The team returns to the village, and Kurenai is relieved that this time, her team has returned with everyone still alive.
Kurenai is pleased about Naruto opening up, but concerned about Hinata’s worsening family situation, and how Shino is reacting, being unusually guarded about his emotions.
As it turns out, Shino is displeased with everything he’s learned and the implications it has, especially considering that he realizes that, without him knowing it, his elders’ views of Naruto have rubbed off on him, while they themselves understand little about Naruto.
Hinata reflects on the mission, and, in spite of the hardship and danger, how enjoyable it was, to be away from the village with her friends. She recalls making dinner for her father in vain, a tragic reminder of how little the efforts of a Love Martyr are appreciated. It’s also depressing to hear someone express, even if only in thought, how much they want to be away from home, even if it’s in a dangerous assignment in the middle of the wilderness.
Naruto returns, pondering his bonds with his friends, as well as the fact that he has them for the first time, particularly Hinata’s anger over his treatment. Similarly, he becomes concerned while noticing her reactions to coming back. He realizes that they’re returning to civilization, and wonders if it’s related to her troubled relationship with her sister, mentioning that Kiba complained about Hana (who seems a bit stern toward him in his scene in the hospital at the end of Part 1, but they seem to get along better than this), and wondering why her father wasn’t proud of her.
Naruto inevitably comes to the conclusion that while there is still much he doesn’t know about Hinata’s family, he doesn’t like what he does know. But that much does not help him reach a solution, so he decides to talk to Kurenai.
Team 8 has a debriefing with the Hokage, telling him about the kidnapping incident, and the encounter with the Rock Ninja. Naruto jokingly suggests that they send the Rock Village his grades to let them know that they were scared of the dead last in the class, and no one takes this well, which is somewhat unusual for Heroic Self-Deprecation based humor.
The Third Hokage tells Hinata that Kurenai’s praise of her is quite sincere, and Kurenai moves on to the Nine-Tailed Fox’s chakra, with the Third Hokage interrupting before Naruto informs him that his teammates already know, and they say that they accept Naruto. The Third Hokage hears of the killings of the ninjas, and he is shocked to hear that Naruto’s counseling was sabotaged. The Third Hokage pays them for the mission, and hands out the bounties on the three missing-nins. Naruto isn’t entirely happy about getting a reward for that, and splits it with his teammates. The Third Hokage ponders his team’s progress, and realizes Naruto’s the one holding them all together.
Kurenai gives her team one more task, which she learned from her old sensei, and Naruto realizes she never talked about her old team before. Naruto implies that he feared some tragedy befell Kurenai’s old team, and is determined to not let that happen to his team.
Naruto encounters Hinata, and after a few attempts, manages to explain that she has adapted to the weights, and is a valued part of his team, more so than Ino or Sakura. In addition to yet another shot against the other kunoichis, it seems odd that Naruto’s the one who’s having trouble expressing himself.
Hinata ponders Naruto’s words, and his approval of a “failure” like her as a friend, as Team 8 heads towards Moritake’s, a traditional destination of Kurenai’s old team. Hinata knows from intuition and Kurenai’s use of the past tense that her sensei is no longer among the living, suggesting that a “superior” Hyuga would tell more. Naruto openly asks about Kurenai’s sensei, angering her until he and Shino argue that he had a great impact on her. Kurenai begins to describe Kobaru, as a strong person who, while skilled in taijutsu, doesn’t rely solely on it, but cuts herself off.
The group leaves Moritake’s after dark, and Naruto thinks about the catch-up work he’ll have to do with Guy and Lee. Naruto invites her to train with them, and convinces her that she’s not imposing on them, making some convincing points about how it would benefit all of them.
Hinata gets home that evening, notices no one is around, and becomes certain of how she doesn’t belong in the Hyuga estates, which would otherwise be her home.
Hinata shows up the next morning, and Guy and Lee welcome her. They train together, and Lee shows off his version of the Primary Lotus, thereafter promising to use it only in “extreme circumstances”.
Hinata then spars with Lee, who takes notes on how Naruto spars with her, clearly in preparation for facing Neji. Naruto reveals that he has an ability to reopen his chakra points, which “hurts like hell,” but is nevertheless effective.
Lee tells Naruto that he doesn’t specialize in taijutsu by choice, because his undeveloped chakra coils prevent him from using ninjutsu or genjutsu. Naruto tells the story of how his own graduation was less than standard, and recaps how he was canonically tricked by Mizuki into stealing the scroll, and how Mizuki, while trying to dispose of Naruto ended up telling him about the fox inside him. Lee and Guy are quite touched by the story, and decide to let Hinata train with them from this point onward.
Hinata and Naruto leave, heading for Ichiraku Ramen, his usual breakfast place. It is mentioned in passing that the rewards for the missing-nin were split four ways, and Kurenai approved of this as a way of lessening Naruto’s guilt over killing them. That said, Hinata does insist on paying.
Unfortunately, Hinata is still stuck in the area of being one to quickly assume that others are not necessarily acting in her benefit, assuming that Guy and Lee let her train with them out of courtesy, and that Naruto’s ease in telling them about his secret compared to hers indicates he trusts them more (forgetting that she was the first to hear from him, and how well she took it encouraged him to open up, although she does soon realize this).
Naruto points out that Neji and Lee were placed on the same team as the top and lowest scorers, respectively (an interesting parallel to the canon Team 7 that can be inferred in canon), and Lee is determined to defeat Neji as a result. This does ignore that Neji has at least a measure of respect and camaraderie with Lee, even when he’s still a Jerkass, as he’s amazed to see Lee’s Hidden Lotus in action, and decides to fight the Sound Genin who injured Lee. Hinata agrees, reasoning that if it’s helping her cousin’s teammate, her clan would not disapprove.
Shino meets with his father, and discusses his having learned the reason why the Hokage is keeping things secret, and, in his own way, delivers a scathing condemnation of the elders for poisoning the minds of the clan regarding Naruto. Having learned that Naruto is not the person the clan believes him to be, Shino asks to meet with the clan’s elders. If they change their minds, all is well, and if not, he will deal with that when it comes. The chapter then ends.
What I liked
- Showing Hinata improving her self image.
- Interesting use of Lee as a character.
- Giving some focus to Shino and making him an interesting character.
What I didn’t like
- A bit too much angst from Naruto and Hinata.
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