Recaps

Sasuke, Haku, and Karin were ambushed by five Root ninja in the Forest of Death, but their teamwork and Tobirama’s training turned the fight in their favor. Hiruzen rushed to intervene after learning Danzo’s Root team was missing, while two Root ninja remained alive at the end of the chapter.

• Karin sensed five powerful attackers approaching, and Sasuke identified them as Root ninja sent by Danzo.
• Sasuke, Haku, and Karin prepared for battle as the five Root ninja launched a coordinated attack.
• Tenzo reported a missing Root operational team to Hiruzen, who suspected Danzo had targeted Sasuke and hurried toward the Forest of Death.
• Sasuke and Haku combined Fire Release and Ice Release to kill one Root ninja.
• Karin restrained an attacker with Adamantine Sealing Chains, and Sasuke killed another; only two of the five Root ninja remained.

Sasuke, Haku, and Karin were rescued from Root ninja by Tenzo and Konoha ANBU, then confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi over the attack. Sasuke rejected Hiruzen’s attempt to welcome him back to Konoha and continued the chunin exams with Haku and Karin.

• Sasuke prepared a Lightning Release attack as two Root ninja fled, but Tenzo bound them with Wood Release and arrived with Konoha ANBU.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared and checked on the three, while Sasuke restrained his hatred and Haku and Karin regarded Hiruzen as their senior fellow student through Tobirama.
• Haku accused Konoha of using the exams to slaughter young candidates, and Hiruzen explained that rogue Konoha ninja had attacked to sow discord.
• Karin demanded compensation, and Hiruzen promised it after the exams while apologizing to Sasuke for failing to prevent the Uchiha Clan’s destruction.
• Sasuke declared himself a Uchiha of the Land of Grass, demanded more compensation, and led Haku and Karin away to continue the exam.
• Hiruzen let them go, recognizing that the Land of Grass and its powerful allies made confronting Sasuke too dangerous for Konoha.

Sasuke, Haku, and Karin reached the central tower after Kabuto gave them the scroll they needed, while Kabuto left to handle another task. Hiruzen confronted Danzo over his failed attempt to capture the team and revealed that Sasuke had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

• Haku asked Sasuke if he was all right after noticing his killing intent when the Hokage appeared, and Sasuke said Hiruzen would not live long enough to target them.
• Kabuto met Sasuke, Haku, and Karin at the tower and gave Sasuke the scroll he needed from the four scrolls he had collected.
• Kabuto declined to enter the tower with them and headed away to take care of another task.
• Sasuke, Haku, and Karin presented their Heaven and Earth Scrolls to the guards and passed the test.
• Hiruzen confronted Danzo about sending Root Ninja to capture the team, and Danzo defended his plan to substitute their bodies if they were killed.
• Hiruzen told Danzo that Sasuke had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, shocking Danzo.

Hiruzen Sarutobi confronted Danzo and ordered Root to stay inactive until the Chunin Ninja Exams ended, while Tetsuya and Orochimaru discussed immortality and their former teammates. Danzo then stormed into Tetsuya’s villa to seize him, only to face a Mangekyō Sharingan and the Strongman Appraisal Technique.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi warned Danzo that Root must take no action until the Chunin Ninja Exams ended, and Danzo stormed out before Hiruzen left Root headquarters.
• Tetsuya and Orochimaru drank at Tetsuya’s villa while Hatake Sakumo drank himself unconscious.
• Tetsuya praised Orochimaru’s talent and discussed how Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had approached their lives and goals.
• Danzo arrived at Tetsuya’s villa, intent on making Tetsuya his servant and taking control of his company and country.
• Danzo entered the villa and saw scarlet Mangekyō eyes as someone shouted, “Take my Strongman Appraisal Technique!”

Tetsuya tormented Danzo with a forced-pregnancy ability and uncovered his plan to control Tetsuya with a cursed seal. After removing Danzo’s Sharingan and arranging to replace them with Orochimaru’s failed imitations, Tetsuya prepared to use Kotoamatsukami to deal with him.

