Chapter Summaries

Hinata fought Neji in the Chunin Exams, relying on her Gentle Fist and Byakugan despite his clear advantage. Neji stopped holding back and struck her in the chest, leaving Naruto ready to intervene.

• Hinata and Neji fought using the Gentle Fist, with Neji repeatedly overpowering her through his greater skill.
• Neji urged Hinata to give up, saying she could not defeat him and that her place was not in the match.
• Hinata refused to quit and declared that she had to prove her ninja way for someone watching her.
• Neji's anger erupted, and Naruto gathered chakra in the stands as he prepared to intervene if Hinata was seriously hurt.
• Neji broke through Hinata's defensive stance and landed a full-strength blow against her chest.

Naruto intervened when Neji continued attacking Hinata, caught her, and persuaded her to stop the match. He confronted Neji over his treatment of her, and Neji defended his actions by blaming Hinata for refusing to forfeit.

• Neji sent Hinata flying with another attack, but Naruto rushed in and struck Neji back.
• Naruto caught Hinata before she hit the ground and gently asked her to stop fighting; Hinata agreed.
• Naruto turned on Neji and demanded to know why he had kept attacking Hinata.
• Neji argued that Hinata had chosen to continue after he told her to forfeit, while the onlookers watched Naruto's fury with surprise.

Naruto unleashed the Nine-Tails' chakra after Neji provoked him, but Hinata calmed him down. Naruto stopped fighting and took Hinata to get checked out, leaving Neji warned to expect him in the third-round finals.

• Might Guy, Tenten, and the others worried as Neji continued to provoke Hinata, who felt hurt by his words.
• Naruto erupted in crimson Nine-Tails chakra, shocking the spectators and alarming Kakashi, who stepped between Naruto and Neji.
• Might Guy urged Neji to stop, while Hinata approached Naruto and asked him not to act that way.
• Naruto's chakra vanished when he heard Hinata, and he gently reassured her before warning Neji about the finals.
• Naruto insisted Hinata go to the hospital for a checkup, and Kurenai supported him.

Naruto accompanied Hinata to the hospital after her match, where a checkup confirmed that her injury was minor. When Hyuga Clan guards arrived to escort Hinata home, Naruto let her go and resolved not to rush their relationship.

• Naruto took Hinata by the hand and insisted on accompanying her to the hospital, while the others watched them leave.
• Gekko Hayate began the final preliminary match between Gaara and Rock Lee, but Naruto left to focus on Hinata.
• Naruto stayed with Hinata during her examination, and a medical Ninja said she needed medicine, rest, and a few days without strenuous activity.
• Two Hyuga Clan guards arrived at the hospital and respectfully summoned Hinata back.
• Naruto told Hinata to rest and watched her leave with the guards, deciding he could not rush things with her.

After the preliminaries ended, Naruto reflected on his feelings for Hinata and reviewed the ten finalists and their announced matchups. The bracket set Naruto against Neji first and Sasuke against Gaara third, where Naruto expected the Sand and Sound Ninja invasion plan to begin.

• Naruto reassured Hinata as she left with her guards, then admitted to himself that he liked her despite the risks his feelings could bring.
• Naruto recalled how Rock Lee fought Gaara with the Five Gates, but Gaara endured the assault and defeated him after Lee's body gave out.
• Naruto noted that the ten finalists included Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, Shikamaru, Neji, Dosu, and Shino.
• Sakura brought Naruto the main-event bracket, which listed Naruto versus Neji, Shikamaru versus Temari, Sasuke versus Gaara, Kankuro versus Dosu, and Sakura versus Shino.
• Naruto anticipated that Gaara's match against Sasuke would trigger the Sand and Sound Ninja attack on Konoha, including the Fourth Kazekage and Orochimaru's assault on the Third Hokage.

Naruto planned to let Gaara’s One-Tail rampage in Konoha and saw the month before the Chunin Exams’ final rounds as his best chance to convince Sasuke to join his team. When Naruto went to meet Sasuke, he found Kakashi taking Sasuke away for special training.

