Chapter Summaries

Mountain Owl used Gaara to power the Nue and attacked Tahm, while the Third Hokage discovered the weapon’s threat and realized Sunagakure’s jinchuriki could be its target. The chapter left the arena facing the Nue’s impending detonation and the Hokage grasping the danger to Gaara.

• Mountain Owl revealed that he had captured Gaara and sent the Xuan Yuan Corps mercenaries away.
• Mountain Owl challenged Tahm, unveiled his purple tattoo, and summoned the mountain-sized Nue.
• The Nue smashed the arena stands, but Kakashi, Might Guy, and Tahm helped those nearby evade the attack.
• Mountain Owl revealed that Danzo had left him the Nue for revenge and challenged Hyuga Yong to identify its power.
• Hyuga Yong sensed that the Nue was compressing chakra like an Explosive Tag about to detonate.
• The Third Hokage learned the Nue could absorb chakra and self-destruct, then realized Gaara’s unstable seal made him a likely target.

Mountain Owl threatened to detonate Nue and kill hundreds of thousands unless Tahm chose whom to save. As Kakashi and Might Guy prepared to sacrifice themselves, Tahm came up with a risky plan that could save everyone.

• Hyuga Yong confirmed that Nue was a giant bomb, and Mountain Owl threatened to detonate it unless Tahm chose whom to save.
• Kurotsuchi blamed Mountain Owl, who shifted the blame to Sunagakure's Jinchuriki seal, prompting the shinobi to blame the Land of Wind's daimyo.
• The daimyo asked Tahm to save him, arguing that his death could trigger another Shinobi World War.
• Kakashi and Might Guy urged Tahm to escape with the daimyo and leave them behind.
• Tahm rejected their sacrifice and whispered a risky plan to Might Guy.

Tahm and Might Guy stopped Mountain Owl’s attempt to destroy Sunagakure by sending the detonating Nue high into the sky. The explosion left the village battered but alive, while Tahm remained protected at the center of the blast.

• Tahm attacked Nue, and Might Guy opened the Gate of Wonder as Mountain Owl prepared to detonate the beast.
• Tahm used Devour to swallow Nue while Guy opened the Gate of Death, unleashing overwhelming power.
• Guy kicked Tahm into the stratosphere with Night Guy, carrying the bomb far above Sunagakure.
• Tahm spat Nue out in the sky, where it exploded while Divine Protection shielded him from the blast.
• The explosion formed a vast mushroom cloud, and its weakened shockwave flattened Sunagakure’s residents and damaged some rooftops.
• The villagers rose after the shockwave passed and saw a clear blue sky above them.

Tam survived the nuclear blast by using Reverse Summoning Technique to escape to Konoha, then returned to Sunagakure after the danger passed. He healed Guy’s fatal injuries from opening the Gate of Death, leaving Guy able to use the technique again without dying.

• Tam used Reverse Summoning Technique to escape his fall and appeared in Iruka’s classroom beside Hinata.
• Might Guy collapsed after using the Gate of Death, while Kakashi and the Sunagakure security-ninja surrounded Mountain Owl.
• Mountain Owl mistakenly believed Tam had died in the explosion, but Tam reappeared and ran to Guy.
• Tam used Starcall to heal Guy’s shattered leg, burst blood vessels, damaged organs, and other injuries.
• Tam told Guy he could open the Gate of Death whenever he wanted because Tam would heal him.

After healing Might Guy, Tahm fought Mountain Owl and learned that the Root ninja was a Hyuga Branch Family member who blamed the clan for his family’s suffering and considered Danzo his savior. Tahm rejected the sympathy Mountain Owl’s story stirred in the crowd, defeated him, and stopped just before killing him because he had other plans.

• Tahm turned on Mountain Owl, who charged him and struck him with Gentle Fist, disrupting his chakra flow.
• Tahm recovered, attacked with Alpha Strike, and Mountain Owl blocked him with Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
• Mountain Owl revealed his white eyes and told how the Hyuga main family had sacrificed him and his brother, while Danzo had freed him from the Caged Bird seal and become his family.
• Tahm snapped the crowd out of its sympathy for Mountain Owl, then used Alpha Strike and Devour to leave him badly burned and barely alive.
• Kakashi told Tahm to kill Mountain Owl, but Tahm halted his Noxian Guillotine and said he had other ideas.

