Chapter Summaries

Zhou Cheng tested whether top-tier chakra control could reduce the hand seals needed for ninjutsu without weakening it, then taught Haku the method. He and Haku stayed at Rock Lee’s training ground, where Zhou Cheng persuaded Might Guy to let him watch taijutsu training so he could copy it.

• Zhou Cheng tested simplifying the Water Dragon Bullet Technique and successfully removed four hand seals without reducing its power, though the strain on his meridians set a limit.
• Zhou Cheng taught Haku the method, and Haku learned to remove two or three seals while Uzuki Yugao watched from a rooftop.
• Zhou Cheng and Haku trained through the night, and Zhou Cheng urged Haku to live for himself rather than worry about being useful to him.
• Zhou Cheng and Haku waited at Rock Lee’s training ground, where Zhou Cheng convinced Rock Lee to let them watch his taijutsu lesson with Might Guy.
• Might Guy recognized Zhou Cheng and asked how he had found the training ground, so Zhou Cheng admitted he had secretly followed Rock Lee and asked to learn taijutsu.

Zhou Cheng copied Might Guy’s Taijutsu talent and gained knowledge of the Perfect Eight Gates Released Formation, then declined Guy’s offer to become his student by claiming the Third Hokage had already approached him. He returned home with Haku to train for his fight against Neji the next day.

• Zhou Cheng used Talent Replication on Might Guy and acquired his Taijutsu knowledge, including the Perfect Eight Gates Released Formation.
• Guy and Rock Lee were astonished when Zhou Cheng demonstrated flawless Taijutsu, and Guy offered to take him as a student.
• Zhou Cheng said the Third Hokage had offered to teach him, then clarified that he had refused the offer, shocking Guy, Rock Lee, Haku, and Uzuki Yugao.
• Zhou Cheng left with Haku and planned to master Guy’s Taijutsu and practice opening the Eight Gates before fighting Neji.

Zhou Cheng planned to learn Gentle Fist before his match with Neji, while Neji trained to defend his reputation and prove his genius. When Zhou Cheng asked Hinata to spar with him, she was torn between helping her friend and loyalty to her cousin.

• Zhou Cheng considered secretly learning the Eight Gates of Life, trained with shadow clones, and decided to ask Hinata to teach him Gentle Fist.
• Neji practiced techniques reserved for the Main Family, and Hyuga Hiashi watched with conflicted feelings before leaving.
• Hinata and Ino brought ingredients to Zhou Cheng's home, where Naruto complained about finding Sakura with Sasuke.
• Zhou Cheng asked Hinata to spar so he could prepare for his match with Neji, leaving her caught between them.

Hinata agreed to spar with Zhou Cheng using only basic Gentle Fist, and Might Guy watched Zhou Cheng develop an impressive taijutsu style. Guy urged Hiruzen Sarutobi to give up recruiting Zhou Cheng, but Uzuki Yugao’s report revealed that Zhou Cheng excelled at ninjutsu too and might win his match the next day.

• Hinata agreed to help Zhou Cheng train but refused to use her clan’s secret techniques.
• Zhou Cheng and Hinata sparred with basic taijutsu, and he recognized Gentle Fist’s strengths.
• Might Guy watched from a rooftop, marveled at Zhou Cheng’s rapidly developed taijutsu, and went to the Hokage Building.
• Might Guy asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to let him take Zhou Cheng as a student, explaining Zhou Cheng’s extraordinary taijutsu talent.
• Uzuki Yugao reported Zhou Cheng’s exceptional ninjutsu abilities and said his taijutsu had reached Chunin level, making him a possible winner in the next day’s match.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Guy, Kakashi, and Uzuki Yugao debated whether Zhou Cheng could defeat Neji Hyuga, while Zhou Cheng continued preparing for their match. The chapter ended with Zhou Cheng judging his chances against Neji and considering which talent to choose next.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Guy doubted that Zhou Cheng could overcome Neji, and Hiruzen proposed waiting until after the match to decide who would take him as a student.
• Guy found Kakashi and brought him to watch Zhou Cheng spar with Hinata, then told him Zhou Cheng had reached that level of taijutsu in one day.
• Uzuki Yugao confirmed Zhou Cheng had never trained in taijutsu before and revealed that the Third Hokage wanted him as a student, while Zhou Cheng had not agreed.
• Kakashi predicted Neji would win, but Uzuki Yugao said her intuition told her Zhou Cheng would win.
• Ino kissed Zhou Cheng on the cheek to encourage him, and Hinata felt jealous as she wished him luck at the Hyuga Clan gate.
• Zhou Cheng concluded that he could beat Neji if Neji used only the Gentle Fist, but feared Neji's secret techniques and chakra-point strikes.

