Chapter Summaries

After recovering from Obito’s attack, Gua returned to school, where Orochimaru unexpectedly joined his class as an observer. Orochimaru left Kabuto overseeing the laboratory’s rebuilding and settled in beside Gua, saying he had nothing to do while his laboratory was being rebuilt.

• Gua stayed home for two days after Obito’s attack, then cautiously left for school once he was sure Obito was not waiting for him.
• Anko dumped her bricks onto Kabuto, laughed when he fell, and ran off when Orochimaru returned to the ruined laboratory.
• Orochimaru told Kabuto to stop working and oversee the construction crew while he left the laboratory in Kabuto’s hands.
• Orochimaru entered Ye Chuan Dahei’s classroom, displaced Itachi to sit beside Gua, and asked to observe the lesson.
• Orochimaru told Gua he had nothing to do while his laboratory was rebuilt, leaving Gua to wonder whether Orochimaru planned to take his family’s savings.

Orochimaru followed Gua everywhere after the Masked Man attacked him, while Gua wondered how to move Obito’s White Zetsu arm from Danzo’s laboratory to Orochimaru’s. At school, Neji returned for Taijutsu training, where Gua beat him badly enough for Orochimaru to question whether the training was deliberate.

• Orochimaru spent the night in a tree outside Gua’s home and followed him to school the next day.
• Gua thought about Obito’s White Zetsu arm, which remained sealed in Danzo’s laboratory, and how he might get it to Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru followed Gua through the school day and apologized for failing to protect him from the Masked Man.
• Neji returned exactly three days after Gua had told him to come back for Taijutsu practice.
• Gua’s growing strength left Neji bruised and swollen after their training, and Orochimaru remarked that the method was not scientific.

Gua asked Orochimaru to make his Taijutsu training more scientific, then tried to cook dinner for his parents while his mother was out. His burnt meal made his parents laugh, and he ended the evening embarrassed as his birthday approached.

• Orochimaru explained how diet, training, sleep, supplements, and mood affected Taijutsu, and agreed to prepare a training list for Gua.
• Gua prompted Neji to thank Orochimaru, then escorted Orochimaru home and politely sent him away to work on the list.
• Finding his parents absent, Gua attempted to cook cucumber salad, chicken wings, tamagoyaki, rice balls, and miso soup.
• Nai returned to find Gua and the kitchen covered in grime after he burned the tamagoyaki and struggled with the meal.
• Dashan praised Gua's cooking and forced himself to eat the burned food, while Nai laughed and reminded Dashan that Gua's birthday was in two days.
• Gua retreated to his bedroom, upset that his attempt to be a good son had turned into a source of laughter.

Gua agreed to spar with Itachi, who brought swords to their riverside match while Neji watched. As the two fought, Neji wondered whether he could truly be called a genius.

• Izumi asked Gua what he wanted for his birthday, but he failed to give her a satisfying answer and she stormed off.
• Itachi asked Gua to spar after school using weapons, and Gua agreed.
• Gua and Itachi went to their usual riverside spot, where Neji was waiting for training.
• Gua told Neji to watch as he and Itachi prepared to spar with short swords.
• Gua and Itachi traded sword strikes while Neji watched and questioned his own talent.

Gua and Itachi continued their sword spar, with Gua revealing extraordinary control and strength that left Itachi and Neji stunned. Itachi’s final strike shattered Gua’s sword, leaving the outcome of the exchange unresolved.

• Gua increased his strength and charged, prompting Itachi to activate his three-tomoe Sharingan.
• Gua transformed his thrust into a powerful downward chop, shocking Itachi and Neji with his control and force.
• Itachi recovered and continued fighting, then announced that he had one final strike and leaped into a two-handed blow.
• Gua raised his sword to block, but Itachi’s ink-black afterimage gathered on the blade and his strike broke Gua’s sword in two.

Gua defeated Itachi’s powerful sword strike with a kick, leaving Neji astonished by his strength. Orochimaru brought Gua a detailed taijutsu training scroll, which Gua passed to Neji, while Orochimaru regarded Gua as a rare gem.

