Recaps

Gua and Kabuto fought Root operatives, then Gua stood by his classmates during a staged Academy attack and was left unconscious. As Kakashi departed to find his own path, Gua recovered and helped Kabuto settle into Orochimaru’s laboratory, before intervening when children bullied Hinata.

• Gua and Kabuto defeated Root operatives, and Gua confronted Kakashi for hesitating to protect them and the people they cared about.
• Hiruzen warned Danzo against further misconduct and arranged a surprise combat exercise to test the Academy students.
• During the exercise, Gua fought the black-clad shinobi while Itachi, Izumi, and other students tried to protect their classmates.
• Gua ran out of chakra but stood between the attackers and the battered students, declaring that the Will of Fire would not die before Aoba struck him down.
• Itachi confronted Aoba, but the exercise ended with Kurenai defeating the remaining students, while Kakashi left Konoha to seek his own answers.
• Orochimaru found Gua unconscious, carried him to an abandoned laboratory, and waited until Gua woke and heard how he had been rescued.
• Gua encouraged Kabuto to study science under Orochimaru, and Kabuto chose to live at the laboratory.
• Gua intervened when children kicked a blind victim and realized she was Hinata.

Gua earned the Third Generation’s trust, studied the Eight Gates Released Formation, and began repairing his relationship with Neji. Meanwhile, Kakashi traveled toward the Land of Rain with Rin and Karin as the Akatsuki prepared to confront him.

• Gua stopped the bully from tormenting others, then brought Hinata to Naruto’s home, where the Third Generation later taught them about the Will of Fire at the cemetery.
• Gua accepted six million ryo from Hiashi and Hizashi, defeated Neji in a spar, and later apologized for going too far when Neji came to apologize to him.
• Gua gave Orochimaru manuscripts on refrigeration and Impure World Reincarnation, and Orochimaru recognized their potential.
• The Third Generation returned Gua’s six million ryo and granted him supervised access to the Scroll of Seals, where Gua chose to study the Eight Gates Released Formation.
• Kakashi rescued Rin Uzumaki and Karin Uzumaki from three men in the Land of Grass, then traveled with them toward the Land of Rain.
• Gua refused Neji’s request to learn taijutsu, but Hinata persuaded him to reconsider, and Gua told Neji to visit the next afternoon.
• Obito watched Gua leave Konoha while Pain ordered the Akatsuki to drive Kakashi out of the Land of Rain, and Sasori volunteered.
• Kakashi visited the Free Information Tavern with Rin and Karin, then rejoined them as Sasori watched from the darkness.

Gua fought Obito after the masked man attacked him, while Hiruzen stripped Danzo of power and took control of Root. Gua celebrated his birthday and later found himself caught up in rising tensions with Iwagakure as he defended Naruto and the other children.

• Gua trained Neji and opened the First Gate, then confronted Obito when the masked man attacked them during practice.
• Gua and Obito fought until Fugaku intervened, and Danzo’s Root shinobi tried to trap Obito, who escaped and left behind a severed White Zetsu arm.
• Fugaku reported Danzo’s actions to the Third Generation, who removed Danzo as Hokage’s advisor and placed Root under Anbu jurisdiction.
• Gua resumed training Neji, sparred with Itachi, and received a taijutsu training plan from Orochimaru before celebrating his birthday with family and friends.
• Jiraiya confronted Pain and the Six Paths, escaped badly wounded, and Pain took control of the Land of Rain as Hanzō’s former followers plotted revenge.
• Gua learned that Konoha and Iwagakure might go to war, then found Naruto protecting Hinata from bullies and intervened when Iwagakure shinobi seized the children.

Gua and his squad were sent to the front, where they uncovered Iwagakure infiltrators and fought a series of dangerous battles. The arc left Hiruko confronting Shu and Bunga while Gua, Itachi, and Kabuto returned to recover.

• Gua defended Naruto, Hinata, Sakura Haruno, and the other children from Iwagakure shinobi, then reported the attack to the Third Hokage, who ordered a search of the area.
• Fugaku took Gua and Itachi to the battlefield, and Gua chose Kabuto to join their squad after the Third Hokage approved the assignment.
• Gua, Itachi, and Kabuto patrolled near camp until they encountered Iwagakure infiltrators, captured one, and rescued Shi Haoguan’s team from three elite jonin.
• Fugaku used genjutsu to investigate the captured infiltrator, and Konoha’s commanders revised their defenses after learning that enemy squads had scouted the camp.
• Gua, Itachi, and Kabuto moved to the forward perimeter, where Tsuchigakure shinobi lured them into an explosive trap and wounded Gua.
• Hiruko confronted Gua and sought his Sharingan, but Gua stalled him with a clone and genjutsu until Fugaku arrived.
• Gua rejoined Itachi and Kabuto as Shu, Bunga, and Xintu cornered them, and they subdued Xintu while Shu and Bunga escaped.
• Hiruko offered to fight for Iwagakure in exchange for Shu and a Sharingan, but Gua recognized his thundercloud and chose to return with Itachi and Kabuto to recover.