Chapter Summaries

Hinata overwhelmed Neji in their preliminary match, revealing an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm and steadily wearing down his defenses. She left Neji badly injured and close to defeat.

• Hinata abandoned her plan to conceal most of her strength after Neji’s behavior angered her.
• Neji rose after Hinata’s opening strike and cautiously resumed the fight.
• Hinata attacked Neji with an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, prompting him to use Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Spin.
• Hinata pressed her advantage while Neji struggled to defend, drawing astonished reactions from the spectators.
• After letting the fight continue to vent her anger, Hinata struck Neji hard enough to make him spit blood and appear unable to rise.

Hinata attended a wealthy merchant’s gathering with Kurama Mutsu and Mizuki Rei, intending to cause trouble without drawing attention. As she ate and listened to nearby guests, a dark-faced man with a small mustache began a conversation that caught her interest.

• Hinata arrived at the manor with Kurama Mutsu and Mizuki Rei, drawing a little attention from the guests.
• Hinata took food from a table while Kurama Mutsu settled down to draw.
• Hinata noticed Mizuki Rei was uncomfortable and told him to take a walk if he wanted.
• Mizuki Rei left to explore the manor, and Hinata sat eating cake.
• A dark-faced man with a small mustache asked the group whether they had heard something, and Fatty Bai asked what he meant.

Hinata overheard merchants discussing Gu Song’s new ties to the Land of Rice daimyo and learned that he had gained the daimyo’s favor by cheating a business enterprise connected to the Hyuga Clan. She left the conversation resolved to find a more ambitious way to deal with Gu Song.

• Fatty Bai and two merchants discussed Gu Song’s connection to the daimyo and their hopes of using it to strengthen their own businesses.
• Fatty Bai revealed that Gu Song had offended a powerful force while earning the daimyo’s favor.
• Fatty Bai explained that Gu Song had cheated a business partner whose enterprise belonged to the Hyuga Clan of Konoha.
• Hinata realized Gu Song had wronged her clan and worried that the loss could affect her allowance and food.
• Hinata decided her original plan to stir up trouble was too small and left seeking a grander approach.

After defeating Neji, Hinata left the arena while the spectators and her friends reacted to the fight and worried about what it meant for her. Sakura, Ino, and Kurenai went after her, while Hinata privately decided leaving was better than facing the crowd after her outburst.

• Gekko Hayate stopped trying to intervene when Neji got back up, and Neji regretted airing his grievances in front of outsiders.
• Might Guy, Rock Lee, and Tenten pulled Neji from the wall, and Guy said his fractures and blood loss would keep him bedridden for months but would not endanger his life.
• Naruto, Kakashi, Shino, and the others reacted to Hinata's strength, while Tenten criticized Neji for speaking without tact.
• Sakura and Ino chased after Hinata, and Kurenai hurried after them because she feared the fight might change Hinata's temperament.
• Hinata left because she thought staying after her outburst would be awkward and might disrupt her character setup.

Hinata staged a tearful scene that drew comfort from Sakura and Ino after her fight with Neji, while Kurenai and Shino checked on her. Hinata returned to the stands just as Rock Lee’s match with Gaara ended in Gaara’s victory.

• Hinata noticed Sakura and Ino approaching and pretended to cry by an open window.
• Sakura and Ino comforted Hinata and cursed Neji, while Kurenai watched with relief and Shino joined her to check on Hinata.
• Hinata returned to the stands with Sakura and Ino as Rock Lee opened five of the Eight Inner Gates and used the Reverse Lotus against Gaara.
• Gaara attacked Rock Lee with sand while lying on the ground and won the match.

Hyuga Hiashi learned that Hinata had advanced to the third examination, then heard that she had badly injured her Branch Family opponent, Neji Hyuga. Toyo Hyuga had more information about the preliminary round to share, but the chapter ended before he explained it.

• The preliminary matches ended, with Gaara defeating Rock Lee and Dosu defeating Choji.
• Hyuga Hiashi reassured Hanabi that he would tell her if he heard news about Hinata.
• Toyo Hyuga reported that Hinata had passed the preliminary round and advanced to the third examination.
• Toyo Hyuga told Hyuga Hiashi that Hinata's opponent had been Neji Hyuga, who had been sent to the Ninja Hospital after she struck him heavily.

Hiashi Hyuga decided to visit Neji at the hospital and brought an old letter he intended to give him. Neji woke from his injuries, ashamed of his outburst and stunned by Hinata’s strength, but remained unable to move.

• Hiashi Hyuga told Toyo Hyuga to prepare for a hospital visit and reflected on the Main and Branch Family tensions Neji had exposed.
• Hiashi Hyuga took an old letter from his study and set off for the hospital with Toyo Hyuga.
• Neji awoke at Konoha Ninja Hospital, immobilized in bandages and wooden boards, and gradually recalled his fight with Hinata.
• Neji regretted what he had said and realized how much stronger Hinata had been than he expected.
• Neji tried to move his arm, but sharp pain stopped him.

