Chapter Summaries

In Konoha, Uchiha Matsuri began attending the Ninja Academy after Jiraiya adopted him and raised him as an orphan of the Uchiha Clan. As Jiraiya left for the front lines, Matsuri settled into class and resolved to become a shinobi as powerful as the Hokage.

• Uchiha Matsuri recalled how his parents died during the war, Kagami Uchiha later died, and Jiraiya adopted him at the Third Hokage's arrangement.
• Jiraiya took six-year-old Uchiha Matsuri to enroll at the reopened Ninja Academy.
• Jiraiya told Matsuri to listen to his teachers and take care of himself before leaving for the front lines with Orochimaru and Tsunade.
• Uchiha Matsuri entered the classroom, ignored the other students' attention, and chose an empty seat by the window.
• Uchiha Matsuri decided to work toward becoming a shinobi on the level of the Hokage.

Uchiha Matsuri met Kushina Uzumaki at the Ninja Academy and recognized Minato Namikaze among their classmates. As their teacher Ino Yamanaka began introductions, Matsuri reflected on how few students had the background and opportunities needed to become Hokage.

• Kushina Uzumaki introduced herself to Uchiha Matsuri, who realized he had joined Naruto's parents' generation.
• Kiba Inuzuka and Chōji Dōtō mocked Kushina's red hair, and she struck back before Minato Namikaze persuaded them to apologize.
• Ino Yamanaka arrived as the students' teacher and asked them to introduce themselves.
• Kiba Inuzuka, Akimichi Chōza, and Minato Namikaze shared their dreams during the introductions.
• Uchiha Matsuri considered how lineage, talent, and opportunity limited the number of students who could realistically pursue the Hokage Position.

Uchiha Matsuri began training at the Ninja Academy, learned to extract chakra, and passed the first-month test in first place. After the test, Ino Yamanaka announced that the students would need to study for three years and pass term and graduation exams.

• Uchiha Matsuri introduced himself as a student who dreamed of becoming Hokage, while Ino Yamanaka set a one-month deadline to learn chakra extraction.
• Ino Yamanaka taught the class the basics of chakra, and Matsuri successfully began extracting it at home while Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki struggled.
• Matsuri practiced chakra extraction throughout the month as Ino Yamanaka taught Konoha history.
• Matsuri placed first in the chakra extraction test, followed by Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, and seventeen students were eliminated.
• Ino Yamanaka announced that the remaining students would attend the Academy for three years and face exams each term and before graduation.

Uchiha Matsuri and Minato Namikaze faced their Ninja Academy graduation exam after three years of training. Matsuri challenged Minato in the sparring round, and the chapter ended as they prepared to fight.

• Matsuri supported the extended Academy course and graduation exam, and Minato agreed that the exam tested students’ fundamentals.
• Three years passed, the Second Shinobi World War ended, and Matsuri noticed Jiraiya was absent when Konoha’s ninjas returned.
• In June of Konoha Year 33, Ino Yamanaka explained the two-round graduation exam, and Matsuri and his classmates passed the Clone Technique test except for three students.
• When Ino paired Minato against Kushina for the first sparring match, Matsuri asked to fight Minato instead.
• Minato agreed, and Ino changed the pairing as Matsuri and Minato bowed to each other before their match.

Uchiha Matsuri and Minato Namikaze fought a duel that began with Minato’s superior speed and close-combat advantage. Matsuri won by using Fire Release after Minato exhausted his chakra, while keeping his Sharingan hidden.

• Minato dodged Matsuri’s kunai, then outpaced him in close combat and struck him, but Matsuri used the Substitution Technique to escape Minato’s sword attack.
• Matsuri struggled to keep up with Minato and decided to use jutsu he had learned through his Sharingan without revealing the eye itself.
• Matsuri’s Great Fireball Technique forced Minato to dodge, and Minato answered with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
• Matsuri countered with Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, but Ino Yamanaka raised an Earth Flow City Wall to protect Minato from the remaining fireballs.
• Minato conceded, and Ino declared Matsuri the winner; Matsuri privately realized he had only ten percent of his chakra left.

Uchiha Matsuri won first place in the Ninja Academy graduation exam, defeating Minato Namikaze, and learned that he would likely be assigned to Orochimaru’s team. Jiraiya returned home after caring for three orphans in the Land of Rain, while Matsuri worried about his dangerous new instructor.

