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The Training Commences

Manga ChapterCh. 18

Kakashi drills Team 7 in a climbing exercise meant to sharpen their control over chakra, exposing a surprising gap in the squad's rankings. Across the way, a recovering Zabuza and his loyal ally prepare for a rematch.

Arc: Prologue - Land of Waves
Kanji: 修業開始
Volume: 3
Viz Title: Training Day
Japanese Release: 10, 2000
Japanese Release Date: February 21, 2000
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Summary

Kakashi sets his three students a deceptively hard task to tighten their command of chakra: scaling a tree using only their feet. Naruto cannot get off the ground, Sasuke stalls partway up the trunk, and Sakura strolls to the very top on her opening attempt. Swallowing his pride, Naruto quietly asks Sakura how she pulled it off.

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Key Events

Elsewhere, Zabuza mends from the wounds Kakashi dealt him. Gato turns up meaning to finish the swordsman off for his failure, but Haku intercepts him, snapping the businessman's arm as a warning against so much as touching Zabuza. Zabuza promises Gato the job will be done within the week.

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Notes

Titled Training Day in the Viz release, this is the eighteenth chapter, collected in volume three as part of the Land of Waves prologue.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in "The Training Commences"?

In "The Training Commences" (chapter 18), Kakashi drills Team 7 in a tree-climbing exercise to sharpen their chakra control while Zabuza recovers and prepares for a rematch.

What exercise does Kakashi give Team 7?

Kakashi sets Team 7 the task of climbing a tree using only their feet and chakra control, a deceptively difficult exercise meant to sharpen their command of chakra.

Who performs best at the tree-climbing exercise?

Sakura performs best at the tree-climbing exercise, walking to the very top on her first attempt while Naruto cannot get off the ground and Sasuke stalls partway up the trunk.

How does Haku protect Zabuza from Gato?

Haku intercepts Gato when he arrives intending to finish off the recovering Zabuza, snapping Gato's arm as a warning against touching him.

What does Zabuza promise Gato in this chapter?

Zabuza promises Gato that the job of dealing with Team 7 will be finished within the week.

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This content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.

Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:

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  • Game pages: official box art for the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, credited to Bandai Namco.
  • Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

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