The ninja of the Hidden Leaf are being tested on their combat skills. Later, Neji and Tenten succeed using their special attacks, but how will Lee stand up to Guy Sensei's Asakujaku?
Fed up with their pupils using their ninja skills for the simplest tasks, Guy and Kakashi set out to teach them a lesson. Later, Lee is training in the rain without an umbrella, when he sees Sakura getting soaked as well.
Lee and Naruto are both vying to be on Sakura's team for a research trip to the old capital city. Later, evening falls and Lee wants to slip away from all the Sensei to go hang out with the girls.
One day, Rock Lee, the hardest working ninja in the village, rescues a young girl. Later, Rock Lee is on a mission to get a special cake from a bakery where only limited quantities are made daily. Suddenly, Naruto appears with the same goal.
Gaara transforms into Shukaku the Sand Spirit but uses his own power to suppress Shukaku and manage an impressive win. Naruto leaves on a training journey with Jiraiya, who has finally returned.
Gaara and Naruto corner Hoko, the last of the Four Celestials, in a gully. They find out that their goal is to steal the Sand Spirit Shukaku's chakra in order to gain the power to challenge the Five Great Nations.
While Gaara alone seems to be gaining ground on his opponents, he is actually slowly being drawn into a trap. Gaara is caught in their secret jutsu, the Reverse Scale Position, and his sand is completely sealed.
Shino, Hinata, and Neji search out the enemy while Shikamaru waits for the right moment to attack. The true intentions of the Four Celestials is to capture Gaara.
Tsunade assigns Shikamaru a mission which is to solve the kidnapping case of the Sand Village ninja candidate Matsuri carried out by the Four Celestials. Leaf genin is called together once again.
While in battle, Naruto finds out that Menma is a member of the gang of bandits that attacked their village. Being called a traitor by the leader of the gang, Menma reveals his greatest secret.
Tsunade believes that Menma has some connection to the Hidden Sound Village, and Naruto and the others head to the Land of Rice Paddies to check into Menma's Memories.
Naruto comes upon an injured youth who has lost his memory. Tsunade is cautious about the boy's presence, but Naruto is impressed by the boys kindness and insists on allowing the boy to stay.
After a heated battle, Naruto has the enemy cornered, but a boy is taken. This boy turns out to be Akio, Todoroki's younger brother, who Todoroki thought was dead.
The relationship between Gantetsu and Todoroki is revealed and tensions rise between the two.
After evading the ambush by the Ninja Dropouts, Naruto, Gantetsu, and Todoroki find themselves in a forest maze that confuses a human's sense of direction.
Gantetsu, a member of the Ninja Dropouts requests a guarded escort out of Hidden Leaf Village.
Naruto and Kiba's mission is to guard a prized tea bowl and meet the client Shinemon.
Naruto finds that Yakumo has put Kurenai in a desperate situation, and the terrible secret of the Kurama villa reveals itself.
The first lady of the Land of Honey and her entourage have disappeared. Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata are sent on a mission and they discover an eerie castle looming in the middle of the road!
Lee opens a dojo because he feels like he isn't keeping up with his training. He is hoping challengers will come to his dojo to face him batle.