Chapter Summaries

Hinata left the dumpling shop after eating another enormous serving and wondered about finding Ichiraku Ramen. She decided to ask Naruto about it and stick to a cautious plan while building her strength.

• Hinata finished thirty dumpling skewers, unsettling Anko Mitarashi, who left after Hinata called her “ninja auntie.”
• After Anko left, the shop’s patrons watched Hinata with gratitude, while she ordered and ate another thirty skewers.
• Hinata left the shop satisfied and heard no end of the story the patrons began spreading about her.
• Hinata recalled Ichiraku Ramen and decided to ask Naruto where to find it when she returned to school.
• Hinata resolved to build a solid foundation early and take greater risks later, once she unlocked reincarnation.

Hinata sensed someone following her on the way back to the Ninja Academy but could not identify them. After she returned to class, she noticed Naruto and Shikamaru Nara whispering with the other children and suspected Naruto had been the one following her.

• The system awarded Hinata one hundred Reward Points and told her she had completed the task, after which she realized she could use the Eight Trigrams Palms.
• Hinata sensed someone following her as she walked back toward the Ninja Academy and considered whether the follower was connected to past incidents involving her.
• Naruto hid nearby while following Hinata on Shikamaru Nara's instructions, going hungry and struggling not to be noticed.
• Hinata entered the classroom and saw Shikamaru Nara and several other children gathered mysteriously.
• Naruto joined the group and whispered with them while they occasionally looked toward Hinata, leading her to suspect he had followed her.

Shikamaru abandoned his plan to have Naruto expose Hinata’s secret and decided the Konoha 7 should ask her directly. When they confronted Hinata about her lunches, she feared they were about to discover how much she could eat.

• Naruto told Shikamaru that Hinata had not noticed him following her, and Sakura hit him for ruining the plan.
• Shikamaru admitted they had to come clean to Hinata, and Sakura offered to ask her before Shino suggested they all go together.
• The Konoha 7 surrounded Hinata, and Sakura asked whether something had happened in her clan.
• Choji explained that they had wondered why Hinata always went out to eat instead of bringing lunch, and Naruto offered to help if anyone was treating her unfairly.
• Hinata worried that her friends were about to discover her enormous appetite.

Hinata watched the rookies return to their usual behavior before observing Sasuke and meeting Mizuki, whose motives she chose not to judge. Mizuki led the class to the training grounds for an afternoon of basic exercises, ending with students pairing off for sparring.

• Hinata reassured the rookies that she had no time to prepare a bento and only ate a little more than usual, and they dropped their concern.
• Sasuke entered the classroom, and Sakura and Ino fussed over him while Hinata noticed signs that he had trained during lunch.
• Mizuki arrived with a warm smile and told the students to check their ninja tool pouches before gathering at the training grounds.
• Mizuki led the class through warm-ups and bladed-tool throwing practice, then arranged practical combat training in pairs.

Mizuki supervised the Ninja Academy’s sparring matches, where Hinata and Sasuke won their bouts. After school, Neji Hyuga waited for Hinata and urged her to leave promptly, while she privately resented his attitude.

• Mizuki stopped a sparring match from ending in injury, declared Taiye the winner, and encouraged Harada.
• Naruto lost his match, while Hinata defeated her civilian opponent in a dozen exchanges.
• Sasuke beat the older student Futa with a feint and a flying kick, ending the afternoon’s training.
• Hinata packed up after school and found Neji Hyuga waiting at the Academy entrance.
• Neji told Hinata to leave promptly, and she answered obediently while privately complaining about his attitude.

Hinata watched Neji interact with Tenten, then saw him rescue Rock Lee from bullies and discourage him from pursuing taijutsu. The chapter left Hinata thinking Neji had some kindness beneath his harsh attitude, though she still planned to teach him a lesson.

• Tenten approached Neji and Hinata, but Neji told her not to meddle, and she left.
• Neji escorted Hinata home, and she suspected his years of threats had made the original Hinata timid.
• Neji used his Byakugan and Body Flicker Technique to investigate a commotion in an alley, then returned with Rock Lee.
• Neji told Rock Lee that his inability to use ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Fūinjutsu meant he would never become a ninja.
• Rock Lee insisted he could become a ninja through taijutsu, and Neji left after insulting him.
• Hinata recognized Neji's kindness in rescuing Rock Lee and decided she might go easier on him when she taught him a lesson.

Hiruzen Sarutobi reflected on his loneliness, the losses he had suffered, and the crises facing Konoha. He remained responsible for managing the fallout from the Uchiha clan's extermination, while worrying that the village had too few promising new ninja to replace its fading generation.

• Neji took Hinata home and warned her not to ask about the person they had just encountered.
• Rock Lee silently resolved to become an outstanding ninja and defeat Neji one day.
• Hiruzen worked late in the Hokage Building, remembered his late wife Biwako, and mourned the burdens he had carried since her death.
• Hiruzen considered the failures and losses during his rule, including the departures of his former disciples and the deaths of Hatake Sakumo and Asuma Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen worried that Konoha was in its weakest era, with its established experts fading and few new leaves ready to take their place.