• Naruto decided not to stop Gaara from unleashing the One-Tail during the Konoha Crush Plan.
• Naruto resolved to talk Sasuke into joining his team during the month before the final rounds.
• Naruto visited Sasuke the next morning and claimed he wanted to discuss Gaara and train with him.
• Kakashi told Naruto that he would train Sasuke instead, after Sasuke had asked for help improving his abilities.
• Naruto accepted Kakashi’s plan and told Sasuke they could talk about Gaara when he returned.

Kakashi took Sasuke away for a training trip, and Sasuke vowed to defeat Naruto in the Chunin Ninja Exams. Naruto continued his basic training while waiting for the opportunity to carry out his plans for Sasuke.

• Kakashi told Naruto that Sasuke’s training trip would last no more than half a month and that he might learn the Lightning Blade or Chidori.
• Sasuke challenged Naruto to a fight at the Chunin Ninja Exams before leaving with Kakashi.
• Naruto watched them go and thought about the gift he had prepared to persuade Sasuke to become his right-hand man.
• Naruto kept to his usual physical training, focusing on building strength and controlling his current abilities.
• Naruto avoided pushing his Nine-Tails Chakra further because his body could barely withstand the Four-Tails stage, and he lacked the knowledge or guidance to train in Sage Mode.

As the Chunin Ninja Exams neared their final matches, Orochimaru killed Rasa and took his place to lead the Konoha Crush Plan, while Konoha's leaders made their own calculations. Naruto remained focused on his plans, but on his way to find Sasuke, he unexpectedly encountered Jiraiya spying outside the women's bathhouse.

• Sunagakure and Otogakure secretly gathered forces near the Land of Fire in preparation for a surprise attack on Konoha.
• Rasa regretted the Konoha Crush Plan and tried to cancel it, but Orochimaru lured him out and killed him.
• Orochimaru disguised himself as Rasa, and the Sand Ninja continued to believe their Kazekage was alive.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen strengthened Konoha's defenses and sent Anbu to investigate, while Shimura Danzō withheld what he knew for his own benefit.
• Naruto decided Sasuke was nearing the end of his training and set out to find him.
• Naruto encountered Jiraiya sneaking around outside the women's bathhouse and recognized him.

Naruto unexpectedly encountered Jiraiya, who recognized him as Minato’s son and sensed the Nine-Tails within him. Naruto confronted Jiraiya about spying, and Jiraiya tried to pass it off as contemplating life before changing the subject.

• Jiraiya sensed Naruto approaching and was startled by how much Naruto resembled Minato.
• Jiraiya recognized Naruto as his former student’s son and sensed the Nine-Tails within him.
• Naruto teased Jiraiya about spying and remarked that the famous Sannin was easy to recognize.
• Jiraiya denied spying and claimed he had been contemplating life, then changed the subject when Naruto looked unconvinced.

Naruto met Jiraiya and tried to keep their exchange formal, wary of revealing his plans to destroy the Shinobi villages. Jiraiya drew him to a secluded waterfall and, seeing how easily Naruto kept up, recognized his strong foundation.

• Naruto introduced himself as a newly graduated Genin and asked Jiraiya for guidance.
• Jiraiya recalled his guilt over leaving Naruto in the Third Hokage’s care and the unhappy childhood Naruto had endured.
• Naruto tried to leave, wanting to avoid complications before his plan to destroy the Shinobi villages began.
• Jiraiya asked Naruto to accompany him somewhere private and led him to a secluded corner with a small cliff and waterfall.
• Jiraiya observed Naruto keeping pace with ease and judged that he had a solid foundation.

Jiraiya offered to train Naruto for the Chunin Ninja Exams, but Naruto refused because he already had his own training plan. Jiraiya insisted on taking charge anyway, while Naruto kept his focus on mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique.

