Just when peace has finally settled over the village word comes that Orochimaru's hideout has been found. Tsunade orders Kakashi, Hinato, Shino, and Kiba on a search mission to find the hideout.

Naruto's uses his new jutsu to bring Kakuzu down. Tsunade welcomes the teams back home and orders Team Asuma and Team Yamato to take a break.

Ino and Choji are amazed at Naruto's new jutsu, and Kakuzu senses the danger that it poses. But when released, the new jutsu dissipates before it reaches Kakuzu

Naruto and Team Kakashi arrive just in time to assist Team Asuma. Sakura and Sai are ordered by Kakashi to aid Shikamaru, who is battling alone.

Shikamaru battles Hidan alone, deep in the forest, and after depleting his chakra, sustains a deep wound. Hidan draws his blood as he lies near death.

Shikamaru and his comrades desperately counter the Fire Jutsu offensive. But continuously using his Rasengan and Lightning Blade takes its toll on Kakashi.

Shikamaru and Choji deliver the first blows in the battle, but they are thwarted by Kakuzu's power. Kakashi counters Kakuzu's trick and brings him down.

Kakashi and Team 10 set out to stop the Akatsuki. Tsunade considers Naruto's Team 7 to be the ideal back-up for Team 10 and orders Naruto to perfect his new jutsu within 24 hours.

Asuma's funeral is held in Hidden Leaf Village amid deep sadness. Shikamaru is the lone absentee, unable to get over the loss.

In a faraway land, the Akatsuki reveal their true aim of world conquest. And back at Hidden Leaf Village, Shikamaru gives his report of the mission to Tsunade.

Asuma is mortally wounded by Hidan's jutsu, and the Akatsuki have the rest of the Hidden Leaf in a bind.

Shikamaru unravels the secret of Hidan's jutsu just in time, and Asuma attacks with all his being.

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.

Asuma and his team finally confront Hidan, and a battle ensues. They fight with all their strength but are shocked at Hidan's power.

Naruto is learning the elements of Wind Style Jutsu, and Kakashi lectures him on the difficulties of developing a new jutsu.

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.

The lone surviving priest is carried into Hidden Leaf Village where he reports the destruction of the Fire Temple.

With Kakashi's return, Naruto resumes training for his new jutsu. Kakashi explains that the transformation training will enter the next stage.

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

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.

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.

Naruto and Asuma catch up to Sora, only to find him shrouded in ominous chakra and undergoing a change.

Throughout the village, Kitane's fellow Guardian Shinobi with the Lightning Jutsu set up Limelight.

Sora is speechless when he discovers that Furido not only intends to assassinate the Hokage but plans to totally annihilate Hidden Leaf Village.

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.

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.

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.

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.less

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Learning that his chakra is of the "wind" type that is outstanding for fighting, Naruto puts more effort into his training.

Naruto begins to train with Kakashi. Kakashi finds it exhausting working with Naruto, who can't understand anything explained to him.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Naruto is shocked to learn that he was the one responsible for the destruction around them and for Sakura's injuries.

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.

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.

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.

With the release of his fourth tail, Naruto completely loses his awareness and is overtaken by destructive impulses.