• Tetsuya made Danzo experience pregnancy and childbirth, silenced his screams, and intensified the torment until Danzo passed out.
• Orochimaru summoned snakes that retrieved cursed-seal materials from Danzo, and Tetsuya realized Danzo had planned to control him and his organizations.
• Tetsuya exposed Danzo’s Sharingan arm, took the eyes for Sasuke to use as Revival Coins, and asked Orochimaru for replacement eyes.
• Orochimaru provided a jar of failed Sharingan, and Tetsuya revealed that he had Kotoamatsukami to keep Danzo from revealing their connection.

Hiruzen Sarutobi learned that the Daimyo of the Land of Grass had been attacked and rushed to contain the diplomatic fallout, while Tetsuya complained to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire before several great-nation daimyos. In the Forest of Death, Sasuke’s team prepared for the preliminaries after Naruto Uzumaki’s team arrived.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi heard that the Daimyo of the Land of Grass had been attacked and suspected Danzo was responsible.
• Hiruzen ordered a ninja to have Tenzo watch Danzo and claim Danzo had not left Root, then hurried to meet the Daimyo of the Land of Grass.
• Tetsuya tearfully told the Daimyo of the Land of Fire that he had been attacked, while daimyos from the other great nations watched.
• Hiruzen entered the Daimyo of the Land of Fire’s hall and faced the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and the daimyos of four great nations.
• Karin told Sasuke that Naruto Uzumaki’s team was the last to arrive and that the preliminaries would begin in an hour.
• Sasuke told Karin and Haku to finish Naruto quickly if they faced him, then led them toward the Staging Area.

Sasuke clashed with Gaara in the Chunin Exam preparation area, then told Kakashi that Orochimaru had taught him Chidori. After Gaara was led away, Sasuke locked eyes with a Hyuga candidate, setting up a Byakugan and Sharingan standoff.

• Gaara confronted Sasuke, and Sasuke provoked him until Gaara attacked with sand.
• Kakashi stopped the fight with an Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall and warned Sasuke and Gaara that fighting before the exam would disqualify them.
• Kakashi questioned Sasuke about Chidori, and Sasuke said Orochimaru had taught him the technique.
• Gaara threatened to kill Sasuke in the arena, and Baki led Gaara and his teammates away.
• Sasuke activated his Sharingan and stared down a candidate with white eyes, while Kabuto recalled the rivalry between the Byakugan and Sharingan.

Sasuke assessed Neji as the strongest of Konoha’s candidates before Ibiki announced one-on-one preliminary duels for the unexpectedly large group of genin who passed. Kabuto withdrew, and the chapter ended as candidates began drawing lots for their matches.

• Sasuke judged Neji to be Konoha’s strongest candidate and dismissed most of his teammates as average.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura replaced Hiruzen Sarutobi to preside over the preliminaries with Anko and Ibiki Morino.
• Ibiki announced that the high number of candidates required a preliminary round and invited exhausted genin to withdraw.
• Kabuto Yakushi withdrew, encouraged Naruto, and left as other candidates also dropped out.
• Ibiki explained the one-on-one duel rules and ordered the candidates to draw lots for their pairings.

After securing compensation from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tetsuya returned home and joined Orochimaru for a drink as the Chunin Exam preliminaries began. Sasuke won the opening match, drawing the attention of Naruto, Neji, Rock Lee, and Might Guy.

• Tetsuya and Zabuza discussed Hiruzen Sarutobi's protection of Danzo and suspected Hiruzen was protecting his own interests.
• Tetsuya sent Zabuza to watch over Haku and the others, then examined contracts transferring two Konoha shopping streets to him as compensation.
• Tetsuya returned home, where Orochimaru said Sakumo had gone back and expressed excitement about the coming attack on Hiruzen.
• Sasuke defeated a Konoha genin with a fast punch and a spinning kick, winning the first preliminary match.
• Naruto envied Sasuke's strength, while Neji, Rock Lee, and Might Guy praised his speed, power, and control.

The Chunin Exam preliminaries continued as Sasuke, Haku, and Karin won their matches, while Sakura and Ino drew and were both eliminated. Neji and Hinata then faced each other, and Neji used the match to teach her Gentle Fist while concealing his deeper plans for the Hyuga Clan.

