Recaps

Uchiha Gua stopped a group of children from bullying little Hinata and beat their leader after he refused to back down. When Gua offered to take Hinata home, she refused and revealed that she had snuck out.

• The bully’s boss drew courage from his father’s advice and challenged Uchiha Gua, despite being frightened.
• Gua knocked the boy down, then beat him until he apologized and promised to stop bullying.
• Little Hinata approached Gua, and he realized his violence had frightened her.
• Hinata followed Gua, and he asked why she was not going home.
• Hinata admitted that she had snuck out and shook her head when Gua offered to take her home.

Gua took little Hinata to meet Naruto, hoping to give her a playmate, but the two children struggled to connect. After the Anbu spotted Hinata at Naruto’s home, one went to inform the Third Generation, who decided to visit.

• Gua stopped the lackeys from fleeing and beat them before taking little Hinata toward Naruto’s home.
• The Anbu watching Naruto recognized little Hinata as the Hyuga Main Family’s princess, and one reported her visit to the Third Generation.
• The Third Generation said he would go to Naruto’s home.
• Naruto opened the door after hiding his paint and welcomed Gua and Hinata inside.
• Gua introduced the children, but Naruto and Hinata sat awkwardly without starting a conversation.

The Third Generation visited Naruto and praised Gua while trying to build ties with the children. He invited Gua and Hinata to accompany him somewhere with Naruto, and Gua accepted despite his suspicions.

• The Third Generation arrived at Naruto's messy room and promised to bring him some things next time.
• The Third Generation praised Gua's conduct at the Ninja Academy and his Will of Fire.
• The Third Generation tried to speak with Hinata, who hid behind Gua and timidly answered that her father Hiashi was well.
• Naruto introduced Gua and Hinata as his strong and good friends.
• The Third Generation invited Gua and Hinata to go somewhere with him and Naruto, and Gua agreed.

The Third took Gua, Hinata, and Naruto to Konoha’s Fire Memorial Cemetery and explained the Will of Fire as the belief that united and protected the village. Naruto declared that he would become Hokage, while Gua remained skeptical of the Third’s lesson.

• The Third led Gua, Hinata, and Naruto through the cemetery and showed them the thousands of gravestones beneath the Will of Fire sculpture.
• The Third explained that the Will of Fire meant protecting comrades, family, and the village, and asked Gua what he thought it meant.
• Gua said the Will of Fire meant protecting others and the Shinobi World, while the Third warned that threats from the Akatsuki and rival nations made protecting Konoha difficult.
• The Third urged them to honor the fallen and carry on their willingness to sacrifice for their comrades.
• Naruto asked whether the Hokage had the strongest Will of Fire, then announced that he would become Hokage; Hinata said she understood the lesson.

Gua took Hinata home after treating her and Naruto to ramen, then met Hiashi at the Hyuga compound. Hiashi thanked Gua for bringing Hinata back, but their conversation stalled as Gua considered what compensation he might receive.

• The Third Hokage stayed behind at the cemetery after Gua, Naruto, and Hinata left.
• Gua treated Naruto and Hinata to ramen, then took Naruto home and walked Hinata back to the Hyuga compound.
• Neji opened the gate, and Hizashi invited Gua inside to meet Hiashi.
• Hiashi sent Hinata away with Hizashi and Neji before thanking Gua for bringing her home.
• Gua silently considered asking Hiashi for compensation, and Hizashi suggested offering him money when the conversation faltered.

Gua accepted six million ryo from Hiashi and Hizashi before agreeing to spar with Neji. The chapter ended as Gua lunged and Neji noticed that Gua’s chakra was not circulating.

• Hiashi offered Gua money instead of Hyuga secret techniques, and Gua accepted five million ryo.
• Hizashi gave Gua another million ryo and explained that Gua had helped protect him from being handed over.
• Neji stopped Gua as he was leaving and challenged him to a spar, which Gua accepted.
• Neji took his opening stance and activated his Byakugan while Hizashi gave them room.
• Gua lunged at Neji, who saw Gua’s chakra points but noticed that his chakra was not circulating.

