Chapter Summaries

Naruto reached Sasuke and Gaara, fought Gaara after rescuing Sasuke, and summoned Gamabunta when Gaara transformed into Shukaku. Gamabunta agreed to help Naruto fight the tailed beast, demanding extra sake in return.

• Shino stayed behind to fight the puppeteer while Shikamaru trapped Temari, allowing Naruto, Sakura, and Pakkun to continue toward Sasuke and Gaara.
• Naruto rescued Sasuke from Gaara’s sand attack and recognized Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal spreading across Sasuke’s body.
• Naruto attacked Gaara, broke through his sand armor with an Explosive Tag, and battered him with Shadow Clones.
• Gaara used the Feigning Sleep Technique and transformed into Shukaku, who declared he would destroy everything.
• Naruto summoned Gamabunta, who charged Shukaku and agreed to help in exchange for extra sake.

Naruto and Gamabunta struggled to reach Gaara and wake him, while Shikamaru and Sakura urged Sasuke to leave the battlefield. Hiruzen used the Reaper Death Seal to take Orochimaru’s arms and force his retreat, and Naruto prepared a new plan against Shukaku.

• Gamabunta and Naruto tried to coordinate a combination attack, but Shukaku knocked them away and Gamabunta told Naruto to wake Gaara.
• Shikamaru and Sakura tried to lead Sasuke away from the battle, but Sasuke insisted on watching Naruto until Pakkun’s orders convinced him to leave.
• Hiruzen summoned the Shinigami and used the Reaper Death Seal to bind the First and Second Hokage and seize Orochimaru’s soul.
• Hiruzen sealed Orochimaru’s arms, then collapsed as the Sound Ninja rescued their master and retreated.
• Gamabunta told Naruto to use the Transformation Technique to give him claws, and Naruto announced that he had a plan.

Naruto defeated Shukaku and reached Gaara by offering him friendship, ending the threat to Konoha. After the Third Hokage’s funeral, Jiraiya rejected the elders’ offer to become Fifth Hokage and pointed to another candidate who had been away from the village for years.

• Naruto used a Rasengan to wake Gaara and force Shukaku back into his seal, then offered Gaara his friendship.
• Gaara accepted Naruto as a friend, and Naruto reminded him that Temari and Kankuro cared about him.
• Temari and Kankuro arrived, and the siblings withdrew from Konoha with Gaara after he apologized to them.
• Naruto mourned the Third Hokage at his funeral and later returned home to sleep.
• Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura asked Jiraiya to become Fifth Hokage, but he refused and said another woman was born to lead Konoha.

Jiraiya encouraged Naruto to recover from the Third Hokage’s death and took him on a mission to find Tsunade. While training, Naruto met Yugito Nii, a Kumogakure Chunin, and learned she was visiting the Land of Fire.

• Jiraiya persuaded Naruto to honor his teacher by growing stronger and protecting the people he cared about.
• Jiraiya told Naruto to pack for a month-long trip to find the next Hokage, and Naruto headed home.
• Naruto trained his Rasengan and managed to keep it stable for about twenty-five seconds.
• Yugito introduced herself to Naruto and explained that she had approached because she was curious about his training.
• Naruto introduced himself and asked Yugito why she was in the Land of Fire.

Naruto and Yugito discussed their shared lives as jinchūriki, and Yugito began falling for him after he complimented her eyes and touched her forehead. The two parted with Naruto unaware of her feelings.

• Yugito explained that she had come to deliver a letter to the Hokage, but could not enter Konoha until a new Hokage took office.
• Naruto told Yugito that Jiraiya had sent information to the Raikage and complained about Jiraiya's perverted research habits.
• Naruto spoke warmly of Jiraiya as the closest thing he had to a father and credited him with teaching Naruto never to give up.
• Yugito revealed that she was the Two-Tails jinchūriki, and Naruto recognized that they both carried a burden few could understand.
• Naruto called Yugito's slit-pupil eyes beautiful and pressed his forehead to hers to check whether she had a fever, leaving her flustered and secretly convinced she had fallen for him.
• Yugito claimed that Two-Tails had been talking to her, and Naruto compared it to his own frustration with Nine-Tails.