After the arena crisis, Tahm took Mountain Owl to his room and repeatedly removed and regrew his Byakugan to stockpile them. He left Mountain Owl unconscious and bound, with his eyes restored once more.

• The daimyo, Kazekage, civilians, and shinobi dealt with the aftermath of the arena battle, while Kakashi admitted that Might Guy had beaten him.
• Tahm carried Mountain Owl to an inn room and confirmed that he wanted Mountain Owl’s Byakugan.
• Tahm gouged out Mountain Owl’s eyes and stored them, then used Starcall to regrow them.
• Mountain Owl panicked when Tahm repeatedly harvested his regrown Byakugan, so Tahm injected him with an anesthetic and continued.
• Tahm said he wanted enough Byakugan to make a Tenseigan, then silently thanked Mountain Owl as his tongue coiled around the unconscious man’s neck.

Kakashi found Tahm beside Mountain Owl’s corpse and wrongly suspected him of a disturbing secret. Tahm then treated the Explosive Bug victims, making Kurotsuchi fan him as he worked through the line.

• Kakashi entered Tahm’s room, found Mountain Owl dead, and backed away after misinterpreting the circumstances.
• Tahm stored Mountain Owl’s body and learned that the gathered ninjas wanted his help treating their Explosive Bugs.
• Tahm refused Kurotsuchi’s demand for treatment, then claimed his ability required a young female ninja to fan him.
• With Kitsuchi’s tacit permission, Tahm treated the infected ninjas one by one while Kurotsuchi gloomily fanned him.

After the attack on Sunagakure, Tahm learned that the mercenary group behind the Explosive Bugs was the Xuan Yuan Corps, while Konoha faced widespread blame for the incident. As the Konoha delegation prepared to leave, Kakashi delivered Tahm’s odd advice to Temari about winning over problem children.

• Kurotsuchi threatened Tahm before leaving with her father, Kitsuchi, and Tahm called Guy over to intimidate her.
• Tahm asked Kakashi about the mercenaries, learned they were the Xuan Yuan Corps, and reacted furiously to their name.
• The incident left Sunagakure with few casualties, but Konoha’s reputation suffered, while Guy and Tahm became famous for stopping Mountain Owl’s plot.
• The Chunin Exams were canceled, Sunagakure sought compensation from Konoha, and the Konoha delegation set off for home without Tahm.
• Temari came to see Tahm off, and Kakashi passed along Tahm’s advice that she practice using words like “love,” “protection,” and “bonds” with Gaara.

Tahm returned to Konoha with Mountain Owl’s corpse after reporting that the rogue had attacked Sunagakure and unleashed Nue. At the Hyuga Clan, Tahm fused a vast number of Byakugan into a Tenseigan-like sphere, whose uncontrolled blast annihilated his house.

• The Third Hokage and Hyuga Hiashi questioned Tahm about Mountain Owl’s attack in Sunagakure.
• Tahm produced Mountain Owl’s corpse, and Hiashi took it back to the Hyuga Clan.
• Tahm secretly connected dozens of stored Byakugan with chakra, then expanded the network with hundreds more.
• The Byakugan formed a glowing sphere that absorbed additional eyes and condensed immense energy.
• Tahm’s chakra triggered the sphere, which erupted in a destructive white halo that destroyed his house and cost him a quarter of his health.

After a Tenseigan backlash destroyed part of the Hyuga compound, Tahm concealed the weapon and later brought Hinata to a secluded training ground to give it to her. He presented the Tenseigan in a costly ceramic shell under the name “Rice,” leaving Hinata puzzled by its origin and awkward title.

• Tahm swallowed the giant Tenseigan before Hyuga Hiashi and the clansmen arrived, then claimed he had accidentally unleashed an overpowered ninjutsu that created the crater.
• Hinata returned home and found that the blast had destroyed her house, and Tahm admitted that he had blown it up.
• Several days later, Tahm took Hinata to a remote training ground and asked her to keep his gift secret, even from Hiashi.
• Tahm revealed the Tenseigan inside an enormous ivory-white ceramic shell and told Hinata it was the Divine Artifact MIX2, which she could call Rice.