Gua overwhelmed Neji in a taijutsu match, breaking through Rotation and defeating him without being touched. When Neji refused to accept the loss and attacked again, Gua knocked him down and pinned him, saying he had things Neji needed to hear.

• Hizashi saw that Gua's chakra remained perfectly still and realized how extraordinary his taijutsu control was.
• Neji used Rotation, but Gua found gaps in its defense, caught Neji's ankle, and stopped the technique.
• Neji launched a kick at Gua after Gua asked whether he wanted to continue, but Gua pulled him down and slammed him into the ground.
• Gua told Neji he had lost and challenged him to try again another day, while Neji grew furious and resentful.
• Neji charged at Gua again, and Gua knocked him down, planted a foot on his chest, and told him to listen while lying down.

After defeating Neji, Gua returned home with six million ryo from the Hyuga Clan and shared his written research with Orochimaru. His happiness over the money ended when he learned his parents had handed it to the clan treasury.

• Gua defeated Neji, told him he was no genius, and left Neji crying while Hizashi came to comfort him.
• Neji stopped training and spent his days staring into space, worrying Hiashi and Hizashi.
• Gua brought the Hyuga Clan's six million ryo home and gave his parents the money before preparing notes for Orochimaru.
• Gua delivered his refrigerator explanation and Impure World Reincarnation insights to Orochimaru, who offered him various newly developed items and money.
• Gua enjoyed his newfound wealth, then learned his parents had given the six million ryo to the clan treasury.

Gua’s parents decided to leave the six million ryo dispute with the Hyuga to Clan Head Fugaku, leaving Gua worrying about the money. Meanwhile, Orochimaru opened Gua’s research drafts and realized they contained a major solution to his refrigerator problems, then turned eagerly to the second set of pages.

• Dashan and Nai insisted that Clan Head Fugaku should negotiate with the Hyuga over the six million ryo, and Gua reluctantly went along with them.
• After Gua left, Orochimaru opened the manuscripts while Anko and the newly awakened Kabuto watched.
• Kabuto recognized the drafts as Gua’s work but could not decipher the crooked handwriting or diagrams.
• Orochimaru understood that Gua’s proposed sealed system and improved coolant could solve the refrigerator’s contamination and weak cooling problems.
• Orochimaru praised Gua’s genius, briefly lamented that his own scientific talent could not compare, and then opened the second set of drafts.

Orochimaru examined Gua’s manuscripts and realized they solved a longstanding flaw in Impure World Reincarnation, while also offering detailed improvements to an air conditioner. Meanwhile, Fugaku returned the Hyuga Clan’s six million to Hiashi, who decided to pay Gua through the Third Generation, and Hizashi worried that Neji had offended him.

• Orochimaru studied Gua’s ninjutsu manuscript and celebrated his genius after recognizing that it improved Impure World Reincarnation.
• Orochimaru prepared to test Gua’s manuscripts, while Anko continued her cell experiments and Kabuto washed test tubes.
• Fugaku returned the six million from the Hyuga Clan because he feared the money exchange would be misinterpreted amid the clans’ tensions with the village.
• Hiashi decided to give the money to the Third Generation so Gua would receive what he had earned.
• Hizashi feared Neji had offended Gua and resolved to make his son apologize.

After losing hope of recovering his six million, Gua rejected Neji Hyuga’s apology but offered him a little encouragement before he left. On his way home, Gua encountered Jiraiya and Tsunade, who were headed to Orochimaru’s laboratory to investigate Nagato.

