Chapter Summaries

After Orochimaru attacked in the Forest of Death, Konoha secretly tightened security while allowing the exams to continue. Five days later, the second round ended, and Hiruzen addressed the candidates as the third round began, scrutinizing Sasuke and the mysterious Toru Kujyo.

• Sasuke carried Naruto into the Central Tower, where Sakura told Iruka's Shadow Clone that Orochimaru had appeared and Sasuke described how Toru Kujyo drove him off.
• Hiruzen ordered heightened security and a secret search for Orochimaru, but decided not to halt the exams and demanded an investigation into Toru Kujyo.
• Konoha concealed the Forest of Death incident as a rampaging Summoning Beast while ANBU and patrols increased across the village.
• Five days later, the second round ended, and the surviving candidates gathered in the Central Tower, where Sasuke watched Toru and wondered about his power.
• Kakashi suspected Toru was responsible for the extraordinary events in the forest, while Toru met his gaze without explanation.
• Hiruzen congratulated the candidates and explained the purpose of the third round, studying Sasuke and Toru as he spoke.

The third exam preliminary round began, and Toru Kujyo spotted Orochimaru disguised among the Otogakure ninja. Dosu Kinata defeated Choji Akimichi, and Sasuke Uchiha stepped forward to face Zaku Abumi, determined to grow stronger despite the Cursed Seal.

• Kabuto Yakushi withdrew from the preliminary round, saying he was worn out and did not want to burden his teammates.
• Toru Kujyo recognized Orochimaru among the disguised Otogakure ninja, and the two briefly met each other's gaze.
• Dosu Kinata defeated Choji Akimichi with sonic attacks that disrupted Choji's body.
• The screen matched Sasuke Uchiha against Zaku Abumi, and Sasuke exchanged a challenge with Naruto Uzumaki before entering the arena.
• Sasuke remembered Toru Kujyo's warning and his encounter with Orochimaru, then covered his Cursed Seal and vowed not to lose.

Sasuke defeated Zaku Abumi in the second preliminary match after enduring Zaku’s sonic attacks and countering with a fireball. The next match was announced as Hinata Hyuga versus Kin Tsuchi, leaving Kurenai encouraging Hinata from the stands.

• Gekko Hayate started the second preliminary match, and Sasuke and Zaku Abumi exchanged attacks.
• Zaku Abumi’s sonic waves disrupted Sasuke’s balance, and a blast hurled him into the wall.
• Sasuke used shadow clones to distract Zaku Abumi, then attacked from above with Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
• Gekko Hayate declared Sasuke the winner and extinguished the flames as medical ninja carried away the severely burned Zaku Abumi.
• Orochimaru watched Sasuke with increased interest, and the next match was announced as Hinata Hyuga versus Kin Tsuchi.
• Kurenai Yuhi encouraged Hinata to trust her training.

Hinata Hyuga faced Kin Tsuchi in the third preliminary match and killed her with a lightning-enhanced Gentle Fist strike in less than a second. Toru Kujyo praised Hinata’s chakra control while the spectators struggled to understand how quickly she had won.

• Toru Kujyo wished Hinata luck and prepared to photograph her match, while Sasuke warned her about the Sound Ninja’s unusual weapons.
• Hinata entered the arena against Kin Tsuchi, who planned to attack her with steel wires and poisoned senbon.
• Kin launched a lethal web of wires, but Hinata surrounded herself with pale-blue electricity and vanished from sight.
• Hinata appeared behind Kin and used Gentle Fist: Lightning Swift Strike, killing her instantly.
• Toru photographed the finish and advised Hinata to compress her Lightning Release chakra further, as Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru reacted in shock.

Hinata defeated Kin Tsuchi with a lightning-enhanced attack, shocking the exam spectators and revealing Toru Kujyo’s skill as a teacher. As the next match began, Kankuro let Misumi Tsurugi bind him, then hinted that his opponent had trapped a puppet instead.