Naruto and Yugito grew closer as they shared stories about their lonely childhoods and spent several days together. A few days before the bet deadline, they went on a lunch date, unaware that Jiraiya was following them, and afterward headed out to spar.

• Yugito told Naruto that people in Kumogakure had shunned her as a child, and Naruto comforted her with a hug and shared his own painful past.
• Naruto and Yugito talked about their interests and romantic histories, and Naruto erupted with killing intent when he heard how a boy had insulted her.
• Over the next few days, Naruto trained with Shadow Clones while he and Yugito spent more time talking and getting to know each other.
• Naruto invited Yugito to lunch, and she teased him about asking her on a date before accepting and insisting he pay.
• Jiraiya followed Naruto and Yugito, imagining their outing as inspiration for a romance novel, while Yugito ate sushi at Naruto's expense.
• After lunch, Naruto and Yugito set out to spar, with Yugito linking her arm through his again.

Naruto and Yugito spent the day sparring and growing closer while Jiraiya received the Raikage’s reply to Konoha’s request. After walking Yugito back to her hotel, Naruto kissed her cheek, leaving their mutual affection clear.

• Naruto received his Shadow Clone’s memories of Shizune explaining Tsunade’s losses and the meaning of the First Hokage’s necklace.
• Naruto and Yugito sparred for hours, and Jiraiya arrived and asked why she was with his student.
• Yugito gave Jiraiya the Raikage’s reply, and he agreed she could stay until they persuaded Tsunade to return to Konoha.
• Naruto told Jiraiya he was walking Yugito home because they had been on a date, and Yugito panicked when Naruto thought she was angry and started to leave.
• Naruto and Yugito held hands on the way to her hotel, where he kissed her cheek and teased her about purring.

Naruto and Jiraiya learned that Orochimaru had offered to resurrect Nawaki and Dan in exchange for two living sacrifices, and they rushed to stop Tsunade. Naruto confronted Kabuto but was left unable to move after Kabuto cut his Achilles tendons.

• Yugito admitted to the Two-Tails that she had fallen for Naruto but refused to force herself on him.
• Shizune told Naruto and Jiraiya that Orochimaru had promised Tsunade he would resurrect Nawaki and Dan using two living sacrifices.
• Shizune treated Jiraiya after Tsunade drugged him, and the group went to find her.
• Naruto attacked Kabuto after finding him beating a terrified Tsunade, while Jiraiya faced Orochimaru.
• Naruto released his body’s restricting seal and struck Kabuto, but Kabuto healed quickly and counterattacked with chakra scalpels.
• Kabuto severed Naruto’s Achilles tendons, leaving him unable to move.

Naruto and Yugito teamed up against Kabuto while Tsunade struggled with her fear. After their combined attack missed, Kabuto moved to attack Tsunade, and Naruto rushed to stop him faster than ever before.

• Kabuto tried to kill Naruto, but Yugito arrived and wounded him with her Fire Whip Technique; Shizune was knocked unconscious while trying to help.
• Naruto carried Shizune to Tsunade and urged her to overcome her fear, then returned to help Yugito hold Kabuto off.
• Naruto and Yugito combined their Wind and Fire Release techniques to launch a powerful attack at Kabuto.
• The attack struck a substitution log, and Kabuto charged toward the immobilized Tsunade as Naruto raced after him at unprecedented speed.

Naruto protected Tsunade from Kabuto and defeated him with the Rasengan, but Kabuto's attack left Naruto near death. Tsunade declared herself the Fifth Hokage, drove Orochimaru away, and helped Yugito save Naruto, who briefly woke to say he had won their bet.