Neji heard Hiashi explain the truth about his father and received a letter left for him, easing his resentment. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba then continued their journey back to Konoha and discussed the exams.

• Hiashi visited Neji in the hospital, gave him his father's letter, and promised to explain the past.
• Hiashi told Neji what had happened, and Neji sensed his sincerity and fell asleep with a faint smile.
• The next morning, Hinata and the other rookies set off for Konoha in a cheerful mood.
• Hinata, Shino, and Kiba split from the others and discussed what they had learned in the Forest of Death and the preliminary matches.
• Shino explained that Neji had lost because he underestimated Hinata, then praised her speed and strength before turning to Kiba.

Hinata returned to the Hyuga Estate after passing the preliminaries and reunited with Hanabi. The sisters chatted while Hiashi quietly observed them, though Hanabi struggled to say what she really wanted to tell Hinata.

• Hinata, Shino, and Kiba agreed to train separately and meet again the day before the matches.
• Hinata recalled Might Guy crying over his students’ failures and wiping his tears on Kakashi.
• Hinata arrived at the Hyuga Estate, where Hanabi and Hiashi were waiting for her.
• Hanabi praised Hinata for passing the preliminaries, and Hiashi invited them inside.
• Hinata and Hanabi chatted in the hall while Hiashi rested, but Hanabi repeatedly held back words she wanted to say.

Hinata realized Hyuga Hiashi had seen through her act of hiding her strength, while both of them pretended not to know. After weighing how the other rookies would train during the month before the finals, she felt unsure what to do, then hit on an idea and returned to speak with Hiashi.

• Hinata reflected on Hiashi's quiet acceptance of her hidden strength and decided not to confront him about it.
• Hinata considered how Naruto, Sasuke, Shino, and the other rookies might prepare for the finals, then admitted she had no training plan of her own.
• Hinata decided to enjoy her free time with food, hot springs, and her friends instead of worrying about the coming month.
• After completing her usual training the next morning, Hinata left the Hyuga estate but stopped when she realized Hiashi's hands-off attitude could be useful.
• Hinata turned back and approached Hiashi while Hanabi practiced the Gentle Fist Style, and Hiashi asked what she wanted.

Hinata persuaded Hyuga Hiashi to let her leave Konoha under the pretext of attending a wedding in the Land of Rice. After departing alone and meeting up with Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu, she continued her journey beyond the village.

• Hinata asked Hyuga Hiashi for permission to leave Konoha for further training, and he instead sent her to the Land of Rice as his representative at a friend’s son’s wedding.
• Hyuga Hiashi gave Hinata a token for Hyuga Clan properties but no wedding gift or escort.
• Hinata told Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu she was going sightseeing and arranged to meet them outside Konoha.
• Hinata waited in the busy gate queue, then left Konoha after Hagane Kotetsu and Kotetsu Hagane processed her papers.
• Hinata crossed a forest and found Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu waiting at its exit.

Hinata, Mizuki Rei, and Kurama Mutsu left Konoha for the Land of Rice to disrupt a mission, while Hiruzen Sarutobi investigated three suspicious Sand Ninja impostors. Hiruzen learned that the real Sand Ninja had been dead for days, but he remained unsure who had replaced them or why.

• Hinata met Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu, then led them toward the Land of Rice to carry out their mission.
• An Anbu reported to Hiruzen Sarutobi that the three Sand Ninja, Kojiro, Qianmu, and Xu, appeared ordinary, while another report said the Anbu who followed them had been caught in a Genjutsu and lost track of them.
• Hiruzen ordered an Anbu to tell Baki about the reports and observe his reaction.
• An Anbu reported that ninja hounds had found the corpses of three Sand Ninja in a remote sewer, dead for several days.
• Hiruzen connected the deaths to the impostors but wondered who had replaced the genin, since the three had even helped Sakura against Otogakure.

Hinata and her two aides traveled from the Land of Fire into the Land of Rice and reached a wealthy merchant’s estate, where its lavish interior contrasted with the poverty outside. Hinata recognized the merchant’s domineering character and traded a quip with Kurama Mutsu.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi suspected another faction was interfering with Konoha’s joint Chunin Exams and ordered investigations into Iwagakure, the Cloud Ninja, and the Mist Ninja.
• Hinata crossed into the Land of Rice with her two aides and avoided stopping in a town because its people seemed driven by greed.
• Hinata and her aides reached a small city and entered a merchant’s estate after she showed an invitation.
• Hinata remarked on the estate’s luxury and the merchant’s tyrannical air, and Kurama Mutsu answered with a crude joke.