• Itachi’s sword broke as he attacked, but Gua kicked him dozens of meters away before the slash could hit.
• Neji watched in disbelief and asked Gua if he was all right, increasingly convinced that Gua was the right person to learn from.
• Itachi explained that his Divine Blade could combine the force of previous attacks, but refused to give it to Gua.
• Orochimaru arrived and gave Gua a detailed scroll on taijutsu training and nutrition.
• Gua handed the scroll to Neji and said he did not need it, leaving Orochimaru to marvel at Gua’s talent.

Neji accepted a reduced schedule for seeing Gua, while Orochimaru made plans for his Laboratory and sought Anko’s help with an important matter. On Gua’s birthday, Itachi arrived with a gift, but Izumi hid outside after realizing she had shouted for him in front of his parents.

• Neji bargained with Gua to visit once a week, and Gua agreed to give him Orochimaru’s training plan.
• Orochimaru returned to his damaged Laboratory, learned Anko was absent, and tracked her down at a dessert shop.
• Orochimaru asked Anko what young boys liked and asked her to help him with something important.
• On June 4, Year 53 of Konoha, Gua celebrated his birthday at home with his family while waiting for Itachi and Izumi.
• Kabuto told Gua that his mother was happy simply because she loved him, prompting Gua to reflect on the lives and bonds of people in the Shinobi World.
• Itachi arrived carrying a cloth bag, while Izumi hid outside, embarrassed that she had shouted for Gua in front of his parents.

Gua celebrated his birthday with Itachi, Izumi, and Kabuto, receiving gifts and enjoying their company. As everyone gathered to eat cake, Orochimaru arrived with a present and wished him a happy birthday.

• Itachi visited Gua and brought a long cloth bag containing the sword they had used when sparring.
• Izumi sneaked up on Gua with a giant Three-Color Dango plush, frightened him, and gave him the toy as a birthday present.
• Itachi gave Gua his valuable sword, explaining that he had saved it for Gua's birthday.
• Kabuto gave Gua a reversible watermelon-rind hat with names embroidered on its ears, and Gua accepted it.
• Uchiha Nai finished preparing the food, Uchiha Oyama returned with a cake, and Orochimaru arrived with a wrapped present and wished Gua a happy birthday.

Gua celebrated his birthday with family and friends, receiving an unsettling handmade gift from Orochimaru before making a wish for everyone’s happiness. Meanwhile, Jiraiya confronted the Six Paths of Pain in the Land of Rain and realized they were all dead.

• Orochimaru gave Gua a wobbling doll of himself that played birthday messages in Anko’s voice, then accidentally revealed Anko’s recorded complaint about him.
• Gua celebrated with a feast, made a birthday wish for his family and friends, and blew out all seven candles.
• Orochimaru suggested Uchiha Oyama’s parenting had made Gua who he was, while Oyama admitted he knew little about parenting.
• Jiraiya tried to restrain Deva Path Pain with the Toad Mouth Binding Technique, but the Animal Path and Asura Path broke in and the Six Paths pursued him.
• Jiraiya confronted Deva Path Pain, learned that Yahiko was dead, and realized the Six Paths of Pain were all dead.

Jiraiya used his knowledge of the Six Paths of Pain to destroy Naraka Path, while Deva Path Pain continued to defend Nagato’s cause. In Konoha, Gua celebrated his birthday with his friends, and Uchiha Nai comforted a shy Izumi before asking Gua to walk her and Itachi home.

• Jiraiya and the two sages coordinated Sage Art: Goemon to burn Naraka Path beyond repair, while Preta Path absorbed the attack.
• Deva Path Pain asked whether Orochimaru had given Jiraiya information about the Six Paths, and Jiraiya urged Nagato to turn back.
• Animal Path summoned a three-headed dog, and Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta to fight it.
• At Gua’s birthday meal, Gua gave Izumi most of the cake, then took half back when she said she could not finish it.
• Uchiha Nai gently reassured the bashful Izumi and told Gua to walk Izumi and Itachi home.

Gua, Itachi, and Izumi left Gua’s home while Izumi privately wrestled with her growing affection for Gua and his family. Elsewhere, Jiraiya escaped Pain’s attack through Reverse Summoning, and Pain seized control of the Land of Rain, driving Hanzō’s former followers to vow revenge.