• Naruto took Kabuto's kunai through his palm, pinned his arm, and struck him with the Rasengan.
• Kabuto revealed that he had severed the chakra pathways to Naruto's heart, and Orochimaru rushed to kill the injured boy.
• Tsunade shielded Naruto from Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword, healed her wound with Creation Rebirth, and declared herself the Fifth Hokage.
• Yugito and the Two-Tails tried to keep Naruto alive while Tsunade and Jiraiya faced Orochimaru and Kabuto.
• Tsunade struck Manda with Gamabunta's sword, forcing Orochimaru to flee with Kabuto.
• Tsunade and Yugito treated Naruto, and he briefly woke to tell Tsunade he had won the bet before passing out again.

Naruto woke up after his injuries and found Yugito asleep beside him, then became embarrassed when Tsunade and Jiraiya caught them cuddling and took photos. Yugito left the room in a rush, and Naruto worried that she was upset with him.

• Naruto regained consciousness and found Yugito sleeping with her head on his chest.
• Naruto and Yugito slept for about two more hours before laughter woke them.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya revealed that they had taken several photos of Naruto and Yugito cuddling.
• Yugito hurried out of the room, leaving Naruto to wonder if she was angry with him.
• Naruto realized Shizune had been speaking to him and asked her to repeat what she had said.

Tsunade prepared to return to Konoha as Hokage, and she shared a tender moment with Naruto after their teasing turned into a mock fight. Meanwhile, Yugito worried that Naruto would think she was strange for sleeping beside him, and she failed to notice him enter the training ground.

• Naruto learned that Tsunade was returning to Konoha to become Hokage and teased her until they headed outside to fight.
• Tsunade dodged Naruto, removed his Forehead Protector, and kissed his forehead, thanking him for winning her necklace.
• Naruto thanked Tsunade, while she thought of him as a little brother or son.
• Yugito fretted to the Two-Tails that Naruto would be upset about her falling asleep against him.
• Naruto entered the training ground while Yugito remained distracted and unaware of him.

Naruto and Yugito confessed their feelings and traveled together to Konoha with Tsunade’s group. As they reached the village, Tsunade and Jiraiya discussed the possibility of an alliance between Konoha and Kumogakure and a future political marriage.

• Naruto found Yugito crying, comforted her, and kissed her after she revealed she had feared he would be angry with her.
• Naruto told Yugito he liked her too, and she explained that she had cried because she was happy he accepted and cherished her.
• Naruto invited Yugito to travel with him to Konoha, where Tsunade planned to become Hokage, and they hurried to pack.
• Several days later, Naruto and Yugito arrived outside Konoha with Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune, having stayed close since confessing their feelings.
• Tsunade and Jiraiya compared Naruto and Yugito to Minato and Kushina and discussed a possible alliance and political marriage between the villages.

Naruto returned to Konoha with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Yugito, then brought Yugito to meet his classmates at their weekly barbecue gathering. The chapter ended as the group reacted to their arrival.

• Naruto and his companions reached Konoha's gates, where Izumo and Izumo Kamizuki let Yugito enter under the Sannin's protection.
• Naruto and Yugito walked through Konoha hand in hand, and Naruto invited her to meet his friends at a barbecue restaurant.
• Ino told the gathered Genin that Sasuke was hospitalized, Sakura was staying with him, Sai had left Team 7, and Naruto had been away with Jiraiya.
• Naruto led Yugito into the restaurant, where Shikamaru called her another troublesome blond and Choji stayed focused on the food.

Naruto introduced Yugito to his friends, but Neji’s hostility toward Kumogakure sparked a confrontation. Naruto defended Yugito from being blamed for her village’s actions and left with her.

• Naruto brought Yugito to meet his friends, while several of them reacted with curiosity, jealousy, or unease.
• Naruto introduced Yugito as a Kumogakure kunoichi who had come to coordinate cooperation between the villages and as his good friend.
• Neji rejected Yugito and insisted that Konoha would never cooperate with Kumogakure, prompting Tenten to apologize for his hostility.
• Naruto confronted Neji, citing Konoha’s own dirty actions and arguing that Yugito should not bear responsibility for her village’s sins.
• Naruto took Yugito’s hand and left, saying he was no longer hungry.

