Sasuke's Escape

"Uchiha Itachi, you committed a heinous crime, and you still dare come back to Konoha? You've got some nerve!"

"So you both know Itachi. Well, then, allow me to introduce myself too." Kisame took off his hat, revealing the shark-like face that was enough to scare people to tears. "Kisame Hoshigaki. I look forward to working with you."

"There's no need for that. I'll take care of both of you right now," Asuma said arrogantly to the two rogue ninja before him.

"Hey, Itachi, it seems the people in the village really hate you!"

Kurenai watched Kisame warily. "I know who you are, Kisame Hoshigaki, a former Mist Village ninja. You're a fugitive wanted by the Land of Water for allegedly murdering a daimyo and destabilizing the country. You're both S-rank criminals on the wanted list."

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

"Tch, that doesn't sound like something someone who murdered his own clan would say, Uchiha Itachi! I know you wouldn't show up here dressed like this for no reason. What are you after?" Asuma asked, recklessly pressing him.

Kisame had had enough. He took Samehada off his back. "This guy's getting on my nerves. Want me to cut him down?"

"It seems we won't be able to leave the village peacefully. But don't go overboard. Your techniques are too conspicuous."

"Got it!" Kisame looked at Asuma and grinned cruelly.

The two sides clashed. Asuma, who was only a Jonin, was no match for Kisame, who sliced a large chunk of flesh from his arm with Samehada. Kurenai cast a genjutsu on Itachi and Kisame, but Itachi reflected it with his Sharingan. Just as Itachi was about to kill Kurenai, Kakashi arrived and rescued her. When Kisame used Water Release on Asuma, Kakashi copied the technique and canceled out Kisame's attack. But then Itachi used the Mangekyō Sharingan's Tsukuyomi! Kakashi ordered Asuma and Kurenai to close their eyes and avoid looking at Itachi, then used the Sharingan in his left eye to resist him. It was no use: Itachi dragged him into the world of Tsukuyomi and tortured him for three days. Though Kakashi endured three days of torture in the Tsukuyomi world, only an instant passed in reality. His mind was severely damaged, leaving him unable to fight Itachi any longer.

During his conversation with Itachi, Kakashi revealed the organization Itachi belonged to and said they had come for the Nine-Tails inside Naruto. Itachi and Kisame were surprised. Itachi then ordered Kisame to take Kakashi away and told him to dispose of Asuma and Kurenai. Just as Kisame was about to move, Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy, arrived in time and kicked him away. Guy declared that he had found a way to counter Itachi: don't look him in the eyes during battle. By watching his hands and feet, he could read his movements and fight him. The only problem was that Guy himself was the only one capable of doing that.

When Kisame tried to attack again, Itachi stopped him. "That's enough, Kisame. We didn't come here to fight. Unfortunately, we can't go any further. We're leaving!"

"Man, I'd just gotten started. But it can't be helped." Kisame grumbled in annoyance, then vanished with Itachi before Kakashi and the others.

Elsewhere, Jiraiya took Naruto to look for Tsunade. When Itachi and Kisame heard about it, they ambushed them at a waystation. After Itachi tricked Jiraiya into leaving, he planned to capture Naruto, but Sasuke appeared. After overhearing the Jonin talking, Sasuke had learned that Itachi had returned to the village and was after Naruto, so he had followed them. He arrived just as Kisame was about to capture Naruto.

When Sasuke saw Itachi, hatred took hold of him. He unleashed Chidori and charged at Itachi, but the gap in their strength was enormous. Itachi easily dispelled Chidori and broke Sasuke's wrist. Then Itachi used Tsukuyomi on him again, making him relive the Night of the Massacre. The genjutsu left Sasuke mentally damaged and unconscious.

At the critical moment, Jiraiya arrived and summoned the esophagus of the Rock-Sleeping Toad from Mount Myōboku, trapping Itachi and Kisame. In the end, Itachi used another Mangekyō Sharingan ability, Amaterasu, burning an exit through the toad's esophagus so they could escape. Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy, arrived as well. Jiraiya told him to take Sasuke back to Konoha, while he and Naruto continued their search for Tsunade.

On the way, Jiraiya taught Naruto the Ninjutsu without hand seals created by the Fourth Hokage: Rasengan! The two continued training as they searched for Tsunade. Eventually, they found her at an inn and learned that Orochimaru had already approached her. When Jiraiya asked Tsunade to return to Konoha and become Hokage, she refused, saying, "The Hokage is nothing but a fool. Only an idiot would take the job." Naruto flew into a rage and recklessly challenged her, only to be thoroughly beaten! But when he managed to use an incomplete Rasengan, Tsunade was surprised. In the end, Tsunade made a bet with Naruto: if he mastered Rasengan within a week, she would acknowledge that he could become Hokage and give him the necklace that had once belonged to the First Hokage.