• Sasuke, Haku, and Karin each defeated their opponents with ease, and Konoha's team leaders worried about the strength of the three Grass genin.
• Shino and Shikamaru passed their matches, while Sakura and Ino exhausted themselves in a draw that eliminated them both.
• Gekko Hayate announced Neji Hyuga versus Hinata Hyuga, and both cousins entered the ring as Naruto cheered Hinata on.
• Neji remembered his desire to reform the Hyuga Clan and his master's advice to remain a hidden dragon until the right moment.
• Neji and Hinata began their Gentle Fist match, and Neji corrected Hinata's technique while Naruto shouted encouragement and Kakashi explained that Neji was teaching her.

Neji defeated Hinata after realizing that the Hyuga Clan’s system, rather than any individual, had caused his resentment. Naruto then won his match against a Kumogakure genin, and Rock Lee began his preliminary fight against Gaara.

• Neji used the Gentle Fist against Hinata, then pushed her out of the arena and won their match.
• Naruto comforted Hinata, who accepted her loss and praised his confidence.
• Naruto defeated a Kumogakure genin by wearing him down and finishing with Multiple Shadow Clones.
• Rock Lee faced Gaara, caught the stopper Gaara launched before the match began, and took his stance when Gekko Hayate called the start.

Rock Lee fought Gaara and removed his ankle weights to overcome Gaara’s automatic sand defense. Lee landed several blows and forced Gaara to reveal sand armor, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Gaara’s sand blocked Rock Lee’s attacks and even ambushed him, while Naruto argued with Kankuro in the stands.
• Rock Lee removed his heavy ankle weights and rushed past Gaara’s sand defense, striking him for the first time.
• Lee used his speed to break apart Gaara’s sand shield and knocked Gaara to the ground with a punch.
• Gaara stood back up as flakes of sand fell from his face, and Neji identified the sand armor covering his body.
• Kankuro and Temari realized that making Gaara use the armor meant Lee had put him in real danger.

Rock Lee used the Front Lotus against Gaara, but Gaara survived with a Sand Clone and attacked him. Lee opened the Eight Gates and unleashed the Reverse Lotus, leaving Gaara suspended in the air as the fight continued.

• Rock Lee struck Gaara with the Front Lotus, but Gekko Hayate discovered that the figure in the crater was a Sand Clone.
• Gaara attacked the injured Rock Lee with sand and declared that he intended to kill him.
• Rock Lee recovered his speed, and Might Guy revealed that he had taught Lee the Lotus technique.
• Rock Lee opened the third and fourth gates and overwhelmed Gaara with a barrage of attacks.
• Rock Lee opened the fifth gate, caught Gaara with a bandage, and began the Reverse Lotus.

Rock Lee fought Gaara fiercely but was defeated after Gaara broke his arm and leg, while Might Guy saved him from a fatal attack. The preliminaries ended, and Hiruzen Sarutobi drew the final exam pairings, which would take place in one month.

• Rock Lee exhausted himself with the Reverse Lotus, but Gaara survived by turning his gourd into sand and defeated him with Sand Binding Coffin.
• Might Guy stopped Gaara from killing Rock Lee and explained that he had saved him because Lee was his most beloved student.
• Though unconscious and gravely injured, Rock Lee stood up to fight again, and Gekko Hayate declared Gaara the winner.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi gathered the twenty finalists and began drawing their pairings for the final exam.
• Naruto Uzumaki was matched against Neji Hyuga, and Sasuke Uchiha was matched against Gaara.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi announced the remaining matchups and set the final exam for one month later.

Naruto asked Kakashi to teach him new ninjutsu before the Chunin Exam finals, then tried to study a technique Kushina had dictated from the Scroll of Seals. When Nohara Himawari (Rin) recognized the Flying Thunder God Technique on his scroll, she offered to teach him and revealed that she was super strong.

• Naruto celebrated passing the preliminaries with Kakashi, Hinata, and Sakura at Ichiraku Ramen and asked Kakashi to teach him new ninjutsu before the finals.
• Kakashi agreed to consider which techniques would suit Naruto and said he would teach him in a few days.
• Naruto trained early the next morning, but struggled to understand the technique Kushina had dictated from the Scroll of Seals.
• Kushina argued with the Nine-Tails after he laughed at Naruto's difficulty with the scroll.
• Nohara Himawari (Rin) gave Naruto fruit, recognized the scroll's technique as the Flying Thunder God Technique, and offered to teach him, saying she was super strong.