• Gua confirmed that Neji Hyuga knew nothing about his missing six million and told Neji to leave.
• Neji apologized for attacking Gua and blaming him for his resentment toward his clan and fate.
• Gua called Neji back, admitted he had gone too far, and urged him to keep training, but Neji left even more dejected.
• Gua ran into Jiraiya and Tsunade, declined Jiraiya’s invitation to visit Orochimaru’s laboratory, and continued home.
• After Gua left, Tsunade questioned his importance while Jiraiya praised his talent and sharp reactions.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade went to see Orochimaru about Nagato, whose Rinnegan and resemblance to an Akatsuki leader had drawn their attention.

Jiraiya and Tsunade visited Orochimaru, who showed off a refrigerator powered by his scientific experiment and brushed aside their questions about the Akatsuki. Jiraiya asked whether Orochimaru remembered the three children they had met in the Land of Rain, but Orochimaru said he did not.

• Jiraiya and Tsunade waited outside Orochimaru's Laboratory until Kabuto opened its automatic door, then went inside despite Kabuto's warning.
• Kabuto left the Laboratory to visit his parents and ask Gua about questions raised by Gua's manuscript.
• Orochimaru connected his experimental black sphere to his Refrigerator and confirmed that it produced cold air.
• Jiraiya and Tsunade tried to catch up with Orochimaru, but he refused to stop working and dismissed their interest in science.
• Jiraiya asked Orochimaru about Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko in the Akatsuki, then brought up the three children they had met in the Land of Rain.
• Orochimaru said he did not remember the three children.

Jiraiya asked Orochimaru about the three children they had met in the Land of Rain, then left with Tsunade after Orochimaru dismissed them. At home, Gua explained his science manuscripts and ideas to Kabuto, who relayed them to Anko the next day, leaving them both dreaming about future technology.

• Jiraiya reminded Orochimaru about Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan, but Orochimaru barely remembered them and told Jiraiya to investigate in the Land of Rain.
• Orochimaru had Anko escort Jiraiya and Tsunade out, then turned his attention to studying Gua's manuscripts.
• Kabuto came home for dinner and asked Gua to explain the manuscripts he had given Orochimaru.
• Gua explained the manuscripts and described future technological ages to Kabuto, who listened intently before returning to his room.
• Kabuto told Anko about Gua's ideas and explained air conditioners, and they imagined a giant bird carrying them to the moon.

The Third Generation summoned Gua after the Hyuga returned the six million Gua had refused, then tested what he valued. He gave Gua the money and agreed to let him see the Scroll of Seals.

• The Third Generation accepted six million from Hiashi and viewed the Hyuga and Uchiha clans’ contribution as a sign of support for the village.
• Ebisu tried to fetch Gua from class, but Ye Chuan Dahei made him wait until the school day ended before Gua left for the Hokage Office.
• The Third Generation asked Gua why he had refused the Hyuga’s money, and Gua claimed he cared about the Will of Fire rather than wealth.
• The Third Generation returned the six million to Gua and agreed to let him see the Scroll of Seals.

Gua recovered his six million and gained permission to study the Scroll of Seals, while the Third Hokage and Danzo argued over how to respond to Ōnoki's accusations against Konoha. The Third Hokage chose to avoid war and ordered stronger patrols and Root surveillance as tensions with the Land of Earth remained unresolved.

• The Third Hokage returned Gua's six million and allowed him to study the Scroll of Seals for half an hour each day, forbidding him from copying or sharing its techniques without permission.
• Danzo confronted the Third Hokage over allowing Gua to read the scroll, and the Third Hokage said he considered Gua Konoha's future.
• Danzo demanded a response to Ōnoki's accusations that Konoha had taken Dust Release and the Land of Earth's map, while the Third Hokage admitted he was stalling.
• The Third Hokage argued that war could draw Kumogakure, the Land of Rain, and Rasa into a conflict Konoha could not afford.
• The Third Hokage ordered stronger patrols in the northwest and told Danzo to have Root monitor Kumogakure and the Land of Earth.

Gua returned the six million to his parents, then went to the Hokage Office to choose a technique from the Scroll of Seals. He selected the Eight Gates Released Formation and began studying it under the Third Generation’s supervision, while Genma Shiranui suspected the child in the office was Uchiha Gua.