A week later, Tsunade left Jiraiya, Shizune, and the others behind and went alone to find Orochimaru. The two fought. Jiraiya and the others arrived near the end, but Orochimaru had the upper hand because Tsunade had drugged Jiraiya earlier, preventing him from using his full strength. Kabuto exploited Tsunade's fear of blood, leaving her unable to fight, then wounded her. Naruto tried to protect Tsunade and fought Kabuto, but he was no match for him. At the last moment, Naruto endured a serious injury from Kabuto, grabbed him, and restricted his movements before using Rasengan to drive him back. With Naruto's encouragement, Tsunade also overcame her fear. Free from her phobia, she used the secret technique she had created, Yin Seal: Creation Rebirth, and regained her fighting strength. Then she joined forces with Jiraiya to attack Orochimaru. Unable to defeat them, Orochimaru retreated!

After driving Orochimaru away, the four set off for the village. When they returned to Konoha, Tsunade took office as the Fifth Hokage and healed Kakashi and Sasuke. She then sought a way to treat Rock Lee, who had been injured by Gaara during the Chunin Ninja Exams.

When Ino and Ino learned that Tsunade, the wielder of the greatest Medical Ninjutsu, had returned to the village, they dragged Chen in front of her. They hoped Tsunade could cure him, but she couldn't find anything wrong and told them Chen was perfectly healthy. As for why he was like this, she had no idea. Perhaps Chen couldn't accept the truth about the Night of the Massacre and was trying to escape reality, so he refused to wake up. Ino and the others were helpless. They could only take Chen back and hope he would recover someday.

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

"Great! A mission, a mission! There's definitely something for us to do!" As soon as Naruto heard Tsunade was sending them on a mission, he got excited.

"But Kakashi-sensei isn't here!" Sakura couldn't see Kakashi anywhere in the Hokage's Office.

"Is he late again, like usual?"

"No, Kakashi won't be coming." Tsunade addressed the three of them. "As you know, nearly all the other Jonin, including Kakashi, have been assigned separate missions. This time, the three of you will handle it. It's a B-rank mission: protect an important person."

"Protect... an important person?"

"Of course, depending on the circumstances, it could turn into an A-rank escort mission. In the neighboring Land of Tea, the race held during the religious ceremony at Moyurugi Shrine takes place once every four years. They've requested protection for one of the racers. We've accepted the assignment."

Once they accepted the mission, the three set out for the Land of Tea to protect a racer named Moro Touche. Along the way, they fought ninja sent by their opponent. Sasuke was impressed by Naruto's strength during the battle. But among the enemy ninja was a former Konoha ninja instructor who had used Touche to steal the Second Hokage's sword, Thunder God's Sword. He had then defected from the village, joined the Rain Ninja, and become a Jonin.

Sasuke and Naruto were both defeated and badly injured in their fight against this ninja. But at the last moment, Naruto surged with power and defeated their enemy.

After returning to Konoha, Sasuke was admitted to the hospital. There, he thought back to their earlier battle and realized how far behind Naruto he was. Proud as ever, he challenged Naruto when he came to visit. Sakura tried and failed to stop them, and the two fought on the hospital rooftop, even using their signature techniques: Chidori and Rasengan. Just as the two attacks were about to collide, the idiot Sakura ran between them to stop the fight. She was about to die at their hands when Kakashi arrived just in time to save her. After realizing that Rasengan had caused more damage than Chidori, Sasuke stormed off.

That night, the Sound Four, sent by Orochimaru, infiltrated Konoha and found Sasuke. They told him he would never gain power in Konoha; only by severing all ties with the village and following Orochimaru could he obtain greater strength. Sasuke thought long and hard, then decided to follow Orochimaru in order to gain power.

After packing some things at home, Sasuke left in the middle of the night. At Konoha Gate, he ran into Sakura Haruno. She knew he wouldn't come back if he left, and desperately tried to make him stay. She even made an emotional confession to him. Sasuke was deeply moved—and promptly punched her unconscious. Then he walked out of the village without looking back.

Just after Sasuke left, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows.

"Well, well! I got to watch a great show for free! Too bad the ending wasn't as happy as I'd imagined!"

It was Uchiha Chen!