With the release of his fourth tail, Naruto completely loses his awareness and is overtaken by destructive impulses. When Sai’s and Yamato's clones are finally able to get close enough, they witness a horrifying battle between Orochimaru and the transformed Naruto. Yamato is puzzled that Naruto is able to function wrapped in evil chakra too powerful for a normal person to withstand. In the gale born from the Triple Rashomon and high-density chakra, Naruto's power and appearance become demonlike as he get

Although he has changed almost completely into his animal form and has lost all awareness, Naruto refuses to give up the idea of bringing Sasuke home. Moved by Naruto's condition, Sakura ignores Yamato's restraints and runs to Naruto and is injured by him. Yamato is finally able to use his Wood-Style ninjutsu to halt the Nine-Tailed Fox’s rampage. Meanwhile, Orochimaru reaches his limit and tries to leave the battleground, but is confronted by Sai, who has brought him a message from Danzo.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Sai makes contact with Orochimaru. After reviewing the contents of the documents given to him, Orochimaru decides to take Sai back to the hideout. Meanwhile, Yamato is able to stop Naruto's rampage, but the damage to Naruto's body is severe. Yamato sees how distressed Sakura is over her powerlessness. When Naruto comes to, Yamato tells him and Sakura that Sai is gone, and that there is a possibility that Sai's superior, Danzo, is plotting something terrible.

Naruto and Sakura are shocked when they hear that Danzo's goal is to work with Orochimaru to once again attempt to defeat the Leaf Village. Sakura worries about Naruto, who is still recovering from his rampage, but when Yamato explains that they'll never have another such chance against Orochimaru, they begin their pursuit. The injuries inflicted by Naruto as the Nine-Tailed Fox cause Sakura to fall behind, and Team Kakashi is forced to take a break. Meanwhile, Orochimaru realizes that he is being followed

Naruto is shocked to learn that he was the one responsible for the destruction around them and for Sakura's injuries. Yamato tells him that he will, hereafter, suppress the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox with his Wood-Style ninjutsu, and he counsels Naruto not to rely on Nine-Tails but to use his own powers. Meanwhile, Sakura has questions about a strange story she discovers in Sai's picture book. The story seems to be about Sai and his older brother, but…

Sai shudders when he finally meets Sasuke face to face in Orochimaru's hideout. The list that Sai gave to Orochimaru lists the members of the Anbu Black Ops, the corps under the direct control of the Hokage. Sai stays with Orochimaru in exchange for some valuable information, but until he can be trusted completely, he is given a room where he will be under house arrest. When he is alone, Sai cautiously looks around and begins to summon a book

Team Kakashi is able to find Sai with Yamato guiding them. They immediately begin questioning Sai about Danzo's plans for destroying the Leaf Village, and surprisingly, Sai divulges everything. Naruto and his team are irritated that he remains absolutely unemotional, but Sai declares that, as a member of the Foundation, “I do not exist.” However, from all of his actions, Sakura detects some strong feelings in his subconscious and points out to Sai the contradictions in his behavior.

Kabuto carries out a surprise attack on Team Kakashi to take back Sai, but a change has come over Sai since Sakura pointed out his contradictions. With the information that they get out of the captured Kabuto, the search for Sasuke nears its end. As Naruto and Sakura run to find Sasuke, fond memories of Sasuke and of their parting bloom in their hearts.

Naruto, while nursing his injuries caused by the release of the Nine-Tailed Fox, searches frantically for Sasuke. Seeing this, Sai recalls the feelings he once had for his older brother and finally manages to complete his unfinished picture. For the first time, they see a sincere smile on his face. A sudden attack by Orochimaru mars the brief, tranquil scene. Before he vanishes Sai promises that he will save Sasuke. However, Yamato finds an ominous truth among the belongings that Sai leaves behind.

Team Kakashi are stunned to learn that Sai's true mission is to kill Sasuke. Naruto wants to believe that the smile Sai showed them was real, but there is a possibility that it was all an act. Meanwhile, Sai has reached Sasuke. Kill him, or save him… Which ending does Sai, a Foundation operative, choose? Sai and Sasuke battle it out, demolishing a part of the hideout. Naruto and the others follows the signs of chakra, and they are finally reunited with Sasuke.

