Chapter Summaries

Naruto and his teammates waited anxiously for Tenka to help Karin before entering the Central Tower. Inside, Gaara grew violent while waiting for his companions, and Temari tried to stop him, ending with Gaara attacking her.

• Naruto's Shadow Clone found Tenka at the Hyuga Clan's entrance, and Tenka agreed to help Karin.
• Tenka appeared before Team 7, took Karin with him, and left Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to enter the Central Tower.
• Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke headed for the tower while Gaara waited angrily for the people he cared about to arrive.
• Gaara left his room and went to the tower entrance as Temari and Kankuro followed him.
• Temari apologized to a Konoha ninja and begged Gaara to return, but Gaara formed a sand hand to seize her.

Team 7 arrived at the Central Tower, ending the second stage of the Chunin Ninja Exams, and the preliminary matches began. Hinata faced Neji in a Gentle Fist showdown, where her progress surprised him as she unleashed Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

• Gaara stopped attacking Temari and Kankuro when Team 7 arrived, then returned to his room with a slight smile.
• The Third Hokage announced that the finals would be held in a month and started the preliminary matches, where Sasuke, Shino Aburame, Kankuro, Shikamaru Nara, and Naruto Uzumaki won while Ino Yamanaka conceded to Sakura Haruno and Temari defeated Tenten.
• Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga began their match, with Neji holding back as Hinata attacked using Gentle Fist.
• Hinata advanced from Thirty-Two Palms to Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, forcing Neji to respond with the same technique.
• Hinata used Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, and Neji broke apart the rushing airflow with a chakra-powered strike.

Hinata conceded her match to Neji, and the next bout began between Gaara and Rock Lee. Lee struggled against Gaara’s sand until Might Guy allowed him to remove his weights, leaving the spectators stunned by their immense heaviness.

• Hinata conceded, and Genma Shiranui declared Neji the winner; Neji praised her progress and confidence.
• Genma Shiranui drew Gaara against Rock Lee, and Neji warned Lee not to underestimate his opponent.
• Gaara’s sand blocked Lee’s attacks and repeatedly stopped him from closing in, while Neji told Team 7 that Lee could use only taijutsu.
• Might Guy urged Lee to remove his weights, and Lee dropped them onto the arena floor with a crash that shocked the spectators.
• Kakashi questioned Guy’s harsh training, and Guy replied that Lee had chosen it to catch up with others through extraordinary effort.

Little Lee broke through Gaara’s Sand Armor with the Front Lotus, but Gaara escaped the attack and countered while Lee was exhausted. Refusing to surrender, Lee opened the Life Gate and then the Wound Gate as the fight reached its next stage.

• Little Lee’s speed overwhelmed Gaara’s sand, and he cracked Gaara’s Sand Armor with a series of attacks.
• Little Lee used the Front Lotus to slam Gaara into a crater, but Gaara escaped and left behind an empty shell of sand.
• Gaara attacked the exhausted Little Lee with waves of sand, while Sakura urged him to surrender and Guy insisted he would not give up.
• Gaara prepared another attack as Little Lee opened the Life Gate and the Wound Gate, turning bright red and releasing a powerful surge of energy.

Little Lee overwhelmed Gaara with the Eight Gates and Reverse Lotus, but Gaara survived and counterattacked after Lee lost the ability to move. Lee stood again despite catastrophic injuries, leaving Might Guy, Naruto, and the others shaken as the medical team warned he might never become a ninja again.

• Little Lee opened the Gate of Limit and battered Gaara with the Reverse Lotus, smashing him into a crater.
• Gaara survived by cushioning his fall with sand, then used Sand Binding Coffin to break Little Lee's arm and leg.
• Might Guy stopped Gaara from killing Little Lee and said he had saved his most beloved student.
• Little Lee stood up unconscious and badly injured, driven by his determination to prove his ninja way.
• The medical team told Might Guy that Little Lee had suffered fractures throughout his body and might never recover or become a ninja again.