• Uchiha Matsuri placed first in the graduation exam, Minato Namikaze placed second, Kushina Uzumaki placed third, and Nohara Shin came last.
• The Third Hokage reviewed the results, recognized Uchiha Matsuri as the orphan he had entrusted to Jiraiya, and heard that Jiraiya had returned.
• Uchiha Matsuri received congratulations from Nohara Shin, while Kiba Inuzuka criticized him and Minato Namikaze accepted his loss.
• Uchiha Matsuri returned home and found Jiraiya, who explained that he had spent three years caring for three orphans in the Land of Rain.
• Jiraiya told Uchiha Matsuri that he would likely join Team Orochimaru, leaving Matsuri apprehensive about his new instructor.

Uchiha Matsuri attended his graduation ceremony and watched the Academy assign students to teams and jonin instructors. With only six students left, he waited with Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, Kiba Inuzuka, Chōji Dōtō, and Nohara Shin for their instructor to arrive.

• Jiraiya praised Uchiha Matsuri for ranking first in the graduation exam, but chased him with a stick after Matsuri teased him about graduating last.
• Uchiha Matsuri attended the lengthy graduation ceremony with Jiraiya and noticed that most students struggled to stay awake while Minato Namikaze listened attentively.
• A Chunin assigned Akimichi Chōza, Shikaku Nara, and Yamanaka Inoichi to Team 1, prompting Uchiha Matsuri to explain the Ino-Shika-Cho formation to Kushina Uzumaki.
• The Chunin assigned Mito Takuma, Senju Seiichi, and Hagoromo Sakura to Team 10 under Kishimoto Seiya, while Nohara Shin lamented that he was not on her team.
• As assignments left six students in the classroom, Uchiha Matsuri anticipated that Jiraiya or Orochimaru might instruct them, and the Chunin returned with another shinobi.

Orochimaru became the instructor of Team 6, consisting of Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin, and took them to the Training Ground. The Third Hokage privately worried about the assignment, while Orochimaru questioned Matsuri’s ambition to become Hokage.

• Jiraiya was assigned to Team 5 with Minato Namikaze, Kiba Inuzuka, and Chōji Dōtō.
• Orochimaru arrived and was assigned as instructor to Team 6 with Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin.
• Orochimaru led Team 6 to the Training Ground, where Kushina worried aloud that he was terrifying and he warned her that he could hear her.
• The Third Hokage recalled that every member of Orochimaru’s previous four graduating teams had died or disappeared within six months, but he had never investigated.
• Orochimaru asked Team 6 to introduce themselves, and Kushina and Nohara Shin shared their dreams of becoming Hokage.
• Uchiha Matsuri said he wanted to become Hokage, prompting Orochimaru to consider the Uchiha Clan’s exclusion from Konoha’s leadership.

Orochimaru tested Uchiha Matsuri, Nohara Shin, and Kushina Uzumaki by fighting them after his summoned Manda refused to train them, then left all three injured. The Third Hokage confronted Orochimaru over his harsh treatment of the newly graduated students.

• Orochimaru summoned Manda and told the three students they had to defeat him, but Manda refused and vanished.
• Orochimaru fought Nohara Shin, Kushina Uzumaki, and Uchiha Matsuri, quickly overpowering all three.
• Orochimaru knocked Kushina unconscious, left Nohara gravely injured, and broke Matsuri's ribs before ending the test.
• Orochimaru gave the injured students two weeks to train and scheduled another test, while doctors carried Matsuri away.
• The Third Hokage watched the exam through a Crystal Ball, became angry at Orochimaru's treatment of the students, and demanded an explanation when Orochimaru appeared in his office.

Uchiha Matsuri woke from a three-day coma and recovered under Tsunade’s care, learning the Yin Seal and basic Medical Ninjutsu while preparing for his next assessment. Nine days later, Orochimaru took Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin to accept a dangerous B-Rank mission, insisting this would be his last mission with them.

• Uchiha Matsuri woke up and asked Kushina Uzumaki about Nohara Shin, who had already recovered with Tsunade’s help.
• Tsunade visited Uchiha Matsuri, asked him to call her Big Sis Tsunade, and later told the Third Hokage that he had awakened.
• Uchiha Matsuri sneaked out of the hospital, learned the Yin Seal and basic Medical Ninjutsu from Tsunade, and practiced copying other ninja’s jutsu.
• Nine days later, Orochimaru told Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin that they were too weak to fight him and took them to get a mission.
• Orochimaru ignored objections at the Mission Assignment Office, accepted a B-Rank Mission, and led the three Genin out.

Orochimaru and his three young companions traveled to Kirigakure to assassinate Kunshi Bilan, only to discover he was collaborating with the Mist Ninja. Orochimaru confronted Kunshi Bilan and Hoshigaki Muyin, while Matsuri, Nohara Shin, and Kushina waited outside the inn.

