Recaps

Team 7 returned to Konoha, where Son Goten complained about his mission pay before meeting Anko and persuading her to take him for dango. Anko left with Goten, while Naruto and Sasuke watched in disbelief.

• Kakashi reported that Team 7’s C-rank mission had grown more dangerous, but the Third Hokage offered Goten only thirty ramen vouchers as a bonus.
• Goten threw a tantrum over the reward and complained that his first love had been a boy.
• Anko entered the Hokage’s office, and Goten rushed over and clung to her, asking for comfort.
• Anko laughed at Goten’s story, agreed to buy him dango, and took him away to get his wounds treated.
• Naruto wondered how Goten had gotten away with touching Anko, while Sasuke watched with a complicated expression.

Son Goten visited Anko, learned she would oversee the second round of the Chunin Ninja Exams, and vowed to enter and win. He then bought ninja tools from Tenten and made a bet that he would take first place, setting his sights on Neji Hyuga.

• Son Goten joked with Anko, ate dumplings at her house, and promised to marry her after becoming a Chunin.
• Son Goten went to Tenten's ninja tool shop and bent a steel Kunai into an iron ball to demonstrate its poor quality.
• Son Goten bought a set of high-quality tools with money he had taken from Gato, and Tenten offered him a discount.
• Son Goten bet Tenten that he would take first place in the exams and she would wear a qipao and dance; he promised to test tools for her if he lost.
• Son Goten left the shop determined to defeat Neji Hyuga, then headed to Ichiraku Ramen and ordered thirty large bowls.

Son Goten joined Naruto in spying on the women’s bathhouse, where he impressed Jiraiya with his stealth and perception before a thrown bar of soap exposed them. Son Goten escaped with Naruto, while Jiraiya decided to take him as a student.

• Naruto invited Son Goten to the public bathhouse, and Son Goten followed him to the roof despite claiming he would not go.
• Son Goten and Naruto hid above the baths, where Son Goten used his ki perception to sense the people inside.
• Jiraiya climbed onto the roof to spy, and Son Goten criticized his stealth and demonstrated his own concealment and perception skills.
• Jiraiya leaned toward a vent, prompting Anko to throw a bar of soap at him and attack with a Great Fireball Technique.
• Son Goten fled with Naruto, and Jiraiya admired his abilities and decided to make him his student.

Son Goten stopped Kankuro from hurting Konohamaru and broke one of Crow’s fingers with his bare hands. Gaara confronted him, but Shukaku reacted with fear; Son Goten ended the tense encounter by criticizing Gaara’s dark circles and offering sleep advice.

• Son Goten met Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru in the busy streets of Konoha and gave Moegi candy.
• Kankuro grabbed Konohamaru after the boy bumped into him, and Naruto and Sakura rushed to intervene.
• Kankuro tripped Naruto with chakra threads and raised his fist to strike Konohamaru.
• Son Goten appeared behind Kankuro, restrained Crow, and snapped one of the puppet’s fingers with his bare hands.
• Gaara arrived and stopped Kankuro, while Shukaku grew frightened of Son Goten’s presence.
• Son Goten introduced himself to Gaara and advised him to drink warm milk, soak his feet, and get more sleep.

Son Goten derailed a tense confrontation with Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari by flirting with Temari and stopping her fan attack with one hand. Gaara judged Goten dangerous and led his team away, while Goten watched Temari leave.

• Gaara threatened to kill Son Goten, and Kankuro prepared to attack before Sasuke struck Kankuro's hand with a pebble and challenged the Sunagakure trio.
• Son Goten ignored the standoff and asked Temari to borrow her fan, then teased her with suggestive remarks about her appearance.
• Temari angrily swung her iron fan at Son Goten, but he caught it with one hand and cracked the stone pavement beneath his feet.
• Son Goten admired Temari's fishnet stockings, and Gaara intervened, suppressed his killing intent, and ordered his teammates to leave.
• Temari and Kankuro followed Gaara away, while Son Goten whistled after Temari and praised her legs.

Rock Lee challenged Son Goten after seeing his strength, but Son Goten refused and mocked his appearance, so Lee fought Sasuke instead. Might Guy stopped the fight and reunited tearfully with Lee, prompting Son Goten to flee with Sakura before their affection could infect them.

• Rock Lee asked Sakura to be his girlfriend, but she rejected him because his eyebrows were too thick.
• Rock Lee challenged Son Goten after witnessing him catch the iron fan, but Son Goten refused unless Lee dressed as a woman and wore makeup.
• Sasuke stepped in to fight Rock Lee, who overwhelmed him with taijutsu and speed even after Sasuke activated his Sharingan.
• Might Guy appeared and stopped Lee before he could deliver the final blow to Sasuke.
• Might Guy and Rock Lee embraced and cried together, so Son Goten grabbed Sakura and ran away in disgust.