• Gua explained how the Third Generation had given him six million, and Uchiha Nai and Uchiha Oyama agreed that the Third Generation had acknowledged him.
• At school, Gua told Itachi he was happy, then went to the Hokage Building to study the Scroll of Seals.
• Gua chose the Eight Gates Released Formation over Flying Thunder God, and the Third Generation let him study it in the Hokage Office.
• An Anbu member gossiped to Izumo Kamizuki and Genma Shiranui about a young child sitting in the Hokage Office.
• Genma Shiranui recognized the description and asked whether the child was Uchiha Gua.

After wandering into the Land of Grass, Kakashi stopped three men from harming a woman and her daughter, Karin, then found himself studying Icha Icha Paradise while unsure what to do next. Reading Jiraiya’s book gave him a moment of understanding through its hidden story about Naruto and Sakura.

• Kakashi wandered into the wilderness in the Land of Grass, questioning how he could find happiness or meaning in his life.
• Kakashi heard a woman and her daughter, Karin, being threatened by three men in a ruined temple and confronted them.
• Kakashi brutally beat the three men until they stopped resisting, while the woman comforted the terrified Karin.
• Kakashi sat in the temple, unsure what he wanted, then took out Icha Icha Paradise and read it.
• Kakashi noticed the subtle story of Naruto and Sakura beneath the book’s main plot, and a feeling stirred in him.

Kakashi met Rin Uzumaki and her daughter Karin, then continued reflecting on his place in the shinobi world. In Konoha, Gua made no progress learning the Eight Gates Released Formation, while the Third Generation and Fugaku both kept close watch on him.

• Kakashi asked the woman her name, and she introduced herself as Rin Uzumaki and her daughter as Karin Uzumaki.
• Gua continued studying the Eight Gates Released Formation in the Hokage Office but told the Third Generation he still had not learned it.
• The Third Generation encouraged Gua to keep studying and revealed his plan to bet on him as a way to influence the Uchiha and the village.
• Fugaku questioned Itachi about Gua's daily behavior and instructed him to watch Gua more closely.

As Gua’s unusual presence draws attention from Fugaku and the Uchiha, he loses access to the Hokage Office and continues studying the Eight Gates Released Formation on his own. Meanwhile, Jiraiya’s suspicions about the Akatsuki lead him to decide to visit the Land of Rain.

• Itachi reports Gua’s habits to Fugaku, who wonders whether the Third Generation intends Gua to become a bridge between Konoha and the Uchiha.
• Fugaku keeps spying on Gua, while Itachi follows him so closely that Gua grows annoyed.
• At dinner, Nai urges Gua to look after Izumi and invite her over, but Gua focuses on his Beef Hot Pot.
• The Third Generation ends Gua’s daily study sessions, believing he has mastered the Eight Gates Released Formation, so Gua copies the technique from memory at home.
• After discussing the Akatsuki with Orochimaru, Jiraiya broods over whether to return to the Land of Rain, then decides to go.

Fugaku worried when Gua left school early and planned to ask Itachi to check on him, but Gua had gone to visit Naruto. Meanwhile, Kakashi traveled through the Land of Grass with Rin Uzumaki, Karin Uzumaki, and three captured men, listening as they explained their ties to the Land of Rain.

• Fugaku noticed Gua had gone home early and asked Itachi whether anything unusual had happened.
• Itachi said he had not noticed anything and reminded Fugaku that the next day was Saturday, so Fugaku planned to keep watching Gua himself.
• Gua visited Naruto and worried that the boy’s drawings might soon make him a target for bullying.
• Gua ate vegetable soup, then fell asleep while studying his drafts on the Eight Gates Released Formation.
• Kakashi walked with Rin Uzumaki, Karin Uzumaki, and three skinny men, asking them to tell him about themselves.
• The men said they were shinobi from the Land of Rain, spoke of Hanzo of the Salamander’s disappearance and the Akatsuki, and explained why they had tried to assault Rin Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki.

