Chapter Summaries

Team 8 arrived at the Chunin Exam room, where Ryusuke used his Sharingan to terrify the hostile candidates with a group genjutsu. Ino and Sakura reunited with Ryusuke and Hinata, and Konoha's Four Petals gathered together for the first time.

• Yuhi Kurenai praised Team 8 for registering together and promised to take them on higher-level missions, then introduced them to Kakashi Hatake and Sarutobi Asuma.
• Ryusuke led Hinata and Aburame Shino into the examination room, where he cast a group genjutsu that frightened many candidates and left the room wary of him.
• Ino greeted Ryusuke and Hinata excitedly, then froze when she noticed Hinata's chest.
• Sakura arrived with Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha, greeted Ryusuke, and also froze when she noticed Hinata's chest.
• Ino and Sakura pulled Hinata aside to talk, while Ryusuke spotted the girl with twin buns and realized Konoha's Four Petals had gathered together.

Ryusuke reunited with his friends at the Chunin Exams and drew the attention of Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara, both of whom saw him as a rival. The first exam began, and as the hour ran down, chief examiner Ibiki Morino ordered the examinees to stop writing before revealing the tenth question.

• Ryusuke greeted Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha, Ino, and the other girls before finding his seat.
• Sasuke Uchiha challenged Ryusuke and vowed to prove the strength of the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
• Ryusuke recognized Gaara's Sand Armor, and Gaara's threatening aura subsided when Ryusuke warned that attacking would disqualify him.
• Ibiki Morino explained the exam rules, and the examinees began answering the difficult test while using various methods to cheat.
• After more than half the hour had passed, Ibiki Morino told everyone to put down their pens, signaling that he was about to reveal the tenth question.

Naruto rallied the examinees during Ibiki Morino’s tenth-question test, and Ibiki announced that everyone had passed the first examination. After Anko Mitarashi revealed the second exam’s location, Ryusuke went home with Ino, Sakura, and Hinata, cooked for them, and heard their reactions to his battles.

• Naruto refused to withdraw and declared that he would keep working toward becoming Hokage, inspiring the wavering examinees to stay.
• Ibiki Morino announced that all the remaining examinees had passed the first examination, despite Naruto having left his test blank.
• Anko Mitarashi arrived and announced that the second examination would begin the next day at the 44th Training Grounds, the Death Forest.
• Ino, Sakura, and Hinata joined Ryusuke for dinner, and he cooked Chinese food for them.
• Ino and Sakura admired Ryusuke after hearing that he had killed Raiga Kurosuki, and Ryusuke reflected on how strongly the three girls believed in him.

Ryusuke and Team 8 began the second Chunin Exam, a five-day battle to collect Heaven and Earth Scrolls and reach the Central Tower. As the team advanced through the Death Forest, Ryusuke searched for Karin while Hinata and Shino helped him fend off a group of attackers.

• Shino explained the Death Forest’s layout and predicted that examinees would have to collect items and fight over them; Ryusuke guessed that only enough scrolls would be available for half the teams.
• Anko Mitarashi announced the scroll-gathering rules, had the examinees sign death consent forms, and started the exam.
• Ryusuke gave Team 8’s Earth Scroll to Hinata and sent three Shadow Clones to search for Team 7, Team 10, and Karin, whom he wanted to find before Sasuke Uchiha.
• Hinata used her Byakugan to scout as Team 8 walked through the forest, and nearby teams fled when they recognized Ryusuke.
• Three examinees ambushed Team 8 from a tree, but Ryusuke froze them, Hinata struck them with Air Palm, and Shino’s insects drained their chakra.

Ryusuke tracked down Karin, killed her two Grass ninja teammates, and staged a rescue from a bear to win her trust. Karin was dazzled by him, got a nosebleed, and fainted.

• Hinata found a Heaven Scroll among the defeated team's belongings, and Ryusuke set out with Team 8 to find Ino and Sakura while searching for Karin.
• After a Shadow Clone located Karin, Ryusuke led Aburame Shino and Hinata toward her and later found her alone gathering food.
• Ryusuke trapped Karin's two Grass ninja teammates in a genjutsu, killed them, and stored their bodies in his Space Backpack.
• Ryusuke hypnotized a black bear and arranged for it to threaten Karin before he struck it down with a kunai.
• Karin blushed and got a nosebleed when Ryusuke asked if she was all right, then fainted.