• Might Guy explained that Hinata used lightning chakra to stimulate her body, while Hiruzen Sarutobi grew more wary of Toru Kujyo.
• Sasuke realized Toru had taught Hinata the lightning technique and began to feel that staying by his side might offer safety and hope for revenge.
• Gekko Hayate announced Hinata’s victory, and the Medical Corps carried away the dead Kin Tsuchi.
• The match screen paired Misumi Tsurugi against Kankuro, and Misumi stretched his body to bind Kankuro and the puppet Crow.
• Kankuro’s bound form resisted Misumi’s squeeze, and his voice came from behind the captive figure as he declared the fight over.

Kankuro defeated Misumi Tsurugi with a poisoned puppet, and the fifth preliminary match paired Ino Yamanaka against Sakura Haruno. The two rivals fought fiercely, and the chapter left their match unresolved as they continued battling over Sasuke Uchiha.

• Kankuro revealed that Misumi Tsurugi had bound his puppet, Crow, and used its poisoned spikes to defeat him.
• The electronic screen paired Ino Yamanaka against Sakura Haruno, prompting both rivals to face off over their competing feelings for Sasuke Uchiha.
• Sakura opened with Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, but Ino broke the genjutsu and countered with Mind Body Switch Technique.
• Sakura resisted Ino's mental attack, forcing Ino to suffer backlash and leaving both girls to continue the fight hand-to-hand.
• Ino and Sakura traded blows without either giving in, while Shikamaru Nara and Choji watched and reacted to their determination.

Sakura and Ino’s match ended in a draw, prompting Sasuke to reconsider how he treated their feelings. Temari defeated Tenten, and Shikamaru stepped into the arena to face Genichi Sawano.

• Sakura and Ino collapsed at the same time, and Gekko Hayate declared their match a draw, eliminating both.
• Toru Kujyo urged Sasuke to value the feelings Sakura and Ino had shown him, and Sasuke reflected on his attitude toward them.
• Temari countered Tenten’s weapons with her wind techniques and defeated her after Gekko Hayate rescued Tenten from a tornado.
• Toru Kujyo told Might Guy that Tenten needed to develop the power of individual ninja tools rather than relying on large quantities, and Guy understood the shortcoming in his teaching.
• The next match was announced as Shikamaru Nara versus Genichi Sawano, and Shikamaru entered the arena despite calling the fight a drag.

Shikamaru defeated Genichi Sawano with the Shadow Imitation Technique, and Neji challenged Toru Kujyo over the power he taught Hinata. Naruto then defeated Kiba and Akamaru with Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

• Shikamaru trapped Genichi Sawano with the Shadow Imitation Technique and forced him to surrender.
• Minako surrendered immediately after learning she would face Neji Hyuga.
• Neji confronted Toru Kujyo, arguing that bloodline determined strength, and Toru challenged him to prove it against Hinata.
• Kiba and Akamaru attacked Naruto with their Inuzuka techniques, while Naruto countered with multiple shadow clones.
• Naruto used Wind Release: Great Breakthrough to knock Kiba and Akamaru into a wall and win the match.

Naruto celebrated his victory after defeating his opponent with Wind Release, then the final match began between Toru Kujyo and Rock Lee. As Toru’s layered ninjutsu trapped Lee in midair, Might Guy urged him to open the first of the Eight Gates.

• Naruto defeated his opponent with a powerful Wind Release technique and boasted about becoming Hokage.
• The match board selected Toru Kujyo versus Rock Lee as the day’s final bout.
• Toru blasted Lee back with Wind Release, but Lee recovered and launched a faster, more complex taijutsu assault.
• Toru formed a defensive net with Wind, Earth, and Lightning Release, but Lee evaded it and attacked from above.
• Toru summoned a lightning wolf to intercept Lee, and Might Guy urged his student to use the Eight Gates.
• Rock Lee opened the first gate, the Opening Gate, as a powerful chakra surge erupted from his body.

Rock Lee opened the third gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation and fought Toru Kujyo with everything he had, but Toru repeatedly proved stronger and countered his attacks. The battle continued as Rock Lee battered Toru’s lightning shield, despite the severe strain on his body.

