Chapter Summaries

Ruri arrived at school and learned that Asuma Sarutobi had scheduled ninja sparring practice instead of a classroom lecture. He headed to the playground with Momokusa Harukawa, who said she had been diligently practicing her Ninjutsu.

• Ruri greeted Momokusa Harukawa at school and asked whether she knew what class they would have.
• Asuma Sarutobi announced that the class would practice ninja sparring and led the students to the playground.
• Students said Ruri Hyuga and Uchiha Itachi were expected to stand out, while Ruri's classmates discussed his past victories.
• Momokusa Harukawa told Ruri she had practiced her Ninjutsu diligently and ran ahead to the playground.
• Ruri followed Momokusa Harukawa, curious to see what her training had accomplished.

Asuma Sarutobi explained the sparring tournament rules, and Uchiha Itachi quickly defeated Shan Yan in the first match. Ruri was proved right about the outcome, while Momokusa Harukawa acknowledged Shan Yan’s courage.

• Asuma Sarutobi laid out the five-round tournament rules and told the students to choose their opponents.
• Shan Yan challenged Uchiha Itachi, hoping that losing to a genius would spare him criticism from his parents.
• Ruri predicted Shan Yan would lose, while Momokusa Harukawa said challenging a stronger opponent took courage.
• Uchiha Itachi pinned Shan Yan and held a Ruowu to his neck, and Asuma Sarutobi declared Itachi the winner.
• Shan Yan returned to the crowd trembling, and Ruri reminded Momokusa Harukawa that he had predicted the result.

Ruri advanced straight to the next round after drawing the shortest stick, then watched Reika Hyuga defeat Akagimaru. After the match, Momokusa Harukawa asked Ruri to teach her Wind Release ninjutsu the next day, and he agreed.

• Asuma Sarutobi had the fifteen winners draw lots, and Ruri Hyuga drew the shortest stick to advance automatically.
• Reika Hyuga challenged Akagimaru, and Asuma Sarutobi announced their match.
• Ruri activated his Byakugan and watched Reika and Akagimaru fight, noting her excellent chakra control.
• Reika overwhelmed Akagimaru and won their sparring match.
• Momokusa Harukawa asked Ruri to teach her Wind Release ninjutsu the next day, and Ruri agreed.

After lunch, Class Five rested before the afternoon sparring matches, which would narrow eight classmates down to four. Asuma Sarutobi gathered the students and began announcing the matchups, starting with Ruri Hyuga, Momokusa Harukawa, Reika Hyuga, and Uchiha Itachi.

• Momokusa Harukawa invited Ruri to try the braised ribs she had made, and Reika Hyuga praised them after tasting some.
• The exhausted Class Five students ate lunch and rested at their desks after their morning drills.
• Asuma Sarutobi called the students to the playground for the afternoon matches.
• Momokusa Harukawa woke Ruri, who had slept through Asuma's announcement.
• Asuma Sarutobi began reading the next-round matchups, naming Ruri Hyuga, Momokusa Harukawa, Reika Hyuga, and Uchiha Itachi.

Momokusa Harukawa faced Reika Hyuga in the final sparring bouts, but lost after Reika exploited her concern for an apparently injured opponent. Reika won, and Harukawa accepted the result because Reika was unharmed.

• Asuma Sarutobi announced Momokusa Harukawa's match, and she chose Reika Hyuga as her opponent.
• Momokusa Harukawa and Reika Hyuga exchanged close-range attacks until they were nearing their limits.
• Momokusa Harukawa threw three Ruowu fitted with Explosive Tags, and Reika Hyuga blocked them with a piece of wood before the tags exploded.
• Momokusa Harukawa ran to check on Reika Hyuga, who revealed that she had held a Ruowu against Harukawa's stomach and declared her defeated.
• Asuma Sarutobi declared Reika Hyuga the winner, and Harukawa helped her back to Ruri Hyuga.

Ruri and his classmates finished their combat matches, with Ruri placing first, and Ruri discussed his ambition to become Konoha’s strongest ninja with Reika Hyuga. After returning home, he went to sleep so he would be ready to teach Momokusa Harukawa ninjutsu the next day.

• Ruri told Momokusa Harukawa that her softheartedness could be dangerous in battle, and Reika Hyuga explained that Harukawa had weakened her Explosive Tags because she feared hurting her.
• Asuma Sarutobi announced the final match rankings: Ruri took first place, Uchiha Itachi second, Reika Hyuga third, and Momokusa Harukawa fourth.
• After class, Momokusa Harukawa went to her mother’s workplace, while Reika Hyuga asked Ruri about his goals.
• Ruri said he planned to become the strongest person in Konoha, and Reika Hyuga named several famous ninja she considered truly strong.
• Ruri returned home, greeted Mei Ling Hyuga, and went to sleep in preparation for teaching Momokusa Harukawa ninjutsu the next day.

