Chapter Summaries

An Uchiha jonin crushed a disturbance among the Sand Village prisoners, then announced that Hokage-sama would let some of them earn Konoha status. The prisoners were promised a chance to form the Hidden Sand Division, with their work determining who could take the final assessment.

• An Uchiha chunin killed the Sand shinobi who incited the prisoners, and the crowd fell to their knees and begged for mercy.
• The Uchiha jonin told the prisoners that they were defeated captives and that being allowed to work was already Hokage-sama's mercy.
• The Uchiha jonin pointed out that former Sand shinobi overseers had earned a place in Konoha through their actions.
• The Uchiha jonin announced that five hundred prisoners could qualify for a final assessment to gain Konoha status and form the Hidden Sand Division.
• The Uchiha jonin said later batches of slots would be available and urged the prisoners to work hard for the chance to become respected ninja again.

Mei Terumi agreed to send the Mist Division to fight alongside Konoha, while Hidden Mist Village’s relocation continued. In the Land of Water, Uchiha Shunichi and Konoha’s elite seized the daimyo, leaving him demanding to know who they were.

• Uchiha Yao ordered Mei Terumi to send one thousand Mist Division shinobi under Ao and Chojuro to the border to harass and scout against Stone Village and the allied forces.
• Uchiha Yao explained that the Mist Division would fight in small squads beside Konoha shinobi to build trust and integrate them, and Mei Terumi accepted the order.
• Konoha’s Logistics Department helped transport the remaining Hidden Mist Village residents and supplies to the Land of Fire.
• Uchiha Shunichi led more than a hundred Konoha elites in a night raid on the Land of Water’s daimyo’s mansion.
• Konoha’s forces subdued the mansion’s guards and dragged the Land of Water’s daimyo from his bed.

Konoha’s forces took over the Land of Water, and the Hidden Cloud Village and Stone Village learned that Kirigakure had been absorbed. The Raikage chose to avoid a major war with Konoha, while Ōnoki remained a threat waiting to exploit the conflict.

• Hidden Cloud patrols and Stone Village supply lines suffered attacks from masked ninjas using Water Release and the Silent Killing Technique.
• ANBU reported that Kirigakure had been abandoned and the Land of Water had fallen to the Land of Fire’s army.
• The Raikage raged at Kirigakure’s submission to Konoha and demanded that his troops mobilize against Uchiha Yao.
• Mabui and Darui warned the Raikage that Konoha’s expanded strength made a direct fight dangerous and could let Ōnoki profit.
• The Raikage ordered the Hidden Cloud border forces to fall back, enter maximum alert, and avoid large-scale clashes with Konoha.

After learning that the Hidden Cloud Village had withdrawn, Ōnoki pulled Iwagakure’s forces back to Kusagakure and prepared a fortified defense against Uchiha Yao. In Konoha, Uchiha Yao received confirmation that Kirigakure and the Land of Water had been annexed and that Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga had reached Jonin-level strength.

• An Iwagakure ANBU operative reported that the Hidden Cloud Village had withdrawn thirty li from the border and abandoned its front line against Konoha.
• Ōnoki ordered Iwagakure’s forces to abandon the front line and move into Kusagakure to build an impregnable fortress.
• Ōnoki resolved to use Iwagakure’s land and its ninja’s determination to resist Uchiha Yao.
• A few days later, Uchiha Yao received notifications confirming Kirigakure’s annexation and Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga’s advancement to Jonin-level strength.

Uchiha Yao tested his new Six Paths abilities, discovering that Heavenly Dominion could imprison enemies, grow stronger from residents, and strike with overwhelming force. After demonstrating its power in the desert, he went to Konoha Prison to test Soul Binding.