• Jiraiya learned that Naruto had reached the final round of the Chunin Ninja Exams and offered to train him personally.
• Naruto declined, saying the other Genin would not be a match for him and that he had planned his own training.
• Jiraiya insisted that he would train Naruto over the next two weeks, despite Naruto's refusal.
• Naruto thought about his plan to practice the Flying Thunder God Technique, which he had recently begun learning from Namikaze Minato.
• Naruto recalled that his exceptional ability to sense spatial coordinates let him detect a flawed Flying Thunder God mark, suggesting the technique suited him unusually well.

Naruto refused Jiraiya’s offer to train him, using his Nine-Tails Chakra as a reason to focus on adapting to its power and strengthening his body. He revealed that he had encountered Orochimaru during the Chunin Ninja Exams, prompting Jiraiya to question him about the fight.

• Naruto decided to spend his remaining days training in the Flying Thunder God technique rather than accepting Jiraiya’s guidance.
• Naruto manifested the Nine-Tails Chakra Cloak and told Jiraiya he needed to adapt to its power and strengthen his physique.
• Jiraiya reacted with concern when Naruto implied he understood why the Nine-Tails had been sealed inside him.
• Naruto said the Nine-Tails’ power had helped him protect his teammates and temporarily drive off Orochimaru during the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Jiraiya asked Naruto what had happened when he fought Orochimaru in the Forest of Death.
• Naruto explained that Orochimaru seemed to be targeting Sasuke Uchiha and began describing how he had been forced to fight him.

Naruto convinced Jiraiya to let him follow his own training plans while hiding his intention to leave Konoha with Sasuke. After Sasuke returned from special training, Naruto went to meet him at night for the important conversation he had planned.

• Naruto told Jiraiya he intended to strengthen and control the power inside him, and Jiraiya warned him not to rush.
• Jiraiya accepted Naruto's plans and left to investigate Orochimaru's reasons for returning to Konoha.
• Naruto privately felt relieved that Jiraiya had not discovered his plans and reconsidered when he could leave Konoha safely.
• Two days later, Naruto learned Sasuke had returned from special training and slipped out at night to visit him.

Naruto visited Sasuke late at night to discuss the Uchiha Clan’s destruction. He told Sasuke he wanted to reveal the truth behind the massacre, leaving Sasuke stunned.

• Naruto reflected on the Uchiha Clan’s destruction as he approached the abandoned compound.
• Naruto went to Sasuke’s nearby home late at night, and Sasuke opened the door after recognizing him.
• Naruto entered Sasuke’s home and announced that he wanted to discuss the truth behind the Uchiha Clan’s destruction five years earlier.
• Sasuke was shocked by Naruto’s revelation.

Naruto confronted Sasuke with the promise of revealing the truth behind the Uchiha Clan’s destruction and asked him to listen calmly. He questioned whether Itachi could truly have slaughtered the entire clan alone, leaving Sasuke considering the possibility for the first time.

• Naruto told Sasuke he knew the truth behind the Uchiha Clan’s destruction and offered to explain it in exchange for something he wanted.
• Sasuke erupted in anger, but Naruto insisted he stay calm and let him make his own judgment.
• Sasuke suppressed his emotions, sat down, and told Naruto to continue.
• Naruto challenged the village’s claim that Uchiha Itachi had single-handedly killed the entire clan, questioning whether the Mangekyō Sharingan was powerful enough to do so.
• Sasuke began to wonder whether Itachi could have defeated the whole clan, including their father.

Naruto challenged Sasuke’s belief that Uchiha Itachi had single-handedly destroyed the Uchiha Clan, then brought him into his inner world to meet Kurama. He left Sasuke reeling with the claim that Konoha’s leaders had orchestrated the massacre after the Nine-Tails Incident.

• Naruto questioned whether the Uchiha Clan could really have been wiped out by Itachi alone and whether the Mangekyō Sharingan was truly the strongest Sharingan.
• Naruto urged Sasuke to activate his Sharingan and pulled him into the world inside him.
• Naruto introduced Sasuke to Kurama, the Nine-Tails sealed inside him, and Sasuke reacted with shock.
• Naruto claimed the Nine-Tails Incident had triggered the Uchiha Clan’s massacre and that Konoha’s higher-ups had masterminded it, with Itachi playing a part.
• Sasuke struggled to process Naruto’s explanation and stared at him in confusion.

