Chapter Summaries

Three years after Konoha began expanding under Tobirama Senju, Shingetsu attended the enlarged Ninja Academy as the village and shinobi world changed around her. Madara summoned her to a meeting with Hashirama and Tobirama, where the leaders discussed her early graduation and the first Chunin Ninja Exams.

• Tobirama Senju expanded civilian shinobi labor and administration, helping Konoha grow, feed its people, and attract refugees and merchants.
• Shingetsu, now eight, went to the Ninja Academy with Tōka and struggled to stay awake during Princess Mito's lesson on sealing jutsu.
• Madara Uchiha caught the class dozing and ordered Shingetsu to follow him, while assigning the other sleeping students punishment after school.
• Hashirama and Tobirama discussed Shingetsu's early graduation and Tobirama's plan to use the Chunin Ninja Exams to intimidate the other Four Great Ninja Villages.
• Shingetsu asked what the Chunin Ninja Exams were when she realized the Senju brothers were discussing them.

As Konoha prepared to host the first Chunin Ninja Exams, Tobirama chose Uchiha Shingetsu to represent the village and planned to use the competition to strengthen Konoha’s position at a potential Five Kage Summit. Shingetsu picked Chinatsu and Miki as her teammates, then learned that several Kage had agreed to Hashirama’s invitation.

• Hashirama’s efforts to unite the Five Great Shinobi Villages led Konoha to establish combat-shinobi ranks and jointly host the first Chunin Ninja Exams.
• Tobirama selected Shingetsu for the exams and argued with Madara over her teammates before asking her to choose them herself.
• Shingetsu chose Chinatsu and Miki, avoiding Tobirama’s suggested team and Madara’s preferred all-Uchiha lineup.
• Shingetsu asked Tobirama why he was treating the exams so seriously, and he showed her Hashirama’s invitations to the four other Kage.
• Tobirama told Shingetsu that the Kazekage and Raikage had agreed to meet, the Tsuchikage would consider it after the exams, and the Mizukage had not replied.
• Tobirama urged Shingetsu to thoroughly beat the other villages’ contestants.

After Shingetsu, Miki, Chinatsu, and Inari spent an afternoon at a Konoha bakery, they spotted Senju Ryūju buying a large quantity of sweets and guessed he had fallen for Uchiha Momoka. They left the chapter believing the romance was doomed because Momoka could not mold chakra.

• Shingetsu explained her new team and the Chunin Ninja Exams to Chinatsu, Miki, and Inari, then promised to treat them to cake to appease the girls.
• Shingetsu and her friends visited Uchiha Momoka at the bakery, where Inari picked out expensive cakes and Momoka gave them tea and cookies.
• Senju Ryūju entered the bakery, bought a pile of sweets and cookies, then blushed and fled after noticing Shingetsu and the others watching him.
• Chinatsu concluded that Ryūju was in love with Momoka, and Shingetsu, Miki, and Inari worried that their relationship could not work because Momoka could not mold chakra.

Chiyo, Ebizo, and Sandstorm arrived in Konoha, hoping to recruit Uchiha Shingetsu to help Sunagakure escape the desert’s hardships. Meanwhile, Hashirama and Tobirama reviewed the international Chunin Exam roster and saw that the competition was packed with powerful candidates, including Shingetsu.

• Chiyo, Ebizo, and Sandstorm admired Konoha’s prosperity and resolved to win Shingetsu over so she could bring forests to Sunagakure.
• The Sunagakure trio sampled roasted sweet potatoes, learned that Konoha used its own currency, and received free food from a vendor who mistook them for travelers seeking work.
• Konoha’s guards inspected the trio’s documents and escorted them to the Hokage Building to register for the exams.
• Hashirama and Tobirama reviewed Konoha’s teams and discussed Kirigakure’s token entry of three powerful clan heirs and the possibility that Mizukage Byakuren would skip the summit.
• Hashirama was appalled by the overage and highly experienced candidates other villages had entered, while rival villages complained that Konoha had included Shingetsu, who possessed Wood Release and the Sharingan.

Chiyo, Ebizo, and Sandstorm visited Konoha to pursue Sunagakure’s alliance and trade goals while plotting to win over Uchiha Shingetsu. After seeing Madara’s intimidating presence, they began to doubt whether their plan was worth the risk.

• The Sunagakure trio toured Konoha and marveled at its bustling streets, thriving businesses, and large number of civilian shinobi.
• Hashirama welcomed Sandstorm, Chiyo, and Ebizo, accepted Kazekage Reto’s alliance letter, and gave them money; afterward, Tobirama revealed Hashirama had nearly given away his last funds.
• The trio reviewed Shingetsu’s known haunts and argued over how Sandstorm and Ebizo should approach her.
• Chiyo ordered the men to clean themselves up, but the trio hid when they heard Shingetsu approaching.
• The trio saw Madara carrying Shingetsu and froze when Madara glanced at them; Chiyo then said they should reconsider their plan.