• Uchiha Yao learned that Soul Binding could imprison enemies and extract their power to strengthen Heavenly Dominion and himself.
• Uchiha Yao unlocked Living Being Resonance, which let willing residents nourish and expand Heavenly Dominion with their life energy.
• Uchiha Yao compressed Heavenly Dominion into a black sphere and hurled it into the desert, creating a gigantic crater with its impact.
• Uchiha Yao returned to Konoha and appeared before the prison, where the guards recognized him as Hokage and knelt.
• Uchiha Yao entered Konoha Prison as the hidden security ninja emerged and bowed before him.

Uchiha Yao discovered that prisoners sealed in his Heavenly Dominion space could nourish and expand it, so he ordered Konoha Prison to bring out every criminal sentenced to death or life imprisonment. The prisoners were dragged from their cells as the prison erupted into chaos.

• Uchiha Yao sealed a Chunin-level rogue ninja inside Heavenly Dominion, where the space extracted his energy while keeping him alive.
• Uchiha Yao realized that the rogue ninja's power expanded Heavenly Dominion and could eventually strengthen him through feedback.
• Uchiha Yao returned to Konoha Prison and ordered the warden to bring out all prisoners sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
• Uchiha Yao crushed the warden with his pressure until he obeyed and sent guards to gather the prisoners.
• Ninja dragged more than a hundred criminals from the deepest cells, and Uchiha Yao walked to the prison's enclosed exercise area as chaos spread.

Uchiha Yao absorbed 186 prisoners into the Heavenly Imperial Space and discovered that their energy could expand his world. After ordering the prison to save future criminals for him, he summoned Shikaku Nara to discuss his next plans.

• Uchiha Yao transported 186 prisoners, including three jonin, into crystal cages in the Heavenly Imperial Space, where their energy nourished its core.
• Uchiha Yao calculated that the space could grow without limit with enough nourishment and considered using both captured ninja and willing Konoha residents to expand it.
• Uchiha Yao ordered the warden to stop executing heinous criminals and report to him once their numbers grew.
• Uchiha Yao returned to the Hokage's office and sent an ANBU ninja to summon Shikaku Nara.
• Shikaku Nara entered the office a few minutes later.

Uchiha Yao brought Naruto and Hinata into the Heavenly Imperial Space, where Naruto and the Nine-Tails greatly accelerated its growth. After demonstrating his control over the world, Yao considered moving Naruto there to train and graduate early, while Kurama reacted with alarm to the independent world.

• Uchiha Yao opened a rift and led Naruto and Hinata into the Heavenly Imperial Space.
• Naruto and Hinata's life energy, especially the Nine-Tails' power, rapidly boosted the space's expansion.
• Uchiha Yao decided Naruto should graduate early and live and train in the space.
• Uchiha Yao explained that he controlled the world but could not create life, and Naruto compared it to a wilderness survival training ground.
• Kurama recognized the space as a real world independent of the shinobi world and roared in alarm.
• Uchiha Yao looked through Naruto at Kurama in the Sealing Space.

Uchiha Yao summoned Umino Iruka and ordered him to arrange early graduation for Naruto and Hinata. Iruka accepted that both had surpassed the academy’s standards and left to prepare their graduation assessments.

• Uchiha Yao sent an ANBU to summon Umino Iruka to the Hokage's office.
• Uchiha Yao told Iruka that Naruto and Hinata would graduate early, but Iruka questioned whether they were ready.
• Uchiha Yao cited Kakashi Hatake's early graduation and asked Iruka to compare Naruto's strength with Kakashi's.
• Iruka recalled Naruto's powerful techniques and victories, then accepted that Naruto and Hinata were ready to graduate.
• Iruka promised to arrange the graduation assessments and left the office.

Hokage-sama ordered Naruto and Hinata to graduate from the Ninja Academy early, and they accepted the decision. After their classmates reacted with shock and Sasuke felt threatened, Naruto approached Gaara to tell him the news.

• Iruka told Naruto and Hinata that Hokage-sama had ordered them to graduate early, and both agreed to follow Sensei's decision.
• Naruto and Hinata returned to the classroom to pack and say goodbye to their classmates.
• Kiba, Ino, Sakura, and the other students reacted with disbelief, while Sasuke silently resented Naruto getting ahead of him again.
• Naruto approached Gaara and told him that he was graduating early.

