Naruto e Sakura se esforçam para passar no teste de Kakashi. Deidara e Gaara disputam uma batalha aérea.

Pakkun finds the hideout of the Akatsuki. Team Kakashi and Temari prepare to set out to get Gaara back, but Temari is ordered to stay behind and help guard the village.

At last, the showdown between the old woman and her grandson begins. Sakura is confused by Sasori’s strange appearance, and Granny Chiyo explains that this is Hiruko…

Team Guy senses the result of the Sakura and Granny Chiyo’s desperate struggle while still in battle with his deadly copy. Although Guy’s team members are showing fatigue, their copies remain strong!

The new team Kakashi heads out for the Heaven and Earth bridge. Sai, Sakura, and Naruto come to blows after just 5 minutes on the same team due to Sai making fun of Sasuke. Therefore, Yamato decides they need to improve on teamwork and uses Mokuton to create a wooden cage threatening to lock the team up unless they behave. Given an ultimatum between being locked up or spending the night at a hot springs, the team chooses to visit the springs to improve team cohesion. Naruto still despises Sai despite this effort, and several insulting remarks from Sai worsen team relations.

Yamato uses the first Hokage's chakra to suppress the demon fox's chakra and Naruto returns to normal, but with severe injuries. Sakura begins to heal him, but notes that medical ninjutsu has little effect on his wounds. Orochimaru's sword is revealed to have only pierced one of Sai's clones. The real Sai emerges, talks to Orochimaru and gives him a letter from Danzo. Sai then leaves with Orochimaru and Kabuto but Yamato's wood clone stays close on their trail. Naruto comes to his senses and wonders what happened but Sakura decides not to tell him the truth. They reach the meeting spot, picking up the picture book Sai left behind. Yamato infers that Danzo seeks to destroy and remake Konoha by collaborating with Orochimaru.

Sasuke begins to attack Naruto, but Sai restrains him only for them both to be blown away by Sasuke's Chidori Nagashi. Sakura charges at Sasuke, but Yamato intervenes and winds up being stabbed by Sasuke's unique blade infused with his Chidori. The Nine-Tailed Fox tempts Naruto with its power, but he refuses it. Sasuke sees this using his Sharingan, appearing in Naruto's mind. The Nine-Tails says that Sasuke's chakra reminds him of Madara Uchiha, then Sasuke suppresses the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra. Before the Nine-Tailed Fox returns to its cage, it warns Sasuke not to kill Naruto, saying that he will live to regret it forever.

Team Kakashi begins facing off against the enemy shinobi. Yamato eludes his opponent, Fudo, by faking his death. Sora, unwilling to look for Naruto, goes off on his own. Back in Konoha, Danzo reveals that he is aware that he is being watched by Tsunade's ANBU. Naruto fights Fūka, whose kiss is fatal and shows her ability to use earth, fire, water and lightning jutsus. Sai manages to escape from his attacker, Fuen, and later saves Sakura from an enormous spider, becoming injured in the process. Sora then hits upon the enemy leader, Furido, and it is revealed that he was the group's target.

Naruto deduces that Fuuka's secret consists of switching bodies to use each corresponding element and that her hair preserves her youth and body. Naruto damages her hair and it takes a life of its own dispensing the body, but Naruto finally kills it with a Rasengan. Meanwhile, Asuma manages to break free of the electric barrier, catch up with Kitane and defeat him in a short fight. Realizing that Kitane is no more, and that his three other companions were killed, Furido causes the 3 other ninja guardians to disappear. But Furido has a back up plan, Sora.

Naruto finalmente avança em seu treinamento, mas agora ele está sozinho, pois o poderoso jutsu que Kakashi disse que ele aprenderia é na verdade um jutsu inacabado, um jutsu que nem o Quarto Hokage, que o inventou, conseguiu completar.

Shikamaru e Choji começam a batalha, mas são detidos pelo poder de Kakuzu. Kakashi então intervém acertando um ponto vital de Kakuzu com sua Espada Relâmpago, mas Kakuzu não morre.

