Gaara is quick to detect Deidara’s presence, and an aerial battle ensues with Deidara on his giant bird and Gaara atop sand.

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.

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.

Kakashi reveals that while he knows how to perform Rasengan, he cannot combine his own lightning-based chakra. He adds that even the Fourth Hokage, who created the move, could not combine his elemental chakra with the technique, but that Naruto might be able to. Asuma sends word to other teams about Akatsuki’s location and proceeds on despite his concern about Akatsuki’s strength. Kakuzu turns in Chiriku’s corpse despite Hidan’s complaints, and says that he is partnered with Hidan because he cannot kill him. The stress of the training causes Naruto to be enveloped in the Nine-tails's "Demon Fox's Cloak", but Yamato suppresses it.

Itachi uses the ultimate genjutsu technique Koto Amatsukami to free himself from the Reanimation Jutsu. Itachi then joins Naruto and Killer Bee to fight Nagato, who is still under Kabuto’s control.

Yugao is ordered by Sukui to track down the reanimated Hayate. Still shaken by her lover’s unexpected return as an enemy, Yugao manages to catch up to Hayate and his men.

Kabuto reanimates Fukai to attack Killer Bee and Motoi. Fukai warns Killer Bee to escape before being taken over by Kabuto. To everyone’s surprise, Fukai releases Eight Tails’ chakra and enters Tailed Beast State.

Naruto finds himself inside Four Tails’ inner world, where he promises to free Four Tails from Madara’s control. Listening in on their conversation, Nine Tails recalls all the time he has spent sealed inside Naruto.

Casting aside Itachi's lectures to him, Kabuto reveals to the siblings that he had injected himself with the DNA of various shinobi, namely the Sound Five, also including Orochimaru.

Being informed by Kakashi that the orphans he trained are now attempting to bring about change in the Hidden Rain Village through dialogue, Jiraiya expresses hist satisfaction with his students' progress.

Yukimi leaves the village to see the outside world, taking “Tenzo” with her. Kakashi tries to convince the two to return so that he can set a trap to capture Orochimaru, who is after Yukimi’s blood.

Hiruzen assigns Kakashi to be in charge of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, three genin that bear a striking resemblance to the former Team Minato.

The fighting rages between Naruto, who stands at the vanguard of the Allied Shinobi Forces, and the team of Madara and Obito.

Minato is filled with regret during his confrontation with Obito. He thinks if only he had recognized Obito as the Masked Man during the assault on the Hidden Leaf Village, he could have stopped the attack, and maybe Kushina would not have died.

With his newly revived strength, Madara doesn't give in against the nine Tailed Beasts.

Naruto and Sasuke have both become such high-level shinobi that each knows exactly what the other is thinking just by exchanging attacks. Despite knowing how Naruto feels, Sasuke is determined to cut him down.