After Naruto and Hinata left the Academy, Gaara decided he wanted to graduate early rather than be alone again. Sasuke also chose to seek early graduation, driven by his determination not to fall behind Naruto, while Mikoto warned him not to become like Itachi.

• Gaara felt lonely after Naruto and Hinata left, and Temari encouraged him to ask the Hokage to graduate early.
• That night, Mikoto noticed Sasuke was unusually quiet and asked what had happened at school.
• Sasuke told Mikoto that Naruto and Hinata would graduate early and declared that he wanted to graduate too, become a real ninja, and keep up with Naruto.
• Mikoto supported Sasuke but solemnly warned him never to become like his brother, Itachi.
• Sasuke reacted angrily when Mikoto brought up Itachi.

Gaara asked Uchiha Yao to let him and Temari graduate early, and Yao agreed on the condition that they pass the assessment with Naruto and Hinata. The four gathered at Training Ground Three for their graduation assessment, but Sasuke arrived before it began.

• Gaara asked Uchiha Yao to approve early graduation for him and Temari.
• Uchiha Yao agreed, requiring Gaara and Temari to pass Naruto and Hinata's assessment and join them as a team.
• Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, and Temari gathered at Training Ground Three for an assessment overseen by Umino Iruka, with an active jonin set to test their teamwork.
• Second Pillar appeared at the training ground, and Naruto recognized him as Sasuke.

Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, and Temari completed Iruka’s first two assessments and worked together against a jonin in the final sparring test. Their coordinated attack left the jonin caught by Gaara’s sand after Hinata forced him to evade.

• Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, and Temari passed the Three Transformations assessment, though Gaara used a sand clone.
• The four passed the ninja tool throwing assessment by hitting their targets with shuriken and kunai.
• Iruka began the sparring assessment, asking the four to attack a jonin together and demonstrate teamwork.
• Hinata spotted the jonin with her Byakugan, Temari attacked with Wind Release, and Gaara shielded the group from his fireballs.
• Naruto surrounded the jonin with shadow clones, creating an opening for Hinata to attack with Gentle Fist.
• The jonin evaded Hinata, but Gaara’s sand seized his ankle and stopped his next move.

Sasuke attacked Naruto during the test, but Gaara stepped in to fight him while Naruto insisted the test continue. Naruto, Temari, and Hinata battled the jōnin examiner, who evaded their attacks and gained the high ground.

• Sasuke attacked Naruto, and Gaara intervened, declaring that he would handle Sasuke so Naruto could finish the test.
• Sasuke insulted Gaara and Sunagakure, and Gaara launched a sand claw at him as Sasuke countered with Chidori.
• Naruto urged Iruka and the jōnin examiner to continue the test, arguing that ninja had to adapt to unexpected changes.
• Temari used Wind Release to obstruct the examiner while Hinata tracked him with her Byakugan and attacked with Gentle Fist.
• The examiner seized Temari's Shadow Clone, dodged Naruto's Rasengan with the Substitution Technique, and evaded a thrown Fuma Shuriken from a tree.

Gaara overwhelmed Sasuke with sand after Sasuke’s Chidori attack turned out to have struck a Sand Clone. Naruto and the others stopped Gaara from killing Sasuke, and Gaara released him.

• Sasuke escaped Gaara’s sand restraints with Chidori and pierced a Sand Clone with Chidori Sharp Spear.
• Gaara unleashed Quicksand Waterfall Flow, buried Sasuke, and bound him in a sand cage.
• Naruto stood between Gaara and Sasuke and insisted that Sasuke was his Konoha classmate, not an enemy to kill.
• Temari, Hinata, and Iruka urged Gaara to stop, warning him of the consequences of killing Sasuke in Konoha.
• Gaara’s killing intent subsided, and he collapsed the sand prison around Sasuke.