Shingetsu advised Madara Uchiha to keep the Uchiha Clan from bearing the burden of Konoha’s Military Police Force alone, and suggested making the Five Kage Summit a regular event. As the Chunin Ninja Exams began, the candidates from Kirigakure and Iwagakure arrived, followed by Kumogakure, bringing all Four Great Ninja Villages to Konoha.

• Shingetsu argued that the Uchiha Clan should refuse to shoulder the Military Police Force alone and proposed that other clans and civilian shinobi join it.
• Shingetsu suggested regular Five Kage Summits, and Madara decided to share the idea with Hashirama.
• Hozuki Gengetsu arrived in Konoha with Hōzuki Oborozuki, Minazuki Rin, and Kaguya Utsusemi, who complained about the village’s civilian shinobi.
• Hozuki Gengetsu confronted his old rival Mu, then agreed to treat the Kirigakure candidates to a meal.
• Ōnoki joined Mu as Kumogakure’s shinobi arrived, completing the arrival of participants from all Four Great Ninja Villages.

Hashirama Senju opened the first Chunin Ninja Exam in the Forest of Death, where he admitted Hanzō of the Land of Rain despite the boy entering without permission. Once the exam began, Shingetsu rode a Wood Release dragon through the forest and demanded a scroll from an unlucky team.

• Hashirama delivered a rambling opening speech before Konoha shinobi discovered that one extra candidate had entered the exam.
• Hanzō revealed that he had come alone from the Land of Rain, and Hashirama granted him special permission to compete.
• Hanzō challenged Shingetsu to prove that a shinobi from a small country could stand alongside the Five Great Nations' geniuses, and she accepted.
• The candidates entered the Forest of Death, and Shingetsu used Wood Release to create a giant dragon so she could hurry through the exam and get home for sukiyaki.
• Shingetsu's wood dragon knocked a three-person team down, and she ordered them to hand over their scroll.

Shingetsu secured the Earth Scroll and reached the tower, but then coiled her Wood Dragon around it to block the other candidates. As the exam reached its fifth-day deadline, she and her teammates were still the only ones to pass.

• Shingetsu took the Earth Scroll from three Genin and flew with Miki and Chinatsu to the central tower.
• Shingetsu remembered Tobirama's order to beat the candidates and had her Wood Dragon seal the tower entrance, telling it to go easy on Konoha's people.
• Tobirama refused to remove the dragon, insisting Shingetsu had not cheated and that the candidates should stop her themselves.
• Candidates across the forest were intimidated by the dragon, while Shingetsu spent the exam eating sukiyaki and relaxing with her companions.
• On the fifth and final day, the Wood Dragon still guarded the tower, and Shingetsu, Miki, and Chinatsu remained the only candidates to pass.

The candidates discovered that Uchiha Shingetsu’s Wood Dragon let Konoha’s teams enter the tower, then the other villages united and tried to destroy it with Ōnoki’s Dust Release. Ōnoki’s attack failed to finish the dragon, which captured the exhausted candidates and left them hanging from its vines.

• Ararashi and Uchiha Inari attacked the Wood Dragon, but it absorbed their chakra-based techniques without harm.
• Uchiha Inari realized the Wood Dragon would not attack Konoha’s candidates, and they entered the tower while Hiruzen Sarutobi was struck down and then got back up.
• Ōnoki persuaded the remaining elite teams to join forces and hold the Wood Dragon in place so he could use Dust Release.
• The candidates’ attacks failed to restrain the Wood Dragon, but Ōnoki’s Dust Release erased part of the tower after the dragon moved away.
• Ōnoki collapsed from exhaustion before he could use Dust Release again, and the Wood Dragon chased down the fleeing candidates.
• The Wood Dragon slammed into the ground, grew a forest of vines, drained the candidates’ chakra, and bound them along its body.

After Uchiha Shingetsu’s Wood Dragon overwhelmed the Chunin Exam candidates, Tobirama revised the test rules and sent the exhausted examinees to recover. Shingetsu later visited the newly opened Ichiraku Ramen with her friends, enjoyed a bowl, and still declared that she preferred sweets.

• Tobirama decided the exam could continue by allowing candidates with both scrolls to pass if they reached the central tower, while Hashirama struggled to wake Shingetsu and get her to recall her Wood Dragon.
• Shingetsu called the Wood Dragon home, and the chakra-drained candidates fell from its back before Tobirama arranged their treatment and amended the test rules.
• Shingetsu and her friends argued over what food to eat, then chose Ichiraku Ramen after Shiring Aburame recommended the new stall.
• Teuchi and Zanmen welcomed the group to their roadside ramen cart, where Shingetsu ordered tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu and fish cake.
• Shingetsu loved the ramen, refused to share her bowl with Miki and Inari, and said she still preferred sweets.