Rin revealed that she knew Flying Thunder God and Rasengan, then took Naruto outside Konoha and began teaching him ninjutsu. Naruto mastered Rasengan but struggled with Flying Thunder God, and he planned to train with Kakashi the next day.

• Rin demonstrated Flying Thunder God to Naruto and used it to take him away from the clearing.
• Kushina recognized the technique and wondered how Nohara Himawari knew Minato’s signature ninjutsu; the Nine-Tails joked that she might be Minato’s illegitimate daughter, enraging Kushina.
• Rin showed Naruto Rasengan and patiently taught him, and he returned to her for training over the next two days.
• Naruto mastered a basic Rasengan but struggled to grasp Flying Thunder God.
• Naruto told Rin he would learn ninjutsu from Kakashi the next day, and Rin offered to teach Kakashi a lesson if he neglected him.

Kakashi took Naruto to Ebisu for chakra-control training, but Naruto already knew or quickly mastered the exercises Ebisu taught him. The chapter ended with Ebisu charging at Jiraiya near the women’s bathhouse and getting hurled away by a giant toad.

• Naruto agreed to let Kakashi take him to a chakra-control specialist, provided Kakashi later taught him ninjutsu.
• Kakashi introduced Naruto to Ebisu, whom Naruto recognized as Konohamaru’s private tutor and teased about a past encounter.
• Ebisu bought Naruto ramen and took him to a river to teach him Water Walking, but Naruto showed he had already mastered it.
• Ebisu tried other chakra-control exercises, but Naruto already knew them or learned them almost immediately.
• Ebisu spotted Jiraiya crouching near the women’s bathhouse, charged at him, and was flung away by a giant toad.

Naruto persuaded Jiraiya to train him after exposing the Sannin’s weakness for his Sexy Jutsu. When Jiraiya offered to teach him the Rasengan, Naruto revealed that Sister Aoi had already taught it to him, leaving Jiraiya baffled.

• Naruto tried to wake the unconscious Ebisu, then confronted Jiraiya and demanded that he teach him ninjutsu.
• Kushina told Naruto that Jiraiya was Minato’s teacher and one of Konoha’s legendary Sannin.
• Naruto used the Sexy Jutsu to distract Jiraiya, who agreed to train him in exchange for Naruto helping with his research.
• Jiraiya praised Naruto’s fundamentals and offered to teach him the Rasengan.
• Naruto demonstrated a Rasengan he had learned from Sister Aoi, and Jiraiya wondered how she knew the jutsu.

Jiraiya learned that Nohara Himawari had taught Naruto the Rasengan and knew the Flying Thunder God Technique, leading him to suspect her identity and ask Hiruzen Sarutobi to investigate. Jiraiya proposed that she might be the supposedly dead Rin Nohara or an outsider who learned Minato’s techniques and returned to help Naruto.

• Naruto told Jiraiya that Nohara Himawari had taught him the Rasengan and knew the Flying Thunder God Technique.
• Jiraiya taught Naruto Fire Release: Flame Bullet, then went to the Hokage Building to ask Hiruzen Sarutobi about Nohara Himawari.
• Hiruzen said the ANBU had identified Himawari as a relative of the Nohara family and that Rin Nohara had died in the war.
• Jiraiya warned Hiruzen that Himawari knew the Rasengan and Flying Thunder God, and said Naruto had already learned the Rasengan from her.
• Jiraiya suggested Himawari might be the surviving Rin Nohara or an outsider who had learned Minato’s techniques and returned to repay a debt to Naruto.

Hiruzen Sarutobi tasked Jiraiya with investigating Nohara Himawari while keeping the matter quiet until the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams ended. As the final round began, Tetsuya joined the gathered Daimyo and watched the arena, anticipating the coming Konoha Crush Plan.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi agreed that someone might be targeting Naruto and asked Jiraiya to investigate Nohara Himawari while staying close to Naruto.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered Jiraiya to keep the investigation secret until the Joint Chunin Ninja Exams were over.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Tenzo a proposal to renovate the spectators' area for the Daimyo, and Tenzo completed the new pavilion.
• Tetsuya left his residence with Shinada of the Salamander and went to watch the final round of the exams.
• The Daimyo of the Land of Fire welcomed Tetsuya, who watched the pavilion where Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Kazekage would sit and discussed who might succeed Hiruzen.