Zhou Cheng went to the school field to face Neji, while the spectators expected the newly trained outsider to lose. Before the match began, Zhou Cheng challenged the crowd’s assumptions and declared that he would show them what a true genius was.

• Zhou Cheng and Haku ran around the village, where Guy renewed his determination to make Zhou Cheng his student.
• Zhou Cheng walked to school with Naruto, Hinata, and Ino, then brushed off the mocking comments about his challenge to Neji.
• At the field, Kakashi and Guy wagered on how long Zhou Cheng would last, while Naruto’s friends debated whether he could win.
• Neji entered the arena and declared that the weak had to accept their fate and that he was the true genius.
• Zhou Cheng told the silent crowd that hostile people had forced the match and promised to show them what a true genius was.

Zhou Cheng impressed the spectators by recognizing the schemes surrounding his match with Neji Hyuga, then surprised everyone with his speed and taijutsu. After dozens of exchanges, Neji activated his Byakugan, leaving Zhou Cheng ready for the real fight.

• Zhou Cheng voiced his suspicions about the motives behind the match, impressing Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Kakashi, and Might Guy.
• Gekko Hayate began the match as Zhou Cheng and Neji took their opening stances, with Neji choosing not to activate his Byakugan.
• Zhou Cheng used a burst of speed and Konoha Whirlwind to send Neji flying, stunning the spectators.
• Zhou Cheng and Neji traded blows evenly, and Guy confirmed that Zhou Cheng had mastered his taijutsu in a single day.
• After dozens of exchanges, Neji acknowledged Zhou Cheng and activated his Byakugan.

Zhou Cheng used Shadow Clones and a barrage of shuriken to force Neji to defend with Rotation, then attacked with Water Dragon Bullet while shocking the spectators with his simplified hand seals. The chapter ended with Zhou Cheng casting another Water Dragon Bullet and the onlookers confirming that he had removed four seals without weakening the technique.

• Zhou Cheng used Shadow Clones and the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique to trap Neji in a dense shuriken barrage, but Neji deflected it with Rotation.
• Zhou Cheng attacked Neji from both sides with Water Dragon Bullet as Neji's Rotation ended, forcing him to use Rotation again.
• Kakashi noticed Zhou Cheng had omitted four seals, and Guy explained that he had heard about Zhou Cheng's achievement in the Hokage Office the night before.
• Zhou Cheng cast another Water Dragon Bullet, and the spectators confirmed that he had simplified the hand seals without reducing the technique's power.

As Neji overwhelmed Zhou Cheng with Byakugan-enhanced taijutsu, Kakashi recognized that Zhou Cheng had prepared a counterattack using the water covering the arena. The fight remained unresolved, but Kakashi predicted that Zhou Cheng would win.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo each recognized Zhou Cheng's talent and secretly planned to bring him under their control.
• Zhou Cheng sent another pair of water dragons at Neji, who blocked them with Rotation and spent more chakra.
• Zhou Cheng had his Shadow Clone mold chakra while Neji charged and forced him into a taijutsu exchange.
• Neji's Byakugan-enhanced strikes pushed Zhou Cheng back, while spectators assumed Zhou Cheng was running out of chakra.
• Guy and Asuma wagered on how long Zhou Cheng would last, but Kakashi studied the flooded arena and declared that Zhou Cheng could win.

Zhou Cheng revealed that he had used a Shadow Clone to deceive Neji while his real body recovered chakra, then explained that he had prepared the water-covered arena for his next move. As Zhou Cheng began forming hand seals, Neji charged to stop him, and the spectators realized the match was not yet decided.

• Zhou Cheng’s Shadow Clone disappeared under Neji’s Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, revealing that Zhou Cheng’s real body had been meditating.
• Zhou Cheng told Neji that he would lose, drawing laughter from the crowd.
• Zhou Cheng explained that he had used ninjutsu to flood the arena and the Shadow Clone to stall while he recovered chakra.
• Zhou Cheng began forming hand seals, and Neji anxiously charged at him to prevent him from completing the ninjutsu.
• The spectators and Jonin reacted in shock as Zhou Cheng’s plan became clear, while Guy gave Kakashi an approving thumbs-up.

