Chapter Summaries

Orochimaru revealed that he had transferred his soul into a cloned younger body to enter the Chunin Ninja Exams as Snake Eater, while Pain Rin recruited Kaede to compete for Amegakure. On a deserted island, a masked man confronted Zabuza and challenged him to fight for the right to make him submit.

• Orochimaru explained to Kimimaro and Jūgo that he would compete in the exams as Snake Eater after moving his soul into a clone of his younger self.
• Pain Rin visited Takigakure and invited Kaede, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki, to join Amegakure for the exams; Kaede eagerly agreed so she could see the outside world and make friends.
• Pain Rin carried Kaede away toward Amegakure, leaving Shibuki Xiong unable to object.
• Zabuza recovered on a deserted island after escaping the Land of Waves and sensed an approaching stranger.
• A masked man in a red-cloud cloak challenged Zabuza to attack with Shibuki and promised to make him submit if he lost; Zabuza charged at him.

Obito defeated Zabuza and recruited him into Akatsuki as the South Dipper. With three seats still unfilled, Obito considered approaching Kazekage Rasa during the upcoming Chunin Exams in Konoha.

• Zabuza's explosive scrolls failed to harm Obito, who protected himself with Guardian Wood and struck what turned out to be Zabuza's Water Clone.
• Zabuza used the Hiding in Mist Technique and attacked Obito from behind with Exploding Blade Shibuki, but Obito blocked the strike with Uchiha Flame Fan and blasted Zabuza away.
• Obito revealed his Sharingan and claimed to be Kashyapa, the son of the First Hokage, before ordering Zabuza to join Akatsuki.
• Zabuza accepted the South Dipper ring because he hoped Haku was still alive and he might see him again.
• Obito reflected that Akatsuki had seven members and decided Kazekage Rasa might be a recruitable target during the upcoming Konoha Chunin Exams.

On the day of the Chunin Ninja Exams, Kaede discovered Kurotsuchi had sneaked into the participants and offered to help her enter. Meanwhile, Sakura waited for word about a possible exception to let her take the exams after her teammates died.

• Kurotsuchi tried to enter the exam hall alone, then worried in the restroom that Ōnoki had withdrawn his permission and her name was missing from the list.
• Kaede stopped Kurotsuchi from making a scene, guessed her identity, and persuaded her to reveal her true appearance by promising a way into the exams.
• Nagato told Minato that Ōnoki's granddaughter had sneaked in, and Minato said her presence resolved their problem despite the unfairness to Ōnoki.
• Sakura, whose Team 11 teammates had died on their first mission, asked Hana Inuzuka to request special permission for her to take the exams.
• Sakura waited outside the Ninja Academy, assumed Minato would not make an exception, and worried that she would never get Kaede to notice her.

Sakura was invited to the Chunin Ninja Exams and assigned to a temporary team with Takigakure Kaede and Kurotsuchi. At the first examination, Kaede spotted the red-haired Amegakure girl sitting beside him and smiled at the unexpected reunion.

• Sakura reflected on her feelings for Kaede and her disappointment at being unable to register for the Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Minato told Sakura that Hana Inuzuka had recommended her, then brought her to meet Takigakure Kaede and Kurotsuchi, her temporary teammates.
• Minato explained that the three Genin would compete as a cross-village squad, and all three declared their confidence in the team.
• Minato and Nagato discussed the arrangements, Naruto's willingness to give up his exam opportunity for Sakura, and Minato's feelings toward Kaede.
• Kaede arrived at the crowded written-exam venue and noticed the red-haired Amegakure girl take the seat beside him across the aisle.

Nagato deduced that the first exam’s real answers came from the sole staff member who marked Konoha’s emblem, while Minato revealed that examinees could still correct their papers. In the hall, several Genin realized the answers being passed around might be false and began revising, while Uzumaki Nannan became distracted by a boy staring at her.

• Nagato worked out that the staff member who marked Konoha’s emblem was the only one distributing correct answers, and Minato confirmed his deduction.
• Minato explained that the exam included one chance to correct mistakes, and Ibiki watched as the examinees worked through the test.
• Sasuke suspected that the staff were distributing fake answers after noticing the correction fluid, then erased his completed responses.
• Naruto, Gaara, Takigakure Kaede, Kurotsuchi, and other examinees began revising their answers after noticing something was wrong.
• Uzumaki Nannan struggled with the second question, glanced toward a boy across the aisle, and became dazed when he stared back at her.

During the Chunin Exam’s written test, Kaede used a powerful group genjutsu to put most of the room to sleep, then let the disruption help Nannan realize she could use ninjutsu to complete the test. The exam continued, and Nannan was left flustered by Kaede’s actions before she noticed his name on his paper: Uzumaki Kaede.

