Chapter Summaries

Konoha prepared for the largest Chunin Ninja Exams yet, with Hinata helping Hanabi get ready and Tsunade approving a month-long hunting exam in the mountains. The rules, point exchanges, and extensive monitoring and medical support were established before the contestants entered the grounds.

• Ninjas from many villages arrived in Konoha for an exam with more than two hundred Genin, while Hinata prepared supplies for Hanabi and warned her to be careful.
• Tsunade used her authority to move the exam outside the village and set limits on the equipment examinees could carry, while Konoha supplied each contestant with a limited selection of standard provisions and tools.
• Yuun suggested a no-rules hunting exam in which teams earned points by defeating or capturing opponents and could trade points for supplies and Safe Time.
• The exam was set to end after one month or when fewer than one-tenth of the contestants remained, with anyone holding no points declared a failure.
• Tsunade approved the dangerous format after Yuun offered ten clan members to monitor the grounds and Konoha Hospital agreed to provide additional medical staff.

Yuun’s proposed Chunin Exam format was adopted, with funding and supplies partly provided by the Hyuga Clan. As the exam began, he apologized to Hinata for keeping the plan secret and asked an examiner to look after Hanabi, while the rules set the stage for a chaotic contest where strength and influence could both decide who passed.

• Tsunade faced the high cost of paying the examiners and supplying the candidates, while Konoha’s ninja force otherwise relied largely on mission earnings.
• Yuun learned that Konoha had adopted his exam proposal, with the Hyuga Clan’s offer to help fund and supply the exams contributing to the decision.
• After the exams began, Yuun explained the plan to Hinata and apologized for keeping it from her; she accepted his apology.
• Yuun asked the examiner responsible for Hanabi’s team to look after her, and his status and strength made the request difficult to refuse.
• The exam rules allowed candidates to exchange points for supplies and Safe Time, giving examiners room to favor candidates and letting stronger teams gain an advantage.
• The rules set candidates against one another in a contest where they could pass by overpowering rivals or winning support, but the scramble for points would drive a chaotic melee.

Itachi, Kisame, and Raiga planned to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan to use Yuun’s wife as leverage, since Konoha’s Chunin Ninja Exams made a direct attack too risky. They agreed that Raiga and Itachi would enter with Ranmaru’s help while Kisame waited outside to support their escape.

• Kisame reported that Konoha was holding the Chunin Ninja Exams and that its guards were unusually alert.
• Itachi suggested luring Yuun out by targeting his wife, Hyuga Hiashi’s eldest daughter, but Kisame warned that entering Hyuga territory would be dangerous.
• Raiga volunteered to infiltrate the Hyuga Clan and claimed Ranmaru could deceive the Byakugan’s detection.
• Itachi accepted Raiga’s plan and decided that he and Raiga would infiltrate while Kisame remained outside to cover their retreat.

Itachi's group abandoned their planned infiltration of the Hyuga Clan after Kisame kidnapped Hanabi, who had stumbled upon their hiding place. They decided to use her as bait to lure out Hyuga Yuun, while Itachi promised Hanabi she would be returned within three days.

• Itachi stopped Raiga from heading toward Konoha and began planning a careful infiltration of the Hyuga Clan.
• Kisame heard Hanabi and another girl nearby, then captured Hanabi and knocked out the two Genin and the Chunin accompanying her.
• Itachi examined Hanabi's note and equipment, concluding that she was trying to report their numbers and likely held a high status in the Hyuga Clan.
• Raiga said Ranmaru could reveal their chakra and Hanabi's to White Gale, and Itachi assigned Kisame to find a battlefield and Raiga to lure White Gale there.
• Hanabi revealed that she was awake and warned the kidnappers not to provoke the Hyuga Clan, while Itachi promised she would be safe and returned within three days.

Hanabi was held captive by Itachi Uchiha, who hinted that her eyes resembled Yuun’s, while Yuun spent the evening with Hinata, unaware of her kidnapping. When someone outside called for him, Yuun left home to respond, leaving Hinata to wait for news.

• Hanabi realized that Itachi Uchiha had kidnapped her to use as bait for Yuun, and Itachi told her she would be released within two days.
• Itachi warned Hanabi that her special restraints would tighten if she struggled, then left her alone in the tree hollow.
• Yuun and Hinata played cards at home, and Yuun reassured her that Hanabi was strong and had a Chunin watching over her.
• Yuun sensed someone waiting outside, changed into his Jonin uniform, and left after telling Hinata he might not return that night.

Hyuga Yuun confronted Kisame and Itachi while demanding to know where Hanabi was. After Raiga attacked Itachi, the chapter ended with Itachi appearing behind Raiga and telling him to rest.