• Orochimaru led Uchiha Matsuri, Nohara Shin, and Kushina Uzumaki to Kirigakure to kill the missing-nin Kunshi Bilan.
• Orochimaru used summoned snakes to search for Kunshi Bilan, and a Mist Ninja spotted the group and reported them to Hozuki Shichigatsu.
• Orochimaru learned Kunshi Bilan was hiding in Kirigakure and took the three young ninja to an inn, ordering them to wait outside.
• Hoshigaki Muyin told Kunshi Bilan that the Mizukage wanted him to infiltrate Konoha and promised protection from two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
• Orochimaru appeared in Kunshi Bilan's room and confronted him and Hoshigaki Muyin over their scheme to gather intelligence on Konoha.

Orochimaru’s fight with two men destroyed an inn in Kirigakure, drawing the Third Mizukage and Hozuki Shichigatsu to the scene. Uchiha Matsuri was exposed with Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin, and after briefly injuring Hozuki Shichigatsu, he faced the swordsman’s overwhelming attack with his chakra nearly depleted.

• Orochimaru’s battle with two men reduced the inn to rubble while Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin watched from nearby.
• The Third Mizukage learned the inn was where Hoshigaki Muyin had met Kunshi Bilan and went to confront the intruders.
• Hozuki Shichigatsu arrived with Mist Ninja and ordered the civilians evacuated and sensory ninja to find Orochimaru’s three companions.
• A Mist Ninja exposed Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin among the civilians, and Hozuki Shichigatsu moved to kill them.
• Uchiha Matsuri used a substitution to strike Hozuki Shichigatsu’s left shoulder with Chakra Scalpel, but Hozuki Shichigatsu kicked him into a stone wall.
• Hozuki Shichigatsu broke through Uchiha Matsuri’s Earth Flow City Wall with Kabutowari as Uchiha Matsuri ran low on chakra.

Uchiha Matsuri released the chakra stored in his Yin Seal and helped defeat Hozuki Shichigatsu and the Mist Ninja, while Orochimaru killed two more during the Third Mizukage’s attempt to stop the fighting. The Third Mizukage let the Konoha shinobi leave, then explained to his subordinates that he had no better option.

• Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin rescued Uchiha Matsuri, who released his Yin Seal with Kushina’s help.
• Uchiha Matsuri used Lightning Release: Earth Crawl to blast Hozuki Shichigatsu and more than a dozen Mist Ninja, killing the Mist Ninja and gravely injuring Hozuki Shichigatsu.
• The Third Mizukage arrived and ordered everyone to stop, but Orochimaru seized the opening to kill Hoshigaki Muyin and Kunshi Bilan.
• The Third Mizukage let Orochimaru, Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin leave Kirigakure.
• Back in the Mizukage’s Office, the Third Mizukage told his angry subordinates that he had no choice but to let them go.

The Third Mizukage explained why Kirigakure had let Orochimaru’s team leave, while Orochimaru returned to Konoha and secured a higher rank and reward for their mission. Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin later completed more missions together, until the Third Hokage learned they were operating as a three-person team and assigned them a temporary jonin leader.

• The Third Mizukage cited Orochimaru’s strength, the destruction a fight would cause, and the risk of war as reasons not to attack the Konoha team, though he vowed to settle the score later.
• Orochimaru, Uchiha Matsuri, and the others returned to Konoha, where Orochimaru asked the mission assignment office to raise their mission’s rank.
• Nohara Shin bragged to Team Jiraiya about their dangerous mission, prompting Minato to resolve to ask Jiraiya for stronger jutsu.
• Orochimaru raised the mission to A-Rank, and Team Orochimaru received 600,000 ryō, with each member getting 150,000 ryō.
• Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin completed an escort mission to the Land of Lightning, which was upgraded from C-Rank to B-Rank after bandit attacks.
• After half a year of missions, the Third Hokage learned Team Orochimaru had only three members and sent a jonin to serve as their temporary leader.

Dan Katō joined Team Orochimaru as its temporary leader and challenged Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin to a contest for a bell. The contest ended with Matsuri knocking Dan away, while Shin was still racing toward the bell.

• Dan introduced himself as Team Orochimaru’s temporary leader and proposed a contest to see whether the three Genin could reach a bell before him.
• Dan sprinted for the bell, but Matsuri’s Shadow Clone ambushed him, and Matsuri trapped him with Lightning Release: Four-Pillar Binding Technique.
• Dan broke free and attacked Matsuri and Kushina with a Great Fireball, but Kushina countered with Water Formation Wall before Dan’s clone was revealed.
• Matsuri and Kushina teamed up to hold Dan back while Shin ran toward the bell, forcing Dan to send five Shadow Clones after Shin.
• Matsuri released his Yin Seal and struck Dan with Earth Release: Rock Fist, causing Dan’s Shadow Clones to vanish as he prepared to use his trump card.