• Nannan caught Kaede staring at her, then noticed his answer sheet was blank and wondered why he was not worried.
• Kaede cast Nirvana Temple, making most examinees and a proctor fall asleep, while Gaara resisted the genjutsu with Shukaku’s help.
• Ibiki suspected Kaede was the caster but declared that the exam would continue and that any method the proctors did not detect was permitted.
• Nannan realized she could use her ninjutsu to finish the test and completed her answers as Kaede’s once-blank paper was filled in.
• The bell ended the exam, Kaede left, and Nannan spotted the name Uzumaki Kaede on his paper.

Nannan learned that Uzumaki Kaede shared her clan, while Kaede clashed with Rock Lee at the Chūnin Exam rest area and earned Lee’s respect. Hidden Stone Genin Masato selected Lee as a promising “seed” and revealed his plan to claim Kaede and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the Death Forest.

• Nannan realized Uzumaki Kaede was from her clan and decided to make room for him on her friends list.
• Rock Lee attacked Kaede at Rest Area Eight, but Kaede blocked his kick and matched his taijutsu.
• Kaede told Lee that people who were neither ordinary nor geniuses could still strive toward their goals, and Lee named him a future rival.
• Naruto and Sasuke recognized Lee’s strength, while Sasuke realized Kaede had not yet shown his full abilities.
• Masato selected Lee as a promising seed because of his intense feelings of inferiority.
• Masato declared that he intended to claim Uzumaki Kaede and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki in the Death Forest.

Sakura worried that her team would fail the first exam, then learned that Snake Eater, Kimimaro, and Jūgo had ranked first with extraordinary answers. As the contestants assembled for the Death Forest, Morino Ibiki sent Snake Eater’s disputed paper to second-examiner Mitaraishi Anko.

• Sakura met her teammates Kaede from Amegakure and Kurotsuchi, and brightened when she learned Kaede shared the name of a boy she liked.
• The first-exam results named Snake Eater, Kimimaro, and Jūgo as the top-ranked team, while Tenten and Neji discussed how correction marks affected rankings.
• Kaede questioned whether Orochimaru had acted on a whim after seeing the top results, then went to gather at the Death Forest.
• Nara Chion’s reexamination group discovered that the top team’s solution to the hardest question surpassed the standard answer and suspected one contestant had solved it for all three.
• Morino Ibiki rejected a proposal to suspend the team’s qualification and sent Snake Eater’s disputed paper to Mitaraishi Anko for the second exam.

Sakura, Kurotsuchi, and Takigakure Kaede entered the Death Forest for the second Chunin Exam and witnessed Gaara crush three Hidden Stone Genin with sand. Kurotsuchi attacked Gaara, but as he prepared to kill her, Takigakure Kaede blinded him and called on Sakura to save Kurotsuchi.

• Sakura, Kurotsuchi, and Takigakure Kaede entered Training Ground 44, and Sakura took charge of their Heaven Scroll.
• The group approached a blast site, where Gaara emerged unharmed from Zhuo's explosive attack and crushed Zhuo and two other Genin with sand.
• Sakura panicked at the sight of Gaara's killing, while Kurotsuchi rushed out to avenge her Hidden Stone companions.
• Kurotsuchi used quicklime and water to harden Gaara's sand shield, then broke it with her Rock Fist Technique, but Gaara blocked her next strike and kicked her.
• Takigakure Kaede used Scale Powder Concealment to blind Gaara and numb his raised arm, then shouted for Sakura to save Kurotsuchi.

Sakura’s clumsy attack accidentally injured Gaara and freed Kurotsuchi, who struck him with her Rock Fist Technique. Gaara then unleashed a massive quicksand wave, leaving Kurotsuchi, Takigakure Kaede, and Sakura facing disaster as Kaede prepared to use a powerful ability.

• Takigakure Kaede urged Sakura to attack Gaara while his vision and body were impaired, and Sakura charged but tripped and pulled down his waistband.
• Gaara began binding Sakura with sand, so she stabbed him with her kunai and cracked his Sand Armor, freeing Kurotsuchi.
• Gaara rushed at Sakura, but Kurotsuchi hit him with her Rock Fist Technique and sent him crashing through trees.
• Kurotsuchi and Takigakure Kaede praised Sakura’s apparent strategy, and Sakura pretended she had planned the attack.
• Gaara unleashed Quicksand Waterfall Flow, sweeping a vast wave toward the three, and Takigakure Kaede prepared to use a powerful ability to protect them.

Naruto and Sasuke arrived to stop Gaara’s sand attack, but Kaede drew everyone’s attention when he destroyed Temari and Kankuro’s combined assault. After Gaara took an interest in him, Kaede introduced himself and asked Gaara to pull up his pants.