• Ranmaru sensed Yuun approaching, and Yuun's wind pressure scattered the mist and sent Raiga flying.
• Yuun attacked Kisame with Eight Trigrams: Land Vacuum Palm, then confronted Itachi, who revealed that Hanabi was hidden in a tree hollow fourteen kilometers east.
• Yuun said Itachi's injuries would likely kill him within three months and told him Sasuke was trying to master Blaze Release.
• Raiga burst from the rubble and stabbed Itachi, but the body scattered into crows as Yuun revealed Raiga had been caught in Genjutsu.
• Raiga raised the Thunder Blades to unleash Lightning Tornado, but Itachi appeared behind him and told him to rest.

Yuun rescued Hanabi after Itachi defeated Raiga and left, then returned toward the Hyuga Estate and encountered a drunken Asuma. Itachi reunited with an injured Kisame, and they went to find a safe place for treatment.

• Itachi used genjutsu to defeat Raiga, and Yuun let Itachi leave while Konoha ninja secured Raiga and Ranmaru.
• Yuun found Hanabi tied up in a tree hollow, freed her, and carried her back toward Konoha as she called him “brother-in-law.”
• Yuun asked a gate guard to summon a medical ninja for the Hyuga Estate, then encountered Shikamaru trying to manage a drunken Asuma after Asuma had been rejected by Kurenai.
• Choji arrived with a stretcher to help Shikamaru take Asuma home.
• Kisame told Itachi that White Gale's Palm Pressure had injured his chest, and Itachi suggested they find a safe place so he could treat him.

Kakuzu struggled to control the growing influence of Mōryō’s power as he prepared to face White Gale. Pain warned that the fusion could consume him, but Kakuzu left with Tobi, determined to kill White Gale even if it cost his life.

• Kakuzu told Pain that Mōryō’s power was changing his thoughts and revealed that he had begun developing troublesome new personalities.
• Kakuzu’s body erupted in uncontrollable tentacles, and Pain warned that the accelerating fusion could eventually make Kakuzu part of the Evil Entity.
• Kakuzu insisted the power was his only chance against White Gale and vowed to take White Gale down, even if they died together.
• Pain urged Kakuzu to return after the fight so he could try to undo the fusion, and Kakuzu left with Tobi.
• Nan told Pain she doubted Kakuzu would return, and Pain lamented that their members were dying before the organization achieved its goal.

After returning Hanabi Hyuga safely to the estate, Yuun helped Hiashi investigate Ranmaru’s mysterious Red Eyes with Tsunade. Tsunade suspected the eyes might be connected to the Byakugan, and Hiashi ordered Yuun to remain at the estate while he investigated the possibility that an enemy had stolen the Hyuga’s secrets.

• Yuun returned to the Hyuga Estate with Hanabi Hyuga, where Hinata Hyuga and Hiashi learned she had been kidnapped and rescued.
• Yuun diverted Hiashi’s attention from the security breach by showing him Ranmaru, who appeared dazed after Yuun struck him too hard.
• Tsunade examined Ranmaru and found unusual eyes, low chakra, and severe muscle atrophy; she said his eye structure resembled both the Byakugan and the Sharingan.
• Hiashi arranged for Hyuga comparison samples and warned that similar eyes in enemy hands could lead to war.
• Hiashi ordered Yuun to stay at the estate and guard Hinata, Hanabi, and Ranmaru while he investigated whether Akatsuki or another group had stolen the Byakugan’s secrets.
• After Tsunade left, Hiashi agreed to send her five hundred thousand ryo after Yuun mentioned her recent casino visit.

Sasuke mastered Blaze Release under Yuun’s guidance and prepared to leave to confront Itachi, but Kakuzu’s uncontrolled transformation brought a monster to Konoha’s gates. Sasuke struck the creature with black flames and summoned Kirin as the battle continued.

• Sasuke used Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi to cut a boulder in two, and Yuun praised him for mastering the technique before obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan.
• Yuun discussed Itachi’s strengths and weaknesses, then told Sasuke that Zabuza Momochi and Haku would join him when he left the village.
• An uncontrolled Kakuzu transformed into a huge tentacled monster and attacked Konoha, overwhelming the defending ninja and sending villagers fleeing.
• Sasuke arrived and burned Kakuzu with Blaze Release, but another ninja doused the flames with a waterfall technique.
• Sasuke heated the water with Fire Release, raised his hand toward the sky, and called down Kirin.

Sasuke fought Kakuzu’s transformed mass of flesh at Konoha’s gate, discovering it could cast Genjutsu and recover from serious injuries. After Tsunade learned of the threat, she decided to confront the monster herself rather than evacuate the village.