• Rock Lee used the Eight Gates Released Formation and attacked Toru Kujyo with Front Lotus, but Toru blocked his strike and disrupted his chakra, sending him crashing into a wall.
• Rock Lee opened the third gate, drawing alarm from Might Guy and the other Jonin as Toru Kujyo warned him about the technique’s danger.
• Rock Lee charged Toru with a powerful punch, but Toru caught it with one hand and struck him in the chest, making him spit blood.
• Rock Lee launched Konoha Great Whirlwind, and Toru countered with Lightning Release: Chidori Current to form an electric shield.
• Rock Lee followed with Barrage Kick, cracking Toru’s lightning shield as Toru warned that his body could not withstand the strain; Rock Lee insisted that youth was meant to burn.

Rock Lee escalated his fight with Toru Kujyo, using the Front Lotus before opening the fourth gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation. Toru remained unharmed, and the chapter ended as Lee’s power surged beyond that of an ordinary Jonin.

• Toru Kujyo dispelled his lightning shield and overwhelmed Rock Lee with powerful Taijutsu strikes.
• Rock Lee used the Front Lotus to bind Toru and hurl them toward the ground, but Toru broke free with Lightning Release: Chidori.
• Rock Lee survived the fall and struggled to his feet despite his injuries and the strain of the third gate.
• Rock Lee opened the fourth gate, causing his chakra to surge and the ground to crack beneath him.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Jonin watching reacted with shock as Rock Lee’s chakra approached the level of an elite Jonin.

Rock Lee pushed his fight with Toru Kujyo to the limit, opening the fifth gate as Toru prepared a devastating fused-nature technique. The battle remained unresolved as the spectators watched in alarm.

• Rock Lee appeared behind Toru Kujyo at astonishing speed and attacked with Konoha Whirlwind, but Toru evaded the blow with the Substitution Technique.
• Rock Lee opened the fifth gate, unleashing a violent chakra shock wave that shattered the floor and staggered the spectators.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Might Guy feared the damage Rock Lee was inflicting on his body, while Toru Kujyo prepared to end the fight.
• Toru Kujyo formed a blue-white energy sphere and fused wind-nature and lightning release chakra within it, shocking Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake.

Toru Kujyo’s Judgment overwhelmed Rock Lee’s Reverse Lotus, leaving Lee gravely injured until Kakashi severed the beam and Gekko Hayate carried him to safety. As the Central Tower lay in ruins, Might Guy called for medical help while the exam remained unfinished.

• Rock Lee charged at Toru Kujyo and met his Judgment beam with the Reverse Lotus, but the attack overwhelmed him.
• Kakashi Hatake severed the beam with Lightning Blade, and Gekko Hayate rescued the unconscious, badly burned Rock Lee.
• The severed beam blasted a huge hole through the Central Tower wall and left a deep crater in the arena.
• Toru Kujyo declared that the fight was over and noted Rock Lee’s courage, while the exam remained unfinished.
• Might Guy rushed to Rock Lee and called for the Medical Corps, whose ninja began emergency treatment for his severe injuries.

Toru Kujyo defeated Rock Lee with Storm Release: Judgment, then explained that the technique was a compound ultimate ninjutsu rather than a kekkei genkai. After the arena was repaired, Gaara began his match against Akato Yoroi and trapped him in sand.

• Guy stayed beside Rock Lee as he was carried away on a stretcher, while the spectators marveled at Toru Kujyo's power.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi ordered the arena repaired, and Kurenai Yuhi praised Toru Kujyo while Orochimaru slipped away, intrigued by his technique.
• Toru Kujyo told Kurenai Yuhi and the assembled jonin that he had fused wind- and lightning-nature chakra through a special medium and high-speed rotation.
• Special jōnin restored the arena, and Gekko Hayate called Gaara and Akato Yoroi for the next match.
• Gaara immobilized Akato Yoroi with Sand Binding Coffin and began crushing him with Sand Burial.

The Chunin Exams preliminaries ended, and the candidates drew opponents for the main tournament in a month. After dinner with Kurenai Yuhi, Toru Kujyo presented Hinata Hyuga with revealing outfits and asked to photograph her wearing them.

