Chapter Summaries

Naruto used Sasuke's question about his wish to fool Hiruzen's Telescope Technique and help end the ANBU surveillance on him. Hiruzen ordered Iruka to secretly earn Naruto's trust, while Danzo warned that Root would continue watching Sasuke.

• Naruto comforted Sasuke about her loneliness, and she apologized after recognizing how long he had endured being alone.
• When Sasuke asked about his wish, Naruto claimed he wanted to become Hokage until the Telescope Technique's surveillance vanished, then admitted he had been talking nonsense.
• Hiruzen and Danzo argued over Naruto, Sasuke, Root's actions, and the Uchiha, and Danzo left after warning that Root would intervene if Sasuke showed rebellious intent.
• Hiruzen asked an ANBU operative whether Naruto had shown hostility toward villagers, then canceled Naruto's protection detail and ordered stricter enforcement of the gag order.
• Hiruzen visited Iruka and assigned her a secret S-Rank mission to gain Naruto's trust, offering extra expenses and the prospect of becoming the Academy principal.

Naruto and Sasuke swapped appearances so Sasuke could experience life as Naruto in Konoha. After villagers and a shopkeeper mistreated her, Sasuke returned the Dog-Head Mask to Naruto and confronted him, leaving him stunned as she approached.

• Sasuke transformed into Naruto and set off to buy the Dog-Head Mask while Naruto disguised himself as Sasuke.
• As she walked through Konoha, Sasuke heard villagers insult Naruto and began to understand the hostility he faced.
• A shopkeeper shoved Sasuke out of his store and threw the mask at her after a customer fled; Sasuke grabbed it and ran off in tears.
• Naruto, still disguised as Sasuke, called her a weirdo as she passed, then followed her to a grove where she vented her anger on a tree.
• Sasuke threw the mask to Naruto and demanded to know why he had not helped her; as she advanced on him, Naruto was left stunned.

Naruto and Sasuke encountered a challenge to Ichiraku Ramen’s title as Konoha’s Number One Flavor Enhancer, and Naruto noticed the rival chefs had a hidden advantage. The preliminary contest was about to begin, leaving Naruto determined to intervene.

• Sasuke apologized to Naruto for her past behavior, and they walked through town wearing a mask to avoid attracting attention.
• Naruto brought Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen to discuss a business partnership, but Aunt Ichiraku said the shop had to close early because of a challenge.
• A bald chef from Hongle Ramen challenged Aunt Ichiraku to defend Ichiraku’s title, and Naruto urged her to accept.
• The chefs agreed that Naruto, Sasuke, and two apprentices would judge the preliminary round, with its winner choosing the terms of the final.
• Aunt Ichiraku began preparing Ichiraku ramen while Naruto and Sasuke waited outside, where Naruto spotted a pitch-black stone being passed to the rival chefs and resolved to get involved.

Naruto learned that Konoha’s top titles could guarantee a business’s success, then watched Hongle challenge Ichiraku’s ramen with a secret alkaline-water technique. After Sasuke and the others praised Hongle’s springy noodles, Naruto called the ramen awful and unfit to serve, shocking the crowd.

• Sasuke explained that Konoha’s top titles brought businesses many customers, and Naruto decided Ichiraku must keep the First Seasoning title.
• Naruto praised Ichiraku’s ramen after identifying added salt as her secret seasoning.
• Naruto noticed Hongle’s apprentice adding dark alkaline water to the dough, which made the ramen unusually springy.
• The judges and Sasuke favored Hongle’s ramen, and Ichiraku and Ayame believed they had lost.
• Naruto condemned Hongle’s ramen as awful and unfit to serve, shocking the villagers.

Naruto exposed the danger in Hongle’s ramen-making process by refining the alkali solution into caustic crystals and having Hongle taste them. Hongle temporarily lost his sense of taste, then begged Naruto’s forgiveness, while Naruto reassured him that he would recover soon.

• Hongle challenged Naruto to explain the risks in his ramen and agreed to speak with him privately after dismissing the others.
• Naruto examined Hongle’s secret alkali solution, boiled it down, and revealed snowflake-like crystals.
• Hongle tasted the crystals and suffered a burning injury to his mouth and throat, temporarily losing his sense of taste.
• Naruto told Hongle to drink cold water and assured him his taste would return within minutes.
• Hongle knelt before Naruto, distraught that he had served customers food made with poison, and Naruto told him it was no big deal.