Naruto and Yugito left the barbecue restaurant together after Neji apologized for insulting her, and Yugito made peace with Hinata over their shared feelings for Naruto. They headed to the Diplomatic Hotel, where Naruto planned to spend time with Yugito around his training and other obligations.

• Neji apologized to Yugito for judging her unfairly and invited her to rejoin the meal with the others.
• Yugito told Hinata she knew Hinata liked Naruto and wanted to be friends, while Hinata said she would not give up on him but would not interfere.
• Kiba failed again to get Yugito's attention, and Naruto teased him as he and Yugito left the restaurant.
• Yugito said she needed to leave her belongings at the Diplomatic Hotel, and Naruto agreed to take her there.
• Naruto told Yugito he would train in Wind Release with Pervy Sage the next morning and visit an injured acquaintance, but could otherwise spend time with her.

Naruto began waterfall-cutting training with Jiraiya’s help, while Tsunade approved the terms of an alliance against the Akatsuki and proposed Yugito become the villages’ liaison. Yugito left delighted to tell Naruto, and Tsunade returned to her paperwork and sake.

• Jiraiya introduced Sparrow, who raised a cliff and created a waterfall at Training Ground Seven for Naruto’s training.
• Naruto made hundreds of Shadow Clones and began trying to sever the waterfall with chakra.
• Tsunade agreed to the cooperation terms against the Akatsuki and proposed adding Sunagakure to the agreement.
• Tsunade told Yugito she would suggest making her the official liaison between the villages, allowing her to see Naruto often.
• Yugito happily left to find Naruto, while Tsunade complained about paperwork and pulled sake from her desk.

Yugito visited Naruto while he completed his Wind Release training, then told him about Tsunade’s agreement to a temporary alliance and her new liaison role. After Naruto and Yugito became a couple at Ichiraku Ramen, an Anbu messenger summoned them to the Hokage’s office.

• Yugito arrived at Training Ground Seven and told Jiraiya that Tsunade had agreed to the treaty and suggested she serve as a liaison between the villages.
• Naruto trained with his Shadow Clones and, after nearly six hours, successfully cut through the waterfall with Wind Release chakra.
• Jiraiya, the Anbu member, and Yugito praised Naruto, and Yugito gave him a towel before asking him to treat her to lunch.
• Naruto and Yugito discussed the alliance at Ichiraku Ramen, where an Anbu member summoned Naruto to the Hokage’s office and called Yugito his girlfriend.
• Naruto asked Yugito to be his girlfriend, and she accepted with a kiss on his cheek.
• Naruto and Yugito hurried toward the Hokage building, wary that Tsunade might get angry.

Naruto and Shikamaru were promoted to chunin, and Naruto’s first assignment was a tedious gate-duty shift. After visiting Rock Lee at the hospital, Naruto went to see Sasuke, who challenged him to a fight.

• Tsunade promoted Shikamaru and Naruto to chunin, then ordered Naruto to report for his first mission the next morning.
• Naruto spent his mission on gate duty with Izumo and learned that Kurenai had destroyed Kakashi’s shipment of Icha Icha Paradise books.
• Naruto visited Rock Lee, who vowed to remain his rival and promised to run laps on his hands if he became a jonin after Naruto.
• Naruto visited Sasuke in the hospital, suggested Sakura ask Tsunade to teach her medical ninjutsu, and heard Sasuke challenge him to a fight.

Naruto and Sasuke fought on the hospital roof after Sasuke challenged him, and their spar escalated into a clash between Chidori and Rasengan. Kakashi and Jiraiya intervened before either technique could hit, and Jiraiya offered Naruto a spar instead.

• Naruto refused to fight Sasuke at the hospital, but Sasuke threw a kunai at him and insisted they battle on the roof.
• Naruto and Sasuke exchanged taijutsu, and Naruto used a clone hidden behind sheets to land a surprise kick on Sasuke.
• Sasuke insulted Naruto and charged at him with Chidori, prompting Naruto to form a Rasengan.
• Kakashi stopped Sasuke and reprimanded him for using Chidori against a comrade, while Jiraiya calmed Naruto and invited him to spar.