After becoming Genin, Shingetsu and Inari debated what the young Uchiha should do next and decided to propose an advanced Ninja Academy class. At a ramen stall, Sandai of Kumogakure challenged Shingetsu and called her his friend, provoking a brawl that ended with Inari predicting his death and Chiyo agreeing he was as good as dead.

• Inari asked Shingetsu what they should do now that they were Genin, and Shingetsu proposed setting up an advanced Ninja Academy class after rejecting missions, office work, and staying home.
• Sandai of Kumogakure entered the ramen stall, greeted Shingetsu, accepted his earlier defeat, and vowed Kumogakure would win next time.
• Sandai offered to be Shingetsu's friend, and Kagami attacked him; Miki also kicked Sandai while he and Kagami fought.
• Shingetsu left the stall with Inari and their teammates, telling Teuchi to charge Kumogakure for any damage.
• Inari ominously predicted that another corpse would float in the Naka River that night, while Chiyo told Sandstorm and Ebizo that Sandai was as good as dead.

After Sandai harassed Shingetsu, Konoha officers beat him and reported the incident to Hashirama and Tobirama, who feared Madara’s reaction. Meanwhile, Shingetsu noticed three groups of foreign shinobi following her, and Chiyo decided to approach her before her brothers did.

• Kagami and an Uchiha police officer beat Sandai after Kagami accused him of harassing Shingetsu, while the other officers ate ramen and restrained Sandai.
• A junior officer told Hashirama and Tobirama that Sandai had harassed Shingetsu, and they ordered the police to hold him and keep Madara from finding out.
• Shingetsu and Inari noticed the Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Sunagakure groups following them as they left the dessert shop.
• Chiyo argued with Ebizo and Sandstorm about who should approach Shingetsu, then set out to speak with her first.

Chiyo entered the Uchiha Clan Compound with Shingetsu and struggled to discuss her concerns while witnessing the clan’s generosity and Konoha’s abundance. Meanwhile, Tōka learned that a captured samurai from the Land of Iron had resisted mind reading and prepared to interrogate him herself.

• Chiyo called out to Shingetsu and followed her into the Uchiha Clan Compound despite fearing she might not leave alive.
• Shingetsu and the other youngsters received food and gifts from Uchiha residents, and Chiyo was struck by the contrast between Konoha’s prosperity and Sunagakure’s poverty.
• Shingetsu’s group took Chiyo to a tea shop, where the elderly shopkeeper gave her milk tea for free before Shingetsu asked what she had wanted to discuss.
• Tōka learned that the assassin who targeted Shingetsu was a samurai from the Land of Iron and that the Yamanaka Clan’s mind-reading technique had failed against him.
• Tōka treated the exhausted Yamanaka shinobi and said she would take over the interrogation.

Senju Toka tortured the samurai who had tried to assassinate Uchiha Shingetsu, learning that he wanted to provoke a war between the Five Great Shinobi Villages but not yet uncovering his mastermind. In the Uchiha Clan Compound, Shingetsu discussed Sunagakure’s desperate need for help with Chiyo and left her convinced that the villages had no choice but to unite.

• Senju Toka used drugs, torture, and genjutsu to interrogate the samurai, who revealed his hatred of shinobi and his plan to destabilize the villages by killing Shingetsu.
• The samurai bit through his tongue to keep his secret, but Toka healed him and vowed not to let him die until he confessed everything.
• Chiyo told Shingetsu that Sunagakure’s civilian ninja system had failed, and Shingetsu said the village first needed to address its desertification.
• Shingetsu said she could help restore Sunagakure but asked what it would offer in return, leaving Chiyo to consider whether Shukaku could be part of a deal.
• As Shingetsu departed, Chiyo asked whether the Five Great Shinobi Villages could truly unite, and Shingetsu replied that they had no other path.

Madara Uchiha returned home with food after a tiring day at the Ninja Academy, where Hashirama had once again left him with the work. At the Clan Leader’s Mansion, Hashirama joined Madara, Shingetsu, Kurama, and Hōkaku for dinner, while the clan members tried to hide something from Madara.

• Madara bought daifuku for Shingetsu and inari sushi for himself, and the shopkeeper realized he had paid far more than the food cost.
• Hashirama met Madara with liquor and snacks, then tried to stop Uchiha clansmen from telling Madara about Sandai.
• Shingetsu made Hashirama promise to buy her cake before they played together until Hōkaku brought dinner.
• Hashirama ate his meal and Shingetsu’s leftovers, then asked Madara why she was becoming pickier as Kurama blamed Madara for spoiling her.
• Shingetsu tried to reach for Hashirama’s liquor, but Madara struck her hand with his chopsticks and silenced her with a strawberry daifuku.

