Naruto, Vol. 5

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 5. 2000. 184p. ISBN 9781591163596. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Naruto, Vol, 4 concluded with the trio ready to take their Chunin exam, which will allow them to be promoted. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke are confronted by Roc Lee, who challenges Sasuke to a fight right then and there. Sasuke agrees to the challenge, but soon finds himself overwhelmed by Roc's extreme physical abilities. The fight ends when Roc's master appears on the back of a turtle, and punishes his young charge for his brashness.

The ninjas-in-training are brought into a large room, where they are assigned a written exam that is simply impossible to pass without cheating. But the penalty for being caught is expulsion, along with the rest of the team. Naruto, who was never a good student, is doomed, and both Sasuke and Sukara know it. Fortunately, there is question 10, which will be given with only 15 minutes left at the end of the test. Naruto's hopes hinge on this one question being able to provide him with at least one point, so that he can move to phase 2 of the Chunin trials. With his future as a ninja hanging in the balance, is this Naruto's best strategy, or did he make a horrible decision?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 6.

Honor Girl

Trash, Maggie. Honor Girl. ISGN 9780763687557. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Now 15, Maggie has spent every summer at Camp Bellflower for Girls. From Atlanta, Maggie travels to the heart of Appalachia and enjoys the amenities that camp offers, from arts and crafts to archery and shooting. This year is harder than most, however. Being a teen is hard, and being attracted to girls is even harder. Maggie has never been kissed, and she finds herself attracted to Erin, a talented camp counselor. She's also in competition to complete the distinguished expert gun certification. 

Maggie's nascent feelings for Erin threaten both the stability of camp life and her own attitude towards life. Camp expects conformity, but Maggie is finding it increasingly difficult to stay within the boundaries of what is considered "normal." Can Maggie discover her voice and explain how she feels about Erin and her life?

One Punch Man, Vol. 4

One. One Punch Man, Vol. 4. 2015. 210p. ISBN 9781421564616. 

Now that he achieved class-C hero in One Punch Man, Vol. 3, Saitama needs to perform and report one heroic deed a week. Genos, as a class-S, is called to the headquarter of the Heroes' Association, only to find out that everyone has evacuated. Bang, another class-S hero, is the only one here. A large meteor is plummeting towards their city, and when it hits it will destroy everything. Genos determines to go for broke, and he uses all of his energy to power his incinerator cannon, but it is ineffective. Another class-S hero intervenes, but only to test a prototype weapon which also proves ineffective again the meteor.

Saitama comes to the city's rescue, and destroys the meteor before it hits, but the pieces fall all over the city, blasting buildings apart and killing score of citizens. Jealous class-B and class-C heroes badmouth Saitama, identifying him as being responsible for the people's misery now that the city is ruined, but Saitama fully assumes the role of meteor destroyer.

Meanwhile, in a neighbor city, monsters from the Seafolk have emerged from the water, looking to kill and eat humans. As heroes rush in to fight the monsters, will Saitama and Genos get there in time to get any of the action?

The story continues in One Punch Man, Vol. 5.

Naruto, Vol. 4

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 4. 2000. 184p. ISBN 9781591163589. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The battle on the unfinished bridge that started in Naruto, Vol. 3 continue with Naruto prostrating over Sasuke's body. Sasuke has been slain by Haku's attacks, and seeing his frenemy die triggers the demon fox imprisoned inside Naruto. Haku, who had been dominating the battle due to his mirror tricks, now finds himself on the defensive and can barely survive Naruto's attacks. Naruto is relentless, however, and soon Haku is forced to surrender, but instead of begging for his life he asks for a shinobi's death. He has failed at accomplishing his dream of protecting his master from his enemies, so now there is nothing left to life for.

Kakashi and Zabuza continue their fight on the other side of the bridge, and for a while Kakashi appears outclassed, but using his powerful chakra he surprises Zabuza and immobilizes him, leaving the rogue ninja vulnerable to attacks. Sakura continues to protect Tazuna the bridge builder, but the fog that Zabuza has summoned makes it very difficult to see anything, and she remains unaware that the boy she loves has been killed.

Back in the village, Inari summons the villagers, and tells them they have to go to the bridge and fight, just like his father did before him, because strangers should not be the ones performing heroic acts on the villagers' behalf. And the evil crime lord Gato takes this opportunity to eliminate his enemies and his mercenary, so that he can avoid paying Zabuza. With so many enemies on the bridge, can Naruto survive the assault?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 5.