• Sasuke struck Kakuzu’s mass of flesh with Kirin, but it survived and transformed into a creature with one enormous eye.
• The creature’s Genjutsu affected the Konoha ninja nearby, and Sasuke ordered them to retreat and summon reinforcements.
• Sasuke activated Curse Mark Two, pierced the creature with Chidori Sharp Spear, and attacked with black flames.
• An Anbu and Sasuke’s messenger reported the monster’s abilities to Tsunade at the Hokage Building.
• Tsunade rejected evacuating the villagers and declared that she would stop the monster at the gate herself.

Tsunade mobilized Konoha to defend its gate from a powerful monster, while Yuun searched his notes and suspected it was the Ultimate Summoning Beast. Yuun negotiated with Shizune over the Hyuga Clan’s support and the monster’s remains as Tsunade went to the battlefield, though he doubted the fight would be straightforward.

• Tsunade rejected evacuating the villagers and ordered medical support, elite teams, the Academy’s closure, Hyuga assistance, and a Jonin meeting as she raised Konoha’s alert to wartime levels.
• Yuun reviewed his notes and suspected the gate-blocking monster was the Ultimate Summoning Beast, but he could not explain why it recognized him.
• Shizune delivered Tsunade’s demand for Hyuga assistance, and Yuun claimed Hiashi had already sent Sasuke to help defend the gate.
• Yuun and Shizune negotiated compensation: the Hyuga Clan would help with the aftermath, receive part of the monster’s remains, and Konoha would keep the rest.
• Yuun noticed Tsunade had gone to the gate and warned Shizune that the monster might not be dealt with easily.

Sasuke cut the regenerative flesh monster in half, only for it to split into two, while Zang and Konoha’s forces struggled to contain the creatures. As Tsunade ordered a sealing operation, Yuun arrived at the gates, unaware that a white intruder had entered the Hyuga Estate to search for him.

• Sasuke used a hidden explosive trap and Blaze Release to cut the monster in half, then left the fight after exhausting himself.
• Zang arrived and saw the monster split into two; he trapped both pieces with Wood Release, but they drained his chakra and threatened to consume him.
• Yuun left the Hyuga Estate with Hinata, Hanabi, and two Elite Jonin, while a white humanoid emerged from a servant and sank into the earth to search for him.
• Tsunade arrived with Konoha’s Jonin, and Choza Akimichi knocked one monster away after another Jonin rescued Zang.
• Zang told Tsunade the creatures regenerated, devoured chakra, and multiplied when cut, so Tsunade ordered the Sealing Corps to prepare a large-scale sealing formation.
• Yuun appeared beside Tsunade and remarked on her temper.

Yuun helped Konoha defeat and seal the regenerative fleshball monsters that attacked the village. After the crisis, he returned to the Hyuga Estate and found that Raiga had disappeared from the dungeon, leading him to suspect Zetsu and Tobi.

• Tsunade ordered Yuun to help the Sealing Corps, and he agreed to cripple the monsters first.
• Yuun destroyed one fleshball monster with his palm techniques while it regenerated, and Konoha ninjas dispersed the black smoke it released.
• Yuun evaded the second monster and exposed it to the Sealing Corps, who dragged it into a scroll with the Evil Demon Seal and secured it with the Three-Way Seal.
• Tsunade prepared to settle the score with Yuun, but Shizune stopped her and pointed out that Konoha had a duty to protect him.
• Konoha researchers developed a formation for studying the sealed monster, while Yuun discovered Raiga had vanished from the Hyuga dungeon and suspected Zetsu and Tobi.

Yuun learned that Raiga had vanished from the Hyuga Estate, while Akatsuki discussed Kakuzu’s death and assigned teams to pursue tailed-beast jinchuriki. In the Land of Hot Water, Sasuke clashed with Zabuza as Haku explained their plan to draw Akatsuki members out.

• Yuun discovered Raiga had disappeared from the Hyuga Estate and blamed Zetsu and Tobi for taking him.
• Pain questioned Zetsu about Kakuzu’s death, and Zetsu reported that Second Pillar and a Wood Release user had fought Kakuzu.
• Zetsu revealed that the Two-Tails’ jinchuriki had appeared in the Land of Hot Water, so Pain sent Itachi and Kisame to capture her and the Three-Tails.
• Deidara rejected partnering with Raiga, so Pain assigned Tobi to accompany him to the Land of Water.
• In the Land of Hot Water, Sasuke used genjutsu against Zabuza after Zabuza taunted him, and Haku intervened.
• Haku told Sasuke that he and Zabuza had spread rumors about the Two-Tails’ jinchuriki to lure Akatsuki, and asked whether Sasuke was confident he could kill his target.

