaten him into answering questions.
• Shinji studied Itachi’s abilities and considered what they revealed about Konoha and the Uchiha Clan.
• Itachi repeatedly stabbed Shinji, but Shinji showed no pain, and his face remained hidden because Itachi did not know his identity.
• Shinji explained that Tsukuyomi bypassed ordinary chakra defenses and said he could cut off its influence with the Light Brain.
• Shinji claimed Tsukuyomi posed no threat to him and suggested that maintaining it consumed Itachi’s Yin Release Chakra, but Itachi called him a bluffer.

Uesugi Shinji resisted Uchiha Itachi’s Tsukuyomi and questioned him about the Akatsuki’s plans, then fought him after deciding he was a threat. Itachi escaped, and Shinji turned to face him while Sasori guarded Deidara and Kurotsuchi.

• Uesugi Shinji blocked Tsukuyomi and let Uchiha Itachi’s probing reveal that he had correctly suspected the Akatsuki was planning a major operation.
• Uesugi Shinji attacked Uchiha Itachi, who escaped his grasp by dispersing into illusory crows.
• Uesugi Shinji cut away the part of Sasori’s body burning with Amaterasu before the black flames could spread further.
• Uesugi Shinji told Sasori to watch Deidara and Kurotsuchi while he dealt with Uchiha Itachi.
• Sasori restrained Deidara and Kurotsuchi with his Human Puppets and warned that the Konoha Anbu seemed unusually capable.

Uesugi Shinji, whose Akatsuki code name was Ao, confronted Uchiha Itachi and proved faster and stronger in their opening exchanges. Itachi used an instant Sharingan genjutsu to create an opening and launched a flaming-blade attack as the fight continued.

• Uchiha Itachi asked Uesugi Shinji to identify himself, and Shinji revealed that his Akatsuki code name was Ao.
• Uchiha Itachi attacked with flaming shuriken, but Uesugi Shinji dodged them and charged at him.
• Uesugi Shinji struck Uchiha Itachi with a powerful punch, forcing Itachi to retreat and counterattack with a blade.
• Uchiha Itachi used an instant genjutsu to leave an afterimage and evade Uesugi Shinji's grasp.
• Uchiha Itachi appeared beside Uesugi Shinji, ignited his blade, and prepared to use Uchiha Style: Halo Dance.

Uesugi Shinji overwhelmed Uchiha Itachi in close combat, but Itachi summoned his incomplete Susanoo to survive. The clash left Kurotsuchi stunned by Itachi’s power and provoked Deidara with her comparison.

• Uesugi Shinji dodged Uchiha Itachi’s flaming blade and struck him with a sweeping kick, forcing Itachi back.
• Uchiha Itachi threw his blade as a distraction and used Amaterasu, but Uesugi Shinji caught the weapon and used it to block the black flames.
• Uesugi Shinji pressed his advantage and grabbed Uchiha Itachi, whose body could not keep up with what his Sharingan tracked.
• Uchiha Itachi used Illusion Crow: Disperse, then summoned his incomplete Susanoo to repel Uesugi Shinji and reveal his face.
• Kurotsuchi told Deidara that Uchiha Itachi was much better in a fight than he was, infuriating him.

Uesugi Shinji overwhelmed Uchiha Itachi after Itachi revealed Susanoo, summoning a vast Crystal Titan that shattered Susanoo's weapon and armor. Itachi abandoned the fight and prepared to retreat so he could warn the Hokage about Shinji's strength.

• Uesugi Shinji's Ghost Burning Flame badly damaged Uchiha Itachi's shoulder, forcing Itachi to protect himself with Susanoo.
• Uesugi Shinji identified Susanoo's limits, and Uchiha Itachi attacked with its red blade.
• Uesugi Shinji summoned the Ghost Burning Flame-wreathed Crystal Titan, which blocked Susanoo's slash without being scratched.
• The Crystal Titan broke Susanoo's blade and shattered its head armor and Tengu Mask.
• Uchiha Itachi canceled Susanoo and prepared a strategic retreat to report Uesugi Shinji's power to Lord Hokage.

Uesugi Shinji overwhelmed Uchiha Itachi, but Namikaze Minato rescued Itachi with the Flying Thunder God Technique and launched a massive explosive attack. The blast’s outcome remained uncertain as Sasori insisted he and Deidara were equal partners.

