Naruto and Sakura defeat Kakashi in the survival challenge. Tsunade assigns them to a three-man squad led by Kakashi, who tells them they are now his equals.

Gaara, his strength completely exhausted, is whisked away by Deidara. Kankuro ignores Baki’s efforts to stop him and immediately sets out in pursuit with a platoon to rescue Gaara.

On her way to the Sand Village, Temari encounters Kakashi and his team. Kakashi admonishes Naruto when he tries to rush ahead…

Guy prepares to use a forbidden secret jutsu. Meanwhile, Naruto falls under Itachi’s genjutsu, and all the anti-genjutsu training he underwent with Jiraiya races through Naruto’s mind.

Granny Chiyo and Sakura manage to expose Sasori, who amazingly looks no older than he did twenty years earlier.

Sakura and Granny Chiyo are engaged in a fierce battle with Sasori, who is able turn himself into a human puppet. They somehow bring Sasori down within the time limit, but he ends up reviving.

Kabuto fights Team Kakashi and frees Sai. However, Sai, who intends to learn more about his bond with his brother through Naruto's bond with Sasuke, betrays him. Captured, Kabuto gives a vague description of Sasuke's location to the team. Leaving Yamato's wood clone to watch over Kabuto, Team Kakashi enters Orochimaru's hideout and splits up to find Sasuke.

Yūkimaru summons the Three-Tailed and immobilizes it while Guren tries to capture it. It manages to break free and attack. Kakashi tells Naruto to investigate the lake, while they find Rinji and the others. Rinji and his men prepare an ambush, but Hinata, Sakura, and Sai arrive to avert it. Naruto summons Gamakichi and Gamatatsu and approach the Three-Tails, where they see Yūkimaru and learn of his allegiance to Guren. Trying to save Guren, Yūkimaru tries to suppress the Three-Tails once more, before managing to escape with her.

The sealing unit prepares the sealing barrier and the other two teams go into battle with Guren and her henchmen. Kakashi, Naruto and Sai stall Guren and Gozu while Shino prepares to go against Guren's crystal style. Meanwhile, Lee goes against Guren's other henchmen and gets trapped in their smokescreen. Can Lee find a way to defeat them?

Obito ignores Kakashi’s order to continue with the mission and leaves to save Rin, who was kidnapped by the Rock ninja. But the enemies detect Obito’s arrival and defeat him. Kakashi arrives at the last minute and saves Obito…

Upon encountering one another, Sasuke and Deidara engage in battle. After exchanging a few blows to test Sasuke’s strength, Deidara conjures up his specialty clay dragon and wages long-range attacks against Sasuke from high above. With Tobi’s backup support, the battle seems to be going to Deidara.

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?

Sasuke fights Killer Bee and is injured by his swords. Karin heals him, and Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Jugo then begin a combined assault on Bee until he decides to use the Eight-Tails' power. Sasuke is injured and revived again by Jugo, who regresses in age as a result. All healed, Sasuke unleashes Amaterasu on Bee, finally able to subdue him. Meanwhile, two Cloud ninja watch the fight from a cliff, and they notice the Uchiha crest on Sasuke. They rush the news to Bee's big brother, the Raikage.

As the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village work on repairing their village in the aftermath of Pain's invasion, Naruto and Sakura come across a familiar face among the carpenters: Inari and Tazuna have arrived to help out. Inari recalls what happened after Gato's death and how Naruto and Sasuke came to his rescue.

Naruto thinks back to the time when Team 7 was on a mission to capture a group of thieves who stole a golden statue. When making a move on the thieves, Naruto and Sasuke had managed to take back the statue but were separated from Sakura, who was captured. On top of that, the thieves' leader had used a special thread-like technique to bind one of Naruto's hands to one of Sasuke's. Literally stuck to each other, would Naruto and Sasuke be able to work together to save Sakura and keep the golden statue safe at the same time?

As they continue their voyage towards the Land of Lightning, Naruto, Aoba, Guy and Yamato sail through a thick fog. To pass the time, Yamato tells Aoba and Naruto some ghost stories (much to Naruto's dislike).

Konohamaru is eager to fight alongside his senior ninja in the coming war, but his young age prevents him from being assigned to the battlefield.

After the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, Obito finds himself inside the hidden lair of Madara Uchiha, who saved the young shinobi’s life. There, Obito works to rehabilitate his injured body in the hopes of being reunited with Kakashi and Rin.

The barrier is shattered, and Ten Tails appears! With unfathomable power in its attack, it sends shock waves through the air! Kurama takes the lead and tries to go on the offensive, but is helpless against Ten Tails' immense strength.

Part 2 of a special two-part extra edition! The townspeople are going about their daily business on the streets of the Leaf Village when someone suddenly appears and starts sending them flying!