Hiruzen Sarutobi transferred Kakashi out of the Anbu to restore Konoha’s public image, then reflected on Sasuke Uchiha and Uzumaki Naruto while reviewing the Academy roster. The chapter ended with Itachi Uchiha sitting alone beside a campfire in a cave.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Kakashi and ordered him to leave the Anbu and serve as a publicly visible elite jonin.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi reviewed the Ninja Academy roster and wondered whether Sasuke Uchiha would follow his clan’s tragic path.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi thought about Naruto’s difficult childhood and urged him, in his thoughts, to endure hardship and seek safety for himself.
• Itachi Uchiha sat beside a campfire at the entrance to a cave on a barren mountain.

Itachi Uchiha reflected on the Uchiha Clan’s destruction and decided to wait for the Akatsuki to approach him so he could judge their danger. Hinata trained the Eight Trigrams Palms alone, then considered leaving the Hyuga grounds to avoid being watched.

• Itachi Uchiha accepted the path he had chosen and took comfort in having kept Sasuke Uchiha out of the clan’s destruction.
• Itachi learned that the Akatsuki recruited S-rank Rogue Ninja and decided to wait for them to notice him rather than seek them out.
• Hinata woke early and trained the Eight Trigrams Palms alone in the courtyard, becoming tired but excited by her progress.
• Hinata worried that Byakugan observers might discover her abilities and considered training in the Forest of Death instead.

Hinata decided to wait until she could safely train with a Shadow Clone, then enjoyed a huge breakfast. Elsewhere, Jiraiya arrived at a remote town in the Land of Soup, dreaming about hot springs and wondering whether Konoha still remembered him.

• Hinata rejected training alone in the Forest of Death because she feared someone might target her Byakugan.
• Hinata planned to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu once her Chakra reserves were large enough, then send a clone to train in the forest.
• Hinata ate a large breakfast while Aunt Yamada watched her.
• Jiraiya reached a remote town in the Land of Soup after stumbling on the road.
• Jiraiya imagined the town's hot springs and wondered whether beautiful women in Konoha still admired him.

Jiraiya reflected on his guilt and his years of avoiding Konoha before visiting a mixed-gender hot spring to gather material. Meanwhile, Tsunade fled a gambling den with Shizune and Tonton after losing money, with an angry crowd chasing them.

• Jiraiya thought about Orochimaru's defection, Tsunade's departure, and the possibility that he could not keep running from Konoha forever.
• Jiraiya entered a mixed-gender hot spring, telling himself that he was gathering material for his writing.
• Tsunade sneezed during a critical bet, cursed whoever was talking about her, and used a restroom excuse to leave the gambling den.
• Tsunade met Shizune and told her they had to leave, then ran as the gamblers rushed after them.
• Tsunade slapped Tonton when the pig snorted, while Shizune warned that their pursuers were catching up.

Tsunade stopped her pursuers by breaking open a ravine, while Jiraiya was summoned to Mount Myōboku before he could pursue inspiration at the bathhouse. Fukasaku and Shima told him the Great Toad Sage wanted to discuss new changes to the Child of Prophecy, and Jiraiya went to meet him alone.

• Tsunade stomped a deep ravine into the ground, stopping the people chasing her and Shizune.
• Shizune worried Tsunade's destruction of public property could cost Konoha money.
• Jiraiya waited at the bathhouse, then considered peeking into the neighboring bath after hearing women's laughter.
• Fukasaku and Shima used the Reverse Summoning Technique to bring Jiraiya to Mount Myōboku while he was naked.
• Fukasaku and Shima told Jiraiya that the Great Toad Sage wanted to see him because the prophecy's future had changed, then sent him to go alone.

Jiraiya heard the Great Toad Sage’s prophecy about a mysterious force that could interfere with the Child of Prophecy, led by someone with brilliant blue eyes. He left Mount Myōboku determined to search for the force, and the chapter ended with a group arriving at a Konoha barbecue restaurant.

• Jiraiya asked the Great Toad Sage to reveal the future he had foreseen.
• The Great Toad Sage prophesied that a force could interfere with the Child of Prophecy and that its leader had brilliant blue eyes.
• Jiraiya left Mount Myōboku after the Great Toad Sage fell asleep again, while Fukasaku and Shima discussed the limits of the prophecy.
• Jiraiya returned to the hot spring and decided to search for the mysterious force to protect peace in the ninja world.
• At noon, a group arrived outside a barbecue restaurant in Konoha, and a chubby boy in a green vest with orange hair waved enthusiastically.

Choji Akimichi invited his friends to a barbecue restaurant using a coupon that covered a private room and a free meal. He explained that he wanted their help preparing for Konoha's Gourmet Competition, but the Akimichi Clan elders had also entered the contest.