Naruto guided Sasuke toward suspecting Konoha’s leadership in the Uchiha massacre and revealed his identity as the Fourth Hokage’s son. Sasuke questioned Naruto’s motives, then asked what he wanted as their conversation reached a turning point.

• Naruto led Sasuke to conclude that the Konoha High Command had been involved in the Uchiha Clan’s destruction.
• Naruto connected the leadership’s suspicion of the Uchiha to the Nine-Tails Incident and the mysterious Sharingan user who controlled the beast.
• Naruto revealed that he was Namikaze Naruto, the biological son of Namikaze Minato, and said his father had left him information about the incident.
• Naruto hinted that the mysterious person was connected to Uchiha Itachi, while withholding further details.
• The Nine-Tails watched Naruto and Sasuke’s exchange with amusement as Sasuke wrestled with what he had heard.
• Sasuke asked Naruto what he was after, and Naruto began to answer.

Naruto persuaded Sasuke to believe most of his claims about Konoha’s role in the Uchiha massacre and proposed that they leave the village during the coming chaos to grow stronger. Sasuke agreed to help create an opportunity during the Chunin Ninja Exams, while Naruto planned to protect Iruka and Hinata and unleash greater destruction on Konoha.

• Naruto explained his plans to Sasuke, including targeting Orochimaru so Sasuke could grow strong enough to seek answers from Itachi.
• Sasuke accepted Naruto’s claim that Konoha’s High Command had played a role in the Uchiha massacre, though he intended to investigate the truth himself.
• Naruto told Sasuke that the coming turmoil in Konoha would be their chance to leave and pursue their goals, and assured him that Orochimaru would survive the chaos.
• After their jutsu connection ended, Naruto asked Sasuke to help make the Chunin Ninja Exams as chaotic as possible.
• Naruto planned to use the exams to provoke Gaara into releasing One-Tail Shukaku in Konoha, while protecting Iruka and Hinata himself.
• Sasuke agreed to do his best to help Naruto create the opportunity.

Naruto prepared for Sasuke’s possible betrayal while the factions moved toward the planned assault on Konoha. As the Chunin Exams’ third-round matches began, Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, arrived at Konoha’s gate, signaling the invasion was underway.

• Sasuke agreed to follow part of Naruto’s plan but remained wary, unaware that Naruto had placed a Flying Thunder God mark on his shoulder.
• Naruto planned to capture Sasuke and defect if Sasuke acted against him, then returned home and hoped Sasuke would join his path.
• Jiraiya secretly investigated Sunagakure’s suspicious troop movements and reported them to the Third Hokage, who quietly tightened security.
• Orochimaru and Baki continued preparations for the Konoha Crush Plan while Jiraiya’s return remained hidden from Orochimaru.
• Naruto spent the days before the Chunin Exams training the Flying Thunder God Technique, strengthening its mark.
• The dignitaries arrived for the third-round matches, and Orochimaru disguised as the Fourth Kazekage appeared at Konoha’s main gate.

Naruto headed to Konoha’s packed Chunin Ninja Exams finals, anticipating the suffering the coming attack would bring to the village. As the contestants gathered and spectators watched, Baki and Kabuto prepared for the operation, with Baki anxiously focused on Gaara.

• Naruto left home and made his way toward the finals venue, reflecting that he would not harm the civilians but would enjoy seeing them suffer in the coming storm.
• Naruto arrived at the crowded arena, where the ten finalists, including Sasuke, Gaara, and Neji, had assembled before the matches began.
• Hinata watched Naruto and Neji from the stands and worried about her cousin fighting the person she liked.
• Kakashi, Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma, and other Jonin gathered to watch their students compete.
• Baki watched Gaara and surveyed the Konoha shinobi while Kabuto observed the finalists, and Baki worried that the operation might go wrong.