Son Goten struggled with the written Chunin Exam and copied Hinata Hyuga’s answers after pressuring her to show her paper. Naruto’s refusal to give up helped the candidates pass, and Hinata fainted after Goten hugged her and promised her ramen.

• Son Goten found the written questions incomprehensible and used Ki Sensing to locate Hinata Hyuga’s answers.
• Son Goten coaxed and distracted Hinata until she moved her paper into view, then copied her answers.
• Ibiki Morino announced the tenth question’s severe stakes, and Naruto declared he would never give up.
• Ibiki announced that every candidate still in the room had passed the first exam.
• Son Goten hugged Hinata and promised to buy her ramen, and Hinata fainted as he caught her.

Mitaraishi Anko arrived to announce the second exam, and Son Goten openly flirted with her in front of the candidates. After Anko told everyone to assemble at the Forest of Death within ten minutes, Son Goten set off carrying Hinata.

• Mitaraishi Anko burst into the exam room and introduced herself as the second exam proctor.
• Son Goten praised Anko’s revealing outfit and dodged the kunai she threw at him.
• Son Goten caught Anko’s wrist and flirted with her until Ibiki reminded her to act like a proctor.
• Anko announced that the second exam would take place at the Forest of Death and ordered the candidates to assemble within ten minutes.
• Son Goten hoisted Hinata onto his shoulder, joked with Naruto about Anko, and headed for the Forest of Death.

At Training Ground 44, Anko explained the Forest of Death’s dangers and the rules of the second Chunin Exam stage. After teasing Anko and signing the death waiver, Son Goten charged into the forest, eager to hunt for food.

• Anko warned the examinees that people died in the Forest of Death and had them sign consent forms.
• Son Goten flirted with Anko, who pinched his cheeks and warned him not to boast before surviving the forest.
• Anko explained that teams had five days to collect both the Heaven and Earth Scrolls and reach the central tower, with no rescue or provisions provided.
• As the gate opened, Son Goten smelled a feast and rushed into the forest with the other examinees.

Son Goten protected his teammates from a giant centipede and turned it into a barbecue in the Forest of Death. After frightening off three Rain Ninja and persuading Sasuke to eat, he sensed a larger snake deeper in the forest and led the team toward it.

• Son Goten pushed Sakura out of the way as a giant centipede attacked, then killed it with one punch.
• Son Goten told Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke to prepare a fire and seasonings so they could cook the centipede.
• Naruto enjoyed the roasted centipede, while Sakura refused and Sasuke eventually tried some.
• Three Rain Ninja who had planned to ambush the team fled after watching Son Goten eat the venomous centipede.
• Son Goten sensed a larger snake in the forest and urged his teammates to follow him in search of a bigger meal.

Son Goten rescued Sasuke and Sakura from a giant snake, then knocked it unconscious and prepared to butcher it while Naruto emerged from its stomach. A chilling presence interrupted them as Son Goten noticed a foul smell coming from the woods.

• A violent gust separated Naruto from Sasuke and Sakura, and a giant snake appeared to attack the two.
• Son Goten dropped onto the snake's head, endured its thrashing, and lifted and slammed its enormous body into the ground.
• Naruto was expelled from the unconscious snake's mouth, covered in slime, and complained that he had nearly been digested.
• Son Goten prepared to butcher the snake and offered Sasuke its gallbladder, but Sasuke refused.
• The temperature plunged and the forest fell silent, so Son Goten turned toward the woods and called out the foul-smelling presence.

Orochimaru appeared after Son Goten defeated his giant snake and tried to intimidate the group with killing intent and genjutsu. Son Goten remained unaffected and confronted Orochimaru for frightening his teammates and interrupting his meal.

• Son Goten mocked the smell of the dead snake while Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were immobilized by Orochimaru’s killing intent.
• Orochimaru emerged from a tree and confronted Son Goten for eating his pet without permission.
• Son Goten demanded compensation for the snake’s damage, insulted Orochimaru’s smell, and called him a pervert when he expressed interest in Son Goten’s body.
• Orochimaru intensified his killing intent and used the Hell Viewing Technique, leaving Sasuke and Naruto collapsed in terror while Son Goten remained unaffected.
• Son Goten complained that his stomach was rumbling and threatened Orochimaru for frightening his teammates and keeping him from eating.

Orochimaru attacked Son Goten with the Kusanagi Sword, but Goten’s body and strength proved far beyond anything Orochimaru expected. Fascinated by Goten’s unusual body, Orochimaru decided to use the Cursed Seal on him, while Sasuke warned Goten about Orochimaru’s neck.