Kabuto assigns Guren to look after Yukimaru. Guren isn't all too happy about the assignment, and things only become worse when Yukimaru falls ill on a rainy night. Elsewhere, Kiba discovers the mystery of where the dog whistle is coming from, and Tsunade sends assistance to Kakashi and Team 8.

Shizune, Ino, Lee and Tenten arrive and Kakashi, Shizune and Yamato discuss about a strategy to seal the Sanbi and rescue Yukimaru. Meanwhile, Kabuto and Rinji notice Guren's care for Yukimaru and become concerned.

Katsuyu arrives to help the sealing team with the sealing barrier. Naruto and Guren arrive to save Yukimaru from Rinji, but after Guren and Yukimaru have a brief discussion, Rinji reveals the truth about Guren to Yukimaru in hope that he'll make the Sanbi go wild. What will Yukimaru's reaction be when he discovers Guren killed his mother?

After successfully convincing Jugo to join his team, Sasuke finally has everyone he needs for his platoon. He names his platoon Team Hebi, and explains the true reason as to why he gathered them all together. Back in Konoha, Naruto takes a guess on what Sasuke is planning and proposes a new plan to everyone: they must find and capture Itachi Uchiha.

As Sasuke rests from his battle with Deidara, the Leaf ninja pick up on his trail. Noticing that they're being followed, Karin tries to send them in the wrong direction while the members of Team Hebi head to the nearest Akatsuki hideout in hopes of finding Itachi. What will happen when Naruto and Sasuke have separate encounters with Itachi?

Sasuke's long awaited battle with Itachi begins with the Uchiha brothers throwing genjutsu after genjutsu at each other. Sasuke seems to have Itachi cornered and asks him a few questions of the Uchiha massacre. Is Itachi not the only one involved in the Uchiha massacre? And does Sasuke still not possess enough hatred to defeat Itachi?

The Konoha teams decide to head back home as Sasuke remembers that he saw Itachi crying after the massacre. He then states that he cannot rebuild the Uchiha clan in the same way that Itachi had envisioned. Madara, happy that he can use Sasuke for himself, assigns Taka the task of capturing the Eight-Tails while Akatsuki hunts the last two. Taka tracks down the host, Killer Bee, to the Land of Lightning and engages him in battle. Bee manages to overpower Jugo and Suigetsu before Sasuke steps up to fight him one-on-one.

While the rest of Team Kakashi holds back the possessed villagers and the ninja bandits, Naruto and Utakata go to save Hotaru. When they find her, they discover that Shiranami has activated the jutsu and Hotaru is also under Shiranami's control. Can Naruto and Utakata stop Shiranami and save Hotaru before the forbidden jutsu is fully charged?

Tsunade issues an order to call Naruto back to the village, but the elders do not trust her judgment on this issue. While Tsunade tries to convince them and prepares to join the battle herself, Kakashi fights Pain in an effort to figure out his abilities.

The Fourth Hokage appears in Naruto's mind and prevents him from foolishly setting the Kyubi free. Will this confrontation between father and son give Naruto the confidence he needs to stop Pain once and for all?

In the aftermath of the destruction of the Leaf Village, Iruka thinks back to the time when the Third Hokage first gave him the task of being Naruto's homeroom teacher at the Academy, since no one else would take him in.

Iruka struggles to deal with his hate for the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto as he tries to connect with Naruto after seeing him shunned by his peers.

An ostrich tells a story of when Naruto, Rock Lee, and Shino, all led by Kotetsu, entered the Leaf Village's animal district in an effort to find and subdue him. However, he and the other animals proved that they weren't willing to go down without a fight.

The four Kage are startled by the sudden appearance of Madara Uchiha. Having sent Sasuke away to safety using the Transportation Technique, Madara unveils to the Kage his “Project Tsuki no Me.”