Ruri chose ninjutsu to teach Momokusa Harukawa and went to meet her for training. He was struck by her appearance and invited her to breakfast at Ichiraku Ramen.

• Ruri entered the Ring and reviewed wind-nature ninjutsu, choosing Wind Release: Wind Blade for Harukawa.
• Ruri decided to teach Harukawa the Rasengan before Wind Release: Wind Blade.
• Ruri ate bread, went to Momokusa Harukawa's home, and called for her.
• Momokusa Harukawa came outside in a blue tracksuit, and Ruri told her she looked especially beautiful.
• Ruri and Momokusa Harukawa headed to Ichiraku Ramen to have breakfast.

Ruri took Momokusa Harukawa to Ichiraku Ramen for her first meal there. Harukawa enjoyed the Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen, and they continued eating together.

• Ruri invited Momokusa Harukawa to try Ichiraku Ramen, and they walked there together.
• Teuchi greeted them and took their orders for Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen, with Harukawa requesting no cilantro.
• Ruri told Harukawa that Teuchi's daughter Pu Chang was probably still asleep at home.
• Teuchi served their ramen, and Harukawa praised its broth, chashu, and chewy noodles.
• Ruri and Harukawa began enjoying their ramen together.

Ruri took Momokusa Harukawa to his secluded training spot to teach her ninjutsu. He demonstrated the Rasengan and explained how it worked, leaving Harukawa eager to learn it.

• After eating at Ichiraku Ramen, Ruri and Momokusa Harukawa left for his usual training spot.
• Ruri showed Harukawa the quiet hill and river where he trained.
• Ruri formed a Rasengan in his palm and explained its destructive power and how to create it.
• Momokusa Harukawa eagerly agreed to learn the Rasengan.

Ruri taught Momokusa Harukawa the first two stages of Rasengan training, and she mastered the basics remarkably quickly. The chapter ended with her practicing to burst water-filled balloons faster before moving on to the next stage.

• Ruri instructed Momokusa Harukawa to gather chakra in her palm, and she learned to do so within minutes.
• Ruri explained the water-balloon exercise and placed a filled balloon in Momokusa Harukawa's palm.
• Momokusa Harukawa moved chakra inside the balloon until it burst, impressing Ruri with her talent.
• Ruri told Momokusa Harukawa to burst another water-filled balloon in less time, and she began practicing again.

After Harukawa mastered controlling chakra to burst water-filled balloons, Ruri fed her grilled fish and introduced the sturdier rubber balls for the third stage of Rasengan training. Harukawa followed him back to the training area to begin practicing.

• Harukawa burst the water-filled balloons in four or five seconds, and Ruri told her to rest after hours of training.
• Ruri served Harukawa grilled fish that he had caught from the Small River, and she praised its taste.
• After finishing the fish, Ruri took out rubber balls and explained that bursting them was the third stage of Rasengan training.
• Ruri told Harukawa that completing the stage would let her cause minor surface damage with the Rasengan, and she followed him back to the training area.

Ruri taught Momokusa Harukawa how to burst a rubber ball with chakra, then entered the Ring to practice Lightning Blade. Harukawa stayed behind to continue training.

• Ruri burst a rubber ball by making his chakra move violently and irregularly inside it.
• Momokusa Harukawa tried the technique, but her rubber ball only wobbled slightly.
• Ruri encouraged Harukawa to keep practicing and told her to ask him if she needed help.
• Ruri entered the Ring to practice Lightning Blade, a Ninjutsu he had not yet mastered.

Ruri practiced Lightning Blade, first using it to destroy a Peach Blossom Tree and then infusing Ruowu with chakra to create a powerful ranged attack. He began testing Lightning Transmission with a Shadow Clone, leaving the two of them holding a stretched chain of lightning.

• Ruri formed Lightning Blade and thrust it into a Peach Blossom Tree, bursting the tree apart.
• Ruri infused Ruowu with Lightning Blade and threw it through several rocks without losing momentum.
• Ruri reflected that using Ruowu made Lightning Blade a penetrating ranged attack that overcame its close-range limitation.
• Ruri created a Shadow Clone, and they activated Lightning Blade and joined their attacks.
• Ruri and his Shadow Clone moved apart, stretching their connected Lightning Blades into a chain of lightning.

Ruri tested Lightning Transmission and saw it slice cleanly through a large rock before checking on Momokusa Harukawa’s Rasengan training. He demonstrated the Rasengan’s power by drilling through a tree, leaving Harukawa to see its effects.