Team Kakashi finally have their wish to be reunited with Sasuke granted. Although it has been three long years, Sasuke's feelings have not changed. His ultimate goal is to get revenge against his older brother, Itachi. Declaring that he has cut all ties with Naruto and the others, Sasuke begins to attack the Leaf ninja. They are overwhelmed by Sasuke’s skills. Sensing the inferiority of his host, the Nine-Tailed Fox urges Naruto on from within, but Sasuke uses his well-developed Sharingan to enter Naruto'

Sasuke's desire for revenge remains firm, no matter how hard Naruto tries to talk him out of it. Yamato tries to take Sasuke by force, but interference by Orochimaru brings things to a quick close. Naruto is stricken when he realizes that he has once again failed to bring Sasuke home, and that he just doesn't have enough power. Orochimaru has about six months until his transmigration. Now that the bonds within the new team have solidified, Team Kakashi makes a new pledge.

Naruto has a strange nightmare several days after their failure to bring Sasuke home. Even after he awakens wisps of the dream keep haunting him. The next day, Sakura goes to the library to research some medical documents. She happens upon Sai, who is engrossed in a book on human relations. Sakura is happy to see how hard Sai is trying to meld with Team Kakashi, and she invites him to go with her and Naruto to visit Kakashi. At the hospital, Kakashi makes Naruto a suggestion.

Naruto begins to train with Kakashi. Kakashi finds it exhausting working with Naruto, who can’t understand anything explained to him. The only way Naruto can learn is through experience. In order for Naruto to develop his own special Rasengan, Kakashi introduces a special training method that would compress enormous amounts of time and effort into a short period. Moreover, Naruto must study the properties of his own chakra in order to develop a new jutsu.

Learning that his chakra is of the "wind" type that is outstanding for fighting, Naruto puts more effort into his training. He decides to go to Asuma, who is also a "wind" type, for some advice. Meanwhile, Tsunade is being filled in on an assault on a village near the border. Thinking that the enemy could be the Akatsuki, Tsunade orders an investigation. She would like to give Naruto enough time to train, but she doesn't want the Akatsuki to pinpoint where Naruto is, so she decides to cut his training short

Team Kakashi is ordered to resolve the frequent vandalizing of graves at the Fire Temple. When it becomes clear that the vandals aren’t after the possessions buried with the dead, Yamato suspects that they want the corpses of the ninja buried in the four hidden tombs near Fire Temple. Naruto, unhappy at having his training cut short, continues to train in secret. Team Kakashi is to meet the Fire Temple monk Chiriku near the hidden tombs, but Naruto gets separated from them. He is wandering around in the f

At the Fire Temple, Chiriku explains to Team Kakashi that the hidden tombs hold the guards of the Land of Fire’s feudal lord. At one time Chiriku and Asuma were members of that organization. Team Kakashi learn about a terrible incident caused by the Twelve Ninja Guardians. Meanwhile, as Naruto watches the young monks training, he notices a strain in the relations between Sora and the other monks.

Word comes that the last of the hidden graves has been broken into. Naruto and the others go after the coffin, but it turns out to be a trap. Yamato can't figure out what the aim of the enemy is, and the team is forced into a battle. Meanwhile, in the Leaf Village, Tsunade puzzles over the many sources of worry, such as Danzo's, the Akatsuki’s and Orochimaru's actions.

Team Kakashi is split up by the enemy's Earth Summoning Jutsu. They are forced to fight the attacking assassins, but the enemy has the advantage since they know the lay of the land. Sai is shot with a marker that gives away all of his movements. He protects Sakura, but receives a venomous attack. Sakura attempts to give him an antidote, but… Meanwhile, Naruto is cornered by Fuka. And Sora, all alone, comes face to face with a mysterious figure…

Sora confronts Furido, the mysterious figure who has broken into the hidden graves. Impressed by Sora’s unusual strength, he admonishes him, “You should reevaluate how you use that power Heaven has blessed you with,” and disappears, leaving him with a cryptic message that he is an old friend of his father. Meanwhile, Naruto finds himself in a bind against the kunoichi Fouka who possesses an unusual jutsu. He has used every technique he can think of, but Fouka continues to fight back, and Naruto is now