• Orochimaru drew the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth and lunged at Son Goten’s eyes.
• Son Goten stopped the sword with his eyelid, crushed its blade, and bent it out of shape with his fingers.
• Son Goten’s kick missed Orochimaru but snapped a tree in half, and the wind split the skin on Orochimaru’s face.
• Orochimaru became obsessed with claiming Goten’s body and decided to give him the Cursed Seal he had prepared for Sasuke.
• Sasuke warned Goten to watch Orochimaru’s neck, but Goten responded impatiently.

Orochimaru gave Sasuke the Cursed Seal of Heaven, then tried to implant it in Son Goten. Son Goten’s tough skin broke Orochimaru’s fangs, and he drove the attacker back with a slap and a threat.

• Orochimaru bit Sasuke and implanted the Cursed Seal of Heaven, leaving him writhing in pain.
• Naruto tried to reach Sasuke, but Orochimaru knocked him away with a large snake.
• Orochimaru targeted Son Goten for a Cursed Seal, but Son Goten slapped him as he lunged in to bite.
• Orochimaru’s fangs snapped against Son Goten’s skin, and his head spun around his neck before snapping back into place.
• Son Goten scrubbed Orochimaru’s saliva off his neck, insulted him, and threatened to pull out his teeth if he attacked again.

Son Goten drove Orochimaru away and used his ki to ease the Cursed Seal’s pain in Anko’s neck. Anko recovered enough to thank him, but he immediately asked her for a lap pillow.

• Orochimaru escaped underground after warning Son Goten that he would investigate his body and remembering Sasuke as the recipient of his gift.
• Son Goten checked on the injured Sasuke and Naruto as Anko arrived to find the destroyed forest and defeated giant snake.
• Anko collapsed when Orochimaru’s nearby power triggered her Cursed Seal, and Son Goten caught her.
• Son Goten sent ki into Anko to suppress the seal’s pain, then teased her about her open neckline while holding her.
• Anko thanked Son Goten after recovering, and he asked her to give him a lap pillow.

After Son Goten drove Orochimaru away, he relaxed on Anko’s lap and teased her while she recovered from the fight. Anko’s fear of her former teacher eased, but she stood to report Orochimaru’s appearance to the Hokage.

• Son Goten reminded Anko that she had promised him a lap pillow, and she reluctantly let him rest on her legs.
• Anko fed Son Goten Three-Color Dango while Sasuke writhed from his Cursed Seal, Naruto hung from a branch, and Sakura remained unconscious.
• Anko asked whether Son Goten had feared Orochimaru, and his disgusted remarks about Orochimaru’s appearance and hygiene made her laugh and feel less afraid.
• Anko stood up and said she had to report Orochimaru’s appearance at the Chunin Exam site to Lord Hokage.

Son Goten’s team continued through the forest after Anko left, and he rushed to help a red-haired Kusagakure girl named Karin when a bear attacked her. He defeated the bear and held Karin close, leaving her overwhelmed by his presence.

• Son Goten woke Naruto and found Sasuke and Sakura recovering, while Sasuke insisted on continuing the exam.
• The group traveled through the forest until Son Goten heard a girl cry for help and rushed toward the sound despite Sasuke’s warning.
• Son Goten found Karin facing a giant brown bear and kicked the bear through two trees, knocking it unconscious.
• Son Goten caught Karin, flirted with her, and asked if he could claim the bear for its paws.
• Karin thanked Son Goten and, affected by his powerful energy, leaned weakly against him.

Karin clung to Son Goten after he rescued her, and his gentle concern for her bite-marked arm made her feel attached to him. When Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura arrived, Son Goten claimed Karin as his new unofficial teammate, while Sasuke objected that she would be a burden.

• Karin realized she was clinging tightly to Son Goten and offered him her arm to bite, revealing the many old and fresh bite marks left by the Grass Ninja.
• Son Goten gently touched Karin's scars, told her not to let anyone else bite her, and made her feel protected with his possessive words.
• Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura found Son Goten holding Karin beside the bear, and Sakura grew jealous when she saw how closely Karin clung to him.
• Son Goten announced that Karin was his spoils of war and would join them as an unofficial member, while Sasuke objected that she was a burden.

Son Goten drove off two Grass Ninja who came to reclaim Karin, then took their scrolls and brought Karin along with Team 7 toward the Central Tower. The group reached the Tower with Karin in tow, while Naruto and Sasuke carried their gear and a bear paw for Son Goten to cook.

• Two Grass Ninja found Karin and demanded that she return, then threatened Son Goten and Team 7 for their Earth Scroll.
• Son Goten released a terrifying aura that incapacitated both Grass Ninja, took their Heaven and Earth Scrolls, and sent them fleeing.
• Son Goten embraced Karin again, and she agreed to stay with him; Sakura objected to bringing a ninja from another village, but Son Goten insisted she counted as supplies.
• Son Goten led the group toward the Central Tower with Karin and Sakura beside him, while Naruto carried the backpacks and Sasuke carried the bear paw.
• As the group approached the Tower, Son Goten anticipated Iruka’s reaction to seeing them arrive with Karin and the rest of their unusual group.