• Uesugi Shinji shattered Itachi’s deteriorating Susanoo and pursued him, but Itachi evaded the Crystal Titan’s attacks and landed safely.
• Uesugi Shinji appeared beside Itachi and resisted the Amaterasu flames with his Ghost Burning Flame as he reached for Itachi.
• Itachi prepared to unleash his remaining ocular power, but Namikaze Minato used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport him away.
• Namikaze Minato sent hundreds of Flying Thunder God Kunai attached to Explosive Tags into the area, creating a powerful blast around Uesugi Shinji.
• Deidara admired the explosion and asked whether Shinji had been killed, while Sasori said Shinji was hard to kill and corrected Deidara’s claim that he was Sasori’s subordinate.

Uesugi Shinji spared Kurotsuchi after defeating the enemy and let her return to Iwagakure. Back in Konoha, Uchiha Itachi recovered from his escape and began reporting to Namikaze Minato about the mission.

• Uesugi Shinji emerged unharmed from the Crystal Titan after Namikaze Minato’s contingency plan interrupted his attempt to eliminate Uchiha Itachi.
• Sasori proposed killing Kurotsuchi, but Uesugi Shinji chose to spare her, and Sasori released her and Deidara from his puppets.
• Kurotsuchi promised not to share what she had witnessed beyond informing Ōnoki, while Uesugi Shinji noted that Itachi had already escaped to Konoha.
• At the Hokage Building, Uchiha Itachi nearly collapsed as the strain from using his Mangekyō Sharingan caught up with him.
• Namikaze Minato explained that he had placed a hidden Flying Thunder God Mark on Itachi before the mission and asked him to report what he had learned.

After the Akatsuki prepared to disrupt the Joint Chunin Exams in Sunagakure and capture the One-Tail, Uesugi Shinji considered the connection between the Sharingan and Rinnegan. Haku arrived in Sunagakure with three Genin from the Land of Birds, where their team drew attention from rival factions.

• The Akatsuki restored its core ranks after Uesugi Shinji and Sasori captured Deidara, then began preparing to disrupt Sunagakure's Joint Chunin Exams and seize the One-Tail.
• Kabuto visited Uesugi Shinji on Orochimaru's behalf to ask about Shinji's encounter with Uchiha Itachi, and Shinji resolved to investigate the powers of the Sharingan, Mangekyō Sharingan, and Rinnegan.
• Haku led Sakuragi, Kaede, and Haruko of the Ninjutsu Sect Office to Sunagakure for the Joint Chunin Exams.
• When Sakuragi criticized Sunagakure's appearance, Haku urged the Genin to view the village as a military fortress and to approach the world with humility and caution.
• Haku and his team attracted attention because of Haku's reputation and the Ninjutsu Sect Office's standing, while rival factions watched for weaknesses they could exploit against Uesugi Shinji.

Naruto defeated Kankuro in a confrontation in Sunagakure, but Gaara intervened before the fight could end. Gaara’s arrival left Naruto and Hinata uneasy as the crowd made way for the feared One-Tail Jinchuriki.

• Haku and his subordinates followed a commotion in a plaza and found Naruto arguing with Sunagakure’s Kankuro over his criticism of the village.
• Naruto and Kankuro began fighting while Hinata tried to persuade Naruto to back down.
• Naruto’s training under Minato and Kushina gave him the advantage, and he destroyed Kankuro’s puppet Crow while overwhelming him.
• Sand blocked Naruto’s finishing strike, and Gaara ordered Kankuro to stand down.
• The villagers made way for Gaara, while Kankuro retreated behind him and Naruto and Hinata sensed his cold, murderous presence.

Naruto and Gaara fought in Sunagakure after Naruto challenged him, and their clash escalated when Gaara used Sand Waterfall Funeral to trap Naruto in quicksand. Naruto sank into the pit as Gaara prepared to finish him with Sand Binding Coffin.

• Naruto challenged Gaara, who released chakra-infused sand and prepared to fight.
• Naruto's kunai failed to pierce Gaara's sand defense, so Naruto used his speed to break through and punch Gaara.
• The sand covering Gaara's skin damaged Naruto's fist, but Naruto healed it and resumed fighting as Gaara attacked to kill.
• Sunagakure villagers fled while shinobi gathered and sent for Baki, but they avoided intervening because Gaara was a Jinchuriki.
• Gaara used Sand Waterfall Funeral to turn the ground into quicksand, and Naruto sank into the pit as Gaara prepared Sand Binding Coffin.

