Naruto’s and Sakura’s combined skills force Kakashi to use his Sharingan right off the bat. Naruto masterfully unleashes his jutsu one after another.

Sora refuses to let Furido destroy the village despite his grudge against Asuma and the Hokage. He is beaten up by Furido, who claims that his father had a similar flaw. Asuma gets trapped by Kitane in a force field of lightning. Meanwhile, Yamato and Sakura kill their opponents, and Shikamaru heads to the battlefield with a plan to defeat the zombies. Just as he puts it into motion, however, Fuen's barrier falls and Fudo's revival technique ends, and the zombies turn to dust.

Naruto proceeds to the next step of his training, the cutting of a waterfall. Hidan and Kakuzu reach the Fire Temple and fight Chiriku, so as to obtain the bounty on his head. After defeating him, they move out to claim the bounty and thereafter target the Nine Tails Jinchūriki Naruto.

While Akatsuki discusses the true goals of their organization, Naruto continues his training. Meanwhile, Tsunade receives the tragic news.

As Kakashi and the others continue to struggle against the Akatsuki duo, Kakuzu reveals that he has not one, but five hearts! In order to kill him, one must take out all five of his hearts. Meanwhile, Shikamaru decides to challenge Hidan alone, and forces him away from his partner.

Shikamaru continues his fight with Hidan. Hidan manages to injure Shikamaru and curses him the same way he did Asuma, but when Shikamaru survives Hidan's attack, Hidan realizes something isn't quite right.

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.

By using himself as an explosive, Deidara creates an explosion ten kilometers in diameter, something not even Sasuke will be able to escape from. Is this the end of Sasuke? Elsewhere, someone approaches the Akatsuki leader and gives him orders to catch Naruto himself. Who is this true mastermind of the Akatsuki plot lurking in the shadows?

While the members of Team Hebi head towards Itachi's location, Jiraiya infiltrates the Hidden Rain Village in hopes of gathering information on the Akatsuki leader. Jiraiya captures two Rain ninja and interrogates them about Pain, but what he learns shocks even him.

After Madara finishes telling Sasuke about his past, he reveals the unfathomable truth about Itachi's massacre of the Uchiha Clan. What really happened on that night? Why did Itachi join Akatsuki? And for what reason did he really spare Sasuke's life?

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.

After the peformance of the forbidden jutsu, Hotaru is horrified to see the damage the jutsu has done. Shiranami then notices the forbidden jutsu overflowing with chakra and the fact that it would destroy itself along with Hotaru. While Naruto chases the fleeing Shiranami, Utakata tries to save Hotaru using the hidden power within him. Can Utakata save Hotaru?

Shikamaru tries to decipher the dying message Jiraiya left before his death but cannot figure out what it says. Shikamaru asks for Naruto's help, thinking he might know the code. Can the saddened Naruto decipher Jiraiya's dying message?

Nagato reveals the truth about what happened to Yahiko and what made him disregard Jiraiya's ideals. With his story done, he demands to hear Naruto's answers. Will Naruto's answer be enough to convince Nagato to stop his evil plans, or will Naruto be forced to kill Nagato?

After discovering a kunai knife with a secret message on it, Naruto winds up being pursued by three kunoichi from the Hidden Waterfall Village. Iruka mangaes to find him, but when the situation grows worse, Kakashi appears to save them both.

In a flashback of Naruto and Sakura's, Team 7 is on a mission to take an ostrich called Mr. Ostrich to his home. They arrive at a village where they see a swordsman named Tsukado who has a vendetta to carry on a man named Katazu who killed his distant relative Shikazo. Tsukado fails to defeat him so Naruto decides to teach him unusual revenge lessons. Katazu has then took his brother's identity and attracted Shikazo's pursuers while Kageki and his family went into hiding. Tsukado decides not to kill him and ends their years of fighting though Kanabun wants them to keep fighting. The swordsmen, Team 7 and Mr. Ostrich chase the Kanabun Gang out of town.

Back before Rock Lee had his surgery, Naruto, after donning the suit given to him by Guy, set out on a mission with Sakura and Ino to obtain a special flower which was a necessary ingredient for Lee's medicine. When Naruto picked one of the flowers, however, he had to face a strange technique that had taken on the form of Gaara.

Naruto thinks back to the time when he encountered the soul of a man named Kisuke. Kisuke didn't recall anything about who he was, but a visit to the Leaf Village's hospital revealed something startling. Meanwhile, higher-ups of the Fire Country met to decide on a new security system for the Leaf Village put together by a ninja named Sabiru. Who exactly were Kisuke and Sabiru, and what connection did the two have?

Naruto stands before the Raikage and begs him to forgive Sasuke. Will the Raikage listen to what he has to say? Later, the Five Kage Summit gets underway. Mifune suggests that the Five Great Nations should form the first alliance of its kind; but also nominates Danzo to be the leader. How will the other Kages react to the latter proposal?

One of Sai's clones tells Naruto the truth surrounding Sasuke, something that Sakura couldn't bring herself to do. Before Naruto can even comprehend what Sai just said, they are interrupted by Gaara. What additional bad news concerning Sasuke does Gaara bring for Naruto?

Naruto returns to the Leaf Village, and his teammates demand to know why he didn't finish Sasuke off when the latter was in such a weak state. Naruto tells them that when the time is right, he will deal with Sasuke personally. Meanwhile, a supposedly deceased member of Akastuki has infiltrated the Hidden Cloud Village.

Hinata’s father Hiashi summons the Hyuga clan to discuss the role they will be playing in the upcoming Fourth Great Ninja War.

Given the day off, Sai spends it strolling the village and drawing. He initially encounters three children that he at first finds it difficult to interact with but later realises that two of them remind him of his team-mates Naruto and Sakura. He has several flashbacks of their time together and the bonds they share. In the end he uses the doors of a destroyed house and paints a mural of Team 7 along with Sasuke holding hands.

Zetsu reports on new intel from Kisame and Madara learns about Naruto hideout. Tsunade, Gaara, Lord Raikage, and others must figure out how to get Naruto out of the secret island of Land of Lighting and all without telling him about the war. New mission is introduced.

Miina wakes up in the middle of a night after having a nightmare where Naruto is consumed by numerous snakes inside his subconscious while the Nine-Tails looks on and goes to Dokku for consolation.

Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, and Kiba find themselves up against some familiar faces from the past. The Sound Ninja Four have been brought back by Kabuto’s Reanimation Jutsu, and they are ready to seek vengeance.

Madara is prepping his new jutsu Limited Tsukuyomi, choosing Naruto as his test subject. Meanwhile, Naruto is spending his day off alone in his room. Thinking that Naruto is lonely, Lee suggests they all go to the bathhouse for some relaxation.

Naruto and Killer Bee face off against the masked man originally thought to be Madara Uchiha, in addition to the reanimated Jinchuriki. Naruto is shocked when he recognizes one of the Jinchuriki.

With Izanami activated, and Kabuto trapped within its infinite loop, Sasuke uses this time to question his brother about the technique. Itachi tells Sasuke about the history behind Izanami's creation as well as the Uchiha clan's use of the technique.

After listening to what Hashirama and the rest of the former Hokage have to say, Sasuke finally understands how the Leaf Village and its shinobi came to be.