The Chunin Exams final round began with Naruto Uzumaki facing Neji Hyuga. Neji countered Naruto’s attacks with the Hyuga clan’s techniques and followed up with an Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi opened the final round, and Tetsuya noticed Orochimaru disguised as the Kazekage while Gekko Hayate remained alive.
• Gekko Hayate announced Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga as the first contestants, while Hyuga Hiashi silently endured spectators’ insults about Neji’s Branch Family status.
• Naruto used Multiple Shadow Clones, but Neji defeated them all with Gentle Fist.
• Naruto attacked with Rasengan, but Neji repelled it using Eight Trigrams Palm, Rotation, astonishing the Hyuga clan members.
• Neji followed his counterattack with Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

Naruto used Fire Release and shadow-clone tactics against Neji, but Neji overcame his trap and won the first match. As Sasuke and Gaara prepared to fight, Sound Ninja took their assigned positions throughout Konoha.

• Neji blocked Naruto’s Flame Bullet and a sea of fire with Rotation, while Naruto and Tetsuya explained Naruto’s large chakra reserves to the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
• Naruto used shadow clones to restrain Neji and attacked with a Rasengan, but Neji broke free using his strength and threw Naruto out of the arena.
• Neji praised Naruto’s performance, and Gekko Hayate announced Neji Hyuga as the winner.
• Naruto promised to challenge Neji again, and Gekko Hayate announced the next match between Sasuke Uchiha of the Land of Grass and Gaara of Sunagakure.
• Sound Ninja moved into their assigned positions around Konoha while the spectators watched the matches, unaware of their presence.

Sasuke fought Gaara as the Sound Ninja's genjutsu launched Orochimaru's attack on the Hokage and the daimyo. Orochimaru revealed himself to Hiruzen Sarutobi, trapping them together on the rooftop as the invasion began.

• Sasuke shattered Gaara's sand attack and activated his Sharingan as they continued fighting.
• The Sound Ninja put the spectators under genjutsu, while Kakashi and Might Guy recognized the attack and Guy went to protect the daimyo.
• Namiashi Raidō rushed to warn Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the disguised Orochimaru took Hiruzen hostage and led him onto the rooftop.
• Kidomaru, Jirobo, Tayuya, and Sakon and Ukon raised the Four Violet Flames Formation around Hiruzen and Orochimaru, and an ANBU member was burned trying to break through.
• The daimyo refused to evacuate and ordered Might Guy to guard them while they watched the fight.
• Orochimaru removed his disguise and revealed himself to Hiruzen, declaring that the Third Hokage would cease to exist.

Orochimaru began the Konoha Crush while fighting Hiruzen Sarutobi inside the Four Violet Flames Formation. As Tetsuya joined Tobirama Senju to watch, Orochimaru summoned Hashirama Senju and Minato Namikaze with the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.

• Sunagakure ninja summoned a giant three-headed snake that smashed through Konoha's walls.
• Orochimaru taunted Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the two fought with ninjutsu inside the Four Violet Flames Formation.
• Tetsuya left the pavilion and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to find Tobirama Senju, who said he had come to witness Hiruzen's fate without intervening.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned Enma while Orochimaru summoned two coffins and used the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.
• Hashirama Senju and Minato Namikaze appeared from Orochimaru's coffins.

Hashirama Senju and Minato Namikaze were resurrected by Orochimaru and forced to fight Hiruzen Sarutobi, while Tetsuya and Tobirama discussed bringing Hashirama back to life. As Sunagakure's attack continued and Konoha fell into chaos, Jiraiya arrived to defend the village.

• Hashirama Senju and Minato Namikaze awakened through Impure World Reincarnation and learned from Orochimaru that Hiruzen Sarutobi remained Hokage and Naruto was treated as the Demon Fox.
• Orochimaru placed control talismans in Hashirama and Minato, then sent them to attack Hiruzen Sarutobi.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi fought Hashirama's Wood Release and Minato's Flying Thunder God and Rasengan attacks.
• Tetsuya told Tobirama that he planned to resurrect Hashirama Senju after Madara Uchiha.
• Jiraiya summoned a giant toad that crushed the Three-Headed Snake and appeared to stop Sunagakure's assault on Konoha.