Naruto and Sakura team up and challenge Kakashi to a survival challenge to show off their progress.

Sakura treats a critically ill Kankuro. After extensive training she’s now a full-fledged Medic Ninja, and Sakura amazes everyone with her sure, steady hands.

Breaking the five-seal barrier set off a trap, which now has Team Guy battling amazingly accurate copies of themselves. Back at the Akatsuki hideout, Deidara and Sasori struggle to take the Nine-Tail Jinchûriki.

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.

Sakura sees Sai drawing by the river and finds out that Sai has artistic talent but has never given titles to anything he ever drew. Naruto and Sakura begin to realize the reason behind Sai's repulsive personality. After the hot springs, the team heads off to the bridge to meet the spy. Yamato is suspicious of traps so they go off the main road into the forest. Camping for the night, Yamato then creates a two story house by again using his Mokuton jutsu. Inside this house, the team formulates their plan.

Kabuto creates a fake corpse that resembles Sai, containing hidden traps to slow down Yamato's clone after sensing it. Naruto hasn't completely recovered from using the Demon Fox's chakra, and Yamato says that he will be left behind if he cannot keep up. Naruto is determined to finish his mission and not slow the team down. However Team Kakashi is forced to take a break when it's clear that Sakura has not fully recovered from her own injuries. Yamato then uses this opportunity to talk to Naruto alone and reveals to him that the one who hurt Sakura was Naruto himself. Naruto is shocked by what Yamato says to him.

Orochimaru and Kabuto convince Sasuke to withdraw with them, and Naruto weeps over his failure to return Sasuke to the village, but Sakura reassures him that they will bring Sasuke back together. Naruto's team reports to Tsunade about the results of the mission, and Tsunade is greatly angered over Danzo's scheme, particularly his leaking classified information to further it. Sai asks Danzo to allow him to remain with Team Kakashi, and Danzo reluctantly agrees. Sai goes on a mission with his team, having come to see them as his friends.

Furido taunts Sora until Sora unleashes his true powers, before informing Sora that he is planning to use the four corpses to save the Land of Fire. Naruto continues his fight with F?ka and learns that she can use all five elements. F?ka manages to kiss Naruto and begins draining his chakra. Realizing that Naruto is in trouble from extra-sensory perception, Sora rushes to rescue him. Sakura, Sai and Yamato arrive to help but are trapped by Fudo and Fuen. F?ka drains Naruto's chakra until she begins drawing on the Nine-tails's, which is too unnatural for her to successfully absorb. The enemy team retreats when Chiriku brings reinforcements.

The struggle between Naruto and Sora continues. Asuma and Kazuma fight. Sai arrives, having snuck out of hospital, and binds Kazuma with an ink snake. Kazuma breaks out of Sai's jutsu and charges Asuma, but is killed. Naruto eventually reaches Sora, who manages to release the Nine Tails's chakra. Sora then leaves the village to travel the world. Asuma and Shikamaru play shogi and discuss who the king of Konoha is. Elsewhere, two Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu, appear chasing the Two Tails Jinchūriki.

Team Asuma continues their battle with Akatsuki's Hiden and Kakuzu.

Naruto challenges Kakuzu with his new technique, the Rasen Shuriken, but can he defeat Kakuzu when his technique isn't even complete yet?

While Naruto continues his training with Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, Yamato, Sakura, and Sai prepare to leave and back-up Kakashi's group. As Guren and her gang prepares to intercept Kakashi's group, Yukimaru grows concerned for her safety and gives her a charm in hope of a safe return.

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?

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.

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.

During the two-and-a-half-year time period in which Naruto was training under Jiraiya, the latter decided that it was time for Naruto to learn how to repel genjutsu. During this training session, the two traveled to a village which Jiraiya had previously been associated with, but they discovered that something dark was amidst.

Karui decides to get information about Sasuke from Naruto by any means necessary. When Naruto refuses to sell Sasuke out, Karui takes out her frustration upon the former. Meanwhile, Danzo prepares for the Kage Summit, and determines to keep Naruto confined to the Leaf Village.

Back at the front lines, the five Kage struggle to hold their own against Madara's Susanoo-clad wood clones.  As the lights surrounding the reincarnated shinobi begin to illuminate the battlefield as they faded into pillars of light, Itachi approaches Sasuke and uses his Sharingan to show Sasuke everything about the Uchiha clan massacre.

Danzo deliberately misleads Hanzo, telling him that the Akatsuki are attempting to sabotage the peace talks between the Hidden Rain and Stone. Believing his story, Hanzo sets up a trap to crush the Akatsuki for the sake of his people.

Following the aftermath of the Nine-Tails incident, many on the Leaf Council voice suspicions that the Uchiha Clan were behind this tragedy. The Uchiha are then placed under 24-hour surveillance by the ANBU, which causes further tensions to arise.

Madara and Hashirama eventually become the leaders of their respective clans.

Obito has gained complete control over his power as the Ten Tails Jinchuriki. His powerful, cold-blooded attacks force Naruto and his friends into a corner.

Naruto's power of persuasion moves Obito's heart. Due to the influence of the Ten Tails, visions of himself and Rin from the past appear in the inner realm and play havoc with Obito’s emotions.

The genin are unable to figure out the answer and start to panic.

An ancient ruin in Demon Desert comes crumbling down during the battle for the scrolls.

Madara has transformed into the Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails and appears before Kakashi. Kakashi and the others combine their powers to attack, but they are no match for Madara..

Ashura sets out on a journey, intending never to return. He ends up in a village where the people suffer from a mysterious illness.