Haku intervened just before Naruto and Gaara could fatally injure each other, freezing Gaara’s transformed arm and separating the fighters. After the danger passed, Baki praised Haku and recalled Uesugi Shinji’s battle with Amegakure’s Demigod.

• Naruto launched himself at Gaara and formed a Rasengan as Gaara’s One-Tail power transformed his arm into a claw.
• Haku appeared between them, froze Gaara’s transformed arm, and moved Naruto out of reach.
• Haku released Gaara from the ice and urged him and Naruto to settle their dispute in the Joint Chunin Exams.
• Hinata told Naruto that Haku was a male shinobi known as the Azure Pheasant, leaving Naruto stunned.
• Baki thanked Haku and praised his strength, then recalled witnessing Uesugi Shinji’s climactic battle with Amegakure’s Demigod.

After the exams, Kakashi left Naruto and the others and secretly sought out Haku, hoping to learn about Uesugi Shinji by testing one of his disciples. Haku recognized Kakashi’s real motive, but accepted that a fight was unavoidable.

• Haku praised Uesugi Shinji’s strength, while Naruto declared he would challenge him after becoming Hokage.
• Kakashi abruptly left Naruto and the others after staring at Haku, then Haku took his subordinates to lunch and told them to train.
• Haku sensed Kakashi’s presence and met him alone outside Sunagakure.
• Kakashi challenged Haku to a fight to test the techniques of Uesugi Shinji, and Haku prepared to face him.

Kakashi and Haku tested each other’s swordsmanship and techniques in a spar, with Kakashi’s speed and strength giving him the advantage. Haku revealed that his Ice Release could distort vision through reflections, then escalated the fight with Sage Art: Ice Mirror Pillar, leaving Kakashi wary of its dazzling reflections.

• Kakashi and Haku clashed with their swords, and Kakashi proved faster and stronger.
• Kakashi pierced what appeared to be Haku’s chest, then recognized the illusion and blocked Haku’s attack from behind.
• Haku explained that Ice Release mirrors could affect an opponent’s vision through reflections.
• Kakashi appeared behind Haku and struck, but Haku dispersed into ice crystals and summoned Sage Art: Ice Mirror Pillar.
• Kakashi dodged the falling pillar and noticed that its reflective surface scattered dazzling, multicolored light around them.

Haku escaped Kakashi by using an illusion from the Ice Mirror Binding Pillar, and Kakashi planned to report what he had learned to Namikaze Minato. Three days later, the Joint Chunin Exams began, while a rumor that Kakashi was romantically pursuing Haku spread through Sunagakure.

• Haku left Kakashi behind with an illusion created by the Ice Mirror Binding Pillar, and Kakashi destroyed the pillar with Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu.
• Kakashi reflected on Haku's abilities and decided to report their fight to Namikaze Minato.
• The Joint Chunin Exams began, and Naruto passed the written test before the candidates gathered for the survival trial in the Valley of Sand.
• Kakashi and Haku arrived at the same entrance with their teams and heard rumors claiming Kakashi had fallen in love with the Azure Pheasant.
• Naruto's story and villagers' observations fueled rumors about Kakashi pursuing Haku, and the tale became Sunagakure's explosive news.

As the Joint Chunin Exams began, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata wandered openly through the Valley of Sand, confident no team would challenge them. A stranger in a conical hat attacked Sasuke and revealed himself as a Kusagakure shinobi—Orochimaru, who had targeted Sasuke for his Sharingan.

• Sakuragi asked Haku about rumors that Kakashi had confessed to him, and Haku denied them while intimidating Sakuragi into dropping the subject.
• After the examinees entered the trial area, Kakashi and Haku exchanged an awkward glance and went their separate ways.
• Naruto and Sasuke walked openly through the Valley of Sand, while Hinata urged them to be cautious.
• Naruto proposed hunting for other teams, and Sasuke boasted that he would swallow a kunai if anyone besides Gaara's team attacked them.
• A kunai flew at Sasuke, who deflected it and spotted a stranger wearing a conical hat.
• The stranger removed his hat to reveal a Kusagakure forehead protector, and the narration identified him as Orochimaru, who had targeted Sasuke's Sharingan.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata faced Orochimaru, who was disguised as a Kusagakure Genin and held the Scroll of Earth they needed. Orochimaru used his killing intent to freeze them before throwing lethal Kunai, testing whether they could overcome their fear.