Naruto, Hinata, Temari, and Gaara passed the test and received Konoha forehead protectors, while Gaara and Temari were formally welcomed as Hidden Leaf ninja. Worried about Sasuke’s impending punishment, Naruto ran to the Hokage’s office to plead his case, where Uchiha Yao received him.

• Iruka announced that Naruto, Hinata, Temari, and Gaara had passed and gave each of them a forehead protector.
• Iruka announced that Gaara and Temari were officially ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village.
• Naruto asked Iruka what would happen to Sasuke and grew worried about the punishment he might face.
• Naruto rejected Gaara’s claim that Sasuke was an enemy and decided to speak with Sensei.
• Uchiha Yao ordered ANBU to guard Sasuke in the Interrogation Department and forbid visitors without permission.
• Naruto rushed into Uchiha Yao’s office.

Uchiha Yao questioned Sasuke after Sasuke attacked Naruto during the graduation exam, and Sasuke confessed that jealousy drove him. Naruto described the loneliness and hardship he had endured, then reminded Sasuke that he still had parents while Naruto’s had long been gone.

• Uchiha Yao ordered ANBU to bring Sasuke into his office, where Sasuke arrived frightened and ashamed.
• Uchiha Yao demanded to know why Sasuke had attacked Naruto, and Sasuke broke down and admitted he could not accept Naruto surpassing him.
• Naruto asked whether Sasuke was jealous and described the hunger, isolation, and fear he had experienced before Uchiha Yao became his teacher.
• Naruto told Sasuke that he had a loving family and powerful clan while Naruto’s parents had been gone for a long time.

Uchiha Yao used a genjutsu to make Sasuke experience Naruto’s lonely, abusive childhood. After Sasuke broke free, he looked at Naruto with a new understanding of what Naruto had endured.

• Uchiha Yao activated his Rinnegan and trapped Sasuke in the Cycle of Life and Death genjutsu.
• Sasuke awoke with no memories, suffered hunger and rejection, and was driven away by villagers and children.
• Older children beat Sasuke in an alley, where he saw Naruto’s face reflected in a puddle and remembered Naruto’s name.
• Sasuke’s despair shattered the genjutsu, and Uchiha Yao released him in the Hokage’s Office.
• Naruto tried to approach the convulsing Sasuke, but Uchiha Yao stopped him.
• Sasuke recovered and looked at Naruto, recognizing that the genjutsu had shown him Naruto’s childhood.

Uchiha Yao gave Sasuke a chance to graduate early through a special examination, and Sasuke promised Naruto he would compete fairly from now on. The next morning, Uchiha Yao gathered Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, and Temari to begin their new squad’s training at a mysterious location reached through a spatial rift.

• Uchiha Yao approved Sasuke’s request for a special graduation examination and ordered him to serve two weeks of confinement.
• Naruto encouraged Sasuke to take the opportunity seriously, and Sasuke admitted defeat while promising to beat Naruto fairly next time.
• The next morning, Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, and Temari arrived at Uchiha Yao’s office.
• Uchiha Yao announced that the four would form a new squad and opened a pitch-black spatial rift as their training location.
• Uchiha Yao stepped into the rift, while Gaara and Temari reacted with alarm.

Naruto and Gaara fought under Uchiha Yao’s supervision, with Naruto unable to break through Gaara’s powerful sand defenses. The chapter ended as Gaara transformed the training ground into a vast Sea of Sand and prepared to attack.

• Uchiha Yao ordered Naruto and Gaara to fight while Hinata and Temari watched from the sidelines.
• Naruto used Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, but Gaara’s sand tentacles destroyed the clones before they could reach him.
• Naruto combined Wind Release: Great Breakthrough with Rasengan to attack Gaara from the side, but Gaara’s Sand Armor absorbed the blow and left him unharmed.
• Gaara raised his hand and spread sand across the training ground, turning its rocky surface into a surging Sea of Sand.