Yamato believes that the assailants were not grave robbers but were after Sora. He decides to appoint Sora to Team Kakashi as a temporary stand-in for the injured Sai. This doesn’t sit well with Naruto, and furthermore, he is assigned to take care of him as soon as they return to the village. Sora causes one problem after another and is a constant source of irritation. Even Kiba and Choji get caught up in the commotion until one unexpected figure puts a stop to it all. Meanwhile, in the Land of Fire, the

By chance, Naruto and Sora get Asuma to coach them. Under the guidance of Asuma’s iron fist, they immerse themselves in training with Wind Chakra. Asuma’s words soothe Sora and he begins to settle into life in Hidden Leaf Village--until Furido suddenly appears and drops the bombshell that Sora’s father was killed by Asuma. Then Tsunade receives a letter from Chiriku, the monk from the Fire Temple, detailing an incident caused by Sora some ten years earlier.

Tsunade catches Danzo in a secret meeting with a ninja from the Hidden Rain Village. But the ninja turns out to be a spy for the Hidden Leaf. It turns out that the four-man group who attacked the graves was actually after Sora. Danzo declares that Sora poses a danger to the village and calls for him to be eliminated. Tsunade tries to silence him, but… Meanwhile, Sora is shocked to learn that Asuma is his father’s killer. Enraged, he is goaded on by Furido and turns his blade toward Hidden Leaf Village.

Under cover of a giant power outage, Furido begins his assault on the Hidden Leaf. The village immediately goes on alert, but Furido’s men put up a barrier, and everyone in the village is trapped inside. Naruto and Asuma finally catch up to Sora, who is planning an escape in the midst of the panic. He explodes with anger at Naruto’s demand to know why he attacked Tsunade. But Asuma is quick to suspect that there is someone behind Sora, someone who knows about the coup d’état incident involving two gr

In order to stop the impending disaster, Asuma rushes toward the electric generator system. There he sees the Guardian Shinobi Twelve who have come to life once more through Revival Jutsu after their graves were robbed. Furido’s intent is to use the Lightning Style Jutsu of four of the Guardian Shinobi to burn down Hidden Leaf Village. Sakura and Yamato arrive to help, and Asuma leaves the duo to deal with the four Guardian Shinobi while he battles Kitane. Meanwhile, Naruto tries to stop Sora from going t

Sora is speechless when he discovers that Furido not only intends to assassinate the Hokage but plans to totally annihilate Hidden Leaf Village. Sora tries to stop Furido but is hopelessly outmatched. In the village, desperate ninja battles spread. In order to lessen the casualties, the Leaf ninja plan a strategy near the great gate. Naruto, Sakura and Yamato battle Fouka, Fen and Fudo. And Asuma battles Kitane, the former comrade who has been revived. As confusion runs rampant, second by second, the threat

Throughout the village, Kitane’s fellow Guardian Shinobi with the Lightning Jutsu set up Limelight. With time running out for Hidden Leaf Village, Asuma continues desperately to try to stop Kitane and answers Kitane’s question, “Just what was the King anyway?” At that time, Naruto feels overwhelmed by Fouka’s mysterious jutsu. Will he be able to win with his Wind Chakra…? And what is this change that is occurring in Sora, who has been captured by Furido?

Naruto and Asuma catch up to Sora, only to find him shrouded in ominous chakra and undergoing a change. Naruto is shocked when Furido reveals the secret of Sora’s birth. Ten years earlier, remnants of the Nine Tails’ chakra that could not be sealed inside Naruto had been placed inside Sora. Imagining the suffering of one who shares the same fate as he, Naruto explodes with anger. This betrayal by one he trusted is the last straw for Sora, and he falls into despair.