After rescuing Karin, Ryusuke learned about her healing ability and revealed that she was descended from the Uzumaki Clan. He offered to help her join Konoha, and Karin eagerly accepted, leaving her hopeful about a future near him.

• Karin woke beside Ryusuke’s campfire, and he gave her food and asked about the bite marks on her arms.
• Karin explained that biting her healed others by draining her chakra and life force, and that her mother had died from the same ability.
• Ryusuke comforted Karin and identified her as an Uzumaki descendant whose ability was called Physical Healing.
• Ryusuke invited Karin to join Konoha and promised to ask his Jonin Instructor to recommend her to the Hokage after the Chunin Exams.
• Karin accepted Ryusuke’s offer and welcomed the chance to change her life and stay close to him.

Ryusuke helped Karin leave Konoha safely and arranged to meet her at Tanzaku Street after the Chunin Exams. The next morning, he learned Sakura was in danger from the Sound Ninja Trio and raced ahead to find her.

• Ryusuke gave Karin money and used a Shadow Clone to escort her out of Konoha, telling her to wait at Tanzaku Street.
• Ryusuke rejoined Aburame Shino and Hinata, claiming he had met someone important and would tell Teacher Kurenai about her after the exams.
• The next morning, Ryusuke sent Shadow Clones to search the Death Forest for Team 7 after remembering that the Sound Ninja Trio would target Sasuke Uchiha while Sakura was alone.
• A Shadow Clone found Sakura in trouble, and Ryusuke told Hinata and Aburame Shino to catch up before racing across the treetops.

Sakura fought Kin of the Sound Ninja Trio while protecting the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha, but Kin gained the upper hand. Ryusuke arrived and struck Kin with a Rasengan, leaving her crashed against a massive tree as Dosu and Zaku dodged.

• After the grass ninja left Sasuke Uchiha with a Cursed Seal, Sakura hid the unconscious Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha in a tree hollow when Dosu, Zaku, and Kin came looking for Sasuke.
• Sakura fought Kin with Substitution Technique, smoke bombs, and shuriken, but Kin's auditory illusions and attacks overwhelmed her.
• Kin pinned Sakura down and threatened to tear out her hair and injure her, but Ryusuke appeared and restrained Kin with the Body Freeze Technique.
• Ryusuke stabbed Kin in the elbow with a Kunai, twisted her wrist, and kicked her toward Dosu and Zaku.
• Ryusuke caught up with Kin in midair and struck her with a Rasengan, sending her spinning past Dosu and Zaku into a massive tree.

Ryusuke defeated the Sound Ninja Trio after they attacked Sakura, then healed her while Sasuke Uchiha emerged from the cave with the Cursed Seal activated. Sasuke returned to normal but, after seeing the destruction Ryusuke had caused, became determined to defeat him and prove the strength of the Uchiha.

• Dosu offered Ryusuke the Earth scroll in exchange for their lives, but Ryusuke refused and used Genjutsu: Shiranui on Zaku before knocking Dosu into a tree with a Rasengan.
• Ryusuke killed Zaku, Dosu, and Kin with kunai, then went to Sakura and offered to heal her injuries.
• Sasuke Uchiha emerged from the cave with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan and Cursed Seal activated, and he challenged Ryusuke to a fight.
• Ryusuke warned Sasuke that the chakra was borrowed, causing Sasuke's Cursed Seal to fade as he doubled over in pain.
• After Ryusuke healed Sakura, Sasuke examined the damage to the trees and resolved to defeat Ryusuke to erase his humiliation and prove the strength of the Uchiha.

Team 8 passed the second exam early and waited at the Central Tower while the remaining candidates arrived. The Third Hokage announced an individual elimination round to select the participants for the Third Exam, with twenty-four candidates having passed.

• Ryusuke treated Sakura, collected the Sound Ninja Trio's bodies, and left with Hinata and Aburame Shino after Sasuke refused their Earth Scroll.
• Ryusuke told Aburame Shino that Team 10 had already gathered both scrolls, and Team 8 reached the Central Tower in just over ten minutes.
• During the four-day wait, Ryusuke encountered Gaara, whose killing intent made Temari and Kankuro wary of him.
• Ryusuke reunited with Ino and Sakura as the second exam ended and the candidates gathered in the Central Tower.
• The Third Hokage explained the importance of the Third Exam and announced an individual elimination round to choose half of the candidates.
• Ryusuke counted twenty-four candidates who had passed the second exam.

