Sasuke's Escape

"Uchiha Itachi, you committed a heinous crime, and you still dare to return to Konoha? That takes some nerve!"

"So you both know Itachi, huh. Then let me introduce myself too." Kisame also took off his straw hat, revealing his shark-like face that could make kids cry. "Kisame Hoshigaki. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Nothing to be pleased about. I'll take you both out right now." Asuma said arrogantly to the two rogue ninja before him.

"Hey, Itachi, seems like the villagers really hate you!"

Kurenai Yuhi stared grimly at Kisame. "I know who you are. Kisame Hoshigaki, former Kirigakure ninja. Wanted for suspected murder of a daimyo and destruction of a country, you're a fugitive hunted by the Land of Water. Both of you are S-rank criminals on the wanted list."

"Mr. Asuma, Miss Kurenai, please don't meddle. I don't want to kill either of you."

"Tch, that doesn't sound like something someone who killed his own clan would say, Uchiha Itachi! I know you wouldn't show up here in such a ridiculous getup without a purpose. What's your goal?" Asuma pressed on, oblivious to the danger.

At this point, Kisame had had enough. He unslung Samehada from his back. "This yapping idiot's getting on my nerves. Want me to cut him down?"

"Looks like we can't leave the village quietly. But don't go overboard—your moves are too flashy."

"Got it!" Kisame grinned viciously at Asuma.

Then the two sides clashed. Asuma, only a jonin, was no match for Kisame. Kisame sliced a chunk of flesh off Asuma's arm with Samehada. Kurenai tried to cast a genjutsu on Itachi and Kisame, but Itachi's Sharingan reflected it back at her. Just as Kurenai was about to be killed by Uchiha Itachi, Kakashi arrived, saving her. When Kisame unleashed a Water Release on Asuma, Kakashi copied the jutsu and canceled it out. But then Uchiha Itachi used his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability: Tsukuyomi! Kakashi told Asuma and Kurenai to close their eyes and not meet Itachi's gaze, while he resisted with his own left-eye Sharingan. It was futile—he was dragged into Tsukuyomi's space and tortured for seventy-two hours. Though seventy-two hours passed in that world, it was only an instant in reality. Kakashi's mind was severely damaged, leaving him unable to fight Itachi.

During their exchange, Kakashi revealed the organization Itachi belonged to and stated their goal was the Nine-Tails inside Naruto. Itachi and Kisame were surprised. Itachi then ordered Kisame to take Kakashi away and make Asuma and Kurenai disappear. Just as Kisame was about to act, Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy, appeared in the nick of time and kicked Kisame away. He declared he'd found a way to deal with Itachi: don't look him in the eyes during battle, just watch his hands and feet to read his movements. Only Guy himself could pull that off.

As Kisame moved to continue, Itachi stopped him. "Kisame, forget it. We're not here to fight. Too bad—we can't go on. Let's retreat."

"Man, I finally got to throw down. But fine, no choice." Kisame grumbled irritably, then vanished with Itachi before Kakashi and the others.

Elsewhere, Jiraiya took Naruto to find Tsunade. When Itachi and Kisame learned of this, they ambushed them at a relay station. After Itachi tricked Jiraiya into leaving, he moved to capture Naruto—but Sasuke appeared. Sasuke had overheard the jonin talking, learned Itachi was back in the village and targeting Naruto, and chased after them, arriving just as Kisame was about to grab Naruto.

When Sasuke saw Itachi, hatred consumed him. He unleashed Chidori and charged madly at Itachi. But the gap in strength was too wide. Itachi easily countered Chidori and broke Sasuke's wrist. Then Itachi hit Sasuke with Tsukuyomi again, replaying the Night of the Massacre. Sasuke's mind was shattered, and he lost consciousness.

At the critical moment, Jiraiya arrived. He summoned the esophagus of the Rock-Sleeping Toad from Mount Myōboku, trapping Itachi and Kisame. In the end, Itachi used another ability of his Mangekyō Sharingan: Amaterasu! He burned an opening in the toad's esophagus and escaped. Might Guy also showed up, and Jiraiya ordered him to take Sasuke back to Konoha while he and Naruto continued searching for Tsunade.