Furido’s true form belongs to Kazuma, one of the Guardian Shinobi Twelve who had planned the coup d’état. Asuma puts his honor on the line and goes back ten years to battle Furido once more. Meanwhile, the rest of the Hidden Leaf ninja try to stop Sora who has begun to run rampant, but due to the intensity of the battle, one by one, their chakra runs out. Naruto summons all his strength to hold Sora back, but just then, the worst happens, something no one could have imagined. The Nine Tails’ chakra i

Naruto desperately tries to suppress Nine Tails’ chakra and get through to Sora’s heart and soul. Naruto’s comrades are helpless against Sora’s powerful chakra and can only stand by and watch. Will Naruto’s attempts, at the risk of his life, be enough to stop Sora? Furido, satisfied that Sora is now on a rampage, tries to leave the battlefront. But he is confronted by Asuma, and the battle nears its end. The King, duty, father and son--this former Guardian Shinobi waged a heroic battle, but how wi

Work continues in Hidden Leaf Village to erase the scars of battle. As he watches Konohamaru and the others helping with the reconstruction, Iruka sees how his students have matured. Kakashi, who has returned from investigating the situation with Jiraiya, reports to Tsunade that the Akatsuki have begun to move. Tsunade worries about Naruto, whose training for a new jutsu has been interrupted. At that time, in the Village Hidden in the Clouds in the Land of Lightning, Hidan and Kakuzu are nearing the end of

With Kakashi’s return, Naruto resumes training for his new jutsu. Kakashi explains that the transformation training will enter the next stage. This time, only Wind Chakra will be used to cut through a waterfall. Hidan and Kakuzu, who have captured Two Tails, leave it with Zetsu and head for the Land of Fire in search of Nine Tails. The first place they reach is the Fire Temple, where the priests go into a near panic, and Chiriku confronts the Akatsuki.

The lone surviving priest is carried into Hidden Leaf Village where he reports the destruction of the Fire Temple. Upon learning of the Akatsuki’s infiltration into the Land of Fire, Tsunade orders the twenty newly formed teams into action. Meanwhile, Naruto trains hard to cut through a waterfall. As Sakura watches his harsh regimen, which would be impossible for a normal person, she realizes that training can no longer fill the gap between their power.

In order to capture the Akatsuki, the Hidden Leaf cast a net that even an ant could not crawl through. Still, the Akatsuki elude them and frustrate Tsunade to no end. Around that time, Asuma and the others arrive at the Fire Temple, only to find it completely destroyed. Chiriku’s corpse is missing, and Asuma surmises that the Akatsuki were after the bounty on Chiriku’s head. They immediately dispatch a messenger to Hidden Leaf to submit a report and head for the nearest center where the Akatsuki can tur

Naruto is learning the elements of Wind Style Jutsu, and Kakashi lectures him on the difficulties of developing a new jutsu. According to Kakashi even the Fourth Hokage was not able to embed elemental chakra into his jutsu. Naruto feels a heavy sense of responsibility and puts his entire being into developing the new jutsu. Meanwhile, the Akatsuki duo turns in Chiriku’s body to collect the bounty. What is the fate of the Hidden Leaf team who are pursuing them…?

Asuma and his team finally confront Hidan, and a battle ensues. They fight with all their strength but are shocked at Hidan’s power. Kakuzu, the other Akatsuki member, also appears, and the Hidden Leaf seemed destined to lose. Escape is impossible, and Asuma grimly goes over a battle strategy… The strategy comes as a shock to everyone, especially Shikamaru.

Hidan releases a baffling jutsu, and Asuma bears the brunt of the attack. The jutsu is a special trick which links Hidan with Asuma’s body. In that instant, Shikamaru uses his Shadow Strangle Jutsu to stop Hidan’s movements, but this jutsu does not last long. The battle rages on with little hope for reinforcements. Will Shikamaru be able to analyze Hidan’s jutsu and learn its secret in time…?

Shikamaru unravels the secret of Hidan’s jutsu just in time, and Asuma attacks with all his being. However, even after his head is severed, Hidan continues to live. The Hidden Leaf, aghast at the sight of this undead man, are challenged by the other Akatsuki who has stood by in silence, Kakuzu. The Hidden Leaf team tries to rescue Asuma from the invincible Akatsuki duo, but Asuma falls victim to Hidan’s trick.

Asuma is mortally wounded by Hidan’s jutsu, and the Akatsuki have the rest of the Hidden Leaf in a bind. Just then, reinforcements arrive, led by Ino and Choji. They manage to come to the aid of their comrades, and once again, the Akatsuki find themselves confronted by the Hidden Leaf. But a mysterious figure suddenly interrupts them and the Akatsuki disappear. It seems they have barely avoided another battle, but Asuma’s wounds are deep and his end seems near.