Twenty-one candidates began the Chunin Exam elimination rounds after Yakushi Kabuto and two Sound Ninja withdrew. Sasuke Uchiha and Aburame Shino won the first two matches, while the remaining candidates watched from the viewing platform.

• Hayate Gekko announced the elimination rounds, and Yakushi Kabuto and two Sound Ninja withdrew, leaving twenty-one candidates.
• Sasuke Uchiha was matched against Akado Yoroi and defeated him with Lion's Barrage after suppressing his Cursed Seal.
• Kakashi Hatake took Sasuke Uchiha away to have the Cursed Seal sealed, and Orochimaru quietly left.
• Aburame Shino faced Takuto in the second match and easily won, while Takuto's teammates encouraged him.

After several preliminary matches, Hinata Hyuga defeated Yumiko gently, and the next matchup pitted Ryusuke against Hyuga Neji. Sarutobi Hiruzen revealed through his deliberate pairing that he wanted to assess Ryusuke’s potential and decide whether to invest in him.

• Kankuro defeated Tsurugi Misumi after identifying and adapting to his stretching techniques, while Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered an investigation into the suspicious Sound Ninja and their instructor after Kinuta Dosu withdrew.
• Kakashi Hatake returned to the stands after sealing Sasuke Uchiha’s Cursed Seal and informed Naruto and Sakura about Sasuke’s condition.
• Hinata Hyuga faced Yumiko, fought without using her Byakugan or Gentle Fist, and won by pressing a kunai to Yumiko’s neck after more than twenty exchanges.
• Hyuga Neji disapproved of Hinata’s restraint, while Sarutobi Hiruzen approved of her kindness toward Yumiko.
• The screen matched Ryusuke against Hyuga Neji, and Sarutobi Hiruzen revealed that he had arranged the pairing to evaluate Ryusuke and decide whether to nurture him.

Ryusuke faced Hyuga Neji in a match arranged by Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Neji deduced that Ryusuke was a descendant of the Senju Clan. As the fight began, Ryusuke demonstrated his power by unleashing a Great Waterfall Technique at Neji.

• Ryusuke entered the hall for his match against Hyuga Neji while Ino, Sakura, and Hinata cheered him on.
• Neji used his Byakugan to examine Ryusuke and announced that his chakra reserves were dozens of times greater than his own.
• Neji claimed Ryusuke was a Senju descendant whose physique had awakened, and the jonin reacted with astonishment at the possibility.
• Ryusuke neither confirmed nor denied Neji's deduction, saying only that the Second Hokage was his idol.
• Neji took the Gentle Fist stance, but Ryusuke formed one-handed seals and unleashed a massive Great Waterfall Technique that crashed toward him.

Ryusuke defeated Hyuga Neji with overwhelming Water Release techniques, shocking the arena and convincing Sarutobi Hiruzen that the civilian orphan could become a powerful asset to Konoha. The chapter left Hiruzen eager to cultivate Ryusuke as a second Hokage-like figure.

• Neji used Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven to withstand Ryusuke's massive Water Release wave, but Ryusuke formed and hurled a Water Spear that shattered the barrier.
• The Water Spear triggered a Water Dragon Tornado that threatened the arena, so Might Guy opened the Fifth Gate and destroyed it before carrying out the unconscious Neji.
• Hayate Gekko declared Ryusuke the winner, while spectators recognized his powerful Water Release and suspected he was descended from the Senju Clan.
• Ryusuke offered to treat Neji, and Might Guy entrusted him with his student.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled how he had come to notice Ryusuke and decided the boy's chakra and Water Release talent could make him a second Hokage-like asset to Konoha.

Ryusuke treated Neji after their match and watched Ino defeat Sakura before Naruto narrowly beat Kiba. The ninth round began with Gaara facing Rock Lee, and Ryusuke focused on how much he wanted to learn the Eight Gates.

• Ryusuke treated Neji, who was carried to the rest room while still unconscious, then told Shino he had recently perfected two Water Release techniques.
• Sakura and Ino fought with ninja tools and taijutsu until Ino subdued Sakura, and Ryusuke carried both exhausted girls back to the stands for treatment.
• Naruto defeated Kiba by using a fart to disrupt his sense of smell and then attacking with Shadow Clones.
• Gaara and Rock Lee entered the ninth round, while Ryusuke coveted Lee's Eight Gates technique and imagined its power combined with his Sage Body.