• Sasuke told Naruto and Hinata to watch for Orochimaru's unseen partner while he confronted him, and Naruto reminded Sasuke about their bet.
• Hinata used her Byakugan and warned that Orochimaru's chakra far exceeded what a Genin should have.
• Orochimaru recognized Hinata as a Main Family member and remarked on Hyuga Hiashi's reforms before showing the team the Scroll of Earth.
• Orochimaru swallowed a scroll, unleashed his killing intent, and made Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata feel trapped by snakes.
• Orochimaru threw three Kunai at the boys' necks to test whether they could break through their fear.

Naruto and Sasuke joined forces against Orochimaru, combining their techniques before he trapped them with a giant snake. As the chapter ended, Naruto began a Summoning Jutsu to call Gamabunta.

• Sasuke broke free of Orochimaru's killing intent and attacked while Naruto rescued Hinata and then joined the fight.
• Orochimaru tested the boys with Water Formation Wave, and Sasuke countered with Fireball Jutsu as Naruto strengthened it with Great Breakthrough.
• Naruto sent shadow clones through the steam with Sasuke, but Orochimaru's giant snake destroyed them and coiled around the two boys.
• Sasuke urged Naruto to escape with Hinata while he held off the snake, but Naruto refused to abandon his comrades.
• Naruto began a Summoning Jutsu to summon Gamabunta from Mount Myoboku.

Orochimaru abducted Sasuke and beat him while taunting him about his weakness and ambition. As Sasuke feared Orochimaru would take his Sharingan, an unseen voice ordered Orochimaru to release him.

• Orochimaru interrupted Naruto's summoning and used Hinata as a distraction to abduct Sasuke with the giant snake.
• Orochimaru emerged with Sasuke in an uninhabited area and mercilessly beat him, dislocating his shoulder.
• Orochimaru's taunts stirred Sasuke's resentment and determination to prove himself stronger than Naruto and Uchiha Itachi.
• Orochimaru considered Sasuke's Sharingan and the possibility of taking over his body, but postponed using Living Corpse Reincarnation.
• An unseen voice ordered Orochimaru to let Sasuke go.

Orochimaru marked Sasuke with a Cursed Seal and vanished after hearing Uesugi Shinji's name, leading Sasuke to mistakenly believe Shinji's reputation had frightened him away. Orochimaru then encountered Uesugi Shinji outside the trial area, where Shinji confronted him for interfering in the operation.

• Sakuragi, Kaede, and Haruko confronted Orochimaru when they saw him holding Sasuke, but Orochimaru prepared to attack them.
• After hearing a cry from the sky and murmuring Uesugi Shinji's name, Orochimaru bit Sasuke and gave him a Cursed Seal before disappearing.
• Sasuke mistook Orochimaru's departure for fear of Uesugi Shinji and began imagining that becoming Shinji's student would help him surpass Naruto and his brother.
• Sakuragi, Kaede, and Haruko decided to treat Sasuke's wound, while Orochimaru left the trial area.
• Uesugi Shinji arrived on a Crystal Falcon and told Orochimaru that he was not supposed to be part of the operation.

Uesugi Shinji confronted Orochimaru and agreed not to target Sasuke directly, while the Chunin Ninja Exam’s second test ended amid Gaara’s lethal attacks. That night, Shinji and the Akatsuki began coordinating their attack on Sunagakure, targeting the Fourth Kazekage.

• Uesugi Shinji warned Orochimaru not to interfere with the operation and agreed to spare Sasuke, prompting Orochimaru to leave the area around Sunagakure.
• The Sakuragi team traded Sasuke to Naruto’s team for a scroll, and Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata later gathered the scrolls they needed to pass the second test.
• Gaara killed numerous Genin during the second test, pushing the pass rate below thirty percent.
• Uesugi Shinji met with Sasori, Deidara, Biwa Juzo, and Yura in an underground room to plan the next stage of the Sunagakure operation.
• Yura was assigned to manage intelligence, Deidara to place explosives, and Biwa Juzo to provide support; Uesugi Shinji and Sasori planned to kill the Fourth Kazekage.