On the road, Jiraiya taught Naruto the Fourth Hokage's Ninjutsu without hand seals: the Rasengan! They trained and searched for Tsunade at the same time. Eventually, they found her in a restaurant and learned Orochimaru had already visited her. When Jiraiya asked Tsunade to return to Konoha as Hokage, she refused, saying, "The Hokage is a total waste. Only an idiot would take the job." That pissed Naruto off, and he recklessly challenged Tsunade—only to get thoroughly beaten. But when he pulled off a half-baked Rasengan, Tsunade was impressed. She made a bet with Naruto: if he could master the Rasengan within a week, she'd admit he could become Hokage and give him the necklace that once belonged to the First Hokage.

A week later, Tsunade ditched Jiraiya and Shizune and went alone to face Orochimaru, starting a fight. Jiraiya and the others caught up, but Jiraiya had been drugged by Tsunade earlier and couldn't go all out, putting him at a disadvantage against Orochimaru. Kabuto Yakushi exploited Tsunade's fear of blood, rendering her helpless and wounding her. Naruto tried to protect Tsunade and fought Kabuto, but he was outmatched. In the final moment, Naruto let Kabuto seriously injure him to grab hold of him, restricting his movements, then used the Rasengan to drive Kabuto back. Tsunade, inspired by Naruto's persistence, overcame her fear. Free of her hemophobia, she activated her own secret technique, Yin Seal: Creation Rebirth, regained her combat power, and teamed up with Jiraiya to attack Orochimaru. Orochimaru was outmatched and retreated.

After driving Orochimaru off, the four headed back to the village. Once they returned, Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage and healed Kakashi and Sasuke. She then found a way to treat Rock Lee, who had been injured by Gaara during the Chunin Exam.

When Ino and Matsuri learned that Tsunade, the master of Medical Ninjutsu, was back in the village, they dragged Chen in front of her, hoping she could cure him. But Tsunade found nothing wrong and told them Chen was perfectly normal. As for why he was like this, she said she didn't know—maybe he couldn't accept the clan's massacre and wanted to escape reality, so he refused to wake up. Disappointed, Ino and the others had no choice but to take Chen back, hoping he'd recover one day.

After Sasuke recovered, Team 7 was summoned to the Hokage's Office. Tsunade had a mission for them.

"Awesome! A mission, a mission! There's gotta be something to do!" Naruto was already hyped at the mention of a mission.

"But Kakashi-sensei isn't here!" Sakura didn't see Kakashi in the office.

"Late as usual?"

"No, Kakashi won't be coming." Tsunade told the three, "As you know, almost all the other jonin, including Kakashi, have separate tasks. This mission is for the three of you. B-rank, bodyguard duty."

"Bodyguard... duty?"

"Of course, depending on the situation, it could turn into an A-rank escort mission. In the neighboring Land of Tea, the Moyurugi Shrine holds a race every four years as part of its festival. The client requested protection for the runner. We took the job."

After accepting the mission, the three set out for the Land of Tea to protect a runner named Moro Touche. Along the way, they clashed with ninja sent by the enemy. During the fight, Naruto's strength caught Sasuke's attention. But among the enemy ninja was a former Konoha teacher who had used Touche to steal the Second Hokage's sword, the Thunder God's Sword, then defected to join the Rain Ninja as a jonin.

In the showdown with this ninja, Sasuke and Naruto were both outmatched and seriously injured. But in the end, Naruto erupted and defeated the enemy.

Back in Konoha, Sasuke was hospitalized. In the hospital, he recalled the fight and realized the gap between him and Naruto. His pride stung, he challenged Naruto when Naruto came to visit. Sakura tried to stop them, but failed. They clashed on the hospital rooftop, even using their Ultimate Moves—Chidori and Rasengan—against each other. Just as Chidori and Rasengan were about to collide, Sakura, in a moment of idiocy, ran between them to stop it. She was about to be killed by both attacks when Kakashi appeared in time and saved her. In the end, Sasuke saw that the Rasengan caused more destruction than Chidori and stormed off.

That night, the Sound Four, sent by Orochimaru, snuck into Konoha and found Sasuke. They told him he'd never gain power in Konoha—only by cutting all ties with the village and following Orochimaru could he obtain greater strength. Sasuke thought it over alone. Finally, driven by his desire for power, he decided to follow Orochimaru.

After packing up at home, Sasuke slipped out that night. At Konoha's main gate, he ran into Sakura. Knowing he'd never come back if he left, Sakura desperately tried to stop him and confessed her feelings. Sasuke was moved—then knocked her out with a punch and walked out of the village without looking back.

Right after Sasuke left, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Aww, got a free front-row seat to a great show! Too bad the ending wasn't as sweet as I'd hoped."

It was Uchiha Chen!