Rock Lee pushed Gaara to the brink by opening several Eight Gates, but both fighters collapsed after his Hidden Lotus. Ryusuke prompted Might Guy to surrender before Gaara could injure Lee, leaving Lee unconscious but out of danger.

• Rock Lee removed his weights, shattered Gaara's Sand Armor, and fought through Gaara's renewed attacks.
• Lee used the Hidden Lotus and opened the first four Eight Gates, overwhelming Gaara as Ryusuke considered how the technique could help him overcome his own weaknesses.
• Lee opened the fifth gate and struck Gaara with another Hidden Lotus, leaving both of them collapsed and unable to fight.
• Gaara sent sand toward the helpless Lee, but Ryusuke warned Might Guy, who intervened and surrendered to end the match.
• Might Guy carried the unconscious Lee away, and Ryusuke reflected that he had helped spare Lee the lasting injuries he suffered in the original story.

Temari defeated Tenten, ending the elimination round, and the finalists drew their matchups for the Third Exam, set for one month later. Ryusuke realized his actions had altered the future he knew and left determined to train his speed after witnessing Rock Lee’s frightening power.

• Temari overwhelmed Tenten with her fan, and the eleven surviving candidates advanced to the Third Exam finals.
• Sarutobi Hiruzen announced that the finals would begin one month later and had the candidates draw lots for their matchups.
• Ryusuke drew Nara Shikamaru as his opponent, while Temari received a bye.
• Ryusuke realized that Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Temari had not formed the relationships that would lead to Boruto and the next generation.
• Yuhi Kurenai treated Team 8 to dinner before Hinata, Shino, and Ryusuke parted ways for a month of training.
• After reflecting on Rock Lee’s speed, Ryusuke decided to focus on raising his own speed to its limit.

Ryusuke found Karin in Tanzaku Street and learned that she had awakened the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura. He planned to train her and keep her under Tsunade’s protection so she could join Konoha safely.

• Ryusuke secretly left Konoha and traveled to Tanzaku Street to find Karin.
• Karin sensed Ryusuke’s chakra and ran to meet him, explaining that she had recently begun sensing chakra without training.
• Ryusuke identified Karin’s ability as the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura and told her about the Uzumaki Clan’s special abilities.
• Ryusuke explained that he had arranged for Karin to stay in Tanzaku Street so Tsunade could bring her into Konoha and protect her from Shimura Danzō.
• Ryusuke told Karin he would train her in ninjutsu before the Chunin Exams’ final stage, and Karin promised to work hard.

Ryusuke trained Karin in Tanzaku Street, gained her healing and sensory abilities, and returned to Konoha. At the Chunin Exam finals, he arrived expecting a new era under Tsunade and teased Nara Shikamaru about their coming match.

• Ryusuke trained Karin for half a month, helping her recover and teaching her Water Release ninjutsu while sparring with her.
• Ryusuke gained Karin's Physical Healing and Mind's Eye of the Kagura abilities.
• Ryusuke returned to Konoha and learned that Sakura was interning at Konoha Hospital after Kakashi Hatake recommended her for medical training.
• Ryusuke reflected on Kakashi Hatake's favoritism toward Sasuke Uchiha and his lack of support for Naruto.
• The next day, Ryusuke arrived at the Chunin Exam finals, sensed Yamanaka Inoichi's killing intent, and joined Nara Shikamaru.
• Ryusuke warned Nara Shikamaru that he would make him lose badly in their match.

Naruto Uzumaki and Choji Akimichi fought in the first official match of the Chunin Exams. Choji revealed his strength by using a pill to overwhelm Naruto with a powerful palm strike.

• Naruto Uzumaki arrived at the arena late, chased by bulls, and learned he would face Choji Akimichi while Sasuke Uchiha was still absent.
• Naruto opened the match with repeated waves of Shadow Clones, while Choji countered with Human Boulder, Spiked Human Boulder, and Multi-Size Technique.
• Naruto used his superior chakra reserves to keep summoning clones and wear Choji down, prompting Ino to worry that Choji might lose.
• Choji spotted Naruto's original body, took a green pill, and unleashed an explosive burst of chakra.
• Choji struck Naruto with Super Palm Strike, sending him flying across the arena and turning the fight in his favor.