Hinata bonded with Tahm’s Tenseigan and discovered that it greatly enhanced her Byakugan and could unleash devastating power. After she fired a beam that damaged a distant hill and shattered Konoha’s barrier, she collapsed from exhaustion, and Tahm held her as the village’s forces arrived.

• Hinata touched the Tenseigan, and it responded to her as she guided it with her Byakugan and chakra.
• The Tenseigan merged with Hinata’s chakra pathways, strengthening her Byakugan’s perception and vision.
• At Tahm’s suggestion, Hinata fired the Tenseigan’s chakra beam, which carved away a distant hill and shattered Konoha’s protective barrier.
• Hinata grew exhausted and fell asleep in Tahm’s arms, so he stored the Tenseigan and carried her.
• Konoha’s Mobile Defense Force, Anbu, and the Third Hokage traced the attack to Tahm and found him holding the sleeping Hinata.

After Hinata woke in Tahm’s arms, the Third Hokage reprimanded Tahm for testing a powerful jutsu without permission, and Tahm took Hinata out for a walk. At a dessert shop, they met Karin, Ino, and Tenten, and Karin explained how she and Tenten had become close.

• Hinata woke in Tahm’s arms in the Hokage’s Office and was startled by the Third Hokage.
• The Third Hokage scolded Tahm for testing a jutsu that broke Konoha’s defensive barrier, then ordered him to report future experiments.
• Tahm refused to explain his ability in detail, took Hinata from the office, and offered to buy her something to eat.
• Tahm and Hinata entered a dessert shop, where they met Karin, Ino, and Tenten.
• Karin told Tahm that she had become close to Tenten after Tenten bought an entire clothing shop when Karin couldn’t afford one item.

Tahm spent time with Karin, Hinata, and their friends before taking Hinata to the alley where they first met, marking a year since their encounter. He saw how Hinata had grown more confident and protective of others, and they left together for home.

• Tenten revealed she had bought Karin's shop after closing a fifty-million deal, and Karin said she was happy with her life and friends.
• Tahm ordered tea and sweets for Hinata, and Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Ino joined them at the shop.
• Tahm greeted Kakashi and Might Guy on the street, but Kakashi hurried Guy away from him.
• Tahm reminded Hinata that it had been one year since they met and took her to the neighborhood where it happened.
• Hinata explained she had recently disciplined the boys who once bullied others, and they bowed to her before running off.
• Tahm and Hinata shared a quiet moment in the alley, then went home together.

Tahm took Hinata to Mount Myoboku and left Sasuke and the others with the crow he called Teacher Big Pillar as their substitute teacher. Meanwhile, Itachi fought alongside Jūzō Biwa while repeatedly zoning out, and the chapter ended with Teacher Big Pillar returning to normal.

• Tahm rejected Naruto's request to join him and Hinata on the trip, then told the students to follow ordinary battle training in his absence.
• Tahm produced a talking crow from his mouth and introduced it as Teacher Big Pillar; Sasuke recognized it as his brother.
• Tahm took Hinata's hand to travel to Mount Myoboku and told Naruto to pester Kurama with his talk of love and bonds.
• Itachi and Jūzō Biwa hurried through the wilderness on a mission, but Itachi kept zoning out and left Jūzō to handle reconnaissance.
• When enemies attacked, Itachi used Amaterasu to burn sixteen of them to ash, then returned to staring blankly into space.
• In Konoha, Teacher Big Pillar stopped pecking at Sasuke's hair and rebooted.

Hinata arrived at Mount Myoboku with Tahm and impressed Gamabunta by destroying a distant mountain with her Tenseigan. After she and Tahm flew toward Sage Fukasaku’s residence, Hinata suffered sudden eye pain as her Byakugan’s power began to grow.

• Hinata arrived at Mount Myoboku with Tahm and unknowingly stood on Gamabunta’s head.
• Gamabunta criticized Hinata’s age and suitability for training, so she challenged him to watch her abilities.
• Hinata used the Tenseigan to blast a mountain peak into dust, stunning Gamabunta.
• Hinata and Tahm rode the Tenseigan toward Sage Fukasaku’s residence while Gamabunta watched them leave.
• Hinata’s Tenseigan stopped in midair, and she felt severe pain as the power of her Byakugan grew stronger.

