1 "Homecoming"
"Kikyō"
Naruto Uzumaki returns to Konoha after a two-and-a-half-year training journey with Jiraiya. He is reintroduced to his peers, who have all advanced to Chunin rank and beyond, unlike Naruto who is still a Genin. Elsewhere, two members of Akatsuki head towards Sunagakure to capture Gaara, who has since become the Kazekage, the village leader.

2 "Akatsuki Makes Its Move"
"Akatsuki, shidō"
Jiraiya tells Kakashi Hatake that Akatsuki's plan to collect the tailed beasts is underway. Because of the Demon Fox inside him, Naruto is in danger any time he leaves the village, so Jiraiya relinquishes Naruto's training to Kakashi, who can ensure his safety. Kakashi gives Naruto and Sakura Haruno a test to see how far they have improved. Meanwhile, the Akatsuki members Deidara and Sasori arrive at the entrance of the Sunagakure. They discover that Yura, their sleeper agent, has already cleared the guards.

3 "The Results of Training"
"Shugyō no seika"
Kakashi challenges Naruto and Sakura with the bell test, in which they must forcefully take from Kakashi two jingle bells using whatever means necessary. Sakura and Naruto both demonstrate their newly acquired skills. At Sunagakure, Deidara reveals his ability to manipulate exploding clay. He takes to the skies aboard a giant clay bird and begins his aerial assault by lobbing exploding clay spiders onto the guards, instantly killing them. As soon as he makes it to the Kazekage building, however, he finds Gaara there waiting for him.

4 "Jinchūriki of the Sand"
"Suna no Jinchūriki"
Naruto and Sakura both realize that even though they have vastly improved, they are still no match for Kakashi's superior techniques, as he too has become stronger, and decide to resort to more unconventional means. Meanwhile, Deidara and Gaara begin their battle. Deidara finds a formidable challenge in Gaara's abilities to control and manipulate sand.

5 "As the Kazekage...!"
"Kazekage to shite!"
Deidara sees that subduing the Kazekage is not as easy as he thought. He hurls exploding clay at Gaara to no effect, as Gaara can quickly summon a shield of sand around him with relative ease. Gaara then commands his sand to attack Deidara who has no choice but to try to evade. Gaara's sand eventually catches up with Deidara and crushes his arm.




6 "Quota Cleared"
"Norumakuriā"
Deidara is determined to capture the Kazekage. Unfazed by the loss of his arm, he unleashes a massive clay bomb onto the village. Gaara is able to deflect the bomb by using his sand to create an enormous shield over the village. However, this leaves him open to a sudden attack, and he inadvertently uses sand that had been seeded with Deidara's clay to defend himself. Deidara then detonates the clay-infested sand, which knocks Gaara unconscious. Deidara captures him and flies away.




7 "Run, Kankuro"
"Hashire Kankurō" )
As Deidara carries an unconscious Gaara out of the village, Gaara's older brother Kankuro chases after them. At the village entrance he discovers that all the guards there have already been killed. Upon catching Deidara and Sasori, Kankuro initiates his Puppet Technique by summoning his puppets Karasu, Kuroari, and Sanshouo. Sasori sees this as an opportunity to demonstrate his skills, and he allows Deidara to go ahead so that he can battle Kankuro alone.

8 "Team Kakashi Deployed"
"Shutsugeki, Kakashi han"
Kankuro's attacks are all nullified by Sasori's scorpion-like tail. He eventually pierces Kankuro with his tail, inflicting him with a slow-acting poison. Kankuro is puzzled at how easily Sasori counters his fighting style. Sasori reveals that he himself used to be from Sunagakure and that Kankuro's puppets are his own creations. In response to the Akatsuki assault, Sunagakure sends a distress call to Konoha.

9 "The Jinchūriki's Tears"
"Jinchūriki no namida"
Kankuro is brought back to the village but he is feeling the effects of Sasori's deadly poison. The village's medics are helpless finding a cure. Baki decides to seek help from the village's elders, Chiyo and Ebizo. Meanwhile, Konoha receives the emergency message from Sunagakure. Tsunade chooses to send Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura to respond to the Sand's need. Along the way, Sakura learns for the first time that Naruto's body contains the demon fox.

10 "Sealing Jutsu: Complete Nine Mystical Dragon Seal"
"Fūin Jutsu: Genryū Kyū Fūjin"
Deidara and Sasori arrive at the secret Akatsuki hideout. The Akatsuki leader gathers his followers using an astral projection technique and they begin the ritual to extract the One-Tailed Shukaku from Gaara. At Sunagakure, Kankuro's condition is worsening and Chiyo claims that even her expertise is not enough to counteract Sasori's poison. At Konoha, Tsunade foresees the difficulty of Team Kakashi's mission and orders Team Guy to back them up.