• Gaara crushed Akato Yoroi's bones with sand before Gekko Hayate stopped the match and saved his life.
• Gekko Hayate announced the eleven candidates who advanced, and Hiruzen Sarutobi said the main tournament would take place in a month.
• The candidates drew their opponents: Naruto Uzumaki drew Dosu Kinata, Hinata Hyuga drew Temari, Shikamaru Nara drew Kankuro, Toru Kujyo drew Gaara, Sasuke Uchiha drew Neji Hyuga, and Shino Aburame received a bye.
• Kurenai Yuhi treated Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Toru Kujyo to dinner at a barbecue restaurant to celebrate their advancement.
• On the walk home, Toru Kujyo gave Hinata a box of fitted outfits and asked her to wear them for artistic photos as his reward.

Toru Kujyo persuaded Hinata Hyuga to model in a gym uniform and staged a photo shoot at his home. After Hinata discovered the uniform’s revealing neckline, she panicked and fled to the bathroom, leaving Toru remorseful outside the door.

• Toru Kujyo reminded Hinata Hyuga that she had promised him a reward, and she reluctantly agreed to model for him.
• Toru Kujyo set up a photo studio and gave Hinata a gym uniform to change into.
• Toru Kujyo reacted with a nosebleed when Hinata emerged in the uniform and began directing her poses.
• Hinata noticed the uniform exposed her chest, screamed, and hurried into the bathroom.
• Toru Kujyo admitted to himself that he had gone too far, then knocked on the bathroom door and apologized.

Toru Kujyo struggled to find a way to apologize to Hinata Hyuga after she avoided him. When Hanabi Hyuga delivered Hinata’s message that she would be unavailable for a month, Toru invited Hanabi on a secret adventure outside Konoha, and she agreed.

• Toru Kujyo waited for Hinata Hyuga at the training grounds and the Hyuga Compound, but she avoided him.
• Hanabi Hyuga told Toru that Hinata was busy practicing the Gentle Fist Secret Technique and could not see him for a month.
• Toru asked the bored Hanabi to go on an adventure outside Konoha, and she eagerly accepted.
• Hanabi worried that Hyuga Hiashi and her guards would stop her, so Toru suggested Hinata persuade Hiashi to allow the trip as a reward for Hanabi’s training.
• Hanabi trusted Toru and hurried home to pack.

Toru Kujyo took Hanabi out of Konoha for an adventure, using his speed to evade the village guards. Hyuga Hiashi learned they had left and trusted Toru Kujyo to keep Hanabi safe.

• Hanabi returned with a backpack, and Toru Kujyo bought film and food for their trip.
• Toru Kujyo carried Hanabi past Konoha's guards and over the village wall with the Body Flicker Technique.
• Hyuga guards failed to track Toru Kujyo and Hanabi, then hurried to report their departure to Hyuga Hiashi.
• Hyuga Hiashi dismissed the guards and decided Toru Kujyo's strength made Hanabi's journey safe.

Toru Kujyo took Hanabi out of Konoha and traveled with her toward Cherry Blossom Street, giving her a chance to explore the world beyond the village. Along the way, Hanabi grew more lively and close to him, while Toru Kujyo noticed she could absorb some of his chakra.

• Hiashi felt no anger when Toru Kujyo took Hanabi from the village and trusted his judgment about the journey.
• Toru Kujyo carried Hanabi beyond Konoha, and she eagerly explored the unfamiliar countryside.
• Toru Kujyo told Hanabi they were heading to Cherry Blossom Street, and she agreed to continue after teasing him about keeping a secret.
• Toru Kujyo photographed Hanabi, camped with her outdoors, and indulged her requests as they traveled for several days.
• Toru Kujyo discovered that Hanabi could draw some of his chakra and use the Pressure Point Technique to ease his fatigue.
• Toru Kujyo and Hanabi grew close enough to share a bed, and Hanabi began waking him in the mornings.

Toru Kujyo arrived at Cherry Blossom Street with Hanabi and reunited with Karin at his villa. After introducing the girls, he left Hanabi with Karin and descended into a locked underground room.

• Toru Kujyo and Hanabi reached Cherry Blossom Street and explored its busy, blossom-lined streets.
• Karin welcomed Toru Kujyo back to the villa and grew emotional as he reassured her that she belonged to the Uzumaki Clan.
• Toru Kujyo introduced Hanabi to Karin, and the two girls quickly became friendly.
• Toru Kujyo asked Karin to show Hanabi around the villa, then unlocked a hidden staircase and went down into the underground room.