• Gua, Itachi, and Izumi walked together, and Izumi blushed as she imagined what it would be like if Gua’s mother were her own.
• Sages Shima and Morisaku reverse-summoned a badly wounded Jiraiya to Mount Myōboku, where Gamabunta carried him away to recover.
• Konan surmised that Jiraiya had escaped using the Reverse Summoning Technique, and Pain left to take over the Land of Rain.
• Pain killed or frightened the Land of Rain’s leaders into submission and declared himself the country’s leader.
• Hanzō’s fleeing former followers gathered at the border and agreed to seek revenge against Pain.

Gua celebrated his birthday, received belated wishes from Neji on Hinata’s behalf, and prepared a gift for Itachi. At school, he heard that a Konoha shinobi’s attack on Iwagakure had sparked rumors of war, leaving him wondering whether Danzo was behind it.

• A Rain shinobi proposed making Konoha pay for Orochimaru killing Lord Hanzō, and his followers agreed to his plan despite being horrified by it.
• Gua arranged his birthday presents, then met Neji outside, accepted a skewer of Three-Color Dango, and learned Hinata had tried to sneak out to wish him happy birthday.
• Neji told Gua that Uncle Hiashi had caught Hinata sneaking out and filled in her escape hole, then returned home after delivering the birthday wishes.
• Gua spent the next two days choosing an ordinary fox mask as Itachi’s birthday present, since their birthdays were only five days apart.
• At school, Gua heard that Konoha and Iwagakure might go to war after Konoha shinobi attacked Iwagakure shinobi and shouted patriotic slogans when caught.
• Gua wondered if Danzo was directing Konoha’s actions.

Gua heard that Konoha shinobi had supposedly assassinated Iwagakure shinobi, but the commanders and Third Generation doubted the culprits were really from Konoha. As tensions rose, Gua trained with Neji and went looking for Naruto, only to find him vandalizing the village and earning everyone’s curses.

• Gua and Itachi doubted the report that Konoha shinobi had assassinated Iwagakure shinobi, while Asuma, Shibi Aburame, and Inoichi Yamanaka found that none of their shinobi were missing.
• The Third Generation received Asuma’s report and chose to let the accusation cool down rather than escalate the conflict with Iwagakure.
• Gua noticed tension in Konoha and practiced Taijutsu with Neji, who dodged his attacks four times after following Orochimaru’s training plan.
• Gua visited Naruto the next day, found his home empty, and followed Naruto’s shouts to an alley where villagers were cursing him for painting figures on their walls.
• Gua saw Naruto’s graffiti throughout the village and pretended he did not know him.

Gua followed Naruto to the edge of Konoha and discovered that Naruto had painted a gravestone for himself. After Naruto rushed to defend Hinata from bullies and was beaten while shielding her, a girl shouted for them to stop.

• Gua followed Naruto as he painted figures on villagers’ walls and ran toward the Fire Memorial Cemetery.
• Naruto painted a gravestone bearing Konoha’s symbol and his own name in the empty space at the cemetery’s rear.
• Naruto heard a scream beyond the cemetery and ran toward it, declaring that he would save whoever was in danger.
• Naruto found several boys bullying Hinata and challenged them to fight him one-on-one.
• The boys knocked Naruto down and beat him, but he kept protecting Hinata with his body.
• As Gua prepared to intervene, a girl shouted at the bullies to stop.

Gua stopped bullies from beating Sakura Haruno, Naruto, and Hinata, but the fleeing children were attacked by Shinobi from Iwagakure. Gua arrived as one of the Shinobi choked a child and ordered him to put the boy down.

• Sakura Haruno rushed in to defend Naruto and Hinata, and the bullies turned on her.
• Gua caught the lead bully, kicked him away, and made the bullies flee when they recognized him as Uchiha Gua.
• Sakura Haruno urged Gua to beat the bullies more, while Naruto stared at her and Gua checked on him.
• Gua heard screams and found the children being held by Shinobi from Iwagakure.
• One Iwagakure Shinobi choked a child and blamed Konoha for making enemies of Iwagakure.
• Gua told the Shinobi to put the child down.