Son Goten’s group passed the second exam after collecting both scrolls and reaching the Central Tower, where Iruka found them relaxing instead of exhausted. Son Goten brought Karin with them as claimed “loot” and led the group toward the preliminary matches, despite Iruka’s concerns about Sasuke’s condition.

• Naruto and Sakura opened the Heaven Scroll and Earth Scroll together, summoning Iruka in the Central Tower.
• Iruka found Son Goten eating roasted meat while Sakura massaged his back, Sasuke rested against him, and Karin tended to him.
• Son Goten argued that Karin counted as supplies he had collected in the Forest of Death and insisted she could stay with the group.
• Iruka congratulated the team for passing the second exam and warned them that the preliminary matches would eliminate many candidates.
• Son Goten led the group toward the Arena, declaring that nobody could take Karin from him unless he chose to let her go.

The candidates gathered in the Tower’s main hall for the third exam, where Son Goten exposed his suspicions about Kabuto Yakushi and the preliminary matches were announced. The chapter ended as the screen stopped scrolling on two names, but did not reveal them.

• Son Goten avoided Kabuto Yakushi’s attempted pat and accused him of hiding killing intent behind a fake smile.
• Son Goten warned Naruto to stay away from Kabuto, while Kabuto recognized Son Goten as a threat to Orochimaru’s plan.
• Gekko Hayate announced a preliminary round of individual matches because too many candidates had passed the second exam.
• Kabuto Yakushi withdrew, and Hayate explained that the remaining candidates would fight until one side died, conceded, or could no longer fight.
• The electronic screen slowed and stopped on two names.

Son Goten faced Kiba Inuzuka in the arena, but Akamaru panicked at Goten’s presence and played dead. Kiba forced Akamaru to take a Soldier Pill and prepared to attack as Goten invited them to play.

• Kiba Inuzuka entered the arena with Akamaru and taunted Son Goten for picking on Hinata.
• Son Goten jumped down from the stands, and Akamaru immediately hid in Kiba’s arms before flopping onto his back and pretending to be dead.
• Son Goten mocked Kiba and praised Akamaru’s instincts, while Kiba demanded to know what he had done to the dog.
• Kiba fed Akamaru a Soldier Pill, turning his fur red and restoring his aggression enough to face Son Goten.
• Kiba took a hunting stance and announced his Beast Mimicry Ninjutsu, while Son Goten beckoned to him and Akamaru to play fetch.

Son Goten defeated Kiba Inuzuka by stopping his Fang Over Fang attack with one finger, leaving Kiba sick and humiliated. After returning to the stands, Goten settled in to rest as the next matchups began appearing on the screen.

• Kiba and Akamaru attacked Son Goten with Fang Over Fang, but Goten stopped one spinning whirlwind with his fingertip.
• The recoil made Kiba vomit and sent Akamaru flying, while the spectators and jonin stared in shock.
• Gekko Hayate declared Son Goten the winner, and Goten mocked Kiba and complained that his opponents were boring.
• Karin praised Goten, Naruto asked him to teach the move, and Sasuke wondered whether he could ever catch up to him.
• The electronic screen began scrolling through names again, and Son Goten rested his head on Karin's lap.

Hinata faced Neji in the Chunin Exam arena, but his attacks on her courage and destiny left her trembling. Son Goten’s fierce support helped her stand her ground, and the chapter ended as she prepared to fight.

• Hinata drew Neji as her opponent and nervously entered the arena despite Kurenai’s encouragement.
• Neji urged Hinata to forfeit, criticizing her weakness and claiming that a person’s destiny could not change.
• Son Goten crushed the railing in anger, threatened to interfere, and shouted support for Hinata from the stands.
• Hinata found resolve in Son Goten’s words, faced Neji again, and said she would prove she could change.
• Naruto cheered Hinata on as she took her Gentle Fist stance.

Hinata fought Neji in the Chunin Exam arena and, embarrassed by Son Goten’s public promises of affection, briefly broke through his defenses. After Neji sealed her chakra and she struggled to stand again, he charged to kill her, but Son Goten intercepted him and confronted him over threatening his wife.

• Hinata and Neji exchanged Gentle Fist strikes, with Neji driving Hinata backward.
• Son Goten shouted encouragement and promised Hinata ramen, a loving hug, and lap-pillow service if she won, mortifying her in front of the crowd.
• Fueled by embarrassment, Hinata struck Neji in the chest, but Neji retaliated with Chakra Point Needling and knocked her down.
• Hinata forced herself to stand and told Neji she no longer wanted to run away, provoking him to charge at her with a lethal strike.
• Son Goten leaped from the stands, landed between Neji and Hinata, and asked Neji if he had been trying to kill his wife.