Zhou Cheng defeated Neji by exhausting his chakra and winning with the Great Waterfall Technique, though Hyuga Hiashi intervened to protect Neji. After the match, Zhou Cheng reached out to Neji, and Sasuke challenged him to prove himself next.

• Zhou Cheng overwhelmed Neji with the Great Waterfall Technique after Kakashi explained how he had depleted Neji's chakra.
• Hyuga Hiashi shielded Neji from the waterfall with Eight Trigrams Air Split Palm, and Gekko Hayate declared Zhou Cheng the winner.
• Naruto celebrated Zhou Cheng's victory, while Neji brooded over his defeat and Hiashi worried about Neji's outlook.
• Zhou Cheng offered Neji friendship and a chance to discuss taijutsu, and Neji eventually accepted his handshake.
• Ino praised Zhou Cheng and clung to his arm, while Sasuke challenged him to a fight.

After defeating Neji, Zhou Cheng applied for early graduation and sought out Kakashi as a potential mentor. Guy introduced them, and Zhou Cheng asked Kakashi to take him as his disciple, leaving Guy shocked.

• Sasuke challenged Zhou Cheng, who dismissed Sasuke's strength and praised his own ability to withstand powerful ninjutsu.
• Zhou Cheng thanked his classmates and Iruka for their support, then asked Iruka to submit an application for early graduation.
• Iruka agreed to submit the request but warned that he could not guarantee its approval.
• Zhou Cheng approached Guy, who introduced him to Kakashi Hatake and Asuma Sarutobi.
• Zhou Cheng asked Kakashi to become his disciple, and Guy reacted in disbelief because he had expected Zhou Cheng to choose him.

After defeating Neji, Zhou Cheng secured Kakashi’s promise to take him as a student once he graduated, while Neji vowed to beat him someday. At the Hokage Office, Danzo and the two Advisors competed to claim Zhou Cheng, and Hiruzen redirected their suspicions toward Kakashi.

• Guy accepted Zhou Cheng’s choice of teacher, and Kakashi agreed to take him as a student after he graduated; Zhou Cheng was pleased that this might keep Hiruzen and Danzo from recruiting him.
• Haku asked why Zhou Cheng wanted Kakashi as his teacher, and Zhou Cheng said Haku would understand someday.
• Hiashi told Neji that his defeat came from poor judgment and calculations, and Neji vowed to defeat Zhou Cheng.
• Hiruzen considered approving Zhou Cheng’s graduation application and wondered why he had chosen Kakashi instead of him.
• Danzo and the two Advisors urged Hiruzen to assign Zhou Cheng to their respective factions, but Hiruzen told them Zhou Cheng had chosen Kakashi.
• Danzo and the Advisors suspected Kakashi wanted to use Zhou Cheng to revive the Hatake Clan, while Hiruzen pretended he was still trying to change Zhou Cheng’s mind.

Konoha’s leaders agreed to guide Zhou Cheng through village departments after he graduated, while Sasuke trained to defeat him and Ino won her father’s acceptance of her feelings for him. News of Zhou Cheng’s victory over Neji spread through Konoha, prompting civilians, shinobi, and neutral clans to consider what his talent might mean for the village.

• Danzo, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Mitokado Homura agreed to approve Zhou Cheng’s graduation and arrange nine years of experience in the ANBU, Root, and Advisory Department.
• Sasuke Uchiha trained alone and vowed to challenge Zhou Cheng after the graduation exam so he could gain the power to kill the man who slaughtered his clan.
• Inoichi Yamanaka asked Ino whether she truly liked Zhou Cheng, and Ino explained her feelings before he agreed not to oppose them.
• Ino embraced and kissed Inoichi Yamanaka to thank him for accepting her relationship with Zhou Cheng.
• News of Zhou Cheng’s victory over Neji spread through Konoha, drawing cheers from civilians, mixed reactions from shinobi, and interest from neutral clans hoping to recruit him.

Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi discussed Zhou Cheng’s talent as the Kurama Clan debated how to restore its standing. The clan leader decided to betroth Kurama Yakumo to Zhou Cheng as a live-in son-in-law, while Zhou Cheng returned home after escorting the girls and detected two additional people watching him.

• Kurenai Yuhi finished tutoring Kurama Yakumo and met Asuma Sarutobi, who told her about Zhou Cheng’s talent.
• The Kurama Clan Leader proposed betrothing Kurama Yakumo to Zhou Cheng, but the elders objected to marrying her to a commoner.
• The Kurama Clan Leader silenced the elders and ordered someone to meet Zhou Cheng and inform Kurama Yakumo that the marriage alliance was settled.
• Zhou Cheng escorted the girls home after his celebration and sensed that two more people had begun watching him.