• Naruto and Sasuke blocked Gaara’s torrent of sand, while Sakura recognized Kaede and the girls wondered about his identity.
• Temari challenged Sasuke by comparing him to Itachi, angering Sasuke and awakening his Sharingan.
• Temari attacked with Great Sickle Itachi as Kankuro sent his puppet Crow in under cover of the wind.
• Kaede used False Darkness to pierce Temari’s wind attack and blast apart Crow.
• Gaara focused on Kaede and asked his name, and Kaede introduced himself before asking Gaara to pull up his pants.

Gaara and his team withdrew after he broke Kurotsuchi’s seal, and Kaede offered the Hidden Stone team one of their extra scrolls. Takigakure Kaede asked to be friends with Kaede, while Sakura shyly greeted him and he struggled to remember her name.

• Temari urged Gaara to retreat, but he broke free of Kurotsuchi’s Lime Solidification and confronted Kaede about casting the Feather Illusion.
• Kaede denied that genjutsu was his specialty, and Gaara concealed his team in a cloud of sand and vanished with them.
• Sasuke confirmed the enemy’s chakra signatures had disappeared, and Kurotsuchi praised Kaede before he offered her team one of his extra scrolls.
• Takigakure Kaede introduced herself and asked Kaede to be friends, and he politely agreed.
• Sakura approached Kaede shyly, and he tentatively called her Kusakabe Kikuno Sakura.

During the Forest of Death exam, Kaede encouraged Sasuke to pursue strength for his own reasons, while Naruto and Sakura’s attachment to Kaede remained a source of embarrassment for him. Later, Neji and Tenten kept watch as Rock Lee trained alone and confronted an unknown figure who had crept up behind him.

• Sakura accepted Kaede calling her Kikuno Sakura, while Naruto tried to explain that Kaede often got people’s names wrong.
• At midnight, Nagato returned to the inn and reunited intimately with Konan.
• Sasuke asked Kaede what drove him to become stronger, and Kaede advised him to focus on being himself.
• Sasuke admitted that he wanted to surpass his older brother, Uchiha Itachi, and agreed to deal with Sakura so she would stop calling Kaede Kaede-kun.
• Neji and Tenten discussed keeping watch while Rock Lee trained nearby by kicking down trees.
• An unseen figure approached Rock Lee from behind, startling him when it spoke about the effort required to gain power.

Rock Lee fought Tōshiro and opened the Eight Gates after realizing the Hidden Stone trio were far beyond ordinary Genin. As Lee charged at Masato, Masato revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan and trapped him with Demon Hour.

• Masato sent Tōshiro to test Rock Lee while Neji and Tenten hurried toward the fight.
• Tōshiro struck Lee with overwhelming strength and used Earth Release: Falling Sky Rock, but Lee evaded it by removing his leg weight.
• Lee decided to hold off the intruders and opened the Eight Gates, while Neji sensed an unsettling chakra from Masato.
• Lee opened the Fifth Gate and charged at Masato, who revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan and used Dojutsu: Demon Hour.

Masato used Demon Hour to awaken Rock Lee’s dark self and turn him into a demonized servant. He ordered Lee to weaken Orochimaru, then vanished as Tenten and Neji arrived to confront the changed Lee.

• Masato’s Demon Hour trapped Rock Lee in a dark swamp where his hidden self seized control of him.
• Masato explained that Demon Hour could demonize its targets, then decided to use Lee against Orochimaru, who was disguised as Snake Eater.
• Masato ordered Lee to kill anyone who tried to stop him, then disappeared underground with Tōshiro and Akahiro.
• Tenten rushed toward Lee, but Neji warned her that Lee had been affected by an enemy technique and sensed his chakra had grown stronger.

The chapter summarizes the planned ending: Nagato and Kaede overcome their conflict, reunite with Konan, and prepare for the Otsutsuki Clan's conquest before Nagato and Konan marry years later. The author then apologizes for ending the story without fully presenting the planned plot.

• The author recounted how Nagato's conflicts with Black Zetsu, Obito, and the Impure World Reincarnation army shaped the story, while Nagato and Konan reconciled after the original Nagato returned.
• Kaede awakened the Rinnegan, revived the Ten-Tails, and fought Nagato until they reconciled and fused their power.
• Kaede revived Konan before her personality disappeared, and Nagato and Kaede absorbed the Ten-Tails, beginning the Otsutsuki Clan's conquest.
• Years later, Nagato and Konan held their wedding in Amegakure, with their three children already born.
• The author apologized to readers, explained that circumstances prevented the planned story from being shown in detail, and ended the book.