• Ruri used Lightning Transmission with his shadow clone and successfully formed a short lightning chain between them.
• Ruri and his clone swept the lightning chain around a large rock, slicing off a section of it.
• Ruri returned to find Momokusa Harukawa exhausted and still unable to burst the rubber ball while practicing the Rasengan.
• Ruri agreed to demonstrate the Rasengan and formed one in his palm for Harukawa to watch.
• Ruri thrust the Rasengan into a tree, carving a hollow through its trunk until it pierced all the way through.

Ruri showed Momokusa Harukawa the Rasengan’s power, then returned home, where he learned Uncle Hizashi was still away on missions. After dinner, Ruri went shopping with Mei Ling Hyuga and little Neji, beginning with a baby supplies store.

• Ruri demonstrated the Rasengan to Momokusa Harukawa and told her to continue practicing with a rubber ball while taking breaks.
• Ruri and Momokusa Harukawa left the mountain and returned to their separate homes.
• Mei Ling Hyuga told Ruri that Uncle Hizashi’s return was delayed because he was still on missions.
• Ruri ate dinner, cleaned the dishes, and agreed to go shopping with Mei Ling Hyuga and little Neji.
• Ruri followed Mei Ling Hyuga into a baby supplies store to shop for Neji’s everyday needs.

Ruri went shopping with Mei Ling Hyuga, who bought him new clothes and groceries. They returned home, put the food away, and went to bed for the night.

• Mei Ling Hyuga asked Ruri about his grades and friends, and Ruri told her he got along with Reika Hyuga and Momokusa Harukawa.
• Mei Ling Hyuga took Ruri clothes shopping and bought him a tracksuit he tried on.
• Mei Ling Hyuga and Ruri bought groceries at the supermarket and carried the bags home.
• Ruri put the groceries away, then Mei Ling Hyuga went to bed with Neji while Ruri fell asleep on the sofa.

Hyuga Hiashi summoned Ruri after hearing that he had defeated a Uchiha prodigy. The chapter ended with Hiashi asking Ruri about his fight with the Uchiha children at the Ninja Academy.

• Two Branch Family members woke Ruri and told him that the clan head had summoned him.
• Ruri prepared and followed them to the Main Family's mansion, guessing the summons was about his fight with the Uchiha.
• Ruri met Hyuga Hiashi and addressed him formally as Lord Patriarch.
• Hiashi asked Ruri about his recent fight with several Uchiha children at the Ninja Academy.

Ruri explained his sparring with Uchiha classmates to Hyuga Hiashi, who praised his talent and reminded him to uphold the Branch Family’s standing. At the Ninja Academy, Momokusa Harukawa demonstrated that she had learned to form a weak Rasengan, and Ruri continued studying basic techniques over the following two months.

• Ruri told Hyuga Hiashi that he had figured out Eight Trigrams Rotation himself and learned Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms from Hizashi.
• Hyuga Hiashi marveled at Ruri’s talent and told him to avoid damaging relations with others while not allowing anyone to look down on the Hyuga Clan.
• Ruri went to the Ninja Academy, where Momokusa Harukawa showed him a weak Rasengan she had formed.
• Ruri encouraged Momokusa Harukawa to keep practicing and grow the Rasengan’s power.
• Over the next two months, Ruri studied basic theory and became proficient in the Transformation Technique, Clone Technique, and Substitution Technique.

Ruri and Uchiha Itachi continued competing at the Ninja Academy, with Itachi challenging Ruri to a combat assessment after claiming his eyes could read Ruri’s moves. Asuma Sarutobi led the class to the Playground to begin the assessment.

• Ruri remained first in the class while Uchiha Itachi ranked second and kept striving to catch up with him.
• Ruri and Itachi’s daily rivalry gradually developed into a friendship.
• Itachi challenged Ruri to be his opponent in the day’s combat assessment and declared he would win.
• Ruri accepted Itachi’s challenge, while Momokusa Harukawa and Reika Hyuga watched their exchange.
• Asuma Sarutobi announced the assessment and led the students to the Playground.

Class Five held a practical combat assessment, and Ruri Hyuga was paired against Uchiha Itachi. Their long-awaited duel began with both boys determined to win.

• Asuma Sarutobi announced the matchups, including Yamanaka Fū versus Senju Lishang and Ruri Hyuga versus Uchiha Itachi.
• Yamanaka Fū defeated Senju Lishang with practiced taijutsu and the Substitution Technique.
• Several other matches took place as the class waited for Ruri and Itachi's duel.
• Momokusa Harukawa wished Ruri luck before he and Itachi entered the arena and bowed to each other.
• Ruri challenged Itachi to show the strength behind his confidence, and Itachi activated his Sharingan, revealing one tomoe in each eye.