Mizuki Rei hid in a quiet courtyard and watched Wenxiang secretly read her sister’s diary. Wenxiang concluded that her sister loved Brother Liu and resolved to tell him, but she was interrupted and called back for the wedding.

• Mizuki Rei slipped away from the gathering and hid in a tree when he heard someone approaching.
• Wenxiang arrived carrying a wooden box, checked that she was alone, and read a notebook from inside it.
• Wenxiang decided that her sister truly loved Brother Liu and said she needed to tell him before the wedding could proceed.
• A woman found Wenxiang and hurried her back because her sister’s wedding was about to begin.

Mizuki Rei found a hidden diary and told Hinata what he learned from it during the wedding celebration. The celebration’s main event was about to begin, and Mizuki Rei stayed nearby in case he needed to act.

• Wenxiang left after hiding a box in the grass, and Mizuki Rei used Body Flicker to retrieve it.
• Mizuki Rei read the diary, restored the scene, and left with information he thought could help Hinata.
• Hinata ate with Kurama Mutsu and looked over her sketches while waiting for the wedding festivities to continue.
• A servant struck a gong to announce the liveliest part of the day, and Mizuki Rei appeared behind Hinata.
• Mizuki Rei told Hinata what he had discovered, while Kurama Mutsu teased him for reading a girl's diary.
• Mizuki Rei stayed with Hinata and Kurama Mutsu, expecting that he might need to act soon.

At Gu Wa and Yusuke’s wedding, Kurama Mutsu used her power to make the groom fall and the guests burst into uncontrollable laughter. The wedding descended into chaos as the laughter caused one mishap after another.

• Yusuke entered the wedding corridor with her relatives as Gu Wa approached from the opposite end.
• Gu Wa met Yusuke’s gaze, became dizzy, and stumbled to the ground before getting back up.
• Gu Wa fell again and cried out, “Oh, my dear mother!”
• The guests began laughing uncontrollably, spilling wine, knocking over a flowerpot, and losing a man’s hairpiece.
• Kurama Mutsu laughed smugly, revealing that she had caused the chaos.

Hinata, Kurama Mutsu, and Mizuki Rei disrupted Gu Song’s wedding gathering and escaped after the chaos escalated. After traveling across several borders, they reached the Land of Birds, where Hinata’s journey for the Dawn Organization began.

• Gu Song shattered his wineglass, splashing the daimyo's envoy and silencing the laughing gathering.
• Hinata and Kurama Mutsu slipped away from the estate, while Mizuki Rei fled separately after Wenxiang spotted and chased him.
• Mizuki Rei joined Hinata and Kurama Mutsu at their meeting place, and the three left the city together.
• Hinata reflected that Mizuki Rei’s diary discovery had yielded no useful information, though she had completed Hyuga Hiashi’s secret assignment.
• After five days of travel through several countries, Hinata, Kurama Mutsu, and Mizuki Rei arrived in the poor Land of Birds.

Chishima sought Menzong’s help amid growing unrest in the Land of Birds, while Hinata and her companions arrived at the capital. The story left Hinata ready to act on the matter that brought them there.

• After Lord Ohiro and Princess Toki died, Lord Sirou withdrew from public life, and Hongming gained support among the commoners.
• Chishima worried that Hongming might rebel and, unable to get through to Sirou, visited Menzong for advice.
• Menzong listened to Chishima and carefully analyzed the problems troubling him, earning Chishima’s respect.
• Hinata, Mizuki Rei, and Kurama Mutsu watched the capital of the Land of Birds from a nearby mountain at dusk.
• Hinata said the success of their plan depended on what happened next, while Kurama Mutsu praised the peaceful scenery.

Hinata and her companions arrived in the Land of Birds to investigate its capital and seek a secret base and cooperation with Toki. That night, a torch-bearing crowd shouting “Ghost!” woke Hinata, and Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu came to her room.

• Hinata and her companions traveled to the Land of Birds’ capital and entered the city before nightfall.
• The three rented rooms at an inn for twenty days and used it as a temporary base.
• A commotion in the capital woke Hinata during the night.
• Hinata looked outside and saw people carrying torches and shouting “Ghost!”
• Mizuki Rei and Kurama Mutsu arrived at Hinata’s room.

Hinata and her companions learned that the ghost appearing in the Land of Birds’ capital was rumored to be the murdered former daimyo, Lord Ohiro. Suspecting Toki had begun acting sooner than expected, Hinata decided to observe for a few days before approaching him.

• Kurama Mutsu arrived in rabbit pajamas and joked that Hinata was cursing her in her thoughts.
• The innkeeper visited Hinata’s room, lit the candles, and explained that a ghost had appeared for the third time.
• The innkeeper said people believed the ghost was Lord Ohiro, who had been murdered and sought his killer.
• After the innkeeper left, Hinata realized Toki had started acting early and chose to observe him for a few days.