Sasuke prepared to face his opponent while Kisame and Itachi headed toward the Land of Hot Water to pursue the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki. Yuun gathered Konoha's ninja and revealed plans for a surprise attack on Akatsuki-controlled Amegakure, which was set to begin in three hours.

• Haku and Zabuza left Sasuke after Haku questioned whether he could kill his opponent.
• Kisame offered to take on the mission to capture the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, and he and Itachi traveled toward the Land of Hot Water.
• Kakashi, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura joined more than a hundred Konoha ninja gathered at a smoke signal, where they found Asuma in a low mood.
• Yuun revealed that Kakuzu and Akatsuki were behind the attack on Konoha and had seized control of Amegakure.
• Kurenai Yuhi questioned the plan, and Yuun explained that Jiraiya had infiltrated Amegakure while Genma Shiranui, Raido, and Iwashi prepared to transport Konoha's forces using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Yuun ordered the gathered ninja to confirm their assignments before the operation began in three hours, as a toad surfaced in Amegakure.

Jiraiya infiltrated Amegakure and coordinated with Yuun as Konoha transported 124 shinobi there using the Flying Thunder God Technique. Nan detected their arrival, and the chapter ended with Yuun fighting her paper butterflies as Jiraiya recognized his Sage Mode.

• Nagato sensed an intruder had stopped the rain, so Pain cleared the storm and Nan scattered into sheets of paper to locate the intruder.
• Jiraiya entered Amegakure and drew a sealing rune beneath an abandoned bridge to establish contact with Konoha.
• Genma, Namiashi Raidō, and Iwashi tested their transport formation with rabbits, then sent the Konoha shinobi to Amegakure in batches.
• Yuun joined the final transport group, counted 124 arrivals, and realized Nan had already discovered them when paper butterflies surrounded the group.
• Yuun broke through the paper swarm with Dragon Turn, prompting Jiraiya to recognize that he had entered Sage Mode.

Yuun and Jiraiya led two Konoha forces toward Amegakure to confront Nagato and the Six Paths of Pain. Their groups met separate teams of Pain’s bodies, leaving Yuun and Jiraiya facing imminent battles, with Jiraiya confronting his former student Nagato.

• Yuun used Natural Energy to destroy the paper butterflies surrounding the Konoha ninja, allowing them to break through and advance toward Amegakure.
• The Konoha forces split into two groups based on their intelligence about the Six Paths of Pain, while Byakugan users located Nagato in the tower.
• Nagato detected the approaching Konoha ninja and sent the Six Paths of Pain out to intercept them in two groups.
• The Deva Path, Naraka Path, and Preta Path blocked Jiraiya’s group, while the Animal Path, Human Path, Asura Path, and Nan confronted Yuun’s group.
• Yuun dodged Nan’s paper shuriken and struck the Human Path with Fourfold Vacuum Palm before preparing to fight the four opponents.
• Jiraiya recognized the Deva Path as Nagato, urged his former student to stop, then declared that he would fight him as a Konoha ninja.

Itachi left Kisame to face Zabuza while he continued down the road toward Sasuke. Zabuza and Haku fought Kisame with mist and Ice Release, but Kisame flooded the battlefield, treated his wounds, and prepared to kill them both.

• Zabuza stopped Kisame and told Itachi he could continue toward Sasuke, while Kisame challenged Zabuza over their old rivalry.
• Itachi ordered Kisame to stay behind, and Haku emerged to help Zabuza confront him.
• Zabuza hid the battlefield in mist as Haku struck Kisame with Ice Release attacks, wounding him and shredding his cloak.
• Kisame countered with a massive Great Waterfall Technique that overwhelmed the mist, then used Water Clones to conceal himself while treating his frozen wounds.
• Zabuza and Haku destroyed Kisame's Water Clones, but Kisame smashed Zabuza's Water Dragon Bullet Technique and threatened to kill them both.

Kisame transformed by merging with Samehada and confronted Zabuza and Haku. Sasuke fought the gravely ill Itachi in a recreation of the Uchiha grounds, and Itachi collapsed after Susanoo blocked Sasuke’s Blaze Release attack.

• Kisame smashed Zabuza’s Water Dragon and merged with Samehada to prepare to fight Zabuza and Haku.
• Sasuke faced Itachi in a recreation of the old Uchiha grounds and attacked him with Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi Sword.
• Itachi countered Sasuke’s black flames with Amaterasu, then summoned Susanoo despite his illness.
• Sasuke’s black-flaming Kusanagi Sword pierced Susanoo’s skeletal ribs but could not reach Itachi.
• Itachi’s Susanoo blocked Sasuke’s Blaze Release: Dragon Flame Song Technique with the Yata Mirror, and Itachi collapsed.