After the preliminary matches ended, the Third announced the finalists and had them draw opponents for the finals a month later. Tenka dismissed the third round’s importance and began planning training for Sasuke and Sakura, while Naruto insisted on competing.

• Choji lost the final preliminary match to Dosu, leaving Dosu as the only member of Orochimaru’s Sound Ninja trio to reach the finals.
• The Third announced the finalists and arranged a new draw so they could train for their opponents during the coming month.
• Tenka treated Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to grilled meat and said the Chunin Ninja Exams had effectively ended after the second round.
• Sasuke asked to improve his physical abilities, and Tenka assigned him Lightning Body Tempering.
• Sakura asked how to increase her chakra, and Tenka told her to seek recognition from her other personality and offered to let them talk the next day.
• Naruto asked Tenka what training he would receive.

Tenka gave Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura training advice, then lent Naruto enough money to buy a house for Karin and told him to master chakra nature transformation within a month. After the group discovered how wealthy Tenka was, he went to confront Jiraiya and demand his Summoning Scroll.

• Tenka told Naruto to improve his Rasengan and train Wind Release by cutting leaves, while giving Sasuke and Sakura guidance.
• Naruto asked to bring Karin along, and Sakura offered to let her stay at her home while Naruto saved for a house.
• Tenka lent Naruto a card, ordered him to master chakra nature transformation in a month, and told Sakura to hold the card for Team 7's future expenses.
• Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke checked the card balance, were stunned by Tenka's enormous fortune, and set out to choose a large house.
• Tenka appeared near Konoha's Hot Spring Village and demanded Jiraiya's Summoning Scroll, prompting Jiraiya to hand it over in alarm.

Tenka took Jiraiya’s Mount Myoboku Summoning Scroll and gave Neji advice after revealing his mastery of Gentle Fist momentum. The next day, Tenka trained Team 7 and Karin, while Might Guy sought permission to leave Konoha and find Tsunade to save Little Lee.

• Tenka forced Jiraiya to hand over the Summoning Scroll, then left after saying it was for the Fourth’s child.
• Tenka warned Neji that he could not beat Naruto in their upcoming match and advised him to see more of the world.
• Tenka demonstrated Gentle Fist momentum to Neji, and Hiashi asked him to record his training insights in the clan genealogy.
• Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Karin settled into a new home, then began training under Tenka, who arranged training and summoning contracts for them.
• Might Guy learned that Little Lee had little chance of recovery without Tsunade and asked the Hokage for permission to search for her.

Tenka agreed to operate on Little Lee after Might Guy sought his help, and he assessed Lee's severe injuries at the hospital. Tenka gave the operation an 80% chance of success, higher than Tsunade's estimated 60%, but the decision remained with Might Guy and Little Lee.

• The Third told Might Guy that Tenka, Tsunade's disciple, might be able to treat Little Lee, so Might Guy hurried to find him.
• At the Hyuga training ground, Sakura asked Tenka to help Little Lee, and Tenka agreed to go to the hospital.
• Might Guy tried to kneel in gratitude, but Tenka stopped him and went with him to see Little Lee.
• Tenka used his Byakugan to examine Little Lee's widespread fractures, torn muscles, and bone fragments near vital nerves.
• Tenka said surgery had an 80% chance of success, compared with Tsunade's maximum 60% chance.

Tenka agreed to operate on Little Lee, whose successful surgery allowed him to recover in time for the Chunin Ninja Exams finals. The finals began with Neji overwhelming Naruto in their first match, leaving Naruto battered and his chakra points mostly sealed.

• Tenka explained that his Byakugan gave him the best chance of repairing Little Lee’s severe injuries, and Little Lee chose to undergo the operation.
• Tenka successfully operated on Little Lee, who recovered over the following month and attended the finals.
• Genma Shiranui announced Neji and Naruto as the first contestants in the finals.
• Neji immediately attacked Naruto with Gentle Fist techniques and struck him with Eight Trigrams Two Hundred Fifty-Six Palms.
• Neji sent Naruto crashing into a wall, leaving him bruised, swollen, and with most of his chakra points sealed.