Kakashi rescues Sakura from certain death at Sasuke's hands and takes over the fight. After healing Karin, Sakura again decides to take on Sasuke, but her resolve fails her. Just as she comes close to death a second time, Naruto intervenes and saves her. After so long, the original Team 7 is reunited.

Tsunade talks to a council and informs about the Fourth Shinobi World War and warns others not to underestimate Akatsuki. Whereas in Land of Lightning a council is held about war, as Kisame spies on them. B paying no attention was bought in writing raps in his rhyme book. Later, Shizune informs Tsunade about Naruto's disappearance for which she ordered some shinobi to search for him. Naruto returns to Ramen Ichiraku. Two Konoha shinobi ask for his autograph, but he doesn't know how to respond. Three days later the Kage meet again to discuss how they should start pooling their resources. As the first matter of business, Naruto and Killer B are to be given constant protection. Tsunade objects since they would both be invaluable in the war with Akatsuki, but is forced to agree. Tsunade meets with A alone and asks him for a favour to let B teach Naruto how to control Nine-Tails. A says that the place where he is sending B and Naruto isn't just a hideout but a training ground. Tsunade returns to the village and informs Naruto that he's going on an S-rank misson to an island located in the Land of Lightning.

Making a stop at a nearby port to stock up on supplies, Naruto buys a rare mushroom from a vegetable merchant. But soon after they set sail for their next destination, Naruto and the other crewmembers find their ship infested with poisonous mushrooms.

As Team Asuma considers the impending war, they encounter Kosuke Maruboshi who reminds them of the time that they rescued him while they were still genin. With this, Kosuke retells the tale of the time their fathers saved him during the Invasion of Konoha with their Formation Ino–Shika–Chō. Somewhat rattled by this story, Kosuke reminds them that great shinobi weren't made in a day. As the team contemplates everything, they decide to perfect their own formation, insisting that they'd be fine because they were not alone.

As the Leaf ninja’s ship heads toward their final stop for supplies before entering the Land of Lightning, Yamato warns the crew to stay alert for enemies who could mimic both the appearance and chakra of their closest allies.

Guy arrives at the Waterfall of Truth to help Naruto with his training. Instead he encounters Kisame, who has infiltrated the island to locate Naruto and Killer Bee.

Part Two of the Four Week Long Special Project for the Broadcast's Tenth Anniversary - During the Chunin Exam, Sasuke witnesses Naruto’s growth as a shinobi.

Under the guidance of Killer Bee, Naruto enters the final stage of training to master the Tailed Beast Bomb, a Jinchuriki’s most powerful technique.

Atsui, Samui, and Darui face off against Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the legendary brothers from the Hidden Cloud, feared even by the Raikage.

Choji is unable to attack Asuma and loses his will to fight. Ino and Shikamaru try to snap Choji out of his paralysis.

Konohamaru participates in a meeting organized by Ebisu in Konoha of the remaining villagers, mostly including the children and wives. Ebisu attempts to rally everyones' spirits together in the event that rogue ninja should attack the village while their shinobi families are away at war, but the mothers scoff and claim that they will protect the village as they always have while their husbands fought. Suddenly Konohamaru is approached by several children, each claiming to have seen terrifying rogue ninja roaming the east and west forests outside Konoha. He tries to recruit his classmates into hunting them down, but they refuse to beleive him. Konohamaru investigates the area alone with Moegi and Udon, only to find a traveling circus troupe in the forest instead of rogue ninja. Heading back, Konohamaru is again alerted that people are attacking the village on the west side, and this time, the rumors are true. A group of rogue Sumo Wrestlers attack the children, but they are saved by the mothers of Konoha, who fight back against the intruders. Konohamaru delivers the final blow with his Rasengan and saves the village.

Kakashi races to the scene where the Seven Ninja Swordsmen Kushimaru Kuriarare and Jinpachi Munashi were last sighted. Enraged by the carnage they’ve left behind, Kakashi teams up with Might Guy.