Gua saved a group of children from Iwagakure Shinobi who were attacking them outside Konoha, killing one and incapacitating two. As the last Shinobi threatened his hostage and claimed to be nearly an elite Jonin, Gua opened the second gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation.

• Gua told an Iwagakure Shinobi to release the boy he was choking, but the man tightened his grip and threatened him.
• The Shinobi's companions moved to seize Naruto, Hinata, Sakura Haruno, and the other children, but Gua kicked one attacker away and stomped another to death.
• Gua struck another Shinobi with a flying kick, sending him into a tree with a likely broken spine, while the children watched in terror.
• The last Shinobi backed away with a hostage and claimed he was half a step from becoming an elite Jonin, unlike his Chunin subordinates.
• Gua opened the second gate, the Gate of Healing, as he prepared to face the remaining Shinobi.

Gua killed the Iwagakure Shinobi who had threatened Naruto and the other children, then realized his Two-Tomoe Sharingan had triggered an illusion during the fight. The children returned toward Konoha while Anbu arrived to investigate the bodies and found one survivor.

• The Shinobi tried to kill the child he was holding, but Gua appeared, overwhelmed him with an illusion, and kicked him into the ground.
• Gua killed the Shinobi with a kick through his chest, then reflected on his rapid Eight Gates training and suspected his eyes had an innate illusion ability.
• Naruto kicked the wounded Shinobi and feared he had killed him, but Gua reassured him that the man was already dead.
• Gua led Naruto, Hinata, Sakura Haruno, and the other children back toward Konoha.
• Anbu arrived to clean up and investigate the Iwagakure Shinobi, then discovered that one was still alive.

Gua brought the children back to Konoha after they were attacked by shinobi claiming to be from Iwagakure, prompting Genma Shiranui to rush them to the Hokage. At the Shimura Compound, the Third Generation told Danzo that war with Iwagakure now seemed unavoidable.

• An Iwagakure shinobi captured by Anbu bit through his tongue and died before they could question him.
• Gua led the children to Konoha’s main gate and told Genma Shiranui that shinobi had attacked them and claimed to be from Iwagakure.
• Genma Shiranui recognized Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga among the children and hurried to take them to the Hokage.
• Genma Shiranui learned that the Third Generation was visiting Shimura Danzō and brought Gua and the children to the Shimura Compound.
• The Third Generation told Danzo that tensions with Iwagakure had escalated and that war might no longer be avoidable.

The Third Generation apologized to Danzo for making him bear Konoha’s darkness, but Danzo refused to help deter Kumogakure. After Genma, Gua, Naruto, and Hinata reported an attack by Iwagakure shinobi, the Third Generation ordered a search and recognized that war might be unavoidable.

• The Third Generation admitted he had known about Danzo and Orochimaru’s experiments and had let Danzo take the blame to preserve the Hokage’s image.
• Danzo refused the Third Generation’s implied request to deter Kumogakure and celebrated catching a tiny fish.
• Genma, Uchiha Gua, Naruto, and Hinata Hyuga met the Third Generation and reported what had happened.
• The Third Generation ordered Anbu to search around Konoha for more Iwagakure shinobi and praised Gua for protecting the others.
• Gua began to suspect the incident had been staged, but the Third Generation cut him off and concluded Konoha had to respond regardless.

Gua advanced his Eight Gates training and learned to use his Sharingan for genjutsu as Fugaku sought permission to take him and Itachi to the battlefield. Summer vacation began, and Izumi approached Gua in the classroom.

• Gua reached the fourth gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation and practiced using his two-tomoe Sharingan to draw Itachi into an illusion.
• Fugaku asked the Third Hokage for permission to take Gua and Itachi to the battlefield after summer vacation began.
• The Third questioned Fugaku's habit of bringing his children to war and suggested forming a three-person squad with Uchiha Kabuto and Uchiha Izumi.
• Fugaku left without deciding whether to take the two suggested squadmates.
• Ye Chuan Dahei announced summer vacation, and his students celebrated before leaving the classroom.
• Izumi came to Gua's desk and told him that vacation had begun, and Gua replied that he had heard.