Naruto used Hongle’s fear of alkali stone to recruit him and secretly shape the finals challenge. Hongle set a ramen contest for the next evening, leaving Aunt Ichiraku worried, while Naruto promised to bring Sasuke to help serve.

• Naruto warned Hongle about the dangers of alkali stone and promised to teach him advanced cooking techniques if he obeyed.
• Hongle begged Naruto to make him an apprentice, and Naruto assigned him a private task.
• Hongle beat his three apprentices when they threatened Naruto, then announced that the finals would be held beside the Ringing Water River the next evening.
• Hongle set the finals challenge: both chefs would let their ramen rest for five minutes before judges tasted it, and Aunt Ichiraku accepted.
• Aunt Ichiraku worried she could not keep her title or serve all the judges, so Naruto offered to bring Sasuke to help after school.

Naruto used Hongle’s unexpected appearance as cover for his plans, then spent most of his savings on master-level ramen and barbecue techniques and acquired master-level chess skills and a shogi set. He planned to use shogi to challenge Shikamaru and learn how much skill he had.

• Aunt Ichiraku thanked Naruto for his support, and he left with Sasuke after the ramen shop postponed discussing their partnership until after the showdown.
• Sasuke reminded Naruto of his promise to train together, but hesitated to accept Naruto’s invitation to meet at four thirty the next morning.
• Naruto decided to use Hongle’s culinary backstory to make his plans seem plausible and avoid attracting Konoha High Command’s scrutiny.
• At home, Naruto found that no ANBU or Root watchers seemed to be monitoring him and used the system to exchange 5500 silver taels for master-level ramen and barbecue techniques.
• Naruto exchanged 1000 shock points for master-level chess skills and 300 silver taels for Hokage Shogi, then prepared to challenge Shikamaru.

Naruto woke inside the mental space of the Eight Trigrams Seal and found the Nine-Tails imprisoned there. After resisting the fox’s overwhelming negative chakra, Naruto met him and pretended to be an innocent child, leaving the Nine-Tails curious about whether he truly wanted to release him.

• Naruto woke in a flooded corridor and realized he was inside the mental space of the Eight Trigrams Seal.
• Naruto sensed the Nine-Tails behind the Gate of Death and followed the corridor to a vast stone hall.
• The Nine-Tails’ chakra flooded Naruto with amplified hatred and briefly wrapped him in dark red chakra, but Naruto regained control.
• The Nine-Tails addressed Naruto by name, and Naruto inferred that the fox did not know he had been replaced.
• The Nine-Tails revealed himself behind an enormous iron gate, and Naruto acted innocent while asking who had imprisoned him.
• The Nine-Tails asked Naruto whether he really wanted to let him out.

Naruto confronted Kurama in the sealing space, resisted its attempts to lure him into freeing it, and learned that Minato Namikaze had sealed it. After Naruto woke at 4:30 a.m., he shouted that he would become Hokage, harvested villagers’ negative emotion points, and headed to the training ground.

• Kurama urged Naruto to enter the gate and let it take control, but Naruto refused and asked who had sealed it.
• Kurama admitted that Minato Namikaze had imprisoned it, then tried to tempt Naruto by offering power and introducing itself as the “Fox Lord.”
• Naruto praised Kurama’s appearance, startling it, but his alarm clock abruptly woke him before he could respond to its request to remove the seal.
• Kurama raged after Naruto vanished, blaming Hiruzen and Minato and vowing that it would eventually get its chance with Naruto.
• Naruto woke at 4:30 a.m., shouted that he would become Hokage, gained negative emotion points from awakened villagers, and ran to the training ground.

Naruto trained before dawn to improve his combat skills and then met Sasuke, who had come to honor their temporary-girlfriend arrangement and train with him. He tested her hand-seal speed, encouraged her to trust him, and learned that their birthdays made Sasuke a Leo and himself a Virgo.

• Naruto meditated and practiced throwing techniques, kunai combat, and taijutsu in a secluded grove before dawn.
• Sasuke arrived after finishing her own training and said she was Naruto's temporary girlfriend as part of their cooperation.
• Naruto demonstrated a rapid finger movement as a supposed training method, then asked Sasuke to show how quickly she could weave hand seals.
• Sasuke formed three seals per second, and Naruto told her that Itachi could reach seven seals per second in battle, leaving Sasuke shocked and determined to believe him.
• Naruto learned Sasuke's birthday was July 30th, searched the system for Leo personality traits, and then told Sasuke his own birthday was August 25th.
• Naruto realized that his birthday matched both his past life's birthday and the date range for Virgo, reflecting on the connection to his new life.

