Recaps

Orochimaru attacked Naruto’s team during the second Chunin Exam, but Hashirama took control of Naruto and drove him off. After the exam, Jiraiya reunited with Minato and Naruto, offered to teach Naruto, and the story ended as the finalists gathered at Konoha Arena with the Sand team’s operation looming.

• Ya-ya told Sakura, Kiba, and Shino where Naruto’s team was, while Gaara later caught the messenger crow and released it after learning Naruto’s location.
• Orochimaru infiltrated Naruto’s team’s shelter and attacked Karin, but Sasuke and Naruto fought back before Hashirama took control of Naruto and overwhelmed Orochimaru with Wood Release.
• Sarutobi learned of the fight and treated it as an S-rank emergency, while Orochimaru escaped, confirmed Hashirama had returned, and ordered the Sound Ninja to retreat at the crucial moment.
• Naruto’s group and the other Konoha teams passed the second exam, and Sarutobi awarded Team 7 credit for driving off Orochimaru.
• Ino and Karin arranged a barbecue where Iruka confessed his feelings to Shizuko, and the students celebrated the couple.
• Jiraiya returned to Konoha, met Naruto and Minato, learned that Naruto and Kurama were friends, and offered to teach Naruto summoning and Senjutsu before Naruto summoned the Great Toad Sage.
• Jiraiya accepted Minato’s invitation to stay with the family, while Tenzo received Sarutobi’s plan to capture Orochimaru and Zabuza warned Neji, Tenten, and Lee about Naruto’s team.
• Gaara prepared for the Sand team’s operation and said he wanted Naruto not to disappoint him, while the finalists gathered at Konoha Arena for the third exam.

Orochimaru and Sunagakure launched an invasion of Konoha, but Naruto and the village’s defenders defeated the attackers, and Sunagakure became subordinate to Konoha. Naruto then traveled to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode while Mei Terumi persuaded Zabuza to return to Kirigakure.

• Sarutobi and Rasa opened the Chūnin Exam finals, where Sasuke defeated Akado Yoroi, Shikamaru defeated Kin, Shino defeated Zaku Abumi, and Kiba defeated Kankuro.
• Naruto defeated Misumi Tsurugi and told the arena that someone else was responsible for the Nine-Tails’ Attack, then Hinata defeated Neji and Sakura defeated Ino.
• Orochimaru revealed his disguise as Baki and joined Rasa in starting an invasion, while Gaara lost control to Shukaku and the Sound Four trapped Sarutobi and Rasa inside a barrier.
• Naruto used Wood Release to draw Shukaku away, and Hashirama defeated him and freed Gaara as Konoha’s defenders fought the invaders.
• Kakashi exposed Orochimaru’s White Zetsu stand-in, defeated Manda, and helped end the invasion, after which Sarutobi made Sunagakure subordinate to Konoha.
• Naruto showed Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro around Konoha, then left with Jiraiya for Mount Myōboku to begin Sage Mode training.
• Naruto entered Sage Mode and the Great Toad Sage confirmed he had learned it but not mastered it, while Mei Terumi convinced Zabuza to return to Kirigakure.
• Fukasaku trained Naruto in Senjutsu Rasengan, and Jiraiya prepared to leave with him after receiving leads on Akatsuki.

Naruto and Jiraiya found Tsunade and persuaded her to return to Konoha as Hokage, while Jiraiya left to investigate his former students in Amegakure. The arc ended as Pain recognized Jiraiya in the Land of Rain and went to meet him.

• Jiraiya told Sarutobi that Danzo had targeted Nagato and his companions, and Sarutobi sent Jiraiya and Naruto to bring Tsunade back while Konoha gathered intelligence on the Akatsuki.
• Naruto reunited with Hinata, and the Chunin ranking matches began, with Shikamaru defeating Sakura and Karin defeating Sasuke after sealing his chakra and kissing him.
• Naruto and Hinata fought with their Sage and Tenseigan powers, and Hinata conceded after their final attacks collided.
• Naruto defeated Gaara and then Karin, while helping Temari reconnect with her brother and prompting Karin to consider improving Gaara’s seal.
• Naruto and Jiraiya found Tsunade gambling in the Land of Hot Water, and Jiraiya asked her to return to Konoha and become Hokage.
• Naruto fought Tsunade and overcame her before Hashirama soothed her fear of blood, after which Tsunade agreed to return to Konoha.
• Jiraiya left for Amegakure to investigate his former students, and Tsunade returned to Konoha and agreed to become the Fifth Hokage.
• As Naruto and his friends prepared to attend Tsunade’s handover ceremony, Pain recognized Jiraiya in Amegakure and went to meet him.

Jiraiya and his allies defeated Pain, learned Nagato’s history, and returned to Konoha, where Hinata removed the Caged Bird Seal and began a relationship with Naruto. Jiraiya then questioned Orochimaru about Madara, while Obito’s arrival in Amegakure set Konan and the Akatsuki survivors against him.

• Jiraiya confronted Nagato’s Six Paths in Amegakure, and Naruto arrived with Itachi and their allies to battle Pain and the other Akatsuki members.
• Naruto summoned a giant wooden Buddha and drove the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path underground, forcing Nagato to retreat.
• Nagato told Naruto how Hanzo and Root had killed Yahiko and their companions, then asked Naruto to pursue peace before dying.
• Konan vowed to protect Amegakure and kill Madara if he returned, while Itachi and the Konoha group headed home.
• Hinata revealed that her awakened eyes could see souls and remove the Hyuga Caged Bird Seal, and she, Naruto, and their allies planned to challenge the elders.
• Hinata removed Hizashi’s and Neji’s seals, then Hiashi and Hizashi led the Branch Family in confronting and binding the elders as the Hyuga became a new clan.
• Hinata freed the remaining Branch Family members, and she and Naruto confessed their feelings and exchanged gifts at a celebration organized by their friends.
• Jiraiya met Orochimaru, who revealed that Madara had White Zetsu, sought Ryūchi Cave, and had pursued him after he left the Akatsuki.
• Obito and Tagitsuhime entered Amegakure to search for Nagato’s body, and Obito attacked the administrative staff until they summoned Konan.
• Konan assembled Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, and Sasori for a mission to kill Madara, while secretly wielding Nagato’s transplanted Rinnegan.