Zhou Cheng spent a sleepless night planning how to develop his ninjutsu, taijutsu, and future abilities while considering how to access the Scroll of Seals and replicate genjutsu. The next morning, Haku told him he thought he had awakened a Kekkei Genkai.

• Zhou Cheng stayed awake reflecting on his training and planning to improve his chakra control, taijutsu, and Eight Gates techniques.
• Zhou Cheng decided he needed medical ninjutsu or Yin-Yang Release to limit the damage from opening the Eight Gates of Life.
• Zhou Cheng planned to watch Naruto and Mizuki so he could get a look at the Scroll of Seals, and considered approaching Kurenai Yuhi to learn genjutsu.
• Zhou Cheng realized he had spent the entire night awake, then got up and began making ramen.
• Haku pulled Zhou Cheng aside and traced that he thought he had awakened a Kekkei Genkai.

Haku awakened Ice Release, and Zhou Cheng warned him to keep it secret. At the Ninja Academy, Iruka announced that Zhou Cheng had received special approval from the Hokage to graduate early without taking the exam.

• Haku told Zhou Cheng he could create ice and snow, and Zhou Cheng cautioned him not to reveal his kekkei genkai.
• Naruto visited Zhou Cheng and Haku with Konohamaru, who declared he would become Hokage and praised Zhou Cheng for defeating Neji Hyuga.
• Zhou Cheng and Haku completed their daily run before heading to the Ninja Academy so Zhou Cheng could check on his early-graduation application.
• Iruka announced that the school had approved Zhou Cheng's application and forwarded it to the Hokage.
• Iruka revealed that the Hokage had specially approved Zhou Cheng's graduation without an exam, shocking the class.

Zhou Cheng graduated from the Ninja Academy after only a month and registered as a Genin, while several people in Konoha took a renewed interest in him. When the Third Hokage summoned him to his office, Zhou Cheng found Danzo and the two advisers waiting there too.

• Iruka presented Zhou Cheng with his Konoha Shinobi forehead protector, while Naruto resolved to steal the Scroll of Seals to gain recognition.
• Zhou Cheng left to register at the Hokage Building, and Uzuki Yugao watched him from a rooftop and hoped he would excel in the upcoming Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Mizuki planned to use Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals, lure Iruka out, and kill him before fleeing Konoha.
• Kakashi considered taking Zhou Cheng as an apprentice after learning of his early graduation, but decided to observe him first.
• Zhou Cheng completed his Genin registration and was summoned to the Hokage's office, where he found Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and the two advisers.

Zhou Cheng chose to join Hiruzen Sarutobi’s ANBU after the Hokage, Danzo, and the two Advisors each offered him a three-year position in their organizations. Uzuki Yugao took him to ANBU headquarters, where he began his new assignment.

• Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu offered to take Zhou Cheng as an apprentice, but he could not choose among them.
• The four leaders offered Zhou Cheng three-year positions in the ANBU, Root, or the Advisory Department, and he rejected the Advisors’ department and Danzo’s Root.
• Zhou Cheng chose to join Hiruzen Sarutobi’s ANBU, while Danzo and the Advisors showed little surprise at his decision.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi assigned Uzuki Yugao to Zhou Cheng’s squad and told her to introduce him to the ANBU.
• Uzuki Yugao led Zhou Cheng to a nearby building, where he sensed more than a dozen masked ANBU members concealed around the headquarters.

Zhou Cheng joined the ANBU under the codename Red Hare, then visited Kakashi to claim the apprenticeship they had agreed on after his early graduation. Kakashi was moved by Zhou Cheng’s words about protecting comrades, but had not yet agreed to take him as an apprentice.

• Uzuki Yugao explained the ANBU’s structure, took Zhou Cheng’s measurements, gave him a rabbit mask, and warned him to keep his membership secret.
• Zhou Cheng left the ANBU headquarters wary of Hiruzen Sarutobi and worried that Naruto might soon steal the Scroll of Seals.
• Zhou Cheng went to Kakashi’s home after recalling Kakashi’s promise to apprentice him if he graduated early.
• Kakashi let Zhou Cheng inside and asked why he wanted to become his apprentice.
• Zhou Cheng said he wanted to protect his comrades and learn the ninjutsu Kakashi knew, prompting Kakashi to fall into a long, thoughtful silence.