Naruto beat Sasuke in a hand-seal speed contest, and Sasuke fulfilled their wager by kissing Naruto on the cheek. Sasuke later visited Naruto’s home and was interrupted while contemplating revenge on Itachi by a startled visitor.

• Naruto told Sasuke he had practiced finger dexterity for years, and Sasuke challenged him to a hand-seal speed contest.
• Naruto completed the Great Fireball Technique seals faster than Sasuke and won their wager.
• Sasuke kissed Naruto on the cheek, then refused his suggestion to wager a kiss on the lips in another contest.
• Sasuke followed Naruto home and, while Naruto showered, looked out at Hokage Rock and imagined killing Itachi.
• A startled voice downstairs asked Sasuke what he was doing at Naruto’s house.

Naruto set up a paid shogi stall at the Ninja Academy to earn money while Sasuke publicly hinted that she admired him. The classmates reacted with jealousy and shock, and Ino and Sakura prepared to challenge Naruto.

• Naruto and Sasuke walked to school together, and Sasuke bought them breakfast with money the Third Hokage had given her.
• Naruto borrowed 100 taels from Sasuke, then asked her to enter the classroom ahead of him while he set up a small stall.
• Naruto pressured his chubby deskmate into lending him paper and a pen, then wrote a sign for a paid shogi match.
• Naruto arranged a portable shogi set and an endgame puzzle outside, hoping to attract students from wealthy families.
• When classmates questioned Sasuke about her relationship with Naruto, she said she admired his excellence and might accept dating him.
• Sasuke told Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno she would reconsider if they defeated Naruto, prompting them to seek him out for a challenge.

Naruto set up a paid shogi stall and defeated Ino, Sakura, and their classmates in five consecutive games. As the warning bell neared, he wagered all his winnings—1,900 taels—on one last round, challenging them to match it.

• A chubby boy told the class that Naruto was playing shogi for money and disparaged his classmates, prompting Ino and Sakura to lead a group out to confront him.
• Ino offered Shikamaru money to play Naruto, but Shikamaru refused, so Ino and Sakura went with several classmates instead.
• After the group failed to return, Hinata used his Byakugan to discover Naruto was winning and that Ino and the others had suffered a complete defeat.
• Naruto won his fifth game against the group and collected their pooled stakes, while Ino and Sakura struggled to accept their losses.
• Naruto put his winnings on the chessboard and challenged Ino and the others to a final game for 1,900 taels.

Naruto won five shogi matches against Ino and Sakura’s group, then politely refused Iruka’s sudden offer to treat him to a meal after suspecting she was trying to win his trust on the Third Hokage’s orders. He returned to class and handed Sasuke 200 silver taels for snacks, leaving her poised to reveal their agreement.

• Naruto won five consecutive shogi games and earned 1,900 silver taels, prompting Ino and the others to challenge him to face Shikamaru.
• Iruka offered to take Naruto for ramen, but Naruto suspected her friendliness was part of the Third Hokage’s plan and declined the invitation.
• Naruto told Iruka he had arranged to help at Ichiraku Ramen and receive a meal voucher, then left for class.
• Ino, Sakura, and the other boys returned to class crestfallen, while Sasuke and the rest of the class realized Naruto had defeated them.
• Naruto walked to Sasuke’s desk and put 200 silver taels on it, telling her to buy snacks.

Naruto repaid Sasuke and provoked Ino and the others into challenging him to a shogi match against Shikamaru for 1,800 taels. After school, Naruto asked whether they would play a full game or an endgame puzzle, surprising Shikamaru with his knowledge of shogi.

• Naruto gave Sasuke 100 silver taels, and Sasuke returned the extra money Naruto had offered.
• Naruto baited Shikamaru into accepting a shogi challenge from the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, with 1,800 taels at stake.
• Iruka began class, and Naruto slept through nearly three lessons after spending the night training and dealing with the Nine-Tails.
• After school, Ino and the others locked the classroom to keep Naruto from escaping, and Naruto brought out a folding shogi set.
• Naruto asked Shikamaru whether he wanted to play a full game or an endgame puzzle, leaving Shikamaru shocked.