• Choji Akimichi brought his friends to a new barbecue restaurant and used an invitation coupon to reserve a free private-room meal for up to ten people.
• Shikamaru asked whether Choji had invited them because he needed help, and Choji admitted he wanted their advice.
• Choji told the group that the winner of Konoha's Gourmet Competition would receive six months of meal coupons for twenty high-end restaurants.
• Choji said he wanted to win the competition, but the Akimichi Clan elders had become interested in entering too.

Choji asked his friends for help finding a way to join a feast after his clan elders barred him from competing, and the group shared barbecue while Sakura discussed her conflict with her parents. The meal ended with Sakura and Ino arguing over Sasuke as Hinata quietly ate.

• Choji told the group that his clan elders had barred him from competing because he was too young and binge eating was unhealthy.
• Choji asked his friends to help him find a way to enter the competition and enjoy a feast, and Shino pointed out that he did not qualify.
• The group began grilling and eating meat, and Sakura explained that her parents wanted her to stop being a ninja.
• Naruto said he was an orphan, and Sakura punched him before explaining that she planned to apologize to her parents and still wanted to become a powerful ninja like Tsunade.
• Ino said she dreamed of becoming Sasuke's wife, and Sakura argued with her over Sasuke while Hinata continued eating.

Naruto and Kiba argued over who could become Hokage while Hinata considered how she could use her knowledge of the future. Shikamaru asked Choji and then shared his own modest dream.

• Shikamaru asked everyone about their dreams, and Naruto said he wanted to become Hokage and protect the village's peace.
• Kiba mocked Naruto for being a poor student and claimed the Hokage position for himself, prompting Naruto to argue back.
• Hinata ate grilled meat while thinking about how she might use her knowledge of the future if the world turned against her.
• Shikamaru asked Choji about his dream, and Choji said he wanted to eat grilled meat and potato chips every day.
• Choji asked Shikamaru about his dream, and Shikamaru said he wanted to be an ordinary ninja and save money.

Hinata shared a dream of the friends remaining together into old age, prompting her classmates to toast to that hope despite the dangers of becoming ninja. The gathering returned to its lively mood, and Kiba accepted Naruto as a rival on the road to becoming Hokage.

• Shikamaru described his plans for a peaceful retirement, and Hinata asked him about his dream.
• Hinata said she hoped the group would still be together decades later, reminiscing around the same table.
• Ino and the others reacted emotionally to Hinata’s words, and Naruto promised to protect his friends as a ninja.
• Shikamaru filled everyone’s cups, and the group toasted to meeting again with no one missing.
• Sakura and Ino resumed bickering, while Kiba told Naruto he acknowledged him as a rival to become Hokage.

Four years after arriving in the Naruto world, Hinata prepared for the Ninja Academy graduation exams and was summoned by Hyuga Hiashi to Training Ground One. She joined Hiashi and her younger sister Hanabi before a gathering of main-house members, awaiting what she had long anticipated.

• At a barbecue, Shino Aburame realized the others had forgotten him and decided his dream was to raise his presence.
• Hinata reflected on the four years since arriving in the Naruto world and noted that graduation exams were about a month away.
• A Hyuga messenger told Hinata that Hyuga Hiashi wanted to see her at Training Ground One.
• Hinata went to the Hyuga clan training ground and greeted Hiashi, who had her stand beside him opposite Hanabi Hyuga.

Hyuga Hiashi gathered the clan to select his heir through a fight between Hinata and Hanabi, with the loser destined for the Branch Family and the Caged Bird Seal. The sisters took their stances before Hiashi, who acted as referee, and the match was about to begin.

• Hanabi greeted Hinata and reflected on the consequences of winning or losing the heir selection.
• Hinata considered how to lose convincingly without angering Hiashi or exposing her hidden strength.
• Hiashi announced that the winner of the fight would become the future Hyuga Clan Head.
• Hiashi urged Hinata and Hanabi to fight without holding back and reminded them that they would remain sisters.
• Hinata and Hanabi entered the field, assumed their stances, and watched for an opening as Hiashi refereed.

Hinata and Hanabi fought a staged-looking but intense Gentle Fist spar, with Hinata secretly holding back and waiting for Hanabi to show off a decisive move. Hanabi realized she was running low on Chakra and began preparing an unexpected final attack as their match reached a stalemate.

• Hanabi silently resolved to give the spar everything she had, while Hinata urged her to attack and tried to conceal that she was holding back.
• Hinata and Hanabi exchanged opening blows, then activated their Byakugan and began fighting with the Gentle Fist.
• Hanabi pressed Hinata with a combination of palm strikes and a whip kick, but Hinata evaded the attacks and retreated.
• Hanabi worried that she would run out of Chakra before she could win, while Hinata waited for her to use a dazzling move.
• Hanabi scrutinized Hinata, chose a plan to catch her off guard, and resumed their stalemated exchange.