Hinata awakened dazzling blue eyes with powerful Byakugan vision and the ability to attract and repel, while Tahm warned her to hide how they changed. The Great Toad Sage summoned Tahm and Hinata to the temple, where Fukasaku questioned Hinata’s eyes and Tahm blamed a genetic mutation.

• Hinata discovered that her new eyes greatly enhanced her vision and let her wield attractive and repulsive forces, accidentally flinging Tahm before pulling him back.
• Tahm told Hinata to keep the cause of her changed eyes secret, even from her father, and Hinata agreed.
• The Great Toad Sage awakened and identified Hinata as a pure descendant of Hamura who had awakened legendary eyes, then summoned Tahm and his contractor.
• Tahm arrived at the temple with Hinata and greeted Fukasaku, who was startled to see her blue eyes.
• Hinata privately questioned why Fukasaku was small if Gamabunta was his son, and Tahm joked that Fukasaku had a genetic mutation.

The Great Toad Sage revealed that Tahm’s arrival had thrown the future into uncertainty and ordered Fukasaku to teach him senjutsu. Tahm proved Mikael’s Crucible could erase natural energy’s petrifying effects, then prepared to begin training with Hinata after lunch.

• The Great Toad Sage told Hinata and Tahm that Tahm had changed the future and directed Fukasaku to teach him senjutsu.
• Fukasaku refused to let Hinata train at first, warning that insufficient chakra could let natural energy petrify her.
• Tahm offered to protect them from natural energy’s corrosion, and Fukasaku let him test his ability on his arm.
• Tahm used Mikael’s Crucible to remove the uncontrolled natural energy and heal Fukasaku’s petrification.
• Fukasaku agreed to begin training, but told Tahm and Hinata to join him and his wife for lunch first.

Tahm began training with Mount Myoboku’s Toad Oil and was completely petrified by natural energy despite Fukasaku’s attempt to save him. He revealed from inside the stone toad that he was still alive, leaving Fukasaku and Hinata stunned.

• Fukasaku explained how Toad Oil helped people absorb natural energy, and Tahm insisted on beginning training while Hinata dreaded remembering Sage Shima’s Love Cuisine.
• Fukasaku applied Toad Oil to Tahm’s arm, and natural energy rapidly spread through his body, petrifying him.
• Fukasaku tried to dispel the natural energy with his ruler, but Tahm became a motionless stone toad as Hinata and Fukasaku believed he had died.
• Tahm spoke from inside the stone statue, assuring Fukasaku that he was fine and leaving Fukasaku and Hinata shocked.

Tahm discovered he could safely cultivate sage arts while petrified, then helped Hinata use Big Rice’s vast Chakra to achieve Perfect Sage Mode. The chapter ended with Fukasaku waking to Hinata’s transformation, mistaking it for a dream and going back to sleep.

• Tahm revived himself from petrification and realized he could slowly balance natural energy with Chakra while turned to stone.
• Tahm developed Sage Chakra during practice, then told Hinata to begin cultivating while he watched over her.
• Hinata was quickly petrified by the Toad Oil, so Tahm cured her before the corruption could consume her.
• Hinata asked Tahm to bring out Big Rice and used its enormous Chakra reserves to absorb natural energy safely.
• Hinata quickly achieved Perfect Sage Mode, gaining greatly enhanced speed, strength, and toughness.
• Fukasaku woke to see Hinata effortlessly holding a huge boulder, assumed he was dreaming, and went back to sleep.

Hinata awakened the Tenseigan Chakra Mode after combining her ocular power with Sage Chakra, while Tahm prepared insect dishes for dinner at Mount Myoboku. The chapter ended with Hinata discovering that Tahm’s cooking made the insects delicious.

• Hinata sensed new abilities in her eyes and merged her Tenseigan ocular power with her Sage Chakra.
• Hinata manifested a pale-green chakra cloak and black Truth-Seeking Orbs, then used them to erase rocks.
• Sage Fukasaku ended the day’s training and invited everyone to dinner.
• Tahm cooked Mount Myoboku insects with seasonings from the Shinobi World, and Sage Shima and Sage Fukasaku praised the dishes.
• Hinata overcame her reluctance, tasted a fried water dragonfly, and was delighted by Tahm’s cooking.