Kakashi shared his hunted food with Rin Uzumaki, Karin, and three Rain Shinobi before deciding to visit the Land of Rain. Meanwhile, Gua devoted his day off to studying until Neji Hyuga arrived and asked to learn Taijutsu, but Gua refused and went back inside.

• Kakashi gave his roasted game to Rin Uzumaki, Karin, and the three Rain Shinobi, keeping none for himself.
• Kakashi announced that he wanted to visit the Land of Rain and asked whether it had a red-light district, while Karin asked Rin what one was.
• The Third Generation worried that Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Orochimaru were all away or unavailable.
• Gua put away his notes on the Eight Gates Released Formation and Dust Release, then returned to his room to study.
• Neji Hyuga visited Gua and asked to learn Taijutsu from him.
• Gua refused Neji's request and went back inside to study.

Neji returned home after Gua rejected his request to learn Taijutsu, and Hizashi urged him to ask again. Neji refused, but little Hinata secretly left home and made her way to the Uchiha Compound to find Gua, where she encountered Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Nai.

• Neji returned to the Hyuga Clan Compound feeling hurt after Gua turned him down.
• Hizashi told Neji to keep asking Gua for help, but Neji refused to go back.
• Little Hinata asked Neji to take her to Gua's house, but Neji coldly refused.
• After lunch, little Hinata escaped through a hidden dog hole and asked people for directions to Gua's house.
• Little Hinata reached the Uchiha Compound and asked Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Nai where Gua lived.
• Uchiha Mikoto recognized little Hinata as a child from the Hyuga Clan.

Hinata visited Gua’s home after sneaking out, and Gua’s mother brought her there. Hinata spent time watching Gua study the Eight Gates Released Formation and privately wished he were her real older brother.

• Nai recognized Hinata Hyuga and offered to take her home, then brought her to Gua’s house.
• Gua found Hinata with Nai and learned that she had sneaked out and asked for directions to his home.
• Hinata mistook Nai for someone who might steal from the kitchen until Gua told her that Nai was his mother.
• Gua returned to studying the Eight Gates Released Formation while Hinata looked around his small home and asked about the technique.
• Gua told Hinata the technique was classified, and she sat across from him, thinking he was nicer than Big Brother Neji.

Hinata persuaded Gua to accept Neji’s request, while Obito watched Gua leave Konoha. At an Akatsuki meeting in the Land of Rain, Pain ordered Kakashi Hatake driven out, and Sasori volunteered.

• Hinata asked Gua to agree to Neji’s request, and Gua accepted when they reached the Hyuga Clan’s gate.
• Gua told Neji to visit him the next afternoon, and Hinata told Neji she wanted him to be happier; Neji thanked her.
• Obito watched Gua leave Konoha, then disappeared.
• Kakuzu learned the Akatsuki’s accounts were five hundred thousand ryo in debt but stayed after Obito promised he could manage the Land of Rain’s finances.
• Pain told the Akatsuki that Kakashi Hatake had entered the Land of Rain and ordered someone to drive him out; Sasori volunteered.

Kakashi visited a Red-Light District tavern in the Land of Rain while Rin Uzumaki and Karin waited outside, leaving them unsure what to make of his behavior. After two hours, he emerged and led them back into the rain, while Sasori watched and judged him.

• Three Land of Rain Shinobi led Kakashi, Rin Uzumaki, and Karin Uzumaki to the Free Information Tavern, where Rin and Karin waited outside as Kakashi went in.
• The tavern's madam sent Keiko to entertain Kakashi, who stayed in a private room for two hours while reflecting on desire and remembering Rin.
• Kakashi emerged, paid the bill himself, and rejoined Rin and Karin before leading them away.
• Sasori appeared in the darkness, sneered at Kakashi for visiting the tavern, and dismissed the women inside as inferior to puppets.