Hashirama announced that the Five Kage Summit had been scheduled, while Madara questioned how long peace could last and Shingetsu argued that even temporary peace could lay the groundwork for more. As the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams began, Shingetsu and her companions stopped to spy on Ryūju rejecting Princess Aoi, whose affection concealed hatred and murderous intent.

• Hashirama told Madara, Shingetsu, and Hōkaku that the Five Kage Summit would take place a month after the Chunin Ninja Exams, with envoys and candidates from the four villages staying in Konoha until then.
• Madara doubted that peace would last, and Shingetsu said that preserving even brief periods of peace could eventually lead to lasting peace.
• Tōka came home exhausted after Anbu interrogations, and Hōkaku warmed her dinner before she fell asleep with Shingetsu, who urged her not to do things she hated for her sake.
• As the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams began, Shingetsu's companions found her still asleep and hurried her toward the venue.
• Shingetsu and her companions paused to watch Ryūju reject Princess Aoi, who pursued him despite his affection for someone else.
• After Ryūju turned to leave with gifts for Momoka, Princess Aoi's loving expression changed to hatred and murderous intent.

Princess Aoi plotted to use the Senju Clan against Uchiha Momoka after learning Senju Ryūju loved her, while Shingetsu’s friends rushed to the Chunin Ninja Exams. Hiruzen Sarutobi defeated Sandai but collapsed, and Shingetsu arrived only after the match ended.

• Princess Aoi resolved to tell the Senju Clan about Ryūju and Momoka so they would eliminate Momoka, and Shingetsu’s friends hurried off to warn Ryūju before realizing the exam had started.
• Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sandai fought fiercely in the Second Chunin Ninja Exams, while Hozuki Gengetsu and Mu argued on the viewing platform until Hashirama interrupted them.
• Tobirama Senju discovered that Shingetsu was still asleep at home, while Tōka and Hōkaku insisted she could arrive late and should eat breakfast first.
• Sandai ran out of chakra, allowing Hiruzen Sarutobi to win; Hiruzen then collapsed unconscious, and Shingetsu finally entered the venue.

Konoha’s candidates suffered a string of defeats in the Chunin Ninja Exams before Shingetsu faced Hanzō. Hanzō trapped her inside the arena with his poisonous summon, but Shingetsu’s roots suddenly ensnared Ibuse, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Chinatsu conceded to Chiyo after struggling against her puppet, and Kagami, Inari, and Miki lost their matches to formidable opponents.
• Shiring Aburame was the only other Konoha candidate described as winning, while Danzō was quickly defeated by Ōnoki and taken to the hospital.
• Shingetsu faced Hanzō as the anxious Konoha crowd cheered her on, and Hanzō asked Tobirama to protect the spectators with a barrier.
• At the start of the match, Hanzō summoned Salamander Ibuse, whose poisonous mist filled the barrier and trapped Shingetsu inside.
• Roots and giant trees erupted across the arena, binding Ibuse before anyone could see what had happened to Shingetsu.

Uchiha Shingetsu defeated Hanzō despite his poisonous mist, using her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to destroy the poison and break the arena barrier. The Chunin Ninja Exams paused while Konoha dealt with the poisoned, forest-covered arena, and Shingetsu emerged as the likely overall victor.

• Madara watched Shingetsu enter the arena and grew enraged when Hanzō trapped her inside a barrier with his poisonous summoned beast, Ibuse.
• Shingetsu's Wood Release restrained Ibuse, and she used her blade and Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to eliminate the poison affecting her.
• Hanzō admitted defeat, and Shingetsu spared him before approaching the barrier's edge.
• Shingetsu cut along the barrier's death lines and shattered it, prompting Tobirama to announce her victory.
• Konoha paused the second round to clear the poison and forest from the arena.

Uchiha Shingetsu won the inaugural Chunin Ninja Exams with overwhelming ease, and Konoha celebrated her victory. That night, Hashirama stopped Hanzō from leaving for the dangerous journey home and took him to the Senju Clan Compound, leaving the Anbu unsure what to do about their target.

• Shingetsu defeated Ōnoki in the final match by binding him with Wood Release before he could use Dust Release, and the exam participants recognized Konoha’s overwhelming strength.
• Konoha celebrated Shingetsu’s victory with a feast at the Uchiha Clan Leader’s Mansion, where Madara, Hashirama, the children, and clan members watched fireworks together.
• Hanzō left Konoha at night, expecting assassins to attack him on the road back to the Land of Rain.
• Hashirama encountered Hanzō, urged him to stay for the Five Kage Summit, and then brought him to the Senju Clan Compound.
• The Anbu watching Hanzō were left dumbfounded when Hashirama took their assassination target home.