Naruto defeated Shikamaru in a difficult chess endgame, earning the classmates’ respect and 3,000 Shock Points. He then took Sasuke to a barbecue restaurant for lunch, where they gathered baskets of food and prepared to eat.

• Naruto challenged Shikamaru to an endgame puzzle and let him choose a side.
• Naruto won after Shikamaru made a decisive mistake, and Shikamaru paid him 2,000 taels while proposing another game.
• Naruto teased Kiba Inuzuka, then took Sasuke by the hand and announced that lunch was on him.
• Naruto and Sasuke went to an all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurant, where Naruto explained he had transformed into a girl to avoid being treated badly in public.
• Naruto and Sasuke collected baskets of ingredients, and Naruto urged them to start eating after the server warned them not to waste food.

Naruto took Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen to help with the shop’s cooking competition after learning Aunt Ichiraku had been struggling to perfect a ramen recipe. He began making dough with a mysterious white powder, leaving Aunt Ichiraku, Ayame, and Sasuke shocked and waiting to see the result.

• Naruto and Sasuke enjoyed a barbecue lunch, and Naruto checked his system panel and planned to earn money through the cooking competition.
• Naruto and Sasuke returned to the Ninja Academy, where Sasuke later woke him after class and agreed to join his plan.
• Naruto brought Sasuke to Ichiraku Ramen, where Ayame explained that Aunt Ichiraku had spent a day and night trying to improve the ramen recipe.
• Naruto claimed a dream had given him a secret recipe, then demonstrated professional dough-kneading skills that amazed Aunt Ichiraku and Ayame.
• Naruto added salt, eggs, and an unfamiliar white powder to the dough, calling it a core part of the recipe.

Naruto and Sasuke made ramen together using Naruto’s unusual technique, and the noodles stayed springy after sitting for five minutes. Aunt Ichiraku agreed to cooperate with Naruto, and the group prepared to head to the contest grounds.

• Naruto and Sasuke worked in sync to make ramen, with Sasuke using her Sharingan to copy his movements and Fire Release to heat the broth.
• Naruto left the ramen to rest for five minutes, and Aunt Ichiraku, Ayame, and Sasuke tasted it and found it deliciously springy.
• Aunt Ichiraku offered to become Naruto’s student, but Naruto refused and proposed a business partnership instead.
• Naruto and Aunt Ichiraku discussed their cooperation privately, then returned to find Ayame had packed the competition utensils.
• Aunt Ichiraku and the others set off for the contest grounds.

Naruto used his partnership with Aunt Ichiraku to enter a ramen duel, while concealing his role in the recipe under the watch of Konoha ANBU and Root. At the Clearwater River, both sides prepared to compete, and the duel began with Sasuke using a fire technique.

• Naruto and Aunt Ichiraku agreed that she would publicly call him her apprentice and follow his decisions in exchange for access to his recipes.
• Sasuke confronted the villagers who stared coldly at Naruto, but Naruto pulled her back and urged her to avoid trouble before the match.
• Naruto sensed that ANBU and Root were monitoring him and told Aunt Ichiraku that he would only assist her during the duel.
• Naruto's group reached the Clearwater River, where Hongle and about fifty culinary masters had gathered for the competition.
• Naruto handed Aunt Ichiraku the secret recipe, and the contestants finished setting up their stoves as Sasuke shouted, “Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”

Aunt Ichiraku and Hongle competed to become Konoha’s number one ramen flavor master, with Naruto’s ingredients helping Aunt Ichiraku’s noodles withstand the five-minute test. The judges began tasting Hongle’s ramen, but the winner had not yet been decided.

• Aunt Ichiraku added Naruto’s food-grade Alkali Noodles, salt, and eggs to her dough while Hongle prepared his own recipe.
• Aunt Ichiraku and Hongle impressed the crowd with their signature noodle-pulling techniques as Naruto, Sasuke, Ayame, and Hongle’s apprentices prepared the bowls.
• Both teams served fifty bowls, and the elder ordered the ramen to rest for five minutes before judging.
• During the wait, Hongle’s noodles turned white and softened, while Aunt Ichiraku’s noodles remained unchanged.
• The elder announced that the tasting would begin with Hongle’s ramen and that the fifty judges would award points.