Dan won Team Orochimaru’s training match using the Spirit Transformation Technique, while Matsuri and the others continued building their teamwork. A year after the team graduated, the Third Kazekage disappeared, and Team Orochimaru faced growing danger while on a mission in the Land of Wind.

• Dan possessed Kushina and struck Matsuri with Wind Release: Gale Palm, but fled her body when he sensed an enormous, turbulent chakra.
• Dan possessed Shin and made him throw the bell to Dan, who caught it and won the match.
• After Kushina woke, Dan explained the Spirit Transformation Technique, and Matsuri asked him to teach it.
• The Third Hokage watched the team through a Crystal Ball and praised Dan for establishing his authority within the team.
• By June of Konoha Year 34, the Third Kazekage had vanished, and Chiyo and Ebizo concealed the disappearance while suspicion fell on Konoha.
• Team Orochimaru carried out a mission in the Land of Wind, unaware that danger was approaching.

Dan Katō and Team 6 camped in Scarlet Valley while preparing to assassinate Sabaku Chiharu, unaware that he had already crushed his brother’s rebellion and learned of their mission. Chiharu decided to lead fifty Sabaku Clan members in an open attack on the Konoha team, leaving the threat of a conflict between Sunagakure and Konoha looming.

• Dan Katō told Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin that their A-rank target was Sabaku Chiharu, hired by his younger brother Sabaku Chizuru.
• Sabaku Chiharu learned of the assassination plot and, with Chiyo and Ebizo’s tacit approval, captured Sabaku Chizuru after attacking his residence with more than a hundred clan members.
• Chiyo and Ebizo discussed secretly eliminating the Konoha team, but Sabaku Chiharu rejected the plan and announced he would attack them openly with fifty clan members.
• Sabaku Chiharu justified his decision by accusing Konoha of secretly poisoning the Third Kazekage.

Sunagakure's advisors debated the fallout from its rebellion while Konoha learned that four of its ninjas, including Dan Katō, were trapped inside the Land of Wind. As Team 6 camped in Scarlet Valley after getting lost, Sabaku Chiharu set out to deal with them.

• Sabaku Chiharu announced that he would take fifty Sabaku Clan ninjas to eliminate the Konoha team, while Chiyo and Ebizo privately questioned the decision.
• The Third Hokage told Konoha's leaders that its ninjas had become caught up in Sunagakure's rebellion, and ordered Jiraiya's nearby Team 5 to support Dan Katō's team.
• After three days lost in Scarlet Valley, Dan Katō and the other members of Team 6 found the path and made camp for the night.
• Nohara Shin, Uchiha Matsuri, and Dan Katō took turns keeping watch as the team wondered about the situation in Sunagakure.

Uchiha Matsuri and Team 6 were ambushed in Scarlet Valley by Sabaku Chiharu and the Sand Ninjas. Matsuri opened the battle with a powerful lightning technique, but the fight continued with the enemy still outnumbering them.

• While keeping watch, Uchiha Matsuri reflected on his loneliness and how Team 6 had become like family to him.
• Sabaku Chiharu led his clan into Scarlet Valley and ordered an immediate attack on the four Konoha ninjas.
• Matsuri dodged three kunai, woke Dan Katō and the others, and confronted Sabaku Chiharu.
• Sabaku Chiharu revealed that he had killed his brother Sabaku Chizuru and that his clan had come to kill Team 6.
• More than thirty Sabaku Clan ninjas charged, and Matsuri used Lightning Release: Thunderstorm Birth to kill several of them.

Team 6 was overwhelmed by the Sand Waterfall Clan, so Dan Katō stayed behind to hold off the attackers while Uchiha Matsuri, Kushina Uzumaki, and Nohara Shin fled toward Scarlet Valley. With their pursuers closing in and Nohara nearly exhausted, Matsuri refused to leave him behind.

• Dan Katō used the Spirit Transformation Technique to kill more than a dozen Sand Waterfall ninjas, prompting Sabaku Chiharu to send more clan members into the fight.
• As Team 6 grew exhausted and wounded, Uchiha Matsuri released his Yin Seal and urged the others to break through toward the Land of Fire.
• Dan Katō covered the retreat with Swamp of the Underworld, and Matsuri led Kushina Uzumaki and Nohara Shin away while Rasa pursued them.
• The three raced toward Scarlet Valley, but Nohara ran out of strength and offered to stay behind; Matsuri refused to abandon him.